After a bit of a dry spell I have been reading some really good books lately: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (in progress). I would recommend them all!
I was able to delve into several terrific books this summer. I could recommend any number of political or historical tomes, but here are my top three, all great books for discussion purposes ...
1. Pictures at the Revolution - an in-depth, well-anecdoted book about the 1968 movies up for Oscars: Bonnie and Clyde, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In The Heat of the Night, Dr. Doolittle and The Graduate. Guess which won (and no fair peeking)?
2. Chaplin, by David Robinson. A biography of the cinema's truest auteur. Somewhat sanitized, since it is an "authorized" biography, but still the genius of Chaplin resonates - and makes you want to wallow in his wonderful cinema trove.
3. Brothers - Dan Algeo alert!: The politics and pragmatism of the Kennedy brothers in the 1960s is terrifically recounted here. Maybe the best book on them yet.
We were recently talking at lunch about the unusual, entertaining "Water for Elephants". I picked up a mint, 25-cent copy at a yard sale last weekend, so I will bring it and leave it for anyone who wants to try it ~ pass it around. I like fiction best, but not fluff or romance. I refuse to read anything by James Patterson! (I swear he publishes a book a week). Ken Follett's 2007 sequel to Pillars, "World Without End", is great, too. A mere 1024 pages, now the 14th century, also set around the Cathedral. I have a rather large library at home. Many classics I'm finally getting around to reading. Also own many by authors Alice Hoffman, Billie Letts, Barbara Kingsolver, plus a few Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, Larry McMurtry, John Irving, Amy Tan. An interesting historical novel is "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamante. Anyone who wants "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (by the same author as "The Kite Runner") is welcome to borrow it. That one brought home to me how utterly grateful I am to be a woman living in our free society; it's a bit hard to get in to, but worth hanging in, and had a redeeming ending. I confess: I also probably have every self-help, inspirational or motivational book ever published!
I could go on & on....Hope people join in this conversation!
I also read People of the Book and found it so interesting. I am presently reading Little Heathens:Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish. You don't have to have lived on a farm to enjoy it.
I recently reread an old favorite, An American Tragedy by Dreiser. It remains an incredibly moving story of love, self delusion, deception, and of course, tragedy. I reread it just prior to reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Holmes, which was a Printz Honor book (young adult). This is a love story/murder mystery sequel to An American Tragedy. I loved it.
Also read a new biography of Harper Lee called I am Scout. Lots of great insight into how her life parallels Scout's life in TKAMB and her complicated relationship with Truman Capote. Enjoyed thoroughly!
I just read Digging to America by Ann Tyler. I loved it. It's about two families that both adopt daughters from Korea. They are at the airport on the same day to recieve them, and decide to keep in touch as the girls grow older. I think she captures the little details and events that make up our everyday lives...it's very real.
Robin - someone just lent me The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society so I looking forward to reading that next.
I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society last night Claire and I loved it! I am anxious to hear what you think. I think Sharon enjoyed it as well.
And we are doing Digging to America with my book group this month. I read it last spring and really liked it, although the breast cancer part was hard to read then.
I think the next one on my list is going to be Little Heathens which Jean mentioned. That is, if I do not have to wait too long for it at the library. If so, I will read Loving Frank about Frank LLoyd Wright. Several people at school read it and really liked it.
I just finished reading 1000 White Women by Tom Fergus. It's historical fiction about the U.S. government sending women to the Wild West to marry the Cheyenne indians to help integrate the two cultures. Loved it! Does anyone have Loving Frank that I could borrow over the holiday?
I read that too - not bad. I have a copy of Loving Frank you can borrow. Now all I have to do is remember to bring it to school...Almost finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I would definitely recommend it. It is a gothic mystery; sort of a combination of Joyce Carol Oates and Ann Marie McDonald.
This space is the result of a lively discussion at our lunch table about all the great books we had been reading. By the end of lunch we had decided to start a blog where we could share all our favorite reads and find suggestions for that next great page turner.
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11 comments:
After a bit of a dry spell I have been reading some really good books lately: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (in progress). I would recommend them all!
I was able to delve into several terrific books this summer. I could recommend any number of political or historical tomes, but here are my top three, all great books for discussion purposes ...
1. Pictures at the Revolution - an in-depth, well-anecdoted book about the 1968 movies up for Oscars: Bonnie and Clyde, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In The Heat of the Night, Dr. Doolittle and The Graduate. Guess which won (and no fair peeking)?
2. Chaplin, by David Robinson. A biography of the cinema's truest auteur. Somewhat sanitized, since it is an "authorized" biography, but still the genius of Chaplin resonates - and makes you want to wallow in his wonderful cinema trove.
3. Brothers - Dan Algeo alert!: The politics and pragmatism of the Kennedy brothers in the 1960s is terrifically recounted here. Maybe the best book on them yet.
Warren
Interesting list Warren....
We were recently talking at lunch about the unusual, entertaining "Water for Elephants". I picked up a mint, 25-cent copy at a yard sale last weekend, so I will bring it and leave it for anyone who wants to try it ~ pass it around. I like fiction best, but not fluff or romance. I refuse to read anything by James Patterson! (I swear he publishes a book a week).
Ken Follett's 2007 sequel to Pillars, "World Without End", is great, too. A mere 1024 pages, now the 14th century, also set around the Cathedral.
I have a rather large library at home. Many classics I'm finally getting around to reading. Also own many by authors Alice Hoffman, Billie Letts, Barbara Kingsolver, plus a few Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, Larry McMurtry, John Irving, Amy Tan.
An interesting historical novel is "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamante.
Anyone who wants "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (by the same author as "The Kite Runner") is welcome to borrow it. That one brought home to me how utterly grateful I am to be a woman living in our free society; it's a bit hard to get in to, but worth hanging in, and had a redeeming ending.
I confess: I also probably have every self-help, inspirational or motivational book ever published!
I could go on & on....Hope people join in this conversation!
I also read People of the Book and found it so interesting. I am presently reading Little Heathens:Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish. You don't have to have lived on a farm to enjoy it.
I recently reread an old favorite, An American Tragedy by Dreiser. It remains an incredibly moving story of love, self delusion, deception, and of course, tragedy. I reread it just prior to reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Holmes, which was a Printz Honor book (young adult). This is a love story/murder mystery sequel to An American Tragedy. I loved it.
Also read a new biography of Harper Lee called I am Scout. Lots of great insight into how her life parallels Scout's life in TKAMB and her complicated relationship with Truman Capote. Enjoyed thoroughly!
I just read Digging to America by Ann Tyler. I loved it. It's about two families that both adopt daughters from Korea. They are at the airport on the same day to recieve them, and decide to keep in touch as the girls grow older. I think she captures the little details and events that make up our everyday lives...it's very real.
Robin - someone just lent me The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society so I looking forward to reading that next.
I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society last night Claire and I loved it! I am anxious to hear what you think. I think Sharon enjoyed it as well.
And we are doing Digging to America with my book group this month. I read it last spring and really liked it, although the breast cancer part was hard to read then.
I think the next one on my list is going to be Little Heathens which Jean mentioned. That is, if I do not have to wait too long for it at the library. If so, I will read Loving Frank about Frank LLoyd Wright. Several people at school read it and really liked it.
Finished Loving Frank. It was a good book but the end completely floored me!!!
I just finished reading 1000 White Women by Tom Fergus. It's historical fiction about the U.S. government sending women to the Wild West to marry the Cheyenne indians to help integrate the two cultures. Loved it!
Does anyone have Loving Frank that I could borrow over the holiday?
I read that too - not bad. I have a copy of Loving Frank you can borrow. Now all I have to do is remember to bring it to school...Almost finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I would definitely recommend it. It is a gothic mystery; sort of a combination of Joyce Carol Oates and Ann Marie McDonald.
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