tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post3946212421724171730..comments2024-03-28T12:00:47.858-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: THE SERENDIPITOUS BOOKJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1433015856395172102012-10-31T16:02:48.218-04:002012-10-31T16:02:48.218-04:00MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND, by Matthew Dicks. ...MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND, by Matthew Dicks. Extraordinary.Sara J. Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145626175256433448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78833254983636394152012-10-23T01:13:37.606-04:002012-10-23T01:13:37.606-04:00I am a diehard British Mystery Fan, I can't re...I am a diehard British Mystery Fan, I can't read "true" thrillers/suspense = nightmares galore for me ....ewwwwww<br /><br />I do on occassion read mysteries that take place in non "british settings" (usually new england where I grew up), but since I lived in an English Village in another life, I'm drawn to British Mysteries<br /><br />Once in a while I do pick up something outside my "reading box" <br /><br />"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson" sounds really good (still british) and I shall be looking for it and adding it to my TRB stacks<br /><br />Several have mentioned Kate Morton on here, so I now have more added to my wish list<br /><br />I also saw reviews on Princess Elizabeth's Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery which looks very interesting<br /><br />Rhys, I'm getting behind on your books, need to catch up <br /><br />I always enjoy seeing what authors read, love coming here and reading your opinions on other books<br /><br />HAPPY WRITING/READING ALL<br /><br />MarRosie123https://www.blogger.com/profile/11528374618939863598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35103032854783395862012-10-22T17:20:26.996-04:002012-10-22T17:20:26.996-04:00oh, Rhys, I love hearing you say Guernsey Literary...oh, Rhys, I love hearing you say Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of your favorite books ever! me too. Did you walk around with it wanting to read specific passages aloud to your husband (and anyone else you might run into)?! It was a surprise to me. I resisted it for a long time because of the title, I'm afraid. Now I'm just happy I discovered it. Its one that I will take to the old folks home with me (that's highest praise I can give a book).Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-19185561981902244292012-10-22T14:53:23.652-04:002012-10-22T14:53:23.652-04:00I think it's odd about myself, that I do not l...I think it's odd about myself, that I do not like most literary novels. I don't know why I find most boring, but I do. I think I should find them fascinating and intellectually stimulating, but mostly I cannot get past the first page.<br /><br />If I go back to my childhood... well that was different... Dickens, and a few others excited me, grabbed me. Now most make me snore. I only read those I had to, to get through school. It was work. Boring. Work. Study.<br /><br />When I finally graduated I didn't read for fun. I had forgotten how. I was old and uninterested in books, unless I could use the information I might glean from them. Pathetic.<br /><br />Then I discovered Robert B. Parker on NPR. That was that. I'm not ready to stray from the crime genre, yet. But I am considering the book that Linda mentioned above, RED WEATHER by Janet McAdams. It has a ring of something true that would engage me.<br /><br />In a similar way I am attracted to books about Salem, Massachusetts, the town where I was born, and where a small segment of my ancestors settled in the early 17th century. I am interested in that period of cultural explosion and the witch-trial era. I recently made a serendipitous find for that time period-- THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS: A DAY-BY-DAY CHRONICLE OF A COMMUNITY UNDER SIEGE by Marilynne K. Roach. Those events are a great mystery of human nature.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-63660227525858691282012-10-22T14:32:18.884-04:002012-10-22T14:32:18.884-04:00Because of Nook's Freebie Fridays I've rea...Because of Nook's Freebie Fridays I've read a lot of books I'd never read otherwise. The most recent was as delicious as its name: Peaches, by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I didn't want it to end. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71062870015115912722012-10-22T14:16:02.975-04:002012-10-22T14:16:02.975-04:00Favorite non-mysteries? The list is endless . . ....Favorite non-mysteries? The list is endless . . . I need no encouragement to browse for days --- so many books . . . so little time . . . . “Stars of Jazz” by Ray Avery: a pictorial history of the show [absolutely amazing photographs of many of the icons of jazz] showcasing Avery’s innovative camera work . . . . “When We Were Friends” by Elizabeth Joy Arnold: a story of motherhood and family, the meaning of friendship, and overcoming the past . . . . “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger: a story of the victory of love over time . . . . any of the “Joshua” books by Joseph F. Girzone: stories of a quiet and simple man --- magical modern-day parables all.Joan Emersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24700398331596442802012-10-22T14:07:58.666-04:002012-10-22T14:07:58.666-04:00Leslie, Karen, I loved The School of Essential Ing...Leslie, Karen, I loved The School of Essential Ingredients, too. I think I picked up the trade paperback at Costco because I liked the cover. Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53511143929175523042012-10-22T14:02:48.852-04:002012-10-22T14:02:48.852-04:00Deb, I've read A Moveable Feast twice, but not...Deb, I've read A Moveable Feast twice, but not in many years. Thanks for the memory jog; I'll have to go back and read it again, but this time with the framework of The Paris Wife firmly in place. <br /><br />Also loved The School of Essential Ingredients. Wonderful story.Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-46301564971752508772012-10-22T13:43:01.592-04:002012-10-22T13:43:01.592-04:00Deeper by Megan Hart was a gift from a friend. She...Deeper by Megan Hart was a gift from a friend. She called it literary erotica and I think that was a very good description. There are some very explicit sex scenes, but the sex is integral to the plot and I love the storyline. No to mention Hart's talent for description. Sofie Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830230500527705589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35743570475269205032012-10-22T13:04:24.999-04:002012-10-22T13:04:24.999-04:00Oh yes, THE WEIRD SISTERS! I'd forgotten about...Oh yes, THE WEIRD SISTERS! I'd forgotten about that one--that was definitely a worthy read.Lisa Alberhttp://www.lisaalber.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24754158860475550532012-10-22T13:00:24.368-04:002012-10-22T13:00:24.368-04:00Two surprises this year: The School of Essential I...Two surprises this year: The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister, and The Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles. School is contemporary, light, and a lot of fun -- the intersecting lives of 8 people in a cooking class. Civility is set in the late 30s in NYC, and is a great example of voice in a novel -- the narrator is a struggling working class gal who gets in with the rich crowd. Sort of. Gatsby territory, but with a happy ending. :) Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-31937718648987346722012-10-22T12:52:35.116-04:002012-10-22T12:52:35.116-04:00I rarely read non mysteries anymore. Some of you h...I rarely read non mysteries anymore. Some of you have mentioned some that I HAVE read and loved, including Major Pettigrew. One not mentioned so far is The Weird Sisters; I think the author is Eleanor Brown. I could not put it down! I loved The Lacemakers of Glenmara so much that when I got to the end,I immediately went back to Page 1 and reread the entire book!<br /> Deb Romanonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30207878326362648032012-10-22T12:01:27.665-04:002012-10-22T12:01:27.665-04:00Like Ro I do love to browse my library's book ...Like Ro I do love to browse my library's book sale (where I volunteer, too). I seem to end up with cookbooks (big surprise) which I love to browse but rarely cook from. <br /><br />And I've got Miss Peregrine right here on my shelf! Haven't read it yet but I will.LOVED The Art Forger which got a great review in today's Boston Globe!Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-113589655451078752012-10-22T11:50:44.452-04:002012-10-22T11:50:44.452-04:00Karen, now I will look for The Paris Wife. I love...Karen, now I will look for The Paris Wife. I loved Midnight in Paris, so much so that I blogged here on JR about it. I had read Hemingway's A Moveable Feast a couple of years ago, his memoir of is time in Paris. Highly recommended if you haven't read it.Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87581445056907499282012-10-22T11:45:34.649-04:002012-10-22T11:45:34.649-04:00Oh, the sickness! I agree with you as I sit here s...Oh, the sickness! I agree with you as I sit here staring at the pile of books on my nightstand, beside my nightstand, next to the bed...:-)<br /><br />For the most part, I stick to our genre--there are just too many great books! It's another sort of sickness: how to keep up?!?!? :-)(That said, Hank, I finished THE OTHER WOMAN a few weeks ago--brava!)<br /><br />However, I recommend THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA by Heather Barbieri. Its a lovely story of a woman who returns to her ancestral homeland in Ireland.<br /><br />I'll be reading THE ART FORGER soon.Lisa Alberhttp://www.lisaalber.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10779399879088986762012-10-22T11:40:14.047-04:002012-10-22T11:40:14.047-04:00Ho could I forget the Guernsey Literary and Potato...Ho could I forget the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Kaya? That turned out to be one of my favorite books ever! So clever. Starting so light and sperficial and ending up so deep and multi-layered!<br /><br />And Hank, if you pick up a historical novel, you'll probably find a blurb from me on it. The publishers now seem to think "HIstorical... call Rhys Bowen." Lovely but a lot of extra work.Rhys Bowenhttp://www.rhysbowen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25112816964897906232012-10-22T11:39:09.207-04:002012-10-22T11:39:09.207-04:00Ho could I forget the Guernsey Literary and Potato...Ho could I forget the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Kaya? That turned out to be one of my favorite books ever! So clever. Starting so light and sperficial and ending up so deep and multi-layered!<br /><br />And Hank, if you pick up a historical novel, you'll probably find a blurb from me on it. The publishers now seem to think "HIstorical... call Rhys Bowen." Lovely but a lot of extra work.Rhys Bowenhttp://www.rhysbowen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10378049947192554462012-10-22T11:29:45.758-04:002012-10-22T11:29:45.758-04:00Oh, and I'm really looking forward to the new...Oh, and I'm really looking forward to the new Tom Wolfe. I am a HUGE fa.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18965037887153229272012-10-22T11:29:09.131-04:002012-10-22T11:29:09.131-04:00Yes, it IS a sickness! But a good one.
On the pan...Yes, it IS a sickness! But a good one.<br /><br />On the pane last night i rad Princess Elizabeth's Spy (is that he title?) and inside the cover were blurbs from Rhys, and Cara Black! SO I knew it would be good..and I'm loving it .It's not what I usually read..but my brain was so full. <br /><br />xooHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24231676962382897672012-10-22T11:06:09.223-04:002012-10-22T11:06:09.223-04:00Kaye, we have very similar reading tastes. I also ...Kaye, we have very similar reading tastes. I also recently discovered Kate Morton, with her The House at Riverton. (Oh, Rhys!)<br /><br />Another wonderful book I found via the Nook library was The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake. And if you have not yet read The Paris Wife by my fellow Ohioan Paula McClain, I highly recommend it. Serendipitously, I watched the movie Midnight in Paris shortly after I'd read the book on Hemingway's first wife. Lots of the same characters, the magical part of the movie set in the same time period as the book. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42821453239254657432012-10-22T10:56:05.362-04:002012-10-22T10:56:05.362-04:00I tend to avoid literary novels anymore, after rev...I tend to avoid literary novels anymore, after reviewing and teaching them for years--and growing ever more disaffected with many of them. But I ended up reading a slim lit novel that's outstanding.<br /><br />Janet McAdams, a friend and award-winning poet, published a novel earlier this year with University of Arizona Press. RED WEATHER is a lyrical portrayal of a woman’s search for herself in the guise of her search for long-missing parents, who had fled imminent arrest for their involvement in a 1970s nonviolent Native American protest action. Her protagonist, Neva, has lived in the South all her life, passing as white in fear of what might happen to her if those around her realize she’s part-Creek. Even her controlling, abusive husband never knew until the one person in whom she confided told him, allowing him to use that against her. Now, she seeks traces of her parents in the tiny, war-torn country of Coatepeque in Central America. She'll find love, heartbreak, and children and friends for whom she'll risk her life instead.<br /><br />Debs, you're right. It's a disease!Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80388328550218618972012-10-22T10:48:56.051-04:002012-10-22T10:48:56.051-04:00Like most of you, my reading spans a whole lots of...Like most of you, my reading spans a whole lots of genres and finding a new book or new author is a thrill. <br /><br />I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Debs - it was one of those finds that made me enormously happy.<br /><br />Discovering Kate Morton was another and I've just finished reading an ARC of her latest, THE SECRET KEEPER. I can't recommend it highly enough!<br /><br />Other favorite "Serendipitous Book" finds were THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT by Beth Hoffman and THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd. And MOMENTS WITH EUGENE edited by Rebecca Barrett & Carolyn Haines (yes, mystery's own Carolyn Haines.<br /><br />okay - that's all - I'm off to vote!Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30093053141899482912012-10-22T10:23:58.807-04:002012-10-22T10:23:58.807-04:00The wonderful aspect of Major Pettigrew's Last...The wonderful aspect of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is how adult it is, and the realistic way it portrays the older characters, with dignity and great affection. It has that in common with the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. So refreshing, that the authors chose to avoid the stereotypical way mature people are so often portrayed.<br /><br />A charming read I picked up on a whim was The Secret Lives of Dresses, by Erin McKean. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61720355230053467572012-10-22T09:52:44.012-04:002012-10-22T09:52:44.012-04:00It's been over a year, but because of a Facebo...It's been over a year, but because of a Facebook friendship, I bought and read the book "Diamond Ruby" by the very talented Joseph Wallace. It's about a very strong young woman in the 1920s with a gift of strength that doesn't usually benefit women (not at that time in the sports world). I loved it and I urge everyone to give it a read. <br /><br />--Marjorie of ConnecticutAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-40239834910427052202012-10-22T09:41:18.291-04:002012-10-22T09:41:18.291-04:00It's a sickness, Ro:-)It's a sickness, Ro:-)Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.com