by Thomas H. Cook
Wondering if I ever read any Cook before? Maybe not, but I have a lot of reading to look forward to. Excellent book that actually gave me a nightmare last night.
Great plot, full of twists and horrible information regarding evil. Read it fast, up in the middle of the night (awoke by night mare) and read some more after contemplating bring the book back, unfinished, to the library.
Set in Mississippi and a wonderful cast of characters.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Alive by Piers Paul Read
Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember in 1972 when this happened. I was in my second year at Murray and came home for the Christmas Holidays with the flu. That is what I remember most about December 1972.
These guys, the rugby team of Montevideo Uruguay, certainly remember something different. They had survived the crash of their Fairchild aircraft in the Andes Mountains, totally off course of where they were expected to be. And 16 of the original 45 survived the 70 days in approx 13,500 feet above sea level.
I could not put the book down and read it in two sittings. How did they survive? By eating the remains of those who died. It was unthinkable, but they had to do it.
Remarkable story. great read.
These guys, the rugby team of Montevideo Uruguay, certainly remember something different. They had survived the crash of their Fairchild aircraft in the Andes Mountains, totally off course of where they were expected to be. And 16 of the original 45 survived the 70 days in approx 13,500 feet above sea level.
I could not put the book down and read it in two sittings. How did they survive? By eating the remains of those who died. It was unthinkable, but they had to do it.
Remarkable story. great read.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
One word - Wow.
It is when I read a book like this one I wish I were in a book club and could discuss the plot, characters, motivation. But, I finished the book last night and read the interview with the author and the discussion questions I really wanted to have someone I could turn to and say something like .......
"In my minds eye I see Bunny like this!"
I read the second book this author wrote about five years ago, The Little Friend, and truly liked it. Weird as it was, disturbing actually is a better word. This book is disturbing also, in a "I can't look away from the wreck" sort of way.
I was intrigued with the characters. Like the narrator, I wanted to know them better and be a part of their group. It seemed exclusive and intriguing. And, he was granted his wish as were all the readers.
The leader was a tormented genius who found himself in the most diabolical and hated crime our society knows. Yet, we are taken along for the ride, as is the narrator Richard. Somewhere in the body of the 550 pages, Richard begins to think that Henry (diabolical leader) is setting him up to take the fall. Henry is like an expert chess player who invites you to play checkers. And you do, not realizing what you are up against, and are in fact playing a chess game.
There was so much meat in this story. I kept thinking that a child's brain (they were all in their early 20's...20 & 21, except Bunny who was 24, but had been held back due to learning disorders) are not developed enough to understand what they were actually doing. And that there were alternative solutions instead of murder. Premeditated murder of a long time friend (long time as in college years).
I thoroughly dislike the teacher who admitted the six into the exclusive club and viewed them as little pieces of himself.
As I said, I would read this book a second time in a book discussion setting.
Any takers?
Second Best Book I have read this year.
It is when I read a book like this one I wish I were in a book club and could discuss the plot, characters, motivation. But, I finished the book last night and read the interview with the author and the discussion questions I really wanted to have someone I could turn to and say something like .......
"In my minds eye I see Bunny like this!"
I read the second book this author wrote about five years ago, The Little Friend, and truly liked it. Weird as it was, disturbing actually is a better word. This book is disturbing also, in a "I can't look away from the wreck" sort of way.
I was intrigued with the characters. Like the narrator, I wanted to know them better and be a part of their group. It seemed exclusive and intriguing. And, he was granted his wish as were all the readers.
The leader was a tormented genius who found himself in the most diabolical and hated crime our society knows. Yet, we are taken along for the ride, as is the narrator Richard. Somewhere in the body of the 550 pages, Richard begins to think that Henry (diabolical leader) is setting him up to take the fall. Henry is like an expert chess player who invites you to play checkers. And you do, not realizing what you are up against, and are in fact playing a chess game.
There was so much meat in this story. I kept thinking that a child's brain (they were all in their early 20's...20 & 21, except Bunny who was 24, but had been held back due to learning disorders) are not developed enough to understand what they were actually doing. And that there were alternative solutions instead of murder. Premeditated murder of a long time friend (long time as in college years).
I thoroughly dislike the teacher who admitted the six into the exclusive club and viewed them as little pieces of himself.
As I said, I would read this book a second time in a book discussion setting.
Any takers?
Second Best Book I have read this year.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Be True To Your School - Bob Greene
It has been a long time since I have completed a book. I think I may have just burnt myself out reading so much the first half of the year. Then again, I think I was using it as an escape mechanism. I have finished one other book besides this one. I will have to find it document a review.
BTTYS was written in 1964, well for the first time. It was a diary kept by the famous Bob Greene, who has a column that was read in over 200 newspapers. I use the past tense due to the book being published in 1987, so Bob could have moved on to other things. I recognize him from the book cover.
Anyway, what fun to read about the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, the Rolling Stones, his first drink, his year of non lettering in tennis, his pursuit of freshman (and younger) girls, his constant haircuts, his first copy boy job...well, it was just a magical book and anyone living in that time period should love this book.
It is the innocent time that most of us Baby Boomers experienced.
BTTYS was written in 1964, well for the first time. It was a diary kept by the famous Bob Greene, who has a column that was read in over 200 newspapers. I use the past tense due to the book being published in 1987, so Bob could have moved on to other things. I recognize him from the book cover.
Anyway, what fun to read about the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, the Rolling Stones, his first drink, his year of non lettering in tennis, his pursuit of freshman (and younger) girls, his constant haircuts, his first copy boy job...well, it was just a magical book and anyone living in that time period should love this book.
It is the innocent time that most of us Baby Boomers experienced.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Summer in the Land of Skin
by Jody Gehrman
After several false starts on books that just did not seem that interesting...reading 70 pages here, 50 pages there, I finally picked up the least likely from the trip to the Highland Library SITLOS by Ms. Gehrman.
I was sitting at poolside in Ohio when Joe asks "whats it about". And I said something like this (I was about 70 pages into it) Its about this girl whose father committed suicide and she sits in windows with binoculars and watches people. She them makes up stories about them and sketches their suicides in notebooks and what happens to them on 'the other side'.
Oh.
She goes looking for her fathers business partner, they hand made guitars, who may shed some light on her father who passes when she was 11 and her mother avoids the subject.
I like most the characters and I enjoyed the unfolding of the story. You knew it was going to end well, that she was going to find the link to her Dad and in succeeding ,the link to what is missing in her. Her connection to people, so undeveloped, is kicked into high gear immediately and her life goes from watching people from the safety of her window to dressing in canary yellow go-go boots.
Not much literary value here. A good poolside read and maybe the lightness I needed.
After several false starts on books that just did not seem that interesting...reading 70 pages here, 50 pages there, I finally picked up the least likely from the trip to the Highland Library SITLOS by Ms. Gehrman.
I was sitting at poolside in Ohio when Joe asks "whats it about". And I said something like this (I was about 70 pages into it) Its about this girl whose father committed suicide and she sits in windows with binoculars and watches people. She them makes up stories about them and sketches their suicides in notebooks and what happens to them on 'the other side'.
Oh.
She goes looking for her fathers business partner, they hand made guitars, who may shed some light on her father who passes when she was 11 and her mother avoids the subject.
I like most the characters and I enjoyed the unfolding of the story. You knew it was going to end well, that she was going to find the link to her Dad and in succeeding ,the link to what is missing in her. Her connection to people, so undeveloped, is kicked into high gear immediately and her life goes from watching people from the safety of her window to dressing in canary yellow go-go boots.
Not much literary value here. A good poolside read and maybe the lightness I needed.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Night Journal
Elizabeth Crook
Found this book at the Highlands branch the day I got my hair cut. Began reading it Thursday after beginning three other books that did not/have not held my attention.
This book read very easily and I found myself absorbed into the story within a few pages and read all afternoon until I finished it.
I guess I like it very much. Normally I would just say, Loved it, but I want to hold off that accolade for books that totally impress me. This one was close.
Nothing wrong with the story. A set of journals from the turn of the century are published by the daughter and resisted by her grand-daughter until it is almost too late. But we devour them along with Meg and solve the mystery right along with her.
I particularly like Bassie, the daughter of the journal writer. I loved the scene where she enters rather storms into the newsroom of a newspaper and demands the photo of her mother from the reporter who is by all practical purposed, clueless. She slams her cane against his desk and he resists handing over the photo she goes through his desk and finds it herself with him trying to fight her off. Good scene.
And when she dies, I wish they had not killed her off but left her to solve the mystery, which was always in her memory anyway she just did not know it. I was moved by the eulogy given at the grave by the Park Ranger that loved her.
I hated the fact that it was so important to get her buried quickly. She was the benefactor of many and if she died on Sunday and put in the ground on Tuesday, her obit would not have even hit the papers giving no one a chance to attend the ceremony. Odd, but I guess the author did not want to add a bunch of sap to the death and dismiss Bassie, as needed at the time.
Because we are introduced to another Bassie, the young daughter of the journal writer.
All in all a good read, that I for one could not put down.
Chick lit (maybe), but good chick lit.
Found this book at the Highlands branch the day I got my hair cut. Began reading it Thursday after beginning three other books that did not/have not held my attention.
This book read very easily and I found myself absorbed into the story within a few pages and read all afternoon until I finished it.
I guess I like it very much. Normally I would just say, Loved it, but I want to hold off that accolade for books that totally impress me. This one was close.
Nothing wrong with the story. A set of journals from the turn of the century are published by the daughter and resisted by her grand-daughter until it is almost too late. But we devour them along with Meg and solve the mystery right along with her.
I particularly like Bassie, the daughter of the journal writer. I loved the scene where she enters rather storms into the newsroom of a newspaper and demands the photo of her mother from the reporter who is by all practical purposed, clueless. She slams her cane against his desk and he resists handing over the photo she goes through his desk and finds it herself with him trying to fight her off. Good scene.
And when she dies, I wish they had not killed her off but left her to solve the mystery, which was always in her memory anyway she just did not know it. I was moved by the eulogy given at the grave by the Park Ranger that loved her.
I hated the fact that it was so important to get her buried quickly. She was the benefactor of many and if she died on Sunday and put in the ground on Tuesday, her obit would not have even hit the papers giving no one a chance to attend the ceremony. Odd, but I guess the author did not want to add a bunch of sap to the death and dismiss Bassie, as needed at the time.
Because we are introduced to another Bassie, the young daughter of the journal writer.
All in all a good read, that I for one could not put down.
Chick lit (maybe), but good chick lit.
The Rebel
A Novel of the Civil War by Bernard Cornwell
The Starbuck Chronicles
This series of books written by a renown British author was recommended by my brother last month. I could not find the four books in the Main P.L. but managed to run across Copperhead at the Highland branch. then, lo and behold while waiting for a computer at the Jeff branch I found the first book...The Rebel.
There seems to be a pattern in Civil War books. Start out with something very gruesome and then on to the story. This one was a tar and feather feature that introduced us to a characters that will remain through out the next three.
First of all, I have to give my bro a copy of Howard Bahr's book...Year of Jubilo, which is to date one of my favorite Civil War books. why? It made me cry and the ending surprised me, I did not see it coming through thinking back I should have. And I loved the dialect ....ah, this is about Rebel not Jubilo.
Anyway, ....characters. Nate, ok but everything an officer could be described by "Co. Aytch" (which I have recently found at the library book store in Memphis) as cowering in the back ground as war raged around them. Yet, he did okay.
Will I read the rest of the series? Not certain, but I must finish Co. Aytch as I see many of the Civil War writers have and use him as a guide when describing life as a CSA participant.
Back to Rebel. The character of Faulconer was great as I wanted to slap his face when he managed to steal all the glory for saving the CSA when it was actually his troops who did so, against his orders. He was fighting mad when he learned of their part in the Manassas battle.
many characters are memorable and from peaking at Copperhead, I see they are still around, so I guess not killed in the book between the first and third.
That's all I have to say about that.
Read Jubilo and the three books written by Bahr before this series. And read Jacob's Ladder before this one. And most definitely read GWTW before this one. Read The Killer Angels.
The Starbuck Chronicles
This series of books written by a renown British author was recommended by my brother last month. I could not find the four books in the Main P.L. but managed to run across Copperhead at the Highland branch. then, lo and behold while waiting for a computer at the Jeff branch I found the first book...The Rebel.
There seems to be a pattern in Civil War books. Start out with something very gruesome and then on to the story. This one was a tar and feather feature that introduced us to a characters that will remain through out the next three.
First of all, I have to give my bro a copy of Howard Bahr's book...Year of Jubilo, which is to date one of my favorite Civil War books. why? It made me cry and the ending surprised me, I did not see it coming through thinking back I should have. And I loved the dialect ....ah, this is about Rebel not Jubilo.
Anyway, ....characters. Nate, ok but everything an officer could be described by "Co. Aytch" (which I have recently found at the library book store in Memphis) as cowering in the back ground as war raged around them. Yet, he did okay.
Will I read the rest of the series? Not certain, but I must finish Co. Aytch as I see many of the Civil War writers have and use him as a guide when describing life as a CSA participant.
Back to Rebel. The character of Faulconer was great as I wanted to slap his face when he managed to steal all the glory for saving the CSA when it was actually his troops who did so, against his orders. He was fighting mad when he learned of their part in the Manassas battle.
many characters are memorable and from peaking at Copperhead, I see they are still around, so I guess not killed in the book between the first and third.
That's all I have to say about that.
Read Jubilo and the three books written by Bahr before this series. And read Jacob's Ladder before this one. And most definitely read GWTW before this one. Read The Killer Angels.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)