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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited August 2011

    I liked the first Dragon Tattoo, thought the second one was OK, but was tired of the whole thing by book 3 and only skimmed through it because I had read the first two.

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  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited August 2011

    I would blame it on chemo brain, but I started reading it before DX.  I just kept forgetting what was happening with it.  My DH told once you get through the first 100 pages, it is easier to keep up with.  All that beginning stuff with the newspaper artical and the banking stuff was too much for me.  I will give it another try though. Probably be the 5th time I started it.

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited August 2011

    I think you can give yourself an 'A' for effort and read something else Smile

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  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited August 2011

    Thanks.  I definitely do deserve an A for effort.

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  • Hauntie
    Hauntie Member Posts: 483
    edited August 2011
    Kay - I read and enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the other 2 books in the series.I agree with your DH, the first one started kind of slow; but  I liked the story line in all 3. What I had difficulty with was the similarity of characters names, which made it difficult to keep them all straight. I could really have used a cast of characters list with names and brief descriptions of who was who. I also found the names of the cities difficult to pronounce, so I just kind of skipped over them. Also, with no knowledge of the locales where the story was taking place, I couldn't picture what they were like. But other than that, I really did like the booksFoot in mouth
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  • dreaming
    dreaming Member Posts: 473
    edited August 2011

    I read a lot of foreign writers, and also watch their films, Britain has excellent series, they find an actor that fits the role,in he US is the reverse.

    Canada also has very good series. I am reading The Glass Room,by Simon Mawer, excellent, Farengi Girl and Nancy Wake, the heroine that commanded 7.000 partisans in France on D day, she won every medal under the sun. They are making a film on her life.

    I always read several at the same time.

    On Thursday I am going to see Ellen Mirren last film.  I have had a Kindle II for 3 years, but still there are some authors I prefer to read them in a "real"book.

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  • mom3band1g
    mom3band1g Member Posts: 817
    edited August 2011

    I just finished 2 really good books, The Room and The Story of Beautiful Girl.  Very different books but very good!

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  • apple
    apple Member Posts: 7,799
    edited August 2011

    i really have trouble with the names in Dosteovsky's (sp?)books.. all the eskis and vlatanova's..

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  • ginadmc
    ginadmc Member Posts: 263
    edited September 2011

    I recently saw The Help and I really enjoyed it. It was the right mix of drama/humor and it followed the book pretty well. It made me want to re-read the book.

    I read Untold Story by Monica Ali. I had high hopes for it but for me it did not live up to the reviews. I finished it but I can't say that I loved it. I also read Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy. It was well written but went off into a few strange tangents. If you are ever feeling sorry for yourself, the main character's life experiences will make your troubles pale in comparison.

    Now I'm reading Tales of The City by Armistead Maupin and The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian.

    I'm loading The Paris Wife, Dreams of Joy (Lisa See) and Then Came You (Jennifer Weiner) onto my Kindle for a trip that I'm taking in a few weeks.

    One author I don't think we've mentioned here is Joshilyn Jackson. Her book gods in Alabama has one of the most memorable first sentences.

    Gina

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  • lovemyfamilysomuch
    lovemyfamilysomuch Member Posts: 1,585
    edited September 2011

    Hi Gina, what was the first sentence?  I am finally getting around to reading Freedom by Jonathon Frazen.  I forget what the hoopla was about when it first came out.

    I also just read a really good book The Other Life, by Ellen Meister--really very different and very compelling! 

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  • lovemyfamilysomuch
    lovemyfamilysomuch Member Posts: 1,585
    edited September 2011

    Also, mom3band, I read story of beautiful girl and it was pretty good. It was recommended by one of my idols, Dr. Dan Gottlieb on NPR.  As someone in the mental health field, it was really hard to read about the way things were. So glad they are different now.

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  • ellenquilt
    ellenquilt Member Posts: 172
    edited September 2011

    Just finished reading "Whisting in the Dark" which was ind of interesting.  Not the best, but not bad. Reading Anne Rice now -- "Angel Time"  -- a new series.  Not sure if I like it and I was a huge fan of Anne Rice back in the day. But I'll give it a go.  Next up is "A Fine Balance," based on the all the good recommendations here.

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  • Wink
    Wink Member Posts: 722
    edited September 2011

    I read The Help when it first came out, loved it so much that I bought the audible version (Octavia Spenser read the part of Minnie - whom she portrayed in the movie).  The audible version really brought the story to life.  Saw the movie recently and thought that the adaptation was wonderful.

    The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtney is an ingrossing saga set in Indonesia and Australia during WW II.

    Plain Truth by Jodie Picoult grabs you and pulls you into a surprising Amish mystery with an ending that startles!

    Right now I'm reading House Rules, also by Jodie Picoult...about a teenager with Aspbergers (sp?) syndrome....very interesting!

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  • YramAL
    YramAL Member Posts: 1,651
    edited September 2011

    I just finished The Help and saw the movie yesterday. Both were very good. A lot of times I'm disappointed by one or the other, but not this time.

    Wink-I love Jodi Picoult. Plain Truth was the first book of hers that I read, but my favorite one is called Keeping Faith. It's about atheist parents who have a little girl that can heal people, and gets the signs of the stigmata. Very thought provoking. I haven't read House Rules yet but I'm planning to.

    Mary 

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  • Wink
    Wink Member Posts: 722
    edited September 2011

    @Ellen, let me know what you think about A Fine Balance

    Read a couple of novels that are eye-opening: Wrongful Death; The Aids Trial, and Are You Positive.  Both were free for Kindle.  Tough subject, but extremely thought provoking.

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  • ginadmc
    ginadmc Member Posts: 263
    edited September 2011

    lovemyfamily - The first sentence is: "There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniels, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big t*ts, and also Jesus."

    I, too, have read many of Jodi Picoult's books. I've liked some more than others. I think Plain Truth is one of her best. I have one in my TBR pile but can't remember the title.

    Gina

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited September 2011

    The Old Romantic by Louise Dean. I read certain sentences over and over because they are THAT memorable. If I could write... I wish I could write like her....truly gifted writer.

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  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 1,107
    edited September 2011
    VR  Have you gone soft on us??  How many novel's have you been reading??
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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited September 2011

    I know wenweb... It is a very weird feeling... ;). Also read a terrific coffee table book on Jeanne Lanvin... And I cracked open another non fiction book How to Love An American Man. I just think from time to time I have to read some fiction so I am not THAT out of the loop!





    And speaking of non-fiction, I was watching Sarah Vowell on CSPAN Book TV last week and someone in the audience asked her if she would ever write fiction. She replied,"No.". She went on to explain that when you write fiction you have to make it sound real and believable. But, then she continued, so much of non-fiction is so UNBELIEVABLE.. Pretty much sums up how I feel. Non-fiction often knocks me off my feet.

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  • Hauntie
    Hauntie Member Posts: 483
    edited September 2011

    I love the way Jodi Picoult always puts that twist at the end of her stories. I think, Perfect Match, was the first book I read by her. I've been hooked since. I haven't read one in a while. I'll have to check out some of the ones mentioned. here.

    Speaking of Jodi Picoult, one of the worst movie adaptations of a book that I ever saw was, My Sister's Keeper. They completely changed the ending, totally changing the dramatic conclusion of the story.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited September 2011

    I agree! My Sister's Keeper (the movie) was awful. I can't even fathom why they changed it so much. Not much reading getting done here as I prepare my classroom and my sub for my absence (as well as all of the usual beginning of the year madness). I hope my recovery will serve as a time to read all the books I've been dreaming of! Caryn

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited September 2011

    That is why I didn't go to that movie; nothing bugs me more than when they change the ending. That must drive an author (who I presume must have sold the rights) INSANE!

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  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 34,614
    edited September 2011

    Just finished The Emperor of All Maladies and highly recommend it.  I learned a LOT! 

    Next up is How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer.  Amazon product review says it's the first book to use the unexpected discoveries of neuroscience to help us make the best decisions.  But it also came recommended by a friend whose taste is similar to mine so I thought I'd give it a whirl. 

    Plus it has ice cream cones on the cover.  Cool  chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla

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  • ellenquilt
    ellenquilt Member Posts: 172
    edited September 2011

    @wink: I'm a huge Picoult fan. I've read every book she's written, and I just got the newest in digital format.

    @hauntie: I agree, they ruined the story with the movie ending.  Very disappointing.

    @badger: you sold me with the ice cream cones... 

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  • Elizabeth1889
    Elizabeth1889 Member Posts: 1,036
    edited September 2011
    Last night, I finished reading The Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin.  I could tell early on in the book where the story was going, but it was still a good ride.
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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited September 2011
    My Book Club just read The last letter from your lover by Jojo Moyes. It is pretty much a 'chick' romance, but has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and make it a good, fast read. The story centers on two ill-advised love affairs which happen 40 years apart but are interwoven in the theme. 
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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited September 2011

    Hi Ladies,

    Are any of you familiar with www.librarything.com ? It's a site where you can catalogue books you've read, write/read reviews and sometimes get advance copies of soon to be published books for free. Each month I request between 10 and 15 books and usually get one about every other month. The competition is quite stiff. Last month,I made my usual number of requests and almost fell over when I got an email informing me of the book I'd snagged (their term)... When Cancer Hits. Wow, this was clearly meant to be, especially given the fact that I rarely request non fiction. Check out the site if you haven't seen it yet. -Caryn

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  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 34,614
    edited September 2011

    How We Decide was so good!  It started with an airplane pilot facing a dire situation, so grabbed me right away.  The neuroscience of decision-making was interesting when explained using real-life examples like poker players, hedge fund investors and serial killers.  Plus it's only 300 pages so was a quick read too.

    Now I have a fun book (Clan of the Cave Bear) and a serious book (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks).  I've read two serious books in a row so it might be a nice mental break to go pre-historic, but I also know myself well enough to know that once I start, I will not stop until I've read all six books in the series.  So I'd better read about HeLa first.

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  • Laurie08
    Laurie08 Member Posts: 2,891
    edited September 2011

    Caryn- I use a similar site to track my reading and help me find new books to read.

    I haven't posted in awhile as life here has been nuts with multiple power outages and my house was struck by lightning- very long stories.  But I was just skim reading trying to get caught up.  Someone mentioned Elizabeth Street?  Did you like it?  I have it lined up to read next.

    I think I left off with reading 22 Brittania Road, I enjoyed it and was told if you did to pick up Elizabeth Street, which I have not read yet.  Then I read The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey.  An ok read, it kept me interested but it was a bit predictable and I didn't care for the writing style a whole lot.  It was based in Ireland in the early 1900's.  I read Carlos Ruiz Zafon Prince of Mist.  I loved that book!  It is a short quick and eerie read.  Kind of spookie, like listening to a crazy sad and ghostly story a friend would tell you.  I recommend it.  I am bout to finish Shattered by Debra Puglisi which is a biography about how her husband was murdered and she was kidnapped and raped.    Her writing is wonderful and gripping I can not put it down.  I highly recommend it!!

    If anyone has read Elizabeth Street I'de love to know what you thought.  I'm hoping there will be no more drama here and I can stay caught up on everyones recommendations :)

    *edited to try to put titles in bold- but the stupid computer won't let me!

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  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 4,050
    edited September 2011

    I just started Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. I loved Bel Canto and The Patron Saint of Liars. I think this one will go fairly fast.

    I read The Emperor of Maladies in between novels...

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