Book Club: What are you reading?

[ssusan]

Downloaded Brain on Fire . Will start it tonight. Thanks for recommendation .

[Lazarus]

Downloaded Brain on Fire . Will start it tonight. Thanks for recommendation .

Who recommended it...I am too lazy to look back and find who you are answering.

[agate]

Virginia in post #356 and possibly stillstANNding in the previous post as well.

The book I'm reading at the moment is by a man who worked for many years as editor of the Oxford English Dictionary at the time when it was going online. It's called The Word Detective by John Simpson (2016).

Corrected to add: Also Sunshine in #354 (looks as if I must have missed it).

[Virginia]

Linda, it was me and Sunshine. We both agree that it is an incredible read.

[Sunshine]

This is the book I have started. Love it.
“ The Overstory," a novel by Richard Powers about trees, activism, and our connection to the natural world. “The Overstory” was shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize and won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is Powers' 12th book.

In The New York Times Book Review, author Barbara Kingsolver calls it “a delightfully choreographed, ultimately breathtaking hoodwink” that seems to be a book about people but is actually about trees — and reimagines how we relate to them. At the end of November, Powers will join us on the PBS NewsHour to answer reader questions about the book. We hope you'll join us and read along.”

I have teh book, someone passed it on to me and its in my queue!

[jingle]

Has anyone read anything by Fredrik Backman? Wow, can that man write. I was having breakfast in a crowded café reading my first book of his and I was starting to think it was slow and not that interesting. Suddenly it hit and I burst into tears -- what a gripping, moving book. The kind waitress appeared with a handful of napkins and said, "Good book, huh?" All of Backman's books are like that. (I haven't read his last one yet. All the reviews make it sound like it's not one of his)

[Virginia]

Jingle thanks for the tip. I will look him and his books up.

[stillstANNding]

I gave Mom two Blackman books and she wasn’t keen on them. I’ll see if I have them.

ANN

[renee]

Born A Crime- Trevor Noah
Appalling and fascinating. Noah has a young spirit and writes with absurdity and appreciation for the dark humor in his childhood. I'd love to hang out with his hip elderly grandmother.

[Sunshine]

Am half way through The Other Wife by MichaelRobotham. So far, its a compelling mystery.
The chief investigator/psychologist, son of the victim has Parkinsons’ so thats interesting.
He has appeared in several of Robotham’s books.

[jingle]

I finished THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg --- it was wonderful!! I liked it so much I went to Amazon to find what else she wrote. I wanted to order all but just ordered a couple. Right now I'm in the middle of THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes...… it's not great but very good.
I love to read.

[Virginia]

A neighbor called me Wednesday night and we talked about the book Brain on Fire. Somehow we got around to talking about me. For the first time I felt she was really listening. So much happened in my case that it would be hard to take it in. I have known this lady for almost 27 years. We bought our places at the same time and became friends back then. As I recounted my very long journey for answers she listened and asked questions so I told her a lot.

I mentioned that I had written a short letter to the book club and put it in the book and given it to another neighbor. She called me early on Thursday evening and asked if I minded if she read the letter to the club. She had not told me she was the reviewer for that evening. I told her that she could read the letter and use anything that she could remember from what I told her the previous night. I haven't heard from her and don't know how it went. I found it interesting that I have known her all this time and while she knows I have MS and that I am somewhat disabled she has never taken so much interest as she did after reading that book. Just goes to show, we do learn from books.

[agate]

This must be the book? Sounds interesting, Virginia. I hope you'll find out what went on at the book club discussion.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[Lazarus]

I am reading ABIDE With ME by Elizabeth Strout. She wrote the book of connected short stories Olive Kitteredge and I just read a second book title Olive Again. I really like everything she writes.

I was thinking about her character, Olive, and realized that the character reminds me of Cat Dancer. A character who does not suffer fools easily! Says what she thinks! Annoys some because of her bluntness! And is a fully developed, kind woman who is wonderful. Feisty.

[Virginia]

Linda, sounds like something I would like.

Agate, there is a movie about Brain on Fire. It is on Netflix, but I have not watched it yet.