Another vote for City of Thieves. I picked it up at a library sale knowing nothing about it and I was very pleasantly surprised. Very good book.
1 Like
Yesterday I stumbled on Ann Patchett recommending “ this is Happiness”, bought the ebook, half was finished and wow, JUST WOW. Perhaps this has been recommended by others here. Niall Williams, author is magical. Disclaimer I’m half way through, so don’t know what’s coming, and hopeful this journey doesn’t disappoint,https://youtu.be/rP48O1m_heY?si=lO-extJlDah_MrgL
4 Likes
@jerseysouthmomchess I loved This is Happiness! I listened to the audiobook a few years ago and the narration was fantastic. Definitely not a novel for someone looking for a fast paced plot, but the storytelling is so eloquent, I was mesmerized by the description of life in an Irish village with all its quirky characters. Last year I read and enjoyed his latest novel, Time of the Child, set in the same village. I’ve been wanting to read History of the Rain which he wrote a while ago, but just haven’t gotten to it yet.
I hope when you finish This is Happiness, you will have enjoyed it as much as I did!
4 Likes
I recently finished “Nobody’s Girl” by Virginia Giuffre. It’s not amazing in terms of writing but it’s adequate, and she does a great job of explaining how she (and others) were exploited for the vulnerabilies. There are certain questions that come up repeatedly in this case, like why didn’t they leave, etc. , which are addressed very thoughtfully, and it’s informative about the challenges for trafficked victims to get justice. If you have any interest in the Epstein case, I totally recommend this.
4 Likes
I just finished Heart the Lover by Lily King. Absolutely loved it.
I also recently reread Possession by A.S. Byatt which I originally read when it won all the acclaim thirty something years ago. I liked it more back then I think. These days I have less stamina (patience?) for all the long poems, letters, folk tales, etc. That’s on me. But I also thought side characters, especially women, were treated kind of cavalierly. Overall Byatt is a very impressive writer, but I prefer her sister Margaret Drabble.
3 Likes
I read it also, @gardenstategal . I agree – it’s not great writing, but it’s gripping nonetheless and explains a lot.
1 Like
I’m skipping this one. I feel I would be too disturbed by what happened.
3 Likes
I absolutely adore Possession. I reread it for the CC Bookclub and liked it even more the second time. It helps that I was a fan of Victorian poetry when I was in high school.
3 Likes
I often add AP’s Friday recommendations to my WTR list, but often the problem is that everyone else in Nashville is doing the same and the library ends up with a months long hold on those titles. I have had This Is Happiness on my list for quite a bit and hopefully will get to it this summer as my life slows down and shifts into heavy reading gear. Glad to be reminded with your post!
1 Like
Yeah I surprised myself. I liked it a lot thirty years ago, but the way characters were treated, particularly secondary ones who need to be out of the way for the favored story, bugged me in a way I might not have reacted to when I was younger. (Val and Ellen, for instance, need to be downgraded as humans so the more “romantic” couples can have space. Actually pretty much all women except Maud and Christabel). That’s my take, anyway, this time around. Still, the erudition was very impressive!
1 Like
Lion Women of Tehran. I saw it at a used book sale last week and it seemed timely. A great story. Sad but hopeful. And I learned a lot about a culture and history I’ll admit I never delved into before.
5 Likes
I just finished the Audible version of the Lion Women of Tehran today. Excellent. I gave it 5 stars on goodreads (rare for me).
4 Likes
Actually, I have read 10 books this year and gave 3 of them 5 stars: Heart The Lover, Wild Dark Shore and The Lion Women of Tehran.
5 Likes
I’ve read 7 gave 2 of them 5 stars, the rest 4, except for 1 which I hated. (I read it because someone here loved it, but it was not for me!)
1 Like
I just finished “ Everything is Tuberculosis “ by John Green. It is about tuberculosis and really fascinating.
8 Likes
I loved The Lion Women of Tehran. I’ll be reading Everything Is Tuberculosis for a book club in a few months.
Right now, reading The Art Thief. Fascinating.
3 Likes
I read The Art Thief (upthread) in a series of art-related non-fiction books and enjoyed them all and learned a lot. Just finished City of Thieves based on the recommendation here. It was an interesting story and a quick read but was very disappointed in part of the ending (IYKYK). Just another reason I don’t read a lot of fiction even though this one is crafted on the author’s grandfather’s recollections.
1 Like
I liked God of the Woods. Good mystery, interesting characters. It was nice that each chapter listed date (or once they got into bouncing around with flashbacks, a list of various years … with bolding for the chapter timeframe).
For me, there was extra interest because I’m from NY… and the Adirondacks were part of the drive too/from college waaaaaaay upstate.
8 Likes
I just finished Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. A nice read all about a family torn apart and then healed. I read one of her previous books, The Nest, in 2016 and rated it highly on Goodreads, but have no real memory of it 10 years down the road.
3 Likes
That’s in my library queue.
1 Like