The book by Patchett that stuck out in my mind was the first that I read by her: Bel Canto. That one, I remember.
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When I try to remember Whistler, all I have to do is think “Eddie, the stepfather.”
I didn’t care at all for Tom Lake because I didn’t give a damn about any of the characters.
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No, it’s not Patchett, it’s me. I adore her writing; they often do move me a lot.
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I think that one might stick out to me too, and have wondered if it was because it is based on a historical event.
- Read “Maria” by Michelle Moran. I really enjoyed it. It’s about Maria von Trapp, her story and its influence on the subsequent musical. It’s a novel, don’t get me wrong. But it was very enjoyable. “The Sound of Music” is my all time favorite movie.
- I have been reading “Five Days at Memorial” forever as it’s a true story so I could pick it up as I went. And it is v e r y wordy. About the 5 days of Hurricane Katrina and aMemorial hospital in downtown New Orleans and what they were forced to endur. Just an amazing account. But THEN, lo and behold I stumbled upon a mini-series on Apple, a production of this book! It was so good. It even sucked my husband in and believe me, that’s not normal, LOL. I do recommend the mini series. As I said, the book is very wordy. I was a hospital pharmacist so I do have an interest in this type of scenario. We practiced all kinds of disaster drills.
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I really like her writing too. I find her books to be very lyrical. My favorite is State of Wonder — it’s so far fetched and yet seemingly plausible too.
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@FallGirl I think you mentioned Best Offer Wins. I just finished it and I have to say while it is not a deep, thought provoking book (to be honest, I don’t often go for that style anyway) I really, really enjoyed this book. As someone who was not long ago caught up in the real estate hunt and battle for “best offer wins” I skirted through this book so fast to see how things ended up. People get wacky in the house search!
If you’re looking for a quick read on a cross country plane ride or something that doesn’t require too much brain power to absorb, this would be a fun download.
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New novel by Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver’s Latest Is a Sexy Novel About Life’s ‘What-Ifs’
In “Partita,” a former piano prodigy is sent reeling into the past after she receives a call from the man who derailed her ambitions.
gift link https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/books/review/partita-barbara-kingsolver.html?unlocked_article_code=1.GVE.hW_u.H4P4eJR5x8QK&smid=url-share
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Who uses Goodreads? They have adjusted star rating so you don’t have to use only whole numbers anymore! Not sure why but this makes me so happy!
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fyi, Goodreads is owned by Amazon. (In case you or others here didn’t know.)
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I did know that @oldmom4896. So I deleted the app.
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I like The StoryGraph as an alternative to Good Reads but I just use it to keep track of what I read - I don’t do ratings or reviews nor do I use it to find what to read next so can’t say how it works for that.
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I knew that. I find it to be a helpful resource for me for book tracking. I don’t love the fact that they are part of boss Amazon but they are just one tool for me and I support many other book/art/publications with my time and pocketbook so I’m ok with it.
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Some of my friends use GoodReads and really like it.
I just maintain a list as a Google drive doc, in recent years with notations of (k) if Kindle and @ if audio. (In restrospect, a Google Sheets spreadsheet might have worked better).
Also noted which titles were for our Zoom book club… that was helpful recently making a list to share with group, including a new member. 48 books together since 2021/Covid.
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Same for me --the only person I share with there is my daughter. I really like Storygraph.
Since i check out 75% of the books I read from the library i can use my library’s app to track my borrowing history but i don’t really feel the need to track the books I’ve read. Why do y’all track?
Occasionally i will look up a review on GoodReads or elsewhere for a book I feel strongly about (usually dislike) to see if others felt the same
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85% of books I read are on Kindle and checked out from more than one library my Libby app is connected to.
I use Goodreads to track the books I “want to read” and also to keep a log of “read” books - I’m terrible about remembering a book title so sometimes one is suggested to me and if I look back, I’ve already read it - just didn’t remember the title.
When I’m looking for a new book to read I pull up Goodreads on one device to scan my “want to read” books and then Libby on another device so I can see if a book I want is available - I can read a summary of the book on either. I also follow a few bookstagram people on Goodreads so I like to see what their review of a book was. And I do follow a few friends on Goodreads as well.
Sometimes I just go to the library and browse what is on the shelf! I do love doing this but I don’t read a book quickly so don’t usually check out more than one at a time - so my Libby- Goodreads combo allows me to find a book to read anytime, day or night.
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I use goodreads to keep track of what I have read. I read over 100 books a year. Having this list helps me to not reread something by mistake. Like @abasket, I am horrible at remembering the name of a book and without the list would likely pick up something I have already read.
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My library’s app has a “for later shelf’ feature i can use to keep track of interesting books I might want to read later. I prefer real physical books to digital so I’m not sure how that all operates but i know they have e-books too.
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I have used Goodreads forever and it’s useful for remembering whether I read or liked a book. I try to always write a review. There are a few people and authors are follow there, either because I trust their taste or enjoy their reviews.