NorthMinnesota - Why didn’t you like Life After Life? I am on the waiting list for it at my library.
I read Life after Life and liked it pretty well. It’s very well written, and the family dynamics in it are believable and nuanced, and it is very British in its setting, in an appealing way.
I thought the alternate story lines were very well done for the most part, though I could imagine some readers getting impatient with them.
The one thing I didn’t like so much about the book was the extreme grimness of the long sections dealing with the Blitz during WWII. They gave me a better understanding of what people went through in that place at that time, but it was a little bit much for me. It’s hard for me to think of the book now without also thinking of a certain gruesome occurrence that the author wrote about not once but several times, in different story lines.
Did you try “We Need to Talk About Kevin”? If you liked Jacob, I think you’ll really like the story about Kevin.
I tried reading Kevin awhile ago but didn’t get past the first few pages. I don’t really like books written through letters.
One of the books Im reading is The Dangerous Animals Club by Stephen Toblowsky.
You probably dont recognize his name but you would recognize his face!
[Author</a> Interview: Stephen Tobolowsky, Author of ‘Dangerous Animals Club’ : NPR](<a href=“Author Interview: Stephen Tobolowsky, Author of 'Dangerous Animals Club' : NPR”>Author Interview: Stephen Tobolowsky, Author of 'Dangerous Animals Club' : NPR)
Thank you to cartera! I’m in the final 100 pages and am enjoying the book tremendously. It’s making me want to watch Cleopatra. 
It’s difficult to say that I enjoyed “We Need to Talk about Kevin”, just by the nature of the subject matter. However, it is very well done, even if maybe one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. I didn’t like the movie version at all, yet it was equally troubling.
^I liked Beautiful Ruins a lot! Also like his short stories.
garland, thank you for letting us know that he also writes short stories. I’ll have a look for those!
Did I recommend The Secret Keeper here, by Kate Morton? I read it around the same time as beautiful ruins. I’ve read about 20 books this year and this one was my favorite. A friend just read it and mentioned it to me, so I thought of it again. I think I might reread it.
Read six novels this week. So far Ender’s Game is the best, followed by Beautiful Ruins, The Postmortal, and Point of Departure. Loving summer reading!! Thanks to all for sharing titles!
I was amused to see Ender’s Game back on the bestseller’s list!
I just finished The Stockholm Octavo for the CC bookclub, which I enjoyed a lot. I’m currently still trying to finish No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe. It’s depressing and I don’t much care for the protagonist, so instead I’ve been reading John Scalzi’s The Human Division, sci fi, a series of linked short stories in his *Old Man’s War *universe. I’m enjoying it very much.
^^^ I plan to reread Ender’s Game before I see the movie. I also plan to read Ender’s Shadow by then, as I understand the movie’s perspective comes from both books.
mathmom: I liked No Longer at Ease as a follow-up to Things Fall Apart, though you’re right about depressing. However, I didn’t like the main character Obi any more than I did Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. I liked Ezeulu in Arrow of God. However, I am still appalled at the ending of that book. I don’t think I’ll forgive author Achebe.
Just finished The Light Between Oceans. I cried.
And I am always in awe of someone’s FIRST novel that is so beautifully crafted. How do they do it?
I just picked up The Next Time I See You by the author of Gone Girl - while I’m waiting for GG.
I loved The Secret Keeper and am now reading The Secret Garden by Morton. I’m enjoying this one too.
Emilybee, Gillian Flynn didn’t write that particular book, but her other two books are good. I liked them better than Gone Girl.
^^Ooh, perhaps I will pick that one up as well!
My bad. I obviously wasn’t paying close enough attention while I was looking. I just looked at the cover and GF wrote the cover blurb! I saw her name and assumed.
Just finished The Light Between Oceans. I cried.
And I am always in awe of someone’s FIRST novel that is so beautifully crafted. How do they do it? >>>>>>>>
I could have written this. This book really was amazing. Oh, how I wish I could write a book. When I was a child, I always thought I’d write books someday. Never pursued that.
Finished Cuckoo’s Calling by JK. She sets up things so well. First you are sure one character did it, the next chapter you are sure another did it and when the end comes, you go wow!
I finished Cathy Lamb’s newest. Her books always center in women (and this time some men as well) overcoming adversity. I’ve enjoyed all her books