Always mom, I just finished transatlantic today, and will wait until you finish to post.
I was a big fan of Let the Great World Spin.
SJCM, sorry I didnât get back to this earlier! When I finished Transatlantic, I realized how wrong I was initially. I enjoyed it tremendously, maybe even more than LTGWS, which is saying something since I loved that book. Itâs funny but my reaction as I read the last page was the same one Iâd had when I finished Spin, I wanted to read it again! It was beautifully written, a lovely tapestry of a story.
Also a fan of LTGWS and Transatlantic.
Iâm now in the middle of a book I"M TOTALLY LOVING!!! Itâs a new novel by David Gilbert, â& Sonsâ.
Funny, wise, literary, page-turning and absorbing. A total PLEASURE of a novel.
Iâm late to the party, but I am just finishing We Need To Talk About Kevin. I didnât think Iâd get through it after the first few pages drove me nuts, but for lack of anything else left to read on my kindle I stuck it out and I am glad I did-- either I got used to the writing or it got better. I could take or leave the ending but Evaâs musings on marriage, parenting, and becoming a parent were fascinating to me.
I do definitely need something more upbeat to read next. It took me about a week to read this book and itâs been giving me terrible dreams. Finishing it and moving onto something else feels like crawling out of a dark place.
Reading âToms River: A Story of Science and Salvationâ by Dan Fagin.
Harrowing non-fiction that encompasses so much fascinating insight into history, epidemiology, chemistry, suburbia, corporate and government malfeasance, and narrows it all to the sad pinpoint of one NJ townâs cancer legacy.
We Need to Talk About Kevin stuck with me for a long time.
Ourika by Claire de Duras.
A touching 19th century French classic about a black girl adopted into a white, aristocratic French family during the time of la r
Iâm in the middle of Joyland by Stephen King.
As always, he is a great storyteller!
PS. Thanks for the tip on Ourika, harvestmoon. I just ordered it from our public library. I love the online search & request system. 
Just finished Vacationland by Sarah Stonich, Really enjoyed it! Two thumbs up! 
I read Joyland this summer and really liked it!
Ourika is great! I had to read it for class (and partially in French), but I was surprised to find that it tugged at my heartstrings. Itâs also a quick read, like maybe an hour.
I had a hankering for a little Stephen King not long ago and read both Joyland and Duma Key. I liked Duma Key better.
I thought We Need to Talk About Kevin was totally absorbing although also a real downer. The details, IMO, were compelling. I would be afraid to recommend the book to my daughter, though, as then we might never have grandchildren via her LOL!
In the non-fiction category, I just finished Sonia Sotomayorâs memoir My Beloved World. Wow, what an impressive and inspirational life story, very well told. Anyone not convinced of the value of affirmative action might change his or her mind after reading this book, IMO. Has anyone else here read it? (did a search, found no matches)
KatliaâI just started &Sons and it looks great. Unfortunately, I just started teaching 4 comp classes too, and am having trouble finding time to read. But with your enthusiasm for it, I will persevere!
Really liked Joyland this summer; heâs underrated as a writer writer.
JEM, Sonia Sotomayorâs book is something I need to finish in the next few weeks for a book group. Will report back!
For those thinking on serious matters on this anniversary of 9/11, this book is a slightly mis titled reflection on moral choice. [Losing</a> Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America: Chris Hedges: 9780743255141: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=âhttp://www.amazon.com/Losing-Moses-Freeway-Commandments-America/dp/0743255143/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378907466&sr=1-9]Losingâ>http://www.amazon.com/Losing-Moses-Freeway-Commandments-America/dp/0743255143/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378907466&sr=1-9) This is not a Christian book, though the writer has a divinity school background, with impressive analytical skills and time spent with the harder aspects of the human experience. Just finished this AM.
I read Sonya Sotomayorâs memoir and liked it quite a bit.
I just finished âRiddle of the Labyrinthâ by Margalit Fox about solving the puzzle of the Linear B written language found on stone tables on Crete. It is a bit of an academic read, but I liked it. It is a little sad, as it is partly the story of a female scholar who toiled in obscurity and was not given due credit for her efforts when the language puzzle was finally cracked. Ironically, I then started a biography of Carl Sagan, and came across a reference to the Linear B language in that book! I had never heard of it until I read âThe Riddle of the Labyrinthâ. And the Sagan book was written quite a while ago, so it isnât just the âreference du jourâ.
OMG, intparent, âRiddle of the Labyrinthâ was coming up on my list! Read the Sunday NYTimes review, sounds fascinating as much as anything for the sad, overlooked tale of cryptologist Alice Kober.
I read three novels this week and loved them all. First two were written by Lisa Genova, the author of âStill Aliceâ, a book that is still haunting me three years later. Her two other books, both in paperback now, are âLeft Neglectedâ and âLove, Anthonyâ.
The third book, which I finished late last night, is called âThirteen Reasons Whyâ by Jay Asher. It was a heartbreaking insight into how seemingly insignificant interactions can snow ball (like a butterfly effect). Itâs the back story of a sixteen year old girl who committed suicide, told through a series of tapes to the thirteen people who influenced her on that path. Haunting, realistic and educational.
I loved âStill Aliceâ and âLeft Neglectedâ but âLove, Anthonyâ was just a little too contrived for me.
I just finished âThe Possibility Dogs: What a Handful of âUnadoptablesâ Taught Me About Service, Hope, and Healingâ A great non-fic about rescue dogs that are trained to work with people that have psychiatric problems like PTSD.
"Has anyone read any Agatha Christie? Which of her books would you recommend as a starter? "
LasMa, I am a big fan of Agatha Christie. In fact, she is my go-to when I travel. I always have a Hercule Poirot mystery with me.
I just recently read A Cat Among the Pigeons, and I absolutely LOVED it! In fact, itâs my personal favorite as of right now.
I am not sure if there is a good starter (I know some books reveal solutions to other books by mentioning an old case) - I would just pick one that interests you and maybe check it doesnât give away any other books.
The Murder on the Orient Express is of course very famous, so you could try that one too.
Evil Under the Sun was great!