Has anyone read any of Augusten Burroughs’ books? Do you recommend? How would you compare them to David Sedaris’ books?
I also “read” almost everything in audio, and still mostly use a CD Walkman, but am transiting to borrowing library books and downloading to my android phone using Overdrive. Our library system is getting most of its s new audiobooks as e-audio.
Just finished Sue Monk Kidd’s “The Invention of Wings” and its one of the better books I’ve read in a long while. I know its been mentioned here often but I’m often slow getting to newer books as a big user of my local library as a source for my reading.
Nrdsb4, I read a few of Augusten Burroughs books probably ten or more years ago. I don’t recall a lot about them other than I must have enjoyed them if I sought out more after reading Running With Scissors. I don’t think that they are very much like Sedaris’ books. Sorry to be of so little help.
I’ve read a couple of good mysteries by Louise Penny in the past few weeks. I don’t read a lot of mysteries but they are what my H reads almost exclusively. He thought I’d like hers and he was right. Well written, interesting characters, and different storylines. I highly recommend them.
Does anyone else read any ‘regional’ authors? When we bought our place in Hilton Head, I started visiting the local author table at Barnes and Noble, and have found a few that I’ve really enjoyed. Mostly books about the area, some of which mention places we’re familiar with, my favorite author actually lives quite close to us there and I’ve met her. I usually read them when I’m there, though, and always look forward to returning to read another.
I just finished “This is Where I Leave You”. It was interesting. Not a top favorite, but I did want to know what was going to happen next and looked forward to reading it each night. I’m starting “Everything I Never Told You” tonight. I love the library ebook checkout online. I have four books waiting, all suggestions from this thread.
I’ve been on the lookout for Ng’s book for a while. (Not that I have much reading time lately.
).
On another note–those two book titles could be the start of a found poem, psychomomma.
I am currently reading “There Was a Little Girl”, Brooke Shield’s book about growing up with her mother, Teri. Interesting story, but not as well written as I expected.
A former friend of ours (former in the sense that they moved back to the NE several years ago, so unfortunately we never see them anymore) wrote a book which has been picked up by Anne Hathaway for the movie rights. It’s called The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan and was a beautiful debut novel.
Lol, years ago she wrote a letter of protest on behalf of our club soccer team to the administrators of a tournament we were playing in, and she asked me to look it over. I remember saying, “yeah, you hit all the relevant points, and I have to say, that is the most beautifully written letter I’ve ever read!” Little did I know she was writing like a fiend during the day while the kids were at school. 
Oh, wow, I read The Lifeboat and was very impressed. Quite a debut!
Just finished “ghost boy”, by Martin Pistorius. An amazing true story of a boy that overcame his inability to communicate. He was conscious for ten years yet no one knew it. Sad yet inspirational too.
This is just weird. My last three books involve twins. I wasn’t looking for twin books, and I didn’t know that any of these books were about twins. I’m not a twin, don’t have twins in the family, not closely connected with twins in any way. But I enjoyed all of the books. They are: *We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves/I, The Thirteenth Tale, and The Royal We. The last one I’m halfway through; not great literature, but reasonably well written, and highly enjoyable fluff for a monarch-o-phile like myself.
Has anyone read The Fall of Marigolds? I’m leaving for a quick beach weekend tomorrow and just downloaded it.
Mary posted on the other thread that Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See won the Pulitzer. No surprise there; it was a critical and popular runaway success, pretty clearly the most acclaimed book of 2014. What I found surprising were a couple of the finalists:
– Laila Lalami, The Moor’s Account: never heard of this book or this author; has anyone here on CC read it? It seemingly came out of nowhere! (Apologies if there are pages of discussion abt it on this thread; I didn’t go back to look).
– Joyce Carol Oates, Lovely, Dark, Deep: a story collection that I didn’t hear much about. JCO is so prolific I always want to ask at awards time, “Why this one, and not one of her ten zillion earlier ones?”
The third finalist (many finalists this year) was Richard Ford’s new book, Let Me Be Frank with You. That one got a lot of praise, and with its American themes, was a natural for the Pulitzer’s short list.
Mainly I’m wondering if anyone has heard of or read the Lalani.
Eyemamom we read Fall of Marigolds for my work book club. Good, but not great book IMHO. I would have enjoyed it as a beach read.
I read a few chapters and just feel blah about. I don’t really feel engaged with the characters at all. I wish I could give away kindle books.
You can get your money back on Audible for books you don’t like. I have only done it twice, the most recent being The Martian. I don’t know how often you can do it.
For those who loved Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, the “sequel/companion” book A God in Ruins is finally out! I am also looking forward to my delivery next week of the new Anne Enright, The Gathering.
cartera45, you didn’t like The Martian? I thought it was tremendous fun! Tastes differ!
I recently finished The Farthing series by Jo Walton, and liked it a lot. It’s pretty dark though. Mysteries set in an alternate history version of England that has made peace with Hitler.
I just started A God in Ruins. It has not grabbed me so far as much as Life After Life did but I’m very optimistic about it.
Love Anne Enright. Think her new book is called The Green Road; The Gathering was from six or seven years ago. Really loved The Forgotten Waltz.