What are you reading this week of August 28, 2016?

[hermetic]

Getting to the end of River Thieves by Michael Crummey. What a great book. It is just full of surprises. It's a perfect book to read in hot weather because the vivid descriptions of the brutal winters in Newfoundland can really make you feel cold.

Yesterday I saw my library got The Nest by Cynthia D. Sweeney so I ran up and got it. It just came out in March and got some terrific reviews so I am looking forward to starting it in another day or two.

I gave up on the CD Flashback, by Dan Simmons. Written around 2011, Simmons seems to feel he could see the end of the USA and why it happens. He has a Masters in Literature so you'd like to think he is intelligent, but no. Seems Social Security and Medicare have bankrupted the county. Climate Change turned out to be a great hoax. And "OBAMA!" In good conscience, I just could not listen to any more of it.

So I took it back to the library and got John Grisham's The Last Juror. Now this is a good story. Takes place in the early 70's but still relevant. Punk kid of a wealthy family looks like he will get away with murder, and rape, thanks to the family dollar. Can't wait to see how it ends.

I also picked up the DVD of Grisham's The Rainmaker. I plan to watch it tonight. What's your reading plan this week?

[northoftheborder]

1. Just finished listening to "The Handmaid's Tale" last night.

I thought this was a newly published book - but in the '80's I discovered - maybe just came out on Audible. To me, it was dark and unhappy, a futuristic story about total takeover of society by a religious cult. I'm looking for something more upbeat next. I may choose "The Underground Railroad" - sounds interesting. Before that I read the "History of Salt". Interesting to me - a little long. The same author wrote "The History of Paper" - anyone read that?

[japple]

7. The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favorite books. I read it years ago,

then listened to it on cassette tapes when I had eye surgery a couple of years ago. It is a stern reminder of what might happen if the religious right ever completely controlled the US government.

The Underground Railroad is an excellent book. Highly recommend it! And now I want to read Colson Whitehead's other books. I like his style.

[hermetic]

9. I love Atwood's writing

She always seems so prescient and The Handmaid's Tale certainly could have been written just yesterday. Truly dark and alarming and a tale I will never forget.

[northoftheborder]

2. PS

I recently read "The Lilac Girls" - I gave it 5 stars - best story I've read in a long time. Takes place during WWII.

[hermetic]

10. You're not the only one

"...this powerful debut novel reveals an incredible story of love, redemption, and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades."

It was just published this year and my library has it! There is a waiting line for it. Thanks for the tip.

[TexasProgresive]

3. Nearly finished with the 1st Jack Reacher novel "Killing Floor" by Lee Child

I picked up an Elizabeth George Inspector Lindley mystery, A Banquet of Consequences. I hope it is a return to the great books of Lindley and Havers. We shall see.

[hermetic]

11. Yay!

Another good one. "As Inspector Thomas Lynley investigates the London angle of an ever more darkly disturbing case, his partner, Barbara Havers, is looking behind the peaceful façade of country life to discover a twisted world of desire, deceit, and murder."

One more for my list.

[TexasProgresive]

16. I'm to page 55

and once again I am enjoying Ms. George's playful and eloquent use of our language.

[SeattleVet]

4. Re-reading 'Catch-22'.

First read it sometime in the late 60's. Love the way Heller used a non-chronological, third-party method of exposing the characters and plot. Each chapter is told from one character's point of view, exposing information about the other characters. It really has held up extremely well.

[hermetic]

12. One of my all-time favorites

I read it way back then, too, and a few times since. My paperback copy finally fell apart, not holding up nearly as well as the story.

I sometimes find myself in catch-22 type situations and it surprises me that when I use the term, younger people have no idea what I'm talking about. Their loss. Someone should remake that movie.

[SeattleVet]

18. I'd be wary of a remake of the movie...

they have a way of almost always ruining it. The classic Alan Arkin, Martin Sheen film was very good. (Maybe they should just re-release it into theaters, instead of remaking it.) It came out the same year as M*A*S*H, which I would also hate to see 'updated' for today's audiences.

[hermetic]

23. I do agree,

sad to say. Movies just aren't the same these days. Of course, neither am I, so there is THAT. Thanks goodness for books, eh?

[ginnyinWI]

5. Ken Follet

I read Pillars of the Earth in just 18 days (973 pp.) and have the sequel, World without End here in the house too, borrowed from a friend. But will take a break first and read The Twisted Sword, which is the 11th book in the Poldark series of 12 books by Winston Graham. I like historical fiction! Have been devouring the Poldark books since I read the first one last winter!

So when I'm done with Twisted Sword I'll go back and read the second Follet book. I just heard he is writing a third, to be the third part, making a trilogy. Still writing it and it will be out in about a year.

[hermetic]

15. We have another Poldark fan here

Our pscot has been enjoying that entire series for several months now.

Pillars of the Earth must be quite engaging. I really should check that out sometime.

Thanks for joining in.

[ginnyinWI]

19. it really is

It's a page turner. He keeps something happening in every chapter and you don't want to stop!

[TexasProgresive]

17. One of the things besides the plots of "Pillars of the Earth"

was gaining some understanding how the great Gothic cathedrals came to be.

[ginnyinWI]

20. yes!

It was pretty interesting. We happened to have a coffee table book about cathedrals and I used it to look up the parts of the building the author refers to.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. Halfway through

Ghost Country by Patrick Lee. It's the middle of a trilogy, which doesn't have an over-arching name.

The first is Breach, and the third is Deep Sky. The entire adventure starts when Travis Lee, a recently paroled Travis Chase (ex-cop who committed a murder) comes upon a crashed 747 whose crew and passengers were murdered. One of the dead is the First Lady of the United States. Complications then ensue.

What I like best is that the first book is complete in itself. At the end, the core problem has been solved and everyone could live happily ever after. But the second book picks up a couple of years later and there are more complications. So far I'm really enjoying the series. I read the first one slowly, reading a couple of others while The Breach sat on my nightstand, and I read a few pages every evening. I do need to finish up a book that needs to get back to the library, but finishing these books is my essential reading priority this week.

[hermetic]

13. That sounds like a good read

Thanks for joining us and sharing the description. I sometimes am only able to get through a few pages a night, myself. That's okay, though. Small progress is still progress.

[japple]

8. Didn't make much progress in Brad Watson's book,

Miss Jane because I was out of town last week. It is a good read and I should finish it this week.

Thanks for the thread, hermetic.

[hermetic]

14. Glad to hear

you are still enjoying that one. We have a number of good recommendations here this week.

I am finding The Nest to be quite entertaining.

[Number9Dream]

21. Reading "The Ice Limit" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

On a desolate island off the coast of southern Chile, the largest known meteorite has been found, entombed in the earth for millions of years. In New York, a billionaire decides he must have this incredible find for himself, no matter what the cost. At four thousand tons, it will be the heaviest thing ever moved by human ingenuity. The effort to retrieve it will be the most expensive, secretive, and sophisticated salvage mission ever mounted. But from the beginning, people begin to die. (From fictiondb.com) So far, a good page-turner.

[hermetic]

22. Sounds good

Thanks for posting a synopsis.