New Providence Memorial Library's Online Reading Group discussion

I have to admit that this weather has caused me to slack off in my reading. I just feel like looking out the window. And enjoying the glorious weather on the deck. And staring into space while occasionally interrupted by a very busy bee or bird dropping by for a drink.

However, I really am intending to start the Great Journey by one of my favorite authors, David McCullough. Any day now....

So, give me some inspiration to get back into a book. What are you all reading and how do you feel about it?

I've not had as much reading time lately either. I just finished "Heading Out to Wonderful" and made a very good discussion book with many layers and things to discuss. However, not a 'light' read. Like Robert Goolrick's other book - it was 'dark'.

I'm currently listening to "The Secret Keeper" but it seems to be dragging.

one book I read recently and really enjoyed was "The Woman Who Heard Color" by Kelly Jones. I rated it 4* on Goodreads and I rarely go that high.

In July I read a book that I actually gave almost 5* too - a YA book by R. J. Palacio - "Wonder".

Looking forward to reading recommendations.

In the meanwhile, I'll enjoy our "Spring" weather too...after all, we have to enjoy this while we have it, right?

Which book by David McCullough?

I finally finished The Book Thief. Honestly, the first seven-eighths of it was difficult for me to get through because I just couldn't get into it, but the last one hundred pages were captivating. I say all this not because the book was lacking, but because the book I read before it captivated my mind so much that it was hard to switch gears. I had been waiting for about six months for Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century to come out, and when it finally did, I dove in. If you've seen the movie Heavenly Creatures, this book chronicles the actual murder and trial from the movie. I've found I have to wait a good four days before starting a new book because I get so wrapped up in the characters and story of a book I can't transition to another one without letting the book "settle" for me. So now I have to wait for the The Book Thief to settle, and I'll move on. :)

Just finished listening to "Mudbound" which I liked very much but it was hard to listen to some of the action which took place in a very racially charged old south right after WW2. The book on tape version is very well done. I am reading Blue Latitudes which was mentioned by one of our book club members. I am enjoying learning new facts about Captain Cook and the parts of the world he visited but it is not a "page turner." And took out, but haven't started, the Thursday book club book which I can't remember the name of right now.

That book is Letters from America

I just got back from the Union County Meeting of the Friends held at the new Linden Library. Four of us from NP attended and we had a great time, great exchange of ideas!

I feel at this point, I deserve at least an hour of reading time on my deck. I finished "Sister" by Rosamund Lupton, our reading group pick and will start "Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough.
Enjoy this day!

Hi! I am 1/3 the way through Wally Lamb's 28 disc audio book "I know this Much to be True." I really liked his book "She Came Undone" both endorse by Oprah.
It would take too long to set down the premise, but it is very complex and George Guidall as the reader, performer is outstanding. New York Times calls this another masterpiece, and that says it all. I am totally disappointed that Robert Parker's estate let Michael Brandman continue the Jesse Stone Novel's. The dialog is ALL wrong, he totally misses Jesse's persona and adds comments that the character would never say on any front. Hopefully if Tom Selleck continues the TV series, he will correct all of this. HOW anyone could think they could capture the character of any of Parker's series is beyond me. The guy writing Spencer is equally as bad. I am so disappointed the greed to continue BOTH of these will leave every reader grossly disappointed and not come back for seconds. What a complete disappointment.

I took out one of the fake Robert Parker books on tape and couldn't believe how bad it was. It was only afterwards when I looked at the cover again that I realized it was not actually by Robert Parker. The cover is so misleading.

Roseanne, I so agree. When I started the latest Jesse Stone book, the minute I read he responded "Ditto" I was fed up. The last Spencer novel was so far off base of the character I was surprised the editor let some of the dialog even continue to such an infantile level of bad guy/good guy. What a waste of MY time when there are so many books I could read for my guilty pleasure of a quick fun book. I'm done with any others. It's a total shame they have allowed this farce to continue.

I'm reading 2 books.
E-book from the library is Justin Cronin's "The Passage". I'm not sure what made me look for it, and when I started and saw "vampires", I thought "here we go again", but it isn't a vampire story (thank goodness). Post-apocalyptic, reminds me a lot of Stephen King's "The Stand", but I'm enjoying this one even more. I'm only about half-way through, but always hate to put it down when I get to the other end of my commute.
Paperback is Carol O'Connell "It Happens in the Dark". Won a Goodreads giveaway. Dragging myself through it. It's supposed to be a police procedural/mystery, but I'm finding it to be more of a character study of Kathleen Mallory, detective (and other characters). It's supposedly #11 in the Kathleen Mallory series, but there's so much character description I don't feel I've missed anything, having not read the first ten. Will finish, just to find out who the killer is, but don't think that I'd pick up another one of these.

hi all
i've been out of commission a while. read some terrific books at the end of summer - The Snow Child and Song Yet Sung (maybe i posted about them?) Just started Jhumpa Lahiri's new one The Lowland. (She wrote Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake.) Enjoyed the Thursday night book club book, The Light Between Two Oceans. Some so-so ones in between not worth mentioning. hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful colors out there. (btw: click on the book cover to get to goodreads link) sangeeta

I really liked "The Snow Child".

The Greater Journey about Americans who traveled to Paris in the 19th cent and how they influenced America.

Glad that you finally got into it. It does seem to be radically different from Murder of the Century and that sounds fascinating. But it's just such an unusual book w/ endearing characters that I'm glad it finally grabbed you.

And I agree that the wonderful thing about a great book is that it wraps you up in it and won't let go, even after you've finished. I must admit that the last book I can remember where that happened for me is 11/22/63. It is quite a book and certainly didn't feel as long as it is.

Have not yet read Mudbound. It's always off the shelf by the time I get to it! But other read-alikes always mentioned are The Help which was really so much better than the movie and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks which deals with the disturbing issue of racial prejudice in an entirely different context. I'd highly recommend it although it is very disturbing.

Great that you are getting a head start! I've been hesitating about ordering books but will probably do so tomorrow. They should start arriving in the library next week and anybody who's interested in doing our November read along on Letters from America can come in and check them out.

Really enjoyed this article and just wanted New Providence library to know how appreciative I am. :) http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...

It's obvious why Mr. Gaiman is so popular and widely read. He has a wonderful way of explaining things and expressing his ideas. In this case, he is not writing fiction.

How many times has this happened to you? I really was going to read The Greater Journey but then I went away for a long weekend and just felt like dipping into something escapist. So, I started on Blood & Beauty. It's the latest Sarah Dunant novel on the Borgias. So far, it's hard to put down.

Well, what's not to like, really? Bribery, illegitimacy, violence, scandal...it's all here. And she really has a nice way of expressing herself and providing the historical details in a way that make you feel as if you are there rather than hitting you over the head w/ her research.

I do love historical fiction...

Just wanted to post a comment about Blood & Beauty, the newest Sarah Dunant book about the Borgias. Just finished it on the recommendation of a patron. It is a great book! Of course, she had some pretty fantastic raw material but what she did w/ it was very unexpected.

If you're a fan of convoluted history, a great story and very murky morals, you'll enjoy the ride.

If you spend any time in the car, the audio version of Mudbound is very well done. Really enjoyed it. And I saw it on the endcap this week!

I just started reading Mudbound and love it! I now also want to pick up Blood & Beauty.

Reading Alice Munro's "Dear Life". Put it on hold and got it the next day! So well written, of course, but also somewhat disturbing as usual. Still, hard to put down.