You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

If those two chosen group reads are not to your liking, feel free to read another book that fits the 'lost' in the title theme.

Please discuss your book in this thread.

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I hope to get to The Lost Highway sometime this month, in addition to The Book of Lost Things. It is likely to be a busy month, though, so we shall see.

I think I am still going to read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. I have owned it for several years and it is taking up space on my Nook. I own 6 other books with "Lost" in the title that I could read also. :o)

I read The Lost Highway for the monthly "lost in title" theme. The book was written by Canadian author David Adams Richards and was set in New Brunswick. This is a very bleak book, and virtually all of the characters are unlikeable. The one question on my mind, as the story spiralled downward, was how badly it was all going to end.

I found it intriguing and frustrating to follow Alex as he worked through a series of ethical dilemmas and the rationalization of his actions. With the right encouragement, he would do almost anything, and he usually didn't need any encouragement. He reminds me of someone who used to be in my life and thankfully is no longer. Overall, this was a good read. I do like a bleak story!

Too bad they cannot create a genre called "bleak story". Then it would be easier for you to find things you wanted to read, huh?
What other book titles do you consider in this category? I read the loooong story summary, and it is one that I would not be inclined to jump into. I am not sure I can even think of any titles I would consider bleak. I will think about it.

A " bleak story" genre is a terrific idea! I think This Is How, The Road, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and The Grapes of Wrath would fit in this category nicely.

You are way ahead of me on "bleak". I the only one on your list that I have read is The Road. The others are on my TBR, except the first one.

Yes, The Road was "bleak". Now, I have the criteria, I have to think about some books. Unfortunately, The Road, was an exception read for me. I almost quit.

I'm thinking that Burial Rights (set in Iceland) would fit into "bleak" for me. Have you read it?

Have you tried Cereus Blooms at Night?? I think it's pretty bleak and I loved it.

I agree that Burial Rights qualifies as Bleak.

The Lost Girls is bleak minus one, in my opinion.

I agree with TJ about Lost Girls. I made that comment myself in the discussion thread.

So if we're going to have a "genre" for bleak, I'd like one for "visceral".

Wait, what kind of book fits into 'visceral'??

Those that grab you in the pit of your stomach. I find a lot of the Scandinavian mysteries fall under that category. Jo Nesbo is a great one. The books don't shy away from telling it like it is. No sugar coatings, not pussyfooting around topics.

Dawn wrote: "Have you tried Cereus Blooms at Night?? I think it's pretty bleak and I loved it."

I haven't read it. From your review, it seems like just the sort of book I would enjoy. Added to my TBR!

Cherie wrote: "I'm thinking that Burial Rights (set in Iceland) would fit into "bleak" for me. Have you read it?"

I have read it and enjoyed it, It was bleak indeed.

Dawn wrote: "Wait, what kind of book fits into 'visceral'??"

Those which eviscerate you

Tejas Janet wrote: "The Lost Girls is bleak minus one, in my opinion."

I should have read The Lost Girls instead of The Book of Lost Things this month! I wish I had been able to acquire a copy quickly, but my library doesn't even have it. Added to my TBR!

Janice wrote: "Those that grab you in the pit of your stomach. I find a lot of the Scandinavian mysteries fall under that category. Jo Nesbo is a great one. The books don't shy away from telling it like it is. No..."

Yes, that too! I haven't read any Jo Nesbo. What other books would you recommend that fit this category?

TrudyAn wrote: "What other books would you recommend that fit this category? ..."

You could start a list in listopia and see what people put in it...

I did play around with the idea of making a thread called "Visceral" at one time. I know that I've used that word in a few reviews. Some people would think that "dark" is a similar term.

The Snowman
The Orenda
Gone Girl
The Library at Mount Char
The Ghosts of Belfast
Affinity
The Keeper of Lost Causes

Just a few that have had an emotional impact on me. There are more, but I'd need to spend a bit of time hunting through my "read" shelf.

I'd appreciate a list like that Janice, as you know. Whilst waiting in the library for a lift from my partner I stumbled on a book which lists popular authors and those who are similar in style to them. An exciting find. I took note of the ones for Gillian Flynn!

I just finished reading The Keeper of Lost Causes a few days ago. It was so good in some respects, and disappointed me in some others. Over all, I can highly recommend it.

We have really hijacked this thread from those discussing their themed reads...

But, which authors were compared to Gillian Flynn?

I took note because I'd only heard of one. Authors included are Sara Gran, Sophie Hannah, Jennifer McMahon, Julie Parsons, Liz Rigbey, Lisa Unger and Don Winslow. I will be checking them out to see what they have to offer.

I will check them out as well. I've read The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and it was very atmospheric. I want to read more of her work.

I wanted to join the The Book of Lost Things discussion, but I think the book is more violent and gross than I can handle, so I'm skipping it.

That brings me here! I'll read either The Lost Hours or The Lost Wife

Peggy wrote: "I wanted to join the The Book of Lost Things discussion, but I think the book is more violent and gross than I can handle, so I'm skipping it.

That brings me here! I'll read either [..."

I highly recommend The Lost Wife. It was my first 5 star read of 2016.

It has great reviews! But I have to read another WWII book this month and don't know if I'm in the mood for two.

Yeah, one can only handle so many books about the atrocities of war without a break between them. What is the other WWII book that you have to read this month, Peggy?

A Netgalley book, The Song of the Stork

That sounds interesting, Peggy. I'll watch for your review.

I just finished reading The Lost City of the Monkey God. The jacket had appeal to me of finding a city untouched in today's age. Instead my eyes were opened to so much I either just take for granted or overlook. I never thought about so much swindling and cheating among the 'so-called' experts. The amount of money and bribery it takes to get into some of these areas just to have it most likely looted or shut down again is not a line of work I could stomach after awhile. The dangers I thought were predictable until it came to the end of the book. It really ends on more of a sad note on the future of our society, however true. It still had so many great notes to the story. The feeling of standing in a spot no one else has been for over 500 years and wondering what happened to them, what their life was like. Listening to nature and have animals so close to you and unafraid because they don't know what humans are. He does a great job of taking you there, letting you live it a little and guide you through the ups and downs and backdoors of this exploration. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!

I do plan on trying to still read The Book of Lost things, but honestly the reviews have me hesitant. If it's at the library next week will be my flip of the coin.

And as usual, every time I read these discussions, my tbr list grows. Probably good I've been MIA for a few weeks! lol

That sounds intriguing, Peg. I have The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story on my wishlist because I like the author. I know that this is non-fiction, and ratings seem to be varied. I think I shall bump it a little higher on the priority list.

I've never read any of his work before, now I'll give his fiction a read.

The Song of the Stork wasn't as emotionally draining as some war books are, so I'll read The Lost Wife for the group read.

That was on my short list for Lost in the Title books, Peggy. Hope you love it.

I re-read The Lost Night. It's part of a series that is a comfort read for me. For a while Jayne Ann Krentz was connecting the story lines across her historical, contemporary, and futuristic series. This was is part of the futuristic series, though it has some plot elements that are similar to those of other books she's written. This doesn't bother me as I find her books relaxing to read and like the feel of her story telling.

I read the first 10% of The Lost Wife today. It's very good so far. Very well-written and I'm already engaged in the characters and the story.

Made me wonder what does that exactly. Why do I feel connected to the main character in one book, but couldn't care less about the mc in another? I guess there are some general factors (often many people have the same opinion about it) but also personal, as someone might feel very invested in a story that I care nothing about.

I am pleased the book has grabbed you Peggy. It is interesting how that happens. I think some characters are generally more interesting and/or likeable than others. Then we have how well the author builds the character up. And then,as you say, who we are personally and whether they appeal to us. They might appeal as someone we would like to be friends with, someone we admire, someone who reminds us of ourselves or someone else we know, or be so different from us that we just have to know what it's like living in their shoes.

I agree with what you say Sarah. The Lost Wife and the book I read before it are both set in WW2, so same theme. They are both accessibly written. Yet I already cared more for the characters and was more drawn into the story from the first chapter of The Lost Wife compared to all of the other book. I think I started wondering about it because the books don't seem that different, but apparently are.

I'm halfway through The Lost Wife now and need a break. I feel very invested in the story and characters, more so than I do with the average book, and combined with all the horrible things happening makes it a hard read.

I think I'll save it for on the train during the day and I'll read something easy and happy in the evening.

75% now and unless the ending messes everything up, this will be a 5 star read.

That's excellent, Peggy! Maybe I nominated the wrong book. lol Oh well, I still plan to read it in the future.

I finished. 5 stars it is!

That's great Peggy. I've added it to my wishlist. I haven't read a WWII book for a while.

I think you'll love it too Sarah.

As an alternate selection for "Lost" in the title, I read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. I have owned it for several years, but never got around to reading it until this month. I think I bought it on an ebook sale, not specifically for any reason other than the story summary sounded interesting and I had never read a book about the Dominican Republic and I was curious. It was an okay read.

I was disappointed that there was not more information specifically about the Dominican Republic, except as a police state at the time the early story takes place. This book is specifically a tale of the family of the girls and what happened to them in their child hood and after, when they immigrated as political refugees to the US. It is told in a slightly convoluted format, that I found confusing, but mostly in single stories, at times told via one of girls. Mostly it is relayed by Yolanda, in first person POV. It started when the girls were adults and went backward, into their childhood. It relayed family relationships and talked about the maids and cooks and people that were the help and about their extended family of Aunts and Uncles and cousins. Their family was wealthy, and there were rules for everything that they could and could not do, where they could go, etc. Some of them were much more informative and interesting than others. The author discussed their schooling and recounted how difficult it was to learn English once they came to the US. She was lucky to have had several good English teachers in the Catholic School that she attended. Her mother had gone to school in the US and her father was a Doctor - having been schooled in the US also. Traditionally, the boys were the only ones allowed to go to school in the US, until her mother was allowed. She was the first female in their family to go to school in the US. Her parents spoke in English when they did not want the girls to understand what they were talking about, but other than that, they spoke Spanish at home. I can remember my parents using pig-latin sometimes and how agrivating it was to have them discuss things when I wanted to understand. Her family was re-located to the US because her father had participated in a failed attempt at a government coup. They were able to be rescued from the political police because of a CIA operative that had been acting as a USA Diplomat.

Cherie wrote: "As an alternate selection for "Lost" in the title, I read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. I have owned it for several years, but never got around to reading it until this month..."

Is the novel based on a true story / does it have an overall message? About integration?

Annerlee wrote: "Is the novel based on a true story / does it have an overall message? About integration? ..."

I believe it is based on the author's family, but I am not sure that everything that was written about was factual. I did not pick up on any specific message - just a story of experiences. Nothing about integration. This was a wealthy family and knew nothing, really of hardship. That was my take on it anyway.