Book Nook Cafe discussion

Share with us what you read in September 2017 !


Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

My Sept. Reads

Being Nixon: A Man Divided--Evan Thomas
Non fiction
Rate 5/5
It took me awhile to finish this book but it was so worth it. It's a terrific even handed bio from when RN was a small boy until the end of his presidency.

Bitter Is the Wind--Jim McDermott
Fiction
Rate: 3/5
Story of a father and son and how they deal with the harsh realities that life throws at them. I didn't care very much for the son. I don't have to like a character but felt like he had a chip on his shoulder and could be quite course in his manner. I thought it was a good first effort by this new author.

Small Great Things--Jodi Picoult
Fiction
Rate 4/5
I read this for my small library group. I thought this one would be a winner as it was quite relevant to today's headlines. I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, two in the group didn't like it at all and one thought it was okay.

Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin, and Free--Susan Peirce Thompson
non fiction
Rate 1/5
No doubt you would lose weight if you could follow this VERY restrictive eating plan. I can't see many staying on this plan for the long haul.

Fences-August Wilson
Play- Fiction
Rate- 3/5
I enjoyed reading the play. So I also got the DVD from the library. I thought Denzel Washington and Viola Davis were very good.

My September reads

Sarum: The Novel of England byEdward Rutherfurd This novel tells the history of England through the stories of five families in Salisbury England. I thoroughly enjoyed this book my rating is 5/5

Moon Spinners by Sally Goldenbaum This is a cozy mystery. The characters and setting are so charming, you wish it all was real. The mystery was good. My rating is 3.5/5

Still Life with Bread Crumbs byAnna Quindlen A novel exploring second chances and redefining your life My rating 4/5

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Tjs novel is not on the level of To Kill a Mockingbird but it was a good story and well written. Also, I do not the story would have had as much impact if it had been published before To Kill a Mockingbird My rating 4/5

My September reads:

Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks - This is the first book I've ever read on Feminism (even though I consider myself a Feminist) and the first one from the famous bell hooks. I like how she explains Feminism, as a fight against sexism (in any form and done by any sex) and not a hate towards men. I also like that she doesn't shy away from proclaiming women can be equally as sexist, as domineering and as violent as men, which is something some Feminists try to hide under the rug. Excellent book, 5 stars
Mirogoj by Velimir Cindrić - A brochure about Zagreb's city cemetery, Mirogoj. Gives the history of the place and a list and short biographies of famous people buried there, 5 stars
Modern Phobias: A Litany of Contemporary Fears by Tim Lihoreau - A mostly-funny little book describing "all" of the phobias found in the modern person. I'd say that most of them a utterly ridiculous, but I've found myself in a few of them, 4 stars
The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky - A very "film noir" feel to the book, cliches and everything. A great insight into the human nature. Very well done, 4 stars
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories by Tim Burton - I completely forgot I had this book and it's a real gem. A collection of typically Burton stories all written in verse and rhyme. Very enjoyable, 5+++++++ stars :)
Running Wild by J.G. Ballard - A very interesting read written as an almost objective analysis of a mass murder (or a slaughter). I knew after the first 15 pages whodunit, and I think it was the writers intention for a reader to get it immediately, although it took the narrator some time to figure it out. Whatever the intentions of the author, the plot twist is quite shocking, 4 stars
Darkroom by Rujana Jeger - Not really sure what to make of this book. The story is everywhere. There is no, beginning, middle and the end, but it jumps through different disconnected scenes. There were some funny parts, but the book as a whole left me completely unfazed, 3 stars
A Guidebook Trakošćan by Davorin Habrun - A well-written guidebook for the Trakošćan Castle, one of the most impressive Croatian castles situated in the North of the country. It describes each room and gives a bit of history. Very informative, 5 stars
Tomorrow the Killing by Daniel Polansky - The second installement in the Low Town series, with a new murder to solve which is, of course, connected with past events that make the main story. So....the plot thickens and I really want to know Warden's past. Since the very first book, the atmosphere of the book and especially the main character reminded me of something, but I just couldn't place it. It finally dawned on me that Warden reminds me a lot of the Witcher from Andrzey Sapkowski's famous series, 4 stars
Hrvatsko plemstvo, svećenstvo i redovništvo by Mirko Marković - An overview of the three social classes in Croatia, nobility, priests and monks, and all the good things they did throughout our history, 4 stars

Meredith wrote: "My September reads

Sarum: The Novel of England byEdward Rutherfurd This novel tells the history of England through the stories of five families in Salisbury England. ..."

At over 900 pages I am amazed you were able to read anything else in Sept. Well done !

Samanta wrote: "My September reads:

Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks - This is the first book I've ever read on Feminism (even though I consider myself a F..."

I have one on my TBR list that you might want to add to yours.
The Amazon reviews are pretty good. It has around 500 reviews and 90 % are 4 & 5 stars

My Life on the Road---Gloria Steinem

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and inspiring leader—tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of her life as a traveler, a listener, and a catalyst for change.

ONE OF O: THE OPRAH MAGAZINE’S TEN FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR | NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Harper’s Bazaar • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Publishers Weekly

When people ask me why I still have hope and energy after all these years, I always say: Because I travel. Taking to the road—by which I mean letting the road take you—changed who I thought I was. The road is messy in the way that real life is messy. It leads us out of denial and into reality, out of theory and into practice, out of caution and into action, out of statistics and into stories—in short, out of our heads and into our hearts.

Gloria Steinem had an itinerant childhood. When she was a young girl, her father would pack the family in the car every fall and drive across country searching for adventure and trying to make a living. The seeds were planted: Gloria realized that growing up didn’t have to mean settling down. And so began a lifetime of travel, of activism and leadership, of listening to people whose voices and ideas would inspire change and revolution.

My Life on the Road is the moving, funny, and profound story of Gloria’s growth and also the growth of a revolutionary movement for equality—and the story of how surprising encounters on the road shaped both. From her first experience of social activism among women in India to her work as a journalist in the 1960s; from the whirlwind of political campaigns to the founding of Ms. magazine; from the historic 1977 National Women’s Conference to her travels through Indian Country—a lifetime spent on the road allowed Gloria to listen and connect deeply with people, to understand that context is everything, and to become part of a movement that would change the world.

In prose that is revealing and rich, Gloria reminds us that living in an open, observant, and “on the road” state of mind can make a difference in how we learn, what we do, and how we understand each other.

Praise for My Life on the Road

“This legendary feminist makes a compelling case for traveling as listening: a way of letting strangers’ stories flow, as she puts it, ‘out of our heads and into our hearts.’”—People

“Like Steinem herself, [My Life on the Road] is thoughtful and astonishingly humble. It is also filled with a sense of the momentous while offering deeply personal insights into what shaped her.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

“A lyrical meditation on restlessness and the quest for equity . . . Part of the appeal of My Life is how Steinem, with evocative, melodic prose, conveys the air of discovery and wonder she felt during so many of her journeys. . . . The lessons imparted in Life on the Road offer more than a reminiscence. They are a beacon of hope for the future.”—USA Todayhttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...#

“A warmly companionable look back at nearly five decades as itinerant feminist organizer and standard-bearer. If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to sit down with Ms. Steinem for a casual dinner, this disarmingly intimate book gives a pretty good idea, mixing hard-won pragmatic lessons with more inspirational insights.”—The New York Times

“Steinem rocks. My Life on the Road abounds with fresh insights and is as populist as can be.”—The Boston Globe

I'm surprised I was even able to read this month, being so busy haha.

City of Bones by: Cassandra Clare
9/7/17-9/17/17, 3/5
The first book of mortal instruments, strap yourself in for the ride of your life in a book. This book was everywhere but not in a rushing way, it was on an edge of your seat kind of reading. Clary's mother is kidnapped and she tags along a team of shadow hunters to find her. With the return of evil forces and monsters. The reason why I gave it a 3/5 was because if you've read Harry Potter it gives you so much character vibes from Harry Potter. And some of the nicknames that Cassandra names are a little too close for comfort. But, other than that this was a good book and I am currently reading the second one.

Words in Deep Blue by: CathCrowley
9/18/17-9/24/17,5/5
Rachel Swetie has a crush on her best friend that she has had for her whole life. She spends nights at the bookshop that he works at and he grew up with her. She then leaves a love letter in one of his favorite books because she was moving away. She never hears from him again. Returning back to her hometown everything is different about her. Her brother has drowned and her mother hasn't recovered. Henry is selling the bookshop. They must work together and hope that their relationship can come together again.
This book was so sweet. I read more romance novels than I have recently and it's because the young adult romance novels are just the sweetest and they melt my heart.
Book Rec: Every Last Word

It's Not Like It's a Secret by: Misa Sugiura
9/25/17-9/29/17, 5/5
Sana moves away from Wisconsin to California. Questioning that her father is having an affair and what she should do about it, she also is beginning to have feelings for her best friend. Trying to accept who she is her love for others, she will step out of her comfort zone to accomplish anything. This was my first LGBTQ+ book that I have read. I have read books that some side characters were gay but the author never really gone in depth of their relationship. I wanted to try a book based around that at some point. This was my favorite read this September. Misa does such a good job at the feelings and the mood of the characters that I felt the embarrassment seeping through the pages and having my face turn red and being embarrassed and actually having to stop reading because I couldn't take it. But, those are always the best ones.
Book Rec: The hate U give

Alias Reader wrote: "Samanta wrote: "My September reads:

Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks - This is the first book I've ever read on Feminism (even though I con..."

Thank you, Alias! :) I have it on my TBR because I'm a member of Our Shared Shelf group and it was already read there, I just haven't yet got to it.

Here are my September reads:

Lion in the ValleyElizabeth Peters - (3-star) Not my favorite Amelia Peabody book but still fun. This one is too melodramatic.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Captive by Marcel Proust - (4-star) Jealousy and obsession....a whole lot of it.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

We Are Water by Wally Lamb - (5-star) A family saga. Very enjoyable. I like Wally Lamb's writing and stories.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shtum by Jem Lester - (5-star) A wonderful story of family and perceptions.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello - (2-star) A bland story with a crazy woman.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - (3-star) I enjoyed this story. I think it lost a star because I couldn't resonate with the intensity of Marin's reaction. That's due to the fact, I think, that we vary in age (this is a YA book). Despite that, that story is lovely.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Great list this far, folks! Thanks for sharing. I'll post mine in a few moments but first wanted to comment.

Alias, I'm glad the Nixon bio was rewarding for you. It sounds as though that's what i should read when the time comes. And thanks for the Steinem book info. It sounds right for me, even though my family didn't travel much.

Meredith, my husband read and loved Sarum, too. He read it pre-retirement, which meant it took him a very long time but he still talks about what he learned from it. I will add that i agree with your assessment of "Go Set A Watchman"-- it probably wouldn't have been as impressive pre-Mockingbird.

Samanta, there are some interesting topics in your list but i'm going to comment on the one about TimBurton. I didn't realize he wrote books. I knew his movies but not the rest. How neat!

Alayna, a couple of years ago i saw the movie based on City of Bones. It sounds as though the book is better. Thanks.

Petra, it impresses me that you have already finished the 5th Proust book. Well done.

Again, thanks to all who share.

As usual, while on the road the new Goodreads App doesn't work for me. Still, i want to share about books i've read. It's sloppy due to the cut and paste i must use. Please forgive.

Gone Gull--by Donna Andrews
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

This is the latest in Andrews's series about Virginia blacksmith Meg Langston. Too often the book strays from her profession but this one has her in the midst of teaching a class about it when a murder occurs. Her family is large & a bit wild, so laughs are a part of the story. Pretty good one this time.


Why Shoot A Butler? By Georgette Heyer

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
This is an older mystery, from the 20s or 30s, as i recall. I wasn't fond of the main character "detective" but would have relished a couple of mysteries about his observant Aunt. I think Julie mentioned this book, so i thank her now.

Basic Heraldry by John Ferguson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Now then, from the GR link i see there is an additional author listed, which is probably a good thing. The edition i read, with only Ferguson listed as author, was quite disorganized. The basics were toward the end, while the lesser material was presented in the first half. There was good material and it was useful to me while here.

Somewhere Towards the End by Diane Athill

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

A few years ago Alias and i read some memoirs by poet May Sarton and liked them. When i saw that this memoir was written by a British editor when she was in her late 80s i thought i'd give it a try. I liked her observations about aging, probably because they are ringing true for me now. Athill was an editor and probably has some good stories to tell about that (she shares some about author Jean Rhys, btw) but these are more personal. I liked it, despite never having heard of the woman. She is still alive, wring more memoirs, i hasten to add.

The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... by https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I mentioned this one as i read it. Having attempted Peabody mysteries de aides ago, i gave up. Mostly i wanted more about the science. I picked up this one because Hess is a favorite mystery writer for me. I was disappointed, despite the fact Nefertiti's head was the "star" of the book.

Night Falls at the Gorge by Myrna Daly.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... by

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Set in the Columbia River Gorge, i couldn't pass this up. It was pretty good but not great. However, her descriptions of the gorge, driving there, walking around, etc., were well described. Indeed, i cared more about that than the mystery.

Dog Dish of Doom by E. J. Copperman

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... by
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Someone here reviewed this cute mystery. Barbara, maybe? Anyway, it was nice but i never figured out why one if the dogs seemed to despise another. Annoying!

Finally, i wanted to read the first in the series of another mystery written by Peters, so read Borrower of the Night

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..., featuring art historian Vicki Bliss. I liked it much better than the Peabody and found it tough to put the book down. I believe i will read the next one in the set, mainly because Bliss ended up making an odd choice at the end & i "need" to see how that plays out. :-)

Thanks for staying with me this far!





Gone Gull--by Donna Andrews
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Alayna wrote: "I'm surprised I was even able to read this month, being so busy haha. "

Two 5/5 .... Not bad !
Thanks for sharing with us.

Petra wrote: "Here are my September reads:

We Are Water by Wally Lamb - (5-star) A family saga. Very enjoyable. I like Wally Lamb's writing and stories."

Nice month, Petra. I've read two Wally Lamb books.
I really enjoyed
I Know This Much Is True
I also read
She's Come Undone. This I read when Oprah selected it. Honestly, I don't recall the plot at this point. I think I thought it was okay.

Madrano wrote: "Somewhere Towards the End by Diane Athilly ..."

Thanks for sharing, deb. I know it's not easy when on the road.

I am adding Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill
to my TBR list. That's a very attractive author photo they have of her. I am happy to see my library has a copy. I seem to think I read a review of this book in the NY Times.

I still have a few May Sarton books that I got at the used book store that I've not read yet. Though I do like her writings. Her books are what I describe as quiet and reflective.

Meredith, I'm a big fan of Edward Rutherford, too. I'm glad you enjoyed Sarum.

I also read Go Set a Watchman, too. In the end, I liked it but the beginning was a rough start. I can see why Harper Lee kept the manuscript but didn't publish it. It was a diamond in the rough.

Alias, I've read those two Wally Lambs books as well....many years ago. Like you, I don't remember any more about She's Come Undone than you do but still remember parts of I Know This Much Is True. He's a very good writer.

Alias, i have a couple more Sarton books left as well. Athill's book is reflective but also spends quite a bit of time explaining her life a bit, for which i was grateful. Her thoughts on religion, friendship and missing things she once did were very thoughtful.

Samanta wrote: "Running Wild by J.G. Ballard" I read his awhile back, and wasn't too impressed. I read it and Millenium People around the same time, and they both stuck me as watered-down rehash of his previous novels. Amost like he was trying to grapple with contemporary topics, but hadn't given them time to fully synthesize in his head. He was back in form with Kingdom Come, though.

Sept was not a very productive month, and Oct isn't appearing to be much better. Only two books last month:

Martians, Go Home by Frederic Brown. A spoof of those Invaders From Mars scenarios. Brown concocts a type of Martian that is impossible to fight but is extremely annoying. Starts of promising, and could have been developed into a hilariously insightful novel on the destruction of privacy and secrecy, but Brown is just not a capable writer. One star.

Grendel by John Gardner. A re-read from back in my youth. The Beowulf foe ("ow! why'd you tear off my arm?!?") tells his side of the tale, and this being written in the Seventies, of course he's just a misunderstood Child of Nature. A fun book, though the overly ornate language gets cumbersome at somes. Four stars (the fifth torn off by a Geat, har har).

Mkfs wrote: "Sept was not a very productive month, and Oct isn't appearing to be much better. Only two books last month:"

Two books sound fine to me. Thanks for sharing the reviews with us. This is one of my favorite threads. It doesn't matter if a person reads one book or twenty. The more that participate the better.

Mkfs wrote: "Samanta wrote: "Running Wild by J.G. Ballard" I read his awhile back, and wasn't too impressed. I read it and Millenium People around the same time, and they both stuck me as watered..."

I've never read anything of his before, so I can't compare. Not that it made me want to read more, either.

My reads for September:

NONFICTION:

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson: A meticulously researched and brilliantly written account of the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities between 1915 to 1970 in search of a better life. The book alternates between a historical account of the facts and a narrative nonfiction account of the lives of three unique individuals: Ida Mae Gladney, who in 1937 left sharecropping and prejudice in Mississippi for Chicago; George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem; and Robert Pershing Foster, who left Louisiana in 1953 to pursue a medical career in California. I don’t give out 5 stars very often; this book earned every one of them. 5/5 stars

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore: I am a huge fan of narrative nonfiction. I love to learn about people, places and events in a way that is entertaining and reads like a novel. I am not, however, a fan of authors who interject personal opinions and biases into a work of nonfiction. Don't get me wrong -- this book about the working women and teens who were exposed to radium at facilities where they painted clock faces during the height of WWI (and the horrifying and agonizing radium-related illnesses that ultimately destroyed their bodies and bones from the inside out) is good, and I highly recommend it. If I could knock a half star off for the snarky asides and pithy rejoinders that have no place in a work of nonfiction, however, I would give this 3.5 stars.

Be Safe, Love Mom: A Military Mom's Stories of Courage, Comfort, and Surviving Life on the Home Front by Elaine Lowry Brye: A … memoir? self-help book? Advice column? … by a woman with 4 children who are serving in the U.S. military (all branches – the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines). As the mother of a commissioned Marine officer who is currently in flight school to become a naval aviator, I can appreciate the sentiments expressed in this book. As an editor by education and training for the past 25 years, however, I cringed at the amount of repetition throughout the chapters. It seemed as though whole sections and concepts were repeated for no other reason than to increase the page count of the manuscript ... possibly to justify the purchase price? In any case, I was considering a rating of 2.5 stars, but decided to round up in honor of my son's dedication and commitment and calling. Semper fi!

FICTION

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes: This book reads like the plot of a thriller screenplay: “An anonymous young woman murdered in a run-down hotel, all identifying characteristics dissolved by acid. A father publicly beheaded in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square. A notorious Syrian biotech expert found eyeless in a Damascus junkyard. Smoldering human remains on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan. A flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity. One path links them all, and only one man can make the journey.” It reads like a screenplay – because it was written by a screenwriter. Strap yourself in and enjoy the thrill ride. 4/5 stars

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah : Historical fiction about two very different sisters who are forced to pursue different avenues of survival and resistance during the WWII German Occupation in France. I liked that this book highlighted how strong women had to become as necessary when the men left the home front to fight. I also was intrigued by the story of the French Resistance group who helped downed Allied pilots cross the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain for safety. 4/5 stars

Wizard and Glass by Stephen King: Book #4 in King’s “Dark Tower” series. I’m slowly making my way through the series, and enjoying it immensely. 4/5 stars

The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve: Historical fiction that takes place around the disastrous fire that ravaged Maine's coast in 1947. Five months pregnant, Grace Holland is left alone to protect her two toddlers when her husband, Gene, joins the volunteer firefighters. After her home burns to the ground and with her husband among the missing, Grace learns to stand on her own feet as an independent woman. 3/5 stars

The Mothers by Brit Bennett: A novel about a teen romance, an unexpected pregnancy, and the subsequent cover-up that has an impact that goes far beyond their youth. 3/5 stars

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton: Now that Sue Grafton is getting close to the end of her “alphabet mystery series” about detective Kinsey Milhone, I’m starting the series over and reading them in a row. Maybe by the time I finally get to “Y” she will have published “Z”! 3/5 stars

Amy wrote: "My reads for September:

NONFICTION:

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson: A meticulously researched and brilli..."

Amy, I am so happy to see you give Warmth 5 stars. I did, too. I can see why this author is a Pulitzer winner. Once you get a handle on the books structure, the book is amazing. It's also very well researched. It's a winner for sure.

I just recommended the book to someone at my gym the other day.

Mkf, you liked Grendel a bit better than i did. The concept was fun but, although already short, it seemed long to me. Weird.

Amy, I Am Pilgrim sounds intriguing. Thanks for the comments.

Well, I tried to figure out and plug in what I read in September, then clicked the wrong thing and it miraculously disappeared. So, here goes again: some mysteries of the classic, "literary" variety, some historical fiction, and some less classifiable worthy reads. Only one dud (in my opinion). To prevent redundancy, I won't repeat what's in my reviews.

Little Bee
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Insane City
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Everyone Brave is Forgiven
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Original Sin
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

End in Tears
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Harm Done
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Devices and Desires
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In The Name of the Family
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sorry that I've been awol. Work has been crazy and I came down with a chest/head cold that lay me low for a while.

Mkfs, I gave Grendel 4-stars as well. I enjoyed it.

Amy, you had a marvelous month of reading.

Craig, GR has eaten my comments before, too. Very frustrating. I now tend to "control C" long posts before posting them....just in case things go wrong.
You also had a great month!
In The Name of The Family sounds good. The Borgia's were an interesting family.

I hope you are ok now, Petra. Better yet, i hope this is your sole cold for the seasons.

Craig, what a good list to tempt us. Thanks for sharing your comments.

Craig wrote:Little Bee

I really loved Little Bee and I'm glad to see you did, too.

I read another of his books and also enjoyed it. Incendiary

I have his new one Everyone Brave is Forgiven on my TBR list.

Petra wrote: "Sorry that I've been awol. Work has been crazy and I came down with a chest/head cold that lay me low for a while.
"

I hope you are feeling better, Petra.

Petra wrote: "Sorry that I've been awol. Work has been crazy and I came down with a chest/head cold that lay me low for a while.

Mkfs, I gave Grendel 4-stars as well. I enjoyed it.

Amy, you had..."

Petra, what does control "C" do? Copy it somewhere? (I started life with a hang-on-the-wall crank phone, a manual typewriter, and purple ditto masters, so all this techno stuff is mystifying.) If you're considering reading IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY, I'd read Sarah's previous Borgia book, Blood & Beauty: The Borgias first.
I've got a review of that too:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It's good to know what Lucrezia had been through as a teenager before getting to her twenties.

Craig, highlight what you want to save, and "control, C".
If the post fails and you lose what you wrote, click in the Comment box and "control, V". Your post will be copied.

Control, C holds the copy until you tell where you'd like it copied to by placing the cursor.

Control C was one of the first things i learned on computers and it has saved my sanity. Unfortunately i don't always remember to use it when posting, thus living in chagrin too often. If ebooks only allowed for copying that way, i'd be on some sort of nirvana but it doesn't seem to work, so i still must actually type or hand write the notes. :-(

Well I am back on here going back in time on doing what I read in 2017. But I read almost 16 books in September so going to do 10 on this post and the other 6 on another post. So without further ado here are the first 10 books I read:

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving - 4 stars. First time reading this book and I really enjoyed it.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Devil's Woods by Brian Moreland - 5 stars. This author has quite a few books and I discovered his work in 2017. This is a creepy horror story with some extreme stuff in it.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The House Next Door by Darcy Coates - 4 stars. This author can write ghost stories that will tickle your spine with shivers. :-)
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Stirrings in the Black House by Ambrose Ibsen - 4 stars. Another author that knows how to write ghost stories.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Crazy Old Lady by Angel Gelique - 4 stars. Extreme horror story which is mostly what this author writes.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Whispers: Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "The Whisperer in Darkness" by Kristin Dearborn - 4 stars. - New author to me and this was a very good book.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Horror in the Woods by Lee Mountford - 4 stars. Creepy book. This author knows how to write the spooky stuff! :)
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Ghosts of Lakeforth Hotel by Amy Cross - 4 stars. Author, Amy Cross is another one that can write spooky stories and sometimes they cross over into the extreme side of the horror genre.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Haunting of Pitmon House by Michael Richan - 4 stars. This author also likes to write about hauntings and ghosts. I actually need to get back into his world as he is a great author. I have read a couple of books by him. This one was creepy.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Chasing Ghosts by Glenn Rolfe - 5 stars. I have read a few of his books, but this book was my first by him. The book borders on extreme horror as there is quite of bit of blood and stuff in this book.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I will post the other six tomorrow night. :)

Your enthusiasm for these books is engaging. Sleepy Hallow is outstanding and introduced some novel ideas, at the time. The Moreland novel sounds good to me. I also appreciate that you reviewed short stories as well.

madrano wrote: "Your enthusiasm for these books is engaging. Sleepy Hallow is outstanding and introduced some novel ideas, at the time. The Moreland novel sounds good to me. I also appreciate that you reviewed sho..."

Thank you, Madrano! Those reviews though were not "dolled up" like my newer reviews! lol At some point in time which I have been doing a little bit at a time is going back in to those reviews and giving them some bold highlights to dress them up a little bit. :) Yes I really like Brian Moreland as I have read a few by him.

As far as Sleepy Hollow - I thought the book was spooky - more so than any movie adaption I have seen. The atmosphere of the book just seeped in more for some reason. :) It is a great book to read around Halloween. :)

Yes! As to Hallowe’en reading.

It’s interesting that you return to edit your earlier reviews for consistent presentation.

madrano wrote: "Yes! As to Hallowe’en reading.

It’s interesting that you return to edit your earlier reviews for consistent presentation."

The reason for most of the re-editing is because most of what I read is indie authors and at the time I was reading some of those books I did not receive hardly any likes on those reviews, so I go back in to not only "dress them up" but to get them back circulating on this site. It does help by doing that as it puts new eyes on the books. I have a friend that does the same thing on here with his reviews. :)

I think it's a good idea, as well, because some books improve after we've read them. This is why i have troubles rating books--too often i decide i liked a book more than when i finished it. Go figure.