North Liberty Readers discussion

I always struggle with finalizing my list every year...this list and I have a love/hate relationship....its a devastatingly enjoyable process. Without further adieu......out with the old and in with the new..........

1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
3. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
4. The Overstory by Richard Power
5. Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood
6. The Round House by Louise Erdrich
7. Circe by Madeline Miller
8. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
9. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
10. Beloved by Toni Morrison
11. book:The Slow Regard of Silent Things|21535271] by Patrick Rothfuss
12. There There by Tommy Orange

Plus 4 alternates:

13. At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Mathiessen
14. Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger>
15. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Noah Harari
16. The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail by Jason DeLeon

Done and DONE. Happy 2019 BITCHES!!!

I like this list! Love Patrick Rothfuss... and The Round House has been on my to read list for years. Maybe I should add it to this year's list as well! I'm still working on mine. Hoping to have it posted by the end of the week!

What did you think about Where the Crawdads Sing? I have it on my list also, but haven't read it yet...

I liked it a lot. It is a good story. The only thing I didn't like is that the main story just didn't seem like it could happen. This young girl is just left to fend for herself and her mother and then siblings and then father left her. Social services gave a halfhearted attempt once or twice to get her to school, but then nothing. Still, if you can just accept that, the story is moving. The main character is resilient and there is a good mystery and love story, as well as beautiful descriptions of nature.

Uh oh. I don't know if you were asking me or Pamela about Crawdads. I'm not used to having a thread I follow. Sorry if I butted in here.
BTW, Round House is good.

Any feedback is good. I'm thinking about listening to Crawdads next...

I agree with Lulu about Where the Crawdads Sing.

I haven't written a review...as I have a plethora of thoughts about the story both personally and generally about the writing.

I found myself researching the time period (early 1950's) as a fact check on the supervisory practices of social services and found that to be a true concept....that they were not very vigilant about keeping kids in school. My own dad lost both of his parents in the early 50's and he wasn't required to go to school and never completed the 8th grade..... That said....

I found it unsettling that.....in FACT someone, or PEOPLE in fact....KNEW Kya was out there alone, Tate and Jumpin' ....that there wasn't more concern over her well-being as a girl ALONE....but again...that was the times and she was a survivor and insistent on being independent and staying where she was....

I was constantly frightened about her being attacked what with the local boys always teasing her and knocking on her shack door....

Is it plausible that the story could have happened? Yes.

Possible? Absolutely given the times and the poverty of the area.

The writing was ASTOUNDING. Some of the best. The nature descriptions were stunningly beautiful and breathtaking and I found myself wanting to return to the book for this ALONE....

Truly....I was more endeared to the nature than the characters.

In all......

I loved the book. It was whimsy and magical and soul-crushing and empowering all at the same time. For me....after all the research and further thinking....I'd really need to read it AGAIN to have a solid view for myself of how much I truly loved it.

I hate to admit it....but my only disconnect is that it's not set in an area I'm familiar with. I want a book like this set in Iowa. I want a book like this of a farm girl.....

I really wanted THAT kind of connection with Kya.......

Truly not a criticism of the book itself but more on my own personal limitations.............

I hear there is a movie......I'll be first in line!

Thanks for the extra information! I'm looking forward to reading it next!

I am planning on reading/listening to Round House after I finish Pachinko. I'm guessing it'll be a week or so before I finish Pachinko since it's an 18 hour audiobook.

I just finished Pachinko. So much learned about the Koreans experience in Japan!

Pamela,

How do you feel about starting Round House?

I could start it any time!