Book Nook Cafe discussion

Use this thread to tell us about your book haul !

What interesting books did you pick up from the library, online or book store?

What attracted you to the book? Was it the cover, topic or a review?

We'd like to hear all about it!

My mom is in rehab after a fall, so I put a couple of titles on her Kindle: The Magician's Assistant and Crossing to Safety.

John, I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she recovers quickly and finds comfort in reading as she recuperates.

I've only read one of Wallace StegnerStegner's books. Angle of Repose I read it ages ago and sadly can no longer recall much about it. Though I do remember the writing was top notch. I believe he won a Pulitzer for this one.

John, i hope her recovery is a good but quick one. I'm sure she'll be pleased to read both these.

Just ordered three from Thriftbooks:

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly

Off the Grid by P.J. Tracy

Anita wrote: "Just ordered three from Thriftbooks:
."

Nice ! We look forward to your reviews.

This is a varied selection, Anita. I treasure book hauls like that!

Enjoy!

Just a heads-up

WINNER OF THE 2024 PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY

King: A Life by Jonathan Eig

the kindle version is on sale for $2.

I've had my eye on this book for awhile. Amazon had the Kindle version on sale for $5. So, I purchased it.

A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Drawing on exhaustive research, this intimate account details how World War I reduced Europe’s mightiest empires to rubble, killed twenty million people, and cracked the foundations of our modern world

“Thundering, magnificent . . . [A World Undone] is a book of true greatness that prompts moments of sheer joy and pleasure. . . . It will earn generations of admirers.”—The Washington Times

On a summer day in 1914, a nineteen-year-old Serbian nationalist gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. While the world slumbered, monumental forces were shaken. In less than a month, a combination of ambition, deceit, fear, jealousy, missed opportunities, and miscalculation sent Austro-Hungarian troops marching into Serbia, German troops streaming toward Paris, and a vast Russian army into war, with England as its ally. As crowds cheered their armies on, no one could guess what lay ahead in the First World War: four long years of slaughter, physical and moral exhaustion, and the near collapse of a civilization that until 1914 had dominated the globe.

Anita wrote: "Just ordered three from Thriftbooks:

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris"

I love thriftbooks!

I also read Behind Closed Doors and thought it was a solid thriller (nor really my genre, but I enjoyed it).

Alias Reader wrote: "I've had my eye on this book for awhile. Amazon had the Kindle version on sale for $5. So, I purchased it.

[bookcover:A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Drawing on exhaustive research, this intimate account details how World War I reduced Europe’s mightiest empires to rubble, killed twenty million people, and cracked the foundations of our modern world
..."

As you may recall, Alias, i am slowly reading my Prez bio on Woodrow Wilson. Presently, i am reading about WWI and realize i didn't know as much as i thought i did, particularly about the Peace Process. The staggering numbers of soldier deaths has me wondering why there was ever another war.

ANYway, i was thinking i will include a WWI NF to my hopes. A few years ago Libyrinths suggested the book you just purchased, as a good primer on WWI, its lead-in & chronological depiction. The 700 page length was daunting, but given all i've learned in my present book, i do not imagine a more slender book would suffice.

That was a long way to express my thought, "Good Purchase!" lol

My monthly haul has arrived! Got quite a few good titles here I think.

Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
The Silver Tattoo by Laura Treacy Bentley
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
The High House by James Stoddard





All for under $20!

Neat, Anita! You are set for some time...and at a great, great price!

madrano wrote: ". The 700 page length was daunting, but given all i've learned in my present book, i do not imagine a more slender book would suffice..."

Deb, the text isn't 700 pages.

The book includes: table of contents, maps, bibliography, list of abbreviations, photos, a timeline, character list and notes. My guess puts the actual text at around 600 pages.

It's all of these additional things which drew me to the book. Especially the extensive timeline, maps, photos and character list. This will save me much Google time !

Anita wrote: "My monthly haul has arrived! Got quite a few good titles here I think.

Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
The Silver Tattoo by [author:Laura Treacy Bentl..."

Wow! You certainly got a good deal. Enjoy !

I'm not familiar with the SK book you purchased. I look forward to your review.

Alias Reader wrote: "Deb, the text isn't 700 pages.

The book includes: table of contents, maps, bibliography, list of abbreviations, photos, a timeline, character list and notes. My guess puts the actual text at around 600 pages. ..."

I did assume as much, but i've gotten quite lazy since my 600 page book days, so to speak. I suspect the only way i am getting through The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made--Patricia O'Toole, slow though it be, is because the 656 pages, is only 494 text pages. And if you think i don't take count at the end of every reading day, you don't know me. lol

I look at but often don't read the endnotes, unless the author is one who fleshes out fresh material back there. I do carefully look at the bibliography, but i don't consider that reading, exactly.

We are to get 4 sunny days in a row, so i hope to finish WWI with Wilson this week. Wish me luck!

Best of luck with the sunshine and Wilson, Deb. :)

Thanks!

Heads-up ! On Amazon, Jon Meacham's latest book is on sale $2 for the Kindle

And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
by Jon Meacham

Just a heads-up --
The Kindle book

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird

is on sale for $2 on Amazon.

Hefty book for that price. Wait, "Kindle book" means audio, right? So, no weight saved.

madrano wrote: "Hefty book for that price. Wait, "Kindle book" means audio, right? So, no weight saved."

No, this is the kindle book version. Not audio.

I went to my library to return some books yesterday and could not resist these:
Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers - I love books about books, whether fiction or non-fiction.
The Midnight Hour - This went onto my wish list recently when I read it was a Gothic book in the synopsis.
Fortune Favours the Dead This was on my booky radar because I love titles that are bad puns or somehow incongruous. I read the synopsis at the library and found out it is a "locked room" mystery. Another literary love, so that one has come for a short stay in my house too.

I've got a couple of books to read for challenges before I get around to any of these, but I shall be reading them sooner rather than later,

KeenReader wrote: "I went to my library to return some books yesterday and could not resist these:
Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers - I love books about books, whether fiction or n..."

Isn't it wonderful to browse the shelves at the library or bookstore. It's one of my favorite activities !

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "Hefty book for that price. Wait, "Kindle book" means audio, right? So, no weight saved."

No, this is the kindle book version. Not audio."

Thank you, Alias. It's evident i only learn a name, then forget what it means, huh?

KeenReader wrote: "I went to my library to return some books yesterday and could not resist these:
Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers - I love books about books, whether fiction or n..."

KeenReader, you reminded me how delightful it is to visit a physical library and uncover gems. My present library is being rebuilt after a fire over two years ago. They've set up a temporary one but there are no random end-of-shelf-display shelves for a few "extra" books, not new, just not well read, either. Over the years, those have been some of the most delightful books i've read. I've missed them.

I hope your selections give you hours of reading pleasure.

Just a heads-up. This book is on sale for the eBook on Amazon for $2. I purchased a copy. I already read a Madison book by Richard Brookhiser for our Presidential challenge. However, I read that in 2011. Anyway, this seems like a reasonable lenght. So I thought I would share for others doing our Lifelong Presidential challenge.

James Madison and the Making of America by Kevin R.C. Gutzman

Alias Reader wrote: "Just a heads-up. This book is on sale for the eBook on Amazon for $2. I purchased a copy. I already read a Madison book by Richard Brookhiser for our Presidential challenge. However,..."

This might be a good place to begin the challenge. I’ll purchase it. Thanks

You're welcome, Denise.

Deb prefers to go in order. I skip all around. To be honest my preference is the later presidents from FDR on.

Either way is cool.

Just a note here. For me, i try to read a biography per se, which isn’t always possible, given my library. Usually i am disappointed because i prefer to know about their lives prior to age 20 or so.

The first review i read on the linked page made note of that. She was disappointed. There is a case to be made for this type, though. They clarify issues, origins and historically place the person.

As mentioned, I’ve used both types but have found those labeled “biography” more to my taste. Mileage may differ.

Two if my book clubs have relatively recent releases lined up. Even the one in July has a 17+ week wait!
Then I saw that books were on sale at Target, even more than the standard 20-30%. So I got:
James (Percival Everett)
The Wedding People (Alison Espach)
The Frozen River (Ariel Lawhon)
At the $1 store I got:
How To Be A Heroine, Or What I’ve Learned From Reading Too Much
The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave From Japan and the transformation of our national pastime

Sorry for no links I’m in my phone and it’s not allowed

Denise wrote: "Two if my book clubs have relatively recent releases lined up. Even the one in July has a 17+ week wait!
Then I saw that books were on sale at Target, even more than the standard 20-30%. So I got:..."

Here's the links for Denise's books:
James
The Wedding People
The Frozen River

How to Be a Heroine: Or, What I've Learned from Reading Too Much
The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave from Japan and the Transformation of Our National Pastime

Denise wrote: "Then I saw that books were on sale at Target, even more than the standard 20-30%. So I got:
James (Percival Everett)
The Wedding People (Alison Espach)
The Frozen River (Ariel Lawhon)
At the $1 store I got:
How To Be A Heroine, Or What I’ve Learned From Reading Too Much
The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave From Japan and the transformation of our national pastime."

I've been on the fence about getting The Wedding People So I will be interested in your thoughts.

I enjoyed James very much.

It looks like you have a nice line-up of books. Enjoy !

KeenReader wrote: "Denise wrote: "Two if my book clubs have relatively recent releases lined up. Even the one in July has a 17+ week wait!
Then I saw that books were on sale at Target, even more than the standard 20..."

Thank you

Denise wrote: "Two if my book clubs have relatively recent releases lined up. Even the one in July has a 17+ week wait!
Then I saw that books were on sale at Target, even more than the standard 20-30%. So I got:..."

Eclectic list, Denise. You have created a good variety of book clubs!

KeenReader, thanks for the links.

madrano wrote: "Denise wrote: "Two if my book clubs have relatively recent releases lined up. Even the one in July has a 17+ week wait!
Then I saw that books were on sale at Target, even more than the standard 20..."

2 of then are the same book club, we schedule 3 months out so people can get the books

The ones at the $1 store are not book club related, they are I thought they looked and cool and "need" more books to read (lol) related

Ah, thanks for the info, Denise.

I miss buying books. Given our goods are in a storage unit, i’ve refrained from buying many books over the last several years. When we settle down, look out!

The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World by A.J. Baime

I read this one back in 2022 and I gave this book 5/5 stars.

I mention it because Amazon has the Kindle book on sale for $2.

This was my review.
--------------------------
The book's main focus is the first four months of Truman's presidency. The first quarter of the book sets the stage perfectly with a brief bio of Truman. It details Truman's entry into politics thanks to the backing of Tom Pendergast, a corrupt boss of Kansas City's Democratic machine. Then it establishes how FDR was handling the war before Truman suddenly has to take over.

The book was well written and keeps things going at a crisp pace. He doesn't get bogged down in minutia as some presidential bios and history books do. The author also provides a helpful timeline of events at the start of the book. It starts with Truman's birth 5/8/1884 and ending on 8/14/45 when Truman announces the surrender of Japan and WWII ends. I always appreciate when an author includes a timeline in a book. The book also includes some very good photos.

I thought the author's idea to focus on the first four event filled months of the presidency was a good idea. It created a well paced, tension filled story line that leads the reader to the dropping of the Atomic bombs.

The Truman story is an interesting one. Truman starts off in life with many failures in business and a high school education. The last thing he wanted was to be president. His wife, Bess, hated the idea and never warmed up to it. Truman served less then three months before he was thrown into the presidency. He came into the job suddenly upon FDR's death totally unprepared. FDR had kept the VP out of the loop on pretty much everything.

However, to Truman's credit he was a dedicated hard worker in a unparalleled position. He was an honest, plain spoken man with an unstinting work ethic. He read voluminous reports daily to get up to speed. His day was crammed with meetings it seemed every 15 minutes. How anyone manages this job is a mystery to me. I can see why many presidents seem to age tremendously in the job.

This was a compelling read and I gave it 5/5 rating. I highly recommend The Accidental President

I have this on my list, as your comments were growing, after you read it oddly, my bio of Tyler had the first part in its title, after JT’s name—John Tyler, the Accidental President. He was the first to step into the presidency due to the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison. What conflicts there were over that!

Alias Reader wrote: "[book:The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World|3..."

I bought that one this morning. And yesterday I got a T. Roosevelt autobiography on Kindle free. And last week James Madison was free. I am well on my way to joining the presidential biography-reading club with you

Denise wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "[book:The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months Tha..."

Excellent !

Has anyone read a good biography on either President McKinley, Andrew Jackson or Herbert Hoover ? Our current situation (tariffs, economic chaos) has me wanting to read more about them or their time period.

I'm not a huge fan of the presidential series books. I find them dry and more Wikipedia like.

Alias Reader wrote: "Has anyone read a good biography on either President McKinley, Andrew Jackson or Herbert Hoover ? Our current situation (tariffs, economic chaos) has me wanting to read more about them or their tim..."

The Life of Andrew Jackson

I read a few of his books on Jackson in college and I liked them. As this one says, its more politics than military though you can't really discuss him without the battle of New Orleans piece

Herbert Hoover has his own memoirs The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover : the Cabinet and the Presidency 1920-1933

I have not read them personally but colleagues have recommended them

Two by Bentley Little, University and The Burning



The Tournament by Matthew Reilly



The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted by Andrew E. Kaufman



The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Denise wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Has anyone read a good biography on either President McKinley, Andrew Jackson or Herbert Hoover ? Our current situation (tariffs, economic chaos) has me wanting to read more ab..."

Denise, thank you for the Hoover and Jackson book titles. I will definitely check them out.

Anita wrote: "Two by Bentley Little, University and The Burning



The Tournament by [author:Matthew Reilly..."

Nice book haul, Anita ! I look forward to your reviews.

Alias Reader wrote: "Has anyone read a good biography on either President McKinley, Andrew Jackson or Herbert Hoover ? Our current situation (tariffs, economic chaos) has me wanting to read more about them or their tim..."

I read & appreciated President McKinley: Architect of the American Century—Robert W. Merry quite a bit. The author covered political issues resolved during McK’s administration, including the gold standard and “noncolonial imperialism in the Philippines and other lands ceded to the US after the Spanish American War. However, i can no longer recall how well his youth was covered.

For Jackson, i read American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House—Jon Meacham, which disappointed me. It began with his preparation to move into the White House, rather than his youth. Still, it was informative, due to the unusual nature of society in DC and their acceptance of the people AJ brought with him.

I’ve not read one on Hoover yet.

Anita wrote: "Two by Bentley Little, University and The Burning
The Book of Cold Cases


The Tournament by Matthew Reilly..."</i>

What a nice collection of new books, Anita. I hope they are all satisfying for you.

I read St. James’s [book:The Book of Cold Cases, which i liked. I’m not big on paranormal but felt this was better than most.

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Has anyone read a good biography on either President McKinley, Andrew Jackson or Herbert Hoover ? Our current situation (tariffs, economic chaos) has me wanting to read more ab..."

Thanks, deb.

I do own American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House . However, I've not read it yet.

I'm kind of surprised at how few books there are on Herbert Hover on Amazon. I know finding bios on the lesser know presidents is difficult. However, Hoover played a major part in the Great Depression. Odd.