Our Little Book Club.

[Kaylor]

This thread is no longer active. Instead, a private community has been created in its place.

[jcschopper]

- Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- The Secret of Shambala by James Redfield

I received a gift card to Barnes and Noble for Christmas for $10. What would you get to read, what type of story is it, and what is it about?

I read The Giver a long time ago. Loved it.

[farmergirl]

the 'Mitford" series of books by Jan Karon
Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk
Manhunt by James L. Swanson

http://www.mitfordbooks.com/

[Mary Adams Hogan]

I just recently finished "That Camden Summer" by LaVyrle Spencer Wonderful book and so hard to put down. I wish it never ended.

I love to read so will have to add to my list here but no time now. Hopefully I'll find some great books here to add to my list. :)

[Sarah]

WOW Kaylor there are some really 'heavy' books in your list!! :eek:

I am reading a series at the moment.
The first book is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith and the second in the series is The Tears of a Giraffe which I finished last night.

[Granny]

I've just finished a murder mystery series by Karin Slaughter, an Atlanta author. I especially enjoyed them because I'm from Alabama and they mentioned places and things I was familar with. Her latest two books are set in Atlanta. I gave one of them to my daughter-in-law (lives in Atlanta) for her birthday and she admitted she was unable to put it down.

Jane P Richardson aka Granny
Granny's Orchard

[Sarah]

Ref: the No. 1 Ladies' Detectives Agency series, I received the entire set as a gift from a friend and haven't started reading them yet. I take it they're recommended :thank_you2:?

I would def recommend them!! Written in a really quirky way and very easy to read!!

[Jettatura]

Thanks for the synopsis on "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane....Now I have to go find the book and read it. This is a great thread....I was looking for a new author.

[Jettatura]

1st to Die
2nd Chance
3rd Degree
4th of July
5th Horseman
6th Target

Up until the 8th that is coming out in April....These are the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson....Action packed with emotion...Hard to put down, but a light read.

A synopsis of the 6th Target:
A burst of gunfire leaves several people dead and a member of the Women's Murder Club fighting for her life. Detective Lindsay Boxer pursues one lead after another to capture her friends' attacker...but the clues don't seem to make sense. While Assistant District Attorney prepares to prosecute a high-profile trial, San Francisco is in the grip of a chilling crime spree. Children of wealthy families are being abducted.

[Mary Adams Hogan]

More books I highly recommend :dance3: ...

- The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski (personal recount of the holocaust).
- The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
-
A Child Called 'It' by Dave Peltzer
-
'Tis by Frank McCourt
-
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
- Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks
- Cobra Event by Richard Preston
- The Broker by John Grisham
- Phantom Toll Booth by Norton Juster
- Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquival
- Juniper by Monica Furlong
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino
-
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
-
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
- DaVinci Decoded by Raymond Hardie
- Gods of the New Millenium by Alan F. Alford
- The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
-
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
- Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.J. Lewis
- The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli


All good books! I've read Angela's Ashes twice and probably will read it again some day. The Kite Runner was wonderful and I will also read this one again. This authors 2nd book is very good too.

[Mary Adams Hogan]

Mary, I agree with you in that Angela's Ashes was/is a superb book! If you haven't read 'Tis, I suggest you do. It's great as well.

I've read Tis but only once. It was good but I like Angela's Ashes so much better. If you want to read another book on the same line as this, "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Wells. Very good and also a true story.

[Mary Adams Hogan]

My favorite author right now is Beverly Lewis. She writes about the Amish in Lancaster County, PA They are fiction books but have a lot of true facts about the Amish. I won't list them all here because there are too many but I've read almost all of them. You can find a list of her books at Amazon.com along with reviews on them.

Some of my other favorites are:

"On The Street Where You Live" by Mary Higgins Clark

All the Stephanie Plum series. They take place in my hometown of Trenton, NJ and I know where most of the places mentioned are and have spent time at many of them. Especially St. Francis Hospital. Most all of my family was born there!!

I also like the books by Wanda Brunstetter and Cindy Woodsmall. Also Amish with true facts.

"Marley and Me" Don't think I ever laughed so hard like I did with this book!

"Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown

Torey Hayden writes about special needs kids. She taught many and wrote about them and at the end of her books she tells how they are doing as adults. Very, very good books!!! Wished she'd write more!

[Henny Penny Farm]

More books I highly recommend :dance3: ...

- The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski (personal recount of the holocaust).
- The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
- A Child Called 'It' by Dave Peltzer
- 'Tis by Frank McCourt
- Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
- Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks
- Cobra Event by Richard Preston
- The Broker by John Grisham
- Phantom Toll Booth by Norton Juster
- Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquival
- Juniper by Monica Furlong
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
- The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
- DaVinci Decoded by Raymond Hardie
- Gods of the New Millenium by Alan F. Alford
- The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
- Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.J. Lewis
- The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

Anything by Kurt Vonnegut is great, I did a term paper on his work, way back in high school, a million years ago. Love John Grisham, Dan Brown

[Keri]

I just finished Criss Cross by James Patterson - a powerful mystery that speaks to the devastation in Darfur. I'd recommend anything by Patterson. Currently reading The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. Again, anything by him is good.

Great to have a book club here. Maybe we could all read the same book and comment?

[Jaye]

I figured we could start our "own little book club" :wink1:. I am a HUGE book worm and could do with a few recommendations, whether they're similar to what I've read or completely different.

Besides, I figured others might feel the same way :yes2:.


1. If you've read any good books lately (absolutely anything you think is worth mentioning), then please let us know.

2. If you do list a book you either recommend or wish to discuss, please note the name of the book and its author :smile1:.


.

OMG..thankyou for this thread..absolute bookworm here. I have a fave Aussie author Bryce Courtenay. Have everything he has ever written. He is a magical story teller, spellbinding and has a way of placing you into the story..you get carried up and swept away. He is an incredible talent. If anyone is interested here is his site
http://www.brycecourtenay.com/

I'm also a bit of a obsessive compulsive when it comes to sport and Auto Biographies/Biographies. At present I'm reading Jim White's Manchester United-The Biography..for me brilliant :) Then I'm straight into Bryce's new book Fishing for Stars

Happy reading everyone !!!

[ChicagoChris]

Lots of good recommendations from everyone! I'd add/recommend The Deptford Trilogy and The Cornish Trilogy, both by Robertson Davies, and The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.

[fangfluffy]

I've just finished a murder mystery series by Karin Slaughter, an Atlanta author. I especially enjoyed them because I'm from Alabama and they mentioned places and things I was familar with. Her latest two books are set in Atlanta. I gave one of them to my daughter-in-law (lives in Atlanta) for her birthday and she admitted she was unable to put it down.

Jane P Richardson aka Granny
Granny's Orchard

funny you would mention her because my brother is thinking of doing his honours thesis on this author!

[sunshine]

I love anything written by Dean Koontz. I think his imagination truly knows no bounds. I am a lover of all things Sci Fi so his books are right up my alley. You could pick any Dean Koontz book off the shelf and it will give you something to think about. He reminds me a lot of Stephen King before he became a specialist of all things horror.

[carmyli]

Hi!
I started reading books again two years ago
I like to read fantasy books, which have been translated into Finnish language

I've just start reading fantasy book Dragonlance: The Minotaur Wars, part 3-
Empire of Blood by Richard A. Knaak :biggrin:

Books that I've read

Forgotten realms:
-The Dark Elf Trilogy, part 1-Homeland
-The Dark Elf Trilogy, part 2-Exile
-The Dark Elf Trilogy, part 3-Sojourn
-The Icewind Dale Trilogy, part 1-The Crystal Shard
-The Icewind Dale Trilogy, part 2-Streams of Silver
-The Icewind Dale Trilogy, part 3-The Halfling's Gem
-Legacy of the Drow, part 1-The Legacy
-Legacy of the Drow, part 2-Starless Night
-Legacy of the Drow, part 3-Siege of Darkness
-Legacy of the Drow, part 4-Passage to Dawn
-Paths of Darkness, part 1-The Silent Blade
-Paths of Darkness, part 2-The Spine of the World
-Paths of Darkness, part 3-Sea of Swords
-The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, part 1-The Thousand Orcs
-The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, part 2-The Lone Drow
-The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, part 3-The Two Swords
-The Sellswords, part 1-Servant of the Shard
-The Sellswords, part 2-Promise of the Witch-King
-The Sellswords, part 3-Road of the Patriarch
-Transitions, part 1-The Orc King
-The Cleric Quintet, part 1-Canticle
-The Cleric Quintet, part 2-In Sylvan Shadows
-The Cleric Quintet, part 3-Night Masks
-The Cleric Quintet, part 4-The Fallen Fortress
-The Cleric Quintet, part 5-The Chaos Curse
-Starlight & Shadows, part 1-Daughter of the Drow
-Starlight & Shadows, part 2-Tangled Webs
-Starlight & Shadows, part 3-Windwalker
-Songs & Swords, part 1-Elfshadow
-Songs & Swords, part 2-Elfsong
-Songs & Swords, part 3-Silver Shadows
-Songs & Swords, part 4-Thornhold
-Songs & Swords, part 5-The Dream Spheres
-Counselors & Kings, part 1-The Magehound
-Counselors & Kings, part 2-The Floodgate
-The Elminster Series, part 1-The Making of a Mage
-The Elminster Series, part 2-Elminster In Myth Drannor
-The Elminster Series, part 3-The Temptation of Elminster

Dragonlance:
-Dragonlance: The Minotaur Wars, part 1-Night of Blood
-Dragonlance: The Minotaur Wars, part 2-Tides of Blood
-Dragonlance: Heroes, part 1-The Legend of Huma
-Dragonlance: The Lost Histories, part 4-Land of the Minotaurs
-Dragonlance: The Lost Histories, part 6-The Dragons

[jcschopper]

We were thinking about seeing Marley and Me. It's advertised as being bittersweet. I'm wondering why that is. Is this another story where the dog dies? Please PM me the answer so that this isn't a spoiler for everyone else. Thanks! Jenny

[jcschopper]

I've read the book but haven't seen the movie ... so I am unsure of whether the latter stays true to the former. Also, are you saying you want to know what happens in the end? Though I won't take that responsibility, you can always look it up on Wikipedia :-P.

Thanks, I'm glad I did that because I could handle that.

[Clare]

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

It's heartbreaking but is also a story of hope .. well worth reading.


The film adaptation of this novel is due for release sometime this year .

[sarahanne]

I am a huge avid reader, but I'm only going to recommend one right now because it's really interesting, AND it has to do with what else, farming!

Cattle, an Informal Social History.

Who knew our bovine friends had so much influence in our history? I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Cattle-Informal-Laurie-Winn-Carlson/dp/1566634555

[Jaye]

You're most welcome, Jaye! I think it's awesome that everyone is enjoying the topic of this thread as much as they are :dance3:.

Also, I can't believe I didn't list Bryce Courtenay. He definitely he quite a storyteller. On a more serious note, his book 'April Fool's Day' [about his son Damon's death after having contracted AIDS from one of his routine blood transfusions - he was a hemophiliac], is one of the saddest I've read :sad:.

Oh I know..I cried my heart out throughout that book, as I have on a few occasions with Bryce's books. I met him at a launch once, a generous, passionate, intelligent and endearing gentleman. I just love him

[Jaye]

Wow ... I can practically hear the sincerity and emotion in the words you've written. Out of his other books, do you recommend anything in particular? Anything I should start with, first?

P.S. After having read 'April Fool's Day', I couldn't help but wonder whatever happened to Damon's girlfriend. What played a sharp chord was the date of Damon's death, April Fool's Day. How Bryce manages to make you feel for this person you've never met, is astounding.

Kaylor everytime I read a book by Bryce I swear it's my favourite and that he has outdone himself. If I had to pick a fave book, hand on heart, I couldn't. Every single one is brilliant. However he does have some books that are a series with sequels, so I suggest keeping those ones until last. They include The Power of One and the sequel Tandia and the Trilogy..The Potato Factory, Tommo and Hawk and Solomons Song (which are superb reading incidently). Two that give an insight into Bryce's real life are The Night Country and Whitethorn. Smokey Joe's Cafe is (we hear) based on a true story re a Vietnam vet, his struggles and family heartbreaks. All good starts.

BTW if anyone has teens that they would like to get into reading,my girls (14 and 17) just got the Twilghlight Saga series by Stephanie Meyer. #1 Twighlight #2 Newmoon #3 Eclipse and #4 Breaking Dawn. Typical teen romance, forbidden love thing with a touch of vampires and supernatural about them. My kids did not put them down until the series were read cover to cover.

Happy reading everyone :))

[Granny]

/

All the Stephanie Plum series. They take place in my hometown of Trenton, NJ and I know where most of the places mentioned are and have spent time at many of them. Especially St. Francis Hospital. Most all of my family was born there!!



I've read the Stephanie Plum series. I'm from the south and have never visited New Jersey, but really enjoyed them anyway.

I also like the Catherine Coultier FBI series. Another good series is the sci-fi detective series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts). Are you seeing a trend here? I currently enjoy detective and murder mysteries. I've been a bookworm ever since I learned to read and will read anything.

[Keri]

I'm a grown-up and I loved the Twilight series! They might also like her latest book, Host.

[Starcatcher]

My favorite books are:
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (It is in the Lion,Witch,Wardrobe series)
Beauty by Robin McKinley I read this at least once a year.

[Jaye]

I'm a grown-up and I loved the Twilight series! They might also like her latest book, Host.

Thank you for that info Keri..The Host.. I'll let them know :))

[Super Moo]

I love this thread and i love reading!!
I can read everything and definitively will read some of the books mentioned here but i am in to fantasy at the moment so i am reading Anne McCaffrey! which i think is a great writer.Her books are fantastic specially the ones about Pern. I just love the idea of dragons and the different society they get to live in her books!:smile:

[JanineC]

If you've read The Kite Runner, you must read his second book, A Thousand Splendid Sons. It's incredibly disturbing and haunting, but ultimately quite beautiful.

I recently read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, which was very good. Life of Pi is one of my favorite books. Any idea how good his other book is?

[JanineC]

Oh, I almost forgot -- I know it's a children's book, technically, but The Tale of Despereaux is absolutely brilliant. We took the kids to see the movie yesterday, but they basically cut all the really profound bits out and turned it into an action film for kids. Not that it wasn't cute, and we did enjoy it (and for once there wasn't a single thing in it that we didn't want our kids seeing), but it was really watered-down. Anyway, the book is well worth the read, even for grown-ups. :)

[BeckySob]

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
(J.Blume writes adult novels too)

any and all V.C. Andrews books

[Granny]

I forgot to mention the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. Jack is a military brat that joined the military as a MP. Getting tired of all the changes in the military he quits and starts a vagabond life with nothing but the clothes on his back and his tooth brush. When his clothes get dirty he tosses them and buys more. Trouble seems to find him or him it. Takes a little while to get use to the author's choppy writing style, but once deep into the story you'll find you no longer notice it. My husband is not an avid reader, but he even enjoyed this series.

[momward1]

Ok, ok - I have been experiencing some really bad insomnia lately - Some one told me to start reading at night. So I just went to the book store and bought the women's murder club novels got the 1st, 3rd, and 6th one. (they didn't have anymore) So thank you guys for recommending these. My only concern is that now I will start reading and it won't make me tired, but that I won't put them down until I finish them. Oh what to do.....:confused:

[TheWrightPlace]

sigh! I love reading! but since I am a new mom, well ten months new, I haven't really had time to sit down and read a good book. sigh again!

[jcschopper]

sigh! I love reading! but since I am a new mom, well ten months new, I haven't really had time to sit down and read a good book. sigh again!

I got to read The Trilogy (the Lord of the Ring series) while I was pregnant and feeding my first baby. That was probably the last time I was able to read for enjoyment except for when I was on vacation.

[Tammy1010]

My lastest are from George Anderson, he writes :Walking in the Garden of Souls and 'We are Not Forgotten, "Our Children Forever, "We Don't Die"....He's a Psychic Medium, just Love his books...

[princess_s]

Oh gosh, farming and reading - Heaven!!!:wub:

Well most of the books that normally come to mind as my favourite have already been mentioned (American Gods, anything by Dean Koontz and a couple others) but I HAVE to mention Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, read it at Uni and love it. Also Lord of the Flies (William Golding) which is incredible.

For those who mentioned Frank McCourt I would also recommend John McGahern. He paints painfully true-to-life images of rural Ireland in the mid 20th century. Amongst Women is a great novel.

Its 1am with me at the moment and I've been travelling all day, so I cant think of any other suggestions at the moment, but I'll certainly update this as soon as my brain wakes up. I'm also looking forward to being introduced to some new authors.

Oh, The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and To Kill A Mockingbird.
I love the Goddess Guide by Giselle Scanlon, its not a novel but I like to pretend that I can live that sort of lifestyle! I've just ordered Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson which again is more a reference than novel but comes highly recommended so Im looking forward to getting my teeth into it. I also just finished A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly which I found pretty good...

Hmmm... I may as well copy-and-paste from my profile:

Books
the outsiders by s.e. hinton is amazing, also inside im screaming, cant remember who wrote it, chronicles of narnia, discworld, his dark materials, zoya, any of Sylvia Plath or Paul Muldoon's poetry(i no im a big freak loving muldoon so much), brave new world, and of course you cant beat the cartoons, Calvin and Hobbs, the Endless etc...


If any of you are into reading plays (or just incredible literature) I cannot recommend Brian Friel highly enough. He is an absolute god to me!

Please excuse spelling mistakes, as I said, my brain is almost in a coma! I'll also edit this tomorrow so it actually makes sense as opposed to the meandering drivel it is now!
:lazy2:

[JayG]

Have you folks considered forming a Social Group (http://myfarmcommunity.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_user_profile#faq_vb3_social_groups )? It might better serve you as a group/club.

[Virgil]

Mein Kampf
Anarchist Cookbook
Satanic Bible

[Jaye]

Mein Kampf
Anarchist Cookbook
Satanic Bible

Mein Kampf was a real eye opener on many levels. A read that takes you through myriads of emotions.

[Scarlet]

And I'd quite like to try the anarchist cookbook. Why do I suspect that it might be akin to what I do in my kitchen anyway?

[Patti B]

I love anything written by Dean Koontz. I think his imagination truly knows no bounds. I am a lover of all things Sci Fi so his books are right up my alley. You could pick any Dean Koontz book off the shelf and it will give you something to think about. He reminds me a lot of Stephen King before he became a specialist of all things horror.

Totally agree. Koontz outdoes Stephen King any day. He doesn't need 20 pages to describe something, nor does he lose your interest within the first 10 minutes a la King. Besides, he almost always puts in a dog of some sort, so how bad can it be?! I can't remember which one had a golden retriever in it, one of his first books I read...absolutely wonderful.

I guess I'm the only one that reads cookbooks as novels, huh? I also enjoy food history and the science of cooking. They tend to hold my interest far longer than fiction for some reason.

Although I must admit the new Kay Scarpetta novel does look quite good!!

[Cheri]

Books +My Farm= a duet of pure bliss :)
I am currently reading
Black Sabbath's Master of Reality: 33 1/3 by John Darnielle
Soul Music- Terry Pratchett (re-reading for the ? time)
Nation- Also Terry Pratchett

[helenmarie]

Just started Wally Lamb's book - "The Hour I first believed." I liked the last book I read by him, "I know this much is true". His titles don't reveal much about the novels though.
The current one {Hour Believe} is a novel about the Columbine tragedy, not light reading but it is hard to put the book down.

Also recently read John Grisham's The Appeal, I'd heard it didn't get the best reviews, but I thought it was excellent Grisham. I don't think anyone does courtroom fiction any better. ??

[Keri]

Totally agree. Koontz outdoes Stephen King any day. He doesn't need 20 pages to describe something, nor does he lose your interest within the first 10 minutes a la King. Besides, he almost always puts in a dog of some sort, so how bad can it be?! I can't remember which one had a golden retriever in it, one of his first books I read...absolutely wonderful.

I guess I'm the only one that reads cookbooks as novels, huh? I also enjoy food history and the science of cooking. They tend to hold my interest far longer than fiction for some reason.

Although I must admit the new Kay Scarpetta novel does look quite good!!

The new Scarpetta novel is good - one of her best.

[serenadb]

Well this list has certainly been quiet. I was wandering through the Forums and found it and thought I would see if I can see what's happening with books in 2010? Anyone get any good books for Christmas? Or read any new good books lately? I am currently working my way through Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books again. I started in the Ages of Chaos a while back with Stormqueen and Hawkmistress and got sidetracked. CAme back and just finished the Clingfire Trilogy she did with Deborah J. Ross before she passed on. I like Ross' work because she had worked with Bradley for years and they meld beautifully. I finished the Clingfire Trilogy just as Hastur Lord was published. My sister got it out of the library and read it and passed it to me so I am doing it currently. Then back to the Hundred Kingdoms and Two to Conquer.

As you can see I like Science Fiction/Fantasy. Anne McCaffery's Pern books are a favorite and I am a member of mail lists for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E Howard and others. I also like mysteries such as J.D. Robb's "In Death" books that were mentioned here, Rita Mae Brown's Hunt Club and Mrs Murphy books and Lynda Robinson's mysteries laid at the time of Tutankhamen.

Serenadb

[farmergirl]

it does get quiet in this thread. lol! we start reading, get busy, we have a hard time keeping up with this one. ill start a new book and look through a couple of things, i just got a new list of southern authors i want to check out, and ill post back :cowboy: