Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Read any good books lately?

A few months ago, I was in two book clubs. Since that time, they have both become defunct. I miss having that. It wasn't that we really talked about the books that much, if at all. But, it was nice to expand what you would normally read to new authors, even if sometimes you hated the new authors (i.e. Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks.) Sometimes, though, you would read a book that you really wanted to talk about, and it was nice to have that. Even though I obviously don't need a book club to read, it is kind of like going to a movie alone. I can do that, but if it is really great, you want to share that. If it really sucks, you want to tear it apart with someone else. So, I am going to start sharing the books I read on here. I often continue to read books by the same author. Most of the time that turns out great. Other times, they are "one-hit wonders," if you will. Apparently, they wrote one good book by accident, like Lorna Landvik Angry Housewives eating Bon-bons was great light reading. Do not, I repeat, do not read anything else by her. You will be very disappointed.

So, currently I am reading Anita Diamant's The Last Days of Dogtown. It is a bit slow, really, though I am getting more interested in the characters. I read The Red Tent by her a few years ago, and loved it. Has anyone else read The Last Days?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know my answer to that question.

Katie said...

I loved the Red Tent. I intend to re-read that one soon. I haven't read the Dogtown one. I am interested, though!

Smitty 1, 2 , 3 and 4 said...

I finally finished The Time Travelers Wife. It was okay. Not really a favorite. I also read a book by Lolly Winston, Happiness Sold Seperately.It was a super fast and easy read. But not a book you would like. I was mostly yelling at the couple the entire book. (That is why I read it so fast. I wanted them to either make up or break up.)

Anonymous said...

You know we don't normally read the same type of books and I don't have near enough time to read as much as I'd like.

I finally read The Broker by Grisham and while it started a little slow for me I really got into it and enjoyed the read. Right now I'm reading The DaVinci Code and will probably still be when we get there.

Anonymous said...

Havn't read that one, but have just finished a 3 book series which I highly recommend, I becamed consumed by these characters and thier lives. Paullina Simons - The Bronze Horseman, The bridge to Holy Cross and the final book The Summer Garden. A tale of two lives and one great love - it is pretty raunchy in parts - set mainly in Leningrad, WW2. I will look out for the Red Tent - sounds like everyone enjoyed it.http://www.paullinasimons.com/

Anonymous said...

I read the Time Travelers Wife last year and thought it was great. Although it was more of a love story with a sci-fi twist. I thought it was a really interesting concept to describe time travel as a biological disorder.

Angie said...

Ok, I've meant to respond. I finished The Last Days of Dogtown. There were really too many characters to stay interesting. Stick to the Red Tent.

Vicki, I don't generally read John Grisham, but I loved the Da Vinci Code. Allen even read that one. We couldn't put it down. I liked the art references.

Christal, I will have to check those out.

I really liked the Time Traveler's Wife. I normally do no read things with sci-fi leanings, but I definitely liked the twist. That he had no control over the time travel was unusual. The fact that she met her husband before she met the man who would be her husband (in other words, she met him as he was time traveling before she met him in real time)also made me question whether his lack of control in time travel affected her choices in life as well. In other words, would she have chosen to marry him when she actually met him, if she hadn't already known that she would marry him?

Smitty 1, 2 , 3 and 4 said...

My main complaint with TTW was getting hooked. (It took me awhile to get into the book, more than 100 pages.I usually stop reading a book if it doesn't hook me by then.) After I did get "hooked" I couldn't stop reading it but then it just ended... Does that make sense?

Smitty 1, 2 , 3 and 4 said...

To answer your question,I wondered that too.

Angie said...

I had a hard time getting hooked, too. I just thought it was weird at first. I liked the idea that his daughter was still able to see him after he died, since they were both time travelers. Odd, odd book. I will have to see if there is anything else by that author.

Anonymous said...

I should have known you'd like the Da Vinci Code because of the art. What makes it extra interesting to me is that I've been to the Louvre so I can picture some of the scenes in my mind.

I'm not a sci-fi fan so I'll be skipping TTW.

Anonymous said...

I finished the Kushiel trilogy by Jaqueline Carey before Beth was born, and loved them all, particularly the first one, Kushiel's Dart. Sort of epic/sci-fi/romantic...kind of an alternate version of Renaissance France. I know, I know. Be warned: there are so many characters that there's a key to them at the beginning. Right now I'm enjoying (when I can) the Inspector Lynley mysteries by Elizabeth George...I'm not normally much of a mystery reader, but she writes characters so beautifully.

I would love a book club, wow. But this is nice, too!

Amanda in Arkansas

(I should learn how to do this posting thing properly, sorry.)