What to read next?

I really liked that one also. I don't usually read Steven king. Ever since Pet Cemetery, it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I think next I will take mem's suggestion and read Thre Weeks in December. Sounds intriguing and I rarely read things set in Africa.

Campbell, I read Broken Harbor. It comes out this week. I loved it because she's such a fantastic writer, though there were a few plot points that were overly familiar if you read her past books and one or two things that were so implausible it was kind of irritating. But, if you like her other books you'll probably really like it anyway--still worth reading in my opinion. I actually went back and am reading In The Woods again.

bump

Right now I am reading "The Right Hand Shore" by Christopher Tilghman. It is about the Eastern Shore of MD during the late 1800's/ turn of the century. So far, it deals with the families, black and white, who live there after emancipation. My mom lives on the Eastern Shore now, so I thought it would be interesting. I will probably read Broken Harbor next.

For non-fiction, just finished:

Quartered Safe Out Here

I would recommend that as probably a top 10 war memoir.

I recently got on a war diaries jag -- my favorite was NELLA LAST'S WAR, gleaned from the diaries of an English woman during WWII. The government did a 'mass observation project,' inviting citizens to submit their personal journals, and Nella contributed thousands of pages. Though not an educated woman or a trained writer, she wrote like a dream and captures sensational snapshots of England at that time, her family, the privations of war upon civilians, etc. I adored it. (Two other volumes have been published about her post-war years, which I am saving because they'll be such a treat.)

I'm reading and enjoying Ken Follett's "Fall of the Giants." I love getting lost in his epic stories. Next up is "Some Kind of Fairy Tale: A Novel"; read some reviews and it sounded good!

Just finished Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and loved it.

Is the Fraser in the "quartered safe" book the same as the fiction writer? The only book I have read related to the Asian theatre during WWIi is fictional, "the glass palace" by Amitav Ghosh.

Is the Follett book the first or second in his new trilogy? I think there is a new one coming out, but I don't know if this is it.

Thinking of reading "age of miracles" by walker next. I also saw there was a Tana French book, "the likeness" which for some reason I did not know about.

So much to read, but I am so behind on my boxing........ The choice is obvious

The Likeness features Cassie Maddox from In the Woods. It was her second book. I really liked that one though the premise is so implausible it's crazy. That said, once you put that behind you I think you will really enjoy it.

I have Age of Miracles on hold at the library. I'm about to start Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead.

I have Seating Arrangements on my wish list. Looks like a fun and easy read. I saw a review today in the Times for a book called "where have you gone Bernadette" by Maria Semple that looks like fun too.

campbell29 said:

Is the Fraser in the "quartered safe" book the same as the fiction writer?

Yes it is, and it was really tremendous. If you buy it buy the one with an added 50th anniversary post script. I have many of the Flashman books in my library but have not read one yet.

If you have any recommendations for war memoirs I'd like to hear them.

I would say Quartered Safe Out Here, With the Old Breed and Goodbye, Darkness have been the best three I have ever read.

Loved the first Flasman book that I read in highschool. At the time I thought it an excellent send off of the James Bond, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis type heros we were so used to seeing at the time. I would probably read more of the series but it doesn't seem to be available in e format.

I really haven't read many war memoirs. The war stuff I read tends to either straight non fiction, or from a female perspective of things "at home". I would be interested in a good memoir of any ordinary soldier during the Vietnam War. I tend to not have much patience for the books written by generals/officers who want to polish their own reputation. I am much more interested in the day to day thoughts and experiences of the men and women fighting.

Then Quartered Safe or With the Old Breed. You will get a good sense of the warrior ethos and the camaraderie of the common soldier in wartime. You could also look at The Recollections of Rifleman Bowlby.

For something more modern, try One Bullet Away.

For Vietnam, although not a memoir but a biography, try Marine Sniper (about Carlos Hathcock). For a memoir I read Chickenhawk, that was OK. Not by soldiers but Dispatches is important.

For women in war, think about A Woman in Berlin, by Anon.

I'd recommend reading any of these.

bookgirl said:

Just finished Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and loved it.

I finished it and don't get the hype at all.

campbell29 said:

I have Seating Arrangements on my wish list. Looks like a fun and easy read.

Am in the midst of Seating Arrangements and I want to hit several of the main characters.

I need a book that draws me in! And I also need Amazon to unlock my account. Bastards.

campbell29, it's the new trilogy's first book. Second is due out in September.

eliz - I forget, did you read Let the Great World Spin?

Eliz, I agree that most of the characters in Seating Arrangements need to be slapped! Not enjoying this one so much.

I'm reading The Burning by Jane Casey. Good suspense novel.

debby said:

eliz - I forget, did you read Let the Great World Spin?

Yes

I've just started Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail and it sucked me right in.

I started "Some Kind of Fairy Tale: A Novel" and I stayed up too late as a result. I think it's gonna be good...

Ooh, the description of that looks great! I just put it on my wish list. I finished Seating Arrangements and didn't like it. About to start The Age of Miracles. Dare Me by Megan Abbott is next--I've heard great things about it.

"Some Kind of Fairy Tale" sounds good. I would like to read Age of Miracles if it is good. I removed "Seating Arrangements" from my queue because nobody seems to care for it. I think I will read "Where Did You Go Bernadette" in its place. Did anyone read "Canada"? I liked his other books.

I just bought The Beekeeper's Apprentice based on the reviews here. Looking forward to reading it!

Just staeted reading the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. So far so good.

campbell29 said:

"Some Kind of Fairy Tale" sounds good. I would like to read Age of Miracles if it is good. I removed "Seating Arrangements" from my queue because nobody seems to care for it. I think I will read "Where Did You Go Bernadette" in its place. Did anyone read "Canada"? I liked his other books.

Loved Canada

Aside from the Ken Follett (which I really loved, and can't wait for the next) I'm finding I like "tales" -- great story telling that pulls me in, right away. "The Language of Flowers" definitely had that, and "Some Kind of Fairy Tale" is similarly promising. Eugenides' "The Marriage Plot" did that for me, too, as did his earlier book (and maybe moreso) "Middlesex."

What's the Canada book said to be like? Not familiar...

I was not a big fan of "the marriage plot". I couldn't get why Madeline was attracted to Leonard. I also thought that alot of the dialog ended up sounding like what the author thought clever college kids should sound like.

Well, er, yeah. To me, it felt true-ish for a certain kind of female English major (at least back when I was in college). Girls like that DID too often like boys like that. I liked Middlesex much more.

A brilliant, aloof, sexy, neurotic polymath bad boy that all the other girls want? Vaguely James Deanish and unkempt? What's not to obsess over?