My book club met yesterday, I wasn't too happy with the book we read . In fact I downright disliked its plotting, characters and resolution - if one could call it that as there was no conflict. I was pleasantly surprised that most of us present (17 out of about 28 members) felt the same, as I was first to go with my review. We're all sure it will be a movie as it reads like a bad film script and would be right up the more simplistic Hollywood's alley.
For an update on my reading this year, please go to my 2017 Books Read and Rated Link on the sidebar.
There have been more wonders than duds and for that I am pleased.
I'm also riveted on the Netflix series "Narcos" which is an extraordinarily well produced, written and directed history of the drug trade in Colombia interspersed with news footage of the actual personae involved. The one downside for me is that I can't knit throughout for the dialogue is mainly in Spanish with subtitles and subtitles and knitting don't mix, I'd need another pair of eyes.
My real estate agent and I are in sync on the sale of the house. I've now dropped the price substantially, fire sale bargain really, just what the builder of The Cathedral next door had planned. But I need to move with a sale under my belt and supporting the house through the winter is beyond my financial capabilities. And reality is reality.
Daughter had a unique Mothers & Daughters Luncheon for a bunch of us women with middle aged daughters. It was lovely and lasted five hours. Great conversation and delicious Indian vegetarian cuisine.
I was asked to join a major choir in the city once I move but I think my voice fled with a really bad resistant-to-super-antibiotic ear infection I had a few years ago. Things have never been the same with my hearing or my voice since.
I have other plans for my new city life though, all good, and interesting.
As I mentioned in one of my responses to comments on my last post, this time next year, this will all be far behind me. both the good and the worrisome.
I checked the book link and found it one that sounds like a good read. That's probably why your group chose it. The book often does not live up to those promotional puff pieces.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading a book that was recommended with another book for young readers. The first book was a delightful one that I will gladly share with the elementary school library. The other recommendation is anything but young reader material. Lots of sex, violence, and bad language. One just never knows from those reviews.
Doesn't it though DKZ? I was excited about this one but it truly fizzled about 40 pages in. Often the blurbs are very misleading.
DeleteXO
WWW
I took a look at the linked excerpt of your current book under review, and decided, after just 3 paragraphs, that I'd not bother to read on. I'd have replaced it on the shelf, if standing in a bookstore or library, looking for something good. Many modern writers irritate me no end - I mainly rely on writers of days gone by. Though I'm not a prolific reader, nowhere near your scale, WWW. :-) A novel I read recently, after having seen the film adaptation (Netflix or Amazon - don't remember) was an easy read but no great literary effort: "All We Had" by Annie Weatherwax. A first novel by a woman previously best known for her artworks.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/All-We-Had-Annie-Weatherwax/dp/1476755221
An odd mix of styles I found - brisk and plain interspersed with flowery poetic, which I found to be a rather uncomfortable mix. Husband read it too and suspects the publisher advised her to go back and add the flowers!
Sorry to read about your necessary price drop, WWW. Needs must, I guess, and gritted teeth will be required in due course, I feel sure.
I'll wait and see as the saying goes,as if I have a choice. LOL.
DeleteThanks for the review of your book, I'll avoid. You might enjoy (and Himself, too) Jennifer Haigh. I loved het Bakerstown, a great story of a mining town in Pennsylvania.
XO
WWW
I'm so envious of your reading list, because I pretty much cannot read anymore. What I do online is arduous and restricted to that little square box on the address bar of Firefox? Click it and most articles are thrown into newspaper style columns.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious do you wear reading glasses, or none at all when reading? I'm planning on buying in October and would like to hear what you found works for you. So I too, can have a reading list. The last full book I read was Judy Fong-Bates "The Year of Finding Memory" and I do recommend it. Not fiction.
That was years ago. Sniffle.
Marms
I use multifocal glasses Marms. Haven't need the prescription changed in 7 years now. Very light with no frames. My aunt left me some money so I treated myself extravagantly. She would have approved.
DeleteI love them. I wear them all the time.
Good luck with getting a good pair that are comfortable.
XO
WWW
That's reassuring. We shall see. Hahaha. Thx.
ReplyDeleteLet me know, please.
DeleteXO
WWW
I belonged to a book club very briefly. Most of the members were more into the socialising than the books, so the books were disposed of pretty quickly before the serious chatting began. The book club only met three times, and by then even the chat had lost its attraction.
ReplyDeleteOutrageous that you've had to drop the price of the house so drastically, when you could obviously do with the extra money. I hope the cathedral man meets a sticky end.
Our book club has been running for nearly 40 years Nick so it's in for the long haul. We usually have 15 in attendance or more, host authors, take turns with providing the lunch and talk just books or evolve to how a book relates to our own lives.
DeleteStimulating, amusing and I've never been in a group before where there is absolutely no judgement or gossip. Just appreciation of books and each other. I think that's how it rolls for forty years.
XO
WWW
I'm SO relieved and haven't even checked your current book list (have always eagerly read them!). But somehow I interpreted your saying "my last post" in the one before this that it really was YOUR LAST POST!! So have been looking back to see if really true. Now today here you are with your book list--Happy Day! And realize how I got it wrong. Now on to the book list, can't wait!
ReplyDeleteMarj
OMG it' just great to feel loved and appreciated, thank you for that I was thinking recently how bloody boring my blog is, seriously. I've slipped into Personal Whine Territory.
DeleteYou've made my day!!!!
XO
WWW
If there is one thing I hate it's a contrived (female) buddy novel.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on book clubs years and years ago.
You would positively love and adore ours. It is one of a kind from what I hear from outside world.
DeleteXO
WWW
I get caught in niches, or as the English major says: genres. I do love books about Chinese culture, especially women, and/or written by women. Judy Fong Bates, as I say up thread, Amy Tan, Denise Chong, and Jung Chang. Also much reading missed in the work of the exile, which before I was "blind"sided I read avidly such as Jumpha Lahiri, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Arundhati Roy (also Salmon Rushdie and some others. Seriously I PLAN to reread much of this. Do I still like them? Well I remember rereading Hawaii, James Michener about 20 yrs after first read and couldn't believe how bad it was. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was a Michener fan too but he doesn't hold up on a re-read. Whereas I can read Jane Austen over and over and read A Moveable Feast every year and can't explain that weirdness to anyone.
DeleteThe current book is translated from the Korean and I am loving it.
XO
WWW
i can't be in a book club because I won't finish a book that bores me or horrorizes me.
ReplyDeleteSucks about that price drop; really does. Your attitude is best though.
-Kate
Our BC allows the dropping. I think one of the secrets of our success is none of us know each other well, just do this monthly gathering and talk books.
DeleteXO
WWW
Oh, please do not stop posting. I have enjoyed your blog for so long and await each new post. If truly must stop, just know that your thoughts have been of great interest to many.
ReplyDeleteWho's stopping? Writing is in my very blood and bones. You must have misread me, I mentioned "Last Post" but I was only talking of the last blog post which I'd written.
DeleteI'm here until my fingers falls off!
XO
WWW
".......this time next year, this will all be far behind me. both the good and the worrisome."
ReplyDeleteI will remind you next year this time, in case you forget to blog about it.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete