I am currently reading THE WOMEN IN WHITE by Sarah Pekkanen.
Not a favorite of hers - I am on 49%
Has anyone else read it?
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Today I finished reading The Red Lamp by Mary Roberts Rinehart (I was trying to finish it before posting here). It was so looooong. I wanted to learn what was going on, but it was so long-winded and slow-paced that I wanted it to be over with already! It doesn’t help that the ending wasn’t as tidy as I’d have liked it to have been, either.
I’m now reading On Oil by Don Gillmor (nonfiction). I’m at about 24% and so far it’s informative (albeit depressing).
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The side read- War and Peace. This book is definitely different from my expectations.
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I have also been reading The Calamity Club. I agree it’s been an enjoyable read. I am currently at 63% and I share your feelings. I am not in favor of where the plot seems to be headed.
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In what way, @Karen_B1?
There was a sentimental pull with the Ohio references in Buckeye for me as well - in particular, the descriptions of Columbus. I lived there in the mid-1980’s when I was just starting my career (arts management, working in the offices of the Columbus Symphony and meeting/convention planning for several statewide organizations), and the characteristics of the city during that time also seemed authentic to me.
That said, hearing different impressions and take aways from a book is the beauty of a book club discussion. It often gives me a better appreciation of a book, especially when I initially have a lukewarm reaction to it.
@Anne_Glasgow Re: The First Lady Next Door. Reid is so relatable. I want to hop on a plane and meet her in person. Really enjoying the book!
Re: Mark Pryor. Darn you
. My TBR has further expanded. After looking up Pryor’s new book mentioned in your post, I found the Hugo Marston series. Listening to The Bookseller right now and I am hooked on it. Another series to follow - happy sigh! 
However, it also means War & Peace will go neglected for at least a day.
Wow, @kim.kovacs! My head swims when I read about all the books you are reading. 
You made me so happy @Gabi_J. I love the Hugo Marston series and it hasn’t received enough acclaim. Thanks for spreading the word.
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I’m currently reading A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn - a murder mystery set in South Africa in the early 50’s. There’s a good bit of info here on living under Apartheid that was new to me, but also some themes familiar to someone who grew up in the American South in the 60s. Nunn’s experience under the system before her family fled to Australia comes through. I also suspect she’s read a bit of Charles Todd. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Last note - though she’s also written YA novels, this one is definitely not YA.
I always had the impression it would focus on war strategy, I don’t know why.
Thanks, @Gabi_J! I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be reading this much if it wasn’t my job. I think @Anne_Glasgow’s the current champ!
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I think I just have a really boring life outside of books. 
I don’t try to read any certain number, I just move from one to the next and there is always a pile or a shelf awaiting my attention. I’ve long said read is like breathing and I can’t live without it.
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My NJ book club selected “A Thousand Acres” by Jane Smiley. It won the Pulitzer prize for fiction in 1992.
It’s a reimagining of King Lear set in Iowa on the precipice of a disastrous farming recession in the US. The Cook family suffers greatly. The evil patriarch never feels remorse. Only the land continues intact.
This is one of the finest books I have read.
So agree with your statement. I’ve found that quite a few readers take it as a personal affront when someone doesn’t care for a book they liked. It’s nice to have others like what we like, but it’s also edifying and expanding to learn why they don’t.
Although I definitely don’t look like it I’ve always said I’d rather read than eat!
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I am listening to Mad Mabel, reading Women of a Promiscuous Nature on kindle app and reading Vanished in the Crowd as a book. All are good and enjoying especially Mad Mabel.
Read My Friends by Backman. Not my favorite of his books. First half was good, but after that it just dragged on and on. Interesting mix of humor and violence. Full of platitudes.
Read The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler. It’s about Gustav Mahler and his ocean voyage between New York and Europe. He knows he is dying and reminisces about his life, his love for Alma, her affair with Gropius, his daughter dying and his composing. Beautiful writing. It’s short and I think I’ll read it again.
Almost finished with The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich. Fairly good mystery about a former concert pianist who receives a metronome as a legacy from her teacher. Musically correct.
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I finally finished THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett. It was a good historical fiction with a character driven plot. The book was a long read of over 600 pages. I definitely enjoyed the beginning, but I felt it had a slow moving middle section with a good but rushed ending.
Just finished All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. Mysteries/crime novels don’t usually appeal to me, but this story grabbed me and I really enjoyed the twists and turns; and the characters were interesting. Good ‘porch’ read! Before that I thoroughly enjoyed The Elements by John Boyne. His stories are often quite ‘dark’, but such a good writer!
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