Kim.Kovacs, I agree, different opinions and respectful disagreement make a terrific book discussion. I have been to a book discussion where everyone “loved” the book, and we had nothing to talk about! Besides when someone adds in different comments I learn from that reader. Wouldn’t it be boring if we all liked the same thing?
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I binge-read Mad Mabel yesterday - snarky, warm fun in spite of some very sad notes - kind of like life.
Since this week we are catching up on War and Peace I chose to read another book about the history of Russia, STALIN CHILDREN. The book was published in 2008, and it’s a memoir by Owen Matthew He tells the story of Stalin’s extreme madness. His grandfather was executed, and his mother was in prison, and he was separated from his siblings. Dealing with the hassle of locating information on his family, he risked his life to dig through KGB files and family correspondence. His parents were finally reunited years after the war. The book is a powerful reminder of the torment the people suffered under Stalin before and during WWII.
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I read Stalin’s Children when it came out, @Lynne_G and thought it was excellent. Terrifying, but excellent.
@Rannie, Mad Mabel has been on my list along time, and I own it in audiobook format. No idea when I’ll get to it. I’ve got 60 hours of War & Peace ahead of me! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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So glad to have your take on Mabel. I loved her story and also felt sad about the ending, I secretly wanted her to be able to enjoy a life with more normalcy. As a lover of Anne of Green Gables, I was happy to see it referenced in her life.
Dee I so agree with you and Kim, different opinions do make it more interesting As exampled at my last night’s bookclub, we read Mailman,A Wild Ride While Delivering Mail in . . . . It is a memoir by a short term COVID mailman in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, who found that working for the post office saved his life, taught him who he was, gave him purpose, and educated him deeply about a country he loves but had lost touch with. Some members really liked the book, while others did not and it made for a very interesting, well round discussion.
I listened to the audiobook. It pairs well with another activity - exercise, housework, or in my case, lazily working a jigsaw puzzle.
Yes Kim, I read your review about Stalin’s Children on the book browse page and your review inspired me to read the book/
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I read Stalin’s Daughter after reading The Red Daughter by John Burnham which is fiction but based on the author’s father’s experience. It’s really good. As often happens when I read a fiction account of an historical event I wanted to read the nonfiction to see how much is true and what might have been made up. Stalin’s Daughter was also very good.
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