Books Books Books

This topic will be edited a lot! I love to read and hate to waste my time reading something unworthy! Now that sounds snooty and I'm not - if someone loves bodice rippers and sappy romances, more power to them. To each their own. I like something with a bit more substance.

Here are books I have read recently with comments. I'm sure I'll add more as I remember them and read more. My opinions and worth what you have paid for them . . .
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls - Loved every page.
Me and Emma, Elizabeth Flock - Horrible subject but the telling is brilliant. I loved this book.
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova - Started good; I turned off it about 3/4 of the way into it. I bought this one rather than got it from the library so I may start it again in the future. And I may not.
The Divide, Nicholas Evans - OK.
My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult- Absolutely riveting. I literally was up all night reading it.
The Other Bolyene Girl, Phillippa Gregory - great book; I've read it twice. I love this Henry VIII era and she knows her stuff.
The Constant Princess, Phillippa Gregory - about Katherine of Aragon. Good read.
The Bolyene Inheritance, Phillippa Gregory - I haven't read anything of hers that turned out to be a disappointment.
Autobiography of Henry VIII, Margaret George - really a novel but very good, gives "the other side of the story" to ponder.
Mary, Queen of Scotland, Margaret George - another wonderful historical fiction writer.
Katherine, Anya Seton - great historical fiction, as was another by her:
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lansaster, Anya Seton.
Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood - Riveting.
The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult - great read.
Fall on your Knees, Anne-Marie MacDonald - Great read. I gave it to a family member and probably won't get it back.
Pale Morning Done, Jeff Hull - snore, and I didn't finish it but I remember it well so it had more impact than I thought; I may pick it up again.
Marley and Me, John Grogan - Not my usual genre but I love dogs and this book was recommended to me; it was good and very human; I cried several times.
The Other Side of the Bridge, Mary Lawson - picked this one from the new releases at the library; it was so good I got her first novel, an award winner, which was:
Crow Lake, Mary Lawson - good but not as good as the above.
Music and Silence, Restoration, The Colour, Rose Tremain - all excellent. More historical fiction.
Dalva, Jim Morrison - great character, not so great read.
Resistance, Last Time They Met, Fortunes Rock, Pilots Wife, Sea Glass, Testimony, Anita Shreve - if you get that I like this author, you're right. No sappy happy endings here but great reads.
Ursula Under, Ingrid Hill -a book I may have missed but it's set in Michigan, a wonderful book
Kite Runner, Kahled Hosseini - wow, loved it. Learned from it.
The Lake, the River, and the Other Lake - probably wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't based in Michigan - liked it; kind of sad; great characters.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston - not impressed.
March, Geraldine Books - not impressed.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathon Safran Foer - wow. Very compelling. I wanted to talk to others about this book.
Fire Point, John Smolens - another Michigan Book, enjoyed it.
Cloud Atlas, David Stephen - the strong enslaving the weak and the few that fought back. Good read.
Black Swan Green, David Stephen - I enjoyed more than Cloud Atlas.
Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russell - Jews hidden by Italians in WW2. Very good.
Harbor, Loraine Adams - failed to endear me to Algerian illegal immigrants but it pointed out how ridiculous Homeland Security can be.
Small Island, Andrea Levy - Good read.
These is my Words, Nancy Turner - The diary of a young girl/woman in the American west - great read.
Sarah's Quilt, Nancy Turner - The Sequel to These is my Words, not worthwhile reading
Two Rivers, T. Greenwood - Good read.
Mercy, Salem Falls , Change of Heart, Keeping Faith, Perfect Match, Jodi Picoult- All great reads. I love this author. She has, over the last few years, become my favorite author.
Atonement, Ian McEwan - very good.
The Gathering, Anne Enright - Didn't finish. I may, at another time.
The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent - OK
Innocent Traitor, Alisone Weir - another book of my favorite historical period. This is the story of Lady Jane Grey.
The Last Summer (of You and Me), Anne Brashares - OK
My Husband's Sweethearts, Bridget Asher - not my usual style, but I read a review in the newspaper and decided to buy it. Worthwhile, if on the light side.
The Other Queen, Philleppa Gregory - another winning story of the Tudor era; this one focuses on Mary, Qeen of Scots.
Sail, James Patterson - another on the light side, it was OK.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski - Very good read.
Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh - started it, put it down. I was having trouble following the pidgin language.