What Are We Currently Reading?

[isalicat]

2 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Maybe Gillian is playing Landor's wife in flashbacks? Yeah, I didn't really picture CB as Landor either. I was thinking of someone more like Paul Giamatti. Kind of world weary and the type who lives in his head.

Both Landor's wife and daughter are not really fully fleshed out personalities in the book, in my opinion (I hope that is not a spoiler) and so I would not welcome a movie version that had much in the way of flashbacks at all...I think Gillian Anderson would be a great Mrs. Marquis though as that is a part with lots of "meat" on it. And Patsy should not be too young (i.e. an actor that is cast because she is a twenty something sylph...) in my opinion.

[Spartan Girl]

I’m reading Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor. It’s basically a retelling of Great Gatsby in the POV of the female characters, with a Big Little Lies spin. And…I don’t think I like it.

Look, I’m all for giving the female characters more depth. And yeah, Gatsby’s fixation on Daisy did border on obsession, but the thing about the original novel that made it good was that all the characters were corrupt in some way. Daisy and Tom were selfish, careless rich people who kind of deserved each other. This version rewriting her into a helpless victim and Gatsby as a stalker sociopath feels like a cheap Lifetime movie.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[peacheslatour]

Quote

And Patsy should not be too young (i.e. an actor that is cast because she is a twenty something sylph...) in my opinion.

Sylph? I don't know. He describes her as being a pretty meaty gal.

[Scatterbrained]

I just finished Someone Else’s Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson.  Ultimately, I liked it.  I would describe it as a story about the ripple effects that happen internally and externally when people have shared experiences.

I thought the beginning was awkward and slow and almost gave up on the book.  Upon completion, I can see how the beginning makes sense; but I still wish it had been smoother and catchier.  
 

The other awkward thing about the book is that certain chapters focus on one character in the first person POV and other chapters focus on a different character in the third person POV.  I found that a bit jarring.  Although, maybe those 3rd person chapters were really God’s first person point of view (in hindsight, I can’t rule out the possibility).

The other character is “on the spectrum”.  Having a child on the spectrum and also having worked with other children on various parts of the spectrum, part of me feels like the portrayal is “not quite right”.  Although, it’s probably the best solution/real world comparison for making the character the way the author wanted.  Perhaps I am biased by my own experiences.  I’m not sure that anyone else would have that “record scratch” feeling that I experienced.  
 

Overall, I enjoyed the book and liked how the storylines unfolded in interesting and surprising ways.

[stewedsquash]

Just downloaded and starting

Lights Out In Lincolnwood  Geoff Rodkey

On hold

The Plea and Th1rt3en Steve Cavanagh

Where The Deer And The Antelope Play Nick Offerman

Started/put aside/restarting/I will finish a book!

Reconstructed: A Novel Liz Talley (free Prime First Reads)

The Perfect Marriage Adam Mitzner

The Invisible Husband Of Frick Island Colleen Oakley

The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel Richard Osman (the second in series is on hold)

Eleven On Top Janet Evanovich (restarting Stephanie Plum series to finish it but starting maybe two books beyond where I left off years and years ago. 

 

 

[isalicat]

On 1/6/2022 at 2:33 PM, peacheslatour said:

Sylph? I don't know. He describes her as being a pretty meaty gal.

Exactly - so don't cast some skinny young thing is what I was trying to say, apparently ineptly. :)

[peacheslatour]

20 hours ago, isalicat said:

Exactly - so don't cast some skinny young thing is what I was trying to say, apparently ineptly. :)

Yes, I hope not as well. Actress's of a certain size don't get the juicy roles and I'd love to see someone like that playing the lovely Patsy.

[SmithW6079]

I'm currently reading "The Wandering Earth" by Liu Cixin, which is a collection of his short stories & novellas, upon which the movie "The Wandering Earth" is based. (He also wrote "The Three-Body Problem.")

I'm also trying to read an enormous biography of Rasputin.

[Starleigh]

On 1/7/2022 at 5:06 PM, Scatterbrained said:

I just finished Someone Else’s Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson.  Ultimately, I liked it.  I would describe it as a story about the ripple effects that happen internally and externally when people have shared experiences.

I thought the beginning was awkward and slow and almost gave up on the book.  Upon completion, I can see how the beginning makes sense; but I still wish it had been smoother and catchier.  
 

The other awkward thing about the book is that certain chapters focus on one character in the first person POV and other chapters focus on a different character in the third person POV.  I found that a bit jarring.  Although, maybe those 3rd person chapters were really God’s first person point of view (in hindsight, I can’t rule out the possibility).

The other character is “on the spectrum”.  Having a child on the spectrum and also having worked with other children on various parts of the spectrum, part of me feels like the portrayal is “not quite right”.  Although, it’s probably the best solution/real world comparison for making the character the way the author wanted.  Perhaps I am biased by my own experiences.  I’m not sure that anyone else would have that “record scratch” feeling that I experienced.  
 

Overall, I enjoyed the book and liked how the storylines unfolded in interesting and surprising ways.

It's been awhile since I read this, but from what I recall, I totally agree with your analysis--spot on! My favorite Joshilyn Jackson has always been her first book-gods in Alabama. The climax is so powerful, it always guts me. I do think it's interesting that she's sort of twisted to psychological suspense novels for her last couple of books. I always look forward to her next book, she rarely disappoints.

[chocolatine]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:35 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

1) Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles.  I didn't like his Moscow book, so I am pleasantly surprised to like this one.  I have a feeling of dread about what is happening.  The book is told from multiple character perspectives, which I always enjoy. 

I'm the exact opposite. Loved A Gentleman In Moscow and was really disappointed by The Lincoln Highway. The author has a wide range, I'll give him that.

When browsing Amazon for my next read, I saw that both Jennifer Egan and Emily St. John Mandel have new books coming out in April, so two more reasons to look forward to spring!

[Haleth]

Chocolatine, you have your Amor Towles and I have Emily St John Mandel.  I loved Station Eleven (which, incidentally, bears little resemblance to the show of the same name) but disliked The Glass Hotel (it seemed pointless).  It will be interesting which Emily shows up in her new book.

[Luckylyn]

I’m reading the historical romance The Duke, the Lady and a Baby by Vanessa Riley.  West Indian Heiress Patience is stripped of everything after the death of her husband.  Her child Lionel being stolen from her leads her to pretend to be a servant to get a job as her own child’s nanny.   She’s determined to find the documentation of her fortune so she can afford passage to escape with her child.   After rescuing the baby from his late cousin’s uncle, Busick is determined to protect baby Lionel and raise him as his own and finds himself falling for the nanny he suspects has a secret.  

[EtheltoTillie]

16 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I'm the exact opposite. Loved A Gentleman In Moscow and was really disappointed by The Lincoln Highway. The author has a wide range, I'll give him that.

When browsing Amazon for my next read, I saw that both Jennifer Egan and Emily St. John Mandel have new books coming out in April, so two more reasons to look forward to spring!

Just checking in again to say I finished The Lincoln Highway, and I was disappointed by the end.  My two book club compatriots were in agreement.  There were a number of loose threads, and the idea that

Spoiler

Emmett killed Dutchess was not earned, in my view

.  Still, entertaining.  I bet they'll make a Coen Brothers type movie out of it.

[Ohiopirate02]

16 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I'm the exact opposite. Loved A Gentleman In Moscow and was really disappointed by The Lincoln Highway. The author has a wide range, I'll give him that.

When browsing Amazon for my next read, I saw that both Jennifer Egan and Emily St. John Mandel have new books coming out in April, so two more reasons to look forward to spring!

I'm also excited for the new Jennifer Egan.  It's being billed as a sibling novel (whatever that means) to A Visit from the Goon Squad which means I will have to reread that one.  I might do the reread in audio because I want to see how you handle a short story told through power point slides in that format.

[GaT]

I am reading Fated by Rebecca Zanetti. It's the first book in a series, but for me, I'm pretty sure it's one and done. Since so many of the books I was planning on reading have been delayed, I had hoped this was a new (for me) series to enjoy, but I'm back to my routine of reading books I don't like.

[MaggieG]

On 12/30/2021 at 12:37 PM, blackwing said:

I finished Clive Cussler's The Devil's Sea.  Yes, that's the actual title of the book.  This book is the latest in the Dirk Pitt series and is the first book solely authored by Dirk Cussler after the death of his father in early 2020.  The recent entries in this series were co-authored by Clive and Dirk.  I suspect that Clive only outlined the plot and did very little actual writing, because the Dirk Pitt series really declined after Dirk Cussler's name started showing up on the books.  It's obvious they want to keep Clive's name on the book to make them sell.

I believe the first Dirk Cussler book may have been the one that introduced Dirk Pitt's long lost heretofore unknown adult children, the twins Dirk and Summer.  Huge mistake.  Every book since then reads like two separate books.  Dirk Senior and Al Giordino are off doing one thing, while Dirk and Summer are doing another, and their paths don't cross much.

Quite simply, I found this book to be mindnumbingly boring and pedestrian.  A Dirk Pitt book used to be exciting.  It started off with a prologue in some long ago time that introduced some ancient artifact or treasure that was lost to history because of some calamity or disaster.  Then the action would shift to modern day, where Pitt found himself having to stop some power-hungry, larger-than-life megalomaniac.  The locations were great, the action was exciting.  Dirk Pitt was like a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and an underwater explorer.

Nowadays, the books are terrible.  The artifact in this book was some kind of Tibetan idol and I couldn't even tell you who the villain was (there may have been more than one?).  So disappointed with the way this series has gone.  I'm sure Dirk Cussler is going to continue cashing in on his father's name, despite the fact that he is an awful writer.  Le sigh.

If you like adventurer type books, check out Matthew Reilly's Jack West series. It has the same sort of vibe, a little Indiana Jones like. The last book in the series (it's 7) comes out next week. He's a fun author.

I'm currently reading My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones and I'm almost halfway through and struggling a bit. The main character is bothering me but I'll keep going to see where it goes.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, MaggieG said:

If you like adventurer type books, check out Matthew Reilly's Jack West series. It has the same sort of vibe, a little Indiana Jones like. The last book in the series (it's 7) comes out next week. He's a fun author.

Yep, I've read everything that Matthew Reilly has written, except for the book that doesn't seem to be published in the U.S. (Troll Mountain).  Love his work, his books read like movie scripts.  I love when there's some kind of intricate maze/puzzle that the characters have to navigate through.

Other authors in this genre that I like are Andy McDermott (the Nina Wilde / Eddie Chase series, which I think he may be getting back to after taking a break with two books in a new series) and Chris Kuzneski (the Payne/Jones series).  James Rollins is also great.

[MaggieG]

4 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Yep, I've read everything that Matthew Reilly has written, except for the book that doesn't seem to be published in the U.S. (Troll Mountain).  Love his work, his books read like movie scripts.  I love when there's some kind of intricate maze/puzzle that the characters have to navigate through.

Other authors in this genre that I like are Andy McDermott (the Nina Wilde / Eddie Chase series, which I think he may be getting back to after taking a break with two books in a new series) and Chris Kuzneski (the Payne/Jones series).  James Rollins is also great.

Yes, love his books as well and I agree, they read like a movie script. It makes it easier for me to picture it. He's also got a movie coming out on Netflix.

https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/elsa-pataky-netflix-movie-interceptor-what-we-know-so-far/

I've read James Rollins but kinda lost interest after the last one. I'll check out those other authors.

[Spartan Girl]

Calling all Greek mythology fans: I just finished Medusa by Jessie Burton, a heartbreaking and beautifully illustrated retelling of the Perseus and Medusa myth. It doesn't end the way you think.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I needed to laugh. So I just zipped through Nora Roberts' MacGregor series. And now I'm doing a re-read of her Boonsboro Inn Trilogy. I just absolutely love how Nora writes relationships--especially between brothers. Be they toddlers to middle school age and adults. Finished The Next Always reallyyyyyy early this morning and will start on The Last Boyfriend tonight.

The Montgomery Brothers are right up there with the Quinns and MacKades.😍😘😍

[Bort]

On 1/10/2022 at 2:01 PM, Luckylyn said:

I’m reading the historical romance The Duke, the Lady and a Baby by Vanessa Riley.  West Indian Heiress Patience is stripped of everything after the death of her husband.  Her child Lionel being stolen from her leads her to pretend to be a servant to get a job as her own child’s nanny.   She’s determined to find the documentation of her fortune so she can afford passage to escape with her child.   After rescuing the baby from his late cousin’s uncle, Busick is determined to protect baby Lionel and raise him as his own and finds himself falling for the nanny he suspects has a secret.  

I’ve been on a huge kick of reading regency/Victorian era romance novels. My library has a shit ton of them and they’re easy, fast reads, I can knock one out in a day. This one I read yesterday was a short story called Heiress Alone in a compilation book. The premise plays out like, you guessed it, Home Alone. I didn’t even realize it by the title until I got going in it. A woman, who’s one of five daughters, the other four being loud and obnoxious while she’s the quiet one, gets left behind at the vacation house when the family decides to leave a day early because of an imminent snowstorm. Once I realized it was a Home Alone plot, I was totally cracking up at it.

[DearEvette]

I've had a mixed bag recently:

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews - a sci-fi novella set in a world where elite families have various augmentations.  Two of the most elite have very lethal augmentations and a not to be messed with.  The head of one family learns that her husband is having an affair with the wife of the head of her most lethal rival family.  The two team up to go after their wayward spouses.  And the spouses (and we) learn just why you do not fuck with them.  I love Ilona Andrews.  They write to my happy place.  Bad ass heroes, fun world building, humor and always a great climactic scene.  This is a novella in their Kinsmen universe (the other two are also very good) and they really can work the novella word count to make a story feel really full.

Riley Thorne and the Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score- funny cozy mystery/PI series. Second in the series, just madcap fun with lots of personalities.

The Bright Side of Disaster - by Katherine Center.  Women's Fic about a woman whose fiance leaves her while she's pregnant.  Good lord, I almost DNF'd this book 5 times.  The first part was good right up to when he left. But then she has the baby it we get a ton of minutia about child birth and the immediate aftermath and it seems like you are reading mommy blog and then the fiance comes back and she has a backbone made of wet noodle. I wanted to like her but she was getting on my last nerve.

Decided to do a comfort read and am now re-reading the first in the Honor Harrington series by David Weber - On Basilisk Station.  Man, I love Honor Harrington and I haven't read this in like 10 years.  time for a re-read.

[GaT]

7 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews - a sci-fi novella set in a world where elite families have various augmentations.  Two of the most elite have very lethal augmentations and a not to be messed with.  The head of one family learns that her husband is having an affair with the wife of the head of her most lethal rival family.  The two team up to go after their wayward spouses.  And the spouses (and we) learn just why you do not fuck with them.  I love Ilona Andrews.  They write to my happy place.  Bad ass heroes, fun world building, humor and always a great climactic scene.  This is a novella in their Kinsmen universe (the other two are also very good) and they really can work the novella word count to make a story feel really full.

I love their Kate Daniels world books, Innkeeper, & Hidden Legacy, but The Edge & Kinsmen just never interested me. 

[DearEvette]

9 hours ago, GaT said:

I love their Kate Daniels world books, Innkeeper, & Hidden Legacy, but The Edge & Kinsmen just never interested me. 

I feel like the Kinsmen novellas were sci-fi version prototypes for the Hidden Legacy series what with the powered up rival family groups and all.

I am with you on The Edge series.  I read them but I would put them dead last on the pantheon of great Andrews work.  But I did like the 4th one.  It read as a great revenge story and long con.  Also three break-out characters from her edge series make a surprise appearance in the Innkeeper series.  You don't need to have to read the Edge series at all to just appreciate them as one-off characters in the Innkeeper book they appear in, but if you did read the Edge series, their appearance is a fantastic surprise and a wonderful 'where are they now' gift (the characters were children in the Edge series, but are adults in the Innkeeper series).

The recently did a poll on their website on what book would we like to see next (after their current slate) and the choices were a new Hugh D'ambray book,  a new Maude DeMille, a new Julie book or a new Innkeeper book.  I voted for a new Maude book, I LOVED that book from beginning to end.  And I just want to see more of that universe.

[blackwing]

Wondering if anyone has read They All Fall Down by Rachel Hall.  It's being billed as a modern "And Then There Were None" on a Mexican island.  I told myself that all of the slew of these ATTWN ripoffs are all fairly similar, but I still like the device.  Wondering if it's worth the read.  Any comments about this one?

[DearEvette]

30 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Wondering if anyone has read They All Fall Down by Rachel Hall.  It's being billed as a modern "And Then There Were None" on a Mexican island.  I told myself that all of the slew of these ATTWN ripoffs are all fairly similar, but I still like the device.  Wondering if it's worth the read.  Any comments about this one?

I read it and gave it a low 3 stars.

I really freakin' love  Rachel Howzell Hall's Eloise Norton police procedural series. So I was willing to try her branching out into this and went into this with high hopes.  And yeah..  I think there were some areas where the book is well done and interesting, but the story is told from the POV of the main character who is an unreliable narrator and, imo, really unlikable.  Also there was a stream of consciousness vibe in the way she narrates so the storytelling itself was a little scattered.  So in the end even though I it has some good parts I found it to be  overall a frustrating experience.

[blackwing]

5 hours ago, DearEvette said:

I read it and gave it a low 3 stars.

I really freakin' love  Rachel Howzell Hall's Eloise Norton police procedural series. So I was willing to try her branching out into this and went into this with high hopes.  And yeah..  I think there were some areas where the book is well done and interesting, but the story is told from the POV of the main character who is an unreliable narrator and, imo, really unlikable.  Also there was a stream of consciousness vibe in the way she narrates so the storytelling itself was a little scattered.  So in the end even though I it has some good parts I found it to be  overall a frustrating experience.

Thanks.  Based on this, I think I'll pass.  If there's one thing I really don't like in this genre that I call "women in jeopardy", it's a narrator that is both unlikeable and unreliable.  I wanted the woman in "The Woman in Cabin 10" to die, I hated her so much.  Hate is not good for the soul, I read books for entertainment, not to make myself angry. 😁

[Luckylyn]

I’m reading a thriller by Alyssa Cole, When No One is Watching.  Sydney is weary of the changes her  community  as neighbors she’s known all her life are being pushed out as gentrification takes hold.   While dealing with a personal crisis she decides to hold on to the history of her community by creating a historical walking tour.  The research for the tour  leads her to team up with her new neighbor Theo and both begin having terrifying experiences.  How far are people willing to go to force people out of the neighborhood?

 I have enjoyed the Honor Harrington series as well but I have paused reading them because I have gotten so frustrated with the political situation and the ongoing war.   The last one I read was At All Costs.  Part of me is dying to know what comes next and the other feels like the war is never ending.   The whole situation in the book is so frustrating.

[Starleigh]

After the discussion of Sharyn McCrumb novels a couple pages back, I decided to give her newer ones a try. I wasn't sure if I'd still like her writing, because I haven't read her books in at least 15 years. Anyway I read The Ballad of Tom Dooley and am currently halfway thru Prayers the Devil Answers, and was very pleasantly surprised by how readable and engrossing I am finding her newer books. Recommended for readers of historical fiction🙂

[Luckylyn]

I’m reading the romance All the Feels by Olivia Dade which is a sequel to Spoiler Alert.  This book features Alex the co-star/best friend of Marcus from the previous book.  Alex has gotten some negative media attention and has been assigned a handler former ER therapist Lauren.   Alex resents being forced to have a babysitter but enjoys needling Lauren.  Along the way sparks flare up between them.

[peacheslatour]

Well, I just wasted a whole bunch of time reading The Pale Blue Eye. I can see why they want to make a movie of it but...dammit. I can't even talk about it.

[dubbel zout]

I'm reading Conviction, by Denise Mina, and I'm LOVING it. I'm trying to ration it out, but I don't know how much longer I can be that disciplined, heh.

36 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Well, I just wasted a whole bunch of time reading The Pale Blue Eye.

I'm sorry! It's such a bummer when a book you've been looking forward to reading is a disappointment. I understand why you didn't like it—the tone is very particular, and I think you either go with it or are annoyed by it. And frankly, as much as I enjoyed the book, the denouement was a bit of a letdown for me. It fit the era, but it was still a bit of a balloon-losing-air for me.

[peacheslatour]

1 minute ago, dubbel zout said:

I'm reading Conviction, by Denise Mina, and I'm LOVING it. I'm trying to ration it out, but I don't know how much longer I can be that disciplined, heh.

I'm sorry! It's such a bummer when a book you've been looking forward to reading is a disappointment. I understand why you didn't like it—the tone is very particular, and I think you either go with it or are annoyed by it. And frankly, as much as I enjoyed the book, the denouement was a bit of a letdown for me. It fit the era, but it was still a bit of a balloon-losing-air for me.

Yeah it was a long road to nowhere. Oh well, on to Mexican Gothic. I've heard great things about it.

[dubbel zout]

Another book I really enjoyed. It's super creepy, like the best Gothic novels should be.

[peacheslatour]

6 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Another book I really enjoyed. It's super creepy, like the best Gothic novels should be.

I'm super excited about it. I thought TPBE was going to be good based on the fact that it features Edgar Allan Poe and Christian Bale is starring in the movie. I can see making a movie of it because there is a decent amount of action but what I thought was going to be a creepy murder mystery turned into a ridiculous mess.

[sugarbaker design]

8 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I'm reading Conviction, by Denise Mina, and I'm LOVING it. I'm trying to ration it out, but I don't know how much longer I can be that disciplined, heh.

I read and loved Conviction last year during lockdown.  I loved the snarky and not-so-likable heroine.  My favorite quote:  The eternal companions of all clever women are mistrust and scorn.

[dubbel zout]

I want a T-shirt that reads "Mistrust and scorn."

[Luckylyn]

I’m reading the nonfiction book Backwards and in Heels: The Past, Present, and Future of Women Working in Films.   The book is an anthology style with each chapter a mini biography of a woman who had a significant role in the history of film.   It’s an engaging read.

[BlackberryJam]

I’m reading Going There by Katie Couric. I checked it out of the library for all the scandalous trash it was supposed to include, but it’s so, so boring. This is her story of her life and it’s shallow. Even reading about her husband’s illness and subsequent passing is dull. How can that be?

I was looking for good trash, like High on Arrival by MacKenzie Phillips, which was a great read. 

I read A Counterfeit Suitor by Darcie Wilde, #5 in the Rosalind Thorne books and wow the love interest is charmless. The mysteries are good.

I read Spoiler Alert and All the Feels by Olivia Dade which are GoT/JaimeBrienne fanfic made original fic. They are fun. 

I have Anne Glenconner A Haunting in Holkham up next. 

 

 

 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, BlackberryJam said:

I’m reading Going There by Katie Couric. I checked it out of the library for all the scandalous trash it was supposed to include, but it’s so, so boring. This is her story of her life and it’s shallow. Even reading about her husband’s illness and subsequent passing is dull. How can that be?

I was looking for good trash, like High on Arrival by MacKenzie Phillips, which was a great read. 

I read A Counterfeit Suitor by Darcie Wilde, #5 in the Rosalind Thorne books and wow the love interest is charmless. The mysteries are good.

I read Spoiler Alert and All the Feels by Olivia Dade which are GoT/JaimeBrienne fanfic made original fic. They are fun. 

I have Anne Glenconner A Haunting in Holkham up next. 

 

 

 

If you're looking for trash, it's hard to beat The Two Mrs. Grenvilles by Dominick Dunne.

[dubbel zout]

Anything by Dominick Dunne is high-quality trash.

[sugarbaker design]

6 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

If you're looking for trash, it's hard to beat The Two Mrs. Grenvilles by Dominick Dunne.

I remember reading that when it came out, and the TV mini-series with Ann-Margaret.  There's trash and then there's Trash.  This was Trash, right up there with Valley of The Dolls.  It was based on the Ann Woodward case.

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I remember reading that when it came out, and the TV mini-series with Ann-Margaret.  There's trash and then there's Trash.  This was Trash, right up there with Valley of The Dolls.  It was based on the Ann Woodward case.

Yep. And there was a Lifetimish movie based on a similar case starring Poppy Montgomery. Called Murder in the Hamptons.  Such trashy goodness.

[BlackberryJam]

23 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

If you're looking for trash, it's hard to beat The Two Mrs. Grenvilles by Dominick Dunne.

 

15 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I remember reading that when it came out, and the TV mini-series with Ann-Margaret.  There's trash and then there's Trash.  This was Trash, right up there with Valley of The Dolls.  It was based on the Ann Woodward case.

I haven't just read that one, I own it, and I specifically remember parts of it! "She pronounces the 't' in 'often.'" When I did the Great Book Purge of 2017 and donated over 3k books, I kept that one. 

I read "improving" books, but when life is rough, and life is rough sometimes, I like my trash. I like my easy books. The Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo of Fiction. Peyton Place, The Carpetbaggers, Scruples, anything by Sidney Sheldon, Wifey. Oh, the trashy novels of my youth!

Is anyone writing those kinds of books anymore? 

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by BlackberryJam

[Ohiopirate02]

36 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

 

I haven't just read that one, I own it, and I specifically remember parts of it! "She pronounces the 't' in 'often.'" When I did the Great Book Purge of 2017 and donated over 3k books, I kept that one. 

I read "improving" books, but when life is rough, and life is rough sometimes, I like my trash. I like my easy books. The Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo of Fiction. Peyton Place, The Carpetbaggers, Scruples, anything by Sidney Sheldon, Wifey. Oh, the trashy novels of my youth!

Is anyone writing those kinds of books anymore? 

 

The only author I can name offhand is Kevin Kwan.  

[dubbel zout]

55 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

Is anyone writing those kinds of books anymore? 

I don't think so. The sex-and-shopping genre is pretty much over.

19 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The only author I can name offhand is Kevin Kwan.  

He's probably the closest thing to Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins (RIP, ladies!) today.

[Bookish Jen]

2 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Anything by Dominick Dunne is high-quality trash.

I'd say the same thing about Rona Jaffe.

[helenamonster]

Just finished: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It was interesting to read what people envisioned a pandemic to be pre-covid, and I enjoyed finding moments to relate to the characters without any cute shoutouts to our current situation. Obviously the scenario in the book is much worse than what we have going on now (death within days of contracting the virus and 99% of the human population wiped out) but the ways in which people considered how they used to live (both the things they missed and the things they now in hindsight found ridiculous) reminded me a lot of the conversations I have with my friends about the Before Times and what we predict is gone for good. It was also interesting when characters talked about the differences in outlook between those who were old enough to remember the pre-pandemic era and those who weren't, which I think is a discussion we will be having about today's youth for quite awhile. I also appreciated the mentions of people who didn't die of the disease but died as a result of not being able to adapt to the collapse of civilization (diabetics who could no longer access insulin, cancer patients who couldn't get chemo, etc) as those casualties are just as important as those from the virus itself.

It was also somewhat comforting to read how even in the wake of an extinction-level event, people were still determined to make some kind of society with recognizable aspects in it, both the good and the bad. Life, uh, finds a way.

Next up: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

[peacheslatour]

I just started Mexican Gothic and I can already tell it's one of those books I'm just going to devour.

[Constant Viewer]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

I just started Mexican Gothic and I can already tell it's one of those books I'm just going to devour.

I also really enjoyed her other book, the Gods of Jade and Shadow