What Are We Currently Reading?

[AuntiePam]

Just finished Hurricane by Hugh Howey.  I really liked Wool, or Silo or Sand or whatever it's called, and this one came up as a special Kindle deal.  It's YA, a few days in the life of a teenage boy when a hurricane hits his home town.  I really liked it.  It's a quick read, not too deep but not totally shallow either, and it has some interesting practical advice if you live in hurricane country.  Something else I got from it is a (probably) very realistic look at teenage parties, which made me glad my kids grew up before cell phones, video, Facebook, etc. 

[SmithW6079]

13 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Just finished Hurricane by Hugh Howey.  I really liked Wool, or Silo or Sand or whatever it's called, and this one came up as a special Kindle deal.  It's YA, a few days in the life of a teenage boy when a hurricane hits his home town.  I really liked it.  It's a quick read, not too deep but not totally shallow either, and it has some interesting practical advice if you live in hurricane country.  Something else I got from it is a (probably) very realistic look at teenage parties, which made me glad my kids grew up before cell phones, video, Facebook, etc. 

I like Hugh Howey. I believe "Wool" is the first in the series and "Silo" is the second or third. I thought "Sand" was a completely different series, and then there are the "Beacon" books, which appear to be, basically, about lighthouses in space. They're on my Kindle but not read yet.

I'm re-reading "Gone With the Wind," and I'm not even sure why I got sucked back into it. It's not my favorite book, and the racism (both by the characters and the author) is appalling (although I'm mature enough to understand historical context and not get my panties in a twist because a book written 80 years ago doesn't conform to my modern sensibilities about race and gender).

[tenativelyyours]

Reading the last in Ian Tregillis' "The Alchemy Wars" trilogy Liberation.  Really caught me immediately and stormed through the first 3/4 and now for some reason it is a bit slow going as it nears the end.  Overall this is a fantastic series though.  Grim, gruesome, mostly fast paced and even throw in some nice matters on selfhood, identity and free will.  Nothing heavy but never frivolous either.

[alias1]

On 12/14/2016 at 4:53 PM, lordonia said:

I'm re-reading one of my favorite mystery series, the John Rain books by Barry Eisler. Rain is a Japanese-American international assassin, working mainly out of Tokyo.

I mean ... he kills people for a living. And I root for him!

I had never heard of this series, but it sound intriguing.  I'm going to check it out.

[aradia22]

Oh, I finished Carmen and The Venus of Ille by the way. Neither story was awful. But there's very little to Carmen. The translation (Andrew Brown) had a lot of nice phrasings and there was some tension at points but it doesn't have the emotional quality you might associate with novels or even the excitement of a more lurid or pulpy story. I'll be interested to compare it to the opera because there's not a lot to latch onto. I forgot most of the plot as I was reading it. The Venus of Ille is a quick little gothic/sensational thriller. There's even less to the plot. I'm glad framing devices have mostly fallen out of vogue. 

Right now I'm reading The Joy of Leaving Your Shit All Over the Place (a response to the Marie Kondo craze). It's like a version of Yarn Harlot that's not as funny but it's a quick read so it suits my subway reading habits. Then I have to go back and finally finish up Yes Please and Agorafabulous.

[AuntiePam]

Reading The Fifth Season (Broken Earth series, book 1) by N. K. Jemisin.  Copying the first paragraph of an Amazon review which does a good job explaining the premise:

"The world of The Stillness - an ironically-named super-continent that suffers frequent, massive environmental catastrophes thanks to its unstable geology - is a captivating setting for the story's three narrators, each of whom is forced to journey across the dangerous, shifting land. In conceiving a society able to do what it takes to survive across multiple devastating periods of disaster and climate change, Jemisin creates a world order that each of her main characters sees through different eyes: one hoping it will offer her refuge, one furious about its demands on her, and one hoping to just avoid its gaze altogether."

People called "orogenes" have the ability to shift the earth, causing landslides, earthquakes, and freezing the air.  The orogenes have Guardians who help them control their power.  I'm just getting into the story, and apparently there's been some selective breeding among humans.  It's fascinating.

[Danny Franks]

19 hours ago, tenativelyyours said:

Reading the last in Ian Tregillis' "The Alchemy Wars" trilogy Liberation.  Really caught me immediately and stormed through the first 3/4 and now for some reason it is a bit slow going as it nears the end.  Overall this is a fantastic series though.  Grim, gruesome, mostly fast paced and even throw in some nice matters on selfhood, identity and free will.  Nothing heavy but never frivolous either.

I read the first book in that series, and enjoyed it. But just didn't feel motivated to read the second. I don't think I liked any of the characters except the robot. The ideas and world were interesting though, so I may have to revisit it.

Just started Europe at Midnight by Dave Hutchinson. The follow up to Europe in Autumn... at least, I think it is. So far, the world seems completely different. But then, the previous book threw a big curve ball at the end which could explain why. It's interesting, though. The main character is a leading figure in a recently successful uprising against despotic rulers, and is in the middle of discovering the various illegal experiments and mass graves and dirty secrets of the old regime.

[Qoass]

I'm halfway through Carrie Fisher's The Princess Diarist and so far, I am not impressed.  I've loved her previous work but this one feels like a timely cash grab.

[Haleth]

I look to Amazon's Best Of lists for recommendations and just finished the one they named Best of 2016, The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis.  It takes place in post apocalyptic Canada, but might as well be 19th c wild west from the feel of it.  It's about a young girl who was found in the forest and raised by a trapper/hunter.  When Elka is a teenager she discovers that her "father" is a mass murderer and flees him in search of her real family.  The story follows her various predicaments while trying to evade the trapper and the merciless magistrate who is tracking them both.  It is told first person in a style of someone who has had no formal education although she is plucky and resourceful in other ways.  She reminded me of Mattie from True Grit and Katnis.  (I haven't read either, so I'm saying this based on movie characters.)  It's a good read, the first novel from Ms Lewis.  I look forward to what she comes up with next.

[hendersonrocks]

I'm about a third into "They Can't Kill Us All" by Wesley Lowery, and think it's great. Personal, first-hand reporting of the racial justice movement of the last several years. 

[NutMeg]

On 11/28/2016 at 10:36 PM, Qoass said:

I'm in the middle of Zadie Smith's Swing Time which started out great but I'm not enjoying the middle as much.  Let's hope it finishes well.

I haven't read to yet, but with Zadie Smith I feel that while I always enjoy the journey the destination is more meh. Let us know what you feel after you've read on!

[Qoass]

The ending rallied a little but overall it was, for me, a case of diminishing returns.

[proserpina65]

On ‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 6:06 PM, GaT said:

I'm currently reading A Deadly Thaw by Sarah Ward. When I read In Bitter Chill (her first book), I didn't realize that it was the first of a series but I'm glad it is. If you like British police procedurals & authors like PD James, Peter Robinson, Ruth Rendell, or Jill McGown, you'll like these books. 

I enjoyed it a lot but

Spoiler

I found Lena's motivation for not turning Andrew in to the authorities when she discovered that he and his friend were serial rapists thoroughly unconvincing.  I mean, she killed the friend, but helped her husband hide for years?  I didn't buy it.

[GaT]

1 minute ago, proserpina65 said:

I enjoyed it a lot but

  Reveal hidden contents

I found Lena's motivation for not turning Andrew in to the authorities when she discovered that he and his friend were serial rapists thoroughly unconvincing.  I mean, she killed the friend, but helped her husband hide for years?  I didn't buy it.

I agree

Spoiler

That was the weak spot for me too, Lena's motivation. she was just too stupid about it. 

[AuntiePam]

Santa perused my Amazon wish list and delivered -- comments welcome, to help me prioritize:

The Wonder - Emma Donoghue

Hillbilly Elegy - J.D. Vance

Disappearance at Devil's Rock - Paul Tremblay

The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead

Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow

The Heavenly Table - Donald Ray Pollock

The Gustav Sonata - Rose Tremain

I'm reading Hillbilly Elegy now and enjoying it for its unflinching honesty.

[GaT]

I'm reading One False Move, the 5th book in the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. I am really enjoying this series, & I would have never read it at all if Amazon had correctly labeled the latest book, Home, as the 11th in the series. 

[Haleth]

14 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead

I read this a few weeks ago.  It was very good but I'm not sure it deserved all the accolades.  Definitely worth reading though.

[Qoass]

I enjoyed The Wonder.  It was intriguing although I'm not sure the author will ever top Room in my esteem.

[Epeolatrix]

Just finished Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. I liked it, but it covers far more pre-NASA stuff than I had anticipated, and as a result, it sort of felt as if it ended too early. The author admitted that she'd wanted to tell more of the women's stories, but then the book would be too big. I don't even understand how that's a thing, a book that's too big, considering how much needed telling. It's also a bit more dry than the movie seems to be; you learn the women's accomplishments but you don't get as much insight into their personalities.

[bluphoenix451]

I'm currently reading Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire. I'm halfway through and it's really compelling.

[cherrypj]

8 hours ago, Violet Impulse said:

I don't even understand how that's a thing, a book that's too big

I agree with you! But ... I dislike carrying around The Power Broker and Infinite Jest. Haven't been able to finish either one of them!

(That likely says more about me than the books.)

[jenrising]

I just ran through Behind the Throne and After the Crown by K. B. Wagers in like 3 days. I loved the worldbuilding and the main character so much. Really fun space opera. 

Edited December 30, 2016 by jenrising

[Empress1]

On 12/27/2016 at 5:09 PM, AuntiePam said:

I'm reading Hillbilly Elegy now and enjoying it for its unflinching honesty.

My mother is reading this now and I plan to borrow it when she's finished. I got some books for Christmas too and read one of them over the holiday week (I was off work) but have two library books to read before I get back to those. I'm reading The Round House now, and will follow it with How the Irish Became White.

[BooksRule]

I'm reading and re-reading (for some of them) my Agatha Christie books.  I don't own all of them, but probably about 2/3 of the titles (most in paperback).  I'm trying to downsize my book collection and decided that there was no reason to keep them when I could get a copy from the public library if I ever decided I needed to re-read any of them.  Although I'm probably going to keep my hardback copy of 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd', since it is old and has a nice cover.  Right now I'm re-reading 'Halloween Party' (I'm not reading them in any particular order).  

[bluphoenix451]

15 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

I'm reading and re-reading (for some of them) my Agatha Christie books.  I don't own all of them, but probably about 2/3 of the titles (most in paperback).  I'm trying to downsize my book collection and decided that there was no reason to keep them when I could get a copy from the public library if I ever decided I needed to re-read any of them.  Although I'm probably going to keep my hardback copy of 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd', since it is old and has a nice cover.  Right now I'm re-reading 'Halloween Party' (I'm not reading them in any particular order).  

I'm doing the same, nearly finishing The Murder of Roget Ackroyd now. I know I've read some of her books in highschool, but it's been so long I don't remember which ones or the stories. I'm looking forward to rediscovering them.

[AuntiePam]

7 hours ago, Empress1 said:

My mother is reading this now and I plan to borrow it when she's finished. I got some books for Christmas too and read one of them over the holiday week (I was off work) but have two library books to read before I get back to those. I'm reading The Round House now, and will follow it with How the Irish Became White.

I'm curious about How the Irish Became White -- the title alone is intriguing.

Re: Hillbilly Elegy.  I emailed Amazon and asked if I could get a refund.  I've never asked for a refund on a book, and I've bought many that were disappointing.  This one felt more like a scam -- bait and switch.  I should have read the reviews rather than the blurbs. 

It starts fine, with Vance sharing memories of his somewhat dysfunctional family.  It turned into a polemic about the white working class, how their problems are their fault.  They don't work hard enough, the spend their money foolishly, the women have too many babies, they depend on government handouts, etc.  He adds some truly silly job search advice.  "Learn how to network, wear a suit to a job interview, shoes and belt should match." 

He really has no understanding of the problems of Appalachia and other depressed regions, or what's needed to fix those problems.  I saw him on Face the Nation this morning, and came off as a truly vapid, shallow individual. 

[Empress1]

2 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

I'm curious about How the Irish Became White -- the title alone is intriguing.

Re: Hillbilly Elegy.  I emailed Amazon and asked if I could get a refund.  I've never asked for a refund on a book, and I've bought many that were disappointing.  This one felt more like a scam -- bait and switch.  I should have read the reviews rather than the blurbs. 

It starts fine, with Vance sharing memories of his somewhat dysfunctional family.  It turned into a polemic about the white working class, how their problems are their fault.  They don't work hard enough, the spend their money foolishly, the women have too many babies, they depend on government handouts, etc.  He adds some truly silly job search advice.  "Learn how to network, wear a suit to a job interview, shoes and belt should match." 

He really has no understanding of the problems of Appalachia and other depressed regions, or what's needed to fix those problems.  I saw him on Face the Nation this morning, and came off as a truly vapid, shallow individual. 

It's been on my list for months and I was finally able to get it from the library. The author, Noel Ignatiev, is pretty controversial. The book is about how Irish immigrants rose from oppressed social class to part of the white racial class in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Re: Hillbilly Elegy, that's a little disappointing (although I'm still going to read it). I thought it might take a more objective sociological look at Appalachia while weaving in stories from his own family.

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

Re: Hillbilly Elegy, that's a little disappointing (although I'm still going to read it). I thought it might take a more objective sociological look at Appalachia while weaving in stories from his own family.

Just don't pay for it -- it only encourages the bait-and-switch tactic.  [smile]

Tonight I'm starting The Wonder by Emma Donoghue.  It made Maureen Corrigan's 10 Best List -- I trust her judgment.

[helenamonster]

I'm currently in the middle of Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. I don't watch The Daily Show regularly but the reviews were so good I felt compelled to check it out. I'm so glad I did because it's fantastic. Apartheid was, unfortunately, one of those things that we just never got to in my high school curriculum (I remember reading Cry, the Beloved Country in 10th grade world literature but that was about it) and is one of those subjects that I really feel I should be better educated on. It's fascinating to read about from the perspective of a mixed/colored child during its tail end. I think one of the things I'm finding most interesting is the difference in how racism worked/words in South Africa compared and contrasted to how it worked/works in the US, especially with regards to racial classification. I think Americans in general assume that race relations and classifications are the same everywhere else as they are here, especially in countries that are similar to ours in terms of diversity, and I think it's important, especially in this day and age, to understand the nuances and differences.

The book is also really funny with all the crazy shit Trevor got up to as a kid. It's a great read for anyone who's a fan of his and/or has an interest in learning about apartheid from a human perspective.

[aradia22]

I fell short of my goal of 50 books for 2016 (even cheating a little with some shorter books). I left too many books unfinished. Now I face a wide world of possibility... but also library due dates. So I'm trying to finish Buffering (which is enjoyable) and Sister Outsider (which is a bit of a slog). 

[Danny Franks]

I'm one hundred pages into City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg. And so far, it's pretty amazing. I'm not sure it quite lives up to the $2million that Hallberg was paid by the publishers for the book, but I can see why they wanted it so badly. It's one of those books that will be brought up in conversations about the great American novel.

Very wordy, sprawling, and evoking a period in New York that I find incredibly interesting - the late 1970s, where the city was on the verge of bankruptcy and full of squalor and crime. It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, judging by the reviews on Goodreads, but it works for me.

[Snowball II]

I am currently reading The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai, and re-reading Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by...well, everyone knows that one.  I forgot how much fun the HP books were.  I devoured half the book just last night.

Edited January 3, 2017 by Hrairoo

[Princess Sparkle]

I'm currently in the middle of The Great Beanie Baby Bubble and am really enjoying it.  It's a very good look at the man behind beanie babies, as well as what steps (many purely by accident) took place to make the furor over beanie babies so massive.  I was just the right age when beanie baby collection was at it's peak to remember all of this (I was around 10 when beanie babies were at their peak), as well as in the right area where collection was really insane (it all started in the Chicago suburbs, where I'm from) so I'm loving it.  

[helenamonster]

Just finished: Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. Seriously one of the best books I've read in awhile. Sometimes hilarious, other times touching and poignant, and a really great insight into the racial politics of South Africa.

Next up: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan.

[alias1]

I just finished News of the World by Paulette Jiles, which I thought was terrific.  In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging, itinerant news reader agrees to transport a girl, who had been a Kiowa captive, back to her family.  Their 400 mile journey through the unsettled and dangerous Texas territory was a compelling read for me.  This has to be one of my favorite books in a while.

I also read Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper, a quirky, non linear story of an 83 year old woman who decides to walk across Canada to the ocean.  I loved the story but I can see where the mixed reviews are justified.  If you're looking for a straight plotted story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, this is not it.

And there's a book I've been wanting to read, The Wolf Road (Beth Lewis), that my library only has in an audio version.  I've listened to the first CD and am not sure I have the patience for it.  How do so many of you listen to your books?  It's just not the same to me as reading.  I may have to buy the book.  Has anyone here read it and liked it?

[AuntiePam]

SierraMist, I'll pick up the Jiles book.  I've read another of hers, The Color of Lightning, also featuring the stories of white settlers captured by Indians.  If you liked News of the World, you might also like The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout.  A "homesman" was a man tasked with returning pioneer women back east, after life on the plains had broken them.

I think I'd like the Hooper book too -- I adore "road trip" stories.

I don't do audio books.  I've listened to a few books on tape but it doesn't engage me like reading does. 

[Haleth]

3 hours ago, SierraMist said:

And there's a book I've been wanting to read, The Wolf Road (Beth Lewis), that my library only has in an audio version.  I've listened to the first CD and am not sure I have the patience for it.  How do so many of you listen to your books?  It's just not the same to me as reading.  I may have to buy the book.  Has anyone here read it and liked it?

I read it and wrote about it further up on this page. I liked it very much but can understand being impatient listening to it since it's written in the dialect of an uneducated teenager.  

[alias1]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

I read it and wrote about it further up on this page. I liked it very much but can understand being impatient listening to it since it's written in the dialect of an uneducated teenager.  

Haleth, now I'm quite sure it was your review of The Wolf Road that prompted me to seek out the book in the first place.   Thank you for that.  Interestingly, right after I wrote my post, I was notified by my e-library that the book is now available as an e-book.  And I'm next in line on the holds list.  The person who did the recording was actually very good.  I had no problem with her reading of it.  I just get more out of it if I read it myself.   Again, thanks for the recommendation.  I'm really looking forward to it.      

[SherriAnt]

I loved "The Color of Lightning" so as soon as SierraMist and AuntiePam compared "News of the World" and "Homesman" to it, I put them both on my hold list at the library. Thanks, ladies!!

Edited January 6, 2017 by SherriAnt
Because I can't type, apparently.

[alias1]

I finished The Wolf Road and I'm not really sure what to say about it.  It's a very compelling story with an unforgettable main character.  I hardly ever consider a book to be a page turner, but this one was.   It's raw and gritty and for the last 1/3 of the book, I couldn't read it at night.  It gave me nightmares.  The writing is unbelievably good.  It's just a book that will stay with me for a long time.  I did wish for a slightly different ending. 

[SmithW6079]

I'm reading Michael Chabon's "The Yiddish Policemen's Union." I like alternate history, because I love the world building and points of divergence. (I used to like dystopian novels, until I realized that we're now living in one). I'm new to Chabon, and I'm not sure I like him. I had heard a short story of his read on NPR. It intrigued me, so I got the collection: "Werewolves in Their Youth." Almost uniformly I found the stories sad and depressing, with the exception of one (which was still sad but with a glimmer of humanity), and the last, which was a horror tale and quite good.

[AuntiePam]

I think I already mentioned Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, but in case I didn't, stay away from this "memoir" -- far, far away.  I hate that a great title was wasted on this claptrap. 

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue, best known for Room.  In The Wonder, another child is in danger -- a young Catholic girl in Ireland (late 1800's) has reportedly been fasting for four months.  Two nurses are hired to watch over her, not to safeguard her health but to confirm that she's really not eating.  Because miracle!  Put the village on the map!   It was interesting as a look at  Irish village life, medical care, politics, and the influence of the church.  Other than that, I don't recommend it. 

The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock.  Three dirt-poor brothers, influenced by a dime novel about an outlaw go on a crime spree in 1917 after their father dies.  Pollock isn't for everyone -- his books are raw and bloody (but not mean-spirited) and the characters aren't politically correct, or any kind of correct.  The story has a lot of characters -- fully fleshed out -- who intersect in an ending that is part comedy, part tragedy, and very satisfying.  I was sorry when it was over.  The Coen brothers really need to film this. 

[Princess Sparkle]

On 1/14/2017 at 0:05 PM, AuntiePam said:

 

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue, best known for Room.  In The Wonder, another child is in danger -- a young Catholic girl in Ireland (late 1800's) has reportedly been fasting for four months.  Two nurses are hired to watch over her, not to safeguard her health but to confirm that she's really not eating.  Because miracle!  Put the village on the map!   It was interesting as a look at  Irish village life, medical care, politics, and the influence of the church.  Other than that, I don't recommend it. 

I just finished it. I was ready to love it because it's gotten some really great reviews, but my God, I wanted to punch Lib in the face for 3/4 of the book. I know the point was to make her caustic, but uh...mission accomplished a little too well. The ending was also very unsatisfying to me, and felt rather unearned. The only reason I finished was because my mom had read it recently and wanted to discuss it. 

[Danny Franks]

On 13/01/2017 at 6:50 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I'm reading Michael Chabon's "The Yiddish Policemen's Union." I like alternate history, because I love the world building and points of divergence. (I used to like dystopian novels, until I realized that we're now living in one). I'm new to Chabon, and I'm not sure I like him. I had heard a short story of his read on NPR. It intrigued me, so I got the collection: "Werewolves in Their Youth." Almost uniformly I found the stories sad and depressing, with the exception of one (which was still sad but with a glimmer of humanity), and the last, which was a horror tale and quite good.

I've started The Yiddish Policemen's Union a couple of times, but detective stories aren't really my thing. I absolutely love The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, though. I would highly recommend that book to anyone. It definitely has sad parts, and bittersweet parts, but it's a great story.

I'm still working my way through City on Fire. 450 pages in now, which puts me... about halfway. Jeez. It's still really good, but I'm just not finding much time to sit down and properly get into some serious reading.

[AuntiePam]

Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton -- it's so good.  The best biographies put the reader in the time and place -- they don't just relate the subject's life and accomplishments.  I just wish I'd gotten the Kindle version because the book is so heavy -- it's hard on my wrists.

I liked Kavalier & Clay too. 

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I think I already mentioned Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, but in case I didn't, stay away from this "memoir" -- far, far away.  I hate that a great title was wasted on this claptrap.

I just finished it. I thought parts were interesting, others were fairly wretched - it felt like it was trying to be a memoir and a sociology book all at once, and I think it suffered as a result. I did find it fascinating, though, that his law school professor and the person he credited with helping him navigate the privileged world of Yale Law and turn his life into a book is Amy Chua (the woman famously known for writing Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother). I do wish he explained WHY he is conservative, since he mentioned it a bunch of times but I can't for the life of me really tell why based on everything else he wrote. (And yet I don't care enough to Google it and find out.)

Am a little conflicted on what to start next - was going to read Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam but it feels a little too close to Hillbilly Elegy (though definitely more academic). I think it's likely to be Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Younge. 

I'm obviously in a SUPER uplifting mood, judging by my book choices as of late.

[Haleth]

I just finished a new novel The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon last night.  Two days ago I would have raved about it, but the ending left me unsatisfied.  On the one hand it's a delightful story about two little girls who go about trying to solve a mystery in their neighborhood.  A woman has gone missing and they think if they can find God on their street they can find out what happened to the woman.  This is narrated by Gracie, a spunky 10yo who is reminiscent of Scout.  Her combination of determination and innocence is utterly charming.  Her story is intersticed with chapters from the point of view of various neighbors, all of whom share a secret regarding an incident that occurred several years earlier.  This is less successful, nothing fresh.  But that would still be ok except for the ending which left everything unresolved.  It just sort of ends.  It was disappointing.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 1/14/2017 at 11:05 AM, AuntiePam said:

The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock.  Three dirt-poor brothers, influenced by a dime novel about an outlaw go on a crime spree in 1917 after their father dies.  Pollock isn't for everyone -- his books are raw and bloody (but not mean-spirited) and the characters aren't politically correct, or any kind of correct.  The story has a lot of characters -- fully fleshed out -- who intersect in an ending that is part comedy, part tragedy, and very satisfying.  I was sorry when it was over.  The Coen brothers really need to film this. 

Have you ever read anything by Larry Brown? If he like Pollock, you might like his books as well, particularly Joe, a book about an ex-con who befriends a young boy, mostly because the kid's father is a no-good.

[AuntiePam]

10 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Have you ever read anything by Larry Brown? If he like Pollock, you might like his books as well, particularly Joe, a book about an ex-con who befriends a young boy, mostly because the kid's father is a no-good.

Oh yes -- several, including Joe.  Larry Watson is another good southern/country writer.  And Tom Franklin.  It seems to me that the writers who set their stories in Appalachia and the South are really good at finding depth and meaning in the lives of ordinary people. 

[AuntiePam]

A really good movie was made from one of Brown's stories -- Big Bad Love -- with Debra Winger and Arliss Howard.  It's an excellent dramatization of the process of writing.  And it's funny too.