JB Book Club

[Lee55]

Thanks so much TJ. I was just making a list and I thought I would start on page 5 and work my way back. So glad I did, you made it so easy for me.

[Librarygirl]

Very, very nice TJ!!! Thank you!

[mom23kids]

A couple of my holds came in yay! I read Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff today and was disappointed in it I loved her other two books but this one just didn't click with me.

Next is one that was recommended on this thread-The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Palma I read his other book last year, The Map of Time, and loved it-didn't even realize he had a second book out! It's a chunky one at 594 pages, so it should keep my busy for a while lol.

[Librarygirl]

My head is swirling with all the books I want to read, plus I have two journals smack full with lists of books, lol. AND, any day now I'll be getting a book from Library Journal to review...will post the title and synopsis here.

[ouizoid]

Just finished The Sisters Brothers--very well written though somewhat grim tale of the old west--

[Zib]

I just finished listening to "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton. It was under 4 hours as an audio book. A very sad, depressing story that you know, from a few comments at the start, will end badly. I found it a compelling listen and was fascinated by this look back at life in a small farming community in the US.

Ethan is a not-very-successful farmer in his early 50s with a bad limp, a result of "the smash-up". This is all that a young visitor can learn about the man he has become fascinated with. After a storm he is invited to overnight at Ethan's home and as he and Ethan near the property the story moves back 24 years.

Oddly, at the end, I thought it reminded me of a "Twilight Zone" episode written by Rod Serling, who was fond of irony. And even odder, while looking at reviews at Audible, this was exactly the comment made by another listener.

[mom23kids]

Originally Posted by ouizoid

Just finished The Sisters Brothers--very well written though somewhat grim tale of the old west--

That was one of my favorite reads from last year I just got my dad to read it and he loved it too!

[Kismet311]

I read Ethan Frome in high school but don't remember much about it. I remember my teacher wearing earrings that looked like pickles in honor of the book...I think there was something about a pickle jar? I might have to reread it.
Has anyone read Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker?

[Zib]

I have Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker on my "to be read" list on Pinterest.

Yep, it's a pickle plate that the wife NEVER uses as it's too precious. This goes completely against my beliefs so admittedly affects my feelings about the wife. Why have it if you aren't going to use it? I'd rather use it and enjoy it once and see it accidentally broken, than have it sit hidden away on a shelf to never be used and enjoyed. Maybe it's because my mother's it's-too-good-to-use sister, on her death bed, told her daughter not to save things but to use and enjoy them.

[Kissa]

Just thought I need to mention Anita Shreve, I love all her books. 'Fortunes Rocks' is possibly my favourite.

[Librarygirl]

Anita Shreve too.

[mom23kids]

I read a really good YA steampunk book yesterday, The Girl in the Steel Corset, by Kady Cross. Steampunk is fast becoming my all time favorite sub-genre

I've been on Goodreads all morning-decided to close my account and start fresh with a new one. My old one was getting bogged down by a massive tbr list that was out of date, plus I was part of a bunch of book clubs there and felt like it was time to step away from them. Also, with my internet being cut off tomorrow I'll just have internet access on my new cell phone, and it would be too hard to still be a part of the online book clubs. I need to save all my internet time for hanging out here

So, right now I'm building a new tbr list and I'm being a lot more picky about what I add I'm also going through and re-rating books that I've already read-especially my 5 star rated ones so I have them on my shelf for future reference (to re-read or for author's names for future released books etc).

[Kissa]

Sorry, will someone explain Steampunk to me?

[Zib]

Sara, I keep my TBR list on Pinterest now. I have a "Books I Want to Read" board and another for "Recent Reads - 2013". So far I'm liking it better than using LibraryThing where I was keeping my lsit.

[mom23kids]

Originally Posted by Kissa

Sorry, will someone explain Steampunk to me?

In a nutshell-it's a sub-genre of fantasy and usually takes place in Victorian England (though some steampunk stories take place in Old West America. If you've ever seen the movie Wild, Wild West with Will Smith, that's an example of a steampunk story ). It mashes proper English society (mannerisms, dress, etiquette, hiearchy-the queen, dukes, etc), with cool gadgetry and things like dirigibles (ie blimps) and medical advancements like robotic body parts etc. Also lots of Victorian weaponry with modern tweaks etc. And then there's authors who take it a step further and add paranormal elements to it-like vampires, ghosts, characters having magical abilities etc etc.

This is the book blurb for one of my all time favorite steampunk books, Soulless by Gail Carriger (the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series)-

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire - and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?


Steampunk is so much fun to read

[Kissa]

Lol! I get it.

[hot-in-texas]

My goodness I need a new book and have no idea where to start with all of these recommendations! Thanks for mating a list TJ that helps a lot!

Edit, well I know you didn't 'mate' a list

[Zib]

Sara, I love Alexia and the Parasol Protectorate. That is a fun series.

We were having drinks in one of the casinos and suddenly the area around us was filled with women in proper Victorian dress, and men in odd outfits as well. Found out there was a convention in town for Steampunkers and they'd just used one of the ballrooms at the hotel for a tea and dance. So everyone was in proper dress.

[mom23kids]

Originally Posted by Zib

Sara, I love Alexia and the Parasol Protectorate. That is a fun series.

We were having drinks in one of the casinos and suddenly the area around us was filled with women in proper Victorian dress, and men in odd outfits as well. Found out there was a convention in town for Steampunkers and they'd just used one of the ballrooms at the hotel for a tea and dance. So everyone was in proper dress.

That would have been fun to see!

Carriger has two new series coming out-both taking place in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate series. I can't wait

[mom23kids]

Originally Posted by hot-in-texas

My goodness I need a new book and have no idea where to start with all of these recommendations! Thanks for mating a list TJ that helps a lot!

Edit, well I know you didn't 'mate' a list

[Librarygirl]

If anyone is interested in smart erotica, Entertaining Mr. Stone by Portia de Costa is supposed to be good. Also, in that same genre writers Sommer Masden, Megan Hart and Alison Tyler have written some good stuff too.

[mom23kids]

Originally Posted by Librarygirl

If anyone is interested in smart erotica, Entertaining Mr. Stone by Portia de Costa is supposed to be good. Also, in that same genre writers Sommer Masden, Megan Hart and Alison Tyler have written some good stuff too.

I went through a phase last year, after reading the Fifty Shades trilogy. I got burned out on the genre pretty quick though. I'll have to write these authors down though, for future reference

[Librarygirl]

They are supposed to be better written than Fifty, but I've not read any of them yet. Recommended by Bust magazine.

[hot-in-texas]

Has anyone read The Host, and what did you think? Personally I did not like it at all and had to force my to get to the half way point at which point I said forget it and never picked it up again. In all honesty, I thought it was horrible, but everyone else I know that read it liked it and it is one of my friend's favorite books. I just do not get it. Is it just me?

[Librarygirl]

I read a review last year on it, Tex, and the review said it was pretty bad, lol. I didn't try and read it, so I'll take your word.

[Kismet311]

I read The Host. I don't really remember much of it so it probably wasn't that good. I just started Casual Vacancy. Not bad so far.

[Librarygirl]

I'm still reading the 3rd Dragon Tattoo book. I like it, but have taken various hiatuses to read other books, lol. I also have "The General's Mistress" to read on my nightstand.

[hot-in-texas]

Originally Posted by Librarygirl

I'm still reading the 3rd Dragon Tattoo book. I like it, but have taken various hiatuses to read other books, lol. I also have "The General's Mistress" to read on my nightstand.

I realllly liked the Dragon books. Yes they were detailed and you got pages of background on minor characters. But I have never read anything like them. And I craved coffee and cigarettes on a daily basis. And I just loved the culture of it.

[Librarygirl]

I cannot imagine having the kind of relationship Berger and Blomkist have. Really, I couldn't imagine being the spouse of someone in a relationship like theirs!! That would take someone with HUGE self-confidence, or mentally ill.

[hot-in-texas]

Yes, that was weird. You would have to be slightly detached from your spouse to allow that. Then again, her spouse was not much of a husband either to be OK with it.
I thought Berger was such an infeminine name lol