Just Because
Some books sound too good to pass up. If I had all the time in the world, I wouldn’t be able to get to all of them. The following are books that I have read very good reviews about but certainly haven’t read. I will read Memory Piece soon because I’m going to facilitate the discussion in one of my book club. If you find one of these three books that interests you, check it out of the library or download it. Get a jump on books to recommend to your book club for next year!!
Memory Piece, Lisa Ko
Guess what? I did not read Memory Piece. I started it but the entire style and material made me nervous. I am too old to spend time reading a book that makes me nervous. I welcome comments from my blog readers even if you don’t agree with me. Oh, for my book club, which is a small neighborhood group, I changed the book to James.
Daughter of Shantung, Eve J. Chung–This book has received a lot of recognition in the media. It is actually the story of the author’s grandmother, so it really happened! When the Communist government took over, Eve’s grandmother was left on her own by her husband’s family mainly because she had three daughters and no son. She and her three daughters wondered around China trying to find the husband. Needless to say, the action is spellbinding.
Click on the link below if you would like to hear a podcast by Eve Chung discussing her book. She is a delightful speaker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mdMkVzIBqI
A Reason to See You Again, Jami Attenberg
Jami Attenberg is a busy author living in New York City and writing for almost any publication you can name and about many varied topics. A Reason to See You Again is her eighth fiction. The reader meets the Cohen family in in the suburbs of Chicago in 1971. The mother, father, and two daughters. Initially we see some chinks in their “wholesome family” charade; and by the time we get to the second chapter, the father has died and the other three characters have gone their separate ways. It would be impossibe and unnecessary to try to trace the story’s plot because the book follows these people for over 40 years. Reviewers have noted that Attenberg is not as interested in plot as she is with character development and interaction with others in the family. Even though these people are flawed, (and who isn’t) the story is told with humor and kindness.
All three of these books sound very good. I would like to recommend The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Has gotten rave reviews and I decided to give it a try. Excellent writing, fascinating character development, and a good mystery.
Thanks for the comments, SueEllen. Interestingly, I had planned to feature this book on my next blog entry so I just added your comments to mine!