It's June ... What are you reading?
kathy_t
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (107)
yoyobon_gw
4 years agokathy_t
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
June, moon, spoon - what are we reading?
Comments (150)Pam, I, too, read it for a group discussion. I didn't think it was padded, but one of our number thought she saw an editor's touch and felt it was very much a check-list kind of memoir. I did not. I thought it was written as unsentimentally as possible. She didn't judge her parents and she didn't wallow in the misery of her upbringing. I've actually known a couple of people not so different from the author and the stories were very familiar to me. The hiding out in the bathroom to avoid other kids seeing that she never had food for lunch made me ache because I remember my friend telling me the same story. (Said friend has turned into a workaholic who brings home a seven figure income, but she still struggles with the issues.) Another friend depended upon the goodness of school friends and their mothers to survive and she went on to get a couple of ivy league degrees and a successful career, so that part of it was entirely believable to me also. People can overcome their beginnings and thrive. In short, this all rang true and unexaggerated to me....See MoreBeautiful June, What Are You Reading?
Comments (150)Vee - I remember when I read Life of Pi and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I do remember that you have to be in the right kind of mood... :-) After searching my stacks of TBR for a new NF to read, came across "We are at War: The Diaries of Five Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times" by Simon Garfield. More along the lines of "Nella Last's War" in that this book follows the diary excerpts from five ordinary people during the beginning of WWII. And they weren't kidding when they describe the people as "ordinary" - it is teetering on "rather boring in places" which, I suppose, is to be expected when you consider the "ordinary" people who play a starring role. Not as entertaining as the Nella diaries, I will give this a few more chapters and then see if things improve. This book is more about the Mass Observation Project during WWII......See MoreJune is here! What are you reading?
Comments (89)Yesterday I finished Turtle Feet: the making and unmaking of a Buddhist Monk by Nikolai Grozni. I started it in May and it just sat there staring at me while I dove into a bunch of mysteries. Yesterday, I decided that enough was enough, and, having a bit of time on my hands, sat down and finished it up. From the flyleaf: "In his early twenties, Nikolai Grozni, a celebrated Bulgarian music prodigy studying jazz piano at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, was struck by a malaise - some form of spiritual ennui - that suddenly robbed him of his passion for music and of any direction in life. He turned to meditation and Buddhism for answers, and eventually traveled to the Dalai Lama's university in Dharamsala India, where he quickly became fluent in Tibetan and took the robes of a Buddhist monk." It was an interesting book - not fascinating - but interesting. I think it would have meant more to me had I ever felt the way that Grozni felt. Now I can give my full attention to Chocolat... except that I am headed to the library in two minutes to look for the Iris Murdoch that Siobhan so kindly suggested, and Arthur and George that everyone has been discussing, and to put in an ILL for an English Murder. Have a super day everyone! The weather here is superb. PAM...See MoreWhat are we reading in June 2020?
Comments (124)I just finished the audio version of Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner, actually Lady Glenconner. It's a book that proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Glenconner is from an aristocratic family in England and as a child, played with contemporaries Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. When she was older, she was a Maid of Honor at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret for many years. Because as a female she wasn't going to inherit the family estate, she had to marry well and in fact married a very wealthy individual. He was extremely eccentric, having violent temper tantrums without regard to who was nearby. Once when they were in St. Petersburg, Russia, he became angry and lay down in the middle of the street in a fetal position. Their children, like most children of their "set," went to boarding school which they disliked intensely and would cry when being left there. Glenconner and her husband developed the island of Mustique which became a vacation destination for the rich and famous. The book describes their extravagant lives and a way of life that most of us (thankfully!) will never experience. I would give it a 5 out of 5 for its colorful events and characters but wouldn't recommend the audio version since the author narrates and her frequent smacking noises are distracting....See Moreindygo
4 years agomsmeow
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agovee_new
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agomsmeow
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agovee_new
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoannpanagain
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agovee_new
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agovee_new
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agovee_new
4 years agoskibby (zone 4 Vermont)
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agovee_new
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agoannpanagain
4 years agowoodnymph2_gw
4 years agosheri_z6
4 years agoKath
4 years agovee_new
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agowoodnymph2_gw
4 years agokathy_t
4 years agovee_new
4 years agocarolyn_ky
4 years agocarolyn_ky
4 years agomsmeow
4 years agocarolyn_ky
4 years agowoodnymph2_gw
4 years agokathy_t
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agokathy_t
4 years agomsmeow
4 years agokathy_t
4 years agomsmeow
4 years agoskibby (zone 4 Vermont)
4 years agovee_new
4 years agoskibby (zone 4 Vermont)
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years agokathy_t
4 years agokathy_t
4 years agocarolyn_ky
4 years agoyoyobon_gw
4 years ago
Related Stories
MONTHLY HOME CHECKLISTSTo-Dos: Your June Home Checklist
Make summer easy by getting your home and outdoor gear in shape now
Full StoryMONTHLY HOME CHECKLISTSTo-Dos: Your June Home Checklist
Get ready for summer by freshening up your entertaining spaces and preparing for good times with others
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESRocky Mountain Gardener: What to Do in June
Join the edible-garden club, deadhead spring-blooming plants around the landscape and make sure to fit in an inspiring garden tour
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESMid-Atlantic Gardener: What to Do in June
Abundant sun is yielding bountiful blooms in the garden this month, but don't forget to watch for pests, package some seeds and plan ahead
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESSouthwest Gardener's June Checklist
Protect your plants from too much sun while waiting for rain relief, and guess what? Those cacti might need a drink
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESTexas Gardener: What to Do in June
Don't be discouraged by the dry summer heat — hardy plants, container gardens and smart watering can help landscapes thrive
Full StoryLIFEHouzz Call: Where (and What) Are You Reading This Summer?
Whether you favor contemporary, classic or beach reads, do the long and lazy days of summer bring out the lit lover in you?
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESMake Sure You Read This Before Buying New Plants
Follow these 10 plant-selection tips to avoid buyer’s remorse
Full StoryHOME INNOVATIONSConsidering Renting to Vacationers? Read This First
More people are redesigning their homes for the short-term-rental boom. Here are 3 examples — and what to consider before joining in
Full StoryEVENTSMy Houzz: They’re Right at Home in Their Schindler House
Chance brought a couple to their Inglewood home designed by the L.A. midcentury architect. It will be part of a June design tour
Full Story
skibby (zone 4 Vermont)