@bookwoman - Thanks so much for the link to the article about Delia Owens. I actually didn't really care for the book but I also am not very good about recognizing symbolism. (I barely got out of English 100 because of it). I really wondered about how authentic the characters were or were they caracitures of the locale and times.

I haven't read the book, and the article didn't make me want to, but it was certainly interesting to read about the parallels between her life and the events in the book...yikes!

Well, I've been pretty 'under the weather' for the last 2 weeks, so haven't been around here much, just now trying to get caught up. Computer wasn't even turned on for a few days. Probably the first time that's happened in a number of years!

I finished "Mrs. Everything" by Jennifer Weiner. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it. It’s interesting and thought provoking, I’d give it a rating of 5.

Copied from Amazon: "Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise. Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect ‘Dick and Jane’ house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life."

Now I’m about halfway through "Drowning Ruth" by Christina Schwartz. Copied from Amazon: "Christina Schwarz's suspenseful debut pivots on two of the lost "virtues" of the past: silence and stoicism. Drowning Ruth opens in 1919, on the heels of the influenza epidemic that followed the First World War. Although there were telephones and motor cars and dance halls in the small towns of Wisconsin in those years, the townspeople remained rigid and forbidding. As a young woman, Amanda Starkey, a Lutheran farmer's daughter, had been firmly discouraged from an inappropriate marriage with a neighboring Catholic boy. A few years later, as a nurse in Milwaukee, she is seduced by a dishonorable man. Her shame sends her into a nervous breakdown, and she returns to the family farm. Within a year, though, her beloved sister Mathilde drowns under mysterious circumstances. And when Mathilde's husband, Carl, returns from the war, he finds his small daughter, Ruth, in Amanda's tenacious grip, and she will tell him nothing about the night his wife drowned. Amanda's parents, too, are long gone. "I killed my parents. Had I mentioned that?" muses Amanda.

I killed them because I felt a little fatigued and suffered from a slight, persistent cough. Thinking I was overworked and hadn't been getting enough sleep, I went home for a short visit, just a few days to relax in the country while the sweet corn and the raspberries were ripe. From the city I brought fancy ribbon, two boxes of Ambrosia chocolate, and a deadly gift... I gave the influenza to my mother, who gave it to my father, or maybe it was the other way around."

This one is quite different than what I usually read, I’ll give it a rating when I finish it.

Hope it is okay to copy descriptions from Amazon, they do a much better job of describing than I do.

Rusty

I'm reading "The Things We Cannot Say". It a book set in Poland during WWII. Its a little long but interesting enough to finish.

Foggy - Saturday's newspaper had a review of Shari Lapena's new book Someone We Know, noting that the writer "continues her mastery of the domestic thriller genre." The last paragraph of the review: "Someone We Know is a book you could devote a full day to reading, or enjoy a a more leisurely pace as you ponder the plot twists."

I love Lee Child's Jack Reacher stories and am reading one now, Echo Burning.

Just finished reading Pieces of Her by Karen Slaughter. It was kind of a "bubblegum for the mind" book". It did hold my interest and I finished it, something I haven't been doing lately. Never use to do that. No matter how bad it was, I always finished the book. Guess now that I'm really old, I don't want to waste my time. :-))) Been thinking about rereading The Art of Racing in the Rain. I read it 10 years ago and enjoyed. I'd like to see the movie and thought I would refresh my memory before seeing it......on the other hand, maybe I'll just see the movie. LOL

I read Where the Crawdads Sing a few months ago and absolutely loved it! My sister read it for her bookclub and loved it too. I've passed it on to a friend to read. I just finished The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger. I haven't started anything new yet, but will in a day or two.

Georgysmom2, I share your reading "philosophy". I used to plod through a book I started and didn't care for. Now that I'm older, I realize there are too many good books out there to spend precious time on one I wish I hadn't started.

I too don't continue to plow through books that I don't find compelling or enjoyable. I accept that with books as with most other things in life, normal human fallibility or just the occasional bad luck we all have can cause some rate of bad selections from choices that are made. For me, there's never a good reason to not discard or move on from something that turned out to be a mistake or not as expected in a negative way.

I recently finished Where the Crawdads Sing and enjoyed it very much. I had no idea of the author’s background. I have started David Baldacci’s newest, One Good Deed. I read several easy and fun ‘beach reads’ during the summer.

I also came to the realization several years ago that I didn’t have to finish a book I didn’t enjoy.

I have now finished Becoming Michelle Obama and really enjoyed it. Not being American I don't truly understand how difficult and draining US election campaigns can be on those who are running and of course, on those who are family. (Our federal election campaigns are 8-10 weeks long and don't cost a billion dollars).

I just found the book refreshing, engaging and seemingly honest. And she made it very clear in the book that she doesn't like politics and has no intention of ever running for office.

I liked Where the Crawdads Sing and gave it to my (82-year-old) mother for Mother's day this year. She liked it as well. Delia Owens was also interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning story a few months back.

I am reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Dystopian stories are usually not my genre but I am really liking this one.

I just finished Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. His biographies never disappoint.

Waiting for me to crack open (on my Kindle) is The Feather Thief: beauty, obsession, and the natural history heist of the century by Kirk Wallace Johnson. It's going to be a good one!

tackykat, I loved Station Eleven. I'm now reading Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, which I somehow never got around to when it first came out in the '90s. I've loved a number of her other books, and so far this one is terrific (it won the Pulitzer, so that's not very surprising.)

Rhizo - I just finished The Feather Thief and boy, did I ever like that book. I learned so much and it sure made me think.

Both DH and I love Jane Smiley's novels. Loved A Thousand Acres.

Rhizo, I was wondering what I would read next. About to finish The Lost World; a good biography sounded good since one hasn't been in que for a while. So ordered the Thomas Jefferson book this a.m. after reading your post. Thank you!

How do you all decide what to read? Most often I go to the library and wander the shelves -- first the new books, then mysteries, then nonfiction. I can pick up a book that's brand new, or a book that's sat on the shelf for decades. DH on the other hand peruses newly released e-books.

Just finished "Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend" by Matthew Dicks. I had previously read his novel "Something Missing." What a story teller this man is! His characters draw me in, the quickly paced action keeps me turning the page late into the night. You have to be willing to "suspend disbelief" to enjoy Memoirs -- yes that is imaginary in the title -- but the book left me thoughtful about other ways of looking at life. A good thing.

I am glad to see this monthly thread being posted on KT. Thanks, stacey.

Most of the time, I select books based on recommendations. I also check the librarian's favorite shelf and the new books shelf. I often pick up books by authors I have read previously.

Recently I enjoyed The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor, a novel based on the true story of a group of people traveling together on the Titanic from the same town in Ireland. Also read The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanna Veletzos, an interesting read about life in Romania during WWII and after under Soviet Rule. The author based the novel on her mother's experience of being lovingly abandoned on a door step and her subsequent adoption. I recommend both.

I too am a library wanderer. Although currently I am limiting myself to checking out only six books at a time.

Finished "Drowning Ruth". I won't try to give it a number rating, because while it did hold my interest, it did not make me want to seek out more books by that author.

Next I read "The Family Gathering" by Robyn Carr. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it is the 3rd book in her "Sullivan's Crossing' series. I don't think I read the first two, so will check the library for them on my next visit.

I started "The Road Home", book number three in the 'Broken Road' trilogy by Richard Paul Evans, yesterday. I'm already halfway through it. I do love his books! Somehow I missed the second book in this series, so that's another one I will be looking for on my next trip to the library .

Rusty

How do you all decide what to read?

Book reviews in the NYTimes or New York Review of Books, and recommendations from friends who have similar taste to mine.

Just finished Kate Atkinson's Transcription, which was ok, but not as well done as some of her earlier books. I'm now starting Isabella Hammad's The Parisian, the story of a Palestinian man which begins in 1914 as he goes to medical school in France and follows his life as he navigates two cultures.

I enjoyed Emma Kennedy's book Shoes for Anthony so much that I have also listened to her audiobook The Tent, The Bucket and Me : My Family's Disastrous Attempts to go Camping in the 70s. The author narrates it too, which makes listening so much more enjoyable.

Her parents are colorful characters whom she refers to by their first names, Tony and Brenda. Some of the funniest episodes are when Brenda cajoles them into vacationing in France even though they speak very little French. A laugh out loud book.

Nickel - a site that is good for new reading ideas is Goodreads,

I just finished reading "One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson. Its a great non fiction book about all kinds of weird and wonderful things that happened in that year. Bill Bryson write with a great deal of humor and I enjoyed every page of the book! My Dad grew up during the 1920's and it was a wonderful way to learn what was going on during his childhood!

stacey-mb, thank you for your post. i will check out Lapena's new book. I'm almost finished with her second book--A Stranger in the House. I think I know what will happen, but not sure! lol

I'm still working through the Outlander series of novels - they are interesting but sometimes rather a "Perils of Pauline" format. Also there are several characters that feel like could have been much more interesting and complex, so I really wish she had spent more time on and with them.

I read A Thousand Acres many years ago and frankly didn't care for it.

raee- I felt the same about A Thousand Acres...it was a book club pick many years ago and I really didn't enjoy it, while others thought it was great.

Just finished reading The Foundling. I think you recommended it a couple of years ago and I bought it but never got around to reading it. It was very interesting. I'm not into genealogy, but I found that part very fascinating. I bought it for my book exchange group along with several other books but went with the other choices because I hadn't read this one. I think I'm going to put it in the rotation this year. I'll be watching your recommendations for next year. :)))

I just finished River of Darkness by Ronald Hardy--the story of a group of UN doctors who are in a small colonial African nation to search for the source of black fly which causes blindness. In the mix is guerilla warfare--the locals trying to throw off the Portuguese who are in control of the government. Also included--the murder of a local hero and the disfigurement by Portuguese soldiers of a small African girl. There is woven through the story the love interests of the doctors--several stories going on in the book. It was an intriguing book but a little hard to keep all the action straight.

Rusty, do you use goodreads? I find it a great way to keep track of books I've read and books I want to read. But it's especially helpful for books in series...it tells you what they all are with the titles numbered by series order so you know what to look for....it includes 0.5 for when the author writes a prequel or, like, 2.5 when she laters writes an interval or a short story.

Annie, I "discovered" Goodreads a few years ago, got all excited about it at the time. Spent a few days checking it all out, listed a couple of books I had recently read, etc. Then promptly forgot all about it. Rediscovered it awhile back it when someone used it to start a KT online book club. (That sure didn't last long!)

Anyhow, since almost everything I read anymore comes from the library, I find their list of everything I've checked out since 2010 very helpful when I need (or want) to check what I've read. The only problem with it is, it's in the order the books were checked out, so it can take awhile to go through almost 1000 titles, unless I have some idea of when I might have read it. And renewals are listed as a separate check-out. I wish their listing was by author. Maybe I ought to start suggesting that every time I go in, that they add that option.

Rusty

I use a simple spreadsheet to keep track of books read. My default sort is by author then chrono order for each author but it's easily changed to month and year overall or by titles in alpha order. I also enter when I've reread a book so I know how many times I've read something and when. I also will enter a title if I've started a book and stopped so I know not to make the same mistake again

I read by authors. I’m reading Richard Crais. Enjoying them!

Finished "Table for Five" by Susan Wiggs and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lately my mood has been for fairly 'light' reading that has interesting story lines, and this book filled that bill perfectly. Not the sitting on the edge of my seat biting my fingernails kind of interesting, but I did find myself picking it up and reading at least a paragraph or two every chance I had.

Rusty

I just finished a book that I enjoyed very much - Savage Feast : Three Generations, Two Continents, and a Dinner Table (A Memoir with Recipes), written by Boris Fishman. The author was born in Russia and emigrated to the U.S. with his parents and grandparents at the age of 9. He describes the long and and stressful process of being approved for admission to the U.S., in which he plays an unknowingly pivotal role. As the book jacket notes, the writer "explores the challenges of navigating two cultures from an unusual angle," that is, food. Now in the U.S., as the author's grandfather becomes less able to care for himself due to advanced age, a home care worker is hired to care for him. She herself emigrated from the Ukraine and the book contains many traditional recipes that she prepares for the grandfather and, on occasion, for extended family and friends. While the author sorts out his personal issues, he finds solace in exploring food and cooking with this talented cook.

According to Amazon, this is one of Booklist's Must Read Nonfiction picks of 2019.

Nothing but thanks to this post I went and bought 3 books to take on my upcoming trip!

I keep a word doc listing books that sound interesting ... I"m adding some of these to it now, thank you all. My library purges checkout records rather quickly for legal and privacy reasons. I used to tape my checkout slips into a notebook for my own record, but last couple of years what I do instead is take a cellphone pic of any book I've particularly liked.

Currently I'm finishing up Ann B Ross's "Miss Julia" series, and starting Jessica Ellicot's "Beryl & Edwina" series. Cozy mysteries.

For dog lovers, especially for those who have been 'owned' by one, I recommend hunting up a copy of "The Ultimate Dog Lover" by Marty Becker D.V.M.. It has a lot of short (2 to 4pages) stories about dogs who are remembered by their owners for their doggness. Lovely stories and of little to no tear jerkers that keep many dog lovers from reading dog stories. The book also includes a section of Vet advice for the health and happiness of your dog that you can learn from. I picked my copy up at Ollie's Bargain Outlet for $1.99. The book was published in 2008.

Just finished A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman. It was great!

LOVED that book....another one recommended here by Stacy!

So far this month I've read The Reckoning by John Grisham, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and just today, finished A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White. I enjoyed them all very much.

I'm glad you liked The Reckoning. I was thinking about reading it a few weeks ago but was put off by the not good/very mixed reviews on Amazon. I recently read Camino Island and found it to be mediocre, a disappointment.

He may be losing his mojo if these two recent sub-par works are any indication. I think I'll take a Grisham break, or maybe reread one of his earlier books.

I am closing out August with City of Girls. So far it is intriguing and I am enjoying the narrator's wit and tone.

I just finished Once a Midwife, by Patricia Harman. It's part of a series. Harman is an interesting person, and I like her graceful, introspective style of writing. I also like to read about birthin' babies. :-)

Alisande, have you read the Jennifer Worth memoir/watched the PBS series of the same name - Call the Midwife?

I saw a couple of unconnected episodes of Call the Midwife. I'd like to see the series from the beginning if I get the opportunity. The memoir might be buried somewhere in my Kindle. :-)

Blfenton, I was happy to find someone besides me who doesn't get symbolism. I never had any interest in it. No patience for it. I just wanted to think about the characters and the plot. Still do. :-)

As for how we choose our books, quite a few of mine have come from book deals suggested in my daily email from BookBub. Sometimes I click on one, go to Amazon to look at it, and then hop around Amazon from there. One book often leads to another. Although I spend a lot of time in my local library, I'm more likely to choose books from their ongoing book sale rather than check one out for free. I like to read at my leisure and then pass the book on to my daughter or daughter-in-law, or both.

" I was happy to find someone besides me who doesn't get symbolism. I never had any interest in it. No patience for it. I just wanted to think about the characters and the plot "

I'm the same. I don't see it. I read the words I see and other than plot twists, I don't try to relate the story to any particular problem of the universe. Books that "require" that bore me.

We had an acquaintance some years ago who was an English lit prof and she said much of it is BS anyway. She said when an author intentionally develops a story to be an allegory, a reader who's onto it hasn't like discovered buried treasure of one particular kind. The details can often be interpreted as various different scenarios or meanings and there's not usually just one way to fill in the outline.

That made me feel better, for all the teachers and profs I had who left the impression that either you saw this one particular way or you missed it.

I just finished "The Dry Grass of August" set in the south in the early 50's. It's a book I won't forget any time soon. I would give it 4 1/2 stars only because it took a little bit to really get into the srory.