I really enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being.

Late last night, I finished reading All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren. I’m astounded by its power, beauty and depth. It truly is one of THE best books I’ve ever read, a modern epic. 5 out of 5, and I feel too humbled to even attempt to rate it.

Though written in 1946, it reads like a novel written today. I don‘t know why I hadn’t read it until now. I have a feeling I will read and re-read this for years to come.

nutsaboutplants, it's even better the second time through. I'd forgotten enough to make it new again. I must have read it 4 or so years ago. The world has changed so much since then, especially in the U.S. Some of the sinister goings on hit much closer to home these days.

I'm reading Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates. I am enjoying it but I am in a reading slump. I will probably read a lot this weekend since we are going camping.

@mtnrdredux_gw- whenever i want to send someone a 'Maine' card I look to Alison Bramhall. Her designs make me smile. https://festivefish.net/ I have a bunch of her placemats too!

Because my son gave it to me and it’s one of his favorite books, I tried to get into Freedom, by Franzen but just couldn’t after 50+ pages. Sorry, son. The characters were just not engaging.

I am currently reading A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner. Several of her books were mentioned here but this was the only one available to download. I am enjoying it so far. Interesting to read how Clara, a nurse on Ellis Island in 1911, is wearing a mask and washing her hands frequently while caring for newly-arrived immigrants with scarlet fever.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy from a pal. OMG--SO GOOD! He's one of my favorite authors. A Man Called Ove, Beartown, Us Against You, Britt Marie Was Here--loved them all. Anxious People is a real page turner. I love it!

Thanks for the head's up, Annegriet, I love his books, too. I just reserved an advance copy at my library...I'm 17th in line, which is pretty good, considering when I usually hear of a good book that's fairly new, I can be 80th in line!

Co-signed what Oly wrote, but the book is on order at my library and I’m #3 on the hold list.

I loved loved loved Beartown and Us Against You.

I just jumped over to my library app to reserve Anxious People and I'm #3 on the list! Woohoo.!! First nondigital book since pre-Covid.

I just finished listening to the most extraordinary audiobook about a young Jewish man's efforts to survive in Berlin during World War II. When he was 19, he and his parents were ordered by the German government to assemble at a prominent synagogue. Many many other Jews were also assembled there and when soldiers found out that the young man was trained as a machinist, they took him and separated him from his parents. He never saw them again. He worked in a German factory for a while, but the pressure on Jews became even greater, so he had to use the utmost courage and resourcefulness to survive. He presents as a very fine character and I became very anxious at the harrowing and distressing experiences he had to endure, fearful for his survival. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars. The Audible.com narrator was excellent too. Title is On the Run in Nazi Berlin : a Memoir / Bert Lewyn with Bev Saltzman Lewyn.

If I'm looking for a book to read, I almost automatically reject those described as "harrowing" as I have here. This book is so worthwhile reading even though there are terrifying moments if for no other reason than to get to know this young man who conducted himself with such intelligence and dignity throughout his struggle. Bravo!

About to start Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. It 's for book club and looks like it should be a good read. Looking forward to it if I can just decide to get started.

Crazy Rich Asians. I'm giving it up at halfway through. I like knowing about other cultures, but this is just tiresome.

That sounds good, Stacey.

I just read The Scarecrow by Harry Bosch series author Michael Connelly, in preparation for reading his latest Jack McEvoy stand alone which is Fair Warning. There are actually 3 McEvoy books; I read the first one when it came out and was completely creeped out by that plot in a good way of course. Then I totally missed The Scarecrow on its publication.

According to the Amazon page Connelly feels McEvoy is his alter ego, and it shows. The books are pitch perfect Connelly. Fast paced twisty plots with diabolical villains and a really smart hero who figures out whatever the bad guys can throw at him and always wins in the end. I'm so thrilled that I get to mainline two of these back to back!

Just finished Anatomy of a Murder. What a good book 5 star. It was a ground breaker in its day, the first of the major court room murder mystery dramas. I'd seen the movie multiple times and couldn't help but see/hear Jimmy Stewart, Ben Gaazara, George C Scott, et al as I was reading it. Some slight variations from the movie but it was a wonderful read. I'd only recommend it for book group if they are into books of this genre.

Next up is Land of Wolves, #15 in the Longmire series. Of course I have the same issue as Robert Taylor is Longmire for me...as well as all the other characters from the series.

Book group next month is Mrs. Everything. I haven't started it yet, but I'll let you know...

I had a book hangover today--up all night reading Anxious People. You folks are not going to be disappointed.

LOL book hangover. BTDT

I'm reading Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline. It's the first time I have read this author and so far the book is grabbing my attention. I just returned from a library pick up and now have This Tender Land and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. Our library has curbside pick up whereby you are given an appointment window and the books are outside in paper bags lined up alphabetically. It is just another aspect of small town life that is enjoyable, but I do miss the human interaction inside the library.

Bonnie, based on recommendations in this forum, I have both Someone Knows and Slaying Vampires on hold at my library.

Last night I finished All the Light We Cannot See. I read it when it first came out and, after a run of fun but trashy summer reading, I needed something well-written. Omg, it was even better the second time through. 5 stars. I'm surprised by how much I'd forgotten, so much detail I felt I'd missed the first time.

Slightly spoilerish...

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I think the story would have been just as good without the Sea of Flames jewel. It did provide one character's story arc, and a reason for her dad's arrest, but I think the rest of the characters and stories could stand on their own.

Why did I remember Marie and Werner slow dancing in the attic to Clair de Lune? Clearly it never happened, and I must be conflating it with another story out there somewhere. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't write the book. :)

I mentioned on another thread how much my friend Loves the Outlander books and series. She was hooked right from the get-go. Lo and behold she was at Value Village, picking up some more Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich, and saw the Outlander book. So she bought it for me! I hope I love it as much as she does!

I just started Someone Knows, a few chapters in. I find the character Sasha so odious that I don’t know that I want to continue. Real life is already full of selfish a-holes. Do I want to read about one for pleasure?

ETA: I bailed. My fuse is very short these days. :)

I loved Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. Wasn't crazy about Fair Warning, but it picked up halfway through. (Kinda formulaic, and our hero is unpleasantly shallow as the headline-chasing journalist.)

Isn't there a classic movie of All The King's Men?

We soured on the Silva survives-everything hero; too far over the top, a cartoon.

Just finished Anxious People --attention all Fredrik Backman fans--you're going to love it!

Annegriet, I’m 7th or 8th in line for Anxious People. Hope to read it soon.

Chisue, I understand there are two films based on All the King’s Men. The 1949 one is supposed to be very good, and the one made in the 1990s with Sean Penn is said to be a total miss. Of course, the only one I can find for free on amazon or Netflix is the latter.

I’m just starting Mary Trump’s Too Much and Never Enough. Will report back soon.

I haven‘t updated in a while. My reading has been a mixed bag this month.

Best book I read this month:

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum. This is a heartbreaking story of a multigenerational Palestinian family living in NYC that deals with the cultural oppression of women as well as emotional and physical abuse. It is a difficult read but I found the writing to be beautiful, with complicated, well developed characters. 4+ Stars - this would make for an excellent book club discussion.

Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr. A short memoir about Doerr’s year long sabbatical in Rome with his wife and twin baby boys. The descriptive writing style that made me love his bestseller All the Light We Cannot See is what made me enjoy this book as well. There isn’t much going on day to day as he and his wife struggle with raising twins in a country where they don‘t speak the language, which might make this a boring read for some. However, his descriptions of Rome, its people and its history made me nostalgic for the semester I spent studying in Rome many years ago. 4 Stars for me, but I recognize why it might not appeal to others.

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali - a disappointment. Set mostly in Tehran in the 1950s, I was hoping to learn more about Iranian culture and history. Instead, I found a mostly schmaltzy romance. The only redeeming part was the descriptions of Middle Eastern cuisine. 2 stars.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. Nothing I’d go out of my way to recommend but as an audiobook, it was decently entertaining for my daily walks. 3 stars.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. I don’t often read chick lit. This was a predictable story. A quick beach read but nothing to rave about. 3 Stars

Dark of the Moon by John Sandford. I’m not sure how I happened to check this one out from Libby as I’ve never read anything by this prolific crime/mystery writer and I never will again. I definitely am not the audience for this author. Women are portrayed as sex objects, dialogue was stereotypical banter among men. Could not finish. 1 star.

I am currently reading Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz. I’m about 1/3 through and it’s good so far.

I also started listening to The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi yesterday. Really enjoying it so - since it is an audiobook, it will motivate me to make sure I keep up with my daily walks despite the nasty heat and humidity!

nutsaboutplants -- Oh, the original, please!

Now I'm upset that our library doesn't have Anxious People, just some *hockey* related novels of his. (Not my thing, hockey.)

Finished Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles. I recommend it. Book club loved it, too. We eere impressed with the amount of research that goes into writing a book like this. Not only was it an engaging story, we also learned a lot about the days follothe Civil War in far flung Texas.

Next up for book club is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Must be very popular because there were over 300 holds at my library system. I decided to buy it. Its about African American twins, one of whom lives her life passing as white and the other who stays with her black racial identity. I’ll report back when i finish.

In the meantime I’ve been reading The Hearts Invisible Furies . it’s excellent so far .

Ded-tired, I read The Vanishing Half earlier this summer. It was one of the better books I’ve read in the last couple of months. It will certainly be good for book club discussion.

The Hearts Invisible Furies is one of my all time favorite books. Boyne is a talented writer, but that is his best by far! Glad you are enjoying it.

I had no idea that Backman had a new book out. I placed a hold on it at my library a few days ago but it is still on order so I can’t even see how many are ahead of me on the waitlist yet.

Heart's Invisible Furies is one of my all-time favorites as well. I'll have to look into The Vanishing Half.

Yesterday I started "A walk along the beach" by Debbie Macomber, its very good so far. I am still trying to finish the other 2 but this one is moving very quickly. I guess I just like very light reading without a lot of complications.

chisue, don't let "hockey related novels" put you off reading two excellent books. I don't give a fig for hockey and that didn't matter. These stories take place in a small, somewhat isolated town on the edge of a large forest (in Sweden, although the country is never mentioned). Hockey is the glue that keeps the town alive and afloat, like high school football does in some American towns. You don't have to be into hockey. It's the backdrop for the storyline and character development. I loved Beartown and Us Against You, and I still don't give a fig for hockey. It's immaterial.

All the King's Men was on PBS last night. It was made in 1949 and was very stagey and mannered. It's kinda put me off reading the book.

Annegriet, you're lucky to have gotten your hands on an advance copy of Anxious People. I'm third on my library's wait list, but Amazon won't have it until September 8. I suspect my wait will take that long.

I'm almost finished with "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb. It's a long book, almost the length of two books. I've enjoyed it but think it's time for it to end.

Just finished In the Water by Paula Hawkins who is a new author for me. Also have been reading e-books from the library to avoid going there to pick up regular books. It is a murder mystery--several in fact--which appears to be a suicide on the surface. I think this deserves 4 1/2 stars because it kept me guessing until the very end. There are several issues that a book group might discuss. Decided to read Hawkins' The Girl on the Train next to see if it keeps me guessing that long.

Chisue, I felt the same way about Beartown. I started it but have no interest in reading about hockey or small town hockey culture, despite peoples' assurances it was so much more. I love his other books, but put down Beartown as soon as it was clear it was about hockey. Like fingernails on a blackboard...and I would have felt the same way had it been about football or baseball. Not my thing.

Wonderful to get some *perspectives* on all these reads. At the moment, I am bookless...a horrible state of affairs! Hope our library calls soon, saying they have something ready to be picked up. I find tablets heavy, and I like to be able to 'go back' if I need to refresh my memory about something.

A Kindle weighs much less than a hardcover book - I think a paperwhite model weighs less than half a pound.

I have an iPad and it's not lightweight. However, thanks to its cover, it will stand up at the perfect reading angle all by itself. During the day I read at my kitchen table, hands free. I prefer it to having to rig my purse straps as a book holder.

The Kindles I've held are much lighter than both our mini and medium sized iPads. And are also lighter than our smallish and medium sized Android tablets.

Bunny, I can’t vouch for the film version of All the King’s Men, as I haven’t seen it. But do try the book, in case the film is a far cry from the book it’s based on.

A Stable Genius. I'm on hold for Mary Trump's book. It's number one on the NYTimes bestseller list.

I just finished the new Emma Straub book, All Adults Here. Just okay, very readable, but not sure what the point was, when I finished it. Cannot wait to read Mary Trump’s book, but I don’t think I will get it from the library’s waiting list for a few months...

At least 8 years ago, I went to using nothing but a Kindle. That was when you needed a cover and a light. I now have a paper white that is several years old. It doesn’t need a light and I can slip it in a padded Vera Bradly bag to protect it in my purse.

I started using Kindle for several reasons, mainly (1) I can carry a ton of books with me when I travel and (2) I was put off by the ick/germ/smell of library books. Even before the lovely Corona introduced herself to us, I could not stand the idea of touching library books.

I have access to two library systems that I download Kindle books from. I also pay for Kindle Unlimited although I’m thinking I need to reassess that decision. It is $10/mo and I’m not sure I’m getting $120/year out of it. Some of the books that are available are pretty bad.

I too am a major kindle (paper white ) fan. I think I have had mine for about 3 to 5 years. I use the library exclusively. I also have access to 2 library systems. ( we moved, and my old library system access still works! don't tell!!!). I do reserve a ton of books and when they become available I am delighted. They have a feature where you can tweak the delivery date ( you can suspend the hold for a week, 2 weeks, etc).

I think I have actually bought one kindle version from amazon but it really bothers me that you cannot easily share to someone else and I never re-read a book. I think they used to have a lot more promotions and the book I bought was actually a $1.99 special. I don't see many promotions any more lately.

That is why I never bought books but always used the library. I have thought about doing the kindle unlimited but it's so rare that I am unable to get a book in a timely manner from the library, so thus far I haven't sprung for the $10 a month.

I believe you can purchase Kindle Unlimited on a month by month basis. There may even be a 30-day free trial, IIRC. That might give you an idea of whether or not you would use it. This is an interesting article about how Kindle Unlimited authors get paid.

I think the ability to share a book is made by the publisher. I bought a book and shared it before reading it. Now I can’t remember who I gave it to. And just like real books, I can’t read it until I get it back from whoever I loaned it to!

Finished Too Much and Never Enough last night. Very cohesive and logical. I can’t believe that people can do the kinds of things Donald, his father and siblings did, especially to their own family.

She does a decent job of balancing the familial and the national, so that it doesn’t veer too far into the family drama arena.

Her perspectives as a mental health professional with unique access to the family dynamics help distinguish this book from all the others trying to make sense of a man that defies logic.

I have seen the original "All the King's Men" twice, I love it.

Have to catch up on my William Kent Kruger books, been reading Brian Freeman's books, another MN author.

I just finished Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison. I couldn't put it down. What a different kind of book.

Now reading Stalked by Brian Freeman.

"I also have access to 2 library systems. ( we moved, and my old library system access still works! don't tell!!!)."

That may be perfectly allowable although certainly unlikely to be enforced since most cards do expire after a few years and need to be renewed.

Something I've mentioned before is that in many states, residents are granted library card privileges for library systems in other cities and towns of the state they live in. California offers this, parts of NY state do too. In California, unless special accommodations have been made because of current circumstances, it may be more difficult right now because library card applications need to be made in person. (I have 10 and they can be renewed by phone when they periodically expire).

Getting new cards is a bit more of a challenge since many libraries are closed. The NY Public Library, which has a very extensive Overdrive collection, allows remote card application and internet borrowing for in-state residents using its app SimplyE. Call your regional libraries to see what can be done, if interested.

Another way to get access to different Overdrive collections, as an example, is to exchange library card numbers with friends who live elsewhere. I myself have three such accounts with people I know in different cities in other parts of the US.

The advantage of the multiple card approach is that the popularity of books, the number of copies of any one particular title purchased and made available, and indeed which books are chosen to provide vary from library to library. More often than not, when I'm looking for a particular title, it's not unusual to find a 12 week or longer wait at one large library and immediate availability at another. Or, for books of lesser popularity, I may check 4 different libraries to find the book isn't in their Overdrive subscription and then the 5th library I check will have it.

Just finished Land of Wolves...part of the Longmire series and a classic. Enjoyed it. Not sure what's next...