Big fan of Magdalene Nabb and Marshal Guarnaccia. I've been reading them randomly and out of order for so long that I have made peace with not being able to completely follow any character development.

In a little free library, I recently found a copy of True Grit by Charles Portis. I confess that I had no idea that it was a book before it was made into a movie. Now then, when the John Wayne version was created it 1969, I was two, so I was more into Bert and Ernie than westerns. But I picked it up and started reading it. The book is fabulous thus far. And I will watch the original movie afterward as a comparison, but I am already getting the feeling that perhaps Wayne's larger-than-life persona may have overshadowed several other characters who are well fleshed-out and strong in their own right in the written version.

PAM

Three O'Clock Dinner by Josephine Pinckney ( 1948)

Bigdogstwo, I have True Grit from when it was published and then watched the movie with my Western-loving husband. Except for Dr. Zhivago, I always like the book better than the movie.

I am just about to start French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron.

Jaws. The movie was way better than the book. Otherwise, I agree about books and movies. I have never read Dr Zhivago but the movie was brilliant so can't compare.

Pam, I read True Grit when I was a teenager and remember enjoying it. I think I saw the John Wayne film as a child, but remember nothing about it. The Coen brothers' version from 2010 was pretty well received and if I can get my hands on both, I would love to watch them and maybe reread the book. I have a feeling that the adaptions will be very different from each other.

As for books that have been adapted into films, I generally try not to make comparisons because the different mediums require different approaches, but I hate it when film-makers make radical, unnecessary changes to the story, like Peter Jackson did by adding the love triangle to The Hobbit.

I am currently reading True Tales of American Life, a collection of short narratives about life in the USA that started as a program segment on NPR's All Things Considered. It reminds me of the podcast The Moth, which I have enjoyed. The stories are all quite short and run the gamut of human experiences and feelings and I read one or two when I'm eating breakfast and lunch at home.

Ginny, I saw the movie Jaws but never read the book. The woman I saw it with screamed at one point.

The reason I liked Dr. Zhivago less in book form was because it was very political and jumped around too much.

My husband was bored at the beginning of the Jaws movie and slumped back in his seat with an open packet of chocolate balls until the sudden shocking moment (I shall not tell!) and he jerked and sent the balls flying to roll down the nearby stairs. He was not the only one startled!

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg ( one of my favorite authors ). It is such a good story and I am enjoying the "telling of the tale " from a third person POV.

I put aside Three O'Clock Dinner for now.

I just finished Poirot and Me by David Suchet who played Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot so memorably on TV. It was good but not great. There is a lot about Suchet and the role but too much about all his other acting work which tends to be a blur of lists of actors he has worked with and roles he has played and, frankly, not that interesting. Worse, there is little about the great actors who played Hastings, Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon. They made the series very special and are much missed from the later shows. And not much about the locations, the architecture and decorative arts, the costumes and more which made this series so great. Lastly, there is in my opinion too much ME in the book. Nonetheless, it's a must-read for Poirot fans, which I am.

I just finished French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron, which wasn't very good. Now I'm ready to begin A Thief's Folly by Jeanne M. Dams. I have loved this series, but I'm afraid it has about run its course. I hope not!

I’m almost finished with Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson. Set in 1951, the main character is Harry Flynn, who has a job working with the Festival of Britain. A French woman goes missing the day after he has a date with her, and he becomes the main suspect. It’s a complicated story with a lot of characters, but I’m enjoying it. Even three chapters from the end I’m still not sure we know what happened to Delphine or who did it. Every time Harry thinks he knows the whole story we find out he doesn’t.

I’m also enjoying the details of the planning and launching of the Festival of Britain.

Donna

An enjoyable and quick read was Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. The Before During and After of a wedding set, as usual in Baltimore. I always find her characters, especially the women, believable.

Donna I missed out on the Festival of Britain. Probably too far for young children to go from the English Midlands. My DH, who lived near Hampton Court, always remembered the Space Needle.

I will look out for the Kate Atkinson!

Just got The Gates Of Midnight by Helene Wecker ( author of The Golem and The Jinni) which is the finale to the 3 book series. I cannot wait to read it ! I really loved the first book and always recommend it.

I'm also listening to Dolly All The Time and am really enjoying that as well !! A fun story with a hunky male interest :-)

I finished Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth and liked it very much. It's about a woman who has been misunderstood and abused throughout her life, even being accused of multiple murders. Written really well with a very satisfying ending.

Bon, I really liked The Golem and the Jinni, too, but recall not liking the second book. I look forward to hearing your opinion of the third!

Agreed.....didn't hate the second but I think she wasn't inspired.

Finished A Thief's Folly and liked it better than the past several by Dams. She returned her characters to the English village where they live instead of having them traveling to other places for their adventures, and I like the home setting. The story line is an American widow moves to England, meets a retired police detective, and you can figure out the rest, I'm sure. Sweet love story between mature and nice older couple.