I just read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop which I was pretty sure was mentioned here, as I have no idea where I came across the title. I've looked a bit at previous monthly threads and cannot find it. Anyway, it was a mostly good read that pulled me in quite easily. It's a pretty short book, under 200 pages. I was expecting to really rave about it, but the end kind of fell off and didn't maintain the same level. I would probably give it 3.5 stars, but until the last maybe 20% of it, I was thinking it would have been a 4 .5

It might be a good book club book as there was a lot to it.

I am reading a sample of "Theo of Golden". So far, so good. I will have to buy it now to finish it. Who has read it?

My book club is cutrently reading The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. Its an Oprahs Book Club pick and has gotten great reviews. Terry Gross interviewed Vuong on Fresh Air.

There must be something wrong with me because I absolutely cant stand it. Its very weird to me. Its about a Vietnamese young man in a small town in Connecticut who nearly commits suicide and ends up living with and caring for an old woman with dementia. Hes also addicted to drugs.

Ded- me too me too. I read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by that author ( great title for a book) a few years ago for book club. I thought it was horrible. I think Annie read it or something by that author,within the last month or two and I remembered how much I did not like it.

It got a lot of acclaim. I have no clue why.

Well I guess I'll be making comments here- Jupidupi last month I readPonzinomics by Robert L Fitzpatrick, same concept. I will look for yours as well. Editing to add, I just reserved it (kindle) and I am 5th in line.

I was looking for an older book that passed me by, and have just started Howards End, by E.M. Forster. I know it was a movie, but as is my way , I never saw it. It's definitely "of an era" and I'm enjoying it but boy is it ever wordy. I don't think it's going to be a quick read and I hope I can stick with it.

Howards End is one of my favorite books ever. It may need a second read to really appreciate it. If you do wind up liking it, take a look at Zadie Smith's On Beauty and the two part play The Inheritance, by Matthew Lopez. Both are based off of it.

When We Were the Kennedys - Monica Wood published in 2012. Great book & I think would be a good choice for group of boomers. I chose this book because of the author. She wrote ”How to Read a Book” & ”The One in a Million Boy” that several in this thread read & enjoyed recently. I did too & searched for other books by Monica Wood in my local library. It’s a very nice read & IMO well written. My early life hometown was one eerily similar to the author’s Mexico, Maine & that might account for some of my enjoyment of her story. Interesting too is that one of the promo blurbs on the book jacket is from Ken Burns. The time span of this story is mostly April ’62, when her father suddenly dies, to November ’63 when JFK was assassinated. But, Wood does write about her family life past ’63 but it’s seamless, not a meandering story.

ETA: this book is a memoir

I'm wondering why Monica Wood hasn't had more acclaim. (I could blame the poor titles and cover art.)

I finished the latest Longmire mystery: Return to Sender by Craig Johnson. If you're a fan, you'll like this one. 4 star, not for book group.

Next up: All the Sinners Bleed by SA Cosby. Black sheriff in southern town...reminds me of In The Heat of The Night...but I'm not that far into it yet to really know.

Our next book club pick is Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Its a dystopian tale that takes place in Ireland. Will report back.

Surprisingly we had a good discussion of The Emperor of Gladness. Ive noticed before that our discussions are more lively when some of us didnt like the book.

Just started Hidden America, plus reading snippets of Proust before bed.

Annie, I didn't like All the Sinners Bleed so much, but I did like Razorblade Tears, his earlier book. I am not a crime drama fan, but that had more depth than just plot. Cosby has a new book coming out momentarily--the name escapes me. It will come to me at 2AM.

faftris -- My DH has liked Cosby's other books and was very disappointed in King of Ashes.

I'm in the middle of The Daughters of Mars, Thomas Keneally. I'd enjoy it more if the author hadn't decided to skip quotation marks. It's meant to speed the reading, but that or something else is slowing my progress. Otherwise, 4 Stars.

I finished Howards End and I can say that it probably would be a good move to read again. I did enjoy it and found it a very interesting and good read, and yes yes quite wordy. I was thinking that it might be good for a book club ( but with an understanding that this is so not a current book), and wishing that I had read it for school where there would have been a lot more discussion and explanation. Still, it had lots to ponder and the story line was quite captivating. I would give it a 4, and underscore that it was a bit trying at times...

After all the talk here, I have When We Were The Kennedys for my next read.

Forster is one of my favorite authors, and he is definitely worth a second read. I think sometimes that we forget how different things were back in the early 1900s. No radio, TV, web. Only books. And all the time in the world to read them and digest them.

I have never seen it, but the Merchant/Ivory movie of Howards End is supposed to be wonderful. But, then, all of the Merchant/Ivory films are incredible.

Just finished The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis for book group. It was ok...kept my interest up, a mystery that I partially figured out. It's one of those books that admixes later and earlier times which is not my favorite, so there's that. It is not one for great character development or literary excellence. But it was easy and fast to read and kept my interest up. I give it 3+ stars and we'll see what kind of discussion it leads to.

Next up is Verity by Colleen Hoover...came from one of those FB feeds where they go through favorite books. If they sound interesting, I check for goodreads ratings, and if it's good, I might add it to my list. So this was one of those.

I just finished The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer. I'd say this is a solid 3.5; very readable, gripping, imaginative. Really enjoyed it. Now embarking on The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, an audiobook. It is helping me dredge up some of the Farci I learned years ago. I'm not far enough in it to give it a rating, though it feels a bit predictable thus far. Still, enjoying it.

The Satisfaction Cafe--anybody? I took it out of the library and it seems a little weird. Should I be wasting my eyesight.?

I recently read and enjoyed How to Read a Book, as recommended here, and also just finished one by Michael Connelly - The Reversal. Part of a Booklist review of Connelly's novel: "Reading this book is like watching a master craftsman, slowly and carefully, brick by brick, build something that holds together exquisitely, form and function in perfect alignment."

If I'm looking for some lighter material, such as at bedtime, I've been reading (now, don't laugh!) Uncle John's Bathroom Readers. They have easy-to-read entries that are mostly shortish and often very humorous. One volume that I especially enjoyed is Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into Music. It's fairly comprehensive and covers all sorts of music-related topics, such as instrument history, concert tickets, music history, twelve recordings that changed music, etc.

Im currently reading:

”Little Bosses Everywhere”

and

”The King is Dead, Long Live the Queen” by Julia Phillips.

Chisue, I bailed on King of Ashes about 50 pages in. Similarly on Satisfaction Cafe. I appear to be on a bad streak. Time to revisit a classic!

I finished When We Were The Kennedys . It was a beautifully descriptive memoir and I so enjoyed it. I am wthin a year or two of the author's age so the times discussed really resonated. I agree that it would be a great book club selection. I give it 4.5 stars.

Thanks for all the mentions of this as I never would have come across it otherwise.

@salonva I’m happy to know you did enjoy that book! These monthly threads hosted by our good friend @Annie Deighnaugh have generated quite a few good read suggestions for me. I just picked up a book I’ve been on long wait list for at library - My Friends - Fredrik Backman’s latest. I’ve loved all of his books & especially the Beartown trilogy. I have 2 other books I must read before I can start on it.