What are you reading?

ETA:  I like the police people well enough, but she has this one American character in this book who is supposed to be from California and she seems a bit contrived.  I think that's part of what's putting me off.

Heee. I got an absolutely TERRIBLE book for review once that had the Los Angeles based cops going into In n' Out. Great, right? Well, after doing the research to find In n' Out, the author apparently never bothered to figure out it was a fast food restaurant and had them served by a waitress. They went there ALL THE TIME in the book. Each time interacting with the waitress as if she was some sort of old-timey diner lady who said "sweetie" and refilled coffee for hard working cops with a smile. It cracked me up and was one of the MANY reasons I never wrote the review. Sweet jesus. Every five pages they were there and I was both CRAVING a DoubleDouble and annoyed at the whole waitress thing.

Heee. I got an absolutely TERRIBLE book for review once that had the Los Angeles based cops going into In n' Out. Great, right? Well, after doing the research to find In n' Out, the author apparently never bothered to figure out it was a fast food restaurant and had them served by a waitress. They went there ALL THE TIME in the book. Each time interacting with the waitress as if she was some sort of old-timey diner lady who said "sweetie" and refilled coffee for hard working cops with a smile. It cracked me up and was one of the MANY reasons I never wrote the review. Sweet jesus. Every five pages they were there and I was both CRAVING a DoubleDouble and annoyed at the whole waitress thing.

Oh my!  This isn't that bad but this American character is such an annoying stereotype, always saying things like "So totally, like, major to the max."   

Oh my!  This isn't that bad but this American character is such an annoying stereotype, always saying things like "So totally, like, major to the max."   

It's been a long time since I read that one, so I can't really remember - but I don't have any clear recollection of an annoying American! FWIW, Elizabeth George is American even though her novels are set in the UK.

It's been a long time since I read that one, so I can't really remember - but I don't have any clear recollection of an annoying American! FWIW, Elizabeth George is American even though her novels are set in the UK.

I knew she was American, which is also probably part of my problem... she could do better!    To be fair, it's not like the character is meant to be annoying so I think it's more my own thing. 

I'm definitely going to give some of her other books a go, though, because there are a few things that I do like about this one.  Any suggestions? 

I knew she was American, which is also probably part of my problem... she could do better!    To be fair, it's not like the character is meant to be annoying so I think it's more my own thing. 

I'm definitely going to give some of her other books a go, though, because there are a few things that I do like about this one.  Any suggestions? 

I'd start at the beginning. I'm always more interested in the main characters than in the mystery itself - and their stories and relationships get a bit convoluted over time.

I've just started reading Flim Flam by James Randi.  It's a skewering of pseudoscientific nonsense (things like the bermuda triangle, the cottingley fairies, uri geller, etc).  It was written in the early eighties, so it's aged, but it's still fascinating.  What's interesting is that I find very few people who still believe in nonsense like the bermuda triangle, but a great many who still believe in nonsense like creationism and homeopathy.

An entertaining read so far.

We read that in our book club.  Let me know what you thought when you're finished?

So I finished reading Disgrace. It was an interesting (but disturbing) book and would have been a good one for a book club. I would have liked to discuss the main character with other people. I never grew to like the main character and at no time did I ever feel bad for him. I thought he was a narcissistic jerk and he was really no better than the creeps that attacked him and his daughter. It just creeped me out how he would sexualize almost any situation he was in.

What did you think of it??


I'm now reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I'm now reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Oh, please tell me how that is. I have to read it in a couple of months for one of my book groups and I'm already sort of dreading it. It sounds like an Oprah's Book Club selection to me which always sends up a red flag. Plus, my stepmother loved it. RED FLAG!

I never grew to like the main character and at no time did I ever feel bad for him. I thought he was a narcissistic jerk and he was really no better than the creeps that attacked him and his daughter. It just creeped me out how he would sexualize almost any situation he was in.

I think that was the general consensus of the book club.  Nothing redeeming of the man right down to the last page.  We had a visitor to the club who was from South Africa, and she helped give a bit more depth to the background of the novel.  I felt it was worth reading despite the jerk of a "protagonist", but I had a feeling others would have rather skipped it.

Oh, please tell me how that is. I have to read it in a couple of months for one of my book groups and I'm already sort of dreading it. It sounds like an Oprah's Book Club selection to me which always sends up a red flag. Plus, my stepmother loved it. RED FLAG!

My friend lent it to me and said it was a 'light, quick read'. So yes, it's probably an Oprah Book Club kinda book.

I think that was the general consensus of the book club.  Nothing redeeming of the man right down to the last page.  We had a visitor to the club who was from South Africa, and she helped give a bit more depth to the background of the novel.  I felt it was worth reading despite the jerk of a "protagonist", but I had a feeling others would have rather skipped it.

Yes, I was kind of hoping he would redeem himself in the last instant, but nope! Maybe the author was making the point that people never really change? It was definitely worth reading and it makes a great discussion book. It would have been interesting to hear someone from South Africa's take on the book. I have to say, it didn't endear me to the country.

Oh, please tell me how that is. I have to read it in a couple of months for one of my book groups and I'm already sort of dreading it. It sounds like an Oprah's Book Club selection to me which always sends up a red flag. Plus, my stepmother loved it. RED FLAG!

I read The Help.  I didn't think I would like it but I did.  Not my favorite book ever but a good read.  In the afterword the author describes how she feels defensive about her homestate among critical New Yorkers even while she is very critical of Mississippi herself.  It gave me a smile of recognition.

Thanks, Tin!

I'm reading High Wages by Dorothy Whipple and loving it. I recently described it to a friend as a warm blanket I want to wrap myself up in!

I'm reading "Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs" - so far so good 

Just finished The Help and I really enjoyed it, like couldn't-put-it-down kind of enjoyed it. Like Tin, I liked the extra bit at the end when the author talked about her experience writing it.

Next up is Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

I read The Help.  I didn't think I would like it but I did.  Not my favorite book ever but a good read.  In the afterword the author describes how she feels defensive about her homestate among critical New Yorkers even while she is very critical of Mississippi herself.  It gave me a smile of recognition.

I just finished reading The Help too. I really enjoyed it but I thought it ended rather abruptly. I wanted a little more of a ending and wanted to see what happened to the characters. I really enjoyed the afterword too. Being from Alabama, I feel the exact same way about my state and have had a few instances similar to the ones the author had.