Book list - discuss.

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Sílvia
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Book list - discuss.

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Sílvia
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Re: Book list - discuss.

Post by Sílvia »

Aah, I love these lists... even if only for the fact that I can disagree with them. Of those, the only one I *loved* was The Help. Poisonwood Bible was a close second. I really liked several others (Lovely Bones, Kite Runner, Memoirs of a Geisha). Others to me were utter crap (Eat, Pray, Love, Bernadette, The Secret Life of Bees). Others I couldn't get into at all (Everything's Illuminated, The Goldfinch.)

What say you, oh wise reader friends?
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Spudd
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Re: Book list - discuss.

Post by Spudd »

I removed the ones I haven't read.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold -- enjoyed it
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- loved the first half, meh on the second half
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri -- I think I read this, and it was ok, nothing special
Life of Pi by Yann Martel -- enjoyed it but it went slightly over my head, I had to re-read once I found out what the interpretation is
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green -- loved it
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd -- I had the audiobook, and was listening to it at the gym. I don't know why, I stopped after like a third of it, and never went back to it later. It didn't really grab me.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen -- I read this one recently-ish. I found the language pretentious as hell, and the plot meandering and unexciting.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple -- I feel like I read this, I'm pretty sure I did, but I honestly can't remember much about it. When I read the plot summaries they seem sort of familiar but I'm not confident I read it.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver -- eh, it was okay.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett -- Pretty good, not life shattering.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen -- This one I did really enjoy. I think the fact that I read it as an audiobook probably helped. You really get sucked into the descriptions with an audiobook.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje -- Meh.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -- This was sort of fascinating because it was a true story, but I wasn't super in love with it.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini -- LOVED this. Loved it to death. Another audiobook, read by the author, which again I think helped a lot.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt -- I found this pretty enjoyable. Although, I was amused when he cited having to use his tea leaves twice as an example of the hardship of his childhood, because I do that all the time to save money. It's nearly as good the 2nd time.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -- Loved it. The 2nd one was also quite good, the 3rd one not at all.
Bossypants by Tina Fey -- Meh. Boring.
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer -- This was entertaining. It was another audiobook so the accent really added a certain pizzaz.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy -- I think I read this, but I don't remember.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden -- I really liked this one. But it was years ago that I read it.
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Sílvia
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Re: Book list - discuss.

Post by Sílvia »

Ok, now I feel bad that you were so thorough! Here's me:

•The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - 4 stars
•Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - 3 stars
•Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri - read the 1st story the other day. It was well-written, but I really can't see the appeal of short stories. When they start to get interesting, they're over.
•The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 3 stars
•Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang - I skimmed through most of it. It's not even on my goodreads because that was cheating. I found it super boring.
•Wild by Cheryl Strayed - I gave it 4 stars, though looking back now, it's more like 3. I really think I should start rating books at least 1 month after I've read them. I often change my mind.
•White Teeth by Zadie Smith - 1 star
•House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III - haven't read it, but I liked the movie.
•Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - 1 star
•The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - 2 stars
•Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple - 2 stars
•One Day by David Nicholls - 3 stars
•The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - 5 stars, but I don't remember much. Should re-read it.
•The Help by Kathryn Stockett - 5 stars
•Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - 1 star. One of those cases where you question if you've read the same book as everybody else.
•The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - haven't read it, loved the movie.
•The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - 3 stars
•The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - 4 stars. Don't remember much, should re-read.
•Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - 3 stars
•Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer - couldn't get into it AT ALL.
•Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - 4 stars, don't remember much.
•The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - couldn't get into it.
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Re: Book list - discuss.

Post by Blush »

I'll remark on the ones I've read

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold-- liked it; interesting premise
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn--I was fairly riveted
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Life of Pi by Yann Martel--It was fine
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green--really hit me in the feels
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert--listened as an audio book. I think that made me like it more as her voice is soothing
Fifty Shades of Gray by E L James
Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer--was ok. Not that interesting. Navel-gazing-y.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd--pretty good
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple--really enjoyed it
One Day by David Nicholls --not memorable
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Help by Kathryn Stockett -- good
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Bossypants by Tina Fey -- funny, sharp
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Road by Cormac McCarthy -- stayed with me a long time
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden -- transporting
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt -- parts were better than others. It didn't need to be that long.
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Re: Book list - discuss.

Post by Rowan »

• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold – yes, loved it
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - yes, loved it
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - yes, loved it
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed – hated it but finished it; whiny whiny whiny
• House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III – started it but couldn’t finish
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - ok
• Fifty Shades of Gray by E L James – take all 3 books and make 1 book and it’s ok
• The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer – I know I read it but I forget
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd – I think I read it but I forget
• Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple - yes, loved it
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett - yes, loved it
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - yes, loved it
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot – I liked the history of this (particularly since I’ve used these cells in experiments) but I thought the author’s treatment of the family was very poor)
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls – very good
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – I started this 3 different times and it finally took and I loved it
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – I read it before it was a thing and loved it
• Bossypants by Tina Fey – I want to like Tina but I just don’t
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy - - yes, loved it
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