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The Last Book You Read

shadforth

shadforth

Member
Don't know if you'll go for this but I thought it would be a good idea to say a few words about the last book you read!:rolleyes:

The last book I read was Replay by Ken Grimwood(1944-2003). It won the World Fantasy award in 1986.

Synopsis: At 43 Jeff Winston is tired of his low-paid,unrewarding job,tired of the long silences at the breakfast table with his wife,saddened by the thought of no children to comfort his old age. But he hopes for better things,for happiness,maybe tomorrow....But a sudden,fatal heart attack puts paid to that. Until Jeff wakes up in his 18 year old body,all his memories of the next twenty five years intact. If he applies those memories,he can be rich in this new chance at life and become one of the most powerful men in America. Until he dies at 43 and wakes up in hi 18 year old body again...

This may not be an original idea,tho' it was 7 years ahead of Groundhog Day,but Ken Grimwood quickly welds the reader into the mind of Jeff and the choices he makes second and third times around his turbulent lives. I read this in four days,quite a record for a slug like me!:) Highly recommend Replay to fantasy readers and everyone in general. If you knew what was coming in the next 25 years would you try and alter major historical events as well as your own life?

Also by Ken Grimwood: Breakthrough,Elise,The Voice Outside,Into The Deep.
 
The Other Boelyn Girl

by Philippa Gregory

Synopsis: The story follows Mary Boelyn, Ann Boelyn's less-than-famous sister from her marriage to her becoming Henry VIII's mistress to her sister's rise and fall from the throne.

As was the case with the other Philippa Gregory books I have read, this book is fast-paced and historically accurate (for a fictional work, of course). It brings to light the possible life of the lesser-known sister who, though never achieving the "greatness" of her sibling, still manages to have had an effect on her surroundings. I am a big fan of historical fiction, especially those set in the Tudor period and look forward to reading another of her books set in this era.
 
Last one I read was Small Island by Andrea Levy. It's a re-read, but I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time around.

It takes place during WW2, and is set in London. It follows the lives of 4 people - Queenie and Bernard (British husband and wife), and Hortense and Gilbert, a Jamaican husband and wife who are lodgers in Queenie's home, and looking for a better life in England.
 
Last book i read was jane eyre, i'm going to go ahead and assume thateveryone knows what its about.
I thouroughly njoyed it.
 
Three Cups of Tea

Normally, I don't read anything from the best sellers list; not much of a risk taker, I like the classics. However, I heard such good things about the book so I bought a copy. The tale was not disappointing, though it fell far short of being on my 'favorites' list. Right after I felt compelled to re-read Tarzan of the Apes...

Perhaps it's just me but climbing a mountain that others have climbed to imortalize a dead loved one just seems self-glorifying. Also, the theme of 'every conflict can be solved with education' seems rather naive. Sometimes, radical people like to kill the innocent, are set on the endeavor and no amount of schooling will convince them otherwise. Yes, it is a cynical view... she wrote unapologetically.

I did like the good description of the rigors of climbing and the frank, depreciating bouts of toil when one is faced with defeat and possible death on a mountainside, though it was slightly reminiscent of 'Alive'. Minus the people-eating, of course.

Anyway, I found it very interesting that under the prior title said book sold poorly until re-titled 'Three Cups of Tea'. Before it was published as: 'One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism One School at a Time'. Title change and whammo! On the NYBS.

Short note: As I was picking it out from the best-sellers wall, three girls came by, giddily buying copies of the Twilight series. I shudder at the sight of them, but nonetheless they exist and sell. The girls were talking loudly of the upcoming bookstore 'night' when the latest in the series would be presented for sale. One girl wondered which character she should dress up as for the 'party' that night. Since they were involving all within earshot in their conversation, I gave them the following advice:

"You should dress up as Jane Austen. Then you can walk up to Meyer and eviscerate her with your quill..."
 
meredithgreene said:
Normally, I don't read anything from the best sellers list; not much of a risk taker, I like the classics. However, I heard such good things about the book so I bought a copy. The tale was not disappointing, though it fell far short of being on my 'favorites' list. Right after I felt compelled to re-read Tarzan of the Apes...

Perhaps it's just me but climbing a mountain that others have climbed to imortalize a dead loved one just seems self-glorifying. Also, the theme of 'every conflict can be solved with education' seems rather naive. Sometimes, radical people like to kill the innocent, are set on the endeavor and no amount of schooling will convince them otherwise. Yes, it is a cynical view... she wrote unapologetically.

I did like the good description of the rigors of climbing and the frank, depreicating bouts of toil when one is faced with defeat and possible death on a mountainside, though it was slightly reminiscent of 'Alive'. Minus the people-eating, of course.

Anyway, I found it very interesting that under the prior title said book sold poorly until re-titled 'Three Cups of Tea'. Before it was published as: 'One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism One School at a Time'. Title change and whammo! On the NYBS.

Short note: As I was picking it out from the best-sellers wall, three girls came by, giddily buying copies of the Twilight series. I shudder at the sight of them, but nonetheless they exist and sell. The girls were talking loudly of the upcoming bookstore 'night' when the latest in the series would be presented for sale. One girl wondered which character she should dress up as for the 'party' that night. Since they were involving all within earshot in their conversation, I gave them the following advice:

"You should dress up as Jane Austen. Then you can walk up to Meyer and eviscerate her with your quill..."
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I almost bought this book last week. The Russian Concubine looked more interesting.

Alot of authors use gimmics to sell their books Meredith.
 
Libra said:
I almost bought this book last week. The Russian Concubine looked more interesting.

Alot of authors use gimmics to sell their books Meredith.
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*ahem* snicker@gimmicks

Having an opinion about a book I bought is not necessarily a trick (or device) used to attract business, or attention. Speaking of literature, how was the er, Russian Concubine? (lots of eye blinking)
 
Have not read it yet.

Something wrong with your eyes?:D

I didn't say anything was wrong with your opinion, or how you said it.

I am just stating every author has their way.
 
I just finished reading "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. It was probably one of the craziest books I have ever read, and I wouldn't even know how to start describing the synopsis.... has anyone else read it?
 
Just finished Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris. Really interesting read.

kerouac66, I haven't read House of Leaves. Would you recommend it, despite its craziness?
 
Into the wild, by Jon Krakauer

Synopsis (from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/)
In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. He had given $25,000 in savings to a charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet and invented a life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. Jon Krakauer brings Chris McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows and illuminates it with meaning in this mesmerizing and heartbreaking tour de force.

I loved this book. Krakauer tells McCandless's story in such a respectful and passionate way that you can't help but wish you had known him...
 
kerouac66 said:
I just finished reading "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. It was probably one of the craziest books I have ever read, and I wouldn't even know how to start describing the synopsis.... has anyone else read it?
Click to expand...

I tried it, and gave up on it. I just couldn't keep track. :blink: However, I do plan on giving it another try at some point in the near future.
 
The Blindfold by Siri Hustvedt.
This one just didn't do it for me -- neither the plots, characters, settings nor writing of the four component sub-stories.
 
shadforth said:
Don't know if you'll go for this but I thought it would be a good idea to say a few words about the last book you read!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Threads like this get closed because what's the point in being able to make threads on individual books and opt to have thoughts on them all clustered away in a single thread? If you want to say what you thought of a book then why not do a quick search to see if there's a thread on it (some of those mentioned already have threads) and, if not, start one. It doesn't matter if you are only saying a single sentence about it.
 
Stewart said:
Threads like this get closed because what's the point in being able to make threads on individual books and opt to have thoughts on them all clustered away in a single thread? If you want to say what you thought of a book then why not do a quick search to see if there's a thread on it (some of those mentioned already have threads) and, if not, start one. It doesn't matter if you are only saying a single sentence about it.
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Voice of reaon(at least most of the time.):D
 
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