Help me pick one from this stack I got at the library:

glendalough · Jun 12, 2007

Here are the books I just picked up...any yays? Nays?

The Memory Keeper's Daughter - I'm a fourth the way through and it's boring, keep going?

The Professor and the Madman - Winchester

Carter Beats the Devil - Gold

The Double Bind - Bohjalian

Liberating Paris Thomason

Bel Canto - Patchett

Three Men in a Boat - Jerome Jerome

2007 Guide to Literary Agents.....hey! Wait! How did that get out from underneath the treadmill...I had all that clothing on there for a reason!

katiemac · Jun 12, 2007

The Memory Keeper's Daughter - I'm a fourth the way through and it's boring, keep going?

I never read it myself, but I heard it's dull dull dull. I'd put it down.

Sorry, I haven't read any of the rest. Can't help!

glendalough · Jun 13, 2007

Well I am about half way now and its soooooooooooooooo bad! Nothing exciting happening, nothing even interesting. One baby went one way, one went the other...the details are day to day and so dull.

I hate choosing a bad book. I hope someone has read one of these others.

alleycat · Jun 13, 2007

Well, I have a fondness for Ann Patchett since she lives close me. I actually liked a couple of her other books more than Bel Canto however. It was good, but also "kinda" unsatisfying. If you want something that's more "mental" than action, then it might be a good choice for you.

J. Weiland · Jun 13, 2007

Three Men in a Boat is hilarious, if one enjoys subtle humour.

Haggis · Jun 13, 2007

Carter Beats the Devil. You'll enjoy.

CaroGirl · Jun 13, 2007

Of those, I've read only Bel Canto. I liked it because it's beautifully written and characterized, but it's not the easiest reading. The paragraphs are loooong, and the ending is, I must agree, not the most satisfying. I do believe the journey's worth it, though.

RaineeRose · Jun 13, 2007

I loved The Professor and the Madman -- but then I'm a linguistics geek at heart! I thought it was really interesting to learn how the OED was compiled.

glendalough · Jun 13, 2007

RaineeRose...hmm. I love the dictionary and grammar in general. Is there a decent story in this book as well?

janetbellinger · Jun 13, 2007

Memory Keepers Daughter - the title would make me pick it up. Did any of them win any literary awards like the Pulitzer or Booker Prize or were short-listed for anyof them? Did any outstanding and well known novelists have any praise for them on the back cover?

MarkEsq · Jun 14, 2007

RaineeRose said:
I loved The Professor and the Madman -- but then I'm a linguistics geek at heart! I thought it was really interesting to learn how the OED was compiled.

I finished this book last night and highly recommend it. It's perfect for word geeks, for those interested in the psychology of insanity, and for those who like a human-interest story.
I found it very well researched, not sensationalized, and I enjoyed the author's list of fave words at the end. I also like the way he paid tribute to... well, not sure if that would be a spoiler so I'll play safe... to one of the unsung people who led to the successful contributions made by "the madman."

glendalough · Jun 14, 2007

Okay, madman it is! lol

I need a good book, geez, how tough should that be?

I was reading on Amazon.com about books folks suggested. That's how I chose most of these.

licity-lieu · Jun 14, 2007

'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' has been chucked at my wall once or twice. Not good book--steer clear! (unless you like books that start with a great idea and then degenerate into a shloppy romance) Oh, and the treatment of the character with Down's Syndrome was vomitous IMO.

Anonymisty · Jun 19, 2007

J. Weiland said:
Three Men in a Boat is hilarious, if one enjoys subtle humour.

Here's me throwing in another vote for Jerome. I can't speak about the others, though I appreciate the heads-up on The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

althrasher · Jun 22, 2007

UGH, Memory Keeper's Daughter was SO LAME! I was just reading that book to finish it, and not out of any genuine enjoyment. Stay away!!!

Scrawler · Jun 23, 2007

MarkEsq said:
It's perfect for word geeks, for those interested in the psychology of insanity, and for those who like a human-interest story.

You had me at word geeks. I'm going to look for it tomorrow.

WriterInChains · Jun 24, 2007

licity-lieu said:
'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' has been chucked at my wall once or twice. Not good book--steer clear! (unless you like books that start with a great idea and then degenerate into a shloppy romance) Oh, and the treatment of the character with Down's Syndrome was vomitous IMO.

If this book had truly become a romance of any kind it would've been much better, IMO (but I only reached p. 100, & only because a friend handed it to me). If you're not a huge fan of adverbs, don't crack it open.

Help me pick one from this stack I got at the library:

glendalough

Not so new as all that, really

katiemac

Five by Five

glendalough

Not so new as all that, really

alleycat

Still around

J. Weiland

Lurker

Haggis

Evil, undead Chihuahua

CaroGirl

Living the dream

RaineeRose

We're moving on...

glendalough

Not so new as all that, really

janetbellinger

MarkEsq

Clever title pending.

glendalough

Not so new as all that, really

licity-lieu

drying and defragging...

Anonymisty

althrasher

Prodigal Muser

Scrawler

Bored fanatic

WriterInChains

Feed my eyes