pickA story of a group of women and girls in the west Texas oil fields, but so much more. It‘s a story of how people can be pushed to the edge of sanity and reason; how a crime can shake a town to its roots; how a victim becomes a survivor; how a mother can become a warrior; how to exist through grief that overwhelms. Elizabeth Wetmore writes so well even describing the most painful things, you may cry from sadness, or from eloquence, or both.
There‘s no author quite like Jasper Fforde! “[the mythical Wintervolk] all were great fun, but if there was one particular favorite of mine, it was the Gronk. Feeding off the shame of the unworthy while folding linen and humming Rodgers and Hammerstein hits has a certain inspiring randomness about it.”
This summer I‘m hosting a Speculative Fiction book club. Our first read was The Salt Line, a literary, dystopian future, suspenseful thriller not quite like anything else I‘ve read. The characters are vivid and true. Even the “villains” are well-rounded enough that they feel real: they love their children and that makes them empathetic even while their actions are despicable.
For more info on our summer book club reads, visit www.thebookloft.com
pickA fascinating book about time, and memory, and reality. I gave it one less than 5 stars mainly because
*****SPOILER FOLLOWS*****
the lead female character who had been the brilliant mind behind the device and was trying to fix the problem for years and years, is supplanted in the end by a man who finally saves the world. How disappointing. What‘s the point of a strong female lead if the author abandons her in the end?
so-soToo many footnotes which seem to be a cop out in a world building tale. But the basic premise was fun with its nods to the Oz characters and some very funny humor. Overall SoSo.
pickCompelling, literary, dystopian future with strong characters living in a post-polar ice cap melted world.
Moodier, more introspective, and sadder than I thought. Every species, Baka and human, has regrets.
My parents were at this game, and I‘ve heard about it all my life. Looking forward to this book!
pickExcellent writing about difficult subjects and characters.
so-soThis page was the best part of the book. Kudos to the illustrator.
so-soI‘m having to put this aside for now. Sorry, Mr. Sandford, I usually love your books. But if I want to read about people behaving badly in DC, I can open any newspaper.
pickToday‘s #bookrecommendation Country Dark by Chris Offutt. Filled with evocative descriptions and beautifully told. #bookstagram #books #countrydark there is a memorable, elegant line on nearly every page; like this: “She hoped for a rainbow but none came and she understood that she was an adult now and adults didn‘t hope for what they couldn‘t control, but accepted what was there — the tree in the road, the woods, the soft thin blue of sky.”
A lot of great audiobooks are on sale this week on Libro.fm/theBookloft including this one! You can listen to audiobooks and support independent bookstores at the same time!
Catching up on some YA reading for the store ...
It‘s always fun when a new Flavia de Luce novel appears in the bookstore!
“The last guy I was infatuated with turned out to be a serial killer ...”
Has anyone read books by T R Ragan? Just started this; seems good so far!
My daily dose of stoicism is summed up nicely as “where ever you go, there you are.”
Promises to be creepy and beautiful. I‘ve been sucked in from the very first.
The blurbs on the back look good. I‘ll let you know what I think!
pickThis weekend I was reading The Escape Artist — in between painting my office, watching a couple of Jessica Jones episodes, and shopping for a new car — haven‘t quite finished it yet, but I like it!
“ . . . in the belief that it might save them.” This is one of the saddest passages I‘ve ever read.
“When all the memories have departed, so too will he. The dead have no recall.”
I‘ve been reading John Connolly for nigh on twenty years; this is nothing like anything he‘s written before, but so far promises to be lovely.
pickAlways so happy to read a new book featuring Lynley and Havers. Thank you, Ms. George!
“We serial killers are your sons; we are your husbands: we are everywhere.” Ted Bundy
Excited to receive an ARC for Noir!
so-soGood enough that I finished the book, but that‘s about it. Needed more mystery about who the killer was (it became obvious to me about half way through), and less silliness about ghosts and nightmares. Other people‘s dreams are boring in real life, not sure what authors think they add to a piece of fiction.
bailed
