Author Topic: Books Recommended by our Members - April 2009 (Read 23245 times) Tweet

Jesslyn · « **Reply #100 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:34:43 pm »

Quote from: Steph H on April 10, 2009, 10:15:16 pm

Thanks for that recommendation, Jesslyn. I had read about that book just the other day on a fantasy blog and downloaded a sample after reading all the good Amazon reviews. Nice to see a good KB review/recommendation as well!

I am so jazzed! I got two great books in a row. Usually, I have to kiss a lot of frogs--but got two princes in a row!

Highly recommended to Fantasy fans
Mortal Coils

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Gertie Kindle · « **Reply #101 on:** April 15, 2009, 07:40:57 pm »

Quote from: geoffthomas on April 15, 2009, 08:32:39 am

Just finished A.D. 62: Pompeii, a novel by Rebecca East.
Good read. Nice historical setting and details. recommend it. A little girly but author is female and so is the main character. Again, I would recommend reading it.

I think Rebecca offered to do a read with the author book klub on this, so I'm holding off to see if it gets off the ground.

Gertie Kindle · « **Reply #102 on:** April 15, 2009, 07:43:12 pm »

Quote from: geoffthomas on April 15, 2009, 09:42:23 am

Gertie and Anju (Dona) - I have started a Discussion Thread in The Book Corner for these books. Come join us - I have invited Jeff to participate.

I already joined you over there, Geoff. Thanks for starting the thread.

geoffthomas · « **Reply #103 on:** April 15, 2009, 08:30:44 pm »

This sort of sharing (even more than accessories and stuff) is why I joined KB and what I think is REALLY great about it.

Leslie · « **Reply #104 on:** April 16, 2009, 04:45:17 am »

I just finished

which is the sequel to

Both are very, very good. Highly recommended. I would suggest reading them in order. Although they could be read as standalone books, characters from book one who show up in book two are much more meaningful if you know their prior history. It is interesting to see how some characters have changed (there's a 26 year span between the stories). Folks who seemed okay in the first book are pretty loathsome twenty years on. Other folks have had lives that I just didn't anticipate.

These would be good book club books. There is lots of ambiguity around certain characters and events which would make for a good discussion.

L

Athenagwis · « **Reply #105 on:** April 16, 2009, 04:48:03 am »

Quote from: Leslie on April 16, 2009, 04:45:17 am

I just finished

which is the sequel to

Both are very, very good. Highly recommended. I would suggest reading them in order. Although they could be read as standalone books, characters from book one who show up in book two are much more meaningful if you know their prior history. It is interesting to see how some characters have changed (there's a 26 year span between the stories). Folks who seemed okay in the first book are pretty loathsome twenty years on. Other folks have had lives that I just didn't anticipate.

These would be good book club books. There is lots of ambiguity around certain characters and events which would make for a good discussion.

L

I would love a book club on these!

Thanks for sharing them!
Rachel

RangerXenos · « **Reply #106 on:** April 16, 2009, 06:14:41 am »

Quote from: Thumper on April 15, 2009, 12:53:39 pm

After reading his book "The Book Thief" (and loving it) I decided to check out more of his work and randomly picked this... I was so sucked into it that I read it start to finish yesterday with a ticked off kitty curled up on my legs (and sometimes draped over my head) while curled up in bed.

It's technically a book for high school students (not sure I'd agree there, he's pretty specific sex-wise, though I'd have let my son read it by grade 9) but the story is engaging and his writing style spans a fairly large age group.

Now I wish more of his work was available for the Kindle.

Thanks, I'm going to add this to my list, I loved 'The Book Thief'.

intinst · « **Reply #107 on:** April 18, 2009, 08:54:17 pm »

Just read this one:

I am not the usual gender for reading this type of book, but blame my wife for starting me on Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb. I have read all the In Death series and many of her trilogies. I have also read all of Laurel K. Hamiltons books, both the Anita Blake and the Merry Gentry titles, Patricia Briggs and much of Charlaine Harris' books. I would put this one in with them. A very enjoyable read.

LDB · « **Reply #108 on:** April 18, 2009, 09:46:26 pm »

Must reading for knowing what's going on in the world. Very well written with sources provided to validate all the facts presented.

WalterK · « **Reply #109 on:** April 18, 2009, 10:53:04 pm »

If you are looking to organize your household, this is an excellent book that is now available in the Kindle format...

- Walter.

mlewis78 · « **Reply #110 on:** April 19, 2009, 04:04:09 am »

After Season 3 of Big Love (HBO) finished and I caught up watching the first two seasons on DVD, I read Elissa Wall's memoir Stolen Innocence about growing up in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and leaving. I couldn't put it down.

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Innocence-ebook/dp/B0017T0CRE/ref=ed_oe_k

Leslie · « **Reply #111 on:** April 19, 2009, 04:35:45 am »

Quote from: mlewis78 on April 19, 2009, 04:04:09 am

After Season 3 of Big Love (HBO) finished and I caught up watching the first two seasons on DVD, I read Elissa Wall's memoir Stolen Innocence about growing up in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and leaving. I couldn't put it down.

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Innocence-ebook/dp/B0017T0CRE/ref=ed_oe_k

When I got my Kindle (a year ago! I am coming up on my first anniversary!) it was the time of the raid on the YFZ ranch in Texas. I went on a FLDS reading kick and read three books in quick succession. They were all good and gave an interesting perspective of the FLDS from different time periods. As you enjoyed Elissa's book, I'd recommend the other two.

L

Betsy the Quilter · « **Reply #112 on:** April 19, 2009, 04:58:54 am »

I agree, all three are very good, and give different perspectives and different experiences. Each woman had different reasons for leaving the FLDS and polygamy. Irene Spencer's book was surprising in many ways to me, and probably more related to the experiences of Big Love's central family in that what finally drove Spencer from polygamy (this is in the Amazon blurb) is the "the strains of husband-sharing with�ultimately�nine other wives, or the unremitting poverty that came with maintaining so many households and 56 children."

There's a new one I hadn't seen before, I'm waiting for the price to come down:

Betsy

Leslie · « **Reply #113 on:** April 19, 2009, 05:09:09 am »

Here's another one, Betsy, that I hadn't heard of before:

The author was also married to Verlan LeBaron, same guy that Irene Spencer was married to.

Linda Cannon-Mott · « **Reply #114 on:** April 19, 2009, 06:58:17 am »

This had gotten lost in my TBR list but I finished it yesterday. A great book of how one man makes a difference.

I also enjoyed the polygamy books, I read Shattered Dreams and Stolen Innocence. Informative and eye opening reads.

Anju No. 469 · « **Reply #115 on:** April 19, 2009, 04:41:57 pm »

I just finished Vol 2 of The Treasure of La Malinche by our very own Jeff, it is even better than Vol. 1 if possible! I join Gertie and Geoff in highly recommending this if you are interested in any kind of history and adventure. I just hope Jeff will give us another book with Tory and Lance as the main characters, what an adventure that would be.

Beth A · « **Reply #116 on:** April 19, 2009, 04:47:56 pm »

I just finished Mighty Hammer Down by David J. Guyton. I thoughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

mlewis78 · « **Reply #117 on:** April 20, 2009, 04:25:00 pm »

Quote from: Leslie on April 19, 2009, 04:35:45 am

When I got my Kindle (a year ago! I am coming up on my first anniversary!) it was the time of the raid on the YFZ ranch in Texas. I went on a FLDS reading kick and read three books in quick succession. They were all good and gave an interesting perspective of the FLDS from different time periods. As you enjoyed Elissa's book, I'd recommend the other two.

L

Thanks Leslie. I'm almost finished reading Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer. I've also read a memoir by Martha Beck about her experiences with the conventional Mormon LDS and leaving it. I think it's called "Leaving the Saints." I will have to learn from another board here how to post the images through a link. Another book that I will be reading soon (already on my kindle) is Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" about the FLDS.

I'm not sure why I find this so fascinating. It does explain a lot of what I've seen in Big Love but the real life experiences are even worse. Most of my reading is about US history.
Marti

mlewis78 · « **Reply #118 on:** April 20, 2009, 04:34:26 pm »

This is to see if I can make the image of J. Kraukauer's Under the Banner of Heaven show up in a post:

Marti

Yay, it worked!

DD · « **Reply #119 on:** April 20, 2009, 04:38:43 pm »

Quote from: Beth A on April 19, 2009, 04:47:56 pm

I just finished Mighty Hammer Down by David J. Guyton. I thoughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Glad to hear it. I'm about to read it. My son's best friend knows David Guyton, the author. He recommended it to me.

chynared21 · « **Reply #120 on:** April 20, 2009, 06:32:56 pm »

Quote from: mlewis78 on April 20, 2009, 04:25:00 pm

I'm not sure why I find this so fascinating. It does explain a lot of what I've seen in Big Love but the real life experiences are even worse. Most of my reading is about US history.

I have a bit of a fascination too so I've been slowly reading personal accounts. I thought Escape was very good but at times the author seemed to go over the same story quite often. Overall it was a good read. I have Stolen Innocence too but haven't read it yet. Under the Banner of Heaven is another good read as well.

Tippy · « **Reply #121 on:** April 20, 2009, 06:45:41 pm »

Quote from: mlewis78 on April 20, 2009, 04:34:26 pm

This is to see if I can make the image of J. Kraukauer's Under the Banner of Heaven show up in a post: Marti
Yay, it worked!

Fabulous book -- read DTB a few years ago. It is very interesting.

Tippy · « **Reply #122 on:** April 20, 2009, 06:57:15 pm »

Polygamy is a subject I have found to be very interesting. Jon Krakauer's Under The Banner of Heaven was very well researched and provided insight into the Evangelical Morman Church. Since then, I have read Stolen Innocence, Escape and Shattered Dreams. They were all very interesting, but Shattered Dreams was the biggest eye-opener. This woman gave her all to polygamy and the LeBaron family. Her story is one of hardship and deprivation. She was scorned for loving and physically desiring her husband. She received very little positive reinforcement and worked harder than most of us can imagine.

There are several sects of the Evangelical Morman church. The LeBaron family settled largely in Mexico. If you want to know more about that particular branch, google Ervin LeBaron. That is a terrifying story.

Linda Cannon-Mott · « **Reply #123 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:15:56 pm »

Quote from: Tippy on April 20, 2009, 06:45:41 pm

Fabulous book -- read DTB a few years ago. It is very interesting.

I also read this several years ago when I was interested in learning more about the Mormon faith and enjoyed it. Shattered Dreams was a sad story. A woman who wanted to be the only wife and loved by her husband. She lived a selfless life.

mlewis78 · « **Reply #124 on:** April 21, 2009, 12:11:13 am »

Chynared21 wrote: " . . . I thought Escape was very good but at times the author seemed to go over the same story quite often. Overall it was a good read. I have Stolen Innocence too but haven't read it yet. Under the Banner of Heaven is another good read as well."

I agree that Escape was repetitive at times (about the power structure among sister wives) but good overall nevertheless. I'd thought about getting it for kindle for a while and then I saw Carolyn Jessop on Oprah recently and decided to read it. For me, Stolen Innocence (Elissa Wall) was hard to put down and an eye-opener.

Marti

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