Las Vegas Bookies Selection 2008-2009

Our book club, the Las Vegas Bookies, began in late 2008.  We had  hits and a few misses with our book selections.  However, we always had a great time.  Here's a list of our first year's pick and our group opinion of the books. 

Las Vegas Bookies 2008-2009 Book Selections  

Title                                          Author                                                        Verdict

Edgar Sawtelle                         David Wrobleski                                          Ugh

The Thirteenth Tale                Diane Setterfield                                           Great  

Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian      Marina Lewycka                       Ugh

Monkeewrench                       P.J. Tracy                                                      Good  

Very Valentine                        Adriana Trigiani                                            Ugh

Loving Frank                           Nancy Horan                                                Great

Devil in Junior League            Linda F. Lee                                                 Ugh

1000 White Women                Jim Fergus                                                       Great  

The Help                                 Kathryn Stockett                                             Great

People of the Book                 Geraldine Brooks                                            Great

Coco Chanel                            Edmonde Charles-Roux                                Double Ugh

Forgotten Garden                    Kate Morton                                                  Good


My favorite book on this list was The Thirteenth Tale.  In fact, it is one of my all time favorite books.  Of course, The Help, is also at the top of the list.  Loving Frank generated a top notch book club discussion as did 1000 White Women.  Oh yes, People of the Book is a must read too.  I highly recommend these five books.  

If you decide to give them read, please let me know your opinion.

My, my!  Are any of your favorite books on this list?  

Happy Reading,

A Rope and a Prayer

A Rope and A Prayer

By David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill

 

Rating:   4 Star

I love to read true stories of human experience. A Rope and a Prayer is an enlightening and page-turning read. It’s the true story of David Rohde, a New York Times reporter, and his experience of being kidnapped by the Taliban. He was married only two months before his kidnapping. The book switches between David and his wife Kristen as narrators. They each tell of their struggles as the seven-month long ordeal stretches out before them and there is no guarantee as to the final outcome.

This book opens up a new world to those of us who live in the Western world. At times, it was hard to believe that religious ideology can dictate such contradictory behavior as in the Taliban. 

This is not a Christian book, but clearly acknowledges the extraordinary force of prayer in a person life even as a non-believer. 

Read A Rope and a Prayer if you like:

·      A story of duplicity, love and human resilience        

·      Current world events

·      Biographies

Favorite Quote:

“Religion in extremes, though, frequently brings out our worst. It plays upon what is perhaps our gravest flaws as humans:  our ability to lose our compassions, to be dogmatic, to think our ideological beliefs are right and others’ are wrong, to turn members of different groups into a dangerous other.” By David Rodhe

Happy Reading,

    

Las Vegas Bookies Selection for 2010

Our bookclub, The Las Vegas Bookies, started to find its footing in 2010. (This picture is from our Christmas party in 2010.)  Although we still picked a few duds,  we read a lot of great books. Some of these books we still talk about how wonderful they were to read and to discuss.  My favorite book of 2010 was For Those Who Save Us.

Personally, from this selection I highly recommend, Still Alice, For Those Who Save Us,  and 1000 Splendid Suns.

Scan through the list and let me know what you've read.  And what was your favorite!

Title                                        Author                                                                        Verdict

Three Cups of Tea                  Greg Mortensen                                              Good

American Wife                        Curtis Sittenfeld                                              Ugh

As the Crow Flies                   Jeffrey Archer                                                 So-so

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks  Rebecca Skloot                                         Good

Those Who Save Us               Jenna Blum                                                     Great

Still Alice                                Lisa Gnova                                                      Great

Shoot to Thrill                        P.J. Tracy                                                       Good

Hand that First Held Mine     Maggie O’Farrell                                             Ugh

Cutting for Stone                    Abraham Verghese                                          Great

1000 Splendid Suns                Khaled Hosseini                                              Great

To Kill a Mocking Bird          Harper Lee                                                      Great

 I'll be posting the 2011 & 2012 list soon.  So you better start reading.  These fabulous books are going to make you want to go the library or book shopping!

Happy Reading, 

Susanne

Couldn't Bring Myself to Finish List Part 2

This is my second list of books that just didn't grab enough to finish them.  There are too many great books out there to read, so there no sense in reading a book that you don't enjoy.  (Unless it's a book club selection and then you have to finish it!)

Every so often, I don’t finish a book.  A variety of  reasons cause me to flip the book closed.  I surrender the white flag.  The reasons for giving up are very subjective to any individual.  My reasons may include any of the following:

Sad animal story

Boring plot

Predictable ending

Not enough angst = sappy

Too violent

Unbelievable characters

Poor writing

Too much description

So here's another list of unfinished books.  Just saying......

So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

Three Junes by Julia Glass

A Painted House by John Grisham

Descent into Hell by Charles Williams

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

I just couldn't get through the above books.  If you've read one of them and loved it let me know why.  I'd love to get each of these books another chance, but must have a reason to try again.

So onward to the next exciting book!

Happy Reading,

Susanne

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

By Betty Smith

Rating:  5 Star

Many years ago my mother told me that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of her all time favorite books.  So, because I was a teenage daughter I resisted reading it.  Many many years later, I decided to give it a try.  It would give me and my mom something to talk about, right?  

Well of course, I fell in love with Francie Nolan and her entire family.  It’s a coming of age novel centered around a young girl growing up in poverty in Brooklyn in the early 1900’s.    There is sorrow, frustration and humor with a perfect balance of character driven storytelling.

I have read it three times, (once on audible)  and each time I love it more.  It was a Las Vegas Bookie selection and was enjoyed by all.  

 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is now considered an essential part of American literature. As an indispensable classic, Smith's book appears on reading lists across the country. The New York Public Library even chose the book as one of the "Books of the Century."

Read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

·      If you like coming of age stories        

·   If  you historical style fiction

·   If you want a great book club discussion

Favorite Quote:

"Those were the Rommely women: Mary, the mother, Evy, Sissy, and Katie, her daughters, and Francie, who would grow up to be a Rommely woman even though her name was Nolan. They were all slender, frail creatures with wondering eyes and soft fluttery voices…they were made out of thin invisible steel."

by Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 7


Happy Reading,

     Susanne