The Next Good Book
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 so i like to read- 

friends often ask for book suggestions so i created this site in 2014 to help me think about what i read and pass it on.  

I hope you find many good books here!


e-mail-thenextgoodbook5@gmail.com

troubled blood by robert galbraith

1/18/2021

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Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
927 pages

What’s it about?

 This is the fifth Cormoran Strike detective novel in the series by Robert Galbraith (a pen name for J.K. Rowling).  In this novel, Strike and his business partner Robin are tasked with trying to solve a missing persons case from 40 years earlier.  Margaret Bamborough went missing in 1974 and is assumed dead, most likely at the hands of convicted serial killer Dennis Creed.  However Creed has yet to confess to this crime and the victim's daughter would like closure.   Strike and Robin continue to explore their own relationship as they look for clues as to what happened to Margaret Bamborough.

What did it make me think about?
 J.K. Rowling just writes interesting characters and intricate plot lines.  I was thinking about who did it for 900 pages.

Should I read it?
 So this was a long book and I enjoyed it immensely.  I must add that this book has gotten uneven reviews.  The book has also had it's share of controversy over a cross-dressing character in the story. 

Quote-
" 'One t'ing life's taught me: where there's no capacity for joy, there's no capacity for goodness,'"

If you liked this try-
These Women by Ivy Pochoda
The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey
Long Bright River by Liz Moore

9 stars
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everywhere you don't belong by gabriel bump

1/10/2021

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Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump
261 pages

What’s it about?

 Claude McKay Love is coming of age in Chicago's South Shore- just as Obama is rising in politics.   Claude is a kid dealing with more than his fair share of problems.  Claude's everyday existence is different than most of us would imagine.  

What did it make me think about?
All the young people who live in precarious situations.

Should I read it?
 What an unusual and compelling book!  Claude is my favorite literary character of 2021 (ok it is only January 10th...).  This book was uneven, funny, heartbreaking, and so very readable.  I am so glad I picked this one up!

Quote-
"And my life went on like that: people coming and going, valuable things left in a hurry"

If you liked this try-
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement
​
Dominicana by Angie Cruz

​
9 stars
​
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transcendent kingdom by yaa gyasi

1/1/2021

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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
264 pages

What’s it about?

 Gifty is sixth-year PhD candidate at Stanford University School of Medicine studying neuroscience.  Her interest is in reward seeking behavior and addiction.  Alternating between the past and the present this is a story of a family grappling with the many facets of mental health.

What did it make me think about?
 I loved Gifty!  What a great character.  She was so complicated, and yet so refreshing.   "He smiled at me, and I wanted to slap the smile off his face, but I wanted other things more."

Should I read it?
 I highly recommend this book.  It is a family story first- but it also sheds light on addiction, depression, religion, and being an immigrant in the Deep South.  What a combination...  

Quote-
"But this tension, this idea that one must necessarily choose between science and religion, is false.  I used to see the world thought a God lens, and when that lens clouded, I turned to science.  Both became, for me, valuable ways of seeing, but ultimately both have failed to fully satisfy in their aim: to make clear, to make meaning."

If you liked this try-
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett
​Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
​

9 stars
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    favorites from 2020 

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    some favorites of the last decade

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    best of winter 2020

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    best of spring/summer 2017

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    best of summer 2014


    last spring favorites

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    A sad, poignant, mystical read. I won't give too much away. Quick and well worth it! 9 1/2 stars!
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    A coming of age story set in Mexico. It certainly gives you a whole new view of all the people coming over the border. 9 stars
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    Quirky characters and the story told through letters to Richard Gere. Who could ask for more? 9 stars

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    and the mountains echoed

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    “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
    ― Charles William Eliot
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     ratings

    1 to 2- I did not enjoy this book.
    3 to 4- I found some aspect of this book redeeming but would not recommend it.
    5 to 6- I really enjoyed something about this book (characters, plot, meaning etc.) but it was uneven. Some aspects were stronger than others.
    7 to 8- It was a good book.  I liked lots of aspects of this book.  I would recommend it.
    9 to 10- I was sorry to turn the last page.  I highly recommend this book!
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