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

lila by marilynne robinson

12/8/2014

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Lila by Marilynne Robinson
261 pages

What’s it about?
Lila is the main character in this novel.  She has a hard life for a lot of years and then one day she wanders into a church in a small Iowa town and her life is forever changed.  This novel explores so many themes; redemption, loneliness, belonging, and love are among a few of the ideas that Robinson explores.   Do our past experiences color how we see every situation?  How do we come to have faith in something we cannot see?  What happens to the many good people who have no faith?

What did I think?
I was so glad when I read the last page of this book!  It was interesting and deep and wonderful but it was also slow at times.  Having said that, I continue to think about the questions Marilynne Robinson asks.

Should you read it?
If you want to think deeply about meaningful subjects then this is the book for you.  If you want to be quickly entertained then I would skip this novel.  It was not difficult to read at all, but it was tedious at times.  I would think “Lila” would make a good book club selection.  So much to talk about!

Quote-
“What could the old man say about all those people born with more courage than they could find a way to spend, and then there was nothing to do with it but just get by?”

If you like this try-

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Winter’s Bone by Daniel  Woodrell

Out Stealing Horses by Per Patterson

8 stars

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the storied life of a.j. fikry by gabrielle zevin

12/6/2014

1 Comment

 
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
258 pages


What’s it about?
This book was a pleasure to read.  A.J. Fikry is an interesting  character and he surrounds himself with lots of other interesting characters.   I usually do not like a novel that is all tied up in a bow at the end, but his was an exception.  It was just so charmingly predictable, that I could not help but like it.

What did it make me think about?
How much I would love to own a small bookstore on a small island.

Should I read it?
 I think an awful lot of people will find this small novel charming, but it will especially appeal to all the book lovers out there. 

Quote-
 "People tell boring lies about politics, God, and love.  You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite?"

8 1/2 stars

1 Comment

crooked letter, crooked letter by  tom franklin

12/3/2014

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 Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
272 pages

What’s it about?
Larry Ott and Silas Jones become unlikely childhood friends for a few months in the late 1970's in rural Mississippi.  Circumstances drive the boys apart, and then in high school the disappearance of a teenage girl forever changes both their lives.  Larry is the last person to have seen her alive, and becomes the only person of interest in the case.  Twenty years later Silas Jones has returned to this same town as a constable.  He and Larry's paths will cross again when another girl goes missing and Larry is again the main suspect.

What did it make me think about?
This novel was partly a  crime novel and partly a reflection  on relationships.  I enjoyed the  rural Mississippi setting and appreciated the pacing of the novel. 

Should I read it?

This novel would make an interesting book club pick.   It is a quick page turner that  touches on a variety of topics that would  make for interesting discussions.

Quote-
 "But you wouldn't know his reputation.  That, in high school, a girl who lived up the road from Larry had gone to a drive-in movie with him and nobody had ever seen her again. It had been big news, locally.  Her stepfather tried to have Larry arrested but no body was found and Larry never confessed."

8 stars

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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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