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Here is a folder for you to list the books you read last month.

Please provide:
~ A GoodRead link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

My reads for October. (I have to do this now before I leave work and return to my electricity-free house...)

The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese: This is the sequel to My Own Country: A Doctor's Story, which I loved and rated at 5 stars. While I still thoroughly enjoyed Verghese's lyrical writing style, "The Tennis Partner" didn't give me that same thrill. 3 stars.

If Today Be Sweet: A Novel by Thrity Umrigar: I have come to love Umrigar's works. This book didn't suck me in as quickly as others of hers that I've read--maybe because it was set in the U.S. this time instead of India. However, I was just as emotionally invested by the end as I was with all the others. 4 stars.

The House of Velvet and Glass byKatherine Howe: I wanted to like this book more than I did, mostly because I enjoyed The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. However, this one was lacking something. The plot seemed to meander more than it should have. 2.5 stars.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See: This was apparently my month for sequels! This book is the follow-up to Shanghai Girls, which I liked. "Dreams of Joy" took a long time to get going; however, by the end I was racing to get to the conclusion. An interesting look at Mao's China during the Great Leap Forward. 3 stars.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell: This book came highly recommended by a friend; was named to the New York Times "10 Best Books of 2011" list; and was a finalist for this year's Pulitzer Prize in fiction. So I totally expected to love it. However, I am still puzzled as to why it was such a hit. There's this dark, menacing undercurrent throughout that made me uneasy. Not that every book should have lightness and rainbows and happiness by any means, but the darknesss--particuarly since it is narrated by a young, extremely innocent girl--made it less enjoyable. I was also appalled by how negligent the father and every other adult was, which made it hard to read as well. In addition, the pacing is uneven. I almost gave up about 200 pages in because it just wasn't holding my attention and I wasn't that emotionally invested in any of the characters. And then a horribly awful thing happens to the main character about 260 pages into the book--which is dealt with barely at all. The horrible event signals the beginning of the end of the book, where the author tries frantically to pull everything together, resulting in lots of dropped threads and unanswered questions, and an overly maudlin and utterly unfulfilling closing scene.I felt like the author took way too much time in flowery descriptions of the landscape (I mean, the descriptions of the amusement park go on for pages) and then she rushed the important resolutions at the end. I read somewhere that this book was originally a short story that was expanded into a novel. It probably worked better as a short story. 2.5 stars, but just barely.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: This book is about a marriage and how it can go horribly, horribly wrong. The wife disappears in the first chapter, and then the story is told by both the wife and the husband in alternating chapters. You know that one (or both!) of them are psychopaths, but you honestly can't figure out which one it is. I totally thought I had figured out the ending about 200 pages in, and then BAM! I got slammed upside the head. I read it over one weekend--all 415 pages of it. I actually got up at 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning to read. It's THAT addictive. 4.5 stars.

State of the Union by Douglas Kennedy: Far-fetched story that tries way too hard to make a political statement. I was rolling my eyes by the end of it. 2 stars.

The White Lioness by Henning Mankell: Book #3 in the Kurt Wallander Swedish detective series. This one bounces back and forth between Sweden and South Africa with equally engrossing stories. 3 stars.

The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education by Craig M. Mullaney: Wonderfully written memoir by a West Point graduate and veteran of Afghanistan. The book is divided into three sections-- "Student," "Soldier" and "Veteran" -- to show how he learned to become a soldier and what he learned from his experiences--and his mistakes. It effectively contrasts the before and after aspects of one officer鈥檚 combat career. I gave it to my son, who is enrolled in the Army ROTC program at college. Should be required reading for anyone who aims for a career as an officer in the military. 3.5 stars.

Amy wrote: "I actually got up at 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning to read. It's THAT addictive. 4.5 stars...."

Any book that could make me do that deserves SIX stars in my book! :-)

Amy wrote: "My reads for October. (I have to do this now before I leave work and return to my electricity-free house...)

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Thank you, Amy ! That was an excellent recap of you Oct. reads. Looks like you had a terrific month.

I am on the list for Gone Girl. I can hardly wait to read it after reading your review!

Since my electric has been cut off the past few nights, I thought it best to post my reviews now. I also won't be finishing up any other books. Having no electric sure puts a halt to ones reading !

Senior Fitness
Ruth Heidrich
nonfiction
3/5
Nearing 70, Ruth Heidrich is a triathlete, vegan, cancer survivor, cooking and health book author. She certainly is an inspiration. Ruth explains how she eats healthfully and her extreme exercise routine. You may not go to the lengths Ruth does, but she shows you that you too can have good health by following her advice.
Here's her website.


I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl
Kelle Groom
Non fiction - Memoir
Rate 2/5
I read this unrelentingly dark and depressing memoir for my f2f book group. The style of writing is lyrical as the author is a poet. The narrative is not linear which makes the book a bit disjointed and jumpy. The style also made me less connected to the author than I should have been. Having said that, I still am looking forward to hearing the author speak to my book club.

I am Forbidden
Anouk Markovits
Fiction
Rate 4/5
This is a work of fiction but the author has a similar background so I think some of this is personal experience.

I Am Forbidden is a lyrical novel that begins in Transylvania 1939. The focus is on three characters that belong to the insular Satmar sect within the Hasidic community. %...

The first 75 pages I found to be choppy and disjointed. After that the book moves to the 1950s Paris and NY right up to this year and the pieces all fall into place.

This is not a light read. It's complex and requires the readers full attention.

One part is the controversial true story of the Rebbe of Szatmar and his escape from the Nazis aboard the Kastner train. ....

The other part is the story of two young girls and the sometimes devastating effect their religion has on them.

I found the story engaging. Though I wish the author had a better glossary at the end of the book. Many of the Hebrew words found in the text are not in the glossary.

I rated it a 4 because it was quite different from anything I've read before. It lost one point due to the first 75 pages. Though this reader was rewarded for not giving up on this book.

Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power
Rachel Maddow
Rate 4/5
Nonfiction
The author convincingly argues that we have drifted away from the Founding Fathers ideas concerning the military and war to a point where the military industrial complex has taken on a life of its own. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, this concise and cogent book is one that the whole country should be debating.

I read
Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child I loved this one. It was comprehensive, but very positive.

The Book of Jonas Very interesting story about war and its effect on children in its path, both invaded and invaders. It has a fabulous twist at the end, and I loved this one, too.

Angelmaker A fantasy about a clockmaker who stumbles onto a secret that might cost him his life. In order to save himself, he has to figure out what is going on, a task which takes him backwards into history as well as forward into a scary future. Fantastical, but not bad.

Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934-1961 A mostly good book with lots of information about Hemingway's daily life as well as his and his family's psychological issues. I think there is too much emphasis on a couple of young men who joined Hemingway's circle at different times in his life, but I believe the analysis of the psychological issues in the Hemingway family was on target. Worthwhile for a Hemingway fan or somebody who's just curious.
All We Know: Three Lives Short biographies of three women, two of whom seem interesting, one who doesn't. I liked the book, was interested in two of the subjects, wondered why waste time on the third. All were contemporaries, some knew Hemingway and his circle, all were lesbians at a time when homosexuality was illegal for men.
The Round House Surprised to find this one on short list for awards. I thought it was pretty ordinary, filled with Native American cliches like sweat houses, animal spirit guides, etc. The story was a cliche, too.
Salvation of a Saint Kind of a disappointing sequel to The Devotion of Suspect X. I was amazed at the detectives' detailed deductions about the murder of a businessman until the wife showed up, and then I knew what clue the case would hang on much too soon and spent the rest of the book waiting for the detectives to get there. I will try him again, though.
I also reread The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes for a book club discussion next week. BTW, I usually write reviews of the books I read, so if you want to know more, just look me up, though I think the quality of my reviews varies greatly depending on the time I have that day!!
Michele

Amy wrote: "My reads for October. (I have to do this now before I leave work and return to my electricity-free house...)
"

Amy, I also didn't enjoy Swamplandia!. It was a library book group read, and I usually will try to read the monthly book, even if it's not my favorite. I read about 40 pages, then decided that life was too short to spend my time reading it.

I want to read Gone Girl too.

Here are my October books:

The Catcher in the Rye 4 stars. Classic coming-of-age book with the rebellious teen feeling that most adults are phonies.

Housekeeping 4 stars. Beautiful lyrical writing with interesting characters, and a slow-moving plot.

Ordinary Life: Stories 3 stars. A collection of short stories about marriage and other relationships.

The Golden Notebook 3 stars. A classic about feminism, communism, colonial rule in Africa, racism, and more. It is known for its unusual structure with the main character, a writer, writing in four notebooks within a larger frame of the book. While very ambitious and interesting in parts, this structure did lead to much repetition of ideas.

1001 Books for Every Mood 4 stars. An enjoyable book, giving the reader lots of ideas of books to read for many interests.

Secret Daughter 4 stars. This book about adoption and a bicultural family is told from multiple points of view--the birth mother in India, the adoptive parents in the USA, and the daughter. The author handled the emotions of the characters well, and brought in lots of colorful descriptions of India.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax 4 stars. This is a humorous, charming cozy mystery involving a bored retired widow who offers her services to the CIA. It's a light book, but very enjoyable.

"10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War" 4 stars. This is a YA/older children's book about the war with lots of photos, written by the journalist Philip Caputo who was in the military.

I also reread three enjoyable books for library bookgroups or lifelong learning classes:
Catch-22
Moloka'i
Room

Julie wrote: "Amy wrote: "I actually got up at 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning to read. It's THAT addictive. 4.5 stars...."

Any book that could make me do that deserves SIX stars in my book! :-)"

LOL! I admit I am possibly very stingy with my ratings--I try to balance the quality of the writing with my enjoyment of the story itself. For "Gone Girl," I really liked the story, but the writing itself didn't approach the quality of others that I've deemed 5-star books. So it came close--but not quite all the way there to be included in my "Best Books of All Time" list. Having said that, though--it's still a damn fine read!!

Connie--Thanks for the heads up about "Secret Daughter." Because of my newfound love for Thrity Umrigar's works, I've been fascinated with books from/about India. I'm adding that one to my to-read list.

Michele wrote: "Round House--Surprised to find this one on short list for awards. I thought it was pretty ordinary, filled with Native American cliches like sweat houses, animal spirit guides, etc. The story was a cliche, too.
..."

Thanks for your comments about this book, Michele. I was debating reading it, mostly because it made the short list for some major awards. Based on your review, I'm thinking that this might be another "Swamplandia!" for me--lots of gushing press about it, but not as good as you would expect based on said press. I think I'll pass on this one.

Michele, what an interesting mix of books you read in October !

Connie wrote: "Here are my October books:
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As always, I enjoyed reading your reviews.

I read Housekeeping also. I think it may have been with BNC before we moved to GoodReads. It was an interesting book. I still have her other book, Gilead. I bought the hardcover when it came out and never got around to reading it.

I also have The Golden Notebook on my shelf. It's been there for ages. I love the way the author writes, but the size of Golden Notebook keeps deterring me.

I've tried to read and also watch the movie Catch 22 I don't know how many times. I just can't seem to get into it.

Amy wrote: Because of my newfound love for Thrity Umrigar's works, I've been fascinated with books from/about India"
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Have you read
A Fine Balance~~Rohinton Mistry ?
With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India. The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers--a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village--will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future.

As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, A Fine Balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state.

I was also going to recommend A Fine Balance to Amy. I have read it twice; it is one of my favourites.

I have enjoyed many books written by Indian writers; it's such a fascinating country and culture so I am always looking for new authors. I have added Secret Daughter to my TBR. Thanks Connie.

I have heard good things about A Fine Balance. I have read Family Matters by the same author and I thought it was good.

Speaking of India, I guess I will post my reads for October.
The White Tiger takes place in India and features a lower class man who does something desperate to move up in the world, or in his words be a man. 4 stars
House of Leaves- 4 stars. I am still working on a review for this one in my head. It's definately a weird book! Backwards and upside down and otherwise weird text. A second story told in footnotes. Footnotes that lead you all over the book so you feel like you are in the maze like the maze of hallways that is in the story. A letter than needs to be decoded by using the first letter of every word. I thought it was fun.

Sadly, work has really gotten in the way of my reading like a crazy person. However that does NOT stop me from buying more! Anyway, moving onto my very, very short book list of October:

Son of a Witch, the second installment, was very, very difficult to get through. I did it mainly to see where it ended and if I would want to read the rest of the series, but I was not impressed with the ending and really the whole journey through. It was too long for the content in my opinion. I believe I gave it two stars.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? This was not only a quick read but a very funny and enjoyable one. Since each chapter was more like its own separate essay, you could put this down and pick it up again with no problem.

Alias Reader wrote: "Have you read
A Fine Balance~~Rohinton Mistry ?
With a compa..."

You know, I have not. And I think I actually have it in my huge pile of to-read books, come to think of it. Since you and Lesley both recommend it so highly, I will have to dig through my pile to find it. And Julie, I will also add "Family Matters" to my list, as that one looks good, too. Thanks!!

Amy, to be honest I found A Fine Balance overwhelmingly depressing. However, the writing is excellent.

Niki wrote: "Sadly, work has really gotten in the way of my reading like a crazy person. However that does NOT stop me from buying more!

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Don't you hate when things interfere with your reading time. I am like you, nothing interferes with buying books. :-O

Glad to see you still got some reading time in even if one of the books you read was a bust.

I relish reading the shared monthly comments by other people here about books they've read. The time folks make to create another review for us here, in addition to the fuller ones they create elsewhere, is appreciated. I know it's not easy but seldom do i make the time to read the full review. So, a big THANK YOU!

Julie wrote: "House of Leaves- 4 stars. I am still working on a review for this one in my head. It's definately a weird book! Backwards and upside down and otherwise weird text. A second story told in footnotes. ..."

I love when there is a second story in the footnotes. The first time i read such a novel i couldn't stop singing its praises & immediately went out to buy it. Now i foist it on unsuspecting people. ;-) The book i read was The Athenian Murders, written by Spanish author Jos茅 Carlos Somoza. This was his first book in English and well done it was!

Connie wrote: "Housekeeping 4 stars. Beautiful lyrical writing with interesting characters, and a slow-moving plot...."

Marilynne Robinson awes me as a writer. As much as i liked the one you read, Connie, my favorite is the one Alias mentioned, Gilead. It is one of my favorite contemporary novels ever. The follow-up, if not really a sequel, Home was not as successful as either of these, unfortunately.

MEANWHILE, back at the ranch, as the old westerns used to declare, i completed only two books in October. However, i continued to read our Churchill book on WWII and have resumed Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra for the home stretch, its last 200 pages.

The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler was very good. Speaking of contemporary authors, as i was above, Tyler is my favorite. This shines. It's about a widower and life with and without his wife. Her observations about everyday life are bright, as are the following author's, but Tyler allows those characters a dignity of humanity where others fail.

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk reminded me of why i stopped reading him. A 13 year old dies & is sent to hell. I like the idea that people are sent to hell if they honk their car horns more than a certain number in one lifetime. And there were other minor habits, excessively done, which led to a sentence there, too. Those were fun to read but overall, the book wasn't particularly good. It should tell me something that when i got to the "to be continued" ending, i didn't even care enough to see if he really wrote a sequel.

Alias Reader wrote: "Since my electric has been cut off the past few nights, I thought it best to post my reviews now. I also won't be finishing up any other books. Having no electric sure puts a halt to ones reading..."

Oh my! How are you without a book light? We are still without electric. The latest estimate for turning on is Sunday @ midnight. I would be lost without my book light. I will post October reads when the electric is up and running.

Denise, I seriously need to get one. I never thought I would have a use for it. I didn't think of times when we lose electricity and are sitting in the dark with nothing to do. I tried to read by candle but that wasn't happening.

I hope your electric is on soon.

Don't you have a flashlight alias?

Forgive me for what i am about to post. During the hurricane coverage we saw the neatest light & went right out to get one. It was during the nightly news that we saw it, which somehow makes me feel guilty, as in "shouldn't i have been paying attention to the what of the segment?" ANYway, it was a set of 4 small lights which clip onto the visor of a baseball-like cap. It illuminates the area, while allowing freedom for both hands. Neat item but a sad way to learn about it.

Julie wrote: "Don't you have a flashlight alias?"
-----------
I had some in the flashlight, but no refill batteries should it go dead. Since I didn't know how long the blackout would be I didn't want to waste it.

Madrano wrote: "Forgive me for what i am about to post. During the hurricane coverage we saw the neatest light & went right out to get one. It was during the nightly news that we saw it, which somehow makes me fee..."

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That does sound cool.

When I went to an OEM meeting held at my local bookstore he listed things to have on hand. I can't post the list at the moment, but when I have a chance I will.

One item I would like to get is a wind up radio. (no batteries) One that has emergency bands. Quite a few of my local radio stations were knocked out.

Alias Reader wrote: "One item I would like to get is a wind up radio. (no batteries) One that has emergency bands. Quite a few of my local radio stations were knocked out...."

There is a pretty neat app for your smartphone called TuneIn Radio, too. Through it you can tune in to radio stations around the world. Luckily my dad told me about it before the hurricane hit. As we were sitting in the dark (the storm knocked out the power early on Monday and it wasn't restored until yesterday), we were able to listen to reports from our local stations and from stations in NYC and NJ as well. It was awesome. Until the cell tower nearest our house was knocked out of commission and we also lost cell service, that is.

There is also an app for a flashlight. My neighbor used it and it gave off quite a strong beam.

Unfortunately, I don't have a smartphone.

Anyone else care to tell us what you read last month? We would love to hear about it.

I am just about to finish The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court by Bob Woodward. It covers the period between 1968-1976 or thereabouts. I picked it up because I was interested to read about how some of the major cases of the time were decided, but it's actually a much jucier read than I expected--filled with gossipy inside stuff! For instance, all of the justices thought Warren Burger wasn't very bright; Justice Brennan would carefully review anything that Rehnquist wrote because he thought Rehnquist was "disingenous" and "manipulative"; Justice Douglas married 4 times, the last time to a 22-year-old law student when he was in his late 50s; etc. It's like one of those reality shows about catty fueding housewives! LOL.

Sounds interesting, Amy. I have a book on the Supreme Ct. somewhere waiting to be read among my 600 books. I can't think of the name of it. I picked it up at a used book store.

For a book of legal cases, I really enjoyed
America on Trial: Inside the Legal Battles That Transformed Our Nation~~Alan M. Dershowitz

Each case gets maybe 4 pages. But it's a terrific book to learn which cases intrigue you and which cases you want to learn more about. I really liked this book.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise Food critic Ruth Reichl goes undercover in NYC to write her reviews. Enjoyable but I did not think it was her best.

Albert of Adelaide. First Reads giveaway. Albert escapes from his unbearable living situation to discover/find "old Australia". fantasy. Enjoyable. Did I mention Albert is a platypus?


A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom, Including Their Own Narratives of Emancipation. Blight places two slave narratives within the historical context of their writing. His historical context is the majority of the book. It is both helpful and interesting. The two narratives are at the end and without any changes/corrections to the narratives.

The Book of Lost Things. Audioversion. Fantasy about fairy tales. Setting World War 2, Britian. Youth falls into an alternative universe which meshes with his own universe. Involves fairy tales, stepmothers and stepsiblings. Very enjoyable.

In the Kitchen audioversion. Abandoned. The first 2 CDS were fine but the 3rd and 4th were severely scratched. Had the story been interesting I would consider revisiting it when repaired. Nt worth revisiting.

Invisible Man. The racial divide and bigotry as experienced by a college aged African American. The reality is disturbing. This one was recommended by my son. It also happens to be a 1001 book.

Habits of the HouseFirst Reads Giveaway. I still need to write the review for this one. Author is writer of "Upstairs, Downstairs". Some reviewers make a comparison to Downton Abbey. Predictable story line and conclusions which rob it of interest imoh. Downton Abbey is better.

Down from Troy: A Doctor Comes of AgeMemoir. Seltzer tells his story of becoming/being a doctor within the context of his family history/experiences. Very enjoyable and well written.

Talulla Rising. Fantasy. Sequele to the The Last Werewolf. Werewolves and vampires still exist but it might not be for long. Mild erotica since werewolves have a strong sex drive. I enjoyed both books and would recommend them for light reading.

Shakespeare's Tremor and Orwell's Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers Nonfiction/medical/literature/ history. Medical history of some of literatures greatest writers. Addresses their illnesses, complications and medical treatments in their time periods. I really liked this and found it fastinating. However, I'm a nurse practitioner so I am somewhat biased.

The Marriage Plot. This one was okay. I have yet to read The Virgin Suicidesbut I enjoyed Middlesex more. All three books are on the 1001 lists.

Denise, how do you do it ??? What an awesome reading month. I love that you read a wide range of books. And I think you win the award for most odd book read this month. Really who can beat a platypus. :)

Down from Troy sounds interesting. I am going to check out the Amazon reviews. Thanks !

I read seven in October, with a couple being rather big reads;

A Long Way Gone NF. Ishmael's story as a 12 year-old soldier in the jungles of Sierra Leone. I found it a bit disjointed. 3 stars.

Love in the Time of Cholera Set in a fictious South American town, a love story spanning more than 50 years. Beautiful writing but I thought it got side-tracked. 4 stars.

Rebecca Set in 1940s Cornwall, the young naive second wife of a wealthy landowner realises the first Mrs de Winter was not the perfect wife everyone thought she was. 3 stars.

My Brilliant Career audio. Teenage Sibella doesn't fit the mould for a young woman in rural Australia in the late 1800s. An Australian classic which was widely read in secondary school, not sure if it is these days. 3 stars.

Lesley wrote: "I read seven in October, with a couple being rather big reads;

A Long Way Gone NF. Ishmael's story as a 12 year-old soldier in the jungles of Sierra Leone. I found it a bit disjointed. 3 stars.L..."
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You only listed 4 ?


I love the movie Rebecca. Have you seen the movie?

I've toyed with picking up Long Way Gone. However, I was afraid it would be too violent.

The violence is described in the matter of fact/direct way that children sometimes describe things. I didn't realise the children were given drugs to encourage etc them to do their work.

I would like to see one of the productions of Rebecca. Unfortunately I am a long way from a conventional video store. I might consider joining an online rental plan one day.

Here are the other three books I read in October.

The Good Muslim The tale of a Bangladeshi doctor during the time of separation from Pakistan. Bounced around in time with irrelevant characters thrown in. 1 star.

Cutting for Stone Twin boys are adopted in their Ethiopian village by Indian doctors, and grow up to be doctors in their own fields of interest. Too long I thought. I found the medical aspect of it interesting. 3 stars.

The Patience Stone Set in a fictitious Afghan village under tribal rule, the confessions and thoughts of a woman as she tends to her unconscious injured husband. I love the sharp, sparse writing and the fact the setting is a single room. 4 - 5 stars.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. A young girl tries to transcend her harrowing experiences in the foster care system. Her isolation is healed by a connection with flowers and growing plants. The use of the Victorian 鈥渄ictionary鈥� of flower meanings was a charming way to demonstrate our failures to communicate effectively with each other. It conflicts sharply with the gritty reality of Victoria鈥檚 life. Some parts of the writing were almost luminous, especially in the beginning, and I appreciate the effort to explain the damage done to these vulnerable children. But the plot has many flaws and a touch of magical realism that I ultimately didn鈥檛 enjoy.

Until Proven: A Mystery in Two Parts by Nora Gaskin. This engrossing crime novel is rich with the kind of character development that rises out of family interactions and tensions. Two families, one white and one black, are torn apart by two separate murders, twenty years apart. This is a well-written story with a strong sense of place, firmly rooted in a small southern city. Readers who enjoy novelists like Tana French will also enjoy this, which addresses contemporary themes of race and gender over time.

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling. Rowling is a master of dark comedy and devious characters, and her skills are certainly on display in this very adult novel about the seamy underside of an apparently idyllic English village. It鈥檚 a page-turner and a fast reading experience. But I don鈥檛 understand why she made these characters so thoroughly unlikeable and unsympathetic. There was a relentless parade of domestic and civic sins, crimes and atrocities. The only admirable character dies in the first chapter, and by the end I was exhausted and irritated.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. I wish I had read this book with a book group. It is so spare and intense, it is almost disturbing in what is left out, as opposed to what is stated. A young man in England reflects on a friend from his youth, and their relationships with a girl. Very powerful, and I look forward to reading it again.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Someone mentioned this here recently, and I couldn鈥檛 resist reading it again. It鈥檚 charming and hopeful, and just what I needed during a gloomy week. Thanks!

Lesley wrote:
Cutting for Stone Twin boys are adopted in their Ethiopian village by Indian doctors, and grow up to be doctors in their own fields of interest. Too long I thought. I found the medical aspect of it interesting. 3 stars.
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My f2f book club read this one. They felt the same, too long. However, they did like it and the discussion was good.

Sarah wrote:
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Someone mentioned this here recently, and I couldn鈥檛 resist reading it again. It鈥檚 charming and hopeful, and just what I needed during a gloomy week. Thanks!
---------------

I enjoyed reading your reviews Sarah.

I've read Enchanted April and also seen the movie a few times. The movie is one of my all time favorites.

Amy and Alias Reader - hope you both get your electricity back soon!

Amy - I definitely should check out Thrity Umrigar; I think I have the book you read in August on my to-read list.

I would agree with Alias Reader that A Fine Balance was depressing but the writing excellent.

Michele - thanks for posting about The Round House though I was disappointed to hear that you didn't like it. I think I'm still going to give it a chance since I enjoyed the author's book, Tracks.

Connie - I've added The Golden Notebook and Secret Daughter to my to-read list; thanks for posting about them.

Madrano - thanks for the reminder about The Athenian Murders; turns out it was already on my to-read list.

And I agree - I enjoy and appreciate the monthly comments too.

Denise - Albert of Adelaide sounds delightful. Thanks for the heads-up.

Lesley - thanks for the heads-up to The Patience Stone.

My October reads:
The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
3.5 stars
Read this for my library book club. It's about a Catholic priest in Nova Scotia who was sent out to deal with problem priests (e.g., one priest impregnates his housekeeper, another has a gambling problem and several have molested children). In the present of the story, he is sent to a small parish to stay out of the way as investigations are happening; the parish is close to where he grew up. As he works in the parish, he looks back on his life and tells (an unidentified audience) his story but the protagonist himself doesn't seem to be a terribly reliable narrator. The time switches were disorienting to me but one could argue that was deliberate because the past was always coming back to the protagonist unbidden especially as he tried to push it away.

From what I understand, at the time it was published, the child abuse scandals in the Catholic church were coming out and the book was a response to them. I'm glad I read it though it's not a book I'd pick up on my own. I anticipate that it will generate a lot of good discussion at my book club.

Around the time I read the book, I came across this newspaper article (), which brought up more questions about making amends, whether the Catholic Church should change and the nature of faith.

Overall, a thought-provoking book that I enjoyed reading.

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
4 stars
I am a fan of the author even though he's only written three books. This novel is actually 6 related stories which I think works on the whole. I was able to overlook the sometimes stilted tone of the narrator (parts of the book are in journal form and the rest I think is the protagonist recounting the story to an unidentified audience) but I couldn't quite believe the narrator is always in the right place at the right time to overhear a lot of the significant conversations that drive the stories.

The author interweaves the coming-of-age story of the protagonist with the conflict in Sri Lanka and how it affected the protagonist and his family, which I found informative. I liked that he (very briefly) touched on the privilege of the richer people in how their actions sometimes harmed others.

The funny boy of the title is the protagonist; he's "funny" as in gay. I liked the way the author wrote about the protagonist coming to terms with his sexuality and describing his emotional turmoil about the ways he is different and not what is expected by his family and society.

Snakes and Ladders by Gita Mehta
3 stars
A collection of essays published in 1997, the 50th anniversary of India's independence from the UK. Not sure what I expected from the essays to be honest but from the book description, they were intended to be "glimpses of modern India". Some of the pieces feel dated or at least like they're missing the next part and I'd like to find an "update" from the last 15 years since the book was published. I think the strongest pieces were about the author's personal experiences. Overall, it was a good primer but seemed to try to be both a history and personal take on India which didn't work for me; the message felt muddled and maybe that's why I had trouble finishing it. The author did introduce me to other writers who I'd like to check out though.

Sumofparts wrote: "Amy and Alias Reader - hope you both get your electricity back soon!

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I have mine back. Thanks for thinking of me. :)

Also thanks for posting your October reads. The books you read were all new to me, so I found your reviews quite interesting. Thanks !

We got our power back on Friday--5 days after we lost it. Which was better than last year after Hurricane Irene--it was out a full week then! Thanks for asking!

Sarah, I am on the wait list at the university library for "Sense of an Ending"--I'm hoping to get it next week to read it in time to attend a new book club I just discovered in my area. I've heard different things about it--some people have raved about the book, others have complained that it was "too short." I was interested to read your take on it.

Amy, I look forward to your thoughts on Sense of an Ending, and I really hope your new book club is satisfying.

I forgot to include Canada by Richard Ford on my list of October reading. Several men I know admire Ford's writing tremendously. They tell me that he really captures their own experiences in coming of age and moving through life. I enjoyed Canada very much as a complex character study, and I suppose I'd better go back and read The Sportswriter and some of his earlier fiction.

Lesley wrote: "My Brilliant Career audio. Teenage Sibella doesn't fit the mould for a young woman in rural Australia in the late 1800s. An Australian classic which was widely read in secondary school, not sure if it is these days. 3 stars...."

I saw this movie when it first came out, unaware there was a novel of it. It was the first most of us saw of Judy Davis's acting & what a pleasure! Sadly, i have YET to read the book, although i've actually borrowed it from the library twice. Bummer.

Your comments reminded me that i want to read that. I should make it soon.

Denise, like Alias, i am impressed by the genre mix of your reading. It makes things lively. Even if i'm only reading your list. :-)

SumofParts, the Canadian priest book sounds good. I've not heard of it but have added it to my list. Last night we took our nephew to his first boy scout meeting in a Catholic Church. All DH & i could think of was, "what a perfect storm setting." When the kids went outdoors to talk about camp, i asked a woman where they were & she misinterpreted my question for worry, reassuring me they were all fine & safe. Sad she felt the need...and that DH & i had the thought.

Madrano wrote: "...SumofParts, the Canadian priest book sounds good. I've not heard of it but have added it to my list."

Let me know what you think when you get around to reading it. It definitely is sad that there is such a negative connection to the Catholic Church.

Goodness, I've only written down one book for October in my reader's journal. Surely I've forgotten to add something? At any rate, the book I know I finished is

Broken Harbor This is the first Tana French novel that I have read. One of my daughters had recommended her, and I'm glad she did. This is a well-written, suspenseful mystery which kept me guessing. The characters get under your skin.

The amount doesn't matter, just that you enjoyed it Carolyn. Thanks for sharing.