Saturday, September 22, 2007

reviews, recommendations, rants and raves


Well...a big ol' thanks to everyone for the fabulous response to the "book club" idea. I have to admit that I was a little worried about how this would go over, but I'm absolutely thrilled at the amount of interest.


One thing I really do want to stress, because the last thing I would ever want to do is make someone feel bad for not spending half of their life with their nose in a book, is that your recommendation can be any book at all. A book you read and liked ten years ago, a book that kind of unexpectedly grabbed you...anything at all. No rules, no guidelines...anything.


So here's the way this is set up. You'll notice the list on the sidebar labeled The RC Book Club. This has all the recommendations I've received so far, in alphabetical order. The post you're reading now is going to be linked directly underneath, under the title of reviews, recommendations, rants and raves. This link is the other part of the interactive book club. It's the place to post new recommendations, reviews of books you've read off the list , raves (if something really blew your socks off), rants (if they didn't) and so on. All you'll have to do is click on the link to bring up the comments page. Periodically, I'll update the suggestions and put them back in the list on the front page of the blog. I'm crossing my fingers that this page will take on a life all it's own.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, my entire computer repertoire consisted of checking my email and spending way too much money on eBay. One of the (too many to count) wonderful things blogging has done for me is give me some fun, productive computer skills. (This is all a really nice way of saying that there may be some bugs in this at first, so be patient with me).

Are we ready? Let's go!

21 comments:

Akelamalu said...

I've just left my comment on yesterday's post - the one I thought I'd left yesterday! :? Anyway my choices are The Celestine Prophecy and Jonathon Livingstone Seagull. :)

Dumdad said...

So many great books to choose from!

Here are a few favourites:

Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene;

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh;

The Ice Cream War by William Boyd

laurie said...

ah, dumdad! "travels with my aunt" is my favorite graham greene novel.

excellent choice.

Amy said...

Fun idea. It's great to see all those books listed there.

laurie said...

i liked "candyfreak," too, amy. journalism at its most fun: he traveled to candy factories to see how the favorite candies of his youth were made.

the reason we all get into journalism, really: to find out about stuff that intrigues us. including chocolate recipes.

the rotten correspondent said...

akelamalu and Dumdad - thanks for the books for the list. I've already got them on the sidebar.

amy - it's kind of an impressive list, isn't it?

laurie - why are you sitting on your computer, woman? aren't you supposed to be hitting the road??

Catmoves said...

A nomination: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot.

Diana said...

What a great idea! I go on author binges and love the idea of having a list of books that are beloved by others to guide me on my trips to the book store. Currently, I've been gorging on more P.G. Wodehouse (way too many to list but I love them all). I'm also reading the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, as most of us know. Somehow I only read 1/2 of the series when a girl, although the ones I read I read 20 times over. I'll add others I'm not reading now but adore when I've some time to give it some good thought.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for starting this! I am addicted to books and am always, always looking for good books to read. I love how you have this set up! I will definately be participating. Very fun!
XOXO

Jo Beaufoix said...

Ooo Rc love this.

When I get back from hols I'll let you know if The Memory Keepers Daughter is worth reading.

Beth said...

Oh dear. I've just thought of a good number and I'm afraid if I don't blurt them out right now they'll zip right out of my brain again.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.
And anything at all by Robertson Davies.

Whew. My brain can go to sleep now.

Jo Beaufoix said...

RC, you missed me, boo hoo.
Have now finished 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.
Great book though it ended a little suddenly for my liking, but the premise was really interesting and there was some beautiful writing in there.

laurie said...

you must add "lonesome dove" to my list. the anti-western, but at the same time the consummate western.

and a page-turner, to boot.

pursegirl said...

"I Know This Much is True" by Wally Lamb

the rotten correspondent said...

I went and did a library stock up yesterday and got a bunch of books off of this list. Middlesex, which I really want to read, is on reserve,so I'll try for that one next time.

I started Good Grief last night and cannot put it down. Wow.

Anonymous said...

Add Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
I wasn't crazy about it but it has some interesting information. It also made me not like Bourdain as much as I used to.

softinthehead said...

RC - just popped over and found this - what a great idea - always looking for clues as to a great read. "I know this much is true" by Wally Lamb is one of my favourites, also "The Jewel in the Crown" trilogy by Paul C. Scott, read the books, watched the tv show, read the books, watched.... I just loved it. When I find out how to do it, I will definitely add you to my blog.

la bellina mammina said...

'The monk who sold his ferrari' by Robin S Sharma. I hope it's not too late to join! :-)

Kim said...

"On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan. It's fabulous.

Cath said...

Hi RC!
As I have just ventured on your blog (and to be fair, I didn't start blogging till Feb 9th so I would have been late here anyway!) I discovered this neat little link about books! Whoopee! Why wouldn't any one want to spend half their life in a book? Actually, my (book) reading has been seriously curtailed by blogging and reading of a different genre online. lol
So, is it too late to join?
Do you like stories about people and how their lives turn out? Try Maeve Binchy. "Light a Penny Candle" is a good start.
What about decent archeological / murder stuff with personal lives weaved in? I like Kathy Reichs.
If it was ONE book that made a real impact on me, it would have to be "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks. This can be a hard read to start but persevere. It will have you feeling a whole gamut of emotion. Sebastian Faulks is a good writer and "Birdsong" is perhaps his hardest book. Another of his is an easier read about two lives very different that cross - "Human Traces". Perhaps I was very taken with that because it is set at the beginnings of psychiatric care in France and England and the start of the "Lunatic Asylums" and the characters' attempts to get proper care for "lunatics". Real heart rending stuff. As is "Birdsong".

Enough of a long comment. Sorry about that. I am a member of the "Verbose Storytellers' Club" !

Anonymous said...

R. J. Ellory, A Quiet Belief in Angels.

a stunning read, the book draws you in and won't let go until the end. I put this down after reading it in one sitting - a very late night - and felt in awe of this writers use of language, plot, characterisation, narrative, everything really.