I really enjoyed A Year of New adventures too Jo and get what you say about it. I wasn't a fan of Doran Gray but our discussion really helped me to understand it a bit more and I actually increased my rating afterwards. It's always great to read your posts and I get so many more books to add to my list! Thanks for being such a stunning co-host!
Forever Yours by Debbie Johnson is available in the US as Statistically Speaking -- it was my first five star read of the year! She has a great way of creating likable characters and feel-good stories that don't gloss over real-world problems. Have you read her book from last year, Jenny Jones Is Not A Disaster? Another keeper!
I'm sorry Maddie Please wasn't as good as you had hoped. For a retired librarian I am really pretty much anti-classics!! HA!! But I have read The Moveable Feast. Oh, yay me!! Have you seen the movie Midnight in Paris? That was what I hoped Hemingway's Feast would be like. And it was to some degree.
Oh I remember Old Man and the Sea in high school and I positively hated it. It was the shortest book on our summer reading list and yet it felt so darn long... I am off to see if I can find that 30 plants a week book (though I'm pretty sure I come really close to that!).
I reckon some of these books should absolutely not be taught in schools. If I read Old Man and the Sea as a 16 year old I reckon I would have hated it.
Well I would have lost my house Jo as I was sure you would have loved A Year of New Adventures. Just goes to show! I get it though. I've not read any Hemmingway but have a couple downloaded for this year. I really enjoyed Dorian Gray but unfortunately can't say the same for The Alchemist. I'm looking forward to our book club discussion next month to see if you all can change my mind. x
I really thought I would too. As I said, I'm not sure whether the weight thing got me, but there were a few places where I felt she'd tried too hard to be funny. From memory I felt teh same about her Old Ducks. Don't get me wrong - I still enjoyed it, I just didn't love it. I think it's a me thing.
If I could get a portrait to age instead of me, I might consider it (although I would have started that process at, say, 35 or 40, rather than in my late 60s). After reading your and Donna's reviews of that classic, I think I may add it to my TBR pile.
I read The Old Man and the Sea years ago as part of my English minor in my teaching degree. Must dig it out again and re-read it. Thanks for the reminder! A couple of recommendations from me are The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters and The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting. Both of these are contenders for my personal Books of the Year.
Hi, Jo - I am absolutely delighted that you have finally begun reading Hemmingway. And your tongue-in-check description of 'The Old Man and the Sea' did make me laugh (as you knew it would). If I added that I think the beauty of this book lies in its profound simplicity, the timeless struggle between man and nature, resilience in defeat, and the quiet dignity of the human spirit, would that be giving too much away? I've recommended this book to so many people. I find it an especially wonderful introduction to the Classics.
I agree with you about Thea in the Cotswold series - I loved them when I first started reading them but now not so sure. Must keep my eyes out for the Ernest Hemingway.
I really enjoyed A Year of New adventures too Jo and get what you say about it. I wasn't a fan of Doran Gray but our discussion really helped me to understand it a bit more and I actually increased my rating afterwards. It's always great to read your posts and I get so many more books to add to my list! Thanks for being such a stunning co-host!
I always get so much from our discussions too.
Forever Yours by Debbie Johnson is available in the US as Statistically Speaking -- it was my first five star read of the year! She has a great way of creating likable characters and feel-good stories that don't gloss over real-world problems. Have you read her book from last year, Jenny Jones Is Not A Disaster? Another keeper!
She's a go-to author for me... Jenny Jones was published in the UK and Aus as Falling For you... I loved it! Thanks for dropping by.
I'm sorry Maddie Please wasn't as good as you had hoped. For a retired librarian I am really pretty much anti-classics!! HA!! But I have read The Moveable Feast. Oh, yay me!! Have you seen the movie Midnight in Paris? That was what I hoped Hemingway's Feast would be like. And it was to some degree.
I haven't seen that movie, but will keep an eye out for it.
These sound good.
I'm going to check out that book about eating 30 plants a week...funny enough I just heard that recommendation from a menopause Dr online, hmmm!!
It's funny how sometimes you hear the same thing from so many different areas...
Oh I remember Old Man and the Sea in high school and I positively hated it. It was the shortest book on our summer reading list and yet it felt so darn long... I am off to see if I can find that 30 plants a week book (though I'm pretty sure I come really close to that!).
I reckon some of these books should absolutely not be taught in schools. If I read Old Man and the Sea as a 16 year old I reckon I would have hated it.
I 100% agree; I appreciate so many of these classics now that I'm older but this is one of those I never thought to re-read since I hated it so much.
Well I would have lost my house Jo as I was sure you would have loved A Year of New Adventures. Just goes to show! I get it though. I've not read any Hemmingway but have a couple downloaded for this year. I really enjoyed Dorian Gray but unfortunately can't say the same for The Alchemist. I'm looking forward to our book club discussion next month to see if you all can change my mind. x
I really thought I would too. As I said, I'm not sure whether the weight thing got me, but there were a few places where I felt she'd tried too hard to be funny. From memory I felt teh same about her Old Ducks. Don't get me wrong - I still enjoyed it, I just didn't love it. I think it's a me thing.
If I could get a portrait to age instead of me, I might consider it (although I would have started that process at, say, 35 or 40, rather than in my late 60s). After reading your and Donna's reviews of that classic, I think I may add it to my TBR pile.
I really enjoyed it, Janis...
I read The Old Man and the Sea years ago as part of my English minor in my teaching degree. Must dig it out again and re-read it. Thanks for the reminder! A couple of recommendations from me are The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters and The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting. Both of these are contenders for my personal Books of the Year.
Hi Kate, I'll have to look into those... thank you!
Hi, Jo - I am absolutely delighted that you have finally begun reading Hemmingway. And your tongue-in-check description of 'The Old Man and the Sea' did make me laugh (as you knew it would). If I added that I think the beauty of this book lies in its profound simplicity, the timeless struggle between man and nature, resilience in defeat, and the quiet dignity of the human spirit, would that be giving too much away? I've recommended this book to so many people. I find it an especially wonderful introduction to the Classics.
I thought you'd enjoy that description, but yours is so much more Hemingway. It's exactly as you say - and more.
I agree with you about Thea in the Cotswold series - I loved them when I first started reading them but now not so sure. Must keep my eyes out for the Ernest Hemingway.
Hemingway was one of those authors I though I "should" read - and am glad I did.