Recommended Reads
What to read next or suggest for your book group? Well, I would recommend any of these three books. They are all quiet different but one thing that seems to tie all of these together is the power of memories and strong characters. I hope you’ll give these a chance and if you’ve read them let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
“The first story I tell, the first clue I reveal, will determine the direction of the search. The wrong detail, the wrong clue, will inevitably lead to confusion, while the right clue leads to a beautiful child. Should I tell the police about the postman in the parking lot, the motorcycle, the man in the orange Chevelle, the yellow van? Or is it the seal that matters, the hearse, the retaining wall, the wave? How does one distinguish between the relevant and the extraneous?”
First, is The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. This one was given to me at a book group meeting and I’m also counting it for my 9 for 09 reading challenge. This is the gripping story the disappearance of six-year old Emma. It’s about how in one instant, a family is torn apart. I didn’t expect to find this suspenseful but it is. Here’s my review.
Now, if you love grand stories that have a bit of everything, then Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is for you. This wonderful story has political unrest, unrequited love, and just so much more. Set in Ethiopia this is the story of two brothers who grow up to be doctors. Here’s my review.
“What I owe Shiva most is this: to tell this story. It is one my mother, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, did not reveal and my fearless father, Thomas Stone, ran from, and which I had to piece together. Only the telling can heal the rift that separates my brother and me. Yes, I have infinite faith in the craft of surgery, but no surgeon can heal the kind of wound that divides two brothers. Where silk and steel fail, story must succeed. To begin at the beginning…”
Finally, Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson is perhaps a story I wouldn’t have picked up if my book club hadn’t suggested it. I was bowled over by how much I liked this story which to me practically reads like a memoir. It’s beauty is not just in the story but also in the descriptions of the land. Here’s my review.
“I shut my eyes into a squint and looked across the water flowing past below the window, shining and glittering like a thousand stars, like the Milky Way could sometimes do in the autumn rushing foamingly on and winding through the night in an endless stream, and you could lie out there beside the fjord at home in the vast darkness with your back against the hard sloping rock gazing up until your eyes hurt, feeling the weight of the universe in all its immensity press down on your chest until you could scarcely breath…”
Three very engaging stories.
Isabel http://booksandotherstuff.blogspot.com
January 29th, 2009 at 6:42 amYou’re making great progress in your 2009 readings.
Way to go!
booklogged http://www.readfromatoz.blogspot.com/
January 29th, 2009 at 7:27 amI can’t help you with your decision, but I did all three of these to my list. Thanks for the good recommendations.
Joy http://thoughtsofjoyblogblogspot.com
January 29th, 2009 at 1:19 pmI’m glad to see that you found all of these to be “very engaging stories”. I didn’t care for TYofF at all, but I have Out Stealing Horses on my TBR shelf, so hopefully I like that one better.
Christina http://jacketsandcovers.wordpress.com
January 29th, 2009 at 3:19 pmI have both The Year of Fog and Out Stealing Horses on my nightstand, so I’m glad to see that you liked them both. Going to go check out Cutting for Stone.
Anna http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com
January 29th, 2009 at 3:27 pmGreat reviews! These sound great. I’ve had my eye on “Out Stealing Horses” for some time now.
Vasilly http://1330v.blogspot.com
January 29th, 2009 at 5:08 pmI’m starting to think that you have a hidden camera on my bookshelves! I have Out Stealing Horses and The Year of Fog on my nightstand as books to be read soon.
Bookgirl http://www.bookgirl.net
January 29th, 2009 at 5:39 pmIsabel – I know, I love it! I’m going to finish another book for your challenge soon too.
Enjoy the books and looking forward to your thoughts on them!
booklogged – All three were great so hope you enjoy them!
Joy – I’m curious, were you put off by too much focus on the memories and stuff? I read some reviews that mentioned a lot could have been edited out. I liked it but I can understand where some might find that tedious. Hope you like Out Stealing Horses much better!
Christina – Cutting for Stone is coming out next week so definitely be on the look out for it. For such a “big” book, it really seemed to read pretty fast.
Anna – Thank you. Out Stealing Horses was great. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it so I was pleasantly surprised.
Vasily – Ha,ha… The powers of a bookgirl
jenclair http://bookgarden.blogspot.com
January 29th, 2009 at 9:26 pmI’m adding Out Stealing Horses based on the excerpt alone!
Tara http://booksandcooks.blogspot.com/
January 29th, 2009 at 10:27 pmThis is great – I’ll be referring to this post the next time we choose books for my group!
Care http://bkclubcare.wordpress.com
January 30th, 2009 at 12:44 amThank you for these quick and effective teasers! What some people dislike abt bookclubs – reading something they *think* they won’t like – is exactly why I like clubs: When you find a jewel you weren’t expecting.
Les in NE http://lesleysbooknook.blogspot.com
January 30th, 2009 at 3:35 amI really want to read The Year of Fog AND Out Stealing Horses. Glad they were both winners for you. They sound like they’d be great for a book group discussion. Thanks, Iliana.
Bookgirl http://www.bookgirl.net
January 30th, 2009 at 6:48 amjenclair – I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Tara – Yay. I really think any of these books would be great for discussion.
Care – Me too! If it wasn’t for one of my book clubs I never would have discovered so many new writers – writers & books I may not have been tempted to pick up for one reason or another.
Les in NE – Yay, glad these are on your radar
Matt http://mattviews.wordpress.com
January 30th, 2009 at 6:57 amI agree that the medical terms are difficult to understand–I ended up looking up some of the terms. Overall it’s very well-written, weaving together the life of the brothers and the foster parents. It’s even more textured and nuanced than The Namesake, which I was reminded when I started reading Cutting For Stone. I can’t wait to go meet Dr. verghese on Feb 3.
Joy http://thoughtsofjoyblogblogspot.com
January 30th, 2009 at 4:43 pmI don’t remember details now, but I still have the memory of not liking it. Here’s what I wrote, ” . . . very drab, drawn out and repetitive story . . .” So, from what you read of other reviews – I agree, a lot could have been edited out and it was tedious.
BUT – I’m glad you liked it.
Bookgirl http://www.bookgirl.net
January 30th, 2009 at 10:12 pmMatt – Some of the medical stuff had me cringing! It was still fascinating but just eek. I bet it’s going to be a fascinating talk with the author – you’ll have to post on it
Joy – I can see the repetitiveness… she does do that quite a bit and I know that put off some readers according to some reviews I saw. For me it did work but I understand. I’m curious about her other book!
Danielle http://www.danitorres.typepad.com
January 31st, 2009 at 4:34 amI Loved the Per Petterson book. It wasn’t really the sort of book I imagined I would pick up either. I think I bought it as I had heard so many good things about it and am glad I did. I have another book (a recently published/translated into English title). I can’t wait to read more of his work.
bookworm http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
January 31st, 2009 at 4:39 pmthanks for the recommendations, i’m always happy to add to my TBR mountain
They all sound good, especially Out Stealing Horses.
tanabata http://tanabata.blogspot.com
February 1st, 2009 at 8:52 amI already have The Year of Fog and Out Stealing Horses on my wishlist and now I’ve added Cutting for Stone as well. They all sound wonderful.
christine http://snapshotsunmade.typepad.com/csny
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:12 amI am loving the sound of all of these! I really need to find a new book group!
Bookgirl http://www.bookgirl.net
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:07 amDanielle – I remember you talked about it – wasn’t it one of your favorite reads too? It was really a surprise for me and am so glad I read it. I’ll have to look for his new book!
bookworm – haha.. I know, we are never going to get through our TBR lists right?
tanabata – Glad you like the sound of them. I know they are all quite different but I’d imagine you might really enjoy Year of Fog because of the photography aspect to it!
Christine – Same for you girl, you might like Year of Fog as the main character is a photographer and the way she dissects memories and photographs is interesting. Have fun finding a new group!