March Book Thread - Best book you read in 2021

[Anonymous]

I dunno if it was the best I read but The School for Good Mothers was well-written and thought-provoking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear we just had a post on this.

My bad! I forgot about the other one. I probably even responded to it too.

So, one more vote petitioning for a separate forum? It’s very easy for these book threads to get lost in the Entertainment thread, and I rarely look for them when they’re not on the first page of listings.


I re-read The Saturday Morning Murder : A Psychoanalytic Case — the first book in the series by Batya Gur. This is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.

Jeff has said he is planning to do it - it just takes time ti implement as he has to tease out the book threads from the rest of entertainment.

I'd suggest going forward it might help (until we book nerds have our own forum) that people label threads issuing the subject line: [Books] title of thread.

To keep books active, it will take people intentionally posting to keep the conversation going, which I have done and see others doing. Way to go book people!

[Anonymous]

My favorite read of 2021 was Razorblade Tears by SA Crosby. It's very very violent, which I usually don't like, but the voice was so great.

I wished the author had extended a little to think about the violence. The entire premise is two older gentlemen with violent pasts (who have put their pasts behind them) join forces to solve the murders of their two sons, who were married to each other. Both men are grappling with the ways in which they treated their gay sons, and also seeking retribution for the loss of their sons.

So for example, one father has to kill a bad guy early on. I wanted a (brief) reflection of how he had just killed somebody's son.

But still - a great read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My favorite read of 2021 was Razorblade Tears by SA Crosby. It's very very violent, which I usually don't like, but the voice was so great.

I wished the author had extended a little to think about the violence. The entire premise is two older gentlemen with violent pasts (who have put their pasts behind them) join forces to solve the murders of their two sons, who were married to each other. Both men are grappling with the ways in which they treated their gay sons, and also seeking retribution for the loss of their sons.

So for example, one father has to kill a bad guy early on. I wanted a (brief) reflection of how he had just killed somebody's son.

But still - a great read.

Currently reading this one and ... WOW very violent. I'm half way through and am forcing myself to finish, but buyer beware. Not even sure how it ended on my library holds. I assume I heard it recommended on a podcast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite read of 2021 was Razorblade Tears by SA Crosby. It's very very violent, which I usually don't like, but the voice was so great.

I wished the author had extended a little to think about the violence. The entire premise is two older gentlemen with violent pasts (who have put their pasts behind them) join forces to solve the murders of their two sons, who were married to each other. Both men are grappling with the ways in which they treated their gay sons, and also seeking retribution for the loss of their sons.

So for example, one father has to kill a bad guy early on. I wanted a (brief) reflection of how he had just killed somebody's son.

But still - a great read.

Currently reading this one and ... WOW very violent. I'm half way through and am forcing myself to finish, but buyer beware. Not even sure how it ended on my library holds. I assume I heard it recommended on a podcast.

I thought this would be right up my alley. But I started listening to the narrator and I hated the way he did the voices SO MUCH. It just grated, seemed like a caricature, and I couldn't continue. This may be the first time a book was ruined for me by the narrator. I don't know if it was the accent, or what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear we just had a post on this.

My bad! I forgot about the other one. I probably even responded to it too.

So, one more vote petitioning for a separate forum? It’s very easy for these book threads to get lost in the Entertainment thread, and I rarely look for them when they’re not on the first page of listings.


I re-read The Saturday Morning Murder : A Psychoanalytic Case — the first book in the series by Batya Gur. This is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.

Jeff has said he is planning to do it - it just takes time ti implement as he has to tease out the book threads from the rest of entertainment.

I'd suggest going forward it might help (until we book nerds have our own forum) that people label threads issuing the subject line: [Books] title of thread.

To keep books active, it will take people intentionally posting to keep the conversation going, which I have done and see others doing. Way to go book people!

That’s great news! And a great idea re: labeling the threads. I’ll def do my bit to keep the conversation going📚

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Caste. I read it for my work book club (on diversity committee). I’m a white middle aged woman. It’s very readable, and I cannot un-see the American caste system now.

Good to know that Caste is very readable. I have it in my pile, but, for some reason, I wanted to read The Warmth of Other Suns first. Maybe I’ll start with Caste instead.

PP, did your book group read any other books that you would recommend? And/or would NOT recommend?

[Anonymous]

Not a new book for 2021 but I discovered James McBride last year and LOVED The Color of Water and Song yet Sung by him. Also- Deacon King Kong, Miracle at St Anna, and The Good Lord Bird.

For nonfiction - Empire of Pain and Secret Life of Groceries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a new book for 2021 but I discovered James McBride last year and LOVED The Color of Water and Song yet Sung by him. Also- Deacon King Kong, Miracle at St Anna, and The Good Lord Bird.

For nonfiction - Empire of Pain and Secret Life of Groceries

Thank you! I’ll check these out. I really liked The Color of Water too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite read of 2021 was Razorblade Tears by SA Crosby. It's very very violent, which I usually don't like, but the voice was so great.

I wished the author had extended a little to think about the violence. The entire premise is two older gentlemen with violent pasts (who have put their pasts behind them) join forces to solve the murders of their two sons, who were married to each other. Both men are grappling with the ways in which they treated their gay sons, and also seeking retribution for the loss of their sons.

So for example, one father has to kill a bad guy early on. I wanted a (brief) reflection of how he had just killed somebody's son.

But still - a great read.

Currently reading this one and ... WOW very violent. I'm half way through and am forcing myself to finish, but buyer beware. Not even sure how it ended on my library holds. I assume I heard it recommended on a podcast.

I'm the poster that loved it (and usually I hate gratuitous violence). I have to warn you it gets really much worse in the second half.

I don't know why but I loved it. I loved the two main characters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Caste. I read it for my work book club (on diversity committee). I’m a white middle aged woman. It’s very readable, and I cannot un-see the American caste system now.

Good to know that Caste is very readable. I have it in my pile, but, for some reason, I wanted to read The Warmth of Other Suns first. Maybe I’ll start with Caste instead.

PP, did your book group read any other books that you would recommend? And/or would NOT recommend?

My book club has been active for about 3 years now. We all loved Caste.

The books we've really enjoyed and facilitated good discussions:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
How to Be an Anti-racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard

Books we did not enjoy:
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
The Yellow House by Sarah Broom
God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney

[Anonymous]

Shamelessly, the A Crown of Thorns and Roses series!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My favorite book I read in 2021 was The Heart's Invisible Furies. It's on the list of my all-time favorites. Don't let the length dissuade you. It's the type of book where it doesn't feel as long as it is. I was actually sad when it was over. It is such a good story and while the subject matter is heavy, the author is so skilled at also including humor so it balances out.

Read it a few months ago and really loved it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Books we did not enjoy:
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
The Yellow House by Sarah Broom
God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney

Glad I'm not the only one. I thought that book had great potential with such an interesting subject matter, and then was such a dud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My favorite read of 2021 was Razorblade Tears by SA Crosby. It's very very violent, which I usually don't like, but the voice was so great.

I wished the author had extended a little to think about the violence. The entire premise is two older gentlemen with violent pasts (who have put their pasts behind them) join forces to solve the murders of their two sons, who were married to each other. Both men are grappling with the ways in which they treated their gay sons, and also seeking retribution for the loss of their sons.

So for example, one father has to kill a bad guy early on. I wanted a (brief) reflection of how he had just killed somebody's son.

But still - a great read.

Honestly, I hated this book with a passion almost as strong as the violence in the book.