It’s August, what are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko about his and his buddy's effort to hike the length of the Grand Canyon. HIGHLY recommend.

If you liked this try A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson! Same idea but with the Appalachian Trail.

PP here - I read A Walk in the Woods years ago - and loved it. This book, however, is better imho. The hike here was on another level as far as danger was concerned, and he spends alot more time discussing the natural and cultural history. Don't get me wrong - it is uproariously funny in parts, but it is not a humor travelogue. He knows he walks in the footsteps of giants (even gives a shout-out early on to Bryson), but, in the end, it's a much more serious book than AWITW.

If you like more danger, have you read Into Thin Air by John Krakauer? It's an oldie but a goodie.

I also recommend John Krakauer books - Into Thin Air, Into the Wild. They are so interesting and easy to read.

I feel like Into the Wild should be required reading for any high schooler (and it actually was in AP Lit at my school)! Under the Banner of Heaven is also fascinating but much more disturbing.

Why do you think Into the Wild should be required? I taught it one year to 11th graders. They honestly liked The Crucible more. And hated Chris as a “protagonist.”

Because you can debate it endlessly! When we read it, it engendered strong feelings. Some strongly identified with Chris— they craved adventure, felt stifled, thought the whole idea was so romantic. (We grew up in NOVA, like Chris!) Others hated him, thought him obnoxious and privileged. Others (smaller group, as we were younger and perhaps not as sympathetic to him, as I am now), just felt sorry for him. There are also wonderful literary references throughout the book so we also studied those. I later taught it to a group of high schoolers, ten years later, and it was the same lively discussion.

I know this is a book thread but if you haven't seen the Into the Wild movie, you MUST watch it. It's so good -- I sobbed at the end.


I think the reader can “hate” Chris and still get a ton out of that book.

Loved the movie too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier.

I don't know that one, how is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Enjoyed it, moving on to the next book in the series

I read the next three in one week earlier this summer!

[Anonymous]

I think someone on here recommended Private Equity. It’s a great read. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Last month I listened to "Dear Mrs. Bird" by A.J. Pearce. I thought the book was awesome so I looked up the author to see what else she has written. Turns out she wrote 2 sequels to Dear Mrs. Bird, so I downloaded both sequels from overdrive and am currently listening to them.

They are all set in London during WW II. In book one, a young woman sees an ad for someone to work at a women's magazine. She thought she would be a war correspondent but instead the job is to sort through mail for an advice columnist. The columnist is an older woman who refuses to address anything "unpleasant". The letters from people with real problems are supposed to go in the trash. Our protagonist feels sorry for the letter writers and sometimes writes them back personally, signing the letters as though they were from the advice columnist.

In book two, the former advice columnist has transferred to a magazine for livestock owners and our protagonist has taken over the advice column. She also starts writing a series of articles about women doing war work.

I have just started book three. So far what has happened is that the former owner of the magazine, which has been in publication for 48 years, has died and left it to his niece. The niece thinks the articles in the magazine are depressing (hello - there is a war going on) and she wants to make changes.

The author is writing a 4th book in the series, to be published next year.

These sounds great!

Thank you for recommending Dear Mrs Bird! Couldn’t put it down

[Anonymous]

just started all the colors of the dark. has anyone read it yet? murder mystery (I think) set back in the 70's. good so far.

[Anonymous]

The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen. It is part memoir and part investigation about our understanding of mental illness. It was a Pulitzer finalist last year. It is excellent so far— I’m about 100 pages in so far.

[Anonymous]

Something in the water, Catherine steadman!! It’s SO GOOD!!

[Anonymous]

Just finished “Hope This Finds You Well.” Enjoyed the office humor and growth journey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something in the water, Catherine steadman!! It’s SO GOOD!!

It was so good! I loved it! Her next books very similar. Maybe too similar, but I liked them anyway. The one set in LA has some interesting peeks into daily life in Hollywood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think someone on here recommended Private Equity. It’s a great read. Thank you!

Have you read Bully Market? Maybe it was the order I read them but Private Equity felt like a pale thin book trying to copy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think someone on here recommended Private Equity. It’s a great read. Thank you!

Have you read Bully Market? Maybe it was the order I read them but Private Equity felt like a pale thin book trying to copy it.

I enjoyed both. I don’t really remember the details in Bully Market, but my impression is that it talks a lot more about the job and culture of banking whereas Private Equity is more gossipy snd “fluffy” which I’m fine with.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Last month I listened to "Dear Mrs. Bird" by A.J. Pearce. I thought the book was awesome so I looked up the author to see what else she has written. Turns out she wrote 2 sequels to Dear Mrs. Bird, so I downloaded both sequels from overdrive and am currently listening to them.

They are all set in London during WW II. In book one, a young woman sees an ad for someone to work at a women's magazine. She thought she would be a war correspondent but instead the job is to sort through mail for an advice columnist. The columnist is an older woman who refuses to address anything "unpleasant". The letters from people with real problems are supposed to go in the trash. Our protagonist feels sorry for the letter writers and sometimes writes them back personally, signing the letters as though they were from the advice columnist.

In book two, the former advice columnist has transferred to a magazine for livestock owners and our protagonist has taken over the advice column. She also starts writing a series of articles about women doing war work.

I have just started book three. So far what has happened is that the former owner of the magazine, which has been in publication for 48 years, has died and left it to his niece. The niece thinks the articles in the magazine are depressing (hello - there is a war going on) and she wants to make changes.

The author is writing a 4th book in the series, to be published next year.

These sounds great!

Thank you for recommending Dear Mrs Bird! Couldn’t put it down

Oh I am so glad you liked it! I just fell in love with the main character in this book.

[Anonymous]

The last two books I listened to have been duds. At least that is my opinion.
The first one was called Tapestry of Fortunes, by Elizabeth Berg. It was about four women of a certain age who all take a bucket list road trip together. It was okay. It kept me company while I did yard work.
The second one was called The Trouble with Goats and Sheep. It was about the people who live in a very gossipy neighborhood. I didn't like it.