YA adaptations are real books. A better choice of words may have been “original version” or “unabridged version.”
Correct - bad choice of words - I should have said original not real
The Index of Self Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha was fabulous. One of the best things I’ve read all year.
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Just finished When We Believed in Mermaids based on recommendations here. It was perfect ‘distraction fiction’ during these times. Can I move to New Zealand, btw?
Just Mercy is amazing. Bryan Stevensen spoke at my D’s college last year and I drove down to attend the lecture. Took my high schooler son. When COVID is over, I plan to go to the memorial he spearheaded in Alabama. My kids’ high school usually does an annual field trip down there to see it but not this year.
I’ve already recommended but Warmth of Other Suns is also a worthy read. I learned a lot from it.
Friend gave me The Great Alone, but I’m trying to read more distraction fiction to lower my stress so I can’t decide if it’s going to get too difficult/dark? I did read Into the Wild years ago and liked that. Curious for others’ input.
The Great Alone was a good read, not great. I learned so much about Alaska.
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@AlmostThere2018 if you are looking for distraction fiction to lower stress, I don’t think you will get that with The Great Alone, which has some dark, depressing parts with violence and abuse. I enjoyed its setting in Alaska but agree with @bookworm that it was a “good read, not great.”
Thanks for the recommendations for “The Overstory.” I’m about a third of the way through the novel and love it. Trees are held as very sacred in Maine, the state that has the highest percentage of forested land in the nation. This is such a wonderful book - the stories are fascinating and the writing is superb.
I have Overstory on my list, so I am glad you like it!
Just finished Gentleman in Moscow, thank you to everyone who suggested it. What a fun, uplifting, interesting, poignant read. I was sorry to see all my new friends leave my brain…
Now I am reading The New Jim Crow. I had finished Warmth of Other Suns a few weeks ago, so this seemed a good next step.
I JUST came on to say that I just finished “A Gentleman in Moscow” and I absolutely loved it. What a lovely, lovely book! Sorry it ended! (Also I stayed up way too late last night finishing it.)
Glad to see people liking “Overstory.” I think it’s a modern day classic.
Wow, Amazon reviews on The Overstory are very mixed. One calls it a waste of the tree it’s printed on! Has anyone here read it and not liked it?
I just got through The Third Rainbow Girl, with extreme effort, and don’t want to pick up another disappointing read.
@greenbutton and @garland: the CC Book Club had a good discussion of A Gentleman in Moscow. Take a look:
I loved *A Gentleman in Moscow *. I also enjoyed * Rules of Civility *, but it doesn’t have the same charm and quirkiness.
My husband read about 1/3 of *The Overstory *, but got bored and didn’t finish. He reads so fast, it’s rare that he doesn’t finish a book.
Well, “The Overstory” won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, so a few people liked it, at least.
Loved a Gentleman in Moscow too. Learned some Russian/Soviet history to boot!
I’ve heard/read that The Overstory is a bit fantastical which is not everyone’s cup of tea, including mine. Good friend loved it but knowing my taste she said she didn’t think I’d like it.
Yeah, I know @MaineLonghorn. No need to defend it.
@ignatius – As soon as I posted, I went back and read it! I had remembered it had been a discussion. Wish I could have been part of that. One point that a few people said, and so did the NYT review, was that he was condemned because of the poem. But that was not true–he was reprieved from the death penalty because of the poem. He was sentenced for being a member of the aristocracy. I was surprised to see that the Times got that wrong. (this is all in the first pages, so I’m pretty sure there’s no spoiler there.)
I recently discovered Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum’s novels. What fun!! Just what I needed to get through Covid. I am really enjoying them.
While unsuccessfully trying to wait patiently, I looked through Time Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time.” I was surprised to have only read 18 of them, although I have seen the movies of another half dozen or so. I’ve selected several books to read but I don’t think I’ll try for all 100!
The panelists (all authors) reached into a variety of cultures. There were a few books I thought should have been included, for example one of the Court of Thrones and Roses books or one of Naomi Novak’s books. But it’s an interesting assortment.
They included Outlander, which to me is not fantasy but time travel romance, but Diane Gabaldon was on the panel so I guess they kinda had to.
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Just don’t watch the Katherine (I’m Gonna Quit This Show and Become a Big Star) Heigl film adaptation. It’s 90 minutes of your life you will never get back.
@silverlady, Stephanie Plum is always fun and Evanovich is so creative with plot ideas and characters. I’m looking forward to listening to #27 once I finish my current book club book.