"Bookie Jar" Reviews

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"Bookie Jar" Reviews

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1bhabeck
Edited: Jan 16, 2018, 11:42 am

Let's hear how you're doing on your Bookie Jar selections!

I thought we should have a separate section from the Bookie Jar lists for the reviews/comments/thoughts regarding your selections from the Jar.

2bhabeck
Edited: Feb 4, 2018, 2:59 pm

I'm finally getting around to reading my selections from the Bookie Jar:

Brenda's "Samplings"

✘ Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - from LibraryCin - 4 Stars; 1/27/18
My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni - from Carol
✘ Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - from Eadie (enjoy the movie so going to check out the book) - 3 Stars; 08/14/17
Songs of Love and War - from Sergei
Irene by Pierre LeMaitre - from OM
In Pale Battalions by Robert Goddard - from Andrew (finishing the Wide World Trilogy now...this is next) starting next, depending on dates for next Group Read
✘ Fade to Red by Linda Castillo - from Sushi; 4 Stars; 01/31/18
Wool by Hugh Howey - from Bb (had this on my tbr for a while)
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - from Andrew (also had this on my tbr for a while)
The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier - from Eadie

3bhabeck
Jan 16, 2018, 11:44 am

Brenda's Review of
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Read: 8/14/17

Meet Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno - two strangers on the same train. Guy Haines is a successful architect in the midst of a nasty divorce and Charles is a spoiled mama’s boy who wants nothing more than to be out from under his father’s control.

The two men share a compartment on a train and over the course of a meal, discuss their sad situations. Charles, a sadistic psychopath, decides that they could be rid of their problems by each killing the other’s nemesis. Guy, of course, realizes that this is crazy and believes that it was all bluster on Charles’ part…until Guy’s wife ends up murdered. When Guy balks at killing Charles’ father, Charles torments Guy by insinuating himself into Guy’s life and business.

For me, this is one of the rare instances where I liked the movie better than the book. Patricia Highsmith’s style of writing is descriptive and suspenseful but in some cases, the details overwhelm the plot. In addition, I didn’t like any of the main characters – Charles was whiny, petulant and obnoxious. Guy was a coward and a fool. Anne (Guy’s fiancée) was a doormat. I listened to this book on unabridged audio, narrated by Bronson Pinchot who did a great job.

Rating: 3 stars

4Andrew-theQM
Feb 4, 2018, 12:04 pm

>2 bhabeck: The next Group Read is Map Of Bones by James Rollins on Thursday 8th February. Hope you enjoy In Pale Battalions, I think I am due a re-read of this.

5EadieB
Edited: Feb 4, 2018, 12:33 pm

I’ve got a few more to read - I’ll read them in March:
Eadie's "Bookie Jar"
Hothouse Flower or Orchid House by Lucinda Riley - Historical Fiction
The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier - Time Travel Adventure
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton - Standalone Crime Fiction
Burntown: a novel by Jennifer McMahon - Thriller Fantasy
The Ex by Alafair Burke - Standalone Mystery
Red Leaves by Paullina Simons - Mystery Suspense
The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier - Horror
Say Nothing by Brad Parks - Standalone - Suspense Thriller
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - Psychological Thriller
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton - Psychological Thriller

Eadie's Samplings:
The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton- From Carol - 4 stars - Exit Strategy Bk 2 next
Finding Nouf - Zoe Ferraris - Mystery - From Lynda - 4 stars
Simon Said by Sarah Shaber - From Carol
Dissolution by C. J. Samsom - From Lynda
The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen - From Lynda
Doc by Mary Doria Russell - From Lynda
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly - From Lynda - Have to get from Library
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - From LibraryCin
Black Order by James Rollins - From Andrew
The Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine - From Andrew
The Survivor by Gregg Hurwitz - Suspense - From Brenda
The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor - Thriller - From Brenda

6Andrew-theQM
Edited: Feb 4, 2018, 3:01 pm

Andrew's Bookies

In Pale Battalions by Robert Goddard (Thriller)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (Contemporary Fiction)
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (Family Saga : 1 of 7)
The Light Between Oceans by M L Steadman (Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction)
Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper (Mystery / Thriller : 1 of 3)
Black Order by James Rollins (Thriller / Suspense : 3 of 12)
The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley (Historical Romance : 2 of 3)
Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman (Historical Fiction : 1 of 3)
Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy (Contemporary Fiction)
The Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine (Historical Fiction)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Literary Fiction)
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (Historical Mystery : 1 of 13)

Sample Books (Will be September at the earliest)

Eadie : Hothouse Flower by Lucinda Riley, Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
Carol : In The Blood by Lisa Unger, My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
Brenda : Term Limits by Vince Flynn, ✔️ Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 14/1/18
Sushicat : Wolf by Mo Haydee, Candlemoth by R J Ellory
Lynda : Doc by Mary Doris Russell, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Sergei : Songs of Love and War by Santa Montefiore, Tuppeny Hat Detective by Brian Sellars
Bluebird : Still Life by Louise Penny, ✔️ The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 29/1/18

7EadieB
Feb 4, 2018, 1:19 pm

>6 Andrew-theQM: I see that Black Order is the next book after Map of Bones so I'll read that when it is scheduled.

8Andrew-theQM
Feb 4, 2018, 3:01 pm

>7 EadieB: I’m looking forward to reading that again and see if I still enjoy it as much.

9bhabeck
Feb 4, 2018, 3:02 pm

>4 Andrew-theQM: that should work well - I've got The Ends of the Earth on audio and was waiting for the date of the Group Read to see if I could sneak a physical book in before we started Map of Bones. Looks like I'll be starting In Pale Battalions today :)

10Andrew-theQM
Feb 4, 2018, 3:23 pm

>9 bhabeck: Yey! Enjoy!

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