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Nicki wrote:I ADORED The Secret Life of Bees

Who wrote it? If you & ETP recommend it, then I'm ready to read it.

I just ordered the Secret Life of Bees. I hope it gets here soon. I started Florida Roadkill. I'll finish over the weekend.

It didn't grab me right at first, but I'm interested in the Serge and Coleman characters. Gotta give it a chance due to recommendation of other readers and I love Hiaasen.

Thanks for making me take my reading more seriously. I like reading about the Birds and the Bees. Seems to be the right thing to do.

ETP and Nicki, You might enjoy this photo gallery inspired by Secret Life of Bees.

http://beachsite.com/friends/artauctiongallery1.htm

I love the artwork on the cover...it reminds me of some of the paintings of Joni Mitchell. http://www.jonimitchell.com/#

conched, those wonderful works of art just made my day. I liked them all, but cracked up at "Needlework Novice Completes Small Bee Pillow in 5 Years" - must be someone with my same lack of "craftiness" (although that pillow looked darn good to me). I sure wish I had the Daughters of Mary shawl - it's gorgeous.

carmen, thanks to conched you have the author info. I read that Sue Monk Kidd is working on another book & I hope it's ready soon. I know we all have different tastes, but I think Secret Life of Bees is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Just MHO.

This BN book club is full of speed readers - I haven't even got Florida Roadkill from the library yet - yikes!

conched wrote:I just ordered the Secret Life of Bees. I hope it gets here soon. I started Florida Roadkill. I'll finish over the weekend.

It didn't grab me right at first, but I'm interested in the Serge and Coleman characters. Gotta give it a chance due to recommendation of other readers and I love Hiaasen.

Thanks for making me take my reading more seriously. I like reading about the Birds and the Bees. Seems to be the right thing to do.

ETP and Nicki, You might enjoy this photo gallery inspired by Secret Life of Bees.

http://beachsite.com/friends/artauctiongallery1.htm

I love the artwork on the cover...it reminds me of some of the paintings of Joni Mitchell. http://www.jonimitchell.com/#

I LOVE IT. I'm loving the book, too. Soooo sweet and full of age-old wisdom.

Nicki, You better get on the go!

I'm about half-way through Florida Roadkill. There are some parts that have shocked me, made me laugh out loud, and disgusted me, but it is hard to put down and an easy read.

The story of Sean and David is touching and I'm sure leads to the police officer in Key West.

Over-all, so far, it has made me feel that Tim Dorsey has put Florida in a rather bad light. How do you Floridians (or any of you) feel about that? He rather knocks OHIO too.

Yeah, yeah, I know it's fiction, but I keep thinking of Hiaasen's type of fiction.

What is Tim Dorsey like?

Reading just happens when you don't have to work! It's a heck of a lot better than most tv...

although I did watch The Notebook, which I loved (I adore Gena Rowlands) and then I re-watched Paulie 'cause I was in the mood for more Gena Rowlands.

What is it about Nicholas Sparks stories that intrigues us so? We must appreciate a good cry??!!

(I guess it is time to get all of his other ones I haven't read, since he has a new one coming out. I haven't read The Guardian, The Wedding, or Three Weeks with my Brother.)

More reading tonight...

conched wrote:Nicki, You better get on the go!

I'm about half-way through Florida Roadkill. There are some parts that have shocked me, made me laugh out loud, and disgusted me, but it is hard to put down and an easy read.

The story of Sean and David is touching and I'm sure leads to the police officer in Key West.

Over-all, so far, it has made me feel that Tim Dorsey has put Florida in a rather bad light. How do you Floridians (or any of you) feel about that? He rather knocks OHIO too.

Yeah, yeah, I know it's fiction, but I keep thinking of Hiaasen's type of fiction.

What is Tim Dorsey like?

I'm in the midle of rereading Florida Roadkill and I had forgotten how violent/ruthless Serge was in this.
The rest of Tim's books are not as brutal but quite funny to me, maybe because it was his first.
One of my fave movies is Pulp Fiction so it's no suprise I like this stuff.
I met Tim Dorsey at a book signing and he was really down to earth and friendly, of course I was buying a his book at the time. He's also in the Tampa Bay Parrothead club.
About Florida being in a bad light, I think it's all the craziness that make us who we are, to quote a Florida historian/fugitive, "we're wierdness on a stick" myself included.
Heck everytime I watch the news, three words usually come to mind, "only in Florida"

btw
Sean and David remind me of me and my best friend and our own "annual fishing trip that never happens"

Tim Dorsey has becom a favorite of mind. Florida Roadkill is pretty grusome in some spots, but mellows out in the rest of the series. Just remember that Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, and StingRay Shuffle ARE a trilligy.

I met Tim in KW for MOTM for a book sell/signing. And he was real cool.

sonofabeach says...
btw
Sean and David remind me of me and my best friend and our own "annual fishing trip that never happens"
_________________

Well, maybe your most special trip is coming up soon...it must be great to have such a great friend, tho.

I live in Texas and Austin's motto is Keep Austin Weird, but some of the stuff in Florida Roadkill is just too weird. I always enjoy the weird stuff I read about Key West in novels I've read. I like the way Buffett refers to Hollywood as Hollyweird.

The rigging of the shotgun in the motel room as the space shuttle Columbia took off and caused the vibrations of the little space shuttle was too weird.

Like I said, it is easy reading and I can't wait to get back to it tonight...weird as it is. I think I've said weird 50 gillion times.

Thanks for the info about Tim D.

Could you tell from the character descriptions of David and Sean if they are real people you have heard of?

I know some of Hiaasen's characters are based on real people. The latest I read was HOOT and supposedly there were really students who saved the burrowing owl and there is a movie based on the book. Heck, Buffett has something to do with it.

I just couldn't finish FLORIDA ROADKILL. It was too brutal for me. I'll give the author this . . . he can do violence about as well as anyone I've read. At this point in my life, I value my free time and need to spend it with something satisfying rather than so graphically and almost flippantly violent. I can see that on the nightly news.

With that said, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES left me with the warmest feelings . . . kinda like I felt after reading THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD or THE COLOR PURPLE. I will be re-reading this one.

I guess the reason I am sticking with the reading of T.D.'s books is that I DO have so much free time to read, and I keep thinking one of the Florida writers will "grab me" as much as the Travis McGee series.

Has any other writer been close? I have read Randy Wayne White and Carl Hiaasen. RWW comes closest to JMacD, IMO. I bought all of Tom Corcoran's books, but haven't even finished one yet. Maybe they will turn out to be pretty good, if I stick with 'em too.

I also liked the James Lee Burke series with Dave Robicheaux and the Tres Navarre books. Another Texas writer is Jeff Abbott; I enjoyed one called Black Jack Point, but the other one I read was sleazy.

ETP, or anyone, have you read the China Bayles mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert? She is a Texas writer who appeals to one who loves mysteries mixed with herbs and gardening.

Conched: Never heard of her, but will go check her out. Just posted my review of THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES at amazon.

Tried again today to "get into" FLORIDA ROADKILL, but I can't.

Tried TRIGGERFISH, too, but to no avail.

Have any of ya'll read the PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH Mystery Series with heroine MAGDELENA YODER? Hysterical stuff. And very original. Tamar Myers is the author. There's a brand new one out called ASSAULT AND PEPPER. All of her stuff is funny. Magdelena is a Mennonite spinster with a Bed and Breakfast in Amish country. I laugh out loud.

My problem is that I'm mainly into zany murder mysteries set in the tropics and when I try to read other types of books I lose interest although I recently read "East of Desolation" by Jack Higgins and liked it.
I really liked "The Deep Blue Goodby" and tried to get into other McGee books but they just seemed like hard reads or maybe too slow moving.
I guess I credit Hiaasen's "Tourist Season" for getting me into the violent/funny type of stuff. In my opinion Dorsey is like Carl Hiaasen on speed.
I like a easy reads with a good mixture of violence and comedy, the kind where the people who die deserve it, whether at the hands of "environmental terrorist" Skip Wiley or serial killer/Florida historian Serge.
Laurence Shames has some pretty good Florida Books too.
I've read them all and am waiting for another but he has not put one out in a few years.
I really liked Dave Barry's "Big Trouble" and just last night I found out that there's a movie of it starring Tim Allen and others.
I'm gonna have to rent it today, funny I've been walking by it in the rental store for months. Oh, and the book store finally called me and let me know that "Bridge of Birds" is in! I hope it's bloody!

I certainly enjoyed reading everyone's comments - thanks, sonofabeach, conched, & ETP. We may not all like the same stuff, but it sure is great to have other readers and book-o-philes to chat with.

Just a few thoughts on various things:
-I loved the Travis McGee books and would like to go back & re-read them all someday (if only there weren't so many good books I haven't read yet!)
I also liked the MacDonald books that weren't a part of the Travis series.
-there are so many good mystery series out there - it's great when you find one that appeals to you and can look forward to getting the next one when it comes out. Some of my favorites are P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Elizabeth George
-Mr. Nicki went to a book signing & met James Lee Bruke a couple years ago; said he was a nice guy
-I will probably pass on Florida Roadkill since I'm a bit squeamish (I hardly ever go to movies these days ) but will enjoy reading everybody's comments. Mr. Nicki has persuaded me to try one of his favorite fantasy series, Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb so I'll give that a go while waiting for the next BN selection.
-I am now going to amazon.com to read ETP's review of Secret Life of Bees
-I hope you are all having a good Valentine's Day!

I just watched the movie version of Dave Barry's "Big Trouble" and thought it was pretty good. Most of the locations and characters seemed to match what I had in mind while reading it.. I'll probably end up buying it.

SonofaBeach: BoB is very bloody. And violent. Maybe I shoud re-think FLORIDA ROADKILL. Maybe the two druggies were just a younger version of Master Li and Number Ten Ox.

I really did try to finish FR. I just couldn't.

Nicki: I love Elizabeth George and P. D. James, too.

What's next? I forget. (A lot.)

Who wants to suggest the next one? I know I can read Secret Life of Bees when it comes. I'm also still on Bridge of Birds.

The weather here in s Texas has been absolutely gorgeous since Saturday and I have been outside ALL day long.

Had a nice early Valentine's Dinner date and was asleep very early, thus up very early. (coulda been the RED wine.)

Didn't someone suggest a Christopher Moore book?

What about the Key Weird book suggested by Mango Press...I'd like to know more about that one too.

East Texas Parrothead wrote:I just couldn't finish FLORIDA ROADKILL. It was too brutal for me. I'll give the author this . . . he can do violence about as well as anyone I've read. At this point in my life, I value my free time and need to spend it with something satisfying rather than so graphically and almost flippantly violent. I can see that on the nightly news.

Yeah FR is pretty violent. But the rest seam to mollow out in comparision
eh, oh well, different strokes.

Right now I'm reading The HitchHickers Guide to the Galaxy, the 6 story 815 page version