The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,936 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jun 29, 2020 5:34:46 GMT
Alright readers, what books did you read this week?
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
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Post by gottapeanow on Jun 29, 2020 6:24:35 GMT
Two books for me this week.
The Color of Justice by Ace Collins. 1964. 2014. Two crimes, 50 years apart, in the same town in the South. The grandson comes back 50 years later to solve the mystery. The first part was much better than the second. 3/5 stars.
You And Me And Us by Alison Hammer. A family drama told from two POVs: a mother and her daughter. A great beach read. This is a tear-jerker. 4/5 stars
Lisa
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Post by tommygirl on Jun 29, 2020 13:32:34 GMT
Stand All the Way Up:Stories of Staying In It When You Want to Burn it all Down by Sophie Hudson. It's a memoir style book. I had read a few of her other books, but this one is the next level. 5/5 stars
Now I am reading A Better Man by Louise Penny. Love this Chief Inspector Gamache series. The characters are so good. I heard an interview with the author where she said she based Gamache off her husband. When her dh passed she thought that she would not be able to write the series anymore. With time she decided to write again and said it was comforting and felt like she was visiting with him again. Isn't that beautiful?
ETA: The Louise Penny/Inspector Gamache books can be read out of order, but there are a few storylines that are spoiled if you read out of order. The book above is something like book 15.
Go ahead and do yourself a favor and just start from book 1
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jun 29, 2020 13:34:10 GMT
The Body Lies is about about a young writer teaching a college level creative writing class. Her life is turned upside down when one of her students begins writing a dark story that blurs the lines between reality and fiction and she comes to see that the main character in his novel may in fact be her. It was a quick read and has decent intrigue and suspense.
The Case of the Missing Servant is part of the Vish Puri mystery series. I love this quirky Indian detective and the setting of modern day New Delhi. The descriptions of the bustling city and complicated social system are great. There is plenty of humor in this series and a fun read.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,498
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Post by edie3 on Jun 29, 2020 15:00:54 GMT
I read The Lies that Bind and wasn't that impressed with it. A large part of the book is 9/11, and I am not sure I like someone profiting off of it.
I posted this on last weeks thread, but I also read Love Hate and other Filters and it is a must read!!
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Post by maryland on Jun 29, 2020 15:17:40 GMT
I read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and it was okay. They started Throw Away My Husband (on the kindle, so I can never remember the title) and gave up about 40 pages in. Now reading The Cheerleaders and it's pretty good!
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
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Post by Mystie on Jun 29, 2020 15:29:24 GMT
I finished three books this week, and rated them all three stars. Version Control by Dexter Palmer (confirmed that I don't enjoy sci-fi), The Bone Jar by S. W. Kane (a basic mystery from Amazon First Reads), and The Guest List by Lucy Foley (pretty forgettable "atmospheric" mystery.) The best of the three was The Bone Jar.
It feels great to read...anything...after several months of not being able to concentrate during cancer treatment, but here's hoping I can find something a little more satisfying to read this week!
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633
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Post by janeliz on Jun 29, 2020 16:27:30 GMT
Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins. When John suffers a devastating stroke, his wife and two adult daughters come together to care for him and deal with the secrets and insecurities that are revealed in the aftermath. I enjoyed this one very much. Higgins did a great job creating characters who were not always likable but still relatable, and her storytelling was engaging and clever.
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hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,159
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Post by hutchfan on Jun 29, 2020 16:34:12 GMT
I read Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner.
I really enjoyed this story.
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Post by katiescarlett on Jun 29, 2020 17:22:52 GMT
I finished The Overdue Life of Amy Byler. It was okay. 3 stars
I finished Praying for Rain by B.B. Easton and it was terrible. The male narrator was one of the worst I've ever heard. I guess my 50 something self is just too old for YA novels but I was constantly rolling my eyes at the dialogue between these characters. I only finished it because I was mildly interested in the beginning and I'm behind on my Goodreads Book challenge. 1 star
I just finished Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe and it was pretty good. 3 stars
Not sure what's up next.
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AgnesDeux
Full Member
Posts: 217
Jul 7, 2014 0:50:46 GMT
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Post by AgnesDeux on Jun 29, 2020 17:49:44 GMT
I read Sing, Unburied Sing. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. The writing was amazing. The story was so sad and it has stuck with me since. I read My Dark Vanessa and The Book of Lost Friends before that, so now I need something light. I have started a few of them, but can't find the right one. I think it might be The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,677
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Post by Rhondito on Jun 29, 2020 18:34:28 GMT
You And Me And Us by Alison Hammer. A family drama told from two POVs: a mother and her daughter. A great beach read. This is a tear-jerker. 4/5 stars This makes me so happy! Ali is one of my really good friends! Her next book is going to be about a girl finding out through DNA testing that her father isn't her biological father after all. I *think* it's coming out next year. |
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Post by SockMonkey on Jun 29, 2020 18:49:24 GMT
I finally finished The City We Became and now am reading Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho.www.goodreads.com/book/show/51589631-last-tang-standingThe tagline for the review is "Crazy Rich Asians meets Bridget Jones" and that's pretty much spot on. Light. Fairly enjoyable so far. |
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,355
Location: Dallas Texas
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Post by SabrinaP on Jun 29, 2020 18:51:20 GMT
I just finished Dragonfly in Amber by Dianna Gabaldon (book 2 Outlander series). DH and I started watching the series. I finished book 1 a few years ago and started book 2 then and just couldn't get into it. I picked it up again 2 weeks ago to try again since we are watching the series. I finally finished it after 2 weeks. It never takes me that long to finish a book, but I just couldn't get into it. The first 50% of the book was so slow! It did pick up in the end slightly. I think I will just enjoy watching the series and forget about reading any more of the books.
I also finished Devoted by Dean Koontz. This book is a newer Kindle Unlimited book that I picked up to listen to since the Outlander book was taking so long to read. It was a very unique story. It's a thriller with a little science fiction thrown in. I really liked it.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Jun 29, 2020 18:58:23 GMT
I read The Vanishing Half. I really enjoyed it and found it to be a very original story that was both interesting and a page turner. Not quite a 5 star book, but definitely worthy of the praise and quite timely as the focus is on race.
Moving on to A Good Marriage which is a legal thriller.
ETA: just heard The Vanishing Half will be a limited series in HBO.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,945
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Jun 29, 2020 19:06:48 GMT
I just finished Dragonfly in Amber by Dianna Gabaldon (book 2 Outlander series). DH and I started watching the series. I finished book 1 a few years ago and started book 2 then and just couldn't get into it. I picked it up again 2 weeks ago to try again since we are watching the series. I finally finished it after 2 weeks. It never takes me that long to finish a book, but I just couldn't get into it. The first 50% of the book was so slow! It did pick up in the end slightly. I think I will just enjoy watching the series and forget about reading any more of the books. I also finished Devoted by Dean Koontz. This book is a newer Kindle Unlimited book that I picked up to listen to since the Outlander book was taking so long to read. It was a very unique story. It's a thriller with a little science fiction thrown in. I really liked it. Don't read the Fiery Cross then. The first 250 pages all take place on a single day. It took 3 weeks for me to get through. I like her story ideas and characters but she needs an editor to take a machete to her novels... |
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jun 29, 2020 19:09:48 GMT
Last week I finished Suzanne Collins' The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ~ the Hunger Games prequel. I know a lot of people didn’t like the book at all but I quite enjoyed it. Gave us a glimpse of early times of the Hunger Games and how/why they evolved the way they did. I look forward to the movie, whenever they will be able to make it. Now I’m reading 29 Seconds by T.M. Logan....which I believed was recommended here. DH finished No Exit and The Chain both of which he enjoyed. Now he's reading The Other People which was recommended by mnmloveli . He mentioned that the last 3 books he's read have involved kidnapping. I've got a couple of James Patterson books coming up on my hold list at the library so hopefully they don't involve kidnapping.  |
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,677
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Post by Rhondito on Jun 29, 2020 19:23:06 GMT
Three(!) for me this week:
You Can't Catch Me by Catherine McKenzie - a story about an unusual type of identity theft with a side of cult life thrown in. I didn't love this one and found it to be... annoying. I gave it 3 stars but it's more like 2.5
Westering Women by Sandra Dallas - a wagon train of single women make their way west in hopes of finding husbands. I really enjoyed this one. Strong female characters and relationships. 5 stars
The Swap by Robyn Harding - this was such a disappointment. I've enjoyed the author's other books I've read, The Party, Her Pretty Face, and The Arrangement, but this one was just loony. The description makes it seem like two couples decide one night to switch partners, but that's not what happens. There's so many weird storylines thrown in, an obsessed teen-aged girl... ugh. 2.5 stars and that's being generous.
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Post by Mel on Jun 29, 2020 19:51:43 GMT
The Summer House by James Patterson
It reminded me of an episode of NCIS. LOL I enjoyed it. 5/5
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
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Post by gottapeanow on Jun 29, 2020 19:55:01 GMT
You And Me And Us by Alison Hammer. A family drama told from two POVs: a mother and her daughter. A great beach read. This is a tear-jerker. 4/5 stars This makes me so happy! Ali is one of my really good friends! Her next book is going to be about a girl finding out through DNA testing that her father isn't her biological father after all. I *think* it's coming out next year. Ooooo, Rhondito, how cool is that? Huge congrats to her! GR has many stellar reviews as well! The next one sounds super interesting too. Lisa |
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jun 29, 2020 21:54:20 GMT
The Summer House by James Patterson It reminded me of an episode of NCIS. LOL I enjoyed it. 5/5 Just yesterday I put a hold on this book at our library. Glad you liked it! |
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Jun 29, 2020 22:06:57 GMT
I'm still going on Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy. Jane Seymour has just died. In general, I don't find Cromwell to be a very likeable guy, but in these books he is a very compelling character and I feel like I want to warn him about what's going to happen if he continues the way he is going!
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Post by peasapie on Jun 29, 2020 23:53:30 GMT
I just finished The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia. The setting was mainly during the 1918 flu epidemic in Mexico, (this book was published April 2019) and reading it during this pandemic made it all the more relatable. It's kind of a magical realism genre, with things happening the couldn't possibly happen along with some stark realism. It left me with some things to ponder and I found the language lyrical. |
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Post by mom2ja2 on Jun 30, 2020 1:00:49 GMT
I just finished The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson. It started a little slow for me, but I ended up really enjoying it, and was a little sad to be finished.
It's set in 1914 England - and reminded me a little of Downton Abbey.
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,443
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Jun 30, 2020 1:14:58 GMT
Stand All the Way Up:Stories of Staying In It When You Want to Burn it all Down by Sophie Hudson. It's a memoir style book. I had read a few of her other books, but this one is the next level. 5/5 stars Now I am reading A Better Man by Louise Penny. Love this Chief Inspector Gamache series. The characters are so good. I heard an interview with the author where she said she based Gamache off her husband. When her dh passed she thought that she would not be able to write the series anymore. With time she decided to write again and said it was comforting and felt like she was visiting with him again. Isn't that beautiful? ETA: The Louise Penny/Inspector Gamache books can be read out of order, but there are a few storylines that are spoiled if you read out of order. The book above is something like book 15. Go ahead and do yourself a favor and just start from book 1 I'm on book 11, when I pick up again. I've been saviouring the series for awhile now. I felt the first few are not the best but we got to know the characters and I wouldn't have wanted to skip them. Love going back to Three Pines. |
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Post by tommygirl on Jun 30, 2020 1:39:51 GMT
I'm on book 11, when I pick up again. I've been saviouring the series for awhile now. I felt the first few are not the best but we got to know the characters and I wouldn't have wanted to skip them. Love going back to Three Pines. I agree that they get better the more you read, but it may just be that I am more invested in the characters and appreciate how the stories and backstories build and intersect. |
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Post by quietgirl on Jun 30, 2020 1:58:08 GMT
I'm still going on Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy. Jane Seymour has just died. In general, I don't find Cromwell to be a very likeable guy, but in these books he is a very compelling character and I feel like I want to warn him about what's going to happen if he continues the way he is going! I LOVED this series!! I finished the Mirror and the Light last week. Great books. My favorite, by far, is the second, Bringing Up The Bodies. Oh, if you ever get an opportunity to see it, theres a Masterpiece Theatre 6 part series that combines Wolf Hall and Bringing Up the Bodies, it's called Wolf Hall. It is really, really good! Casting is slightly wonky, but they are all excellent actors and it's well done. |
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Post by maryland on Jun 30, 2020 1:59:07 GMT
I finished The Overdue Life of Amy Byler. It was okay. 3 stars I finished Praying for Rain by B.B. Easton and it was terrible. The male narrator was one of the worst I've ever heard. I guess my 50 something self is just too old for YA novels but I was constantly rolling my eyes at the dialogue between these characters. I only finished it because I was mildly interested in the beginning and I'm behind on my Goodreads Book challenge. 1 star I just finished Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe and it was pretty good. 3 stars Not sure what's up next. I brought the Overdue Life of Amy Byler on vacation with me. Just got it from the library. Maybe I will skip it, and just read it if I finish the other books. |
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Post by maryland on Jun 30, 2020 2:02:30 GMT
Last week I finished Suzanne Collins' The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ~ the Hunger Games prequel. I know a lot of people didn’t like the book at all but I quite enjoyed it. Gave us a glimpse of early times of the Hunger Games and how/why they evolved the way they did. I look forward to the movie, whenever they will be able to make it. Now I’m reading 29 Seconds by T.M. Logan....which I believed was recommended here. DH finished No Exit and The Chain both of which he enjoyed. Now he's reading The Other People which was recommended by mnmloveli . He mentioned that the last 3 books he's read have involved kidnapping. I've got a couple of James Patterson books coming up on my hold list at the library so hopefully they don't involve kidnapping. Read The Chain and have No Exit from a neighbor. Did he read Then She Was Gone - Jewell or Seven Days - Lake? I seem to read a lot of books involving abductions too!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jun 30, 2020 2:37:46 GMT
Did he read Then She Was Gone - Jewell I've read it but I don't think he has. |
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