Weekly Reading Thread: November1-6

I finally finished Transcendent Kingdom. I liked it, but it's super character-driven. For that reason, I didn't connect with it quite as much as I did with her first book. 4/5 stars.

Lisa

This week I finished Pretty Things by Janelle Brown. “Two wildly different women--one a grifter, the other an heiress--are brought together by the scam of a lifetime in a page-turner from the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear.” I quite enjoyed this book although at 474 pages, it is longer than most of the books I read. But I was entertained throughout with the story being told by the two main female characters. Many twists and turns until the very end. 4.5/5 stars I think I read that Nicole Kidman is making a miniseries or movie.

Now I'm reading Seven Days by Alex Lake. I think it was recommended on one these threads. I'm just 75 pages in and I'm hooked!

wow I haven’t read his books for 25 years. I have a feeling I might enjoy them more now. Will look this one up.

I am reading Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. So far I am enjoying it. I am listening to The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw with my daughter and we are reading The Trumpter of Krakow for her social studies.

Last week I finished One Native Life by Richard Wagamese. It was free with my Audible and I needed free because DD is flying through a series right now...

I read Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis. This was a 4.5 star read for me. I wanted something lighter and this was great. It's slightly hard to get into, but once you're through a few chapters, you're hooked. Emmie Blue (her first and last name) grew up with a super narcissistic mother and didn't know her father. In the first chapter you find out she has an incredible friend she met when she sent off a balloon at age 16 (she is celebrating her 30th) and that she had been sexually assaulted right about the same time. That friendship saved her life. In the beginning, it's really hard to get past her trauma, but in the book you see how she grows. It has some nice humor in it towards the end, and you really root for her.

Definitely recommend.

I listened to Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewel. The story was entertaining, but not at all plausible. I recommend it if you like English mysteries and don’t mind that the story is not at all believable. I really enjoyed listening to the audio version. The narrator had a beautiful, middle aged proper English accent which fit the story perfectly.

I’m currently listening to The Searcher by Tana French. I’m completely caught up in the story, a mystery set in Ireland. The main character is a hardened ex Chicago cop who has recently retired in a tiny village in Ireland and gets caught up in a mystery. The narrator of the story has a perfect voice for the part.

I just started reading The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. So far, it’s good.

I really loved Seven Days!  It was recommended by mmloieve!

Two for me......

THE WIFE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Michele Campbell  :  4 STARS
Description:  Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford.  He was preppy and handsome.  She was a pool girl at his country club.  Their affair should have been a summer fling, but it meant everything to Tabitha.  Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha's life - older, married but still in love with Tabitha.  
Review:  Author's first book for me was Strangers on the Beach which I gave 4 stars also.  Story flows along but basically rich cheaters.  Be careful who you trust.  Towards the end lots of action and reveals.

INVISIBLE GIRL by Lisa Jewell  :  3 STARS
Description:  Owen Pick, 30-ish, a virgin and living in his aunt's space bedroom, has just been suspended from his job as a teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct.  Across the street from Owen lives mom Cate a physiotherapist and dad Roan a child psychologist.  Meanwhile young Saffyre Maddox a former patient of Roan, disappears and the last person  to see her was Owen, the neighbor.  
Review:  Previous books by this author Then She Was gone (2018), Watching You (2018), The Family Upstairs (2019), I Found You 2017 and The Girls in the Garden (2016) all received 4 stars.  This story moves along quickly but at 55% not much was happening.  I think this book is what some people might call a "slow boil".  It was a solid story and just a little boring at times.  First disappoint by  this author for me.  

Happy Reading !

I haven’t been reading much lately. I’m halfway through this book and feel the same - like but not love. Will definitely see it through until the end though.

i was very excited to see that Andy Weir (The Martian) will have another book out next spring. Sadly, my actual enjoyment of a book appears to be inversely related to my pre-publication anticipation, so unfortunately it will probably be terrible! 

I never thought of that!!

Everyone I know is saying they can't concentrate on anything...

The Girls Behind the Gates by Brenda Davies 1939 Nora is in the family way, her parents have her committed under the mental deficiency act. Which states that pregnancy makes her a moral imbecile and she shouldn't be influencing good people of society. In 1981 a new doctor is investigating an discovers that over 40 years later Nora is still institutionalised. It was a very good read.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George ugg, Jean (a man) was in love 20 years ago and never got over the woman, hasn't fully lived since then. Then one day finally opens a letter she sent him 20 years ago when his new lady neighbour forces him and he almost kisses her. He pushes off in his book barge with no food, clothes or money and his neighbour jumps aboard at the last second. Lots of pretty descriptions of the French countryside. Jean writes postcards to his neighbour lady. Nothing really happens. He gets to the countryside and tries to let his feelings go. Realizes he likes his neighbour. Calls for her, she comes and they kiss and...long story short he took 20 years to get over his one girlfriend and realize he really can have sexual feelings and life is good again. eyeroll

I listened to The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall not sure if it was the narrator or the book itself. It was ok, but didn't draw me in. I think since I wasn't loving it I was zoning out too much and therefore maybe not enjoying it even more. It's about two men who become co-ministers at the same church. They are both married and their wives are complete opposites.

I read American Wife a while back. I really liked it also.

I’m reading HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi. I wanted to read Transcendent Kingdom but decided to read this one first. I’ve only just started but I was pulled in right away. The writing is wonderful. I’m not the fastest reader so it might take me a while but it definitely appears to be worthwhile.