The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,929 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Apr 12, 2021 4:36:47 GMT
Hey readers! What did you read this week?
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Apr 12, 2021 5:38:52 GMT
Hi there,
I read a book called While Paris Slept. At the beginning, it moved right along. But the second part was a bit slower. Even so, it was quite a bit different than many WW2 books, which I enjoyed. Overall, beautifully written and 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
I'm nearly done with West with Giraffes. This has a bit of a Water for Elephants feel. I'm loving it! Yes, it's really about giraffes. And now, I want to find one and pet it.
Lisa
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 12, 2021 12:15:55 GMT
I have been really slacking on reading lately. This weekend I finally finished The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and started Caste. I wasn’t sure Caste was what I wanted to read right now but I needed to get it done so I can return it. I’m going to start The Four Winds on audible today so I can listen while driving.
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Post by trixiecat on Apr 12, 2021 12:49:46 GMT
I just finished listening to We Begin At the End. I would give it 4.5 stars. I want to go back and listen to the last hour of the book because so much was explained and came together.
Duchess Day Radley is a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
Now, 30 years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families - the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
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hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,125
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Post by hutchfan on Apr 12, 2021 13:37:31 GMT
I read The Girl In The Mirror.
I ranked it 3.5, it is about twin sisters one good and one bad or so it seems. I normally don't read these kind of books.
After reading The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot that I rated 5 stars no book has come close.
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Post by guzismom on Apr 12, 2021 13:42:26 GMT
I read two; both of which I enjoyed.
The first was His & Hers by Alice Feeny.
The second was Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay.
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Post by maryland on Apr 12, 2021 14:04:55 GMT
I read The Request - David Bell and liked it a lot! I am reading The Perfect Mother - Caroline Mitchell as and The Light Through the Leaves - Glendy Vanderah on my kindle. So far they are both really good.
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Post by austnscrapaddict on Apr 12, 2021 14:19:37 GMT
I finished reading The First Patient- by Michael Palmer. It was deep but engrossing. I give it 4 stars. Deep into medicine and politics. I somehow thought it was a new release, but it was published in 2008, so not a new book. I'm ready for something light after this.
I started next month's book club selection- The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia Sounds super cute and starting off cute.
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Post by auntkelly on Apr 12, 2021 15:01:50 GMT
I finished Hamnet a novel I had started reading several weeks ago and didn't finish before my original library check out period expired. The novel was a fictionalized account of the life and tragic death of Shakespeare's only son. The book was entertaining, but I really don't think it's fair to fictionalize the lives of real people. For example, the wife of Shakespeare was portrayed in the book as a quirky woman with few friends. There is nothing wrong w/ that type of personality, but what if Shakespeare's wife was really very outgoing and had lots of friends? I know it sounds silly since she lived so long ago, but I just think it's wrong to assign a personality to an actual person we know so little about and make that person the main character in a book.
I'm now reading a nonfiction book, The Ratline: The Exalted Life and Mysterious Death of a Nazi Fugitive. The first half of the book was fascinating, but the second half was a little slow. The book is about a Nazi war criminal, Otto Wachter, who ordered the deaths of over 100,000 Jews in a Nazi region consisting of parts of modern day Ukraine and Poland. After the defeat of the Nazis, he hid in the Alps for three years, with the help of his loyal Nazi wife. He then made his way to Italy from which he hoped to escape to South America. His wife kept all their correspondence. It was both fascinating and sickening to see how humans could do such awful things to other humans and have absolutely no remorse whatsoever.
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Apr 12, 2021 15:59:19 GMT
I just finished listening to We Begin At the End. I would give it 4.5 stars. I want to go back and listen to the last hour of the book because so much was explained and came together. Duchess Day Radley is a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids. Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother. Now, 30 years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families - the ones we are born into and the ones we create. I loved this book so much. You must read/listen to Tall Oaks by the same author. I liked it almost as much, if not more than We Begin at the End. Manny is a absolute hoot, I loved his character and his buddy Abel and actually missed them when the book was finished. Both these books are at the top of my favorite reads list. Nothing is as it seems in Tall Oaks, a small California town where everyone knows each other and violent crime is unheard of. The community's idyllic façade is shattered when a kidnapper in a clown costume snatches three-year-old Harry Monroe from his own home. Despite sensational media coverage and dogged police investigations, the abduction remains a mystery. Three months later, Harry is still missing and most people have moved on, except for Jessica, Harry's distraught mother, and Jim, the local sheriff. Anyone in Tall Oaks could be a suspect: Jerry, the loner with a secret that only his mother knows; Jared, the roving lothario; teenage Manny, an aspiring gangster; and even Jessica's Aunt Henrietta and Uncle Roger, who are clearly hiding something. |
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Post by cadoodlebug on Apr 12, 2021 16:02:59 GMT
Last week I finished The Russian by James Patterson. It was an easy read, short chapters. Typical Patterson fare. Kind of a twist at the end that wasn’t really needed. 4/5 stars
Now I'm about halfway through The Push by Ashley Audrain. Even though many Peas have read the book, I didn't know anything about the subject matter. Although I'm enjoying reading it, it makes me sad.
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Post by stingfan on Apr 12, 2021 16:16:51 GMT
Finished...
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate - It was kind of a slog for me. I had trouble getting invested in the characters enough to keep reading. But I was interested enough to see it through to the end. I especially didn't like that a major part of the main character's past wasn't revealed until the epilogue. It seems like there would have been a better place/time to introduce that info rather than waiting until after the story was essentially over.
Started...
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - This is my second read through of this, since it's my book group's May book. I liked it the first time and I'm having an easier time keeping track of who all the characters are this time. So I think I may absorb some details of the story better, too.
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Post by maryland on Apr 12, 2021 17:55:16 GMT
Last week I finished The Russian by James Patterson. It was an easy read, short chapters. Typical Patterson fare. Kind of a twist at the end that wasn’t really needed. 4/5 stars Now I'm about halfway through The Push by Ashley Audrain. Even though many Peas have read the book, I didn't know anything about the subject matter. Although I'm enjoying reading it, it makes me sad. If you like The Push, the book Baby Teeth - Stage and The Perfect Child - Lucinda Berry are similar! I liked both even better than The Push, but maybe because I read them first. I enjoyed all three though! |
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Post by trixiecat on Apr 12, 2021 18:09:17 GMT
Linda Lou, thank you for this recommendation! I am driving 8 hours tomorrow to my parents and this would be great to listen to.
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Post by peasapie on Apr 12, 2021 18:40:04 GMT
I just finished The Vanishing Half, a fictional novel about twin sisters who live very different lives after age 16 and reconnect many years later. I thought the writing was beautiful and enjoyed reading it; however, there were a few situations that seemed implausible to me and the ending felt unsatisfying.
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Post by carolynhasacat on Apr 13, 2021 1:37:21 GMT
I read Tears of Amber by Sofia Segovia, a book I've been looking forward to and was surprised to find on Amazon First Reads this month. It follows the stories of 2 Prussian families during WWII. It was ultimately a satisfying (partly because of the author's notes at the end) but harsh read (all the trigger warnings) and didn't quite have the magic of The Murmur of Bees for me.
I also read a fantastic meta-mystery novel, The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi. It kept me guessing to the end.
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muggins
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,861
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Post by muggins on Apr 13, 2021 7:54:36 GMT
I have been really slacking on reading lately. This weekend I finally finished The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and started Caste. I wasn’t sure Caste was what I wanted to read right now but I needed to get it done so I can return it. I’m going to start The Four Winds on audible today so I can listen while driving. I’m currently listening to Addie LaRue. I’m 5 hours in so far and it reminds me of another book Oona Out of Order. I also listened to Caste narrated by the author. She has a beautiful speaking voice and I would definitely recommend listening to it if you can. She does an excellent job of piecing together all aspects of racism in the US in a very clear and comprehensive way. |
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Apr 13, 2021 15:46:47 GMT
Linda Lou, thank you for this recommendation! I am driving 8 hours tomorrow to my parents and this would be great to listen to. You must let me know how you liked it. Say hi to Manny for me!  |
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Post by mnmloveli on Apr 14, 2021 18:08:00 GMT
Three for me this week.
THE WATCHER GIRL (21) by Minka Kent : 3 STARS
DESCRIPTION: Eight years ago, Grace McMullen broken Sutton Whitlock's heart when she walked away. Now all she wants is to make sure he's OK. According to his social media accounts, he placed roots in her hometown, married a look-alike and even named his daughter Grace! He clearly hasn't moved on. In fact, its creepy. When Grace crosses paths with Sutton's wife, Campbell, an unexpected friendship develops and leads to the unexpected.
REVIEW: This book is a spin-off of The Memory Watcher ('20) which I gave 4 Stars. Other books by this author were When I was you ('20 - 4 Stars) and The Thinnest Air ('18 - 3 Stars). Description says it all. A few twists along the way. I liked the first book better.
ETERNAL ('21) BY LISA SCOTTOLINE : 2 STARS
DESCRIPTION: Elisabeth, Marco and Sandro grow-up as the best of friends despite their differences. Elisabetta is a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist. Marco, the brash and athletic son in a family of professional cyclists. Sandro a Jewish mathematics prodigy, kind-hearted and thoughtful, the son of a lawyer and doctor. Their friendship blossoms to love, with both Sandro and Marco hoping to win Elisabetta's heart. In the autumn of 1937, all of that begins to change as Mussolini asserts his power.
REVIEW: All of Ms. Scottoline's books that I've read (10) were 4 Stars with After Anna and Keep Quiet getting 5 Stars. One of my most dependable authors! I was so looking forward to her new book but the description did make me work it wasn't for me. I'm not into historical fiction. At 20% I was struggling to continue and thinking I should have skipped this one even though I'm a big fan. I did love the interaction between the four main characters and I'm trying to ignore the history parts. First book by this author that wasn't for me.
OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN ('21) BY R.J. HOFFMANN : 2 STARS
DESCRIPTION: Gail and Jon Durbin moved to the suburbs to set-up house as soon as Gail got pregnant. After 3 miscarriages the Durbins have turned to adoption. Carli is a pregnant teenager from a town nearby with dreams of going to college and getting out of her mother's home. When she makes the gut-wrenching decision to give her baby up for adoption, she chooses the Durbins. Carli's mother Marla has other plans for her grandbaby.
REVIEW: This is the author's debut novel. I was hoping for a great new author, but it didn't happen for me. Sorry! I thought the book was very descriptive and not enough dialogue. The short chapters, which I usually like, just droned on. Was very boring for me.
HAPPY READING !
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Post by mnmloveli on Apr 14, 2021 18:08:21 GMT
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,662
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Post by Rhondito on Apr 15, 2021 18:41:09 GMT
ETERNAL ('21) BY LISA SCOTTOLINE : 2 STARS I've given up on this one at the halfway point. I don't care about any of the characters, the way the story is told isn't interesting, and I have no desire to see how it ends. I'm having a really hard time finding a book that I like right now... I've started and stopped several. Right now I'm on the Rose Code and I'm not in love with it either. |
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Post by mnmloveli on Apr 18, 2021 0:12:39 GMT
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Post by maryland on Apr 18, 2021 3:20:02 GMT
Thanks for the link!
Did you read The Choice by Alex Lake? I thought you liked this author. I am just starting it on my kindle.
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Post by pjaye on Apr 18, 2021 3:25:17 GMT
I've started and stopped several. Right now I'm on the Rose Code and I'm not in love with it either. It's worth persevering, I thought the start was a little slow, but then I LOVED it. |
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Post by mnmloveli on Apr 18, 2021 3:49:55 GMT
Thanks for the link!
Did you read The Choice by Alex Lake? I thought you liked this author. I am just starting it on my kindle.
YES! I’m an Alex Lake fan. I gave The Choice 4 Stars. I also liked Seven Days (5 Stars), Copy Cat (4 Stars) and After Anna (4 Stars). Enjoy ! |
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Post by maryland on Apr 18, 2021 14:41:56 GMT
Thanks for the link!
Did you read The Choice by Alex Lake? I thought you liked this author. I am just starting it on my kindle.
YES! I’m an Alex Lake fan. I gave The Choice 4 Stars. I also liked Seven Days (5 Stars), Copy Cat (4 Stars) and After Anna (4 Stars). Enjoy ! Thanks! I also read Seven Days and After Anna after your recommendations. They were good! Seven Days is a favorite. |
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,662
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Post by Rhondito on Apr 18, 2021 15:06:51 GMT
I've started and stopped several. Right now I'm on the Rose Code and I'm not in love with it either. It's worth persevering, I thought the start was a little slow, but then I LOVED it. I made myself stick with it and agree with you, I'm liking it much more. |
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Post by cadoodlebug on Apr 18, 2021 16:54:57 GMT
I made myself stick with it and agree with you, I'm liking it much more. Good to hear ~ it's next up on my Kindle. |
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Post by freecharlie on Apr 18, 2021 17:04:46 GMT
I finished Just Mercy
It was horrible and eye opening all the Injustice that one man outlined. I can't imagine how much of it us out there
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Post by auntkelly on Apr 18, 2021 17:15:31 GMT
Thanks! They are offering some really good books for free. |
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refupea #245
