paigepea
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Nov 23, 2014 22:13:57 GMT
How is everyone and what is everyone reading??
I again tried to start All The Light We Can Not See and I didn't make it very far. I've decided to out this book down and try again in a couple of months. I feel like i keep trying to get into this and, as a result, I'm hardly reading.
I started When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I'm really enjoying it. Easy to read and get into, enjoying the characters and the story. It is about a man who finds a baby when he is getting ready to go out duck hunting. I'm not that far into it but I look forward to reading so that's a good sign.
What about everyone else...
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Post by tampascrapper on Nov 23, 2014 22:22:58 GMT
Hi, I read a Revival: a novel by Stephen King. It was just ok. I would give it a 3 out of 5, which is too bad because he is my favorite author.
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Post by Fidget on Nov 23, 2014 22:32:06 GMT
I am reading Alligator Lake by Lynne Bryant, enjoying it so far!
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Post by NicL on Nov 23, 2014 22:40:02 GMT
I read The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman. It is a story about Claire who develops early onset Alzheimer's Disease. This story was funny, sad and heart warming, a real family going through a struggle many have experienced unfortunately. There are a few twists and surprises (one made my heart nearly burst with emotion, sorry that sounds really mushy but it was so good). If you like Jojo Moyes or Liane Moriarty you will love this one too.
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Post by annabella on Nov 23, 2014 23:06:05 GMT
I just finished Little Bee - Chris Cleave which after all of the Oprah hype I struggled to like. I'm now looking for a new book and reading the free samples I downloaded to my kindle.
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Post by auntkelly on Nov 24, 2014 0:10:56 GMT
I'm reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. It's a good read. It's a fictionalized novel written from the perspective of Ernest's Hemmingway's wife during the time that they were living in Paris before Hemmingway became famous. If I could be a time traveler, I would love to travel to Paris in the 1920s.
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
Jun 26, 2014 18:26:03 GMT
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Nov 24, 2014 0:22:19 GMT
I finished The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, and really enjoyed it. The characters are very different and at times you don't know exactly where the story is going, but the author is masterful and it was a great book.
I've started History of Rain (Williams). I'm only a few chapters in, but it's off to a good start. It was long listed for the Booker prize this year. Slowly, I'm making my way thru most of the titles on this list.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Nov 24, 2014 0:31:32 GMT
Only one for me this week - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
This was sweet, but I certainly don't get all of the hype or high ratings. I thought it was just okay and liked it well enough. 3/5 stars.
I hope I can read more before the end of the year even though I am slightly ahead of my reading goal.
Lisa
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,294
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Nov 24, 2014 1:49:02 GMT
I read Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. It was recommended by a refupea a few weeks ago. It was good/OK. I thought it kind of dragged on too long in parts. I've read many books from the 18th, 19th and early 20th century and enjoy them and this did not disappoint in the vocabulary and the mindset and actions of those times. I did some research after I finished and it was published in 1847 and was based on Anne's own time as a governess. Unfortunately she died in 1849 at the age of 29 (of influenza/consumption) with only two books and a volume of poetry published. In my research I found out that Emily Bronte's only novel was Wuthering Heights. And Charlotte only had four novels published (of course Jane Eyre was the most famous), one after her death. I don't know why this is surprising to me. I guess that the Bronte sisters seem, I don't know, so popular? that they must've had more published. Maybe it's just that they were women writers and there weren't many then. Anyway thanks for reading my ramblings. hahaha.
So that inspired me to download Emma by Jane Austen, which surprisingly, I have never read. It's dragging on, but I'm going to stick with it.
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Post by sues on Nov 24, 2014 1:49:29 GMT
I just finished Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer. I enjoyed it, until the end. There was a lot of build up about the main character, and then I was kind of like It was like a deflating balloon fart, IMO. I'm not sorry I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it. My purse book is The Julian House by Charlaine Harris. I'm working my way through her Aurora Teagarden series. They're light and enjoyable- but not particularly compelling, which makes it good for a purse book. Tonight I start Revival, by Stephen King. I've been waiting for this one.
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Post by Alexxussss on Nov 24, 2014 1:58:31 GMT
Just started reading Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay. It's a thriller...so far so good!
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my3freaks
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,206
Location: NH girl living in Colorado
Jun 26, 2014 4:10:56 GMT
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Post by my3freaks on Nov 24, 2014 2:11:39 GMT
I'm about 1/3rd of the way through Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon. I'm enjoying it. I accidently read a spoiler online when looking for the order of the books, so instead of puttering around online this weekend, I've been reading more to see how it's going to play out.
Melanie
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 24, 2014 2:30:19 GMT
Hi Refupeas Who Read
I'm still working my way through All the Light We Cannot See. It's good, and I'm down to the last 200 pages, but I'm just not finding much time to read.
I'm almost finished with Nothing Daunted, a true story about a pair of young women who travel from Auburn, NY to rural Colorado at the turn of the century to be schoolteachers. It's pretty good. The women come from wealth, and after they graduate from college and travel around Europe for a year, they are expected to find suitable husbands and settle down. Instead, they go to Colorado.
Happy Reading!
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Post by lovemybabes on Nov 24, 2014 2:43:33 GMT
I just finished The Kitchen House It was a very good read.
In this gripping New York Times bestseller, Kathleen Grissom brings to life a thriving plantation in Virginia in the decades before the Civil War, where a dark secret threatens to expose the best and worst in everyone tied to the estate.
Orphaned during her passage from Ireland, young, white Lavinia arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and is placed, as an indentured servant, under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate slave daughter. Lavinia learns to cook, clean, and serve food, while guided by the quiet strength and love of her new family.
In time, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, caring for the master’s opium-addicted wife and befriending his dangerous yet protective son. She attempts to straddle the worlds of the kitchen and big house, but her skin color will forever set her apart from Belle and the other slaves.
Through the unique eyes of Lavinia and Belle, Grissom’s debut novel unfolds in a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful story of class, race, dignity, deep-buried secrets, and familial bonds.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 19, 2024 5:08:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2014 3:02:51 GMT
I've been such a slow reader lately. I'm in a book club and the only rule is everyone gets turns picking a book and you can't complain about the selection. One lady just listens to them on audiobook. SO the book for November is The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. When I was about 3/4 of the way through, I could see the ending coming. It was okay, but I have a hard time reading romance. I'm far too practical and find myself yelling you are so selfish, that's not reality, etc... Just started reading If I stay. I've heard a lot of things about the book and saw it's made into a movie now. It just became available on my Kindle through the library. So far, not bad. I'm not a huge fan of young adult books but I like to read books with different genres so I don't get bored or confused with another one I just read. Next up will be Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I'll start after Thanksgiving. I try to read it once a year. Any other Christmas book suggestions?ETA: auntkelly I enjoyed Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. It's a fictionalized novel about Frank Lloyd Wright's mistress around that same time I believe. Parts are set in Europe, most in the U.S. Alexxussss I loved that book. The ending was something I did not expect.
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Post by maryland on Nov 24, 2014 3:48:57 GMT
I am looking for Christmas books too! I just got Mr. Miracle by Macomber and Winter St. by Hildebrand. I will take them on our Thanksgiving trip.
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luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,067
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
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Post by luckyexwife on Nov 24, 2014 4:00:08 GMT
I finished The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee. It was simple and predictable, but I did enjoy it. The dialog did get stuffy, though. It is part of a series, so I'll look for the next one at my library.
Not sure what is next...it will be a busy week, so not much time for reading.
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lovemy4js
Junior Member
Posts: 76
Jul 4, 2014 5:12:51 GMT
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Post by lovemy4js on Nov 24, 2014 4:28:15 GMT
Only one for me this week - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. This was sweet, but I certainly don't get all of the hype or high ratings. I thought it was just okay and liked it well enough. 3/5 stars. I hope I can read more before the end of the year even though I am slightly ahead of my reading goal. Lisa Oh thank goodness! I thought I was the only one who felt that way about this book. I just don't get why most people gush over it in their reviews. I actually didn't find it very engaging at all. i just finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I liked it. I've always enjoyed true crime novels. This one was unique because it read more like a fictional novel. I want to rent the movie now!
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Post by betsy on Nov 24, 2014 4:37:30 GMT
I read John Green's Looking for Alaska in 2 days. Wish he was around when I was a teen. Also devoured If I Stay by Gale Foreman, a short story by Veronica Roth, Four, the Transfer, and now I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,930
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Nov 24, 2014 4:37:30 GMT
It's been a couple weeks since I've posted. I've read a few:
Everything I Never Told You: this is a story of a family dealing with the after affects of sling a child...a child that was the golden girl, and it's the story of the girl and how she came to be "lost." It was well written and thought-provoking. I didn't always love the book, but it did longer with me. I gave it 4.5 out of 5.
Revival: it's a King book. I did enjoy it, and again, it lingered with me for awhile. There is some pretty disturbing imagery, and I don't know that I liked the ending. I'm not sure anyone could. Still, I did fid the Protagonist interesting. 4/5 stars. Maybe 3.5.
We Were Liars: this was just rated [HASH]1 ya book by Amazon for 2014. I thought it had a good premise and interesting setting, but I saw the twist a mile away. Maybe others did not. I think a lot of my teen students would love it though. I give it 3/5. For the genre:4/5.
Dr, Death's Blue-Eyed Girls: one of my students gave me this to read. YA takes place in early 1960's. Based on true events of the murders if two girls and a town torn apart. I was annoyed by the voice of the narrator.... A lot. Still, it was ok for the genre. 3/5 stars.
Monument 14: another student recommendation. Dystopian teen novel where everything that can go wrong---does. I rolled my eyes a few times, but overall, it was entertaining and a slightly new take on the genre. I rounded up to 4/5. I would recommend to teens, especially boys.
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Post by bc2ca on Nov 24, 2014 5:10:13 GMT
I just picked up Jennifer Weiner's All Fall Down and will get started on it tonight. I love everything she writes, so expect to love this. paigepea I really loved All the Light We Can Not See. The writing style is different and it is not fast moving at all, but for me it was so vivid and visual I was sorry when it ended. annabella Little Bee is a book I did put down before finishing. I think it was a timing thing, but just couldn't get into it before the library needed it back. gottapeanow I might add A Tree Grows In Brooklyn to my reading list. I read it as a teen and remember loving it, but wonder how I will feel now with a few more decades of life experiences. GiantsFan Emma is my favorite Jane Austen book.
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Post by ~summer~ on Nov 24, 2014 5:51:53 GMT
I started When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I'm really enjoying it. Easy to read and get into, enjoying the characters and the story. It is about a man who finds a baby when he is getting ready to go out duck hunting. I'm not that far into it but I look forward to reading so that's a good sign. What about everyone else... I loved When I Found You! i just finished Me Before You...and now I'm starting something heavier a: A Tale of Two Cities.
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Post by annabella on Nov 24, 2014 6:08:00 GMT
annabella Little Bee is a book I did put down before finishing. I think it was a timing thing, but just couldn't get into it before the library needed it back. Little secret for you, I borrowed it from the library too, but as long as you keep your kindle on airplane mode the library can't take it back.
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Post by pjaye on Nov 24, 2014 11:46:20 GMT
Last week I had just started listening to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. The story of 17yo Cadence who comes from a very wealthy family and they spend their summers on their own island. When she is 15 something happens that leaves her traumatized, and suffering from severe migraines but unable to remember what happened. She doesn’t go back to the island for the 16th summer, but now she is back and trying to put the pieces of her memory together. I thought I had ‘the missing memory’ puzzle all worked out and I did get part of it but not all so I was still surprised at the end.. It was an interesting book and well written and I can see why it is getting so much praise. 4 out of 5 stars.
Then I moved on to Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I don’t generally read post-apocalyptic stories, but very I made an exception for this one. This is the story of a killer flu pandemic that wipes out 90% of the world’s population within a few weeks. Set in Canada and focuses on one group of survivors, both pre and post collapse, and how their lives intersect and intertwine. The writing kept me enthralled and I really got involved with these characters and their quest for survival. Definitely recommended, and I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads, but really more 4.5 out of 5.
Currently I’m half way through The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. This book won’t be for everyone and if you’ve never read Sarah Waters before then you need to be aware that her main female characters are always lesbian…and if that sort of thing puts you off then best to avoid this book. I have no issue with it myself. Lots of books have romantic relationships as a part of the story and this time it just happens to be between two women. Set in post war England in 1922, 26yo “spinster” Frances and her mother are struggling to make ends meet after her father dies and they have to rent out some rooms in their house to a married couple. The character of Frances is hysterical, she’s very ‘proper’ but also quite blunt and sarcastic. I was listening while doing my grocery shopping yesterday and in one part I was laughing out loud and had to fake a coughing fit so people in the shop didn’t think I was the crazy lady laughing to herself! It's been quite light and fun for the first half but now it's taking more of a serious turn, but so far I am enjoying this a lot.
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Post by tommygirl on Nov 24, 2014 14:02:02 GMT
I am thoroughly enjoying Us by David Nicholls right now. I did not think the Outlander book I read last week was good enough to continue the series.
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Post by kckckc on Nov 24, 2014 18:50:05 GMT
I finished three books this week.
Red Joan by Jennie Rooney. Joan is unmasked at the age of 85 as a British spy for the KGB during the Cold War. I enjoyed this one a lot.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. A Sam Spade novel. Definitely written in and about another time - the women all seem like caricatures, but I did enjoy this one too.
Like several other Peas, I also finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel and thought it was very good.
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Post by birukitty on Nov 24, 2014 23:09:43 GMT
I finished "All the Light We Cannot See" last week and have to admit I loved the book up until the last 3 chapters. I hated the ending, just hated it. I thought the book could have easily ended much earlier and more satisfactorily, than it did by going on and on. It was kind of like a Stephen King novel in that way for me-like the author didn't quite know how to end it so he just kept going-I hate books like that. I much prefer it when authors tie up all threads of the story in a nice, tight package-Connie Willis, a science fiction author is a master at this. None of the ending made sense to me, but I will save most of what I think for our book club discussion next week.
So I'm back to reading "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" by Diana Gabaldon which is book 6 of the Outlander series. I loved the first book so very much that I decided to treat myself and buy each copy in hardcover for two reasons-1. I reread books over and over again, so it'll be worth it and 2. I still prefer real books over E books.
I have a 16 year old Siamese cat who insists on sleeping with me every night, and I read every night before I go to sleep-always have, always will. I'm noticing how much more difficult it is to balance a cat in your lap, an 800 page hardcover novel in your hands, plus a hot cup of tea than your average length novel. Not that I'm complaining. I'm thrilled Diana Gabaldon decided to make her novels last so long-more to enjoy and savour for each one. And while book 6 might not be quite as exciting as book 1 was, I'm still enjoying every page as I learn so much about that time in history and enjoy her detailed style of writing that brings alive her characters and the stories she tells.
Debbie in MD.
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Post by smokeynspike on Nov 25, 2014 0:06:21 GMT
I am reading Champion by Marie Lu. It is the final book in the Legend Series.
Melissa
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Post by leannec on Nov 25, 2014 0:13:54 GMT
I read Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. It was recommended by a refupea a few weeks ago. It was good/OK. I thought it kind of dragged on too long in parts. I've read many books from the 18th, 19th and early 20th century and enjoy them and this did not disappoint in the vocabulary and the mindset and actions of those times. I did some research after I finished and it was published in 1847 and was based on Anne's own time as a governess. Unfortunately she died in 1849 at the age of 29 (of influenza/consumption) with only two books and a volume of poetry published. In my research I found out that Emily Bronte's only novel was Wuthering Heights. And Charlotte only had four novels published (of course Jane Eyre was the most famous), one after her death. I don't know why this is surprising to me. I guess that the Bronte sisters seem, I don't know, so popular? that they must've had more published. Maybe it's just that they were women writers and there weren't many then. Anyway thanks for reading my ramblings. hahaha. So that inspired me to download Emma by Jane Austen, which surprisingly, I have never read. It's dragging on, but I'm going to stick with it. "Emma" is my fav Jane Austen book ... in fact, dd#1 is named Emma because of it I just love that she is a flawed character who has the best of intentions Right now I'm about halfway through "I'm Having So Much Fun Here Without You" by Courtney Maum for my IRL Book Club ... I didn't like it much at first but it's getting better ... after reading "All the Light We Cannot See" previously it is difficult not to compare the quality of the writing
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Nov 25, 2014 0:43:59 GMT
I've recommended this so many times, people are probably sick of hearing about it, but I really love Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis. The stories are a little offbeat but really fun. I usually re-read it at Christmastime.
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