Weekly Reading Thread: January 23-29

I finished To Paradise, the new one by Hanya Yanagihara. The 700-page book (!!!) is divided into three sections 100 years apart: past, recent past and future. The first two include alternate histories of the US. All three use characters with the same names, but the characters are not the same people. (It sounds more confusing than it is.)

Honestly, Hanya would've done better to make this a trilogy. The first two sections are really novellas; the third, a novel. (I liked the third section the best, especially the creative timeline and the letters.) Maybe she'll listen to me when she writes her next book! 5/5 stars.

Lisa

I’m still reading Lisa jewel’s INVISIBLE GIRL. I’m enjoying it. As said in my above post I’m new to listening to books and have enjoyed that more this week.

I finished listening to THE LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL by Elyssa Friedland. It’s about two families that own a hotel in the Catskills - a dying breed of hotels. It’s a family reunion / multigenerational family drama / comedy story where these two families have to deal with the fact that bookings at their once bustling hotel are down for a variety of reasons. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It’s easy and quick, has some twists and surprises, but won’t win any literary prizes.

I finished The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. This is like a Hallmark movie in a book. I’m not usually one for romantic comedies, but this one has a lot of hype on TikTok so I thought I would give it a try. I did really enjoy it and thought it was cute. It still had an underlying serious theme, which made it more enjoyable.

I also finished The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This book is my favorite genre, historical fiction specifically WWII. I gave this book 5 stars and put it on my best reads of 2022 shelf on Goodreads. I loved how the story unfolded and the ending was awesome!

I’m also rereading my way through Harry Potter. I finished my Minalima version of Harry Potter and the Camber of Secrets. Loved it!

I'm glad to hear you liked it. I have it on hold at the library. 

Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause by Ty Seidule. 

Seidule, a retired brigadier general and professor emeritus of history at West Point, writes about the lies and myths that surround General Lee and how those lies and myths advance white supremacy. As a reluctant southerner myself, it was meaningful to read this reckoning from a man who grew up in an ugliness that so many people today seem determined to maintain. 

I really like this quote from the book, “the alternative to ignoring our racist history is creating a racist future.”

3 more for me last week:

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. 3 stars. This one has been talked about on here a bunch so was hopeful that I'd love it. It fell a little flat for me sadly.

The Book of Essie by Megan McLean Weir. 5 stars. The premise behind this one was so unusual and it was so easy to read and the story wasn't quite as predictable as you'd think. Essie is a teenager being raised in a Christian evangelist household where her whole life has been filmed. She finds herself pregnant and the story unfolds about how that changes everything.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. 3 stars. I really wanted to like this one, but it was a struggle to keep my attention. I saw online saying it's for those who liked Downtown Abbey, so maybe that's the problem? I thought the main character, Grace, wasn't very bright given that she never seemed to know what was going on right in front of her. The book is about Grace, a young girl who becomes a house maid at a manor in the early 1920s and the multitude of drama that occurs during that time and later. The story alternates between young Grace and Grace in her 90s who's helping someone with a movie being made about the manor.

Currently reading "The Three Mrs. Wrights" by Linda Keir about three women who are involved with the same man. So far it's enjoyable enough.

I too cannot do audio books. I'm not sure what it is-they just don't hold my concentration the way the written word does. 

I'm within 25 pages of finishing An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon which is book number 7 of the Outlander novels. Next up is book number 8, and after that I'll be all caught up and ready for the newest Outlander book. It's been such fun re reading this book and there was so much I'd forgotten over the years. I read them all (except the newest one) in 2015 so it's been 6 years. When the newest book came out I was considering re reading them all from book 1, but decided just to start from the last book I remembered which was book number 6.

You are not alone! I can listen to audiobooks, but definitely find my mind wandering, and needing to listen again, if the content is not intriguing enough for me. I guess we each go with the method that works the best for us! I like to listen mainly when I am doing major cleaning, a lot of cooking, something to keep me going while I am doing something boring or mundane. 

I would love to participate in these threads more often this year! I have a goal to read at least 2-3 books a month. This is my tally for January:

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (4/5) All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret...Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken. A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix. Permanently.
REVIEW: This book was pretty good. It kept me entertained and flowed pretty smoothly. I didn't catch onto the ending until almost done with the book. I might check out another book by this author.

The End of Her by Sheri Lapena (4/5) A long-ago accident--and a visitor from out of the blue. . .Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there's one thing she's sure of: she has all she ever wanted. Then Erica, a woman from Patrick's past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife's death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder. Patrick insists he's innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. Still, Erica knows things about Patrick--things that make Stephanie begin to question her husband. Stephanie isn't sure what, or who, to believe. As Stephanie's trust in Patrick begins to falter, Patrick stands to lose everything. Is Patrick telling the truth--is Erica the persuasive liar Patrick says she is? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake?
REVIEW: Another good book. I finished this one in a day. I have started to not read reviews before I read the book because I think it taints my view. There were a few bad reviews of this book for plausibility but, honestly, I enjoyed the story. It was a nice quick read.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris (4/5) t’s Livia’s 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won’t be there. Livia has recently uncovered a secret about their daughter which, if revealed, will shake the foundation of their family to its core. She needs to tell Adam, but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together. Adam, meanwhile, has his own surprise for Livia: he’s arranged for Marnie to secretly fly back for the party. But before Marnie arrives, Adam hears some terrible news. Now he too is faced with a dilemma: Does he share what he's learned with his wife? Is hiding the truth the same as telling a lie? And how far are Adam and Livia willing to go to protect the ones they love—and give each other a last few hours of happiness?
REVIEW: Also a quick read. This one had me scratching my head at times but the story was interesting so I gave it 4 stars. The description seems a little misleading and it definitely wasn't a suspenseful storyline but I finished it in a couple hours. I can say this isn't my favorite B.A. Paris book but it was a good one to get started on my reading journey with.

I also can't listen to audio books. I tried once and it's just not for me.

This week I read:


Ghost of the Innocent Man: A True Story of Trial and Redemption
Rachlin, Benjamin 4.5 stars I couldn't believe how this man was treated by our justice system. This is a book that will stick with me.

The Cabin
Preston, Natasha 4.5 This read like a YA novel honestly. I enjoyed it though.

A weekend partying at a remote cabin is just what Mackenzie needs. She can't wait to let loose with her friends. But a crazy night of fun leaves two of them dead--murdered.

With no signs of a forced entry or struggle, suspicion turns to the five survivors

Someone isn't telling the truth. And Mackenzie's first mistake? Assuming the killing is over...

Seven Dirty Secrets

Natalie D. Richards
3.5 Also read like a YA. It kept my interest.

I know seven secrets:
One caused the fall. One did nothing. One saw it all.
One didn’t care. One used their head. One played the hero.
One was left for dead.


Baby Teeth
Stage, Zoje 4.5 stars. Recommended here. It kept me reading that's for sure!

Same. It felt like a YA book to me. I was quite disappointed. 

I’m another one that can’t do audiobooks. I’m not even good at listening to podcasts unless I’m on a long drive. My mind just wanders like mad.

I finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I’ve never read that author before and I guess I didn’t know what to expect. I’d give it 3/5. It’s not my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal. I don’t think I’d read it again nor do I plan to read any of the other books by the author.

Next up is The Wolf in the Whale, by Jordanna Max Brodsky