Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299 
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Post by Mystie on May 9, 2022 15:20:14 GMT
I hope The Great Carpezio was celebrating a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday! I'll get us started--what did you read, what are you reading this week?
I read The Peacekeeper
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Post by mnmloveli on May 9, 2022 17:00:10 GMT
A good reading week for me !
THE SAFE PLACE (‘20 - Read ‘22) BY ANNA DOWNES : 4 STARS
DESCRIPTION: Emily is a mess. Emily just lost her acting agent, her job and her apartment in one miserable day. Emily is desperate. Scott Denny is a successful and charismatic CEO, has a problem that neither his business acumen nor vast wealth can fix. Until he meets Emily. Scott offers Emily a summer job as a housekeeper on his remote, beautiful French estate. Enchanted by his lovely wife Nina, and his eccentric young daughter Aurelia, Emily falls headlong into this oasis of wine-soaked days by the pool. But soon, Emily realizes that Scott & Nina are hiding dangerous secrets and if she doesn’t play along, the consequences could be deadly.
REVIEW: Debut book by this author. As I read the first few pages, I felt I was driving down the streets and destination driveway with Emily. A good start! The first 10% has me intrigued to find-out what is really going on behind the scenes. This author kept me guessing where we were going the whole way. Very visual writing for me. The reveal started to happen at just the right time. The ending was so smooth, I don’t even know if that’s the right word, it pushed this book to 4 stars. This author’s second book, The Shadow House came out 4/10/22 and I’ll definitely put that one on my TBR list.
UNDER HER CARE (MAY ‘22) BY LUCINDA BERRY : 3 STARS
DESCRIPTION: On a humid summer day in Alabama, a mayor’s wife turns-up brutally murdered under a railroad bridge. Standing next to her body is 14 year old Mason Hill, the autistic son of former Miss USA Genevieve Hill. The locals are quick to level their verdict on your Mason - he did it! The town detective calls in local autism expert Casey Walker to consult on the case. At first Casey tries to keep an open mind. But the more time she spends with Genevieve, the more her unease grows and she suspects that Genevieve is doing more than just protecting her son. Casey’s misgivings surrounding Genevieve’s story only intensify when she meets Savannah, Genevieve’s 19 year old daughter.
REVIEW: May Amazon Kindle First Read for me. First two books by this author for me were The Perfect Child (‘19) and The Best of Friends (‘20) which both received 4 stars from me. I like the author’s writing and pace but I thought this book lacked some substance. The ending felt rushed. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because of the twists I didn’t see coming.
Happy Reading !
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by Mystie on May 9, 2022 17:00:23 GMT
The board is being squirrely!! I'll try again. I read The Peacekeeper by B.L. Blanchard, which was one of the Amazon First Reads for May. It's set in the modern day, but in an alternate timeline where European colonization of the Americas never happened. So the whole civilization of North America is a Native one. The protagonist is a Peacekeeper, a police officer, who tends to his younger sister who was traumatized after the murder of their mother at the hands of their father. Twenty years after this event, a close family friend is murdered, and as Chibesani, the Peacekeeper, investigates, he discovers connections to his mother's death.
I loved the world the author imagined for this book, a world where Native societies flourish by their own belief systems. This book was centered on the central Great Lakes Native Americans and their worldview. I was lukewarm about the character of the protagonist and I figured out the murderer retty quickly, and that never happens for me. I'm easy to confuse! But even so, I thought the imagining of this Native American world that could have been was really wonderful. So if she writes another book and makes this a series, I'll probably read it.
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Post by mnmloveli on May 9, 2022 17:01:01 GMT
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,742
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Post by gottapeanow on May 9, 2022 17:59:03 GMT
Thanks for starting the thread this week, Mystie.  I slowed down on my binge watching and read an hour more each night to get caught up on my reading. So this week, I read four books. (To be fair, one was very short, and the other, I had almost finished last week.) 1. The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart. Very hard to read in spots (TW: murder, abuse, dv) but a solid story with wonderful characters. 5/5 stars 2. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. This is one of my favorites by her! Excellent and based on a true story. 5/5 stars and one of my favorite reads of the year. 3. The Unmissing by Kent. A couple of twists and turns. Nicely done. 5/5 stars 4. Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor. This author. You have to admire his persistence. He had 200 rejections before he found a publisher. This was ... wow. A bit tough to read. Noir. Southern fiction. Gritty. Tragic. Depressing. And heartbreaking with such realistic and flawed characters. Lots going on here. The setting seems so real that I felt as if I were on those cliffs, in that cave, and on the football field. Note: There's a character named Billy (Bill) and another named Bull. Why do authors do this? 4.4 stars, rounded down to 4 stars. Lisa |
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Post by maryland on May 9, 2022 18:18:25 GMT
I am listening to The Damage - Caitlyn Wahrer and it's good. It's a long book, so listening helps. Reading Where I Left Her - Emily Garza and it's good too. I got Insomnia - Sarah Pindroh on hold from library so that's next when I finish the one I am reading.
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
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Post by The Great Carpezio on May 9, 2022 18:25:30 GMT
Thank you! Yes, I was out of town yesterday and didn't get a chance to post.
I also didn't finish any books this last week, but I am reading two.
Thanks again for starting the thread.
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,350
Location: Dallas Texas
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Post by SabrinaP on May 9, 2022 18:30:09 GMT
I read Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I’ve read two other books by this author and liked them both. If you are looking for a light beach read, this is your book. I really enjoyed it. 4/5 stars
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on May 9, 2022 20:15:01 GMT
2 for me this week.
I also read Book Lovers by Emily Henry and gave it 4/5 stars. I think I've given all of her books the same rating and I do appreciate that she's consistently putting out great books in this beach read genre.
Then I read Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. This was given the description of "if you liked Daisy Jones" which I think was a horrible comparison. It is a really interesting coming of age story and I really enjoyed it. Another 4/5 stars
I have 2 new releases that I'm debating, but I'm anticipating another great reading week.
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Post by trixiecat on May 9, 2022 21:42:31 GMT
I am reading The Friend Zone and really liking it so far. It is by Abby Jimenez. I am really in need of some uplifting and light material and it is doing that!
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
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Post by mimima on May 9, 2022 22:16:21 GMT
Last week I had so much time laying around and reading, and this week, much less time to do that! Happy re-entry into society indeed!
This week, I read:
November Road by Lou Berney. I enjoyed the historical setting, but the book itself was more of a mob book and that isn't my favorite. 2/5 stars, but I did like the setting.
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penney. I struggle with the long-term storyline about drugs. Blarg. But, the Three Pines, Gamache storyline was good, as always. It lands at 3/5 because of the one storyline that I don't enjoy.
The Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. This was the textbook of my inquirer's class 25 years ago and it was a good reread. A very good survey of Orthodox history and theology and has a good bibliography of more to explore. A very good resource. One of my "toothbrush" reads whilst I brush my teeth. 5/5
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paigepea
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Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on May 10, 2022 0:30:06 GMT
I’m almost done THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towes. The characters and great and the writing is amazing. Such a well written book. It isn’t full of fast paced action but it’s a nice story with great characters and fantastic writing. I’m wondering if I should try a gentleman in Moscow. I didn’t love rules of civility.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by gottapeanow on May 10, 2022 0:39:53 GMT
I "complained" about this a while back.
I have a book that I checked out that I knew I wouldn't finish by the due date, May 11. No biggie — I could renew it because there were no holds on it.
Until today. Two days before it's due, now there is a hold somewhere, so I can't renew it. Ugh.
Normally, I might try to rush through it. But I don't think I'll bother this time and just take it back.
I know this is such a first-world problem. LOL.
Lisa
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,350
Location: Dallas Texas
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Post by SabrinaP on May 10, 2022 0:56:16 GMT
I "complained" about this a while back. I have a book that I checked out that I knew I wouldn't finish by the due date, May 11. No biggie — I could renew it because there were no holds on it. Until today. Two days before it's due, now there is a hold somewhere, so I can't renew it. Ugh. Normally, I might try to rush through it. But I don't think I'll bother this time and just take it back. I know this is such a first-world problem. LOL. Lisa Is it a Kindle book? If so, just turn off your Wi-Fi. The book still goes back to the library but you will have access to it until you turn back on the Wi-Fi. |
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Post by guzismom on May 10, 2022 1:55:00 GMT
I finished The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth.
I started Booth: a novel by Karen Joy Fowler.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by gottapeanow on May 10, 2022 2:17:03 GMT
SabrinaP, no, it's a physical book. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
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Post by fotos4u2 on May 10, 2022 3:35:12 GMT
Two more for me this week:
The Marriage Game by Sara Desai. 4 stars. First in a series. This one was about Layla and Sam. Layla is a young Indian woman who's life is falling apart and she's trying to pick up the pieces. Sam is an Indian man who feels so much guilt about his part in his sister's accident that he completely turns away from his culture. The two are thrown together when they are forced to share an office and their relationship grows as they sift through the many suitors Layla's ill father picked out for her without her knowledge.
As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner. 5 stars. One of my favorite authors so not too surprised I liked it. This one is set in 1918 at the beginning of WWI and the Spanish flu comes to town and wrecks havoc on everything. The main story is about a family who own a funeral home during that time.
I'm currently about halfway through "Lost and Found in Paris" by Lian Dolan. So far it's a quick read, but not quite what I thought it would be.
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Post by fotos4u2 on May 10, 2022 3:38:06 GMT
SabrinaP , no, it's a physical book. Thanks for the suggestion, though. Might not be a popular opinion, but if I wasn't too far from finishing I'd probably just keep it and pay the fine. It would drive me crazy to send it back unfinished and I'm horrible at picking books up later, I'd have to completely start over from the beginning. |
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Post by pjaye on May 10, 2022 4:10:53 GMT
I had 3 good ones in the last 2 weeks:
Into the Sound by Cara Reinard - this was an Amazon first reads book. Holly's sister disappears during a wild storm at a marina and then she tries to find her. You have suspend belief for parts of this book, if you can do that and just go along for the ride...it's highly entertaining. Dysfunctional parents, horrible husbands and lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed this and it was a binge read for me. 4 stars.
Crimson and Bone by Marina Fiorato. I've had this on my wish list for a while and finally bought it in the Audible sale. I really like the Victorian painters and many of them used prostitutes as their models and I thought this was just going to be about that...it was but also so much more. This went into creepy Victorian Gothic territory and in a direction I didn't see coming. 4 stars.
Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild. A new release, they're calling it a "thriller" but I think that's a stretch it's more of a character study, the story of Ruby, an animal loving therapist...who just happens to have killed a few people she didn't like.
Then her husband dies and one local police officer starts to link the other deaths back to her, and thinks she might have killed her husband too. 4 stars for this one too (ETA: I just corrected this this, I accidently wrote 2 stars originally)
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gottapeanow
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Post by gottapeanow on May 10, 2022 17:42:07 GMT
SabrinaP , no, it's a physical book. Thanks for the suggestion, though. Might not be a popular opinion, but if I wasn't too far from finishing I'd probably just keep it and pay the fine. It would drive me crazy to send it back unfinished and I'm horrible at picking books up later, I'd have to completely start over from the beginning. I had not even started it. But I read the first few pages last night and was less than enthralled. LOL. I decided to just take it back. We don't have fines here anymore! It's not even that I am worried about the fines, but I have this sense of "rightness" for the next person in line. It's this voice inside me that says, "That's not fair! It's their turn to read it." Plus I have five others on hold, and all those have holds too. I don't think I'll be able to finish them all in two weeks, but I might surprise myself. Lisa |
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edie3
Drama Llama
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Post by edie3 on May 10, 2022 21:26:24 GMT
I read The Secrets She Keeps which was about 2 pregnant women, but one of them really isn't. "A riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?"
It was pretty good, but very long.
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Post by mnmloveli on May 10, 2022 21:46:23 GMT
I read The Secrets You Keep which was about 2 pregnant women, but one of them really isn't. "A riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?" It was pretty good, but very long. This was also a series (6 episodes) on Amazon Prime & AMC Plus in 2020. I liked it. There’s actually a season 2 that should be out later this year. Added to note the correct title is The Secrets SHE Keeps |
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Post by maryland on May 10, 2022 22:02:07 GMT
Might not be a popular opinion, but if I wasn't too far from finishing I'd probably just keep it and pay the fine. It would drive me crazy to send it back unfinished and I'm horrible at picking books up later, I'd have to completely start over from the beginning. I had not even started it. But I read the first few pages last night and was less than enthralled. LOL. I decided to just take it back. We don't have fines here anymore! It's not even that I am worried about the fines, but I have this sense of "rightness" for the next person in line. It's this voice inside me that says, "That's not fair! It's their turn to read it." Plus I have five others on hold, and all those have holds too. I don't think I'll be able to finish them all in two weeks, but I might surprise myself. Lisa That's how I feel too. I am at the point where if it's close to due date, and I need more time, I try to renew. If I can't, I return and put it on hold. I am not a fast reader, so I couldn't just finish a day or two after the due date. |
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Post by maryland on May 10, 2022 22:04:13 GMT
I read The Secrets You Keep which was about 2 pregnant women, but one of them really isn't. "A riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?" It was pretty good, but very long. That sounds good. Who wrote it? I can't find it on goodreads. |
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Post by mnmloveli on May 10, 2022 22:39:34 GMT
I read The Secrets You Keep which was about 2 pregnant women, but one of them really isn't. "A riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?" It was pretty good, but very long. That sounds good. Who wrote it? I can't find it on goodreads. The Secrets SHE Keeps by Michael Robotham |
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,466
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Post by edie3 on May 10, 2022 22:47:10 GMT
The Secrets SHE Keeps by Michael Robotham Thanks for the correction! |
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Post by maryland on May 11, 2022 3:33:58 GMT
That sounds good. Who wrote it? I can't find it on goodreads. The Secrets SHE Keeps by Michael Robotham Thanks! I loved that book, I read it a few years ago. I thought the description sounded familiar. |
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camcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,973
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Post by camcas on May 11, 2022 9:04:12 GMT
‘The Flames” -about the Viennese artist Egon Schiele
I really enjoyed it
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Post by kluski on May 28, 2022 1:53:43 GMT
I "complained" about this a while back. I have a book that I checked out that I knew I wouldn't finish by the due date, May 11. No biggie — I could renew it because there were no holds on it. Until today. Two days before it's due, now there is a hold somewhere, so I can't renew it. Ugh. Normally, I might try to rush through it. But I don't think I'll bother this time and just take it back. I know this is such a first-world problem. LOL. Lisa Is it a Kindle book? If so, just turn off your Wi-Fi. The book still goes back to the library but you will have access to it until you turn back on the Wi-Fi. WOW! I had no idea!! Thank you for that cheat! |
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