Weekly Reading Thread: July 10-16

Happy Birthday, @the Great Carpezio!

I read Notes on an Execution which is deep and dark. A little bit of a hard read because it has several people telling the story, and goes back and forth on the timeline. I would recommend it.

I have started and abandoned so many books over the last few months. My concentration has been atrocious, so when my therapist gave me Gabor Maté's Scattered Minds to read, I was sceptical of managing even to start it. It’s about ADD (the reason why I keep abandoning books  ) and after only a few chapters, I have nodded vigorously, cried, gasped in recognition, and groaned in sympathy. There is always a chance I won’t finish it, but I desperately want to know how to deal with this condition without using meds, and I’m hoping the book will help with that. 🤞🏼

I’m reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and love it! I’m doing a mix of reading and audio and the audiobook is so much better! The voice of Marcellus, the octopus is exactly as I thought he would sound like. It’s an up lit book about a cleaner at an aquarium and she and the octopus become friends. I’m only 1/2 through but love it so far!

I was stuck at home all week because my husband tested + for covid (he's fine now) so I got a lot of reading done.

A Feather in the Water by Lyndsay Jayne Ashford was the 2nd Amazon free read I got for July. I didn't care for the other one I picked, but this one was better. I've read a zillion books about the World War II era, but this one was actually about a topic I hadn't encountered in fiction before: the displaced person (DP) camps that were set up immediately after the war to temporarily house camp survivors and refugees until they could return home, emigrate, etc. This story was about three different women who volunteer, each for her own personal reasons, to help staff a DP camp in southern Germany in summer 1945. The book wrapped up a bit too neatly and the author seemed to speed through the last 25% or so, but it was still a touching and informative read.

I read Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland for my online book club. It's about three generations from two families who gather at the Catskills retreat they've owned for decades (and which has been declining for years) to decide whether to try to renovate and hang on, or sell to a casino developer for millions. I liked the history and the setting, and some of the interplay between the generations, but most of the characters were unlikable. Maybe if I'd ever seen Dirty Dancing, I'd have enjoyed this more. It was a decent light read, though.

Close Up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream by Sam Staggs...I read this one because I was listening to a classic film podcast, and they had an episode on Sunset Boulevard. I hadn't watched it in years, so I did (a very good movie) and then looked for a book about the making of it. This one was pretty good, except that the last third or so was about the making of the Webber musical, and I'm only interested in the movie. But if you like classic film, it's a worthwhile read.

I just read The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Koreliff, which I really enjoyed (although, CW for people like me -- very complicated family!)

I also read The Hidden One by Linda Castillo, which is the latest in her Amish murder mystery series.

Right now I am reading The Locked Room by Elly Griffith. I have been with this series (British archaeologist solving mysteries old and new) since the beginning and always enjoy it.

This week I read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. More accurately, I started to read it and then listened to the rest. I highly recommend the audiobook over the actual book. Marcellus the octopus was portrayed in a voice similar to Stewie Griffin on Family Guy. My reaction to Marcellus went from "Huh? Okaaay, I guess." to "Ha. Cute." And the rest of the book is narrated by Marin Ireland, the same person who narrates all of Fredrik Backman's books. She brings a similar heartwarming feel to this book and elevated the experience considerably. I would give the book 3/5 but the audiobook 3.75. An enjoyable, uplifting read.

I just finished my second book (also audiobook), False Witness by Karin Slaughter. Wow. This is the second book of hers I've read. She writes by far the best thrillers, though they are not usually a favourite genre of mine. Most are a bit trite with OTT characters, but her characters are fully fleshed out and their choices are completely believable. Two characters in this book were written in such a compassionate way, and really showed the impact of molestation and addiction. I cried twice and I almost never do that. Plus it was a great plot and story. 5/5
I highly recommend it BUT trigger warnings abound, and she does not shy away from graphic depictions of violence and chapter 1 is rough to get through. Also, it takes place during COVID.

I am reading Not Her Daughter - Frey and it's pretty good! Started Lessons in Chemistry too, but not too into it. Not sure why, it has great reviews so I really want to try. Maybe because I have no understanding of science?

I have been reading the
Fortuna Sworn series by K.J. Sutton. Who is a MN author. There are currently 4 books. The 1st 3 I gave 4/5. The 4th book I am not liking. So I'll probably give it a 2.3 or 3. I just want it to be over. It is defiantly a different type of book.

"We were meant to be seductive. We were designed to lure humans in.

Fortuna Sworn is the last of her kind.

Her brother disappeared two years ago, leaving her with no family or species to speak of. She hides among humans, spending her days working at a bar and her nights searching for him. The bleak pattern goes on and on... until she catches the eye of a powerful faerie.

He makes no attempt to hide that he desires Fortuna. And in exchange for her, he offers something irresistible. So Fortuna reluctantly leaves her safe existence behind to step back into a world of creatures and power.

It soon becomes clear that she may not have bargained with her heart, but her very life."

I just finished what happened to the bennetts 5/5 I enjoy a story that hooks me with action from the beginning.

I’m listening to Speak on audio while I walk. I may get the Remarkable Creatures on audio next.

Great reading week for me !


TRUTH BE TOLD (Zara KALEEL Bk 2) (‘20 - Read ‘22) BY KIA ABDULLAH  : 4 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Kamran Hadid feels invincible. He attends Hampton school, an elite all-boys boarding school in London, he comes from a wealthy family, and he has a place at Oxford next year. The world is at his feet. And then a night of revelry leads to a drunken encounter and he must ask himself a horrific question.
With the help of assault counsellor, Zara Kaleel, Kamran reports the incident in the hopes that will be the end of it. But it’s only the beginning.

REVIEW:  First book by this author for me was Take It Back (Zara Kaleel Bk 1) (‘20 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars). Love when an author quickly reminds you of the main character’s past history. Great writing & handing of a tough subject. This author highlights some very real challenges within families and different traditions that some of us might not be aware of. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a shocking ending. This would be a GREAT book for a book club read since there is so much to be discussed, especially at the end. You can read this book as a stand-alone novel, but reading her first book will give you more insight into her heritage and career issues.
Author has a new book, Next of Kin, due 9/20/22 which I have already pre-ordered.  


THE EXTRAORDINARY DEATHS OF MRS KIP (‘22) BY SARA BRUNSVOLD : 4 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she's been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who's just entered hospice care. But there's more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she's not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it's a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that's just what Mrs. Kip will give her--but she's going to have to work for it.

REVIEW:  Debut book for this author who is a friend of bethany102399. It is a Christian book, which I knew going in. For people who are not religious, there are lots of God references and talks with God. It is possible to ignore or skim the God references and concentrate on the humanity messages. Enjoyed the flashbacks to Clara’s early life. The main plot of the book was great and I enjoyed the author’s writing. The meaning of this book got it 4 stars from me but I don’t think it’s for everyone.


WATCH OUT FOR HER (‘22) BY SAMANTHA M. BAILEY : 5 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband, Daniel, hired to take care of their young son last summer. It started out as a perfect arrangement even though Sarah’s never been one to trust very easily, so she kept a close eye on Holly, maybe too close at times. What she saw raised some questions, not only about who Holly really was but what she was hiding. The more Sarah watched, the more she learned—until one day, she saw something she couldn’t unsee, something so shocking that all she could do was flee.  Sarah has put it all behind her and is starting over in a different city with her husband and son. They’ve settled into a friendly suburb where the neighbors, a tight clique of good citizens, are always on the lookout for danger. But when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home, she has to wonder: has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?

REVIEW:  Recommended by maryland who loved it. First book by this author for me. Appears to be author’s second book, her first being Woman on the Edge (‘19). I like the writing style and love the cliffhangers at the end of numerous chapters. At 70% still haven’t guessed what’s really going on - I love that! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough in the last 20% to find out all the critical pieces of the puzzle. My heart was racing all the way to the finish line. I bumped it to 5 stars from 4.5 but I really wish they would have at least touched-on the parents reaction to Holly and Alexis’ final “scenes”.  I’m jumping right into this author’s first book since I loved her writing so much, Woman on the Edge (‘19).

I just finished The People We Keep by Allison Larkin. I loved everything about this book. I got sucked into April's story as soon as it started and couldn't put it down.

Yesterday I finished Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf. It's a mystery thriller somewhat based on the Slender Man case from a few years ago. I really liked this one! It was very suspenseful and kept me guessing until the end. 5 stars!

Wow!  Thanks so much, Mystie!
I have never run across a book about this aspect of WWII either. 
My dad, and my future MIL lived in the same barrack in a DP camp in Heilbron Germany for 3 years, 45-48. 
Almost simultaneously they each got contracts to emigrate to Canada. dad to B.C. to work on the railroad, DH's mum to Montreal to work as a seamstress.  By 1951 they both moved to a city in a third province, where DH and I were each born in the same year.  they had not kept in touch!!!  Our families attended the same Polish language church and banquets, weddings, etc. at the Polish Hall in town.  DH and I started dating in high school and we've been together for 45  years.  It's a fun story to trot out at parties when asked how we met...

I will def. pick up the book!  Thanks again! 

I finished One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle on audio (read by Lauren Graham). It was a decent story and the descriptions of Italy were lovely. A solid summer listen/read.

Currently reading Flying Solo by Linda Holmes. I liked her first book, Evvie Drake Starts Over, and this is set in the same community. It's decent so far (but I do think at this point I did like her first one better). We'll see how it wraps up! I'm at 60% read.