Weekly Reading Thread: October 30-November 5

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This was one that I’d read in earnest for a couple of weeks this summer and then just finished it up as a chapter in the morning, when I had time. I am not sure if it was just a smooth translation or the writing of this one, but it was much less fevered and more engaging than other of his novels, but not as heart-rending either. 4/5 stars

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Read for the Close Reads Podcast. This was the second time that I’d read it and I was amused to find that there is such a Steinbeck writing style (he wrote one of my heart books, Cannery Row) that I’d not remembered. This one is dense but a good story. 4/5 stars.

The Arsonist’s City by Hala Aylan. While there were parts of this story that I found really interesting, I also found the drugs, adultery, lying, graphic descriptions, and general unlikable characters to be too much. I am looking forward to an author talk with her this week. 2.5/5 stars

The Editor by Steven Rowley. This was the second book by Rowley that I have read and that I expected to be much lighter than it turns out that it was – there was a lot of sorrow, depth, and struggle. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis as editor. 3/5 stars.

A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 by Joseph Loconte. I don’t know enough about the topic to notice errors, so I am probably the target audience. Interesting ideas on how war shapes writers, not just Tolkien and Lewis. Read a bit-at-a-time while brushing and flossing. 3/5 stars.

I was really looking forward to Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson. I LOVED Life After Life by the same author.
This one is set in the USA, about the matriarch of a big family who owns several nightclubs during the roaring 20s, and starts just after she gets out of prison. She has enemies who want to take over from her and also 6 children. Then there's a side story about two young girls who run away from home to be dancers and who get caught up in the nightclub scene. Plus there's several police officers. All of which makes for a LOT of main characters, and it took me a while to get them all straight.
I was over halfway through before I got engaged in the stories and knew who all the different people were and how they all related to each other.
Then the timeline jumps around a bit too. Overall, I thought it was all a bit over done and pretentious and I was disappointed.
I gave it 3 stars.

Next was Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, Set in 1950s London (and loosely based on true events) about a woman who contacts a newspaper and says her 10yo daughter was born from a virgin birth. There's a female reporter who starts to investigate her claim and gradually becomes friends with her and her family.
I was hooked by this straight away and had no idea where this story was going, and it surprised me several times.
The book isn't about religion, it's about parthenogenesis (which is where females get pregnant by spontaneous egg division without there being a male sperm involved)
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to and gave it 4 stars.
Make sure to listen/read the authors not at the end to explain which parts of the story are based on fact...it's really interesting.

I listened to This is How I Lied - Heather Gudenkauf and really enjoyed it! I am listening to My Lovely Wife - Samantha Downing and so far it's good. Finished reading If He Had Been With Me on my kindle and liked that a lot too. Just started The Surrogate - Freida McFadden on the kindle and may also start Good Girl, Bad Girl Michael Robotham.

This past week, I finished:

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher. I gave it a 3/5

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I gave it a 4/5 but found the ending abrupt.

Woman on the Edge by Samantha M Bailey. I gave it a 3/5. I found the last few chapters getting a bit ridiculous.

Up Next:

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Road Ends by Mary Lawson and

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult

Gosh I love Mary Lawson. She writes beautifully and creates wonderful characters. 

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks so here we go:

Pachinko by Min-Jin Lee Although this book has been out for years I waited until I was in the right mood to read it. Lately I've read a few wonderful books on Korea (historical fiction) so I thought now was the perfect time. I wasn't wrong. I adored this wonderful book. Loved every part of it and was sad when it ended. I gave it 5 stars on goodreads. 

The Collector's Daughter by Gill Paul This was a historical fiction novel about Lady Evelyn Herbert who was the daughter of the Earl of Carnarvon brought up in stunning Highclere Castle (which we all know as Downton Abbey). She fought against society's expectations of society balls and instead had her heart set on becoming a lady archaeologist. She, her father (who's money financed the dig) and Howard Carter were all there together when they found the opening to King Tut's tomb and in fact snuck back that night and Evelyn (who was tiny in stature) was the first to enter the tomb. I really loved this book. The author did a great job I thought at the end with the author's notes describing what was true in the book and what she took liberty with. There were some photos which I enjoyed very much. I remember in the 1970's an exhibit of King Tut's relics came to the museum's in Washington DC (I was a teen at the time) and my father took my entire family to it. Now all of the relics are in Egypt. I'm glad I got a chance to see them. I very much enjoyed this book and it encouraged me to check out a few non-fiction books about King Tut from my local library. I gave it 5 stars on goodreads. 

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys  I've read everything this author has written except this book so I thought I should read it too. This is my least favorite of her books, but I did enjoy it. I gave it 3.5 stars. 

The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim This was a historical fiction novel about two parents who travel from South Korea in 1948 with their daughter to the USA, leaving behind their other daughter with relatives planning to return to fetch her soon. When war breaks out in Korea that plan falls apart and both sisters grow up apart-the book follows both of their lives-one in Korea, one in the USA. I enjoyed this book very much and didn't realize until I finished it that it is actually the second book in a two book series. The first book called The Calligrapher's Daughter follows the story of the mother's life in Korea during WWII. I'll be reading that one soon-I've already put it on hold at my local library. So if you are interested in this book I wanted to let you know. I gave this book 4 stars at goodreads.com 

Impatient with Desire by Gabrielle Burton This was a short book (256 pages) about the Donner party. It is written from the point of view of Tamsen Donner who with her husband George, their 5 daughters and 80 other pioneers headed out West to California in the Spring of 1846. This book moves back and forth a lot in time and is told through Mrs. Donner's journal, letters to her sister back home and in regular book form. For me it was an easy read and I thought it was well written. I gave it 4 stars on goodreads. 

I'm not sure what's up next for me. I keep a bookshelf full of library books so I can have something to choose for whatever my mood might be and if it turns out not to be good, I'm ready to grab another one. I'm so grateful to have a fantastic public library less than 5 miles from my house. Happy reading everyone!



  

GREAT reading week for me !


MY PERFECT DAUGHTER (‘22) BY SARAH A. DENZIL : 5 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Most mothers hope their little girl turns out like their dad, but not Zoe. She hopes the apple falls far from the tree. Zoe didn't meet her daughter the way most mothers do. She finds five-year-old Maddie alone and dirty on a countryside road. Frightened for Maddie's safety, she picks her up and takes her back to her father, not knowing what she's about to step into. Because Maddie wasn't just lost, she was there to lure her serial killer dad's new victim. After escaping from the clutches of Maddie's dangerous father, she bonds with the little girl. Only Maddie knows what it was like to be at that house. And when no family members come forward to claim Maddie, Zoe decides to adopt her. They move away to a safe house on the Cornish coast and become a family of their own. Zoe gets married and has another child, a baby brother for Maddie.
But Maddie is still traumatised by what she experienced. A part of Zoe always stays alert. A part of her is afraid of Maddie. And now, eleven years later, Maddie's school bully is found dead, and another girl is missing. Zoe can't help but wonder... like father, like daughter?

REVIEW:  A favorite author of mine. Previous books The Housemaid (‘21 - READ ‘22 - 4 Stars), Little One (‘21 - 4 Stars), The Liar’s Sister (‘19 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars); Only Daughter ('19 - 4 Stars); Silent Child ('17 - 3 Stars); and a series One for Sorrow, Two for Joy and Three for a Girl (5, 4 & 4 Stars).

Another great read by this author. Her writing always pulls me right in with her original plots. This one was no exception. A very psychological read that left me struggling to decide what was right and wrong. The whole book was like being on a roller coaster ride! The last couple of chapters brought this book to 5 Stars. WOW!


STOLEN (‘21 - READ ‘22) BY TESS STIMSON : 5 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  You thought she was safe. You were wrong…. Alex knows her daughter would never wander off in a strange place. So when her three-year-old vanishes from an idyllic beach wedding, Alex immediately believes the worst. The hunt for Lottie quickly becomes a world-wide search, but it’s not long before suspicion falls on her mother. Why wasn’t she watching Lottie? Alex knows she’s not perfect, but she loves her child. And with all eyes on her, Alex fears they’ll never uncover the truth unless she takes matters into her own hands.

REVIEW:  New author for me. I’Manee Marie from the Facebook Group - Psychological Thriller Readers, recommended THE NEW HOUSE (‘22) by this same author. Also Terri Stewart & DrJudy Flury from the same group recommended also. I decided to try STOLEN first.

LOVED the writing; it flowed so smoothly and kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I loved the main character, Alex, who never gave up searching for her daughter and looking at all aspects of her life to try and find clues. You never know who holds the biggest secrets. Lots of suspense, especially the last 30-40% of the book. I couldn’t guess where it was going. Awesome read ! I would love to see this book become a movie. Always great to find a new author with lots of books. Already have The New House (‘22), One in Three (‘20) and A Mother’s Secret (‘19) on my TBR List.


THE INTRUDER (‘22) BY DANIEL HURST : 3 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Maria and William seem to have it all. Two happy children. A beautiful house. A thriving business. But when their home is invaded by David, an ex-employee with a score to settle, the couple face a terrifying fight to survive. During the course of one hellish night, David picks apart their carefully constructed life. Secrets are unearthed, truths revealed. And soon David begins to wonder if he’s bitten off more than he can chew – because he’s discovering Maria and William are not the defenceless couple he imagined. By the time he realises who these people really are, it may already be too late.

REVIEW:  New author for me with lots of books with great reviews. Only 270 pages so story moving quickly. Storyline sounded typical but at 30% thinking things are starting to change; NOT. The main character, William, has no redeeming qualities at all. The story moves so fast that there is no time for any character development. Just OK for me. Good book if you’re just looking for a fill-in waiting for your next favorite author’s release.

I read Tell the Wolves I'm Home which I really enjoyed. 4/5

1987. The only person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus is her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can be herself only in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down.

But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life. At the funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail containing a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and that this unexpected friend just might be the one she needs the most.

THANKS maryland !

I always look for your posts too !  I agree, we seem to have very similar taste.