The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,930 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jan 9, 2023 21:00:00 GMT
I took a break from reading this week.
What did you read this week?
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Post by maryland on Jan 9, 2023 21:21:54 GMT
Still reading The Favor - Nora Murphy and enjoying it.
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Post by ~summer~ on Jan 9, 2023 21:23:28 GMT
I just started “Every Summer After” and I’m really enjoying it. I needed a good, quick read.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
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Post by Mystie on Jan 9, 2023 21:35:32 GMT
I haven't finished a book in weeks and weeks, but I managed to get two read this week. One was Queen Victoria by Lucy Worsley, who is a British historian TV presenter and head of something or other at Hampton Court Palace. I really love watching her shows. This bio of Queen Victoria was good and engaging, but I've read other books about Victoria and didn't feel like I learned anything new. It might be a good introductory bio. I gave it 4/5 stars on GoodReads.
And I read The Final Case by David Guterson. I picked it up at the bookstore because although it's fiction, it's based on a real-life murder case that I was aware of and interested in, where a fundamentalist Christian couple abused and caused the death of a young girl from Ethiopia whom they'd adopted. In the book, the narrator's father, an elderly lawyer, serves as the public defender for the wife, aided by his son who takes an interest in the case. The core story of the young Ethiopian girl is well-told and heartbreaking, but the book swings way off-course with random self-indulgent writing through the narrator's thoughts. I really disliked it and gave 2/5 stars, which is a rarity for me.
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Post by monklady123 on Jan 9, 2023 22:43:49 GMT
I read Killers of a Certain Age by Anna Raybourn. I LOVED it! It's about a group of four retired women -- retired assassins.  They have all sorts of adventures while trying to find out who's targeting them. It's kind of James Bond crossed with Charlie's Angels. hahaha I googled the author and discovered that she has an entire series about a woman who solves mysteries, set in the late 1800s. I've put a hold on the first one to see how I like it. I hope I do like it because it's great to discover a new series -- all those books to look forward to! Now I'm reading We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia. It's kind of dystopian, I think. lol. So far it's engaging but I'm not far enough into it yet to say more. |
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,020
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Post by mimima on Jan 9, 2023 22:46:05 GMT
@monklady, that is one of the upcoming books for my book club, I'm glad to see your positive review.
Since the first of the year, among other things, I’ve read:
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris. This was for IRL Book Club. I’m very much looking forward to seeing everyone, but this book never captured me. 2/5 stars.
Winterland by Rae Meadows. I heard about this book about a girl who gets chosen for elite Gymnastics in the Soviet Union, set in the run-up to the 1980 Moscow Olympics on a podcast and immediately put it on my library list. I really liked the story and the setting; thought she did a great job. I know this disappointed Sarah at Sarah’s Bookshelves Live, but it was just what I was looking for. 4/5 stars.
Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell. This was read a bit at a time in a stash around the house. Sweet collection of the plants that Potter used in her drawings and the plantings that she did at Hill Top Farm. I have a black thumb, so parts went over my head, but it was a delight. 3.5/5 stars
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Post by SockMonkey on Jan 9, 2023 23:30:22 GMT
I did a lot of reading over winter break and met my reading challenge of 50 books (actually read 59).
Most recently I finished:
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abiké-Iyímídé - Gossip Girl meets Get Out in this dark academia YA book. Fast read, not as predictable as I thought it would be.
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard - YA fantasy about a community (and school) of witch/werewolf/evil spirit hunters who are trained up to protect the rest of the world from the things that lurk in dark forests. Another sort of dark academia situation. It was good enough that I'll read the next book.
Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson - Teenage girl Frankie and her weird boy friend Zeke(not boyfriend) anonymously create a work of art that sends their town into a moral panic, and then she has to deal with the repercussions as an adult 20 years later. Really good.
Right now I'm reading The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell, a historical fiction about Lucrezia de Medici. It is SO GOOD. (I also loved Hamnet.) I'm a sucker for well written historical fiction (see also Wolf Hall), and this is really holding my interest. I'm gonna read everything this author does.
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633
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Post by janeliz on Jan 9, 2023 23:59:19 GMT
Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan. Mystery and romance set in the art world in Paris. I’m halfway through and enjoying it very much.
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Post by trixiecat on Jan 10, 2023 0:39:54 GMT
I just started listening to The Hotel Nantucket and it is really funny. I am about 20% into it.
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vanmama
Shy Member
Posts: 23
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Post by vanmama on Jan 10, 2023 1:45:19 GMT
After reading that David Duchovny was an author, I decided to read one of his books--Truly Like Lightning. Aarrgghh! So.many.words! Let's just say it wasn't a favorite. I'm glad I read it but I don't think I'll read more of his. Just so not my style!
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Jan 10, 2023 2:23:42 GMT
I read A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner. First read of the year. Oh, can this woman write. It is one of her older books, but I absolutely loved it. Also, I cried. So it will definitely go on my faves of 2023. 5/5 stars.
I'm whining a bit, but my library hasn't gotten any of my holds in like three weeks. So annoying. #FirstWorldProblems
I have one book from the library left to read. (I sometimes have up to 10 or more checked out, trying to juggle due dates.)
I guess I can catch up on some of the TBRs at my house. LOL.
Lisa
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Post by pjaye on Jan 10, 2023 2:39:21 GMT
I've gone down the rabbit hole recently of watching The Body Behaviour Panel on YouTube...4 guys who play famous videos and talk about what they are seeing in terms of body language. So I picked up this book by one of them Truth and Lies: What People Are Really Thinking by Mark Bowden. Some parts were really good, but it goes off tangent a few times and overall wasn't as relevant as I had hoped.
3 stars
When I Was You by Amber Garza. An older woman gets a call one day to confirm her "well baby" appointment, but her son is 19yo and away at college. She gradually finds out that there's a young woman with the exact same name as her...and she decides to befriend her.
As the reader, you know something is up, but there's a few twists and turns before you find out.
I think this is one of those books that other people are going to like much more than I did. A few themes that are repeated from other books that I thought handled it better and I found some parts of the story hard to buy into.
3 stars
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Post by pjaye on Jan 10, 2023 2:50:22 GMT
I googled the author and discovered that she has an entire series about a woman who solves mysteries, set in the late 1800s The author is Deanna Raybourn. She writes the Veronica Speedwell series that I LOVE. They are so good and I love her sense of humour. If you ever listen to audiobooks, these are worth it because the narrator is excellent. I hang out for these every year and I'd definitely recommend them. I haven't tried her Lady Julia Grey books because I love the others so much I don't want to 'ruin' them. So I was really excited to read Killers Of A Certain Age - but I didn't like it. I was expecting a similar style to Veronica Speedwell...but I was disappointed. |
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Post by monklady123 on Jan 10, 2023 11:12:51 GMT
I googled the author and discovered that she has an entire series about a woman who solves mysteries, set in the late 1800s The author is Deanna Raybourn. She writes the Veronica Speedwell series that I LOVE. They are so good and I love her sense of humour. If you ever listen to audiobooks, these are worth it because the narrator is excellent. I hang out for these every year and I'd definitely recommend them. I haven't tried her Lady Julia Grey books because I love the others so much I don't want to 'ruin' them. So I was really excited to read Killers Of A Certain Age - but I didn't like it. I was expecting a similar style to Veronica Speedwell...but I was disappointed. It was the first Veronica Speedwell book that I put on hold, and in fact it was waiting for me to download this morning! I can't wait to try it, although I have to resist for a bit because I have a couple of books on my Kindle before I get to the Raybourn one (also on Kindle).  |
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Post by Really Red on Jan 10, 2023 15:35:42 GMT
The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson So bad it doesn't even rate a star. ZERO stars. This was an Amazon Prime free book this month. Not worth the price. DNF at 54 pages. This book is SO disappointing. The MC is a chemist in a makeup firm. She is brilliant, of course, but her manager hates her and dismisses her work all the time. Her very best friend - like the most bestest in all the whole wide world - is a fellow chemist there. Know how long MC has know this very bestest of friends? Four whole months.
MC is in love - mad, passionate, blind love with the CEO of the company. She's met him maybe twice in two years, but she expects him to remember those encounters like she does and appears stunned to the core when he doesn't. CEO is horrible. Narcissistic and nasty, but MC doesn't see any of that even when 4-month bestie points it out. When CEO says that there is a nonfraternization rule, MC promptly quits her job. Yes!!! An adult woman does this! She still goes to the office party that night dressed in some cosplay outfit (because she needed to wear a dress, which she doesn't own, even though she knew about this party and wanted to wear a dress) and slimy CEO announces his engagement. Spoiler alert: not to her.
MC gets immediately drunk and goes in the men's bathroom and sits on the floor (!!!!) to cry. Nice guy follows her in and tries to help her. Nice guy is a fabulously gorgeous guy who turns out to be the owner of everything and is charmed by this slobbering sick woman in a cosplay outfit sitting on a men's bathroom floor crying over an idiot. I am repulsed.
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Post by Fidget on Jan 10, 2023 17:10:14 GMT
I finished The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - I really enjoyed this book - 4 out 5 stars for me!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 10, 2023 17:36:04 GMT
Last week I finished Triple Cross by James Patterson. I really enjoyed this one as it was written only by Patterson. 4/5
Next I read John Grisham's latest Sparring Partners. I didn't realize it was 3 novellas so I kept trying to think how these 3 parts of the books would connect at the end. Of course they didn't. So disappointed. My least favorite book by one of my favorite authors. 2/5
I'm picking up It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover from the library today.
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Post by clarencelynn on Jan 10, 2023 18:32:32 GMT
I'm reading:
Miss del Río: A Novel of Dolores del Río, the First Major Latina Star in Hollywood
by Bárbara Mujica
I'm not far into it but I'm enjoying it.
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iowahawkeye
Shy Member
Posts: 30
May 20, 2020 2:10:26 GMT
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Post by iowahawkeye on Jan 11, 2023 20:35:57 GMT
Last week I finished Triple Cross by James Patterson. I really enjoyed this one as it was written only by Patterson. 4/5 Next I read John Grisham's latest Sparring Partners. I didn't realize it was 3 novellas so I kept trying to think how these 3 parts of the books would connect at the end. Of course they didn't. So disappointed. My least favorite book by one of my favorite authors. 2/5 I'm picking up It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover from the library today. We enjoy a lot of the same books - so always look for your posts. I'm with you on books that Patterson writes by himself.
I put a hold on It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover - I very much enjoyed It Ends with Us. Hope you enjoy it, too. "It starts with Us" is the second book in the series - seems backwards 
This week I am reading The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf - I enjoy her writing with the added benefit that she lives in Iowa, where I live, so uses Iowa for location of the plot, which makes it fun to read.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 11, 2023 21:59:51 GMT
I put a hold on It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover - I very much enjoyed It Ends with Us. Hope you enjoy it, too. "It starts with Us" is the second book in the series - seems backwards Funny story: a month ago I saw It Starts With Us on the Lucky Day shelf and checked it out. The librarian said I was very lucky to snag it when I did as the regular shelf books had over 100 holds. I got it home and realized it is the sequel to It Ends with Us. Ugh. So I put a hold on it and took it back. Yesterday It Ends with Us hit my account so I went to pick it up. By some miracle, It Starts with Us, was once again on the Lucky Day shelf so I got both of them! And yes, the names are very confusing! |
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Post by magenta on Jan 12, 2023 2:25:15 GMT
I put a hold on It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover - I very much enjoyed It Ends with Us. Hope you enjoy it, too. "It starts with Us" is the second book in the series - seems backwards Funny story: a month ago I saw It Starts With Us on the Lucky Day shelf and checked it out. The librarian said I was very lucky to snag it when I did as the regular shelf books had over 100 holds. I got it home and realized it is the sequel to It Ends with Us. Ugh. So I put a hold on it and took it back. Yesterday It Ends with Us hit my account so I went to pick it up. By some miracle, It Starts with Us, was once again on the Lucky Day shelf so I got both of them! And yes, the names are very confusing! I read earlier today on her Instagram page that she was releasing a coloring book based on "It Ends with Us." I read both books so I was curious by that, only because of the books' sensitive subject matter. I wasn't planning on buy one. Just now my DD, who is also a fan of her books, told me there was so much backlash from her followers that she cancelled the planned release. I was surprised she chose this particular book. Personally, I would love a Verity coloring book.  |
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Post by kluski on Jan 16, 2023 15:10:17 GMT
Based on a recommendation here, I’m little more than half way finished Appetite for Innocence. I’m really hoping it doesn’t end the way I think it will.
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Just T
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,544
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Post by Just T on Jan 16, 2023 15:23:32 GMT
I read A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner. First read of the year. Oh, can this woman write. It is one of her older books, but I absolutely loved it. Also, I cried. So it will definitely go on my faves of 2023. 5/5 stars. I read this book a couple of years ago, and I loved it. She has become one of my favorite authors. I just read A Sound Among the Trees. It was good, but not my favorite of hers. |
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Post by kluski on Jan 16, 2023 18:17:22 GMT
Based on a recommendation here, I’m little more than half way finished Appetite for Innocence. I’m really hoping it doesn’t end the way I think it will. Ok…thankfully not what I predicted. |
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,350
Location: Dallas Texas
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Post by SabrinaP on Jan 17, 2023 0:34:33 GMT
I finished a good book called The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis. If you have Kindle Unlimited it’s free to read and listen there.
The book is historical fiction with two stories happening simultaneously. One in 1943 and one on 1985. The stories intersect in a really interesting way. I gave it 5 stars.
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Post by scrapnatya on Jan 17, 2023 1:46:22 GMT
I’ve been out of the reading loop for awhile. Starting off with an old book I never read. The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain. So far, so good.
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They have all sorts of adventures while trying to find out who's targeting them. It's kind of James Bond crossed with Charlie's Angels. hahaha I googled the author and discovered that she has an entire series about a woman who solves mysteries, set in the late 1800s. I've put a hold on the first one to see how I like it. I hope I do like it because it's great to discover a new series -- all those books to look forward to!
