Weekly Reading Thread: February 12-18

Last night I finished A Man Named Ove

I have a had this book for several years and never got around to reading it. It was okay. I was so happy to be finished reading it though.

I guess maybe OVE reminds me of my ex-brother in law that by all outside appearances is a total azzhat. But he is generous and loving to my kids and my hub and I. 

I have a question.....How many hours a day would you say that you read??? I can't imagine reading more than one book a week!!


monklady123 have you read THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah? It takes place in Alaska (fictionally) I live here and I really enjoyed it.

Thoroughly enjoyed Every Summer After. Easy (should’ve been a beach) read.

I read A Calder At Heart by Janet Dailey. I won this Advanced Reader's Edition from Goodreads.
Battle scared Logan Hunter ravaged by the loss of his wife and children heads to Blue Moon to be near family and to secure land to raise horses. He meets Dr. Kristin Dollarhide and feels an instant connection even though their family's are feuding. Both are suffering from serving in WW1. Despite the instinct to stay clear of each other they are drawn together.
I flew through reading this book, loved Logan and Kristin it was some of the other characters that I disliked. Some sad parts too.

I didn't love Ove either - I guess they were trying to create an endearing old curmudgeon, but I told my friend he was just an unlikeable old f*cker LOL.

I LOVED The Great Alone tho! 

Last week I tried to read The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I had multiple friends give this book a 5 star rating and it has a 4.5 star rating on Goodreads, but I got 33% done and just couldn't go on. It just did not really hold my attention, and honestly, the characters seemed... odd. Maybe that was the point of the book and it would have gotten better, but I just couldnt waste anymore of my time on it. So I marked it read and DNF. 

I promptly picked up The Lies She Tells - by the same author of the Last Flight (Julie Clarke) and I was entertained - 4 solid stars.

Now I am reading Stone Blind, by Natalie Haynes, a Medusa story. I love Greek Mythology, so I hope this is good as past books by her.

ETA: you asked how much we read. For me, that depends on the interest of the book. The Heart book I DNF - it took me a week to get to 30%. The Lies book, read in like 5 days. I think I read at least 30-60 min a day. I am also watching Ozark and its taking up a lot of my reading time! LOL

Catching up from the last couple weeks.

Blessings by Anna Quindlin. I had put a request for this book about 5 years ago at my library and was notified they finally got it. So I felt obligated to read it. LOL. It's well written like all Quindlin books, but just ok. Probably won't be able to give a summary of it in a month.

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman. This was seriously a downer of a story. The author tried to keep it light with some humor, but as someone still grieving a loved one, I probably should have passed on this one. 3.5 stars

All the Broken Places by John Boyne. This is the sequel"ish" to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. But this book was twice as long and is written for an adult audience (Striped Pajamas could definitely fall in young adult) so it's quite a contrast. I rated this book 5 stars. Boyne is one of my favorite authors, he really is a remarkable storyteller. Currently this book has a 4.52 rating on Goodreads and Rhondito rated it 5 stars as well. Not an easy topic, not an easy character to like, but somehow he makes it all work.

Currently reading Really Good, Actually which seemed to get early pre-release hype, but seems to be getting dissed by readers so we will see if I stick with it.

Stuff I read recently:

I'm Glad My Mom Died (Audio) by Jeanette McCurdy
Whew... I'd be glad, too. A decent listen, but lots of triggers (ED, SA, abuse)

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
This is a strangely structured book (NYT Reviewer described it as a network rather than a linear plot, which is appropriate considering an app that allows users to upload their consciousness is at its narrative core). I absolutely loved it. I may need to read it again. Some of the vignettes were more interesting than others, but I think I'd like to revisit all of them to reexamine the connections.

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
If you grew up in the 90s, lots of the moral panic aspects of this will hit home. Great story about art, intention, and identity.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
The plot is so good in this one, even if the character development isn't quite there. Still a compelling read.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Entertaining. Will probably make a good sports movie. So much tennis. I know, it's a book about a tennis player! But a lot of the narrative tension definitely depends on your understanding of tennis scoring and even through Jenkins Reid tries to explain it to you through a young Carrie Soto learning tennis from her dad, it's still a lot of scoring that I skimmed through. Characters are flat, but you're not really here for rich character development are ya?

Currently reading:
The Tuesday Murder Club (audio) by Richard Osman
Old folks solving murders in England. Enjoyable. A good read-alike for "Only Murders in the Building" fans.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Eeehhhhh, I'm struggling with this one. I have a short attention span right now and I'm annoyed with the child narrator for now. I may switch to another book and come back to this unless someone says it's amazing and to keep going now.

I finished it for book-club, but I didn't love it. I thought it was repetitive and a bit superficial.
I was in the minority though, the others enjoyed it a lot more than I did.

pjaye I didn't know Jane Harper had a new book out! I've read all her others, off to get this one! Thanks!

Good reading week for me……….


LOVELY GIRLS (‘23 - 3 STARS) BY MARGOT HUNT
DESCRIPTION:  After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems. Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors.

REVIEW:  
Author’s first 3 books for me were For Better and Worse (‘18 - Read ‘19 - 5 Stars), Best Friends Forever (‘18 - Read ‘19 - 4 Stars) & The Last Affair (‘19 - 3 Stars due to the ending; almost 4 stars). Feb ‘23 Amazon First Reads.  
I like the writing, but at 50% still was just a typical “bullying” book. I’m hoping something changes going forward. The second half of book becomes more serious but still very predictable. A quick read that some might enjoy more than me.


THE FAMILY SECRET (‘23 - 4 STARS EVEN THOUGH SHORT BOOK) BY KIERSTEN MODGLIN
DESCRIPTION: When freshly engaged Austyn Murphy and Lowell Bass receive the news that Lowell’s parents have died unexpectedly, they set out for the historic Bass estate to handle their affairs and lay the former heads of the family to rest.
Enshrouded in layers of secrecy and tradition, the Bass estate, and the family residing within its walls, give anything but a warm welcome. When the idea of staying in the home permanently is brought up, Austyn witnesses a side of her future husband she’s never seen before.

REVIEW:
First book by this author for me was The Reunion (‘21 - Read’23 - 4 Stars). Like the writing. I thought plot was original and fast moving for me even though on the short side, 240 pages. Did hold my attention the entire way. Quick read.


THE MAID (‘22 - READ FEB ‘23 - 5 STARS) BY NINA PROSE
DESCRIPTION: Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

REVIEW: Author’s debut book. In development as a major motion picture produced by and starring Florence Pugh.
Right away, I love the main character’s, Molly’s, outlook on her job. Her simple ways should inspire us all. Refreshing and sometimes funny mystery. Enjoyed growing close to Molly’s character and being on her team; found myself yelling out words of caution to her. I Thoroughly enjoyed and was entertained every minute of this book. I will not forget Molly.


Hope all the 2Peas Readers find a great book this week !

This was my favorite book of 2022 - I LOVED every sentence! I swim a mile just about every day, and it was almost haunting to me reading about what people think while swimming, description of the smells, awareness of the other swimmers, the whole experience. I felt like the author was in my head. She undoubtedly has experience as a swimmer. 

This week I finished After Her by Joyce Maynard - I didn't like it much at all, although I have given five stars to three of her other books - this would be a "3" at best for me. 

I am currently reading The Perfect Marriage by Geneva Rose and I am almost done - I have loved it, will probably be a five star for me, depending on the ending.