The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,929 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Dec 18, 2023 19:58:05 GMT
This week I finished:
🟣 Leave the World Behind
Rumaan Alam
Thriller/Mystery/horror
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the concept and lot of the book. It is fast paced, but just like critics of the movie, it ends abruptly. I don't want to give too much away. I think the book is decent and it is quick, but I didn't love it.
What did you read this week?
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Dec 18, 2023 20:50:45 GMT
Three books for me this week, two of them very quick reads. Live through This by McGuinness. This was meh. Too philosophical and political for my taste. Some moralizing and sermonizing, although I agree with some points. I just don't necessarily want to read a novel with them. Super character-driven. After the inciting incident, nothing of significance happens. Except I guess the MC finds herself. Sort of. 2.5 stars. Never Lie by Frieda. Far-fetched but suspenseful and twisty. Freida always delivers! 4/5 stars The Little Liar. Such a great WW2 novel. Albom does it again! Told from the perspective of "truth" with four main characters over decades. This reminded me a bit of "The Book Thief." 5/5 stars Thanks for the rec, Rhondito. I was on a rather long wait list, and then found this on the "check it out for a week" shelf at my library. Go, me! It's a quick read. Currently reading The Frozen River. This one grabbed me immediately. Lisa |
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Post by trixiecat on Dec 18, 2023 21:00:53 GMT
I just finished Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. I give it 3 stars. It definitely kept my attention, but I had a hard time believing all of this could happen in the book. I think up next will be No Two Persons.
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Post by Tearisci on Dec 18, 2023 23:24:18 GMT
I'm currently reading an author that I read back around 2016. A friend got me back into his recent work. I'm reading Upgrade by Blake Crouch. It's Sci-Fi and deals with upgrades to our DNA that make us almost superhuman. I've downloaded a couple more of his books and will probably catch up over the holidays. |
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Post by thundergal on Dec 19, 2023 0:23:10 GMT
I haven't posted in forever, but wanted to share the book I just read that ended up being the best book I read all year. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb I lurk on this thread every week and don't recall seeing this one talked about. Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything, and nothing will stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician. Not his mother, who thinks he should get a real job, not the fact that he can't afford a high-caliber violin, not the racism inherent in the classical music world. And when he makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather's fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, his star begins to rise. Then with the international Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—fast approaching, his prized family heirloom is stolen. Ray is determined to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray's great-grandfather are each claiming that the violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressure mounting, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again? I'm not always great at getting good visuals from descriptions in books. But I could see every bit of this book in my head so clearly. I loved this one so much. Thanks to all of you who post weekly. My To Read list gets longer every week thanks to you!  |
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Post by andreasmom on Dec 19, 2023 5:21:06 GMT
I'm currently reading an author that I read back around 2016. A friend got me back into his recent work. I'm reading Upgrade by Blake Crouch. It's Sci-Fi and deals with upgrades to our DNA that make us almost superhuman. I've downloaded a couple more of his books and will probably catch up over the holidays. I actually liked it. It was my first Blake Crouch book and halfway through, I bought Recursion, which I will start later this week. |
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Post by mnmloveli on Dec 19, 2023 18:19:23 GMT
Good reading week for me !
THE MANOR HOUSE (‘23 - 5 STARS) BY GILLY MACMILLAN
DESCRIPTION : Be careful what you wish for...Childhood sweethearts Nicole and Tom are a normal, loving couple—until a massive lottery win changes their lives overnight. Soon they’ve moved into a custom-built state-of-the-art Glass Barn on the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire. They have fancy cars, expensive hobbies, and an exclusive lifestyle they never could have imagined. But this dream world quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool. Was Tom’s death a tragic accident, or was it something worse? Nicole is devastated. Tom was her rock. And their beautiful barn —with all its smart features that never seem to work for her—is beginning to feel very lonely. But she’s not entirely by herself out there in the country. There’s a nice young couple who live in the Manor itself along with their middle-aged housekeeper who has the Coach House. And an old friend of Tom’s from school has turned up to help her get through her grief. But big money can bring big problems and big threats. And is Nicole's life in danger as well? Nicole’s beginning to feel like a little fish in a big glass bowl. Surrounded by piranhas.
REVIEW :
Very consistent author with one exception in ‘20. Previous books by this author were The Long Weekend (‘22 - 5 Stars), To Tell You the Truth (‘20 - 3 Stars; felt like it was written by someone else), The Nanny (‘19 - 4 Stars), Odd Child Out (‘17 - 4 Stars), The Perfect Girl (‘16 - 4 Stars) and What She Knew (‘15 - 4 Stars).
Writing always pulls me in; easy flow and storyline. Like the flashback to the prior tenants and yoga instructor. Had me questioning everyone’s motives from the beginning. Little hints along the way kept me guessing. Plenty of devious and sinister plans are revealed. Great plot pace. This book really picked-up speed and moved faster and faster like a freight train. HOLD ON ! What a whirlwind of a tale!
DO NOT DISTURB (‘21 - READ ‘23 - 4 STARS) BY FREIDA MCFADDEN
DESCRIPTION : Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime. To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she’s done. But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night. Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick's ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching. In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She'll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom. But first, she must survive the night.
REVIEW :
New author for me in late 2022 and I’ve read 8 books so far: The Coworker (‘23 - 3 Stars), One by One (‘20 - Read ‘23 - 4 Stars), The Perfect Son (‘19 - Read ‘23 - 4 Stars), Ward D (‘23 - 5 Stars), The Housemaid’s Secret (‘23 - 5 Stars), The Inmate (‘22 - 3 Stars) and The Housemaid (‘22 - 5 Stars) and Never Lie (‘22 - 4 Stars).
I do love how Freida’s books jump right in; no wasted preamble. Story feels very eerie; like a re-telling of the movie Psycho. Kept me entertained. JUST squeaked out a 4-star rating for the first 3/4 of the book. The last 1/4 of the book felt a little rushed.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ! HOPE SANTA BRINGS YOU SOME 5-STAR READS !
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,472
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Post by edie3 on Dec 19, 2023 18:45:07 GMT
Right now I am reading Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter and I am not sure I am going to finish it. Too much going on and too many points of view. It's hard to keep up with it all.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 19, 2023 20:26:12 GMT
I gave 3.5 Stars for Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey. I thought this was another book by the same title, but I was wrong. Still, a cute nemisis to love Christmas story.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Dec 19, 2023 23:34:46 GMT
I just finished Attention Span by Dr. Gloria Marks. She's been studying attention spans since the internet took off and she brings all the receipts in this book. Attention spans are getting shorter and people are not as capable of work on intellectual pursuits due to the neverending interruptions of work emails for knowledge workers, social media which feeds you things you focus on for generally less than 10 seconds to the chaos editing practices of TV/film. She has done the research and this book was thorough. I give it 4 stars. It was a little dry, very technical and scientific. And I thought it didn't go deep enough into solutions especially for knowledge workers like me that must sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day. Bottom line though is that people need to get off their phones and do something else or risk damage to their brains.
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Post by flanz on Dec 22, 2023 6:53:22 GMT
Currently reading The Frozen River. This one grabbed me immediately. Lisa Wow! I'm almost done reading the free sample and I love this author's writing style. Thank you! |
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Post by katiescarlett on Dec 22, 2023 17:13:14 GMT
I finished the audio of Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and loved it. It was narrated by Meryl Streep. This was my first book by this author and I really liked her writing style. I loved the slow reveal of information through the book. I was torn between 4 and 5 stars but ultimately gave it one of my rare 5 stars as I'm still thinking about it several days later.
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Post by mncmom on Dec 22, 2023 21:55:52 GMT
I just finished what is now my favorite book of the year. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. 5 stars. I highly recommend it, I couldn't put it down.
Her books are hit or miss to me - loved Poisonwood Bible but DNF'd others.
It's very long, sad and redeeming at the same time. Beautiful writing and characters that were so well developed.
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,662
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Post by Rhondito on Dec 23, 2023 1:07:36 GMT
I finished the audio of Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and loved it. It was narrated by Meryl Streep. This was my first book by this author and I really liked her writing style. I loved the slow reveal of information through the book. I was torn between 4 and 5 stars but ultimately gave it one of my rare 5 stars as I'm still thinking about it several days later. You should listen to The Dutch House! It was narrated by Tom Hanks and was my first Ann Patchett novel. I loved it. |
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