paigepea
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Jan 25, 2015 18:55:26 GMT
Hi everyone! I started The Girl On The Train this week and I'm enjoying it. I always enjoy different narrators - different perspectives - and hood twists, so this book isn't disappointing. I hope it continues to surprise me...
How is everyone else doing?
Paige.
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Post by leannec on Jan 25, 2015 19:01:55 GMT
I read Bird Box by Josh Malerman in two days ... it is creepy and really really good  I've just started After Her by Joyce Maynard ... to early to give an opinion  |
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Post by freecharlie on Jan 25, 2015 19:14:35 GMT
I read Revealed or whatever the name of the last House of Night series was. While I actually enjoyed the series, it wouldn't be one I recommend. I started it early on and the first book was decent, but some of the plots of the series were completely unbelievable and the way she dug herself out of them was even more unbelievable. It was like she wasn't expecting to have to write the next book.
But, they are quick, teenie bopper, vampire reads, so what do you expect.
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Post by donna on Jan 25, 2015 19:55:55 GMT
freecharlie I gave up on that series a while ago. It started out pretty good, but it went downhill pretty fast.
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 2:43:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2015 20:10:05 GMT
I just finished The Kitchen House and while it was good, I felt the end was just too rushed. We spent a lot of time going through day after day, to end so abruptly. I don't know, maybe it's just me. I seem to be having a hard time lately completely liking a book.
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Post by sugarmama on Jan 25, 2015 20:13:03 GMT
I started THE MINIATURIST. Got off to a bit of a slow start, but right now has gotten to the point it's hard to put down!
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Post by miominmio on Jan 25, 2015 20:59:13 GMT
I have started reading a book about St. Olav (the viking king who brought christianity to Norway, and who killed or mutilated anyone who refused to believe in Kvite Krist). It's written by a historian, and quite interesting so far. I like the way the book brings that era to life, not entirely sure if I enjoy the part about where they are trying to prove if a relic in the possession of the catholic church here in Norway really is from the king.
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Post by shannoots on Jan 25, 2015 21:00:22 GMT
I graduated with my Masters in December and I have all kinds of time to read again...I'm loving it! In the past week, I have read: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf. I liked both books and gave them 4 stars on Goodreads. I am currently reading The Sweet Gum Tree and I love it so far.
ETA: I finished The Sweet Gum Tree and absolutely loved it....probably one of my favorite books ever.
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832 
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jan 25, 2015 22:22:09 GMT
Two for me this week.
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (Ferris) I really loved this author's first book (And Then We Came to the End) but unfortunately found this one a big let down. The concept is interesting: a dentist discovers that his identity, both personal and professional, has been stolen. Some one is posting all over social media as him. The writing is quite good but the novel lost a lot of steam as it went along. I trudged thru the last 1/3 of the book.
The Paper Magician (Holmberg) is a YA novel about a young girl who is apprenticed to a magician whose medium for magic is paper. It's an imaginative and compelling story. This is the first book in a trilogy. While it's clearly directed at a YA audience, I enjoyed as a quick and pleasant read.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
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Post by Mystie on Jan 25, 2015 22:43:04 GMT
I read The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. It kept me involved, but in the end I just gave it 3/5 stars. It's about a pastor who gets the chance to minister to aliens on a newly found planet...after he goes there, his wife's life on Earth starts to fall apart. It was a good set-up, but the way it played out left me cold.
Then I read Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin. It was another 3/5 star book. Not so much because of the writing, but more because Bob Hope just isn't an interesting person to read about. He was very private, very closed off--and it sounds like he was a fairly shallow person. It was interesting to read about the work he did traveling to entertain the troops in WW II, and that was certainly a praiseworthy thing, but in so many areas of his life he was not very admirable.
I've got a big stack of books to read...I think my choice will be between Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides and The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes.
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 2:43:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2015 22:47:22 GMT
I started THE MINIATURIST. Got off to a bit of a slow start, but right now has gotten to the point it's hard to put down! I loved it I started We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves but hated the way it just meandered about without any real story, then when the 'twist' came I just thought enough and gave up. |
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,294
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jan 25, 2015 23:43:32 GMT
Hi everyone! I started The Girl On The Train this week and I'm enjoying it. I always enjoy different narrators - different perspectives - and hood twists, so this book isn't disappointing. I hope it continues to surprise me... How is everyone else doing? Paige. This is funny - I started The Girl on the Train too, but in audio (downloaded from Audible to my ipod). I was 1.5+ hours in and waiting for the train part, and was confused about how all the characters related to each other and basically what was happening. I got notification from the library that the audio book I had on hold was in. So I downloaded that onto my ipod and I realized I had started on Part 2, not Part 1 for Girl on the Train. LOL! No wonder I was confused. I'm going to "read" the library book first then try again. Hopefully my second time around will be better. This week I only had one finish which was total chick lit fluff. Flirting with Felicity by Gerri Russell. Seriously, I'm glad this was a free book. Other than being totally predictable, and in need of a good editor, it was a cute feel good story. I did start The Astronaut Wives Club, but they aren't holding my interest. I moved on to The Art Forger which so far is good. |
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Post by annabella on Jan 26, 2015 0:13:02 GMT
I just finished The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman which I loved. Steven Spielberg is turning it into a movie later this year.
Now I'm reading Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
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Post by lightetc on Jan 26, 2015 0:33:45 GMT
I finished a few this week.
The Dark Witch by Nora Roberts - this is outside my usual area being paranormal romance but the audio version made me laugh out loud in some parts. I found the ending a little underwhelming but being the first of a trilogy I guess you can't wrap up the story completely.... 3/5.
Also finished Wonder by RJ Palacio. This is YA but addresses what it's like to live with a permanent disfiguration and a host of medical issues. I liked the different perspectives. 4/5.
Currently reading/listening to:
In The Garden of Beasts - it's interesting but not compelling enough for me to pick it up all the time, so it's taking a while
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - this requires concentration but I'm interested to see where it ends up
Little Women - I've seen the movie adaptation several times but never read the book. And finally
Maisie Dobbs - loving this Sherlock Holmes-esque character.
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Post by smokeynspike on Jan 26, 2015 0:35:32 GMT
I am still reading Life Is Like A Sailboat by John Grogan. I'm almost done with it and have enjoyed this collection of his articles from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Next up will be Altered by Jennifer Rush. It is book one in a YA series.
Melissa
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Post by pjaye on Jan 26, 2015 0:53:37 GMT
I am having my floors done next week – so I’m spending my days packing and cleaning (everything needs to be out of my apartment by the end of the week)…therefore lots of time to listen books for me!
Last week I had just started The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey.
Set in England in the town of Bath (some letters written by Jane Austen are a part of the story line). It’s a whodunit about an actress whose body is found in the local lake. Not my usual genre, but did like this. 3 out of 5 stars.
Next was Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman.
This is the story of Teddi Overman who grows up on a farm in Kentucky and dreams of owning her own antique store one day. The lyrical writing made it a positive ‘feel good’ book. Hard to describe why exactly, but I really enjoyed it. Full of quirky characters and Southern charm. 4 stars.
Last night I finished The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
I ‘binge listened” to the last 2 hours because I was so caught up in the story. The main character is Rachel – a woman whose marriage has broken down and she drinks too much. She travels to work on the train everyday…and her trip takes her past her old marital home so she spends a few seconds trying to catch a glimpse of her ex-husband and his new wife and baby. Then one of the neighbours goes missing and Rachel gets caught up in the mystery.
Thrilling & creepy with believable characters, I totally bought into this story. I can see why it’s getting so much hype. It’s being compared to Gone Girl, but I liked it much more. 4.5 stars.
Today I’ll be starting Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
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Post by powderhorngreen on Jan 26, 2015 2:05:37 GMT
The Storied Life Of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - This has been discussed before. I really liked this one. It starts out kinda slow and then moves faster and faster towards a solid and satisfying ending. I can see this ending up high on my 2015 reading list winners.
From A Buick 8 by Stephen King - THis one has been sitting on my Nook forever. 3 stars. Not his best by far. Repetitive and slow moving. But, I seem to read everything he writes and I saw no reason to break that trend.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Jan 26, 2015 3:20:05 GMT
I read The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. It kept me involved, but in the end I just gave it 3/5 stars. It's about a pastor who gets the chance to minister to aliens on a newly found planet...after he goes there, his wife's life on Earth starts to fall apart. It was a good set-up, but the way it played out left me cold. Ita. I won an ARC of this last year. I felt almost the exact same way. The end fell really flat for me - I also rated it 3/5 stars. For me, I finished Summer House with Swimming Pool by Koch for 2 peas book club this month. Wow. <Thunk>. I loved this. But still have lots of questions. I did rate it 5/5 stars. I won't say more but really want to discuss this! I also read Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Very sweet, YA. 4/5 stars. Lisa |
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Post by slicksister on Jan 26, 2015 4:28:24 GMT
I finished Believing The Lie by Elizabeth George. I love her book series but I didn't enjoy the last one as much as this one so I was pleased to love it as much as I did. I give it 4.75 stars. LOL
Right now I'm reading The Three Stages Of Amazement recommended on here and by my sister. I'm about 100 pages in and it's just ok for me. I'll finish it thugh. I have faith!
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Post by 5peanutsnana on Jan 26, 2015 4:48:29 GMT
Can anyone clarify Audible for me, please. I went to the site and it days $15 per month. Is that for one book? I checked on a book I was interested and it was $28 to buy it. Is that right right? I never purchased a book this way, but that seems more expensive than an actual book. Is that the way it works? TIA
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Post by pjaye on Jan 26, 2015 5:10:56 GMT
Can anyone clarify Audible for me, please. I went to the site and it days $15 per month. Is that for one book? I checked on a book I was interested and it was $28 to buy it. Is that right right? I never purchased a book this way, but that seems more expensive than an actual book. Is that the way it works? TIA I think they word it so it is a bit confusing, at first I thought the $15 was just to be a member and then you still had to pay for the books - but that's not right.
The basic Audible is a monthly membership plan and for that you get one credit and one credit buys you one book. Each month your credit card gets charged and you get one book for that $15.
Then if you are a member and want to buy more books during the month, then you can buy as many as you want at the reduced "member's price"
If you don't want to sign up for the monthly membership, then you can just buy the book at the regular (non member) price listed...which is probably the $28 price you saw. So a non member will pay $28 for the book, a member who buys it at the special member price e.g might be about $19 and if you buy it using your monthly credit, you'll be paying $15.
Or you can buy a year or 2 years (12 or 24) credits all at once. You pay for the whole lot up front and then you can use a credit to buy a book whenever you feel like it. That's the cheapest option and I get the 12 at a time and it works out to about $12-ish a book.
Plus once you are a member you have access to their sales, there is a current sale where there's about 150 books that are all $6.95. I only listen to audiobooks, so happy to answer any questions. There's also Downpour who do audiobooks and have a similar membership scheme (I have a membership at both)
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Post by 5peanutsnana on Jan 26, 2015 5:21:24 GMT
Thanks pjaye for the quick reply. You explained it much better than the website.  My eyes are not as good as they used to be and although I have an iPad mini I read on, I think I would enjoy just listening. I will also check out Downpour. |
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 2:43:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2015 6:23:47 GMT
Thanks pjaye for the quick reply. You explained it much better than the website. My eyes are not as good as they used to be and although I have an iPad mini I read on, I think I would enjoy just listening. I will also check out Downpour. Just in case you hadn't thought of it, you can listen to books for free from the library Based on the mentions here, I just downloaded The Girl on the Train. It sounds good! |
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~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
You need to check your boobs, mine tried to kill me!!!
Posts: 3,258
Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
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Post by ~Susan~ on Jan 26, 2015 17:17:32 GMT
I finished two books in a series by C.J. Box Below Zero and Nowhere to Run. I'm sorry to say that they were both not up to the earlier books. It was like he was just phoning it in on these two and I'm not sure I will continue reading any more of these. I gave them 2 out of 5 stars. |
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Post by Fidget on Jan 26, 2015 17:28:08 GMT
I'm still reading Into the Darkest Corner - It's very intense, but I'm really enjoying it. I probably would have finished it last night, but it started getting late, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't stop reading.
If anyone is interested - this book is only 1.99 for the kindle.
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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 26, 2015 17:40:51 GMT
I read Jane Green's Saving Grace. I usually enjoy her books, but this one was a bit of a stinker. There seemed to be about 10 different themes happening, and the main character was just a nitwit. I didn't enjoy it at all.
I'm now reading Imogen Robertson's The Paris Winter.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,918
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Jan 26, 2015 17:47:48 GMT
This week I read the Pecan Man which was really good about a woman in the 1970s in the south and her African-American housekeeper. Then I read the Yellow Crocus which was either really cheap or free for the Kindle recently, which was also really good. This one was before the Civil War in the South. I also read Twistedby Laurie Halse Anderson which was from the point of view of a high school boy who everyone thinks is a trouble maker. and now I am reading Coming Clean which is about growing up with hoarding parents. So far this one is pretty good as well. My first time using links, I hope they work... |
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Post by kckckc on Jan 26, 2015 17:59:37 GMT
I finished two books this week.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. A very readable book about our end of life choices. I believe this was recommended by a Pea and I would second that recommendation.
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas. I really liked this one. It is a long meandering book - definitely character driven. Excellent writing about relationships. I'd recommend this one too.
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Post by lynnek on Jan 26, 2015 18:32:47 GMT
I finished a few this week. The Dark Witch by Nora Roberts - this is outside my usual area being paranormal romance but the audio version made me laugh out loud in some parts. I found the ending a little underwhelming but being the first of a trilogy I guess you can't wrap up the story completely.... 3/5. Also finished Wonder by RJ Palacio. This is YA but addresses what it's like to live with a permanent disfiguration and a host of medical issues. I liked the different perspectives. 4/5. Currently reading/listening to: In The Garden of Beasts - it's interesting but not compelling enough for me to pick it up all the time, so it's taking a while Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - this requires concentration but I'm interested to see where it ends up Little Women - I've seen the movie adaptation several times but never read the book. And finally Maisie Dobbs - loving this Sherlock Holmes-esque character. If you liked Wonder, you should check out The Julian Chapter. It is a short story that tells Julian (the "bully's" side of the story). It is so interesting to read the other side. I though it was a very good addition to the original story. I am reading The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. It is about the University of Washington's crew team and their "quest for gold" in the 1936 Olympics. A very good story, but non-fiction is just slow reading for me. This is my book club book for the month and we meet on Thurs. so I need to get going! |
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lesley
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My best friend Turriff, desperately missed.
Posts: 7,179
Location: Scotland, Scotland, Scotland
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Post by lesley on Jan 26, 2015 18:37:11 GMT
I read Jane Green's Saving Grace. I usually enjoy her books, but this one was a bit of a stinker. There seemed to be about 10 different themes happening, and the main character was just a nitwit. I didn't enjoy it at all. I've just read this one too! I haven't read a book since early November, which is quite shocking for me. I found this a nice easy read and a quick way back into my Kindle. I think the problem is that I have both the Next Issue and the Readly apps on my iPad, so I find myself just reading magazines all the time. My iPad charger broke on Saturday (and seemingly, my innocent DS17 had nothing to do with it...) so I got out the Kindle instead!  Back to the book - I found it a bit silly too. It was entertaining as long as you didn't question motives, behaviours, just about any part of it really!  Im moving on to The Girl on the Train next too, and looking forward to it. |
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My eyes are not as good as they used to be and although I have an iPad mini I read on, I think I would enjoy just listening. I will also check out Downpour.
