Weekly reading thread - week of Feb 23

I finished 11/22/63 this week. I bought it for my Nook like a year ago and never started it because it was so long! But I finally read it and it was great!

I finished The Girl on the Train. I thought it was OK. Not a "you've got to read this", but OK. It's been compared to Gone Girl and in my opinion there is no comparison. GG was much better.

Paige, that stinks that you wrote it all out and it disappeared. I hate when that happens!

I am reading Everything I Never Told You and it's really good. I just started it, so haven't read too much yet. Kids have been off school so much (because it's so cold out) that I am not getting anything done.

gina - Your mani!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!! Adorbs.

I finished two this week. Both were gorgeous. When I read books like these, I just sit back and breathe such a contented sigh!

First was The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar. I grabbed this at the library while I was there picking up another book. It was a fairly recent add to my to-read list, but I am so glad I picked it up. I thought I wrote a GR review, but now I can't bind it. It might be with Paige's first post. Lol. Anyhow, I thought this was just delicious. The only minor flaw is that the psychiatrist blurs - no completely crosses out! - acceptable doctor/patient boundaries. Even so, it's fiction. And it's realistic in the book. 5/5 stars.

Umrigar has written several other books. Can't wait to read them as well.

Next up was an older book that I thankfully bought. My favorite so far this year. Here is my GR review:

Gorgeous. Heartbreaking. Breathtaking.

Sarah's Key is a masterpiece, my favorite book so far this year. As I bit into the delectable pages, I devoured De Rosnay's writing at times while savoring the flavors in other places.

I won't summarize it as that's already been done repeatedly, but I absolutely loved this book and immediately added it to my faves of 2015. I can't wait to read more from De Rosnay! 5/5 stars.

Lisa

Thanks!

Hi Reading Peas!

First up for me was Rebecca Rasmussen's The Bird Sisters. It's my book club title this month.  It's what I would describe as quirky midwest fiction set in post WWII Wisconsin. It was a debut novel, but it was a little weak.

Now I'm reading All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I'm halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. Part of the story is that the two main characters have to visit some of the special places in Indiana and share their findings. It has inspired me to find some of the unique and quirky things about where I live, so my daughter and I spent the weekend visiting some of the unique places around Portland (official motto: Keep it Weird). We had a great time!

Next up for me is Reif Larsen's (The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet) newest title I Am Radar. It comes out on Tuesday.

Happy Reading!

Finished Landline.


Landline by Rainbow Rowell

5 / 5

1) I really, really like Rainbow Rowell.

2) I am absolutely giving a book about a magic phone 5 stars. =P

I loved all of the characters. I thought they were all engaging and well-written. This book leaves you happy & hopeful and really contemplating your own marriage at the end (this is billed as adult fiction, not YA, fyi). I felt like I was left with a fresh, new jolt of wanting to work harder.

This book left me teary-eyed mid-way through. I was easily whisked back into the past when I started dating my husband and I too, was wishing I had a nifty yellow landline phone to call him on. Sometimes, don't you just want to be a fly on the wall of your old life? I know I do. <3

Note: I did a combo book read / audio book and I really enjoyed the narrator's voice (Rebecca Lowman). She was very easy to listen to.

I'm about finished with Bird in Hand by Christina Baker Kline. Last week, i was saying how depressing it was. It still kind of is - a tragedy happens and then marriages fall apart. Two of the main characters are so selfish and unlikeable but pretty typical I suppose of most adulterers. They have the nerve to tell the cheated-on wife, "Don't be upset. It had absolutely nothing to do with YOU." Jeez. But it does make you think about if you've let yourself get kind of checked out of your life and just going with the flow.

gina I really, really like Rainbow Rowell, too. So glad I discovered her because of the Peas. Landline is the last book of hers I haven't read. I keep waiting for it to get below $10 for Kindle but still no dice. I'll have to just get on the waiting list at the library. I really enjoy your reviews - thanks!

As for Girl on the Train, I really liked it and think it held up to Gone Girl.  Not quite as dark and twisty but very suspenseful and an interesting story.  When people say they "figured out the twist early on," I can't figure out what they're referring to.  As I read the book, I kept a keen eye out for 'the twist' and there was nothing really to give away.  So that always confuses me (without saying too much, since I don't want to give spoilers).  

I loved Gone Girl, thought Dark Places was OK & felt like I needed to take a shower when I finished Sharp Objects. Icky.

I think you a bit suffered from misguided expectations. Yes it's a whodunit, but it's more about broken lives and emotions rather than 'thrills'
I also didn't think it was 'fast paced' at all...in fact that's one of the reasons I liked it, the slow build of the characters and finding out all of their secrets and coming slowly out of the alcoholic fog along with the main character as she gradually comes to terms with what has happened to her over the last few years.
Where did you get the idea that there would be some earth shattering twist? It's been mentioned here a few times (me included) and I don't recall anyone posting about some big unexpected twist or being shocked by the ending.

I really enjoyed the book and how everything played out, but if anyone thinks it's going to be fast paced thriller with some sort of unexpected twist - then yes, you'll be disappointed.

What a great idea to do this in your area! I read this book recently too and it really touched me.

I really enjoyed this too, hard to say why exactly because nothing really happens...I think sometimes it just nice to read a lovely story with some nice people in it.

Did you read Winter Garden by Hannah?  It was really good, historical read about Russia.  If you read it, was Nightingale similar?  They have it at Costco, may have to buy it!

I didn't post last week, so this is two weeks worth.
First I listened to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Which has already been reviewed here quite a lot. I was completely fascinated by this story and the scientific facts (and horrified by some of the testing doctors did on patients back then). Really enjoyed this non fiction book and gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Then I listened to The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. This is another one of those emotional YA books, a girl who had a horrible thing done to her and now doesn't talk and a boy who builds furniture and lives alone because everyone in his family has died. Even though it's "another one" I still really liked it and the writing sucked me right into their story. 4 out of 5 stars.

Next was The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. Excellent book but heartbreaking as well Set in modern day Afghanistan it the story of a family who has all girls and what happens to them. They are isolated and have minimal education and then are married off to older men at very young ages. Their Aunt tells them the story of their great grandmother throughout the book as well - and what is highlighted it that things there really haven't changed much for women over the last few generations. Similar to Khaled Hosseini's writing. I enjoyed this as well and also gave it 4 stars.

Then Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Set in the USA in the 1930s the story of Abilene who is sent away by her itinerant father to his home town for the summer. While there she tries to discover more about his life as a boy...and she does. I really wanted to love this but I found it slow going at first, it finally hooked me in near the end when all the stories came together and then I had tears in my eyes. 3.5 stars.

Currently listening to Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland. Set in the 1890s about the stained glass window maker Louis Comfort Tiffany and Clara the woman who worked for him who is now thought to have come up with the idea and designed his famous Tiffany lampshades. Interesting so far and I'm enjoying the descriptions of the various creative process involved in making the windows etc.

Who wrote this? I have not read it. When I searched on GR, I found about 10 books with the same name... LOL! 

Lisa