paigepea
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Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Mar 15, 2015 23:21:22 GMT
I must be the worst weekly reading thread starter in the world because I didn't even get a chance to open my book all week. My dd's school had emergency parent meetings all week and they left me so upset I couldn't relax enough to read.
Please tell me what you're reading and how it is going!!
Paige.
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Post by birukitty on Mar 15, 2015 23:45:04 GMT
Don't feel bad Paige-sometimes life just gets in the way. I haven't read that much myself this week. I'm thoroughly enjoying rereading "The Glass Lake" by Maeve Binchy and luckily it's been long enough since the last time I read it that I don't remember what happens at all, so it's just like reading a new book.
Hopefully I'll make it to the library this week or whenever it is that I finish this book. In the meantime it is such a joy to get back to one of my all time favourite authors.
This book is one of the early books by Maeve Binchy that takes place in 1950's Ireland. In a small village we are introduced to several characters and that's what I love about Maeve Binchy. She is an amazing story teller.You get to know these characters and feel like they are actual people the way she spins out their lives. There's Kit and Clio-two girls who are best friends yet sometimes have fights where they don't speak to each other. Then they make up and it's all fine again. Clio's father is a doctor and Kit's father is the town's pharmacist. Kit's mother is someone who tends to keep to herself. She wasn't born and raised in this tiny village like almost everyone else. She's from Dublin so she's different. An outsider. She looks like a film star, and takes long lonely walks around the huge lake. Kit wonders why her Mom can't be like other Mom's but Clio assures her she wishes her own Mother looked like Kit's. What they both don't know is that village life is suffocating Kit's Mom. One day there's an accident out on the lake. Or was it an accident?
While I love all of Maeve Binchy's books, her early one's set in the 1950's I like the best. I mentioned those last week.
Debbie in MD.
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Post by annabella on Mar 15, 2015 23:46:39 GMT
I'm listening to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins it's really keeping my attention, I can't wait to figure it out!
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Mary Kay Lady
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Mar 15, 2015 23:57:50 GMT
How frustrating for you. I love reading and find it quite relaxing. I love that my Kindle Fire will "read" to me as I'm doing housework. This week I finished The Girl on the Train. It was an interesting read for me because I'm coming out of a dysfunctional marriage where my DH was an alcoholic. I'm currently reading The Good Girl. It's good, but I'm trying to decide if I like it or not. I love these weekly reading threads. They help me keep my "want to read" list well populated.  |
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Mystie
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Post by Mystie on Mar 16, 2015 0:15:14 GMT
Right now I'm in the middle of The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. It's excellent.
And (because I can't seem to read one book at a time) I'm right at the beginning of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. Too soon to tell if I will like it or not.
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Mar 16, 2015 0:15:38 GMT
paigepea, I hate not reading everyday. I have been reading (almost) every night before bed since I learned to read! But sometimes life happens and I'm so tired and worn out when my head hits that pillow that I can't possibly read one word. Then I feel like I've let myself down, because reading is my escape. Hang in there.
On Kindle was At the Stroke of Madness by Alex Kava. It's the 4th in the Maggie O'Dell FBI series. This one wasn't as good as the first three of the series. I felt like it was maybe missing parts? It could've been a good story, but for me it felt disconnected and off.
Then my fluff for the week was It Had to Be Him by Tamara Bauman. I got it from the Kindle First choices. Typical fluff - a tall handsome rich man with the perfect body and down and out girl trying to prove herself and doesn't want any help and doesn't want to trust him. Yada, yada, yada and you know the story ends. Cute book.
My audio book was Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain. I liked this one. I won't give away the story, but it had me thinking about it for a few days after on what I would do in the same situation.
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Post by pjaye on Mar 16, 2015 1:20:26 GMT
Last week I had just started Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured by Kathryn Harrison. This was an interesting read, but more than just a ‘straight’ biography, it was a bit more like a textbook in that it brought in all the evidence of Joan from different historical sources. The author also draws comparisons between Joan and Jesus throughout the book, which I didn’t think was really necessary. Glad I read her story though. 3.5 stars.
Then I listened to A Sudden Light by Garth Stein. This was everything I wanted “The House At Midnight” to be from the week before. Creepy old house, potential ghosts, dysfunctional family & lots of family secrets. Told from the POV of 14yo Trevor when he visits his father’s old home to get his Grandfather to sign over the family property. I really enjoyed this. 4 out of 5 stars.
Next was The Translator by Nina Schuyler. Another one I really enjoyed. This is the story of Hanne, a translator who has a fall one day and as a result loses the ability to speak English and speaks Japanese instead. So she decides to visit Japan and the author whose book she recently translated. On her journey she reflects on her life, especially raising her daughter (from who she is estranged and hasn’t seen for 6 years). It’s a difficult book to review because there is so much to it, a book about language and words and meaning and how they impact others, as well as a journey of self-discovery. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Currently listening to Instructions for a Heatwave, by Maggie O'Farrell.
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purplebee
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Post by purplebee on Mar 16, 2015 1:27:15 GMT
Read two books last week, one while traveling. First was The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein. Missed this one on the first go round, but am so glad a friend gave me the book. It was really good! Second was a chick lit book by Jane Green, To Have and To Hold, about a girl who marries the man of her dreams who turns out not to be. A good, though rather fluffy read which helped pass the time waiting at LGA and on my flight.
Paigepea, thanks for starting the thread, hope this week is better for you.
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Post by smokeynspike on Mar 16, 2015 6:07:56 GMT
I finished This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, which I gave 3 stars on GoodReads. I really wish they had 1/2 star rankings on there, since I went back and forth between three and four stars for this one. I ended up with a three because there was A LOT of graphic sexual material in it. I'm not a prude by any means, but it was a bit much at times.
I started Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza yesterday. I haven't gotten far yet.
Melissa
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 11:56:59 GMT
I continued with the Maze Runner series, and read the second two books. I'm not sure why, I didn't like them all that much. Something about it bothers me, and without giving away the story, I think it was that the evil behind it all was so banal. None of it had a compelling enough reason for what was done. Maybe I'm looking for a complexity that won't be found in a YA book.
I started The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon, and decided that I'd better re-read The Bone Season. I had forgotten the details of the plot and the names of the characters, and was very confused. Last night I downloaded The Bone Season, and I'm enjoying it just as much the second time. I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow to visit my daughter, and I'm looking forward to having some time to read on the plane.
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janeliz
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Post by janeliz on Mar 16, 2015 12:32:18 GMT
I finished Laura Lippman's Hush Hush. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. It wasn't one of her best Tess Monaghan books.
I'm now reading Gayle Forman's I Was Here. It's a fast read and I'm liking it a lot so far.
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pudgygroundhog
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Mar 16, 2015 14:04:17 GMT
I read three books:
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. 4/5 stars. Fast paced, suspenseful page turner. The Girl on the Train has all the hype right now, but I liked this one better.
Mrs. Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell. 4/5 stars. A story set at the start of the civil rights movement in Mississippi. I liked the story, but was also just as interested to learn more about the author and his inspirations for the book. For anybody reading the book, I suggest reading the back sections first that talk about his research and what influenced the book.
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny. 4/5. Third book of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Plot points didn't always jive with me, but the characters have really grown on me and I liked the book.
Now I'm reading The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber.
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Post by craftsbycarolyn on Mar 16, 2015 14:14:51 GMT
I'm currently reading The Good Girl. It's good, but I'm trying to decide if I like it or not. I love these weekly reading threads. They help me keep my "want to read" list well populated. I just read The Good Girl and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked it. I just finished Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and I enjoyed it also. Is there a movie coming out of this? Right now I am reading Perfect People, I'm not so sure I'm going to like it though. |
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Post by lollapealooza on Mar 16, 2015 14:44:48 GMT
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb - I'm embarrassed that I'm just now getting around to it. I really like Wally Lamb.
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Post by Mary W on Mar 16, 2015 14:51:13 GMT
I'm finishing A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. She is one of my favorite authors, and this book is true to her style. I love her character development. I always feel like I personally know everybody in her books. There's not a lot of action, but it's a fun read. I need to start my book club book, The Great Santini by Pat Conroy. This is an old classic, but I've never read it before so I'm anxious to start it. |
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Post by lollapealooza on Mar 16, 2015 14:51:47 GMT
I must be the worst weekly reading thread starter in the world because I didn't even get a chance to open my book all week. My dd's school had emergency parent meetings all week and they left me so upset I couldn't relax enough to read. Please tell me what you're reading and how it is going!! Paige. I think you are doing a fine job...please don't stop. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 15:16:36 GMT
I finished The Diviner's Tale. It was just so-so. Can't really put my finger on what I didn't like, just a little slow-moving and characters that didn't have much depth. 2/5 stars
I also read The Secret Place, the latest by Tana French. It always takes me a couple of chapters to get into her characters, but it ended up being a quick read. This one is about a 16 year old girl who brings a piece of new evidence to a detective a year after a murder has taken place at her boarding school. 4/5 stars
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Told from the adult perspective of a man looking back at one summer of his childhood, when 5 deaths profoundly affected him and the small town he lives in. 4/5 stars
I'm about halfway through The Girl You Left Behind. I love the setting of France during World War I and how the story is connected from then to now. This one is a 5 star read for sure. Can't wait to see how it all ends up.
The next books on my list to read are The Paying Guests and The Bone Clocks.
Lana
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Post by lynnek on Mar 16, 2015 15:16:53 GMT
How frustrating for you. I love reading and find it quite relaxing. I love that my Kindle Fire will "read" to me as I'm doing housework. This week I finished The Girl on the Train. It was an interesting read for me because I'm coming out of a dysfunctional marriage where my DH was an alcoholic. I'm currently reading The Good Girl. It's good, but I'm trying to decide if I like it or not. I love these weekly reading threads. They help me keep my "want to read" list well populated. I read The Good Girl a while ago and really enjoyed it too. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I finished Station Eleven last week. I really enjoyed it! I loved how all the characters were connected. It also had me thinking a lot about what if we had to "go back" to a time of no technology and things. What if there were ever a major event and I was stranded in a place without my family and no way to contact them. Yikes! |
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Post by GamGam on Mar 16, 2015 15:38:43 GMT
I've missed a couple week of posting, and have been in a reading slump. But I did finish Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. This was my first book of hers, and I enjoyed it, especially the background it gives on elephants. I read The Elephant Whisperer by Laurence Anthony last summer. The very ending of Leaving Time mentions this author and how his elephants reacted to his death. If you have not read THe Elephant Whisperer, I highly recomment it. Elephants have a lot to teach us about community and communications.
Just started Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. I'm sure I got the title from someone on here. Thanks for all your responses each week.
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Post by kckckc on Mar 16, 2015 15:43:52 GMT
I have been traveling and missed this thread last week - so this is two weeks worth of reading for me.
Descent by Tim Johnston. A family's teen daughter disappears while they are on vacation in Colorado - this story follows the lives of the family after this terrible event. I thought this one was just okay - very forgettable. The ending seemed very contrived.
Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak by Andy Hall. The true story of a climb of Denali in which seven climbers died. The author is the son of the man who was the park superintendent at the time of the accident. Very interesting story. I listened to this one on audio.
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I believe this was the text for the online class that many Peas took. I have been on the waiting list at the library for a long time. This was a very interesting read - the notes were very informative. I would recommend for any fans of the Little House books.
Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof. Predictable chick-lit. I was bored with this one long before I finished it.
Revival by Stephen King. King is an excellent story teller. I liked this one.
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Mar 16, 2015 16:26:02 GMT
kckckc, I'll check into Pioneer Girl. I'm a fan of the Little House books. I still have all my original books from the Scholastic book fairs from the 70's !
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Post by Fidget on Mar 16, 2015 16:29:14 GMT
I finished Talk Talk, by T.C. Boyle, I liked everything except the ending. I gave it 3 stars on Good Reads ( I too wish there were 1/2 star ratings).
I just started The girl on the train, I'm liking it so far...
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kelly8875
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Post by kelly8875 on Mar 16, 2015 16:42:28 GMT
Saturday I read "the Chocolate Money", couldn't put it down. It's about a chocolate heiress and her daughter. The daughter struggles to be a kid, and a teen, after growing up with her mother. Her mother is a party girl, and is inconvenienced by the daughter. Yesterday I started Gone Girl... I know, I'm late to this! Hoping to finish it tomorrow  |
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mimima
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Post by mimima on Mar 16, 2015 18:22:53 GMT
Smokeynspike - I read "This is Where I Leave You" for Book Club, I was appalled at everyone's behavior. Yikes.
I made a Goodreads shelves for half stars, so I can allocate them to a book.
I re-read "Crime and Punishment " by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Just as wonderful the second time.
I also read "Prague Winter " by Madeline Albright, the story of Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. Fascinating and a great read.
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Post by miominmio on Mar 16, 2015 18:38:14 GMT
I'm currently reading "The Tomb" by Clive Cussler, "1001 natt (1001 nights)" by Vetle Lid Larsen (a book about Norwegian sailors taken as slaves in North Africa) and "vikinger i krig (viking warfare)" by Kim Hjardar and Vegard Vike, about viking tactics, weapons and history.
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Post by powderhorngreen on Mar 16, 2015 20:18:30 GMT
Two for me this week, neither of them great reads or strong recommendations from me.
The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen (duh) - I have enjoyed his talk show from time to time and gave this a try. It startout out cute and fluffy, the time I was 1/3 through, it was so repetitive and I quit caring and gave up on it. If you really love Cohen and watch a lot of Bravo TV shows, you might find it more interesting.
Fever by Mary Beth Keane - This is the story of Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary) in NYC at the turn of the century. The first third was good when the book dealt with her being an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid and exploring the legal ramifications of "holding" her in confinement at a hospital even though she was not sick and did not commit a crime. However, the book then dissolves into a weird, bad story of her troubled love life. I did finish it, but not what I wanted or expected
Better luck next week for me. As always, paigepea thanks for starting this discussion thread ever week and thanks to all who post and share their love of books and reading.
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Post by sues on Mar 16, 2015 20:55:55 GMT
I'm still reading Wolf Hall, but I'm almost done. I hope I can move right to the next one- Bring Up the Bodies, if the library still has it available. It's so good, I wish I could just read it for hours at a time. I can't believe I waited so long to read it.
Also still reading Olive Kitteridge. I still like it, and I'm seeing glimpses of what people told me last week. Olive is not warm and fuzzy, but you can see her decency under all that snarl.
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Post by sugarmama on Mar 17, 2015 0:53:31 GMT
sues, did you know Wolf Hall is being made into a PBS series? It begins April 5th.
Also, The Dovekeepers is being made into a miniseries and will be on March 31st on CBS
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Post by zoeybug on Mar 17, 2015 2:12:34 GMT
I finished link Reconstructing Amelia and read three more this week. My kids including my college freshman had spring break and we didn't do a lot so I READ! First was link Still Alice by Lisa Genova. This is the book the movie was based on starring Julianne Moore as a Harvard Linguistics professor with early onset Alzheimer's . It's excellent but gut-wrenching and every time I had some minor memory lapse this past week, it scared me (my grandmother was diagnosed at 78 ). I really did enjoy it. Next was linkHome iIs Where My People Are by Sophie Hudson, one of my favorite bloggers (her blog is BooMama). This is a memoir about all of her homes from her childhood home in Mrtylewood , Mississippi to her college home at Mississippi State, some single homes and finally her married home in Alabama . She really emphasizes how her "people" (friends and family) make her home wherever that may be. I loved this and she's about my age so her college anecdotes crack me up. It's a good, light book. Next I read a Young Adult book that was a Book Bub bargain called linkTease. It a book about high school bullying...primarily the mean girl of the junior class and her sidekick that torment an unfortunate girl that has a habit of being "friendly" with other girls' boyfriends. Brielle and Sara (mean girl and side kick) go overboard and their antics drive this girl to suicide. What makes this "ABC after school special of a book different is that Sara the sidekick is the narrator and she is having a really hard time understanding what she did was wrong. I didn't have a lot of high expeditions for this but I ended up really liking it. PaigePea-no worries! I really love that we still have a book thread even though the past two weeks have been my first time to post since about October . I've missed reading about everyone's books and sharing what I've read. |
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Post by littlefish on Mar 17, 2015 2:23:21 GMT
I'm doing this thing where I'm trying to read the books on my shelf, from left to right, regardless of my "mood" at the time.
In doing so, I finally finished a book I've had on there for over 10 years, that I bought after a couple of Spring Break trips to Compton to work with inner city youth.
There are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz followed two boys in the projects of Chicago in the late 80s for several years, and details their lives and growing up amidst poverty and violence during that time period. It was personal, in depth, and has really stuck with me. I'm so glad I finally picked it up!
The next book on my shelf (that I'm almost done with) is Heaven is for Real, which I'm pretty sure my mom sent me but she swears she didn't, lol. It's interesting and a quick read, but given how much the dad talks about finances at the beginning I'm a little skeptical of the motive behind it.
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