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 Mar 29, 2015 17:19:25 GMT
Hi everyone!
I finally finished SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE by Susan Meissner. It had good moments and slow moments. It had a lot of potential but, in the end, wasn't a winner. Still good, not great.
I started THE HOUSE GIRL by Tara Conklin (a birthday gift). So far so good. Too early on to report on much.
My girls are on Spring Break now so I'm hoping I get in some reading time. We might have to institute Silent Reading Time in my house!!
What is everyone else reading?
Paige.
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Post by kckckc on Mar 29, 2015 17:40:22 GMT
In the last two weeks I've finished four books.
Dying Light by Stuart MacBride. The second in a police procedural/mystery series set in Scotland. I am enjoying the series. I like finding an older series so that I can read several in a row without having to wait for the next book to be published,
Marriage: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures by Amber Dusick. A short, funny book. Another blog to book publication - I hadn't heard of the blog.
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton. I really liked this one - a coming of age story set in coal mining country. There was a section that I found to be somewhat unbelievable, but overall I would recommend this one.
Ruby by Cynthia Bond. I have mixed feelings about this one. It has a very strong line of magic realism, which I am not fond of. It was also a very draining book - full of child abuse/rape/incest. That said, it was a very compelling read.
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Post by miominmio on Mar 29, 2015 17:48:56 GMT
I have started on "Norse religion. Rites, myths, society" , which so far seems to be really interesting (not always the case when it comes to text books).
The other book I'm reading is Anthony Beevor's "The second World War". Like his other books, it is very detailed (at times maybe a little bit too much), but he writes very well.
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Post by maryland on Mar 29, 2015 17:51:13 GMT
I am reading They All Fall Down and it's pretty good so far.
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Post by GamGam on Mar 29, 2015 17:57:04 GMT
I started everything I Neve Told You, but gave up after a few pages. Just not my type of novel.
now I am reading being MortAl by Atul Gawande and find it interesting. It deals with end of life issues from the standpoint of the elderly as seen by a surgeon. Very complex issue, to say the least. Gawande writes so well.
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Post by grace2882 on Mar 29, 2015 18:23:51 GMT
I am currently reading A Cool and Lonely Courage. This book is a biography and has a lot of facts so it takes a bit to process. I love books that educate on World War II and this book has a lot of information that I had never heard of before. It is about 2 sisters who were spies in occupied France during the war. If you like this type of a book I do recommend it. I have Growing Up Amish on my bookshelf to read when I am finished with the current book. It is an autobiographical by a man who had been raised in the Amish community only to run away when he was 17. It took him many years after that to actually leave the Amish religion despite not being in the community. |
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Post by Miss Ang on Mar 29, 2015 18:27:32 GMT
I am reading Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke for our book club read. I started working full time this month and I'm finding very little time to read these days! I know there is time, I'm just trying to find a balance with everything right now. Anyway, this is the 2nd book in a series and we aren't reading the first one. I wish I had time to read the first book before this one but I don't. I'll admit, it's causing me some serious anxiety!   I NEVER read a book series out of order.  My latest read was Even Now and Ever After by Karen Kingsbury. I enjoyed Even Now and finished it quickly but the second one has been a little slow. I had hoped to finish it before starting on my book club read mentioned above, but I've got to get the book club book finished before we meet again. First world problems, huh? haha |
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Post by SockMonkey on Mar 29, 2015 18:32:55 GMT
Last week I read An Untamed State by Roxane Gay. It was good, but it was rough to read. It's about a kidnapping and the aftermath, so I expected it to be difficult, but it was pretty intense.
This week I finished Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler, which was decent, and Stories I Only Tell My Friends, Rob Lowe's autobiography, which was also decent.
Today I started All the Birds, Singing by Cat Gould:
Jake Whyte has retreated to a remote farmhouse on a craggy British island, a place of ceaseless rains and battering winds, with only her collie and a flock of sheep as companions. But something—or someone—has begun picking off her sheep one by one. There are foxes in the woods, a strange man wandering the island, and rumors of a mysterious beast prowling at night. And there is Jake’s relentless past—one she tried to escape thousands of miles away and years ago, concealed in stubborn silence and isolation and the scars that stripe her back.
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Post by RobbyKay on Mar 29, 2015 18:47:12 GMT
Hi Readers!
I'm still slogging away on I Am Radar. It's good, just really long, and I'm itching to start something else.
Speaking if itching, the next Black Dagger Brotherhood book, The Shadows, comes out on the 30th, and I'm looking forward to it!
Happy Reading!
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Deleted
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May 19, 2024 3:43:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 19:04:36 GMT
I finished Some Other Town by Elizabeth Collison, but I didn't like it and the only reason I picked it up to read is the writer graduated from the University of Iowa's Writer's Workshop and it was on a recommend list. I was surprised I finished it and it was only 200 pages long.  I just started The Sign by Raymond Khoury and I'm loving it....I'm about 100 pages into it and it's been a ride! |
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Post by littlefish on Mar 29, 2015 19:43:40 GMT
I finished Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks your Comfortable Christianity by Jen Hatmaker. It's the first of hers that I read and really gave me some things to think about in terms of how I go about "doing" church and ministry. I started Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing your Messy, Beautiful Life by Glennon Doyle Melton. I started reading her blog Momastery maybe 6 months ago. She has the kind of voice in her writing that you can just HEAR in your head, and much of what she says has been spot on and much needed. I also started View From the Summit, a memoir of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary. It's quite long and wordy so I'll be in this one for a while. But I have a long-term fascination with books on Everest, so it'll be interesting (I hope)! |
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896 
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Post by finaledition on Mar 29, 2015 20:53:24 GMT
I finished listening to Liane Moriarty's The Last Anniversary. I really hated the narrator's voice and while I would definitely would not say this was one of the better books by this author, I know I would have enjoyed it more if I read as opposed to listening to that voice!
I also finished Station Eleven. I did not like this one at all. I only finished it because I wanted to see how it ended and the ending was not that great. I've not read many books about pandemics. This book states that 99% of the world's population was wiped out. The United States has a population of over 3 billion. You'd think that 1% of 3 billion would have made better use of the resources that remained to help rebuild or create a better society than what they currently lived in. I find it hard to believe that there is not a shoe supply left 20 years later for 1% of the population to avoid wearing threadbare shoes with with tires for soles. Or you come across an untouched house and you take a little spaceship. Surely there would have been more useful items needed. And I didn't really care for the actor's storyline- I did not like him, he didn't even survive till the pandemic nor was he the cause of it....he was boring.
I'm starting Spool of Blue Thread for book club. I've seen a few reviews here which makes me hopeful I'll have a good book to read this week.
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valleyview
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,816
Jun 27, 2014 18:41:26 GMT
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Post by valleyview on Mar 29, 2015 21:01:19 GMT
I forgot to mention The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. It was a very interesting story of the 1936 men's rowing team that represented the U.S. in the Berlin Olympics. I enjoyed it a lot.
This week, I read Younger by Suzanne Munshower. It's a Kidle First book that is a thriller about industrial espionage in a cosmetic company.
My other Kindle First book was Wreckage by Emily Bleeker. It was a modern take on being deserted on a desert island. The survivors were keeping some secrets, and it had a surprising spin at the end.
I liked both both of the Kindle books - especially since they were free with Prime. They held my interest, and I could actually imagine either of them as movies. Maybe authors are finding an audience through Amazon.
Happy reading!
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,930
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Mar 29, 2015 21:01:35 GMT
Whispers Underground- this is the third in a mystery/detective/paranormal series that takes place in London. I think it was fun and well-written. If you like archeological/historical aspects to your detective books, you'll love this series. 4/5
Darker Shade of Magic- in this book, there are three Londons: red, white and grey. There used to be black London, but it's been lost to magic. Only a couple of magical people can travel back and forth between the parallel Londons. Enjoyable. 4/5
Never Let me Go- this one has been out for years and was made into a movie (I haven't seen). It takes place in a modern ,circa mid 2000's, Earth but things are not like we expect in our universe. Our protagonist grew up in an almost idyllic boarding school, but they are there for a purpose and after they graduate and move on, their lives take different, yet intersecting, turns. Haunting. 4.5/5
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Post by Karene on Mar 29, 2015 21:10:50 GMT
I just finished reading The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell Recently I finished his other book, Outliers: the Story of Success
I also read Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
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Post by maryland on Mar 29, 2015 22:13:04 GMT
I started everything I Neve Told You, but gave up after a few pages. Just not my type of novel. now I am reading being MortAl by Atul Gawande and find it interesting. It deals with end of life issues from the standpoint of the elderly as seen by a surgeon. Very complex issue, to say the least. Gawande writes so well. I just read that. It took me a while, because I had trouble getting into it. I liked it, but I don't know that I would recommend it. |
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Post by maryland on Mar 29, 2015 22:16:05 GMT
I forgot to mention The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. It was a very interesting story of the 1936 men's rowing team that represented the U.S. in the Berlin Olympics. I enjoyed it a lot. This week, I read Younger by Suzanne Munshower. It's a Kidle First book that is a thriller about industrial espionage in a cosmetic company. My other Kindle First book was Wreckage by Emily Bleeker. It was a modern take on being deserted on a desert island. The survivors were keeping some secrets, and it had a surprising spin at the end. I liked both both of the Kindle books - especially since they were free with Prime. They held my interest, and I could actually imagine either of them as movies. Maybe authors are finding an audience through Amazon. Happy reading! The book by Bleeker sounds good! |
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Post by littlefish on Mar 29, 2015 22:21:57 GMT
Karene Malcolm Gladwell writes some of my favorite non-fiction. Good stuff!
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Post by zoeybug on Mar 29, 2015 23:11:01 GMT
Hi ladies ! i read two books this week, both mysteries that kept me on the edge of my seat and I read them pretty quickly. First was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins which is on the best sellers' list and one of those books that's compared to Gone Girl (but is never is as good as Gone Girl which was one of my favorites last year). This one really is as good if not better and I couldn't put it down easily. 5/5 stars and I'm not a big five star giver  . This book is set in London and a nearby suburb Witney and centers around Rachel, a really sad character who has drunk her way into alcoholism (is there another way?) and rides the train to and from London each day taking the route that goes past her old neighborhood. One evening she witnesses something unusual that coincides with disappearance of one of the women in the neighborhood and she gets totally caught up in the investigation. This is a really well-written debut novel that kept engaged all the way through. Highly recommend. The next book I read was a collaboration between James Patterson and David Ellis titled Invisible. This was good and kept my attention but it's pretty typical Patterson-terrible serial killer on the loose, protagonist (that is NOT Alex Cross in this book) goes on a lengthy exciting chase. It did have an unexpected ending so I thought it was better than most of his books he's written alone. I gave this one 4/5 stars. I just started Stephen King's Revival and here's the synopsis from Good Reads: A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life. In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs -- including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town. Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties -- addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate -- Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe. Have a great week and happy reading! Libby |
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May 19, 2024 3:43:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 23:32:23 GMT
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Post by annabella on Mar 29, 2015 23:41:52 GMT
Right now I'm reading two books:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah historical fiction set in WWII France
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn I had been scared to start this book due to the topic but kept seeing peas talk about it so I finally did and it reminds me of watching a Dateline investigation special.
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lesley
Drama Llama
My best friend Turriff, desperately missed.
Posts: 7,180
Location: Scotland, Scotland, Scotland
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Post by lesley on Mar 30, 2015 0:40:45 GMT
Hurray, I finally finished another book! I used to read about 60-80 books a year, and this year, I've read... two. I really enjoyed The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman. The cover made me think it was going to be light chick lit, and I was delighted to find out it was much much more. I haven't been on the reading threads this year, is I don't know if this is one that has already been discussed. I would definitely recommend it. It starts in the early years of last century, with a Russian Jewish family emigrating to New York City. It's not a typical rags to riches story though. The protagonist is a complex character who, while not always likeable, is very engaging. I'm going to try reading another book now - I'd forgotten how relaxing a good book can be. |
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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 Mar 30, 2015 0:45:34 GMT
The Edge of Dreams--this is the latest Molly Murphy mystery by Rhys Bowen. This is part of a mystery series set in turn of the century NYC. I always enjoy the books, and this was no exception.
The Girl on the Train--I liked it, but didn't love it. It certainly kept me engrossed throughout. I'm finding myself seeking out books set in modern day England and Australia, so this fit the bill.
Her--by Harriet Lane. The book begins with Nina, a London based artist and mother, spotting young mom Emma across a park. We learn early on that Nina has known Emma before, but we don't learn how until much later in the book. As Nina inserts herself into Emma's life the book takes on a menacing feel. In looking at Amazon and Goodreads reviews, it's clear the book has a great divide of haters and likers. I am in the like camp. I was completely drawn into the story and the lives of these two women, and the ending was...well, I won't spoil it!
ETA: we have spring break this week, so I have two books ahead of me---My Sunshine Away and The Kind Worth Killing.
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Post by powderhorngreen on Mar 30, 2015 1:02:45 GMT
^^^ I read this a while back and really, really enjoyed it. Although, I think the author is Evie Wyld. It was not at all what I expected and the book has stayed with me. I have another one by that author on my TBR list.
All That Is Solid Melts Into Air by Darragh McKeon - It is the story of the fall of communist Russia, as told through the Chernobyl disaster. I really enjoyed this one. Some great character studies.
The Shock Of The Fall by Nathan Filer - This one had been on my to read list forever. The library finally got the ebook version and I snatched it right up. WHile reading it, I couldn't elide if I liked it or not. By the time I finished it, I gave it 4 stars and would recommend it. It is the story of a teenage boy and his struggle with mental illness after the death of his brother. A great illustration from inside the mind of a tortured individual.
The Fever by Megan Abbott - After two really good books, I hit a real dud with this last one. It is not a thriller, it is not a horror book, it is not a good YA book. It is just stupid. The premise is that a mysterious disease is attacking the girls of a local high school and the community panics and starts to blame the HPV immunization. TUrns out it is something different, it is a disappointing and unsatisfying ending. Ugh, yuck, barf. I skimmed the last half just convinced it had to get better - nope.
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Post by lynnek on Mar 30, 2015 1:21:29 GMT
^^^ I read this a while back and really, really enjoyed it. Although, I think the author is Evie Wyld. It was not at all what I expected and the book has stayed with me. I have another one by that author on my TBR list. All That Is Solid Melts Into Air by Darragh McKeon - It is the story of the fall of communist Russia, as told through the Chernobyl disaster. I really enjoyed this one. Some great character studies. The Shock Of The Fall by Nathan Filer - This one had been on my to read list forever. The library finally got the ebook version and I snatched it right up. WHile reading it, I couldn't elide if I liked it or not. By the time I finished it, I gave it 4 stars and would recommend it. It is the story of a teenage boy and his struggle with mental illness after the death of his brother. A great illustration from inside the mind of a tortured individual. The Fever by Megan Abbott - After two really good books, I hit a real dud with this last one. It is not a thriller, it is not a horror book, it is not a good YA book. It is just stupid. The premise is that a mysterious disease is attacking the girls of a local high school and the community panics and starts to blame the HPV immunization. TUrns out it is something different, it is a disappointing and unsatisfying ending. Ugh, yuck, barf. I skimmed the last half just convinced it had to get better - nope. I agree with you about The Fever. It got so much hype. I read it last year and was disappointed. I expected so much more and in the end it was just your typical book, actually, less than that. I thought the same thing about the ending. |
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Post by lynnek on Mar 30, 2015 1:23:42 GMT
I finished Lauren Oliver's new YA book, Vanishing Girls. It was not my favorite from her but I liked it. It was about two sisters that were involved in an accident and the aftermath. I found the resolution to be interesting and a bit unexpected.
Now, I am on to my favorite thing - picking my next book! I don't know why but I just love browsing around and seeing what I might want to read next!
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Mar 30, 2015 1:34:31 GMT
I read three books this week. First, Saving Max by Heugten, Antoinette van Heugten. I did not like this At. All. I almost did not finish it. I also hated the ending, but the subject matter was so much darker than what I originally thought it would be. There was another part of the book that about made me throw up. Spoiler: Max's mother, as she is trying to solve the mystery, finds a fetus stored in some type of solution in a woman's closet. I almost quit reading at that point. 2/5 stars. Next up, World Gone By by Dennis Lehane. Book 3 in a trilogy. While I thought the first two books were better, I still loved this continuation of the saga of Joe Coughlin, a full-blown gangster and single father to this 9-year-old son. Lehane hits it out of the ball park. 5/5 stars. Finally, Come Home by Lisa Scottoline. I actually could read this, unlike several other of her books that I could not even manage to muddle through the first pages! It was a bit far-fetched but okay. 3/5 stars. Lisa |
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Post by pjaye on Mar 30, 2015 2:29:06 GMT
I didn’t post last week for some reason. But wanted to include that I listened to The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (Harold Fry #2) by Rachel Joyce. This is the ‘companion’ book to The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry. If you liked the first one, you’ll probably love the second one too.
It isn’t a sequel…it’s just the other side of the story, this time told from Queenie’s point of view. I was sobbing by the end. With Queenie being in a hospice and those around her dying it was a little close to home for me as it’s only been 5 months since that’s what happened to my Dad. However I am still glad I read it and had a good cry. 5 / 5 stars for me.
Next was The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan. This is the first book of the author who wrote The Painted Girls (one of my all-time favourites). Set in Canada in the early 1900s with Niagara Falls as the backdrop to the story. Character driven & an interesting read, but not fantastic.
A lot about the falls and the development of hydroelectricity and how it affected different people in the area. Also a love story and a tiny bit of the paranormal. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads (liked it) but would be 3.5 if they allowed 0.5.
Then I listened to I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (first published in 1948 and I think I may have read it at school). This was OK, about a family living in an old rundown castle and the love stories of the two sisters.
Again OK but not great. 3 stars.
Currently listening to History of the Rain by Niall Williams – this was recommended here and I’m sorry to say that I’m not enjoying this at all. It’s trying to be too clever and quirky, constant references to other books is annoying (it doesn’t just mention the book, but what number book it is in the protagonists collection and the publisher and the date) Lots of long run on sentences and constant references to fishing and salmon. Then as well as being oddly written, it jumps around the time line from one sentence to the next making it hard to keep all the events straight.
I kept hoping it will improve but hasn’t so far. I’ll finish it, but sadly not enjoying it.
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Post by pjaye on Mar 30, 2015 2:34:06 GMT
yes, Cat Gould is the narrator of the audiobook.
I agree this was fascinating...you have to stick with it a bit at the start and it is unusual in that it is told in reverse chronological order.
The journey the author takes you on is definitely interesting. I started out really liking Jake and was worried about what horrible things had happened to her...by the end I really disliked her. Which is unusual as mostly authors make you like unlikeable people, but this time it was the exact opposite.
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ComplicatedLady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,037
Location: Valley of the Sun
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Post by ComplicatedLady on Mar 30, 2015 2:47:31 GMT
I finally started Dragonfly in Amber (the second Outlander book). I'm only a chapter or two in, but so far, it's pulling me back in to the Outlander story. I read the first one quite a while ago. (I'm reading the series for the first time.)
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I NEVER read a book series out of order. 
. This book is set in London and a nearby suburb Witney and centers around Rachel, a really sad character who has drunk her way into alcoholism (is there another way?) and rides the train to and from London each day taking the route that goes past her old neighborhood. One evening she witnesses something unusual that coincides with disappearance of one of the women in the neighborhood and she gets totally caught up in the investigation. This is a really well-written debut novel that kept engaged all the way through. Highly recommend.
