The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,930 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jun 14, 2015 20:20:59 GMT
It was another one book week for me. but I am going camping this week (wed through Sunday) and I hope I can get more reading done. The thread may not get posted until the evening because I am not sure what time I am going to be back home. I read The Accidental Empress. This is historical fiction, and I gave it a 4/5 stars. It is a novel based off the true story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Her sister was supposed to marry the emperor (they were cousins), but he fell in lust/love with her instead. She was only 15. There are things that happen in her life that made me incredibly frustrated with the people around her and with Elisabeth as well. She is not always a likable character, but you do root for her. It did take factual situations in her life and fill it in with a fictional story line. Attachments:
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
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Post by Mystie on Jun 14, 2015 20:55:02 GMT
I read The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell. I can't remember if it was recommended here or if I saw it somewhere else. It is a British novel about a dysfunctional family, centering on the mother and her development of a hoarding problem. I thought some of the family's issues were a little over the top, but the explanation of why the mother hoards made sense to me, and the overall writing was excellent. I would definitely read another book by this author.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,919
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Jun 14, 2015 21:09:42 GMT
I read Whistling Past the Graveyard which was OK, but something about the book bothered me and I can't pin down what it was. By the last few pages I was skimming just to finish.
I also read a book called Long Time Coming by Edie Claire. I got it for free for Kindle and for a free book it was pretty good. I would read more of her books. It was a romance with some paranormal stuff in it.
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jun 14, 2015 21:22:18 GMT
Three for me this week.
The Betrayers I had to trudge through this one. A disgraced Israeli politician and his mistress flee to Crimea. While there he runs into the man who betrayed him to the KGB many years ago. The entire novel takes place over 24 hours as the two men have long philosophical discussions about religion, time, forgiveness and punishment. The writing is beautiful, but it was very slow going. Only a 2 of 5 for me.
How to Start a Fire I loved this one! I think a couple other Peas are reading it and I'm curious to hear if they enjoyed it. It follows three college friends from UC Santa Cruz. The story does not unfold in chronological order. Each chapter is about a different year and time in their lives. This makes for a challenging read, but also very rewarding as the author brings the three friends together at different stages in their lives. The way the story unfolds worked for me and I thought the format enhanced the story.
The Painter This book has been out awhile, but I just got around to reading it. I loved this author's (Heller) other book, Dog Stars. This one is very dark and violent. The painter is a man with a history of personal loss and anger. He is controlled by dark emotions and these are often reflected in his art. He commits a murder and is chased by the victim's family as they demand revenge. While it is about violence, it's also about pain and passion. I liked it very much. The novel is set in Colorado and New Mexico and the land is as much a character in the novel as the people. It will stick with you long after you finish it.
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Post by ntsf on Jun 14, 2015 22:42:28 GMT
I read Super Sad True Love Story for Book group and we all enjoyed it. an adult dystopian novel..set in the near future. it was written in 2010 and it seems to anticipate our current history.
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Post by hollymolly on Jun 14, 2015 23:02:59 GMT
I'm in the middle of The Pub Across the Pond by Mary Carter. It's about an American who wins a pub in Ireland in a raffle. The writing is not great, and I'm struggling with the story too. There is way too much detail on small things, and then major events are completely glossed over. It almost feels like someone writing down her fantasy instead of telling a good story. I was really curious about how that would work, why a pub would be raffled off, etc. Unfortunately, it's not holding my interest at all. I think I will keep at it just to see how it ends, though.
DS and I listened to The Passage by Justin Cronin on Audible for our road trip last week. We're not even halfway, but I read it earlier this year, as well as the sequel, so it was just a nice bit of review for me. He'll finish listening to it while I'm out of town this week.
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Post by RobbyKay on Jun 14, 2015 23:52:07 GMT
Hi Peas Who Read
Like tuesdaysgone, I read Lisa Lutz' How to Start a Fire. I loved it! I struggled through the first third of the book, because I couldn't wrap my head around the chronological jumps, but once I let go and stopped stressing over the jumps, it was a great story. I loved how people would pop in and out of the story, depending on which point in time you were reading, and it made for a great foreshadowing technique.
Now I'm reading The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I'm enjoying it. Some have commented that it's hard to enjoy a book when all of the characters are so unlikeable. I'm not having that problem - the characters are deliciously unlikeable (and incredibly hungry!).
Happy reading!
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Post by littlefish on Jun 15, 2015 0:18:08 GMT
I haven't finished anything but I must say I've developed a total author crush on Donald Miller. I'm reading Blue Like Jazz right now and am just soaking up his insights into religion and spirituality. I want to say this is the third book of his I've read in the last 3 months or so--something I rarely do!
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Post by misadventurous on Jun 15, 2015 1:05:34 GMT
I just finished Swan Song by Robert McCammon. Dark, dark stuff, but I enjoyed it, and the ending was good. It was a looooong book, so I would have been extra disappointed had I not liked the ending.
Started Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie. Chick lit about a woman who, after being stranded in Africa for 6 months by an earthquake, returns home to find that everyone thought she was dead and they have moved on without her. It's ok so far.
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Post by maryland on Jun 15, 2015 1:40:22 GMT
Read We Are Liars and it was pretty good. I don't want to say much about it because I don't want to ruin it for others! But I do have questions about it.
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,363
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Jun 15, 2015 1:45:13 GMT
Right now I'm reading Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. She's a good writer and it's reading fairly quickly (I'm about halfway through). I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, though.
When I'm finished with that, I'm going to read the next J.D. Robb book (I can't remember which one I am up to, but I have it on my nightstand ready to go-- I think I'm about 3-4 books behind).
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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 Jun 15, 2015 1:59:58 GMT
I read The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell. I can't remember if it was recommended here or if I saw it somewhere else. It is a British novel about a dysfunctional family, centering on the mother and her development of a hoarding problem. I thought some of the family's issues were a little over the top, but the explanation of why the mother hoards made sense to me, and the overall writing was excellent. I would definitely read another book by this author. I read this book, too. I agree with your assessment that some of the issues were "over the top". I would also add it was too contrived and put together. I did think the writing was good. It was just OK for me. |
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luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,067
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Post by luckyexwife on Jun 15, 2015 2:09:53 GMT
Read We Are Liars and it was pretty good. I don't want to say much about it because I don't want to ruin it for others! But I do have questions about it. Ohhh...PM me your questions! I liked that book, and I love discussing books I have read! Or, put it here in a spoiler text.  |
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GiantsFan
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Posts: 8,294
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jun 15, 2015 2:34:45 GMT
I forgot to add that my audio book for the week was The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams. I liked this one. It was two stories (1914 London and Berlin & 1964 NYC) intertwined by a suitcase and a family secret. The narrator did a really good job.
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Post by sugarmama on Jun 15, 2015 2:44:19 GMT
I just finished WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND by Ellen Marie Wiseman. It's about a wealthy girl who ends up in an insane asylum. But, she is NOT insane! There's also a parallel story about a young girl in foster care and eventually the stories come together. I really liked the book, although I wanted to strangle some of the characters!  |
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Post by patin on Jun 15, 2015 3:24:04 GMT
I'm reading The Night Circus. About 1/3 in. A very unusual book for me. So far I like it.
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Post by kellybelly77 on Jun 15, 2015 3:30:23 GMT
I read The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents and One unconventional detour around the world. Or something similar to that! It's a long title! I believe Annabella mentioned it a few weeks ago. It was a good story and I loved reading about all their experiences aroun the globe. It kinda made me think about my own life!
I married young and had kids right away and one thing I always wished I had done was travel. I guess I'll have time afterwards huh!
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Post by kellybelly77 on Jun 15, 2015 3:30:41 GMT
I'm reading The Night Circus. About 1/3 in. A very unusual book for me. So far I like it. Loved that book!! |
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Post by pjaye on Jun 15, 2015 4:46:50 GMT
Last week I had just started Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok. 22yo Charlie (female) lives with her widowed father and 11yo sister in Chinatown (New York). Charlie wasn’t very good at school and works as a dishwasher in a noodle restaurant, then everything changes when she gets a job at a ballroom dancing studio. AS an ex-ballroom dancer myself, I can confirm that the portrayal of the workings ballroom studio is spot on! I enjoyed this and I liked that Charlie wasn’t your usual protagonist; she often fails at things, but is still strong in her own quiet way. There’s a side story with her sister being unwell and being treated with traditional Chinese medicine that I wasn’t a fan of…the kid is getting worse and worse and no-one takes her to a doctor. Overall it was a fairly light and enjoyable read, a bit of romance too. I gave it 3 stars on GR, but I’d make it 3.5 if I could.
Then I’ve been listening to The Chronicles of St. Mary's series by Jodi Taylor. Just One Damned Thing After Another / A Second Chance / A Symphony of Echoes, and I’m almost done with A Trail Through Time.
You have to suspend belief a bit for these books, set in the UK (and with lots of British words and references) the main Character is Madeleine Maxwell (Max) who joins a “historical research facility” where they have developed the technology to travel back in time to well-known historical events to observe and record what really happened (they aren’t allowed to change anything) and drinking lots of tea along the way.
The main theme of these books is that whatever can go wrong will! These books would be described as “madcap” as Max and her co-workers bounce around history and observe dinosaurs, the fall of Troy and catch some dodos. I’ve been really enjoying these and the author’s somewhat unusual interpretation of the historical events. Just about finished the 4th one and have the 5th ready to go and I believe the 6th book is out in a few months. If you like a bit of fun and time travel, then I’d recommend these, I’m giving the series 4 out of 5 stars.
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Post by smokeynspike on Jun 15, 2015 6:33:22 GMT
I'm still reading The Financial Lives of Poets by Jess Walter. I'm not invested in it and just want to finish it already. I'd like to move on to something else but it drives me crazy to not finish books, so I will finish it.
Melissa
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Post by Fidget on Jun 15, 2015 9:37:50 GMT
I'm reading This is Where I Leave You It's our book club selection for this month, so far so good!
I finished Revival by Stephen King last week, it was far from my favorite Stephen King novel, I gave it 3 out 5 stars on good reads.
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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 Jun 15, 2015 11:22:27 GMT
I read Mary Alice Monroe's The Summer's End. I'm a fan of hers and thought the first two books in this trilogy were great. This one was a bit of a snooze for me, though.
I'm now reading Mary Kay Andrews' Beach Town, and I'm enjoying it very much.
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Post by tara595 on Jun 15, 2015 12:18:35 GMT
I'm still reading The Rosie Project. I'm enjoying it, but find myself so tired at night that I can only read for a few minutes. I should finish it in the next couple of days though. I need to finish because I'm about to start In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume and I'm so excited!
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Post by maryland on Jun 15, 2015 13:51:01 GMT
Read We Are Liars and it was pretty good. I don't want to say much about it because I don't want to ruin it for others! But I do have questions about it. Ohhh...PM me your questions! I liked that book, and I love discussing books I have read! Or, put it here in a spoiler text. Thanks! I realized that I still have a few pages left. Busy weekend with family visiting for a dance recital, so I can't keep track of what I am reading!  I will finish and peamail you with my question. |
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Post by hollymolly on Jun 15, 2015 14:27:05 GMT
littlefish I really like Donald Miller, but have somehow not read any of his books. I need to fix that. I really agree with a lot of his insights on religion and faith. Along those lines, have you read Love Does by Bob Goff? patin I loved Night Circus! I still miss the characters, and the magic, and the circus. Even though the book was complete, I still want more of them. One of my all time favorites!
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Post by pjaye on Jun 15, 2015 14:35:19 GMT
I didn't like it.
What was the point to the whole competition? Apart from not being the loser, there was no reason to win. The idea has potential, but I didn't think it was fully developed. I also thought there was no plausible explanation to many of the things that happened, you just had to take what the author wrote at face value because if you thought about it a little more, it made no sense at all.
Plus I thought the characters were flat and I didn't buy into the romance at all.
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Post by leannec on Jun 15, 2015 14:49:20 GMT
Hi Peas Who Read Like tuesdaysgone, I read Lisa Lutz' How to Start a Fire. I loved it! I struggled through the first third of the book, because I couldn't wrap my head around the chronological jumps, but once I let go and stopped stressing over the jumps, it was a great story. I loved how people would pop in and out of the story, depending on which point in time you were reading, and it made for a great foreshadowing technique. Now I'm reading The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I'm enjoying it. Some have commented that it's hard to enjoy a book when all of the characters are so unlikeable. I'm not having that problem - the characters are deliciously unlikeable (and incredibly hungry!).Happy reading! I'm reading Luckiest Girl Alive as well and I think it is great  The main character is a conniving bitch but she had a horrible event happen in her past that could have led to her current behaviour .... I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out |
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Post by mom2luke on Jun 15, 2015 15:35:00 GMT
Dang it! I posted a long reply and the board ate it! This week I finally finished The Fiery Cross.This was the fifth book of the Outlander series. I thought this book drug on forever. And it did at over 1300 pages. I think I am probably done with the series. Although there is supposedly a scene in the sixth book regarding Jamie in Inverness running into Frank Randall while Jamie is looking up at Claire. I am intrigued by that - but it will be a long while before I read it. I just didn't like The Fiery Cross.Next I read Jennifer Weiner's Fly Away Home. I really enjoyed this one. It is summer fluff but I enjoyed it. It is the story of a politician's family and his cheating scandal. I enjoy family drama's and this one was good. I have started Family Fraser. It sounded cute but so far it is moving really slowly. We will see. I am sure that I will finish it. I am also reading Forever Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid. So far I really like it. It engages you quickly. It is the story of a couple and their whirlwind romance and he dies rather quickly (this is not a spoiler -- it is in the book's description) so far I am enjoying it. After these two it is time to move onto something less fluffy.  |
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Post by littlefish on Jun 15, 2015 16:44:11 GMT
littlefish I really like Donald Miller, but have somehow not read any of his books. I need to fix that. I really agree with a lot of his insights on religion and faith. Along those lines, have you read Love Does by Bob Goff? patin I loved Night Circus! I still miss the characters, and the magic, and the circus. Even though the book was complete, I still want more of them. One of my all time favorites! Yes! I started with Scary Close, which led me to Love Does, then Father Fiction, and now Blue Like Jazz. He talks about Bob Goff in Scary Close, and once I read Love Does, it all made sense why Bob's encouragement meant so much to Don. |
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Post by kckckc on Jun 15, 2015 17:29:44 GMT
I only finished one book this week.
The Stranger by Harlan Coben. An excellent mystery/suspense novel.
I am slogging my way through Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd. It is the story of England from prehistoric to current times. It is good enough, but it is very long and not very compelling. I am about 700 pages in with about 600 pages to go - I'm not sure if I will finish it or not.
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I will finish and peamail you with my question.
The main character is a conniving bitch but she had a horrible event happen in her past that could have led to her current behaviour .... I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out 
