The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jun 21, 2015 15:48:35 GMT
I've been mostly off the grid the last few days. I'm on the road (camping trip), so I'll make this quick. I'm just finishing Clockwork Angel: Infernal Devices #1. It was cheap on Book Bub a couple weeks ago. I teach English and a lot of students read the series, so I thought I would give it a try. I just can't get into it, and it certainly isn't my favorite young adult series. I will be stopping after the first one. 3/5 for YA. 2/5 for me. What did you read this week? Oh, and if you are looking for something "hot" this summer, supposedly this list is the one. I saw a couple that look interesting: www.popsugar.com/love/Best-2015-Summer-Books-Women-37443695 |
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by finaledition on Jun 21, 2015 16:31:36 GMT
Thanks for the list of books. Looks like some good beach reads which I'm very ready for.
I finished The Namesake for book club. I live in a diverse community so I appreciated the book from that perspective. We had a great discussion about the book and all agreed that Gogol/Nikhil lacked passion. He was character that was hard to root for.
Another interesting aspect to our discussion was the fact the woman who selected this book is white and her husband is a son of Indian immigrants. She added a lot to the discussion. She also saw the movie years ago and said that this was one of the rare times when she liked the movie much more than the book. So now I'm trying to track down the movie.
Currently listening and enjoying Tell the Wolves I'm Home.
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Post by sues on Jun 21, 2015 17:01:29 GMT
I finished Finder's Keepers by Stephen King- which is #2 in a trilogy. I liked it a lot and I'm dying to know how book 3 will branch off.
An Amazon Best Book of June 2015: For those of you who spent part of last summer being thrilled by Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, this worthy sequel arrives just in time for summer 2015. Of course you can read Finders Keepers on its own if you’re so-inclined—King takes time to introduce new characters and new crimes in the first half of the book before carting out some familiar faces from the past. The story begins with a murder (of an author) and a robbery (of the author’s notebooks, including at least one unpublished manuscript). The crimes will linger in your mind, but what might linger most is when King explores his obsessions with, well, obsessions: obsession with reading, obsession with writers, even the need to get revenge. The book is well-plotted, but there remains an organic feel to this series, like the characters are writing themselves to some extent. As a character in Finders Keepers puts it, “a good novelist does not create events, he watches them happen then writes down what he sees. A good novelist realizes he is a secretary, not God.” Amen. That's why we love you, Stephen King.--Chris Schluep
I moved on to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I'm not far enough in to know if I like it yet.
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, July 2014: Set in an Australian suburb, Big Little Lies focuses on three women, all of whom have children at the same preschool. One is a great beauty married to a fabulously rich businessman; they have a “perfect” set of twins. One is the can-do mom who can put together a mean pre-school art project but can’t prevent her teenage daughter from preferring her divorced dad. The third is a withdrawn, single mother who doesn’t quite fit in. Right from the start--thanks to a modern “Greek chorus” that narrates the action--we know that someone is going to end up dead. The questions are who and how. Miraculously, Moriarty keeps this high concept plot aloft, largely because she infuses it with such wit and heart. She also knows not to overplay the message she’s sending: that we all tell lies--to each other and, more importantly, to ourselves. --Sara Nelson
And I'm about halfway through The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead by Paul Elwork
From Publishers Weekly:
Starred Review. Loosely based on true events from the early 20th century, Elwork's first novel poignantly depicts the desperate need of people to believe in life after death. In 1925, at her family's suburban Philadelphia estate, 13-year-old Emily Stewart discovers she can make a loud rapping noise with her ankle. With her sly twin brother, Michael, Emily entertains gullible schoolmates with "knockings" that spirits purportedly make to answer questions about the afterlife. When adults who have suffered the loss of loved ones start consulting her as a spirit medium, her efforts to give them consolation begin to seem increasingly like cruel deceptions. Interweaving Emily's experiences with those of several generations of family and friends devastated by tragic loss, Elwork paints an unforgettable portrait of individuals traumatized by death and unhinged by grief. The subtle and moving portrayal of people in the grip of powerful emotions that overwhelm rational thinking will haunt readers long after they put the book down. (Apr.)
I'm enjoying it so far- it's beautifully written.
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Post by smokeynspike on Jun 21, 2015 17:39:00 GMT
I am reading Wife in the Fast Lane by Karen Quinn.
Melissa
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jun 21, 2015 18:23:37 GMT
I read Epitaph (Russell). I think a few people here are reading this too. It's the story of the events leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone. The author makes clear it is a novel, but her historical research seems very sound to me. I had read Russell's book Doc and this is a nice companion read to that book. A very enjoyable read!
A Man Called Ove. This book has been translated from Swedish. It has everything I usually don't like in a novel: one dimensional characters and a predictable and sentimental plot, but I loved it. It's about a grouchy older man who can't get along with any of his neighbors and loves to follow and enforce rules. Of course, people and events happen to him which begin to change him (a little bit). It was such a sweet and feel good read. The author holds back certain secrets and allows little events from the main character's past to slowly develop the story.
Savage Harvest is a non fiction book about Michael Rockefeller and his disappearance in New Guinea in 1961. Rockefeller was there collecting primitive art. When his boat overturned, he attempted to swim to shore. Did he drown or did he make it to shore only to be killed by cannibals? Overall, it's a good read. There are times when I felt the author inserted himself too much into the story, but it was a fascinating read.
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Post by littlefish on Jun 22, 2015 0:07:56 GMT
Haven't finished anything in the last week but am getting close with two out of the three I have going. I do keep talking to people about the books I'm reading, does that count?  |
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
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Location: Dallas Texas
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Post by SabrinaP on Jun 22, 2015 0:10:05 GMT
I just finished The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah. I loved it. I've been reading through many of her books since finishing The Nightingale. I've loved all 3 of her books that I've read so far!
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by gottapeanow on Jun 22, 2015 0:21:37 GMT
I just finished At the Water's Edge by Sara Groen. I thought it was quite good, although I definitely liked Water for Elephants more. 4/5 stars.
So far, The Nightingale was my favorite book so far this year. I am "afraid" that none of her other books will come close to living up to it for me! So I haven't read anything else by her yet.
Lisa
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Post by annabella on Jun 22, 2015 0:42:45 GMT
Thanks for the link! I'm reading the book House of Hilton which explains the personalities of the Hilton and Richards sisters.
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jun 22, 2015 2:29:55 GMT
I read The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow. The story intertwines in three time periods. One is in 2008. A woman (Caroline) is helping her mother clean out the house and finds a quilt that her grandmother wanted her to have. Caroline tries to find out the history of and who the maker of the quilt is. The second is 1970. A sociology major is writing her Phd paper and is interviewing a woman called "Queenie" who spent from 1918 to 1950 in an asylum. The third is Maria who is an orphan that worked at Buckingham Palace from 1914 to 1918. Throw in a twist and a handsome man and you've got a good book. It was predictable and I figured out the twist but I liked this one and thought it would make a good movie.
I haven't finished my audio book yet, but it's The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows (of The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society). I was excited to get this since I loved GL&PPPS. It's good but the voice of the 12 year old girl grates on my ears. I may ditch the audio version (it's a library loan) and get on the list for the Kindle version.
I just started Gray Mountain by John Grisham. I'm on chapter four and so far it's good.
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Post by shannoots on Jun 22, 2015 2:30:22 GMT
I finished The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. Ugh, it was just okay. There were a lot of words and I expected more from it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Trying to find a new book to start now.
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jun 22, 2015 2:34:34 GMT
I finished The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. Ugh, it was just okay. There were a lot of words and I expected more from it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Trying to find a new book to start now. I agree with didn't love it / didn't hate it. It's my least favorite of her books. |
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
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Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Jun 22, 2015 3:04:58 GMT
I just finished The Sound of Glass on the peas recommendation and enjoyed it.
I just started Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews. I'm not very far into it but it's held my interest so far.
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Post by RobbyKay on Jun 22, 2015 3:19:31 GMT
Hi Reading Peas!
I finished Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. It was dark and twisty and I enjoyed it.
For book club, I read Hilary Davidson's The Damage is Done. It's a debut mystery novel, and it's a good one. I look forward to continuing with the series.
Happy reading!
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Post by nitad on Jun 22, 2015 3:36:48 GMT
Probably nothing that anyone here would like but I stumbled across a book at the library yesterday and I'm in love. It's called AThatched Roof" by (Mr.) Beverlley Nichols. First published in the 1930's. It's actually the 2nd in a trilogy but my library didn't have the 1st one. Great humour and I just love his writing already. It also has some beautiful line drawings in it. If any one likes P.G. Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde or the like you might give Mr Nicols a try.
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Jun 22, 2015 5:17:46 GMT
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Deleted
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May 19, 2024 4:02:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2015 5:24:46 GMT
Haven't finished anything in the last week but am getting close with two out of the three I have going. I do keep talking to people about the books I'm reading, does that count? I didn't finish one this week either. Probably because I'm reading 3 at once, LOL. We Are Called to Rise - only a few chapters in, lots of different stories going on so it's hard to connect with any one character You - sickeningly riveting! The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - about halfway through, very repetitive and with some strange stories of her lifetime of organizing and purging - but i'm hopeful for a big payoff. |
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Post by pjaye on Jun 22, 2015 6:18:15 GMT
A Man Called Ove. This book has been translated from Swedish. It has everything I usually don't like in a novel: one dimensional characters and a predictable and sentimental plot, but I loved it. It's about a grouchy older man who can't get along with any of his neighbors and loves to follow and enforce rules. Of course, people and events happen to him which begin to change him (a little bit). It was such a sweet and feel good read. The author holds back certain secrets and allows little events from the main character's past to slowly develop the story. I loved Ove! one of my 5 star reads/listens so far this year. The audio was great. The author Fredrik Backman has a new book out: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
I'll be buying this one soon I think - my 'to listen' list is getting longer and longer! |
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Post by pjaye on Jun 22, 2015 8:14:44 GMT
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Hayley is a 17yo who lives with her father who is a war veteran with PTSD and an alcoholic. They have been living on the road for several years and they return to their hometown and try to settle into a more normal life and so Hayley can finish school. This was a fairly average YA book. Nerdy girl holding the family together who meets the perfect boyfriend who understands and knows exactly how to help her. The ending was implausible at best. Just OK, 3 out of 5 stars.
The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian.
This was a tough read/listen, set in 1915 it tells the story of Elisabeth an American missionary who travels to Syria to help with the Armenian refugees and she meets and eventually falls in love with an Armenian man. This is a fictional story but based on very real events. I had no idea about the genocide of Armenians by the Turkish people of that time (mainly because they are still trying to deny it happened) They killed an estimated 1.5 million out of a total population of around two million. They killed most of the men outright and sent woman and children on death marches – walked them naked through the desert until they died from the heat and starvation.
As I said tough going to read about the details of what happened, but much like the Nazi/Holocaust novels I still feel it’s important to tell those stories, so that we never forget.
Well written, but graphic & heartbreaking as well. Hard to say I ‘enjoyed’ a book like this, but I am glad I now know more of what happened during that time.
Definitely worth reading to understand the history of what happened, but not a light read or a feel good book. 4 out of 5 stars
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, just about to finish this…although I wasn’t planning on reading another ‘horrors of war’ book quite so soon after the previous one. This has been on my ‘to read’ list for some time so I just jumped in without realizing the underlying subject of the book. Set in 1946 it’s told in a series of letters between a young author and the residents of the island of Guernsey (one of the Channel Islands located between England and France) which was occupied by the Germans during the war. As the letters are sent we learn the stories of the various island people and the effects that the war had on them. Much of it is again tragic and hard to read, however the main character Juliet brings a bit of levity to the book. A unique way of telling a story and I’ve really connected with the various characters, which makes it an enjoyable book even when the stories are often heartbreaking.
It’s going to be 5 out of 5 stars from me.
I also looked up the author, she was a librarian & an editor, who always dreamed of writing her own book, finally she did and then she was diagnosed with cancer and her niece Annie Barrows ended up finishing the book, sadly Shaffer died a few months before the book was published. How sad is that?
Next up will be the biography Not My Father's son by Alan Cumming
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wellway
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Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Jun 22, 2015 10:05:17 GMT
pjaye I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society too and I read Not My Father's son about a month ago - loved it. I saw the programme Who do you think your are when it was first broadcast so recalling the visuals while I was reading added to the book for me. Alan Cumming - a class act.
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wellway
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Post by wellway on Jun 22, 2015 10:08:52 GMT
Just finished book 10 in the Greek Village collection series - The Reluctant Baker by Sara Alexi. Have really enjoyed all the books in this collection which can be read as stand alone or in sequence. Would recommend.
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wellway
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Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Jun 22, 2015 10:21:09 GMT
tuesdaysgone and pjaye Thanks for the recommendation, have added A Man called Ove to my wish list. The author's second book sounds right up my street too. Love the sound of a paintball throwing granny. Unfortunately Amazon UK are not showing it as available in any formats. So I will just have to keep my eyes open for updates.
ETA - Found it! Amazon have it listed as My Grandmother sends her regards and apologises. Added to wish list too! |
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Post by pjaye on Jun 22, 2015 10:57:38 GMT
tuesdaysgone and pjaye Thanks for the recommendation, have added A Man called Ove to my wish list. The author's second book sounds right up my street too. Love the sound of a paintball throwing granny. Unfortunately Amazon UK are not showing it as available in any formats. So I will just have to keep my eyes open for updates.
ETA - Found it! Amazon have it listed as My Grandmother sends her regards and apologises. Added to wish list too! I hate it when they have the same book under two different names...makes it confusing when you are trying to search for a book. I copied it from Audible.com, so that's obviously the USA title. They did that with the AJ Fikry book recently too, one was "The Storied Life Of" and the other was "The Collected Works Of"
I haven't seen Cummings on WDYTYA yet, I knew I'd be listening to the book soon and I didn't want any spoilers about his father, but I'll definitely watch it once I've finished the book.
I also just bought Alan Cumming reading Macbeth. That was one of my main books in my final year of school, so I know it very well and I love Alan Cumming's voice. This is a new version re-written for audio by A. J. Hartley, David Hewson and read by Cummings. Audible link.
I got the whispersync deal so it was just under $10. Although I have so many books I don't know when I'll get to this.
I have this on my wish list as well and didn't even realise it was the same part author of 'Guernsey' until you mentioned it. Shame you didn't like the audio version Julia Whelan narrates the young girl and she's one of my favourite narrators. |
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Post by tara595 on Jun 22, 2015 12:13:06 GMT
I finished In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume and loved it, as I knew I would. It's a bit different than her others only because it's about the true story of 3 plane crashes that occurred in the a 2 month period in Elizabeth, NJ in the early fifties. It centers around the residents in Elizabeth, especially 15-year old Miri and her family and friends.
I loved it, highly recommended.
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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 22, 2015 12:30:20 GMT
I'm reading Sarah Pekkanen's Things You Won't Say. Here's the blurb from the book's website:
Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There’s been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn’t hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband’s insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting—but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.
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Post by Woobster on Jun 22, 2015 13:30:13 GMT
I started Gone With the Wind this week. I haven't read it since I was in junior high, and after the thread about Scarlett, I decided to give it a go.
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Post by lynnek on Jun 22, 2015 14:01:23 GMT
I finished one this week. I received Another Day by David Levithan from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was interested in the author's note at the beginning of the book, saying that his editor had three types of people read this book. One who had read every Day recently, one who had read Every Day a while ago and then one who had never read Every Day. And all three people felt that it was a book they could understand and enjoy. I am a part of that middle group. I read and enjoyed Every Day a while ago. Every Day is the story of A - a person who inhabits the body of a different person each day. Another Day is written from the perspecitve of Rhiannon, the girlfriend of a person A "lived in" for a day. While the summary sounds odd, the author pulls it off and make a very good read! This one is set to be released in August.
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Post by powderhorngreen on Jun 22, 2015 17:17:39 GMT
I LOVED A Man Called Ove!!!!!! I also agree that You is disturbingly good.
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay - It is fantasy story set in 8th century China. I started this book thinking it was a historical fiction set in this time period. Not exactly, and it is the fantasy part that made this one not a winner for me. It had great reviews, over 4 star average, and I wanted to love it . . . . I didn't. It was fine.
Finders Keepers by Stephen King - This one I did enjoy. I liked it as much as Mr. Mercedes, maybe better. I liked how the first book was woven into the second book. Also, just a hint of Misery's story line thrown in for fun. However, like Mr. Mercedes, the ending felt rushed and a bit formulaic. But you can count on me reading the third one.
The Good Girl by Mary Kubrica - This one has been discussed before and this was another one I wanted to really like. It started out strong and interesting, but by halfway through you figure out the twist and it is agonizing to just get to it.
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Post by birukitty on Jun 22, 2015 18:32:50 GMT
I read "The Loss of the S.S. Titanic-by One of it's Survivors"-Lawrence Beesley. First published in 1912, the author was a retired teacher from England when at 34 he boarded the Titanic to go for a holiday in the States. "He had been recently widowed and left his young son at home. His account of the epic disaster is widely known as one of the fairest and most comprehensive of it's kind." Quoted from the back cover.
I'm a huge Titanic buff. I first got interested when I read Walter Lord's classic "A Night to Remember" in the early 1980's. I've always wanted to read this book, and recently found it at my library. It was fascinating to read the experiences of someone who was actually on the Titanic and survived. He got on a lifeboat because it was almost full and no more ladies showed up to board the lifeboat. He says they were never told the extent of the damage, or that she was sinking, and everyone on board felt sure it wasn't going to sink. They'd started to lower the lifeboat when the officer told him he could get in it if he was willing to jump down into it. He did and that's how he survived.
He had some great observatioins for changes to ships afterwards to save more people and he was adamant about enough lifeboats onboard for every single person with space assigned for every person and a lifeboat drill very soon after they left port. He also wanted searchlights to be fitted to the masthead of the ships. River steamers had them, why couldn't ocean crossing ships? He also wanted 24 hour coverage of the wireless operators on each ship. Had that rule been in place the Californian, a ship which lay just a few miles away, could have saved every life on the Titanic-but her wireless operator had put down his headphones at midnight and turned off the machine. He had several more I won't go into.
After the official inquirers (In both the USA and England) they issued the rules for enough lifeboats for every person, and the 24 hour wireless coverage. I don't think the searchlights were put into effect which is too bad (although I'll have to research it) because that would have been a tremendous help.
Debbie in MD.
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mimima
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Post by mimima on Jun 22, 2015 18:45:47 GMT
I finished In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume and loved it, as I knew I would. It's a bit different than her others only because it's about the true story of 3 plane crashes that occurred in the a 2 month period in Elizabeth, NJ in the early fifties. It centers around the residents in Elizabeth, especially 15-year old Miri and her family and friends. I loved it, highly recommended. I also read, and loved, this one this week. There were a couple of plot points that didn't quite work, which kept it from being a five star read - but definitely a four star and one I'll recommend. I also read The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel. I actually didn't realize they had made a tv series, but I did watch it after I finished. Poorly written but an interesting story, I appreciated the history. I read a cozy mystery about a cat who can talk who solves a murder - I actually ordered it for a dear friend, but read it before giving to her. It's called Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, if you are interested. I finished up my "bit at at time" powder room read, The Unwritten Rules of Baseball by Paul Dickson. If you enjoy baseball, and I do, it was a fun read. |
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