The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jul 27, 2015 0:36:18 GMT
It looks like we are having a lot of book threads in the last couple of days, so this thread might be a little quiet this week.
I finished two books this week.
Life After Life: this one has been talked about a lot on this board. I finally got around to it and readily enjoyed it. 4.5/5
Bone Gap: I find this book really hard to sum up. It is considered young adult, but I think a lot of young adults would feel confused reading it. Two brothers live in Bone Gap and are grieving the loss/disappearance of a young woman who was living with them. If you like mystical realism, a mystery and unusual/creepy at times plots, I would give this one a try. 4.5/5.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Jul 27, 2015 0:50:54 GMT
I am reading
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows. One of the same authors of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I am really liking it so far. Not done with it though.
"Annie Barrows once again evokes the charm and eccentricity of a small town filled with extraordinary characters. Her new novel, The Truth According to Us, brings to life an inquisitive young girl, her beloved aunt, and the alluring visitor who changes the course of their destiny forever.
In the summer of 1938, Layla Beck’s father, a United States senator, cuts off her allowance and demands that she find employment on the Federal Writers’ Project, a New Deal jobs program. Within days, Layla finds herself far from her accustomed social whirl, assigned to cover the history of the remote mill town of Macedonia, West Virginia, and destined, in her opinion, to go completely mad with boredom. But once she secures a room in the home of the unconventional Romeyn family, she is drawn into their complex world and soon discovers that the truth of the town is entangled in the thorny past of the Romeyn dynasty.
At the Romeyn house, twelve-year-old Willa is desperate to learn everything in her quest to acquire her favorite virtues of ferocity and devotion—a search that leads her into a thicket of mysteries, including the questionable business that occupies her charismatic father and the reason her adored aunt Jottie remains unmarried. Layla’s arrival strikes a match to the family veneer, bringing to light buried secrets that will tell a new tale about the Romeyns. As Willa peels back the layers of her family’s past, and Layla delves deeper into town legend, everyone involved is transformed—and their personal histories completely rewritten.
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Post by auntkelly on Jul 27, 2015 1:21:24 GMT
I just started A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. So far, the story hasn't drawn me in, but I'm going to stick with it, because I've read so many great reviews of this book.
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Post by annabella on Jul 27, 2015 1:25:21 GMT
I had a good reading week and finished two books that I really enjoyed!
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
Down the Rabbit Hole - Holly Madison I used to watch Girls Next Door and never liked Holly, but in this book I got to understand her more. I've read two other books on the Playboy mansion that tell the same story so I do believe what she says in her book. Kendra blasted the book saying it was all lies, but the past couple years Kendra has made a fool of herself on reality TV and lying about the whole Hank scandal so I have no reason to believe Kendra. Kendra is just bitter because she was cast in a negative light in the book and based on what I know of her, I believe every word of it.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Jul 27, 2015 1:31:21 GMT
I am still working my way through The Bone Tree. We will be on vacation from tomorrow until Thursday evening. I hope to get in some extra reading time!
True confession: Are you ready?
I play Candy Crush for at least 30 minutes each day. If I quit or only played for the few minutes that I watch TV each night, I would have more reading time. Brilliant idea!
Lisa
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
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Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jul 27, 2015 1:32:23 GMT
I'm in a reading slump. Almost everything I pick up is bad.
I got 6 hours in to a 9.5 hour audio book and just couldn't take it anymore. It was Falling For June by Ryan Winfield. The story was so boring and the writing not good. And to top it off it was read by the author (which I usually enjoy), but with the same tone for all characters. I don't know how it got all those 4 and 5 stars on Good Reads.
On Kindle I'm reading A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava. It's the 5th in the Maggie O'Dell series. So far so good. I should finish in the next day or so.
Next up on audio will be The Mask by Taylor Stevens. I love the Vanessa Michael Munroe series. Looking forward to my commute this week.
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Post by hmp on Jul 27, 2015 1:48:52 GMT
I read Monuments Men last week while on vacation. I've started re-reading it because I feel like I missed a lot of detail. Also find myself looking up the art and architecture this time around. Does anyone else do this? I read Saving Italy first. Wish I had started with this instead. Have to say I'm feeling painfully inadequate in my knowledge of WWII. Can anyone recommend a good general book about this war?
Annabella, I read Life in Motion a few weeks ago. Misty Copeland is one of my favorite dancers.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Jul 27, 2015 2:09:07 GMT
I read The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. It was okay. An acquaintance when she discovered my love of Outlander gushed about this author and particularly this book. Fell short of my hopes for this book.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
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Post by Mystie on Jul 27, 2015 2:10:23 GMT
I finished a book called The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things. Been working on it for a couple of months, just reading a bit at a time, and it was really enjoyable. The author selected artifacts from Austen's life and used them as a basis for explaining more about her. I picked up a book about the Brontes a few weeks ago that does the same kind of thing, so I'm wondering if this is a trend now in biographies.
And I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which was a fast and fun read. Some readers don't enjoy the author's whimsical take on things, but I thought it was charming. It really seemed to me to fit in with the Buddhist idea of mindfulness. I've been feeling like my house is slipping out of my control, clutter-wise and also cleaning-wise, and I felt more able to deal with it after reading this book. The author made me feel like I could take control back easily.
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Jul 27, 2015 2:17:19 GMT
Last week, I finished The Time Between by Karen White. Over all it was enjoyable.
Next was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Normally, I find her books to be a bit syrupy sweet and can only take them in small doses. But, good for a fluff read. This book is not like that. I look forward to her next book and hope it is of this caliber. Highly recommend!
Now, I am reading The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. Not sure I will continue at this time. I enjoyed The Namesake tremendously. But, this one is slow to start. I have 3 weeks of free reading left, before classes start. I want to make the most of it and this is going to slow me down. It also might be my mood and this one just isn't suiting my feelings at this time.
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Post by RobbyKay on Jul 27, 2015 2:19:21 GMT
Hi Readers,
I finished Julia Pierpont's Among the Ten Thousand Things. It started off well, then jumped into the future to summarize the story, then went back to fill in more details. I wanted to enjoy the peek into the future, and think of it as a modern, youthful way of storytelling, but it fell flat for me. Read at your own risk.
On the recommendation of one of my book club buddies, I picked up Andrew Meredith's The Removers. It's a memoir of a young man who takes a job picking up dead bodies for a local mortuary. I was expecting a "here's a funny story about the death business," treatment, but it was more like the work served as a metaphor for the emotional death he was working his way through, while the city he called home went through it's own death. It was short, but poignant.
Happy Reading!
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Jul 27, 2015 2:19:31 GMT
Life After Life: this one has been talked about a lot on this board. I finally got around to it and readily enjoyed it. 4.5/5 I have this one in my to-read pile. Maybe I should pull it out. |
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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 Jul 27, 2015 2:27:07 GMT
I read Night Night, Sleep Tight by Hallie Ephron. The book takes place in 1980's Beverly Hills and is about a woman who returns to her childhood home there and finds her screenwriter father dead in his pool. I whipped right through it, but wished it had reached a more exciting crescendo. The time and place of the story had so many great possibilities, especially the part of the story that borrowed a bit from the real life murder of Lana Turner's mobster boyfriend by her young daughter.
I'm now reading Elin Hilderbrand's The Castaways.
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Post by sugarmama on Jul 27, 2015 2:49:20 GMT
Auntkelly, I am listening to A MAN CALLED OVE. I just started, so I feel the same as you right now, but one of my friends loved it, so I am hoping it gets better.
Also just finished AT THE WATER'S EDGE by Sara Gruen. I liked this one--a quirky story set in Scotland during WWII.
I also listened to MISSOULA by Jon Krakauer. This one seemed so graphic and repetitive, mainly due to the recounting of testimony. I thought the book was well-researched, but after awhile, I was so weary of the subject matter. Still, it's a powerful look at acquaintance rape and how difficult it can be to prosecute--especially among the "athletic culture" that exists on some college campuses.
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Post by Butterfly Momma on Jul 27, 2015 3:04:48 GMT
This week I finally got around to reading Gray Mountain by John Grisham. It has been on my pile since November. It was okay but I did not feel that it was of the same quality as his books usually are.
I started, and finished, The Girl on the Train today. I almost didn't buy it because of the negative reviews but I'm glad I ran out last night and bought it.
Next up on my pile are:
* All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
* American Sniper by Chris Kyle
* Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
* In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
I think I'm going to read the Judy Blume one next ....
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Post by DinCA on Jul 27, 2015 8:44:28 GMT
It looks like we are having a lot of book threads in the last couple of days, so this thread might be a little quiet this week. I finished two books this week. Life After Life: this one has been talked about a lot on this board. I finally got around to it and readily enjoyed it. 4.5/5 Bone Gap: I find this book really hard to sum up. It is considered young adult, but I think a lot of young adults would feel confused reading it. Two brothers live in Bone Gap and are grieving the loss/disappearance of a young woman who was living with them. If you like mystical realism, a mystery and unusual/creepy at times plots, I would give this one a try. 4.5/5. I love the book threads! Thank you for starting this one each week! |
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jul 27, 2015 10:57:49 GMT
I was able to read 2 (1/2) this week.
The Last Flight of Poxl West This was recently one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month. It's the memoir of a Czech Jewish boy who escapes just ahead of the Germans and goes on to be a pilot with the RAF. His chapters in the book are very interesting. The balance of the book is the perspective of his young great nephew who is reading the memoir many years later and trying to come to terms with his uncle's heroism. I didn't care for the voice/tone of the nephew but I see why it's important in moving the plot forward. The writing is wonderful but I could only give it 3/5.
The Spinning Heartis set in Ireland following the financial collapse. Over 22 chapters, twenty-two different people from the village talk about how they are faring. Within these different accounts an important character and sub plot begin to emerge. It is a bit confusing before you begin to identify how the characters relate to one another and you see the subplots beginning to develop. Overall, I did enjoy it. Using multiple perspectives is a plot device I've read a lot of late and this author does it well.
I'm about to finish up The Buried Giant. This book defies category but I'd have to say historical fairy tale fiction. The central characters are an elderly Briton couple trying to go visit their son. It's a dangerous journey and along the way they encounter a knight and a young boy (as well as others). Each character suffers from memory lost, as if a spell has been cast on the land. I'm loving it and will finish is up today. This book is by the same author (Ishiguro) who wrote Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, but it's a big departure from those titles.
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Jul 27, 2015 12:46:35 GMT
Yesterday I finished The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon. It is written in first person, but by an uneducated first person so it took me a little bit to get into it. Once I got past the writing style, I did get into more. It was a very quick read. Here is a brief summary --
I also finished The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian. I liked the story overall, but again, the writing style threw me off at times. He would switch narrators in the middle of a chapter, so it took a bit to realize this.
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cjp
Shy Member
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Post by cjp on Jul 27, 2015 13:42:11 GMT
I had a hard time getting into [bA Man Called Ove[/b]too! I've put it down for awhile. I might try again in. The fall.
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Post by lonr on Jul 27, 2015 13:58:51 GMT
I'm in a little bit of a nonfiction phase. I am reading "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". I agree, talking to your things and acting like they have feelings is a little odd! I can't wait to have a clutter free house though! And I am reading "6 Ways To Keep the Little in Your Girl" by Dannah Gresh. It has a strong Christian angle. Its about teaching your daughter through her tween years. Yep! I'm preparing for the sex talk! I've ordered 2 similar books for boys. I'm more clueless when it comes to that talk! The hubs will be doing it, I need to be prepared too! Part of my parenting book binge included 'Dad Is Fat' by Jim Gaffigan, which I read first of course.  It was funny! And Itotally relate. I also have 5 kids under the age of, well 11 now. |
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Deleted
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May 19, 2024 3:43:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 14:09:47 GMT
I read Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama. It was just ok, it was one of those stories that just meander along with not much happening, the ending was disappointing as there was no climax it just wrapped up and was done. I was left feeling a bit let down by the whole thing.
I'm now on to Tampa by Alissa Nutting. It's a strange one to say anything about because of the subject matter but I think I'm going to enjoy it.
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Post by lynnek on Jul 27, 2015 14:59:39 GMT
I am still working my way through The Bone Tree. We will be on vacation from tomorrow until Thursday evening. I hope to get in some extra reading time! True confession: Are you ready? I play Candy Crush for at least 30 minutes each day. If I quit or only played for the few minutes that I watch TV each night, I would have more reading time. Brilliant idea! Lisa I usually set a goal of 60 on Goodreads. The last few years I have read 57 books and that is exactly what my husband told me - Candy Crush took those last three books from you! LOL! So I feel your pain! |
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Jul 27, 2015 15:06:33 GMT
lynnek, last year, I read 100 books, but this year, I am very behind on my reading goal. I can't blame it all on CC as other life issues, not all of them unwanted, have cut into my reading time.  Even so, cutting down would make a difference. Lisa
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Post by kckckc on Jul 27, 2015 15:12:04 GMT
I finished The Bone Tree by Greg Iles this week. It is the second book of the trilogy that started with Natchez Burning. It's a long book (over 800 pages) and a couple of hundred pages in, I thought it was really bogging down. I stuck with it and it really picked up - I spent a couple of late nights reading past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down.
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Post by lynnek on Jul 27, 2015 15:13:23 GMT
I finished two last week. First was an ARC of Vanessa Diffenbaugh's second book called We Never Asked For Wings. Her first book was Language of Flowers and I enjoyed that one so much that when I saw her second available as an ARC I was sure to request it. And this one did not disappoint either!She has a way of writing about the underdog that has you rooting for them and wanting for things in their lives to work out. This is about a woman who has depended on her mother for really everything - including raising her children - for way too long. When her mother leaves and returns to Mexico, the woman is left to try to figure how to raise her kids and be the mother she should have all along. Be sure to read the afterword - good insight into an author's writing process!
Next was Finding Jake by Brian Reardon. It had been on my to read list since before it was out and I even had checked it out from the library but it was returned unread. Then there was a thread about it here a few weeks ago so I got back on the hold list and read it. So glad I did! In this day that unfortunately, school shootings are not that uncommon, I found this to be a very interesting read. And it was written from a very interesting point of view - the family of one of the children possibly involved. A heart wrenching place to be in. I so identified with the father in general. As parents we are always questioning if we did this or that the way we should and what long lasting effects something will have on our kiddos. I would definitely recommend this one.
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Post by kckckc on Jul 27, 2015 15:14:25 GMT
Next was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Normally, I find her books to be a bit syrupy sweet and can only take them in small doses. But, good for a fluff read. This book is not like that. I look forward to her next book and hope it is of this caliber. Highly recommend! Even though this has been highly recommended here many times I have been avoiding it. I have read a couple of other books by Hannah and found them to be predictable and very sappy. You may have convinced me to try it  |
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Post by lynnek on Jul 27, 2015 15:15:49 GMT
lynnek, last year, I read 100 books, but this year, I am very behind on my reading goal. I can't blame it all on CC as other life issues, not all of them unwanted, have cut into my reading time. Even so, cutting down would make a difference. Lisa What is your Goodreads name? I am Lynnek there too. I am friends with several people from here but when the names are different I sometimes don't match them up very well. LOL! |
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Post by scrappersue on Jul 27, 2015 15:18:49 GMT
I have read The life changing magic of tidying up and I am in the process of "tidying up". I have to say it really is a life changing book for me. Highly recommend it if you are in that place in your life where you want to take back your house.
I am reading The Tiger's wife and enjoying it. Started it on vacation a few weeks ago and need to finish it up.
But I ordered Paper Towns last week on Amazon and then realized I could download it now for .99 so I downloaded it and read it all this weekend. I really enjoyed it and wanted to read it before I saw the movie.
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Post by pjaye on Jul 27, 2015 15:21:28 GMT
I started the week listening to Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein. This is the Ophelia from Hamlet and it focuses on her side of the story. I found it interesting as I haven’t read the full Hamlet…just gleaned the basics of the story over time. Her character in the book is given a different ending to Shakespeare’s play but I thought it was plausible. It got a little too focused on religion for a section of the book and I thought that part got a little boring. Over all a good story and I gave it 3 stars. I also now have to audio version of Hamlet on hold at the library…probably about time I read the whole thing.
Next up were my first ever Kristin Hannah books…Firefly Lane and the sequel Fly Away. The story of two girls who meet and become best friends, one has a mostly absent alcoholic/drug addict mother and the other is a 'nice’ girl from a nice family who is an outsider at school. The first book is mostly the story of the ups and downs of their friendship over the years…one becomes famous and one is a SAHM. The second book looks at the lives of the other members of the family…esp the dug addict mother. Definitely chick lit and shades of “Beaches” but enjoyable. I painted the bathroom for a few days this week and these were the perfect books to listen to, not too many characters and an easy to follow story line.
I gave them both 3 out of 5 stars…nothing great that will blow you away but still an engaging story to read/listen to.
Haven’t decided what next yet, I’ve bought a few newish releases recently (Wolf Winter, The Little Paris Bookshop & The Other Daughter) so might venture in to one of those, I’ll see what I'm in the mood for tomorrow.
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Post by littlefish on Jul 27, 2015 15:33:17 GMT
I recently returned from a two week vacation. Since half of it was spent on a road trip I didn't finish as much as I wanted to, but I did finish two books.
Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness by J.C. Herz--I really enjoyed learning more about the history/philosophies of CrossFit, having been involved in it myself for over 3 years.
I also finished Anchored by one-time Pea Kayla Aimee. I remember following her story on the old board when Scarlette was born, and I've followed her blog for years. She did an amazing job telling the brutiful story of Scarlette's birth and the time in the NICU after. I read most of it on the airplane and found myself alternating between trying not to ugly cry, followed immediately by trying not to snort while I laughed.
I was able to visit Powell's Bookstore in Portland while I was gone. HAVE MERCY. I could've spent 3 days in the children's section alone, looking through books for my DD and books for my classroom. Someday I want to go back and just spend an entire day browsing the shelves.
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It was funny! And Itotally relate. I also have 5 kids under the age of, well 11 now.
Even so, cutting down would make a difference. 
