The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,940 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Aug 10, 2015 0:26:41 GMT
Hello readers!
This week I finished three books.
The Adventures in English: The Biography of a Language: I downloaded this a few months ago when it was discounted on Book Bub. It sounds incredibly dry, but overall, I really got into it. I have read some similar books, Like Bill Bryson's book on American English, and this one still stood on its own. If you enjoy learning about the etymology of words along with a little history, you might like this one. 4/5 stars
Finding Jake:This one even had its own thread this week, so I know many have read it or are thinking about reading it. I liked it. I didn't LOVE it, like five stars, but I give it a solid 4/5. It was a very quick book, and I think every parent can empathize with the narrator. I just didn't think it was as developed as a few other books of similar content.
Whispers in Autumn: This was another Book Bub discounted book. It is the first in a YA dystopian series. It wasn't too bad, and I am contemplating reading the next. An alien race has taken over Earth and the remaining humans are under emotional control by the aliens, but of course, the protagonist is not, and she finds someone else like herself. I gave it 3/5. The writing isn't too shabby for something that has been done before. I would recommend it to teens.
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Post by templatequeen on Aug 10, 2015 0:38:08 GMT
I just finished Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison. Now I'm going to ready The husbands Secret. Several peas say it's a great read.
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Post by littlebee0408 on Aug 10, 2015 0:57:05 GMT
I read a few books this week, starting with the worst, and ending with the best, as it turns out.
First up were 2 books by Tatiana de Rosnay (Author of Sarah's key, which I loved). I disliked both of the books this week. The Paris Affair, was a collection of short excerpts centering around spouses cheating, from different perspectives. Yuck, not a subject I care to read about, I'm glad it was short. I finished it, but barely. 1 star. ( I have never given only one star to any book before)
Next was an older book of hers, The Other Story. I liked this one right up until the ending, which I hated. What was going to be 3 stars ended up being 2 stars. I just couldn't get over my hatred of the ending.
So glad that the next book I picked up was Hugo & Rose, by B. Foley. I loved it, couldn't put it down. It was a fantastic, original premise, and well-written story. 5 stars.
Then I finally read The Pearl that Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. I really liked this one. 4 stars
Lastly, I just finished Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It's from 2013, I don't know why I waited so long to read it. It was another page turner, I couldn't put it down. 5 stars.
Next up is a light beach read by Jane Green, Summer Secrets
Happy reading, everyone!
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Aug 10, 2015 1:11:46 GMT
I only had time for one this week. Fortunately, it was a great one.
Sweetland (Crummey) The novel is set on a small island off the coast of Newfoundland. The residents have been offered a cash settlement to move off the island; the only catch, 100% of the small population must agree with the government's settlement. One man will not move. The story centers around his life, memories of the island and his unbending commitment to his home. He is a complex, flawed character and at time even unlikeable, but you come to care for him as you see the world thru his perspective. It's powerfully written, with a touch of magic realism. It was an Amazon Best Book of the Month this year and will be on my own top 10 for the year. This is my second book by this author and I've very impressed by both novels.
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Post by kellybelly77 on Aug 10, 2015 1:17:47 GMT
This week I finished up White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke by Paul Clayton. I really enjoyed this book! While no one really knows what happened to the Lost Colony, the author uses one of the most probable theories to create the story.
It was such a random pick for me. I do enjoy books about history but they are normally historical biographies. This book was on sale in the nook library, I hadn't read much about this time previously so I picked it up. I am glad I did!
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Post by annabella on Aug 10, 2015 1:27:32 GMT
I just finished Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison. Now I'm going to ready The husbands Secret. Several peas say it's a great read. What did you think of the book and Holly? Right now I'm reading The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. |
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Post by littlebee0408 on Aug 10, 2015 1:28:36 GMT
I only had time for one this week. Fortunately, it was a great one. Sweetland (Crummey) The novel is set on a small island off the coast of Newfoundland. The residents have been offered a cash settlement to move off the island; the only catch, 100% of the small population must agree with the government's settlement. One man will not move. The story centers around his life, memories of the island and his unbending commitment to his home. He is a complex, flawed character and at time even unlikeable, but you come to care for him as you see the world thru his perspective. It's powerfully written, with a touch of magic realism. It was an Amazon Best Book of the Month this year and will be on my own top 10 for the year. This is my second book by this author and I've very impressed by both novels. Thank you for recommending this. I just put a hold on it at the library. Sounds like a great read! |
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lesley
Drama Llama
My best friend Turriff, desperately missed.
Posts: 7,193
Location: Scotland, Scotland, Scotland
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Post by lesley on Aug 10, 2015 1:30:13 GMT
I haven't posted on this thread in ages! I keep starting books, often really good books, and then just giving up. I need to stop playing Bejeweled and read more instead.
I read a really good thriller over the last couple of days. It's called Disclaimer by Renée Knight. I don't know if it's already been mentioned here, but it's the story of a woman with a secret, who one day starts reading a book and realises the book is about her. There were quite a few twists along the way, and I didn't see the ending coming at all. I would definitely recommend it, it was intelligent, gripping and so sad in places.
I also finally got around to reading Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies last week, and loved it. She is such a good writer, and I'm about to start another of her books shortly.
In the meantime, I have started a book I'm sure I've read before. It's called The Girl I Used To Be, and is about a woman who entered the Witness Protection Programme when she was six. I'll give it a few more chapters to be sure, but it is very, very familiar!
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Post by cindyupnorth on Aug 10, 2015 1:53:42 GMT
I'm reading "How to start a fire" by lisa lutz. It was recommended on here. So far it's been..ehhhh. She skips around a lot, and it's hard to follow due to this.
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Post by auntkelly on Aug 10, 2015 2:06:47 GMT
I went on a long road trip and listened to most of Without You, There is No Us by Suki Kim a nonfiction book about the author's experiences while teaching English to college aged male students in North Korea. Her first hand account of life in North Korea was fascinating and made me very sad for the people of North Korea.
I'm still reading Victoria, A Life by A.N. Wilson which is a biography of Queen Victoria.
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Post by sugarmama on Aug 10, 2015 2:32:34 GMT
I'm reading A FORT OF NINE TOWERS: AN AFGHAN FAMILY STORY by Qais Akbar Omar. I am finding it really interesting. This is an autobiography of Qais as he comes of age in war-torn Afghanistan.
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Post by kath323 on Aug 10, 2015 2:34:37 GMT
Just finished I Must Say by Martin Short, an audio recommendation from my aunt. It's narrated by Short and is filled with impressions, singing and emotional stories. I laughed out loud several times and teared up a bit too. I cannot recommend this enough. Admittedly, I was not a huge Martin Short fan, but I have gained an immense amount of respect for him.
Just downloaded Go Set a Watchman so that's next on the list.
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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 Aug 10, 2015 3:05:50 GMT
I finished WHEN THE MOON IS LOW by Nadia Hashimi (mentioned earlier in this thread for her first book). This is her new release about a family trying to escape Taliban rule. It was a good story, had beautiful writing, and was very informative. I enjoyed it a lot and I'll definitely read her first book (mentioned above).
Now I'm reading THE MIDNIGHT ROSE by Lucinda Riley. I'm a long time fan of hers (I read The Seven Sisters last month and discussed it here) and I'm enjoying this one so far. It goes back and forth between the palaces of India to present day London. Right now I'm enjoying both story lines, but I prefer the details about India because they're new to me.
Paige.
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Aug 10, 2015 3:09:31 GMT
I finished Crooked Little Lies which I enjoyed. I didn't love it but it did hold my interest.
I'm now reading The Summer of Good Intensions by Wendy Francis. It's a fluffy beach read and I'm enjoying it.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,768
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Post by gottapeanow on Aug 10, 2015 3:11:42 GMT
I finished Landline. It was decent, but I really wasn't that crazy about the fantasy aspect of it, even though I knew about it going in. 3/5 stars.
I am now reading Candlemoth by R.J. Ellory. If you like a great mystery, he is your man. This one is about a guy on death row days before his death as he recounts the murder of his best friend but the narrator, supposedly. Of course, there is more to the story. Much more. And a prison guard from the depths of hell. Or maybe even deeper.
Lisa
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bandjmom
Full Member
Posts: 197
Jun 25, 2014 23:28:19 GMT
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Post by bandjmom on Aug 10, 2015 3:19:29 GMT
Recently finished Go Set A Watchman which, overall, I enjoyed. Initially I was not going to read it, since it seems that Harper Lee may not have been able to truly agree to its publication, but curiosity got the best of me. Plus I work in a library so skipping the biggest book of the year seemed short-sighted. Portions of Watchman are extremely well written, particularly the flashbacks to Scout's younger years. I can see why HL's editor urged her to write about Scout as a child. The last portion of the book seemed rushed, a bit disjointed and really broke the flow for me. I'm not sorry I read it, but will always wonder if the author truly wanted her early, unpolished work shared with the world.
On a 2,100-mile, 2.5-day road trip with my son we listened to and thoroughly enjoyed The Martian. Disclaimer: we are a bit of a geeky family. DH is an engineer, oldest ds is an aerospace engineering major and even youngest ds and I, while not techies, are above average in our science/tech knowledge. This book started out in serial form on the author's blog and quickly garnered an enthusiastic following, was subsequently published, and a movie version starring Matt Damon will be released this fall. The story has been described as Apollo 13 meets Castaway. The main character is stranded on Mars and struggles to stay alive while NASA tries to come up with a rescue plan. There is a lot of scientific description of the astronaut's survival techniques but the characters are interesting and believable ( with the exception of one secondary character), the science is extensively researched, and the suspense is dramatic. The audio book is very well done and this may be a book that is better listened to than read, depending on your interest in/ familiarity with science.
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Post by smokeynspike on Aug 10, 2015 3:29:18 GMT
I am currently reading Scan by Walter Jury and Sarah Fine. It is YA science fiction. Pretty good so far at a third of the way into the story.
Melissa
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Post by Neisey on Aug 10, 2015 3:30:07 GMT
I know very little about science and absolutely loved the Martian. It was so intense and suspenseful, you didn't need to understand the methodology or the equations, you just went along with it. I enjoyed the sarcastic wit of the main character. I started late yesterday afternoon, read again in bed until 2 am and was up at 7 again for the final 60 pages. Enjoyed every minute of it...even the minutes when I didn't breathe!
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bandjmom
Full Member
Posts: 197
Jun 25, 2014 23:28:19 GMT
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Post by bandjmom on Aug 10, 2015 3:46:09 GMT
I know very little about science and absolutely loved the Martian. It was so intense and suspenseful, you didn't need to understand the methodology or the equations, you just went along with it. I enjoyed the sarcastic wit of the main character. I started late yesterday afternoon, read again in bed until 2 am and was up at 7 again for the final 60 pages. Enjoyed every minute of it...even the minutes when I didn't breathe! LOL, we pulled into the garage at the end of 2.5 days of driving with about 20 minutes left of the audiobook! If our other family members weren't literally waiting for us at the door, we would have sat there and listened to the end! As soon as they went to bed we popped the last disc in, held our breath and finished the story. We loved Watney's snarkiness, and ds was thrilled that the science is so accurate. |
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Post by littlebee0408 on Aug 10, 2015 3:51:07 GMT
I finished WHEN THE MOON IS LOW by Nadia Hashimi (mentioned earlier in this thread for her first book). This is her new release about a family trying to escape Taliban rule. It was a good story, had beautiful writing, and was very informative. I enjoyed it a lot and I'll definitely read her first book (mentioned above). Paige, Thanks for recommending her newest book. I will have to check it out, and I hope you love her previous book as much as I did. |
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Post by chrissypie on Aug 10, 2015 10:41:14 GMT
After loving The Nightingale, I wanted to read another Kristin Hannah, as Nightingale had been my first. So I picked up the only one my library had - Firefly Lane, and I've got to say, I'm disappointed! I'm only up to "the college years", but it's just so... vapid. I just can't see the point yet. I'll probably plod along until something better comes along!
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Post by maryland on Aug 10, 2015 11:00:54 GMT
I am at the beach for 2 weeks so I am getting lots of reading done! I love to sit out at the beach under the umbrella and read all day (while going for walks and people watching). I read The Beach Quilt and liked it. Also read The Matchmaker, also pretty good. REading The Girls of August and am liking reading about women at the beach.
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Deleted
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Jun 16, 2024 8:26:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 11:24:04 GMT
I finished Tampa by Alissa Nutting it's a hard one to admit I enjoyed but I did. The writing is well done even though the subject matter is tricky, the only let down was the ending. I felt there should have been more of a comeuppance for the narrator and there wasn't.
I also read The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn and The Good Neighbour by A J Banner I found both a little disappointing.
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Post by pjaye on Aug 10, 2015 11:59:14 GMT
I was in the mood for a bit of a creepy listen this week, but none of the books have quite hit the mark.
Last week I had just started Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck, set in Swedish Lapland in 1717 about a family who move there to start a new life, one of the first things that happens is their daughter finds the mutilated body of one of their neighbours. It started off promisingly with some elements of the supernatural, but then the author didn’t fully commit to that and ended with a more logical explanation. I thought the story was confusing at times and a bi hard to follow.
3 stars as it kept me interested but wasn’t great.
Next was The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb. Again, a promising start, mega rich family, giant mansion, some dead relatives and lots of family secrets. This author also had mainly logical explanations for all of the events and then randomly throws in a big supernatural/creepy element that I didn’t think fitted in with the rest of the story at all. I got bored with this 2 out of 5.
Then I went with a book I bought on sale some time ago and I recently read a list of the “Top creepiest books of all time” that was linked on another thread and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, was on there. So I was sure I was on a winner this time…Gah, it was awful. I didn’t realise until the end that it was first published in the 1950s. The writing was the worst part and they obviously weren’t big on editors back then because the word “little” is literally used hundreds of times throughout the book. In theory it is about a group of people that gather at a supposedly haunted house to collect data about the ‘manifestations’, instead it just becomes clear that one of them is just mentally ill.
Really simple and repetitive writing used to describe inane one dimensional characters. Not recommended at all.
Finally I am just about to finish Bone Machines by John Dodds. Set in Scotland and about a serial killer who is also an artist and uses the bones of his victims in his art. The main story is OK, but there are subplots involving corrupt politicians and a hostage situation that are introduced but never go anywhere and are left to fizzle out. The serial killer isn’t very believable and the police and investigative reporters aren’t particularly competent either.
Another ‘just OK’ book & 2 stars from me.
The positive side is that the last 3 books were brought on sale at Audible quite some time ago and even though I didn't like them much I can feel good that I finally listened to them!
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,644
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Aug 10, 2015 13:52:58 GMT
I finished A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. This might be the most depressing book I have ever read (and I am no stranger to depressing books). Certainly the most depressing outside of war/genocide books. Despite that, I still gave it 4/5 stars.
I needed a quick read after that and picked up Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. 4/5 stars. I was pulled back to King with 11/22/63 (which I loved) and I think he is a great storyteller and does suspense like nobody's business. I will read Finders Keepers as soon as it is available at the library.
Last, I read Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans. 4/5 stars. I think this is the most lighthearted you can get for a book set in England during WWII. About a boy evacuated to the countryside during the Blitz and the woman who takes him in. Not very deep, but still an enjoyable read.
Now I'm reading The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley.
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Post by kckckc on Aug 10, 2015 15:12:39 GMT
I finished three books this week.
White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway. The story of two American girls growing up in Hong Kong, while their father is working as a photographer in Vietnam during the war. I didn't like this one much and would not recommend.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. This one has been compared to Gone Girl - in my opinion it didn't even come close. The main character was so unlikeable that I didn't really care about all the bad things that happened to her. I don't think the plot was intriguing enough to carry off the cast of unlikeable characters. I was bored before I finished it - luckily it was a quick read. I would not recommend this one.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. All of the Go Set a Watchman talk had me wanting to reread this one. The last time I read it was 30-35 years ago! Excellent, excellent book.
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Post by mom2luke on Aug 10, 2015 16:48:01 GMT
Last week I read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. It is the story of two troubled teens that find comfort in one another. One is grieving and the other is bipolar. It is a sad story and has been compared to A Fault in the Stars. I don't want to give too much away. I enjoyed it and gave it three out of five stars. But now that I look back it is probably more deserving of four stars.
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Post by tampascrapper on Aug 10, 2015 22:02:39 GMT
I only had time for one this week. Fortunately, it was a great one. Sweetland (Crummey) The novel is set on a small island off the coast of Newfoundland. The residents have been offered a cash settlement to move off the island; the only catch, 100% of the small population must agree with the government's settlement. One man will not move. The story centers around his life, memories of the island and his unbending commitment to his home. He is a complex, flawed character and at time even unlikeable, but you come to care for him as you see the world thru his perspective. It's powerfully written, with a touch of magic realism. It was an Amazon Best Book of the Month this year and will be on my own top 10 for the year. This is my second book by this author and I've very impressed by both novels. Thank you for recommending this. I just put a hold on it at the library. Sounds like a great read! I tried but my library doesn't have it  |
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Aug 10, 2015 22:09:15 GMT
I'm still reading the Cherstomanci series by Dianna Wynne Jones. It's okay, not fabulous but enough to keep my interest.
I am also still reading fan fics. They are fabulous!
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,301
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 10, 2015 22:21:18 GMT
I needed a quick read after that and picked up Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. 4/5 stars. I was pulled back to King with 11/22/63 (which I loved) and I think he is a great storyteller and does suspense like nobody's business. I will read Finders Keepers as soon as it is available at the library I loved Mr Mercedes. To me it wasn't so much scary (like his first books) but creepy. I listened to the audio version. I have Finders Keepers downloaded, DH and I are going on a road trip this fall and I'm saving it for that. |
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