The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,930 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Sept 13, 2015 20:47:20 GMT
I only read one book this week, but it was a good one!
I read Rising Strong. This is the follow-up to the book, Daring Greatly; however, you do not have to read the later to enjoy this book. It is a research based self-help book full of personal anecdotes and stories---most are good, but a couple were a little lame.
I gave it a 4.5 out of five. I am a pretty tough sell on these types of books, but this one was interesting, entertaining and helpful. As a teacher, I make mistakes and have things not work out the way I want---- all the time. I have to stop some of the negative dialogue in my head and start moving past the mistakes and failures and just keep going. I think this book will help with that.
What did you read this week?
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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 Sept 13, 2015 21:11:16 GMT
I'm reading The Misremembered Man.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Sept 13, 2015 21:10:59 GMT
I only read one book this week, but it was a good one! I read Rising Strong. This is the follow-up to the book, Daring Greatly; however, you do not have to read the later to enjoy this book. It is a research based self-help book full of personal anecdotes and stories---most are good, but a couple were a little lame. I gave it a 4.5 out of five. I am a pretty tough sell on these types of books, but this one was interesting, entertaining and helpful. As a teacher, I make mistakes and have things not work out the way I want---- all the time. I have to stop some of the negative dialogue in my head and start moving past the mistakes and failures and just keep going. I think this book will help with that. What did you read this week? I literally just saw this book yesterday while browsing some "real" books at Target. I have a few credits with audible so I put it in my cart. With your recommendation I'm going to get that. Sounds very worthwhile. I finished a good one this week as well-Everything I Never Told You. Another Pea also posted about it last week. It was such a good story- not in the happy type of way, but in the well told, made you think kind of way. The story is about a mixed race daughter who dies right at the start of the story and goes back and explores the lives of the parents and relationships of the siblings. It takes place in the 70's. It really made me reflect about how the unfulfilled lives of parents and their own inadequacies shape the way they parent their kids. In this case the mother was unable to achieve her academic and career dreams due to societal norms of the time. And a father, who is Chinese, and always feeling like an outsider. Would definitely recommend. |
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Post by kellybelly77 on Sept 13, 2015 21:12:49 GMT
I was originally supposed to read The Longest Ride so I could watch the movie but that didn't happen!!
Instead, I read A Man Called Ove. Oh, the book was so lovely. I really really enjoyed this one.
I also read Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. Which is based on the Twitter account of the same name. A middle age man moves back in with his parents after a breakup. His 72 yo dad is very blunt and says a lot of funny stuff so his friends urged him to just start writing it down. There are a lot of cuss words in this one! It was entertaining but sort of a mind numbing easy read.
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Post by irisheyes on Sept 13, 2015 21:21:50 GMT
I was originally supposed to read The Longest Ride so I could watch the movie but that didn't happen!! Instead, I read A Man Called Ove. Oh, the book was so lovely. I really really enjoyed this one. I also read Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. Which is based on the Twitter account of the same name. A middle age man moves back in with his parents after a breakup. His 72 yo dad is very blunt and says a lot of funny stuff so his friends urged him to just start writing it down. There are a lot of cuss words in this one! It was entertaining but sort of a mind numbing easy read. I loved A Man Called Ove. I just loaned it to my mom, but I plan on re-reading it when she is done. Building Lifelong Readers |
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Post by tampascrapper on Sept 13, 2015 22:15:23 GMT
I read A Man Called Ove a few weeks ago and loved it!
This week I read Disclaimer. A women starts reading a book and realizes it's about her and something in her past. I really enjoyed this one as well.
I finished Child of God by Cormac McCarthy. I was not a fan of this book at all. Some truly disturbing parts and really no point to the story. Unless I am missing something. Anyone else read this book and enjoy it?
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Post by GamGam on Sept 13, 2015 22:34:47 GMT
I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Honestly, if I had know how this book was going to end, I would not have read it. Really disliked the ending. OK read until the end. Do you get my drift?  I needed a break from WWII genre, so I have started Airframe by Michael Crichton. So far, so good. A midair mishap is investigated by the manufacture of the plane. Reads like a mystery. Hope I like the ending.  |
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Post by annabella on Sept 13, 2015 22:42:34 GMT
I just finished Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little which was a mystery thriller that I really enjoyed! That's the new genre of books I'm reading.
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Post by brina on Sept 13, 2015 23:43:57 GMT
I am just about done with Just Kids by Patti Smith about her early days in NY getting established as an artist and her relationship with the photographer Robert Maplethorpe. Very interesting and refreshing after reading The Emperor of All Maladies. It also made me think a lot about how much NY City has changed and gentrified - which I find kind of sad.
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Post by sues on Sept 13, 2015 23:56:04 GMT
I'm reading The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory. I didn't realize it was book 6 of The Cousins' War series when I started reading it. By the time I did, I was too far gone. (I've only read the first one or two.) I'm relly enjoying it. It's the Henry VIII/Katherine/Anne, etc. story, from Margaret Pole's perspective. It could have been tightened up a bit after the halfway point - but it's a good read.
I finished A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. It was pretty good- but the ending was so abrupt I was sure I missed something. It was like someone told her "Alight already- wrap this up!" and stood there tapping their toes while she typed.
My husband just finished The Martian by Andy Weir and highly recommended it- so I may give that a try next.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Sept 14, 2015 1:19:39 GMT
Another A Man Called Ove fan here too!
Asking Pjaye, but other Audible audio listeners as well-
Any of the 200 sale books make it into your shopping cart?
I noticed A God In Ruins is on the list (I already own this). Attachments by Rainbiw Rowell is also on sale. That was one of my favorite audiobooks.
So far, I've added I'll Give You the Sun, the Secret Keeper, and Uganda Be Kidding Me. Thinking of a few others as well.
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Post by leannec on Sept 14, 2015 1:19:49 GMT
I finished The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell for my Book Club ... it is about a woman who is a hoarder and the emotional toll it takes on her children when they are young and when they are adults ... I enjoyed it  Now I'm reading the new J.R. Ward title called The Bourbon Kings ... it's fluff that I just wish was another installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood instead  |
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Post by RobbyKay on Sept 14, 2015 1:29:05 GMT
Hi Reader Peas!
I've been absent from this thread for a few weeks, so here's my list:
I read Christopher Moore's newest title, Secondhand Souls. It's a continuation of his previous novel, It's a Dirty Job. it was an enjoyable read, but had a few weird parts that made me go, "huh?"
I read Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me. It's a middle grade book, but had a twist that made my breath catch. It's a good, quick read.
Ivan Doig's final title was published last week. Last Bus to Wisdom is a story about a 11 year old boy who is shipped off to stay with relatives when his grandmother has to have surgery over the summer. I'm about a third of the way through, and it's a kick. The misadventures of a boy traveling alone cross country are charming - it's set in 1951, so it's not so scary, and I'm enjoying all of the characters he runs into.
Happy Reading!
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Post by pjaye on Sept 14, 2015 2:50:38 GMT
Another A Man Called Ove fan here too! Asking Pjaye, but other Audible audio listeners as well- Any of the 200 sale books make it into your shopping cart? I noticed A God In Ruins is on the list (I already own this). Attachments by Rainbiw Rowell is also on sale. That was one of my favorite audiobooks. So far, I've added I'll Give You the Sun, the Secret Keeper, and Uganda Be Kidding Me. Thinking of a few others as well. There's definitely some good books in the sale, however there are quite a few I have already picked up in previous sales.
There are three I’m considering buying:
The Hawley Book of the Dead
The Last Letter from Your Lover
Son by Jack Olsen (true crime)
These are the ones I’ve listened to & would recommend:
The Golem and the Jinni – 5 stars
Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times – the original books that are the basis of the TV series. If You like the TV show then you'll enjoy this.
I'll Give You the Sun – 5 stars
A God in Ruins
The Art Forger
Heft – 5 stars, I loved this one!
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: A Novel
The Obituary Writer
Books I have listened to & didn’t like:
The Bone Clocks – weird sci-fi stuff
The Rose Garden – incompetent and annoyingly subservient female protagonist
The Ice Twins – bad narration, confusing story, unlikeable characters
A Town Like Alice – old fashioned writing, racist
Books already own but haven’t listened to yet:
Speaks the Nightbird
Ordinary Grace
The Lost Wife
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Attachments
Loving Frank
Brilliance
Mansfield Park
The Valley of Amazement
Alan Turing: The Enigma
Let us know what you end up buying!
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Post by pjaye on Sept 14, 2015 3:22:54 GMT
Last week I had just started listening to The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne. I have read all of JA’s novels at some stage and enjoyed them; however I’m not a hard core JA fangirl. I think this book is more geared to those hard core fans as it dissects parts of her writing in detail. It isn’t just a straight JA biography and it does expect the reader to have a good knowledge of her books. Still it was interesting, even though parts of it went right over my head. 3 stars.
Then I a couple of series’ I’ve been reading have had new releases, first up was What Could Possibly Go Wrong (The Chronicles of St. Mary's #6) by Jodi Taylor. This is a quirky time travel series where they go back to observe & record the significant events in history. This time they go back to the burning of Joan of Arc, the death of Richard III, and the Stone Age.
I’ve enjoyed these books and this one was better than the last. 4 stars.
Next was Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #3) by Alexandra Sokoloff. This is the story of a female vigilante killer and the FBI agent who is trying to catch her. The first book Huntress Moon was the best in the series, but I liked them enough to keep going. 3.5 stars.
Currently listening to The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman & am just over half way through. Set in the early 1900s, the story of a poor Russian immigrant who starts and ice-cream business in the USA. So far none of the main characters are very likeable and I’m a little bored with it, but I’ll keep going. The other downside that all the talk of ice-cream has me craving it. Yesterday I was listening to the book while grocery shopping and I ended up buying some blueberry cheesecake ice-cream!
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Sept 14, 2015 4:29:10 GMT
Another A Man Called Ove fan here too! Asking Pjaye, but other Audible audio listeners as well- Any of the 200 sale books make it into your shopping cart? I noticed A God In Ruins is on the list (I already own this). Attachments by Rainbiw Rowell is also on sale. That was one of my favorite audiobooks. So far, I've added I'll Give You the Sun, the Secret Keeper, and Uganda Be Kidding Me. Thinking of a few others as well. There's definitely some good books in the sale, however there are quite a few I have already picked up in previous sales.
There are three I’m considering buying:
The Hawley Book of the Dead
The Last Letter from Your Lover
Son by Jack Olsen (true crime)
These are the ones I’ve listened to & would recommend:
The Golem and the Jinni – 5 stars
Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times – the original books that are the basis of the TV series. If You like the TV show then you'll enjoy this.
I'll Give You the Sun – 5 stars
A God in Ruins
The Art Forger
Heft – 5 stars, I loved this one!
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: A Novel
The Obituary Writer
Books I have listened to & didn’t like:
The Bone Clocks – weird sci-fi stuff
The Rose Garden – incompetent and annoyingly subservient female protagonist
The Ice Twins – bad narration, confusing story, unlikeable characters
A Town Like Alice – old fashioned writing, racist
Books already own but haven’t listened to yet:
Speaks the Nightbird
Ordinary Grace
The Lost Wife
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Attachments
Loving Frank
Brilliance
Mansfield Park
The Valley of Amazement
Alan Turing: The Enigma
Let us know what you end up buying!
Thank you for that list. On top of the 3 others I purchased earlier tonight, I picked up Heft and Call the Midwife. I'm still thinking about A Prayer for Owen Meanie, but I have the book so I should probably just read the book. I read, but did not listen to, The Last Letter From Your Lover. It was my least favorite if the 4 Jojo Moyes books I've read. And I started listening to The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street. It's the only audio book I didn't finish. I just kept drifting during it and thought I'd return to it some other time when I could be more focused. |
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Post by pjaye on Sept 14, 2015 4:49:38 GMT
Thank you for that list. On top of the 3 others I purchased earlier tonight, I picked up Heft and Call the Midwife. I'm still thinking about A Prayer for Owen Meanie, but I have the book so I should probably just read the book. I read, but did not listen to, The Last Letter From Your Lover. It was my least favorite if the 4 Jojo Moyes books I've read. And I started listening to The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street. It's the only audio book I didn't finish. I just kept drifting during it and thought I'd return to it some other time when I could be more focused. I might take the JoJo Moyes one off the list for this sale then, it's only there because I liked Me Before You. I'll probably just end up getting Son...it has some good reviews and I like a bit of true crime occasionally. The Audible sales are great but I got so many books when I first joined and have quite a back log now so I don't buy as many now as I used to, but for anyone who's relatively new to audiobooks there's some great titles in this one.
As for the Ice-cream Queen, I think it's the book and not you. It's not annoying me enough to ditch it, but it's in the just OK category for me too. Shame as this was one I was really looking forward to.
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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 Sept 14, 2015 5:33:12 GMT
Thank you for that list. On top of the 3 others I purchased earlier tonight, I picked up Heft and Call the Midwife. I'm still thinking about A Prayer for Owen Meanie, but I have the book so I should probably just read the book. I read, but did not listen to, The Last Letter From Your Lover. It was my least favorite if the 4 Jojo Moyes books I've read. And I started listening to The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street. It's the only audio book I didn't finish. I just kept drifting during it and thought I'd return to it some other time when I could be more focused. I might take the JoJo Moyes one off the list for this sale then, it's only there because I liked Me Before You. I'll probably just end up getting Son...it has some good reviews and I like a bit of true crime occasionally. The Audible sales are great but I got so many books when I first joined and have quite a back log now so I don't buy as many now as I used to, but for anyone who's relatively new to audiobooks there's some great titles in this one.
As for the Ice-cream Queen, I think it's the book and not you. It's not annoying me enough to ditch it, but it's in the just OK category for me too. Shame as this was one I was really looking forward to.
Just want to say that The Last Letter To Your Lover was one of my favorite J Moyes books, only surpassed by The Girl You Left Behind. I really enjoyed the love story in the last letter. |
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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 Sept 14, 2015 5:38:47 GMT
I finished EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU by Celeste Ng about a mixed race family in the 70s that goes through a terrible experience. It bounces back and forth in time - before / after a death of a child, and shows how their mixed race affects their lives. It started out so depressing that I was turned off, but I realized I was turned off because it was so well written, felt so realistic. Clues and insights into their lives tell the story of why and how. This author had a way with words that made each character come alive for me. By the end, I couldn't put this down.
Paige.
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Post by kckckc on Sept 14, 2015 14:50:19 GMT
I finished three books this week. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. The story of an older man and woman who come together - love, family, companionship. I really enjoyed this one, as well as the author's other books; unfortunately the author recently passed away. Hell's Bottom by Laura Pritchett. I picked this one up because I had read and loved Stars Go Blue by the same author. Hell's Bottom is about the same characters and was written first. I didn't care for this one. It is actually a series of short stories about the characters. I am not a fan of the format. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. This one was a pretty good thriller/mystery. A little predictable and formulaic, but never the less a page turner - although I listened to this one on audio, so no page turning was involved  |
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Post by lynnek on Sept 14, 2015 15:47:19 GMT
I read Jennifer Weiner's new book Who Do You Love? last week. It was only ok. It is funny her last two books have only been ok for me. This was the story of a boy and a girl who meet as children and then again a few times in life. They have a relationship and the ups and downs. I guess I just felt like we were plodding through life and not really getting anywhere. And then, bam, it ended.
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Post by sugarmama on Sept 14, 2015 16:18:05 GMT
I'm listening to a long one that has some great reviews--NATCHEZ BURNING. At first I thought I would have a hard time keeping track of the characters, but after a couple of chapters, I had it down pretty well. There are a lot of bad, Mississippi mob-type characters! Anyway, I am about halfway done and it's really good.
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The Birdhouse Lady
Drama Llama
Moose. It's what's for dinner.
Posts: 7,175
Location: Alaska -The Last Frontier
Jun 30, 2014 17:15:19 GMT
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Sept 14, 2015 19:00:34 GMT
I am still on my Diane Chamberlain kick.
I finished reading The Escape Artist It was okay. It's about a woman who is getting ready to lose her child to her ex-husband and his new wife. Of course she runs away with the baby. A lot of it was predictable but there was a few other storylines woven through it.
Now I am reading Necessary Lies I am really enjoying this story. It takes place in the early 60's on a tobacco farm in the deep south. It is mostly about the lives of two sisters and their grandmother who work on the farm. |
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Sept 14, 2015 19:04:55 GMT
Yesterday I downloaded a cheap book on my Kindle and read it in a couple hours. Murder in Battle Creek: Mysterious Death of Daisy Zick. It was just ok for the type of book it is (true crime). Up front, the author lets the reader know that the murder is still not solved 50+ years later. I knew that going in, but still felt some what let down. On the other hand, it was interesting to see how crime scenes and evidence were handled in the 1960s.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752
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Post by gottapeanow on Sept 14, 2015 23:22:46 GMT
I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Honestly, if I had know how this book was going to end, I would not have read it. Really disliked the ending. OK read until the end. Do you get my drift? Despite the ending, I loved this book. However, I thought that it seriously dragged at the beginning. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this author. I have nothing else to post this week as I have been insanely busy with hardly any time for reading. Lisa |
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Post by smokeynspike on Sept 15, 2015 9:51:06 GMT
I finished The Martian by Andy Weir. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads. It really grabbed my attention and didn't let it go. I can't wait for the movie to come out in a couple of weeks!
I started The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore tonight. It is book #6 in the I Am Number Four series.
Melissa
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,769
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Sept 15, 2015 10:20:30 GMT
In the last few weeks I have read A man called Ove (as recommended here) which I loved and have recommended to others.
Another refugee recommendation - The Martian by Andy Weir - loved it too. Another one awaiting the release of the film.
I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes - another book I enjoyed, it's a long book but didn't feel long, always a good sign
Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchley Lots of short character driven stories with Chestnut Street as a link.
The Priest's Well by Sara Alexi A novella story in the Greek Village Series -love this author, love this series.
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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 Sept 15, 2015 12:22:48 GMT
I just started Harlan Coben's Missing You.
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Post by mom2luke on Sept 15, 2015 15:18:38 GMT
I started school (again) this Fall. So I am working full-time, going to school full-time and have a very busy son and thankfully a helpful husband. But that being said, I don't really read for fun anymore except while on the treadmill. Last night, I finished The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. I have really enjoyed it. I thought I had the twist figured out but at the end I was quite surprised!
I still check in every week to add to my ever growing list of "to-read" pile!
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,664
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Post by Rhondito on Sept 15, 2015 15:19:13 GMT
Last week I read Some Luck by Jane Smiley - it took me a bit to get used to it as it tells the story of a family over several generations; it just follows their lives. I ended up loving it, and have started the second book, (it's a trilogy) Early Warning.
In between those two, I read The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner - a mystery centered around the burning of a home and what comes out in the end. I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. I mainly kept reading because it was short and I wanted to find out who did it.
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