pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 16, 2015 15:00:33 GMT
Hello readers. I completed one book and I'm almost done with another. I will be back a little later with my reviews. I am in love with the book in reading now. I want to complete the book, and I'll be back later tonight. What did you read this week? ___________ OK, I am back. I read two books. It Ain't Me Babe: I was looking for a "take my brain out and put it beside me" book. I saw this one on the list for best romance on Goodreads (or at least the latest in the series). It fits into the 50Shades category. Not as graphic, but equally sexist. It was OK. It is about a young woman who grows up in a cult and is going to be married off, but she escapes just in time, but ends up getting taken in by a 1%r biker gang, of course. The premise was unrealistic, but somewhat entertaining. Trigger warning for some. Uprooted: This was the second book I read, and the one I just had to finish before I could post here. It is one of the best books I have read this year. As I mentioned last week, I have been in a bit of a reading slump (for a variety of reasons), but I also hadn't really read much in the last three months that I fell in love with---this was an exception. I really LOVED this book. It is a fantasy/fairy tale with a bit of horror and romance. Amazon editors ranked it as one of the best fantasy/scifi, and I wholeheartedly agree. The cover did not interest me at all, but I am so glad I looked past the cover. it is a standalone book, so that is even better! You know I love Uprooted too. It will definitely make my list of top books I read this year!
Then I listened to Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. This is a fictionalised version of the real life person Beryl Markham and set in South Africa in the 1920s. Very well written & interesting. Beryl was a very independent woman and well ahead of her time in her thinking. She was the first female horse trainer in South Africa and later she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Excellent narration on the audiobook too. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but if they did 1/2 stars it would be 4.5. Definitely recommended. I also liked this one a lot. She was quite the lady and led an interesting, drama filled life! I have her memoir at home, but haven't read it. There's a lot of debate about the authenticity of the authorship.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 16, 2015 15:05:20 GMT
I finished:
City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg. 4/5 stars. 900+ pages - so a long one, but I liked it.
Slade House by David Mitchell. 4/5 stars. I love David Mitchell and enjoyed this quick read, but I think it's probably best read by people who've already read his books, especially The Bone Clocks. This book technically doesn't require reading his previous books, but I think you get more out of it if you do.
I'm currently reading The Lake House by Kate Morton. I love her books (mostly) and so far, so good on this one too.
On deck I have: The Girl With All the Gifts, Between the World and Me, The Art of Memoir, and Kitchens of the Great Midwest, Nature of the Beast
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Post by pjaye on Nov 16, 2015 15:11:18 GMT
I also liked this one a lot. She was quite the lady and led an interesting, drama filled life! I have her memoir at home, but haven't read it. There's a lot of debate about the authenticity of the authorship. Yes, I read about that, I suppose it doesn't really matter too much if her or her husband wrote it, after all, she would have told him all the facts, no different to so many of those celebrity ghost writers. We're probably more used to that sort of thing now, so it probably doesn't seem quite as scandalous as back in her day. I'm a bit torn on her actual autobiography. I didn't know much about her when I picked up this book & luckily there was very little about big game hunting in it...however knowing what she did especially later on in her life, it worries me that there might be more hunting and killing in it than in Circling The Sun, and it might put me right off it. Perhaps you should read it first and then let me know if it's 'safe' for me
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Post by tampascrapper on Nov 16, 2015 15:14:52 GMT
In the last couple of weeks I've finished a few books.
Eeny Meeny by M.J. Aldridge- loved it! From Amazon: Two people are abducted, imprisoned, and left with a gun. As hunger and thirst set in, only one walks away alive. It’s a game more twisted than any Detective Helen Grace has ever seen. If she hadn’t spoken with the shattered survivors herself, she almost wouldn’t believe them.
The Ice Twins by S.K Tremayne - really liked it! From Amazon: A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcroft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives. But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity--that she, in fact, is Lydia--their world comes crashing down once again.
A Necessary End by Holly Brown - another good one! From Amazon: Thirty-nine-year-old Adrienne is desperate to be a mother. And this time, nothing is going to get in her way. At nineteen, Leah bears a remarkable resemblance to the young woman Adrienne once was. Which is why Adrienne knows the baby Leah is carrying is meant to be hers. But Leah’s got ideas of her own: Her baby’s going to get a life in California; why shouldn’t she? All she wants is to live in Adrienne’s house for a year after the baby’s born, and get a fresh start. It seems like a small price for Adrienne to pay to get their baby. And with Gabe suddenly on board, what could possibly go wrong?
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Post by pjaye on Nov 16, 2015 15:20:19 GMT
The Ice Twins by S.K Tremayne - really liked it! I hated that one. By the end I wanted them all to fall into an ice hole and put me out of my misery! I also thought it got really confusing, but perhaps that was just that I didn't care enough to pay attention after a certain point.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 16, 2015 15:30:36 GMT
I also liked this one a lot. She was quite the lady and led an interesting, drama filled life! I have her memoir at home, but haven't read it. There's a lot of debate about the authenticity of the authorship. Yes, I read about that, I suppose it doesn't really matter too much if her or her husband wrote it, after all, she would have told him all the facts, no different to so many of those celebrity ghost writers. We're probably more used to that sort of thing now, so it probably doesn't seem quite as scandalous as back in her day. I'm a bit torn on her actual autobiography. I didn't know much about her when I picked up this book & luckily there was very little about big game hunting in it...however knowing what she did especially later on in her life, it worries me that there might be more hunting and killing in it than in Circling The Sun, and it might put me right off it. Perhaps you should read it first and then let me know if it's 'safe' for me I agree - I think the facts of her life would be the same no matter who wrote it. I think the questions about it have been more the actual writing than the content. I didn't know about the questions about her autobiography until I finished Circling the Sun, but I knew her autobiography was highly praised for its writing. So when reading Circling the Sun I was surprised at how little she read or seemed to care about books (I assumed somebody who was a wonderful writer would've been a big reader or at least demonstrated some degree of writing ability throughout their life). I also agree that I wouldn't want to read more about big game hunting and killing - I'm not sure how much of that is in her book. When I read it, I will let you know! In the end - what a fascinating woman. I always love stories (historical fiction/fiction/non-fiction) with strong woman protagonists that find ways to push the boundaries of their culture or expectations.
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Post by lynnek on Nov 16, 2015 16:42:03 GMT
Finished The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. Had a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the book, didn't love it. I started reading The Terrorist Next Door by Sheldon Siegel last week and it's a bit harder to read now because of what happened in Paris. I didn't see the twist on The Good Girl either. I liked the book overall.
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Post by lynnek on Nov 16, 2015 16:44:16 GMT
Carrying over from last week, I finished A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell and ended up really liking it. A very unusual book that won't be to everyone's liking, but I'd recommend it. I gave it 4 stars.
Then I listened to Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. This is a fictionalised version of the real life person Beryl Markham and set in South Africa in the 1920s. Very well written & interesting. Beryl was a very independent woman and well ahead of her time in her thinking. She was the first female horse trainer in South Africa and later she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Excellent narration on the audiobook too. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but if they did 1/2 stars it would be 4.5. Definitely recommended.
Then I moved on to The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham. This is by and Australian author and the movie staring Kate Winslet has just been released. Set in rural Australia in the 1950s this is about Tilly who comes back to her childhood home after many years away to look after her aging mother (Mad Molly). Initially she is shunned by the town's people for something that happened when she was a child. She's a dressmaker and eventually her skills win over some of the woman and slowly the secrets about why she left are revealed. This is one of those offbeat books with quirky characters that Aussies seem to do well. I probably wouldn't recommend the audiobook for non Aussies as the narrator (an Aussie actress) tends to speak quite fast and with the accent might be hard to follow. Even though I understood her well enough, I didn't think the narration was particularly well done. However I did enjoy the book, totally unexpected ending. Another 4 stars.
I am just about to finish The Children Act by Ian McEwan. This is about a London judge and some of the cases involving children she has to adjudicate on. The main character of Fiona is interesting and so are her cases, but it does get bogged down in courtroom detail and some of the conversations between characters are quite drawn out. Luckily it's a short book, otherwise I think it might have got too tedious. As it is with two hours left, I'm interested to see how it ends. I didn't expect it but I really liked Circling the Sun. I think it will be in my top 10 favorites for this year.
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Post by lynnek on Nov 16, 2015 16:48:01 GMT
Yes, I read about that, I suppose it doesn't really matter too much if her or her husband wrote it, after all, she would have told him all the facts, no different to so many of those celebrity ghost writers. We're probably more used to that sort of thing now, so it probably doesn't seem quite as scandalous as back in her day. I'm a bit torn on her actual autobiography. I didn't know much about her when I picked up this book & luckily there was very little about big game hunting in it...however knowing what she did especially later on in her life, it worries me that there might be more hunting and killing in it than in Circling The Sun, and it might put me right off it. Perhaps you should read it first and then let me know if it's 'safe' for me I agree - I think the facts of her life would be the same no matter who wrote it. I think the questions about it have been more the actual writing than the content. I didn't know about the questions about her autobiography until I finished Circling the Sun, but I knew her autobiography was highly praised for its writing. So when reading Circling the Sun I was surprised at how little she read or seemed to care about books (I assumed somebody who was a wonderful writer would've been a big reader or at least demonstrated some degree of writing ability throughout their life). I also agree that I wouldn't want to read more about big game hunting and killing - I'm not sure how much of that is in her book. When I read it, I will let you know! In the end - what a fascinating woman. I always love stories (historical fiction/fiction/non-fiction) with strong woman protagonists that find ways to push the boundaries of their culture or expectations.Yes! I think that is why I liked the book so much!
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Post by lynnek on Nov 16, 2015 16:49:42 GMT
I read Diane Chamberlain's new book Pretending to Dance. I feel like you kind of know what you are going to get when you read her books. And so I liked it and, yes, it was pretty much what I expected and figured would have happened. But it was a good easy read.
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,022
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Nov 16, 2015 16:53:18 GMT
I am proud of myself for giving up on a book this week, I am trying to get better at this.
My Dh and I saw David Sedaris on Wednesday and I read half of Naked while waiting in the author signing line. I finished it up the next day.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
Jun 26, 2014 0:30:34 GMT
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Post by finaledition on Nov 16, 2015 17:16:13 GMT
I listened to Call the Midwife. I'm a big fan of the show and after listening to the book I can appreciate what a great adaptation it is. more details in the book that really emphasized the hardship of the people living in this time/place.
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Post by auntkelly on Nov 16, 2015 17:25:06 GMT
I'm reading The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks, which is a novel based on the life of King David of the Old Testament. The book is very well written and she certainly tells the life of David from an interesting perspective. It is fascinating to imagine how David's wives, brothers and friends felt about him. She certainly makes the violent parts of the story seem more real than the way they were told in Sunday School.
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Post by sugarmama on Nov 16, 2015 17:51:17 GMT
So many good books mentioned here this week!
I finished CIRCLING THE SUN, and like pjaye and pudgygroundhog, I loved it! 4 Stars from me. I love those books that get me to google to find out more! Not sure what's up next--it's too hard to choose! LOL
Auntkelly, THE SECRET CHORD is on my list to-read also. I'm looking forward to hearing your review when you're done, but it sounds pretty good so far.
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Post by kckckc on Nov 16, 2015 18:07:19 GMT
I was all excited because I found The Witches: 1692 by Stacy Schiff at the library--it's been on my "to read" list for a while. Then I looked it up on Amazon and the reviews are dreadful! LOL. I'll still give it a shot. I also have the last book in the Last Policeman trilogy by Ben Winters lined up to read. The first two are excellent, so I'm looking forward to this one. Other than that...still plugging through the Agatha Christie shelves at the library. Not sure I'll ever finish! I have book 2 and 3 of the Last Policeman series checked out from the library. I really liked the first one and I hope to get to these this week. Posting here too! Uprooted: This was the second book I read, and the one I just had to finish before I could post here. It is one of the best books I have read this year. As I mentioned last week, I have been in a bit of a reading slump (for a variety of reasons), but I also hadn't really read much in the last three months that I fell in love with---this was an exception. I really LOVED this book. It is a fantasy/fairy tale with a bit of horror and romance. Amazon editors ranked it as one of the best fantasy/scifi, and I wholeheartedly agree. The cover did not interest me at all, but I am so glad I looked past the cover. it is a standalone book, so that is even better! Thanks for the recommendation - I put it on reserve at the library. I only finished one book this week. Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews. This is a spy/intrigue novel. The author is a former member of the CIA. Both the violence and sex were fairly graphic. Overall I enjoyed this one - it was a long book, and all of the Russian names/places made it a slow read for me.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 16, 2015 19:10:11 GMT
I'm reading The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks, which is a novel based on the life of King David of the Old Testament. The book is very well written and she certainly tells the life of David from an interesting perspective. It is fascinating to imagine how David's wives, brothers and friends felt about him. She certainly makes the violent parts of the story seem more real than the way they were told in Sunday School. I really enjoyed this one! I normally wouldn't pick up a book about King David, but I love Geraldine Brooks' writing and research and read it. Glad I did - thought it was very good.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 16, 2015 19:12:45 GMT
So many good books mentioned here this week! I finished CIRCLING THE SUN, and like pjaye and pudgygroundhog, I loved it! 4 Stars from me. I love those books that get me to google to find out more! Not sure what's up next--it's too hard to choose! LOL Auntkelly, THE SECRET CHORD is on my list to-read also. I'm looking forward to hearing your review when you're done, but it sounds pretty good so far. I would recommend The Secret Chord - I've read five of her books and this is one I would group with Year of Wonders and People of the Book as the ones I liked more.
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Post by GamGam on Nov 16, 2015 20:36:55 GMT
I read parts of The Language of Flowers and skimmed the rest. I just didn't care for the characters. Too lacking in reality for my tastes. I like the idea of the book, however, that flowers carry their own unique message, and was disappointed with the way the author developed it. The friend who loved this book and recommended it also like The Red Tent. I'm not sure if I want to try that one or not since our reading tastes are so different.
On another note, what would you recomment to read by Geraldine Brooks. I think I tried The People of the Book and gave up on it.
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Post by tampascrapper on Nov 16, 2015 21:10:36 GMT
Thanks to the peas I've added two more books to my wish list! Uprooted and The Witches:1692 both sound great. Thanks!
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Post by peasapie on Nov 16, 2015 22:13:15 GMT
Hello readers. I completed one book and I'm almost done with another. I will be back a little later with my reviews. I am in love with the book in reading now. I want to complete the book, and I'll be back later tonight. What did you read this week? ___________ OK, I am back. I read two books. It Ain't Me Babe: I was looking for a "take my brain out and put it beside me" book. I saw this one on the list for best romance on Goodreads (or at least the latest in the series). It fits into the 50Shades category. Not as graphic, but equally sexist. It was OK. It is about a young woman who grows up in a cult and is going to be married off, but she escapes just in time, but ends up getting taken in by a 1%r biker gang, of course. The premise was unrealistic, but somewhat entertaining. Trigger warning for some. Uprooted: This was the second book I read, and the one I just had to finish before I could post here. It is one of the best books I have read this year. As I mentioned last week, I have been in a bit of a reading slump (for a variety of reasons), but I also hadn't really read much in the last three months that I fell in love with---this was an exception. I really LOVED this book. It is a fantasy/fairy tale with a bit of horror and romance. Amazon editors ranked it as one of the best fantasy/scifi, and I wholeheartedly agree. The cover did not interest me at all, but I am so glad I looked past the cover. it is a standalone book, so that is even better! You know I love Uprooted too. It will definitely make my list of top books I read this year!
Then I listened to Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. This is a fictionalised version of the real life person Beryl Markham and set in South Africa in the 1920s. Very well written & interesting. Beryl was a very independent woman and well ahead of her time in her thinking. She was the first female horse trainer in South Africa and later she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Excellent narration on the audiobook too. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but if they did 1/2 stars it would be 4.5. Definitely recommended. I also liked this one a lot. She was quite the lady and led an interesting, drama filled life! I have her memoir at home, but haven't read it. There's a lot of debate about the authenticity of the authorship. These sound great -- and I love the idea of an audio book. I'm going to try to read them both.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 16, 2015 23:05:41 GMT
I read parts of The Language of Flowers and skimmed the rest. I just didn't care for the characters. Too lacking in reality for my tastes. I like the idea of the book, however, that flowers carry their own unique message, and was disappointed with the way the author developed it. The friend who loved this book and recommended it also like The Red Tent. I'm not sure if I want to try that one or not since our reading tastes are so different. On another note, what would you recomment to read by Geraldine Brooks. I think I tried The People of the Book and gave up on it. Hmmm, I liked Language of Flowers, The Red Tent, and The People of the Book - so I might not be the best person to recommend books for you! lol.
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