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 Dec 1, 2015 3:30:24 GMT
I've read:
The Lake House by Kate Morton. 5/5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. I love her books, but was finding the split time narrative wearing by her last book. This book also has a split time narrative, but it works better for me here. It's all a little too pat in the end, but it didn't detract overall from my enjoyment of the book.
The Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal. 4/5 stars. Great characters and story.
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R Carey. 4/5 stars. Was a little burnt out on post apocalyptic/dystopian books, but I found this one fresh and interesting.
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr. 4/5 stars. Interesting look at writing memoir (even if you aren't looking to write one). I really like Mary Karr and if you like her books, I would also recommend listening to her interview on Fresh Air. Love her candidness.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Neshi Coates. 3/5 stars. I'm an outlier on this one - wasn't swept away like most people seem to be. I think the content is important, but I just didn't click with the writing.
Now I'm reading Did You Ever Have a Family by Billy Clegg. So far, so good. On deck I have Furiously Happy and The Turner House.
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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 Dec 4, 2015 6:56:40 GMT
Just finished "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah. It's the first book I've read of hers and I'd give it 5 stars. Are her other books as good? I also read "Taming the Queen" by Phillipa Gregory. It's the story of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII And "Seventh Heaven" by Alice Hoffman and "Orphan Number 8" by Kim Van Aldemade. The last one was based on x-ray experiments done in the 1920s on orphans. Very good. This was the best Kristin Hannah book I've read - the others I've read have felt like formula tear jerkers but I've heard Winter Garden is very good. I was very surprised with the Nightingale, like I was surprised with Jodi Picolt's Storyteller - who knew she could write about WWII too!
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Post by miominmio on Dec 4, 2015 9:45:33 GMT
I'm (a bit) ashamed to admit that I'm reading the Assassin's Creed series....yup, they are based on the games (which I played a loooong time ago).
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Post by lesserknownpea on Dec 5, 2015 6:49:14 GMT
Somehow I got caught up in reading "escaping from cults" memoirs this past week. I read: I Fired God by Jocelyn Zichterman I'm (No Longer) A Mormon by Regina Samuelson Unveiling Grace by Lynn Wilder Girl At the End of the World by Elizabeth Esther Each one was fascinating in its own way, and I gave them all four stars at Goodreads. You sound like me. I've been on a non fiction kick, and my last book would fit into your list. __Born Into The Children of God__ by Natacha Tormay. Fascinating memoir from a woman whose parents joined one of the weirdest cults I've read about before she was born. 4 stars, absolutely kept my interest the whole book. __Dead of Night__ by Don Lassiter, the true crime story of Cesar Barone. This was extra interesting to me because I lived in the town it happened in at the time, not only knew every place, street and building mentioned, but also was acquainted with one of his victims, fortunately one of the few who got away. This horrible man terrorized poor defenseless elderly women, in addition to murdering a midwife and young woman in cold blood. There were a lot of typos, but the storytelling was solid. 4 stars __Inside__ by John Hoskinson is the story of a decent, hard working golf pro in England, who makes a stupid decision and kills a cyclist in a drunk driving accident. His reports of prison conditions, his remorse and soul searching, and final release were especially interesting to me as my ex has been in prison for three years now. 4 stars also. I found his story moving and compelling. I couldn't help but imagine my XH at every turn of the story, and I admit that made me uncomfortable. But it's good for me to meditate on why he's there. And remind myself for the millionth time it's not my fault.
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Post by lesserknownpea on Dec 5, 2015 6:55:31 GMT
I had a productive reading week. Finished In the Woods by Tana French. It keeps showing up on so many reading lists, so I was really looking forward to it. I didn't love it. I liked it ok, but I had higher hopes and it just wasn't as creepy/suspenseful/twisty as I wanted it to be. I also pegged the killer as soon as he/she/it (trying not to spoil anything) was introduced. I love being surprised by clever plots twists, so that was a further let down for me. Next I read Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival. I had in mind to read a food-themed book for Thanksgiving. I really enjoyed it. Told DS the whole story over dinner last night because I wasn't ready to let go of it yet. It may or may not be in my top 10 for the year, I haven't decided yet. Last night I started Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I'm really excited about it, so I hope I'm not setting myself up for disappointment again. I'm only on the second chapter, and it's moving slowly, but beautifully, so far. In the Woods started so promising for me and I was let down in the end. However, I liked her writing enough that I tried her next book. For me, her books just got better and better and I like Broken Harbour best. I thought it was very creepy. I really liked Never Let Me Go.That was my experience with Tana French also. Love her writing! Never let me go really stayed with me also. Another one with similar themes was The unit.
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Post by MorellisCupcake on Dec 5, 2015 22:03:20 GMT
Last week I was half way through The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth. The story of the sisters who lived next door to the Grimm brothers and covered the political events of the Napoleonic wars. It was interesting and enjoyable. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
I read that book on your recommendation and really liked it too. I am 80% through Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, which is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling. I like it okay, but I wouldn't say love. Maybe 3.5 out of 5. There are three in that series and they get good reviews on Amazon, so maybe it's just me.
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Post by pjaye on Dec 6, 2015 1:33:18 GMT
read that book on your recommendation and really liked it too. I am 80% through Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, which is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling. I like it okay, but I wouldn't say love. Maybe 3.5 out of 5. There are three in that series and they get good reviews on Amazon, so maybe it's just me. Glad you enjoyed it! I was a little worried because I read another of her books Bitter Greens which is a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy-tale and I loved the detail of the main story, but OMG there was so much sex in it! And it went on and on for pages and pages. That ruined it for me (not in a prudish way, I'm happy for people to have lots of sex whenever they want...I just don't see the need for it it in a book). So I was a bit cautious with this one, but abusive father didn't get too much focus. I thought the historical side was really interesting. You aren't alone with Cuckoo's Calling either. I knew it was Rowling and I was looking forward to it, but I didn't like her writing at all, and I didn't think her characters were believable at all. Strike is this big, fat, stinky guy (smokes and drink to much and doesn't shower regularly) but we are supposed to believe that supermodels are dragging him into bed and that his assistant's boyfriend is jealous of him? I didn't like this one and won't read the next ones. If J.K. Rowling's name hadn't been leaked so early after publication of the first book, then no-one would be raving about these.
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