Weekly Reading Thread: December 20-26

Hey Readers!

I finally finished Hanya Yanigahara's A Little Life. As many have said, it was excellent, but very long and emotionally intense. On Goodreads, I have a "Cry Like a Baby" list, and this one made the cut. 

For a change of pace, I picked up a lighter title: Superheroes Anonymous by Lexie Dunne. I think it's a light romance/adventure set in Chicago with superheroes. So far so good.

Next up, for book club, I'll read In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien.

Happy Reading!

I finished Love the One You're With. Very satisfied with the way it turned out. I wish I had read it as part of a book club because I'd like to have a back-and-forth with other people about it. I'd like to hear perspectives from readers who don't have the baggage that I brought to the book. Curious as to whether I would have liked it more, or less, or the same, if it didn't strike such a personal cord.

I'm trying to read The Paris Wife by Paula McClain, but haven't made it past the prologue. I haven't read for the last two or three nights. I'm not really feeling it tonight either. I have a Christmas book picked out that I was going to start later in the week, I may just go ahead and start it now. It's by Maeve Binchy, can't remember the name now.

I read Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama. I enjoyed it and found it interesting. I thought her portrayal of men was quite negative, but this book would make a great book club discussion.

I also read Letters for Emily by Camron Steve Wright. I enjoyed it and enjoyed the letters that were for Emily. I thought it a bit like a Hallmark movie though, but I still liked the book - it was tender and sweet.

I have many books for younger readers on my book blog.

Building lifelong readers

I listened to The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig. Set in England in the 1920s it's the story of Rachel who finds out she is the daughter of a wealthy man only after he mother passes away. Then there's a bit of a strange plot where she pretends to be someone else to get close to the other family she has never met, plus a bit of romance. It's a historical fiction chit-lit and a light read.
I gave it 3 stars.

Next was Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner. This has a similar feel to the one above but was so much more well written...although it almost put me off because at the start of the audiobook it says it was published by "Christian Fiction audio" and I thought I was going to be in for something with an overly religious tone, but I am happy to say it wasn't at all. Set during the London Blitz of WW2 (but apart from the time, there isn't much about the actual war in the book) it's the story of two sisters (15yo Emmy & 5yo Julia) both with different fathers and their unmarried mother and what happens to them during the war, when they are evacuated to the English countryside and their lives afterwards.
I really enjoyed and I gave it 4 out 5 stars. Excellent narration too if anyone is thinking of trying the audiobook version.

I've just started Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Which according to the reviews is like a YA 'groundhog day' where a teenage girl lives the last day of her life over and over. It seems to generate some strong reviews lots of 1 star "hated it" and lots of 5 star "loved it" So will be interesting to see which way it goes for me.

I listened to The Lovely Bones. I have to say that it was one of the worst narrations ever. The story is told by a 14 year old girl and the narrators voice was that of a 50 year old woman and it was so monotone. I checked this out from the library so didn't read any reviews. I discovered it was narrated by the author. That author should stick to writing.

Despite that, I thought the story was excellent-sad, but very good. 4 stars from me. I would like to see the movie now.


I found quite a few books that I've been interested in on a digital library. And I think 4 just became available in the last day so now I feel the pressure to finish them.

Two books read this week (yes, I've been reading and putting off gift wrapping and house cleaning)

The Blue Guitar (Banville) I enjoyed it very much, but it takes a while to "get into" the book. The main character is also the narrator and the entire book is his stream-of-conscientious prattle. He is a former artist who is a deeply flawed character and his many bad decisions have hurt the people around him. The more you read, the more you begin to see thru his lack of self awareness and then you begin to understand the feelings of the other characters. There is no action in the novel, but it does move along. It was a very different type of novel.

My second book was a much lighter read: Kings of London (Shaw). This is a police mystery set in 1968 London. I enjoyed this book for what it is; a very fast paced and somewhat predictable mystery. The main character, a CID police officer, is likable and sympathetic. He is a fish out of water in a rapidly changing London. I read the entire book in one long afternoon. A simple but satisfying read.

Me too. I liked it, but didn't love it like many did.

Two for me this week. Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story by Andrea Warren. Short, sweet and hard to beat! I have read other books about the orphan train and have always loved them. In a previous life before I got into HR I worked for our local foster care system. The organization was founded in order to cope with all the orphans who were being sent to the Midwest on the Orphan Trains. So these books always tug at the heartstrings a bit. The book gave a brief background on the trains and then told the story of one boy who was about 9 when he was sent out.

Finally, I read Monday's Lie by Jamie Mason. A story about an unhappily married woman who is the daughter of a covert CIA spy. The struggles she encounters as she lives in her mom's shadow and the struggles in her own marriage. I liked the story but I struggled with the flip flopping of the timeline. It seemed like it was all over the place. But it was a nice change of pace from all the non fiction/biographies/history books I have been reading lately!

And, I am about 2/3's of the way through Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. I like it so far.

I'm finishing up Rhys Bowen's Away in a Manger. This is the latest Molly Murphy mystery, a series about a female private detective in turn of the century NYC. I believe I've read them all, and they're always an enjoyable, quick read.

Next up is After You.

I'm reading Sinatra: The Chairman which is the second half of a bio by James Kaplan. This book weighs about 20 pounds...I have to prop it up on pillows to read it! So for that reason I'll be glad to finish, but otherwise I'm really enjoying it. He was a complicated guy to say the least.

I thought City on Fire was too long as well, but I love depth in books and thought it was well written with distinctive characters. 

I read Countdown City and World of Trouble, #2 and #3 in the Last Policeman trilogy.  They my interest the whole way through.  I'm reading Red Rising now, and have the second book checked out on my Kindle ready to go when I'm done with this one.  I've been on a dystopian theme lately it seems.