The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,943 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Sept 19, 2016 1:28:08 GMT
I am reading a couple things but completed nothing.
What did you complete this week?
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Post by pjaye on Sept 19, 2016 1:48:51 GMT
Last week I was all set to start Jane Eyre, I had the newest audiobook with narration by Thandie Newton, well she reads so fast that I just couldn't follow it. I find those books written back in the 1800s take some mental concentration to get used to the language used and to make sense of the story (for me anyway) and she just read it so fast that I couldn't follow what was going on.
So I gave it up and will get a library copy with a slower narrator.
Then I moved on to another library book The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer. I'm so glad I didn't pay for this! It's about an 8yo girl that gets kidnapped on a day out with her mother. Then it follows her story and her mother's over the next 5 years. It was just a weird book and most of the plot was unresolved, like why she was taken, then she seemed to have some mysterious healing power, but that was never explained, did she really have it or was it a delusion?
Don't bother with this one, I gave it 1 star.
Next was the new release The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood, I've read of her books now and really liked them. This was another kidnapoped child case. Over a birthday celebration weekend in 2004 (set in England) a 3yo is taken from her bed while she sleeps next to her twin sister. Then it moves to 12 years later when the father of the twins dies and the same group of friends meet up again for his funeral. Slowly the story unfolds from different people's perspective as to what happened that first weekend.
I thought the plot was well worked out and all of the children where sympathetic characters even if the adults weren't.
I gave it 4 stars.
I was staring at my list of books last night and I have no idea what I am going to start later today. Will be a random choice I think.
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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 19, 2016 2:14:06 GMT
I am reading THE LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly. I'm only about halfway through but I'm really enjoying it. It follows 3 girls /women through WWII. Two stories are starting to intercept, one hasn't yet and I'm trying to figure out how it will - but maybe it won't. 1 girl is Polish, 1 is German, and 1 is French but living in the US. Hope the second half is as enjoyable.
Paige.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Sept 19, 2016 2:22:41 GMT
Hello~
I haven't posted in several weeks, but I have a few that I've finished up.
First I listened to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. I know this has been well liked by the peas and I'm usually in total agreement, but I think this was a case of a good book at the wrong time. I'm in the middle of waiting on some medical test results and both the pace of the book and the pace the narrator read was so slow, I just had a hard time focusing and keeping my attention on the book. Anyway, I did finish-I didn't dislike it, but it never grabbed my interest. I think it's safe to assume I won't be reading the sequel.
The next book I listened to was slightly better- We Are Called to Rise. This story was told from multiple points of view and I was more interested in one of the stories. I think the story ended a little abruptly, but it was well told.
The third book I listened to was Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen. This was a selection for my book club and this was excellent. First off, the narrator was fantastic and probably is the reason I liked it so much. It's a quiet little coming of age story of Mimi Miller, youngest daughter of a family living on a farm during the 60's. It had some great supporting characters and the while it's not high on drama, you get swept along with Mimi's life. This is my first Anna Quindlen book and will definitely read more, but I'm also going to be on the lookout for other books by the same narrator.
And finally I finished reading Truly Madly Guilty. I preordered this before hearing any reviews. And while I agree it was not the best book by Liane Moriarty, I still enjoyed it. I just like her style of writing (the wittiness) even if the story fell a bit short.
Currently I'm listening to Whistling Past the Graveyard. I'm about 1/3 of the way in. It's enjoyable, but not exactly loving it.
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Post by pjaye on Sept 19, 2016 2:24:50 GMT
Anyway, I did finish-I didn't dislike it, but it never grabbed my interest. I think it's safe to assume I won't be reading the sequel. Even if you had liked it, I wouldn't recommend the sequel. I did like (not love) the first book, but the second one wasn't good. |
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Post by craftsbycarolyn on Sept 19, 2016 2:29:32 GMT
I'm almost finished with Ann Rule's Lying in Wait. It has several stories in it. I'm enjoying it.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
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Post by Mystie on Sept 19, 2016 2:36:04 GMT
Well, I read a couple of stinkers last week...Seed by Ania Ahlborn. I know ~M liked it, but I thought it was terrible and not scary. The reviews vary wildly, though, so YMMV. This is a story about demonic possession.
And I read The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens. It started off so well, it's about a struggling college student who has to write a college paper about another person. He chooses a convicted rapist and murderer who is dying in a local nursing home, and gets caught up in trying to prove the man is innocent. It just was too cliched and predictable and tied up way too neatly. Sad.
So I went back to Lincoln by Gore Vidal. It's still sad in parts, but really enjoyable, with funny bits, too.
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Post by auntkelly on Sept 19, 2016 3:36:07 GMT
I'm reading Exodus by Leon Uris. Written in the late 1950s, it is an historical novel about the founding of modern day Israel.
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Post by fotos4u2 on Sept 19, 2016 3:41:25 GMT
I've been super busy getting the kids back to school (and a trip to Boston with the family) so haven't posted on here in awhile. Thankfully I've managed to finish quite a few books, although in looking at my list it appears I didn't really care for most of them that much.
A Different Beautiful by Courtney Westlake. I read the author's blog so was really hopeful that I'd like the book. I gave it 3 stars, but would probably have liked it more if it'd focused more on their story and less on some of the faith tangents she goes on.
Mothers and Other Liars by Amy Bourret. I gave it 3 stars because it took a really strange turn and I disliked the end a lot. I really think the author could have done something good with the idea (a woman finds a baby in a trash can and decides to raise her--later she finds out the little girl wasn't abandoned and her biological parents have been searching for her for the past 9 years).
The Other Child by Lucy Atkins. Yet another 3 stars. It was a quick read and fairly interesting. I would have given it 4 stars except some of the characters were annoying and I just wanted to yell at the main character because of the all the red flags she basically ignored.
The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende. I actually gave this 2 stars. It was really slow at the beginning and not much of the book was even what the book jacket made it sound like it was about (probably about a quarter of the book was about the "Japanese Lover" while the rest seemed like an unnecessary tangent.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,780
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Post by gottapeanow on Sept 19, 2016 5:16:08 GMT
The next book I listened to was slightly better- We Are Called to Rise. This story was told from multiple points of view and I was more interested in one of the stories. I think the story ended a little abruptly, but it was well told. This is the third time that I have tried to type this, and I keep hitting a key and erasing everything. Ugh. I adored this book despite the abrupt ending. So heartwarming! I am finally caught up on my reading goals for the year. I certainly don’t want to read just for the sake of reaching a goal, but I do love reading. I read three books this week. The first was Fahrenheit 451. Wow! I was so impressed. This book was amazing. I read some of his Bradbury’s other books in middle school but never this one. The edition that I have gives some backdrop and perspective along with a different version of the first chapter. Interesting. Definitely 5/5 stars. I also read Long Lost by Harlan Coben. I read this before but didn’t realize it until I was more than halfway through. I loved the ending. 5/5 stars. I was actually trying to figure out which Coben book is the one when Myron and Win “break up.” I thought I had read all of his books, but I don’t remember exactly what happened. I wanted to be caught up when the new one comes out. Finally, I read a new-to-me author, John Hart. I was so impressed! He is a combination of John Grisham and Greg Iles with some literary fiction thrown in. I read The Lost Child. The characters were a bit stereotypical, but I loved the setting and the plot. I certainly didn’t see that ending coming! 5/5 stars. Happy reading to the peas! Lisa |
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Post by littlefish on Sept 19, 2016 10:31:07 GMT
I finished Mindset by Carol Dweck. One of the better books I've read in a while about fixed vs growth mindset and how it applies across multiple facets of life. I'm using some growth mindset concepts in my classroom this year.
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Post by mommaho on Sept 19, 2016 10:57:42 GMT
I just finished Mitch Albom's The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. 4 stars, his books are always so different and this one is told from the viewpoint of Music.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Sept 19, 2016 14:00:59 GMT
Hello~ I haven't posted in several weeks, but I have a few that I've finished up. First I listened to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. I know this has been well liked by the peas and I'm usually in total agreement, but I think this was a case of a good book at the wrong time. I'm in the middle of waiting on some medical test results and both the pace of the book and the pace the narrator read was so slow, I just had a hard time focusing and keeping my attention on the book. Anyway, I did finish-I didn't dislike it, but it never grabbed my interest. I think it's safe to assume I won't be reading the sequel. The next book I listened to was slightly better- We Are Called to Rise. This story was told from multiple points of view and I was more interested in one of the stories. I think the story ended a little abruptly, but it was well told. The third book I listened to was Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen. This was a selection for my book club and this was excellent. First off, the narrator was fantastic and probably is the reason I liked it so much. It's a quiet little coming of age story of Mimi Miller, youngest daughter of a family living on a farm during the 60's. It had some great supporting characters and the while it's not high on drama, you get swept along with Mimi's life. This is my first Anna Quindlen book and will definitely read more, but I'm also going to be on the lookout for other books by the same narrator. And finally I finished reading Truly Madly Guilty. I preordered this before hearing any reviews. And while I agree it was not the best book by Liane Moriarty, I still enjoyed it. I just like her style of writing (the wittiness) even if the story fell a bit short. Currently I'm listening to Whistling Past the Graveyard. I'm about 1/3 of the way in. It's enjoyable, but not exactly loving it. I'm with you on The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. I didn't dislike it, but nothing in it made an impression on me and I was disappointed because I thought I was going to like it more than I did. I liked We Are Called to Rise and am reading Truly Madly Guilty now (not far enough in to have a strong opinion yet). I can't remember - are we friends on Goodreads? (I can't keep straight people's usernames and Goodreads names. I'm Katherine Hawkins). Finally, I read a new-to-me author, John Hart. I was so impressed! He is a combination of John Grisham and Greg Iles with some literary fiction thrown in. I read The Lost Child. The characters were a bit stereotypical, but I loved the setting and the plot. I certainly didn’t see that ending coming! 5/5 stars. Happy reading to the peas! Lisa John Hart is one of my favorite suspense/mystery writers. I think The Lost Child was the first one of his I read too. I also loved The Iron House and his newest one Redemption Road (published this year, I gave it five stars). I also liked Down River, but not as much as the others (it was an earlier book and I don't think it was as polished or complete as the others). I've read the first two Greg Iles books this year and have enjoyed them. Overall you've liked the whole series? |
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Sept 19, 2016 14:06:38 GMT
I read:
The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer. 4/5 stars. Just what you would expect from Amy Schumer - the book is honest and funny. I like that she revealed a lot about herself (sometimes celebrity books can feel too guarded or superficial) and it was interesting reading about her life (and I was definitely surprised at some of her stories). If you like Amy Schumer, you will like the book.
A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #12) by Louise Penny. 4.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. It was more of a literary suspense story versus a fast paced murder story.
I'm currently reading Truly Madly Guilty and have these three books from the library waiting for me: Hillbilly Elegy, Commonwealth, and The Last Days of Night.
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~Lauren~
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,876
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Post by ~Lauren~ on Sept 19, 2016 14:22:07 GMT
I finished Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Like all of the "killing" books this one was excellent and and excellent source of historical information
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Sept 19, 2016 14:31:29 GMT
I thought I'd mention this here, for those of you planning to read the third book of the Outlander series Voyager, the Podcast The Scot and the. Sassenach are going to do a book analysis of it. I don't have any other official information other than it starts this Saturday. They have done podcasts of other books and they discuss a few chapters each week. I found it very insightful, it feels like an a advanced book club :-). If interested, I'll pass along more info so just tag me and I'll keep you posted.
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Post by GamGam on Sept 19, 2016 14:59:43 GMT
I just finished Mitch Albom's The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. 4 stars, his books are always so different and this one is told from the viewpoint of Music. I also liked this book, and think my musical background helped some, but the story is compelling and the prose is excellent. |
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Post by mellowyellow on Sept 19, 2016 15:14:48 GMT
And I read The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens. It started off so well, it's about a struggling college student who has to write a college paper about another person. He chooses a convicted rapist and murderer who is dying in a local nursing home, and gets caught up in trying to prove the man is innocent. It just was too cliched and predictable and tied up way too neatly. Sad. I finished this last week and I agree with the above. It was just ok. I'm listening to If You Find Me and so far it's pretty good. I've had the hardest time finding good books lately.  |
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Post by kckckc on Sept 19, 2016 15:38:27 GMT
I finished three this week.
End of Watch by Stephen King. This is the third book of the Bill Hodges trilogy. I have enjoyed them all - King writes very "readable" books. 4/5
I Will Send Rain by Rae Meadows. The story of an Oklahoma farm family during the Dust Bowl. Very good book. 5/5
The One Man by Andrew Gross. The US government undertakes a mission to rescue a scientist with knowledge crucial to the development of the atom bomb from a German concentration camp. Definitely a page turner. The first chapter sets it up as an old man telling his part in this story to his daughter for the first time - I didn't like this chapter or the last one which follows up on the storytelling (the dialog just rang false to me), but the story itself was very good. 4/5
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Post by lynnek on Sept 19, 2016 15:49:12 GMT
I finished The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. I picked it up because I thought it might be interesting to learn more about them. I am not sure I did. I mean I did learn more about their day to day life but really nothing too Earth shattering as far as new information. It was a good book to listen to on audio, I think I may not have finished if I had read it. I would give it 3 stars.
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Post by GamGam on Sept 19, 2016 16:26:40 GMT
I've had the hardest time finding good books lately. Me too, Bearkat12. Save |
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Post by cadoodlebug on Sept 19, 2016 16:28:49 GMT
I'm reading Exodus by Leon Uris. Written in the late 1950s, it is an historical novel about the founding of modern day Israel. One of my favorite movies when I was a teen. The music is haunting. |
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Post by maryland on Sept 19, 2016 17:05:24 GMT
I read The Widow and it was pretty good. Reading Behind Closed Doors now.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,780
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Post by gottapeanow on Sept 19, 2016 17:44:21 GMT
Finally, I read a new-to-me author, John Hart. I was so impressed! He is a combination of John Grisham and Greg Iles with some literary fiction thrown in. I read The Lost Child. The characters were a bit stereotypical, but I loved the setting and the plot. I certainly didn’t see that ending coming! 5/5 stars. Happy reading to the peas! Lisa John Hart is one of my favorite suspense/mystery writers. I think The Lost Child was the first one of his I read too. I also loved The Iron House and his newest one Redemption Road (published this year, I gave it five stars). I also liked Down River, but not as much as the others (it was an earlier book and I don't think it was as polished or complete as the others). I've read the first two Greg Iles books this year and have enjoyed them. Overall you've liked the whole series? I have not read all of Greg Iles books and am taking my time with them. I won Natchez Burning as an ARC and loved it. That was my first book by Iles. I then read The Bone Tree and liked it but not quite as well. I have found a few of his older ones at thrift stores and such. I just checked his website, and the last book of the trilogy, Mississippi Blood, is due for release on March 28, 2017. I want to finish the trilogy, so I will definitely read that when it is released. I am waiting for my turn for Redemption Road at the library. My library has a section where you can borrow "honor books" and just bring them back whenever. That's where I found The Lost Child. I was so happy with it! I really feel that the writing and especially the subjects of Iles and Hart are similar. However, Iles' books are a bit too long for my taste. I will be going back and reading all of Hart's older book, but I am not in any rush. Lisa |
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,040
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Sept 19, 2016 17:51:11 GMT
I'm reading Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews. Stephanie Howell (I follow her) said it was one of her favorites and I'm liking it. I couldn't get into another Mary Kay Andrews book before, Savannah Breeze a few years back and shied away from her.
I'm starting to feel like its a bit predictable, but a little less than halfway in I'm still enjoying it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 28, 2024 10:34:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 17:52:15 GMT
I've had the hardest time finding good books lately. Me too, Bearkat12. SaveMe three! I keep picking stinkers. I've just started The Muse by Jessie Burton. |
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Post by kckckc on Sept 19, 2016 18:17:10 GMT
I have not read all of Greg Iles books and am taking my time with them. I won Natchez Burning as an ARC and loved it. That was my first book by Iles. I then read The Bone Tree and liked it but not quite as well. I have found a few of his older ones at thrift stores and such. I just checked his website, and the last book of the trilogy, Mississippi Blood, is due for release on March 28, 2017. I want to finish the trilogy, so I will definitely read that when it is released. Lisa Thanks for this information - I just put Mississippi Blood on reserve at the library and I am the first on on the list! |
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,780
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Post by gottapeanow on Sept 19, 2016 18:49:39 GMT
 Wow #kckckc!!! Nicely done!!! I am seriously impressed. Lisa
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Post by auntkelly on Sept 19, 2016 18:59:40 GMT
I'm reading Exodus by Leon Uris. Written in the late 1950s, it is an historical novel about the founding of modern day Israel. One of my favorite movies when I was a teen. The music is haunting. As I read the book, the theme song is playing in my head. It is a haunting melody and very appropriate for the subject matter. I have never seen the movie, but I'm going to watch it when I'm finished with the book. |
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Post by msdintz on Sept 20, 2016 1:25:29 GMT
I read Dragonmark by Sherrilyn Kenyon and as predicted it was awful. Glad I got it from library I struggled to finish it. Disappointing. Tomorrow in the mail I am getting Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews.. newest Kate Daniels book!! Can't wait one of my all time fave series. Karin Slaughter's new book comes out tomorrow also. Going to be a good reading weekend!
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My original pea date was November 1999 and my number was 1803
