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Post by Fidget on Jun 26, 2017 13:57:33 GMT
I've been struggling to find something that I really like.. Tried reading A Separate Peace for my book club that meets on Wednesday, I just couldn't get past the first 20 pages. I did read Gwendy's Button Box and really liked it, but it was very short and quick, read it in a day.
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iheartwine
Shy Member
Posts: 43
Sept 16, 2015 20:58:59 GMT
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Post by iheartwine on Jun 26, 2017 16:36:09 GMT
I read Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. It's about a young girl from a wealthy family who chooses a friend, who's not wealthy, to spend the summer with her on Martha's Vineyard. This becomes an annual event and thus "summer sisters". I don't know if it's been too many years since I was a teenager, or if it hasn't been enough years since my girls were teenagers, but both of the main characters got on my nerves. Just three stars on Goodreads for this one.
Next up is Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews.
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Post by epeanymous on Jun 26, 2017 16:52:59 GMT
I am reading A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass. I love her, but this isn't my favorite of her books so far.
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Post by epeanymous on Jun 26, 2017 16:53:55 GMT
I'm reading Before the Fall by Noah Hawley and really enjoying it. The story is about the investigation and media looking for a scope after a private plane on it's way from Martha's Vineyard to NYC crashes leaving 2 survivors, one of which is the 4 year old son of a powerful media mogul. I really enjoyed that book--I found it suspenseful and engaging.
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Post by katiescarlett on Jun 26, 2017 16:54:44 GMT
I'm still listening to "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas. It is so good! The narrator is excellent. I have about 4 hours left. I still have a spoiler question for anyone that has read Sycamore. I asked last week but no one responded so here it is again: What happened to the letter that Maude took from the post office. She was about to read it when she found out that Jess's body had been found. It was never mentioned again unless I missed it! It's really bugging me, I kept thinking that little point would be tied up at the end.
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Post by epeanymous on Jun 26, 2017 16:56:31 GMT
I read: Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan. 4.5/5 stars. Great read about two sisters, Nora and Theresa, who immigrate from Ireland to Boston in the late 1950s. The first pages of the book set the stage - Nora's adult son dies in a car crash and she calls her estranged sister, a cloistered nun, to tell her her son has died. Then the book fills in the history and it's engaging. Good summer reading! The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. 4/5 stars. I hear a great interview with the author when this first came out that piqued my interest and finally read the book. The book was more dry than the interview, which is why I knocked a star (felt a little stuffed with recitation of facts), but it's still very interesting material about women's suffrage, feminism, the birth control movement, alternate marriages, and how this all influenced the creation of Wonder Woman. I'm currently reading Killers of the Flower. On deck I have The Book of Joan, Kintu, and The Animators.I read Saints for All Occasions a few weeks ago and was really annoyed by it, and then my husband insisted on reading it anyway, and he was annoyed by it too. I didn't find any of the brothers to be convincing characters, and I wanted much more of the story between the sisters and between the mother and daughter.
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,766
Jun 25, 2014 23:21:30 GMT
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Post by scrapngranny on Jun 26, 2017 17:16:16 GMT
I just finished Hillbilly Ellergy by JD Vance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It wasn't at all what I expected. It is a non-fiction account of a guy's experience being born in Kentucky in a self proclaimed hillbilly family. The family moves to Ohio for better jobs, but you can't take the mutli-generations of hillbilly culture out of the family. Vance struggles with his mother's addictions, many relationships and lack of parenting skills along with the many layers of family dysfunction.
The book gave me a better understanding of the economic struggles of Ohio in general. While the family was searching for a better life, they did not have the tools to figure out how to go about it. In spite of it all the there was a deep love that kept the family together.
I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 10, 2024 8:39:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2017 17:19:30 GMT
I'm still reading The Stand (and I suspect this will be my answer until the end of the year.) Ditto. I asked my husband last night, what would we do if something like this happened. We didn't come up with a good answer between us. Love the book, though. SaveSave
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,028
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Jun 26, 2017 19:24:52 GMT
After an emergency book purchase, I read The White Princess by Philippa Gregory. She is fast and loose with history and I never agree with her historical characterizations, but you do find yourself sucked in.
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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 Jun 26, 2017 19:49:18 GMT
After an emergency book purchase, I read The White Princess by Philippa Gregory. She is fast and loose with history and I never agree with her historical characterizations, but you do find yourself sucked in. Yes, when I read her books I can't help but think that these ladies of court were the original Real Housewives :-p. I love it!
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
Jun 26, 2014 0:29:24 GMT
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Jun 26, 2017 22:07:05 GMT
This week I finished The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. It was only okay. It is about a very rich girl who marries a duke in England around the turn of the century. It was billed as a Downton Abbey type thing, and the premise was, but it just wasn't very interesting. Through the whole book, the author kept hinting at a secret that the reader already knows but the characters do not, and then when it finally came out you just wanted to shake the character and ask how she didn't figure it out already, because the reader sure did! Then it came to a very rushed and abrupt end.
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jun 26, 2017 22:15:33 GMT
@leanneac - that's on my books to read list! I'm reading The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena and can't put it down! Getting through it so fast! I've been wanting to read this also..good to know it's a good read! I just downloaded and read this book in 4 hours! I liked it but had it figured out from the get go.
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Post by SockMonkey on Jun 26, 2017 23:22:33 GMT
I'm about halfway done with "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles and it's really good. I also just finished "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders which was OUTSTANDING. Strange and amazing and so clever and so well done. A little bit of a tough start for me, as I got used to the style, but DAMN was that book good. I was in Barnes & Noble today picking up a gift and was totally overwhelmed by all the books I want to read. Just...overwhelmed. Also have been listening to Book Riot's podcast "All the Books," and they did their best so far episode. Again...adding to my list! bookriot.com/listen/shows/allthebooks/
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Post by leannec on Jun 26, 2017 23:24:33 GMT
I've been wanting to read this also..good to know it's a good read! I just downloaded and read this book in 4 hours! I liked it but had it figured out from the get go. I recommend Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris ... it is better ... the last page makes the whole book worth the read
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jun 27, 2017 14:58:09 GMT
I just downloaded and read this book in 4 hours! I liked it but had it figured out from the get go. I recommend Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris ... it is better ... the last page makes the whole book worth the read Ohh thanks Leanne! I have that one downloaded too.
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Post by kckckc on Jun 27, 2017 17:54:41 GMT
I finished Beartown by Fredrik Backman. Backman is the author of A Man Called Ove. This one is set in a small town in Sweden where hockey is king. A crime takes place and changes the town and the people in it. There are a lot of characters in the book and Backman does an excellent job getting inside all of them. It's a book about family, friendship, haves and have nots, and doing the right (or wrong thing) when we are given the choice and how sometimes the choice is not clear cut. I really liked this one. 5/5
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Post by mnmloveli on Jun 28, 2017 14:18:10 GMT
TODAY ONLY WEDNESDAY 6-28-17. Figured I'd post in here too for any book readers that have this thread bookmarked !
Today's Kindle Book Sale is Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. True story. He was on one of the news shows this weekend. Sunday this book was $15.99 (highest Kindle book I've ever seen); today only $4.99
From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class
Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.
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Post by freeatlast on Jun 28, 2017 14:53:55 GMT
Thanks for the heads up, mnmloveli. I just downloaded the book.
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Trixie Bender
Pearl Clutcher
It's all fun and games until someone doesn't pick up on the sarcasm
Posts: 3,691
Location: Boldly going nowhere
Jun 26, 2014 11:31:57 GMT
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Post by Trixie Bender on Jun 28, 2017 15:17:35 GMT
I'm now reading Mean Streak by Sandra Brown. Another "woman-in-peril–hunky-guy-to-the-rescue" romantic thriller. Sometimes I wish she would just write the thriller part. I know, I'm weird. That's what I'm reading this week also. If you're weird, then so am I. I just want the thriller part too.
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Post by jassy on Jun 28, 2017 16:07:23 GMT
I just finished Unmentionable The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill
Really enjoyed the author's voice as we are treated as time travelers with modern sensibilities going back to the 1800s. The book is hilarious and horrifying, but mostly hilarious. I needed a book like this!
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Post by maryland on Jun 28, 2017 19:17:49 GMT
I just finished The Choices We Make which is about infertility and surrogacy. Great fiction book on the subject. That looks good!
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Post by tara595 on Jun 29, 2017 13:17:06 GMT
I just finished Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. I liked it...I think... It was definitely no Mystic River but it held my interest and the last half of the book was action packed, although far fetched. Has anyone read it?
I think I'm going to start the new Elin Hilderbran book The Identicals to really get me in the summer mood!
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Post by lynnek on Jun 29, 2017 16:27:08 GMT
I just finished Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. I liked it...I think... It was definitely no Mystic River but it held my interest and the last half of the book was action packed, although far fetched. Has anyone read it? I think I'm going to start the new Elin Hilderbran book The Identicals to really get me in the summer mood! I am about 100 pages into Since We Fell. I am kind of questioning how there are 300 more pages based on what is happening right now. I am interested and anxious to see where it goes. Last week I finished The Lying Game by Ruth Ware. I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10 so I was excited to get an ARC of Ms. Ware's new book. In the end, I think I liked this one even better! The story centers around four girls who were at a boarding school together for a short time until they were mysteriously kicked out after a scandal. Now years later, one woman texts the other three saying she needs them so they all gather together to hash out the details of a long ago night. There were a lot of twists and a lot of small details that made me wonder about the outcome of the book. Overall, a great summer beach read that will keep you turning the pages. I also read The Dry by Jane Harper. This has been reviewed quite a bit here so I will say I enjoyed it and liked the different twists as far as who did what. I did figure it out but was glad to see how everything played out.
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Post by lynnek on Jun 29, 2017 16:28:00 GMT
I am finishing up Lab Girl and I absolutely love it! Have you seen the Once Upon a Book Club subscription service? One of the members of the book club I belong to at the library was talking about this and I looked it up. I subscribed because I think it's such a cute idea. Also, you can save on the first month by using these two codes: Bookables will save you 10% and 1YEAR will save you an additional 15%. You can use both codes. If you'd be interested in signing up I'd so appreciate it if you used my referral link. onceuponabookclub.cratejoy.com/refer/Rene-SBQHSKWK That looks very fun! I think I will use your link and sign up for the three months. Thanks!
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Post by ShesaRenegade on Jun 29, 2017 17:19:58 GMT
I am finishing up Lab Girl and I absolutely love it! Have you seen the Once Upon a Book Club subscription service? One of the members of the book club I belong to at the library was talking about this and I looked it up. I subscribed because I think it's such a cute idea. Also, you can save on the first month by using these two codes: Bookables will save you 10% and 1YEAR will save you an additional 15%. You can use both codes. If you'd be interested in signing up I'd so appreciate it if you used my referral link. onceuponabookclub.cratejoy.com/refer/Rene-SBQHSKWK That looks very fun! I think I will use your link and sign up for the three months. Thanks! Thanks so much! I think it will be fun to read the books knowing you get tangible surprises as you are reading. We should chat after we get our first one. Save
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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 Jun 29, 2017 19:05:45 GMT
I just finished Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. I liked it...I think... It was definitely no Mystic River but it held my interest and the last half of the book was action packed, although far fetched. Has anyone read it? I read it a few weeks ago and still don't know what to think about it (I gave it a middle of the road 3 stars on Goodreads). I don't know what the first half of the book was even about - it didn't really seem to impact anything in the second half. And far fetched is an understatement - but the last half did keep my turning the pages.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,764
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Jun 29, 2017 19:14:43 GMT
I just finished Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. I liked it...I think... It was definitely no Mystic River but it held my interest and the last half of the book was action packed, although far fetched. Has anyone read it? I think I'm going to start the new Elin Hilderbran book The Identicals to really get me in the summer mood! Way too far fetched for me. I still love Lehane, though. My favorite is his trilogy, starting with The Given Day. Really amazing! Lisa
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Post by lynnek on Jun 30, 2017 15:22:35 GMT
I just finished Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. I liked it...I think... It was definitely no Mystic River but it held my interest and the last half of the book was action packed, although far fetched. Has anyone read it? I read it a few weeks ago and still don't know what to think about it (I gave it a middle of the road 3 stars on Goodreads). I don't know what the first half of the book was even about - it didn't really seem to impact anything in the second half. And far fetched is an understatement - but the last half did keep my turning the pages. Read another almost 100 pages last night so I am about half way through and that is totally what I am thinking, what is this book even about? But somehow it is compelling and I have not even thought about not continuing to read. I am ready for that second half though when there is action!
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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 Jun 30, 2017 15:33:55 GMT
I read it a few weeks ago and still don't know what to think about it (I gave it a middle of the road 3 stars on Goodreads). I don't know what the first half of the book was even about - it didn't really seem to impact anything in the second half. And far fetched is an understatement - but the last half did keep my turning the pages. Read another almost 100 pages last night so I am about half way through and that is totally what I am thinking, what is this book even about? But somehow it is compelling and I have not even thought about not continuing to read. I am ready for that second half though when there is action! It was such a quick read and low commitment, so I didn't mind finishing. I agree on how it seemed odd, yet it compelled me to keep reading. The first half felt more like a novel, then the second half was a bananas suspense story.
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Post by worrywart on Jul 1, 2017 3:50:48 GMT
I just finished Angel Falls by Nora Roberts. It was really good for a fairly predictable type of book. I also read another one of hers a few weeks ago, The Obsession, and enjoyed it as well even though they both have similar plots I didn't care lol
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