gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
|
Post by gottapeanow on Sept 25, 2017 19:26:46 GMT
Hi Reading Peaps,
What are y'all reading?
I was out of town last week, so I never posted. I had a long layover and a little free time, so I have been able to do some reading in the past two weeks.
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. This was super interesting and told in such a unique way. The story is told chronologically in five parts from the perspective of each of the five main characters. A quick plot summary: An older sister and her younger twin siblings now form a nuclear family in London. The twin brother has terrorist ties. The other twin girl begins a relationship with a young man - whose father happens to be high in politics in London. And that ending. My. Oh. My. 5/5 stars. How to Grow an Addict by J.A. Wright. Anything and everything happens to this young girl as she grows up to be . . . an addict. Not a true story, but written as if it could be. A decent plot, but the writing style felt very immature to me. 3/5 stars. A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert. I could not connect with this one. First of all, it's two boys in winter. And a girl set in Germany during WW2. I liked the epilogue. Other than that, it felt cold and plodding. 3/5 stars. Sourdough by Robin Sloan. Fun and quirky. This started out well and then became a bit bogged down in the about the chemical reaction of how the bread formed. Sweet overall. 4/5 stars. Friend Request by Laura Marshall. Louise receives a friend request from Maria - who died in high school. Now their reunion is coming up. Who set up the reunion? Who sent the friend request? Is Maria still alive? And if not, who killed her? This had a great premise, but the execution fell flat. 3/5 stars. When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Whalen. Loved the perspective of this. Centered around a catastrophic event in the small town of Worthy, GA., the story is told from four perspectives of different women who were impacted that night. All the stories intertwine with each other. Loved this one. 5/5 stars.
You're all up!
Lisa
|
|
pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
|
Post by pudgygroundhog on Sept 25, 2017 20:27:45 GMT
Hi Reading Peaps, What are y'all reading? I was out of town last week, so I never posted. I had a long layover and a little free time, so I have been able to do some reading in the past two weeks. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. This was super interesting and told in such a unique way. The story is told chronologically in five parts from the perspective of each of the five main characters. A quick plot summary: An older sister and her younger twin siblings now form a nuclear family in London. The twin brother has terrorist ties. The other twin girl begins a relationship with a young man - whose father happens to be high in politics in London. And that ending. My. Oh. My. 5/5 stars. How to Grow an Addict by J.A. Wright. Anything and everything happens to this young girl as she grows up to be . . . an addict. Not a true story, but written as if it could be. A decent plot, but the writing style felt very immature to me. 3/5 stars. A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert. I could not connect with this one. First of all, it's two boys in winter. And a girl set in Germany during WW2. I liked the epilogue. Other than that, it felt cold and plodding. 3/5 stars. Sourdough by Robin Sloan. Fun and quirky. This started out well and then became a bit bogged down in the about the chemical reaction of how the bread formed. Sweet overall. 4/5 stars. Friend Request by Laura Marshall. Louise receives a friend request from Maria - who died in high school. Now their reunion is coming up. Who set up the reunion? Who sent the friend request? Is Maria still alive? And if not, who killed her? This had a great premise, but the execution fell flat. 3/5 stars. When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Whalen. Loved the perspective of this. Centered around a catastrophic event in the small town of Worthy, GA., the story is told from four perspectives of different women who were impacted that night. All the stories intertwine with each other. Loved this one. 5/5 stars. You're all up! Lisa Sourdough and Home Fire are on my list - glad you liked them! It was a very good reading week for me - two five star reads - a rarity for me! (I've only given 17/86 books five stars this year): Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. 5/5 stars. Loved her debut novel, Everything I Never Told You and her new one is another fantastic read. Love her writing and family driven stories. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. 5/5 stars. Great character driven mystery/suspense. Currently reading The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish.
|
|
gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
|
Post by gottapeanow on Sept 25, 2017 20:31:13 GMT
pudgygroundhog, ITA, loved Everything I Never Told You as you well. Little Fires Everywhere seems every bit as positive - happy to hear your great review.
|
|
The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,936
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
|
Post by The Great Carpezio on Sept 25, 2017 20:38:24 GMT
Thanks Gottapea. I totally forgot last night.
I am currently rereading Ready Player One. I get to teach it with my Mass Communications class! Yay!
|
|
|
Post by stingfan on Sept 25, 2017 21:20:22 GMT
I'm slogging through A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I'm just not getting into it or connecting with it at all. I've listened to 8 hours of the audiobook and have 9 left. It's my book club's book for October. If it weren't, I would have given up long ago.
|
|
|
Post by kckckc on Sept 25, 2017 21:25:48 GMT
I finished three books this week.
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin. Aviva is an intern who has an affair with the married congressman she works for. The affair is made public and Aviva's life is changed. She changes her name and occupation and moves across the country, where she raises her daughter. Eventually others find out her identity. Likeable and believable characters. I liked this one. 4/5
Sourdough by Robin Sloan. Lois is a software engineer who after being gifted a strange sourdough culture becomes a baker. A fast, easy, light read. This one had a touch of magical realism, but I don't think it was very well done - it was not written well enough for me to suspend my disbelief. The supporting characters fell a little flat. All in all, I was disappointed in this one. 3/5
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. A family drama set in Shaker Heights, Ohio. I really liked this one. The time, place and characters were all very well drawn. 5/5
|
|
gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
|
Post by gottapeanow on Sept 25, 2017 21:27:04 GMT
Thanks Gottapea. I totally forgot last night. I am currently rereading Ready Player One. I get to teach it with my Mass Communications class! Yay! Happy to help. I loved Ready Player One. The movie will be excellent.
|
|
tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
Jun 26, 2014 18:26:03 GMT
|
Post by tuesdaysgone on Sept 25, 2017 21:29:51 GMT
I'm reading North Haven (Sarah Moriarty) which is about four adult siblings who come back to a summer cottage in Maine after their parents have passed. Before long, family tensions and dysfunctions come to the surface. It's an easy, light read and I'm enjoying it. If you're interested, the Kindle version is $1.99 right now. pudgygroundhog , I'm curious to see how you like Weight of Ink. I just returned it to the library after giving up after about page 250. It began with so much promise, but I found it lagged too much and trailed off on storylines I didn't care for. The central story was compelling, but the rest didn't hold me. We read very similar books and often like the same books, so I'm anxious to see how you like it (or not).
|
|
|
Post by mnmloveli on Sept 25, 2017 21:36:50 GMT
Two books for me last week.
I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll. Kindle First Sale $1.99; reg 4.98. I loved it and gave it 4 stars. A teenage girl disappears after being harassed by a group of men on a train. A witness who did nothing, starts to get strange notes. 96% 4/5 star reviews out of 1,000+ reviews. Deserves every one of those reviews.
Haunted by James Patterson & James O. Born (Michael Bennett #10). I give it 3 stars. Typical Patterson. Michael Bennett and his family try to come to grips with 17 year old Brian's arrest. A quiet vacation to Maine is in their future but Bennett gets pulled into a case with kids disappearing. It does aggravate me that this book and his last one stopped at 84%; feel like I'm getting cheated.
Happy Reading !
|
|
|
Post by cadoodlebug on Sept 25, 2017 22:38:51 GMT
I tried to read Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (Girl on the Train) and just couldn't get it into it. Then I read Fatal by John Lescroart. It had many twists and turns while I tried to figure it out. I'd give it a 3.5/5. Now I'm reading The Black Book by James Patterson. I love his style of short 2-5 page chapters. Easy to read. My kind of book. I'm panicking because I have several books on hold at the library that look like they will be available in the next day or two. So many books, so little time!
|
|
gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
|
Post by gottapeanow on Sept 25, 2017 22:52:13 GMT
I tried to read Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (Girl on the Train) and just couldn't get it into it. Then I read Fatal by John Lescroart. It had many twists and turns while I tried to figure it out. I'd give it a 3.5/5. Now I'm reading The Black Book by James Patterson. I love his style of short 2-5 page chapters. Easy to read. My kind of book. I'm panicking because I have several books on hold at the library that look like they will be available in the next day or two. So many books, so little time!Hopefully, they won't all pop up at the same time. This happens to me, too. Lol. I check to see which books I can probably renew and put those on the bottom of the stack. That doesn't always work as sometimes, you will think that you can renew a book, but then someone else wants it. If there is any doubt, I read the new releases first because those are likely to be snatched up by other readers. When push comes to shove, I <gasp!> turn in the book late and pay the fine. It's for a good cause, after all. I had one a couple of weeks ago that I just ended up not reading because it was long, and I knew I would not have time. I wasn't in the mood for it at all, either.
|
|
|
Post by birukitty on Sept 25, 2017 23:08:25 GMT
Three for me this week. The first one is one I've read decades ago, but when I was at my local library recently I spotted it on the shelf and decided to read it again. It is
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom This is an amazing non-fiction book about a family who lived in a town called Harrlem in Holland. Corrie was born in 1892 into a loving family with a big sister named Betsie, a father who had his own business as a watchmaker downstairs in their narrow house called the Beje. Three aunts, her mother, another sister and brother filled the household. The family were devout Christians and the biggest part of this book is what happens during WW2 when Holland is invaded by the Nazi's. Her brother begins working to help hide Jews on neighboring farms and one day it happens-a Jewish person arrives at the Beje who can't be moved that night and seeks shelter. Corrie's father without question invites the person in and so begins the Beje's place as a shelter for Jews. Corrie's father has an architect come in who can be trusted and he builds a safe space where they can be hidden if a Nazi raid occurs. Which eventually does and Corrie, her father and Betsie, her brother are all sent to concentration camps. This is an amazing book and if you haven't read it I encourage you to. As a side note-my family has family friends who live in Harrlem and we've visited a few times over the years. I've been lucky enough to visit the Beje twice which is now a museum and was able to stand in the Hiding Place myself. It's a wonderful museum. 5 stars
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne I happened to be visiting my parents and my mother gave me this book because she doesn't like fiction. I was so happy because I've been meaning to read it for some time. If you've seen the film the book is told from 9 year old Bruno's voice. This is very interesting that it's told through his eyes and what he sees. He doesn't understand why his family has to move and he's not happy about it-moving from Berlin to what he calls Out-With because he can't pronounce Auschwitz. His father is to be the new commandant. When they move into the new house his window overlooks the rows of fencing and he can see the men's and boy's area where so many people are all walking around wearing striped pajamas. He's upset because he has absolutely no one to play with and yet just across the fence there are so many people that could be his playmates. A man called the Fury (he can't pronounce Fuhrer either) is responsible for all of his predicament and he hates him. It was a great book which gave a little bit more insight into the novel than the film. The ending was a bit different though (the parents don't find him right away) and I have to admit I prefer the film version myself. 5 stars
Survivor's Club by Michael Bornstein is a non-fiction book about a 4 year old boy who is filmed by Soviet soldiers being carried out of Auschwitz in his grandmother's arms. This book tells the amazing story of how his father's wit, "a mother's fierce love, and one perfectly timed illness saved Michael's life, and how other's in his family from Zarki, Poland dodged death at the hands of the Nazi's time and again with incredible deftness and luck." from the book jacket. I really liked this book. 5 stars
|
|
lesley
Drama Llama
My best friend Turriff, desperately missed.
Posts: 7,184
Location: Scotland, Scotland, Scotland
Jul 6, 2014 21:50:44 GMT
|
Post by lesley on Sept 25, 2017 23:11:38 GMT
Last week I read Gabourey Sidibe's memoir This Is Just My Face. I haven't seen her in any films or TV, but the synopsis intrigued me, and I really enjoyed the book. She is a smart woman, and her writing style is very accessible. 3.5/5
I'm currently reading three books, although I am struggling to engage with Lisa Ko's The Leavers. I don't like the son, nor his adoptive parents, nor his mother! I'm over halfway through, so I might finish it, but at the moment it's not looking very likely.
I've been dipping into a fascinating book called Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy by Tim Harford. Each chapter is about a different item, and they range from infant formula to shipping containers, and barbed wire to Billy bookcases. The articles are a mix of history, perceptive analysis, humour and occasional anecdotes. I give this a strong 5/5 and would recommend it. I have had some really interesting discussions with friends and my kids about some of the items too!
Last night I started The World of Tomorrow by Brendan Mathews, and am enjoying it so far.
|
|
|
Post by cadoodlebug on Sept 25, 2017 23:31:27 GMT
I tried to read Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (Girl on the Train) and just couldn't get it into it. Then I read Fatal by John Lescroart. It had many twists and turns while I tried to figure it out. I'd give it a 3.5/5. Now I'm reading The Black Book by James Patterson. I love his style of short 2-5 page chapters. Easy to read. My kind of book. I'm panicking because I have several books on hold at the library that look like they will be available in the next day or two. So many books, so little time!Hopefully, they won't all pop up at the same time. This happens to me, too. Lol. I check to see which books I can probably renew and put those on the bottom of the stack. That doesn't always work as sometimes, you will think that you can renew a book, but then someone else wants it. If there is any doubt, I read the new releases first because those are likely to be snatched up by other readers. When push comes to shove, I <gasp!> turn in the book late and pay the fine. It's for a good cause, after all. I had one a couple of weeks ago that I just ended up not reading because it was long, and I knew I would not have time. I wasn't in the mood for it at all, either. What I might do is request it from DH's account too. That way if he wants to read it, we can overlap if it becomes due on my account.
|
|
pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
|
Post by pudgygroundhog on Sept 26, 2017 3:12:34 GMT
I'm reading North Haven (Sarah Moriarty) which is about four adult siblings who come back to a summer cottage in Maine after their parents have passed. Before long, family tensions and dysfunctions come to the surface. It's an easy, light read and I'm enjoying it. If you're interested, the Kindle version is $1.99 right now. pudgygroundhog , I'm curious to see how you like Weight of Ink. I just returned it to the library after giving up after about page 250. It began with so much promise, but I found it lagged too much and trailed off on storylines I didn't care for. The central story was compelling, but the rest didn't hold me. We read very similar books and often like the same books, so I'm anxious to see how you like it (or not). I'm about 35% of the way through and I'm liking it, although I'm finding it's easy to put down. I was expecting a more engrossing story that really pulled me in based on the reviews. I think the language and writing requires some concentration and it's taking me longer to get into it. I'll report back when I'm finished!
|
|
|
Post by tommygirl on Sept 26, 2017 11:20:03 GMT
Just read Jen Hatmaker's newest books and Of Mess and Moxie . It was really good and a quick read. If you liked For the Love you will love this!
|
|
janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633
Jun 26, 2014 14:35:07 GMT
|
Post by janeliz on Sept 26, 2017 12:16:55 GMT
The Stars in Our Eyes:The Famous, the Infamous, and Why We Care Way Too Much About Them by Julie Klam. Musings on celebrity culture. A few interesting stories, but I skimmed through some sections. I didn't enjoy it as much as the similarly themed "I'm Your Biggest Fan" by Kate Coyne.
|
|
scrappyesq
Pearl Clutcher
You have always been a part of the heist. You're only mad now because you don't like your cut.
Posts: 4,032
Jun 26, 2014 19:29:07 GMT
|
Post by scrappyesq on Sept 26, 2017 13:49:20 GMT
Still reading The Obelisk Gate and just started another cowboy romance: Down Home Cowboy by Maisey Yates.
|
|
|
Post by #notLauren on Sept 26, 2017 15:51:48 GMT
I just finished Bill O'Reilly's new book "Killing England" about the American War of Independence. Like all of Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" books, it was well researched and well written.
Regardless of what you think of the man, he and Martin Duggar are excellent writers with respect to historical events.
I also read "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" based on reviews here. I really enjoyed it.
|
|
|
Post by lynnek on Sept 26, 2017 16:23:27 GMT
I only got one done last week - This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. On the surface this is a book about a little boy who feels like a little girl and the family who supports her. But it is really so much more. The writing is truly amazing and the little bits and pieces of absolutely saying the right thing at the right time had me mesmerized. I loved the husband in the family and his quiet wisdom. I loved the brothers who were wild and ruckus and oh so supportive. And just the whole story of a family who loves so much and tries to do the right thing and secrets and how secrets can be the best and the worst. A very good read!
Now I am quickly reading A Stranger in the House the new one by Shari Lapena who also wrote The Couple Next Door before I have to return it to the library in a few days.
|
|
|
Post by ~summer~ on Sept 26, 2017 17:01:52 GMT
Finished Pachinko on Monday which I loved - just started Homegoing which I so far really enjoy though will be an emotional read...
|
|
|
Post by jassy on Sept 26, 2017 17:08:17 GMT
I read "I liked my life" a debut novel by Abby Fabiaschi.
Here's the summary by Amazon:
Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her? As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths.
Maddy, however, isn’t ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge...but who also harbors a tragedy of her own. Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heal?
There was a lot I liked about this book, but the ending was such an enormous let down for me that colored everything that came before. So 5/5 until the last 10% - last 10% gets a 3/5 lol.
|
|
|
Post by jackie on Sept 26, 2017 20:01:48 GMT
Haven't participated in this thread in months, and I have no idea why! I read this thread religiously, always look forward to it each week, and add to my reading list based on your recommendations. I won't bog everyone down with everything I've read in the last few months; I'll just stick with the more recents.
On my Kindle I'm currently reading The Woman Next Door by Cass Green. I'm almost halfway through, but I'm not loving it. I'm not finding the main characters (Hester and Melissa) likable at all. I at least need someone to root for, maybe Melissa's daughter? She seems okay but so far has a minor role. Right now these women are in some trouble and I'm not sure I even care what happens to them. At this point I'd rate it. 2/5. We'll see if that improves once I finish it
I just recently finished I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi for one of my book clubs. I really liked this one. I was interested in the characters and in finding out why the main character took her on life. I would give it a 4/5. I also recently finished A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Conner. This book was for a large book club I'm in called ChickLit. The book is a collection of short stories. They were interesting to read and I'm glad I read them, but I didn't love them. I'm not one to want to see literature whitewashed or anything, but the constant and casual racism was difficult. I give it a 3/5.
I've recently started several books, but I'm not far in any of them. I'm reading Rudy by Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. It's the man who the movie Rudy was based on and the book club selection for my library book club. The author will be making an appearance and giving a talk next month. It's unusual to have a book written after the movie, especially so many years after. I guess he had some things he wanted to say that weren't in the movie. I'm not far enough in to have much of an opinion, but I'm trying to get over the fact that there were FOURTEEN kids in his family! And they lived in an 800 square foot house! Was that in the movie and I just forgot?
I also just started The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. Not far enough in to have an opinion and I'll probably need to set it aside for a week so I can finish Rudy.
I had a whole group of audio books come in at once from the library. I just finished listening to Ashley Bell (is Koontz hoping this will be his next Odd Thomas? I definitely see a set-up for some sequels. I enjoyed it though and would give it 3.5/5. I need to decide which to start next: The Story Sisters or The Museum of Extraordinary Things both by Alice Hoffman, One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus, or The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle.
I actually have a whole slew of books on my to read pile from the library. It gives me a comforting feeling though knowing that I have so many waiting for me. Nothing worse than finishing a book and not having the next one lined up!
|
|
|
Post by katiescarlett on Sept 26, 2017 20:43:29 GMT
I read Last breath by Karin Slaughter. It is a short story prequel to The Good Daughter. I liked it. I really liked the main character and am looking forward to the Good Daughter. I have it on hold at the library.
Currently reading Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. I'm about half way through and I like it.
|
|
my3freaks
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,206
Location: NH girl living in Colorado
Jun 26, 2014 4:10:56 GMT
|
Post by my3freaks on Sept 27, 2017 4:18:34 GMT
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, I finished Undone & Broken (books 3 & 4 in the Will Trent series) by Karin Slaughter, and tonight I'm starting The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle.
|
|
|
Post by jackie on Sept 27, 2017 11:58:42 GMT
I too loved her first book and can't wait to read this one. I have it on hold at the library. Added bonus that it takes place in Ohio, where she's from (or lived for a while) as I am a fellow NE Ohio girl.
|
|
Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,677
Jun 25, 2014 19:33:19 GMT
|
Post by Rhondito on Sept 27, 2017 18:41:36 GMT
I read Last breath by Karin Slaughter. It is a short story prequel to The Good Daughter. I liked it. I really liked the main character and am looking forward to the Good Daughter. I have it on hold at the library. I finished The Good Daughter today. It was a damn good book - 5/5. I hope you enjoy it.
|
|
|
Post by auntkelly on Sept 27, 2017 19:02:53 GMT
I read Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen. I thought it was a good book about a depressing subject-domestic abuse.
|
|
|
Post by mnmloveli on Sept 27, 2017 22:50:41 GMT
I read Last breath by Karin Slaughter. It is a short story prequel to The Good Daughter. I liked it. I really liked the main character and am looking forward to the Good Daughter. I have it on hold at the library. I finished The Good Daughter today. It was a damn good book - 5/5. I hope you enjoy it. So many recommendations for The Good Daughter. Thank You ! I'm starting this one tonight !
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Sept 28, 2017 0:21:59 GMT
We Are Never Meeting In Real Life: Essays, by Samantha Irby. She's really funny and lives in Chicago not too far from where my sister lives (unless she's moved since this book was written) and now I'm dying to run into her next time I visit. Stalker! Lol.
|
|