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Post by leftturnonly on Sept 4, 2018 2:07:20 GMT
I read Eagle & Crane. Wow. I had this one from the library, sitting at home for a while. I almost returned it without reading it because so many books! But I'm sooo glad I kept it. Eagle & Crane is the story of a conflicted relationship between a young Japanese man, Harry, and his friend and neighbor, Louis, at the start of WW2. With many dynamics, the novel starts out a bit slow. Still, it held my interest throughout until the last 100 pages when the pace accelerated to breakneck speed. This book was full of delightful and nuanced characters and twists and turns that I never saw coming. And I loved the different POV of WW2; this one takes place in America and includes the horrific treatment of the Japanese people by our government. Highly recommend. 5/5 stars Lisa I just put it on my list. Thank you to the pea who recommended The Home For Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman. I just loved this book. Excerpt from Goodreads - This is fiction based on fact regarding "Quebec’s impoverished orphanage system. It’s a precarious enough existence that takes a tragic turn when Elodie, along with thousands of other orphans in Quebec, is declared mentally ill as the result of a new law that provides more funding to psychiatric hospitals than to orphanages." A page turner for me and my favourite read for the year so far 5/5 stars This too.
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Post by Really Red on Sept 4, 2018 2:13:16 GMT
Read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman which I completely loved and gave it 4.5 out of 5. I know some here did not like it but I couldn't put it down. To me just a fun quick entertaining read. DNF Where'd You Go Bernadette, just couldn't get into it. Next up is The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I loved Eleanor Oliphant. I think I gave it either 4 or 4.5 stars. I totally agree with you. I recently read The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware and I cannot think I will ever read another one of her books. It was a 1 out of 5 for me. Last night I finished Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It was so good, but tough to read at times. I had no idea about the subject but can't believe this all really happened. I would definitely recommend it. 4.5 stars. I think I'm going to start I'll Be Your Blue Sky next. I am reading Before We Were Yours now and am struggling a bit through it. It is well written, though, and keeping my interest. I just finished The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I'd like to give it 3 out of 5 stars, but it's more like 2.5, I think. The idea is so great, but the author just doesn't get there. You have to be able to get behind someone in a book, I think, and this protagonist is not one of them. She annoyed the hell out of me. I fully admit that part of the eye rolling on my part is that everyone from 45-55 is a doddering old fool in the book. I realize things were different in 1947, but not that different! In addition, I think the author did a lot of research on certain things (which were great), but not on other things, like post WWII France, for example. The one thing I did like was that the author really showed how shell-shocked people who had been to war were. But her protagonist was not someone to whom I related. I also didn't love the jumping from 1915 to 1947 every 4-5 pages. I finished Ghosted, by Rosie Walsh. I would give it about a 3, nothing I would rave about, but readable. There were characters brought into the story that I’m not sure why they were there. They weren’t well developed and I didn’t think they added much. ITA. I think I gave this book a 1 out of 5. I am all for flawed characters, but they need some redeeming quality and this one had none. Plus you really have to suspend a whole lot of reality, don't you? I mean if someone ghosted you, and they literally lived 1km from you, wouldn't the very first thing you did be to go their home? Yet she never once did. Still reading Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery Sigh. I surely love Anne of Green Gables. I still cherish the set I bought 40 years ago with my babysitting money!
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Post by leftturnonly on Sept 4, 2018 2:22:38 GMT
I finished The Rooster Bar by John Grisham. I used to devour John Grisham books when they came out, but it’s been years since I read one. I’d give this a generous 3 stars. I’ve been reading a lot of books with female characters making stupid life altering choices, this book proves that men make equally bad choices as well 😜. A generous 3 stars for John Grisham isn't a very ringing endorsement! I read Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan books when they were released. I immediately thought of him on 9/11. I convinced my husband to read his books and have been quite a fan all these years. (Including spin-offs written by other authors.) Amazon Prime now has a Jack Ryan video series that I watched yesterday and I have to give it a high recommendation for anyone who loved Tom Clancy. They somehow managed to update the timeframe while keeping a great deal of the original story. Still, never as good as the books, but much, much better than a number of Clancy movies that have come out over the years. The only Clancy movie I really liked was the Search for Red October (Das Boot) with Sean Connery in 1990. The others, despite having Harrison Ford in the starring role, deviated just too far from the books for me to enjoy them. Again, the new Amazon Prime Jack Ryan series is much better than I thought it might be.
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Post by pjaye on Sept 4, 2018 2:42:11 GMT
I just finished The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I'd like to give it 3 out of 5 stars, but it's more like 2.5, I think. The idea is so great, but the author just doesn't get there. You have to be able to get behind someone in a book, I think, and this protagonist is not one of them. She annoyed the hell out of me. I LOVED pretty much everything about this book. How was Charlie "annoying" to you? She was a pretty tough girl for the times, didn't let her mother push her into doing things and found a way to make things work for her. The whole book is full of strong, independent women. I very easily got behind all of the female characters, especially Charlie and Eve. I also didn't have any doddery old people in my version of the book! All of those women in the spy network were based on real people and I did some more reading on them after I finished the book and they were remarkable women...imagine being operated on without anaesthetic? Such a shame that for you it was just a bunch of annoying characters.
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,350
Location: Dallas Texas
Jun 26, 2014 12:16:22 GMT
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Post by SabrinaP on Sept 4, 2018 2:45:45 GMT
I finished Kindred by Octavia Butler. I thought the concept was interesting at first, but the book just didn't seem to go anywhere. When I noticed I was at 85% with no true end in sight, I knew I was in trouble. The author must not have known how to end the book, because it just kind of ended.
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Post by #notLauren on Sept 4, 2018 4:04:12 GMT
I finished The Rooster Bar by John Grisham. I used to devour John Grisham books when they came out, but it’s been years since I read one. I’d give this a generous 3 stars. I’ve been reading a lot of books with female characters making stupid life altering choices, this book proves that men make equally bad choices as well 😜. A generous 3 stars for John Grisham isn't a very ringing endorsement! I read Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan books when they were released. I immediately thought of him on 9/11. I convinced my husband to read his books and have been quite a fan all these years. (Including spin-offs written by other authors.) Amazon Prime now has a Jack Ryan video series that I watched yesterday and I have to give it a high recommendation for anyone who loved Tom Clancy. They somehow managed to update the timeframe while keeping a great deal of the original story. Still, never as good as the books, but much, much better than a number of Clancy movies that have come out over the years. The only Clancy movie I really liked was the Search for Red October (Das Boot) with Sean Connery in 1990. The others, despite having Harrison Ford in the starring role, deviated just too far from the books for me to enjoy them. Again, the new Amazon Prime Jack Ryan series is much better than I thought it might be. Are these part of the series that are free with prime?
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Post by #notLauren on Sept 4, 2018 4:09:33 GMT
Read two books about Louis XIV of France after watching the series on Netflix. The books were dry but gave a good and well rounded view of Louis who, in addition to building Versaille, was the quintessential autocrat.
This week, on to a few mysteries.0
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Post by leftturnonly on Sept 4, 2018 4:25:34 GMT
Are these part of the series that are free with prime? Yes, they are free to watch with Amazon Prime.
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Post by #notLauren on Sept 4, 2018 4:26:36 GMT
Are these part of the series that are free with prime? Yes, they are free to watch with Amazon Prime. Great. I'll look into those.
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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 Sept 5, 2018 2:07:31 GMT
Since I've last posted I've read:
Calypso by David Sedaris, 5 stars
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, 4 stars
Less by Andrew Sean Greer, 4 stars
Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel, 4 stars
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney, 3.5 stars
The Gods of Guilt (Mickey Haller #5) by Michael Connelly, 4 stars
The Burning Room (Harry Bosch #17) by Michael Connelly, 4 stars
Currently reading Christodora by Tim Murphy
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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 Sept 5, 2018 2:14:37 GMT
I read Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. It was a fantastic book on race relations from several points of view. It was a great story that really makes you think. I love the way the author developes the characters. I was at the point of worrying about several characters. I had to remind my self that they are not real! I give it 5/5 stars . I had given up on Jodi Picoult because I found her so formulaic, but I really enjoyed this one. I wouldn't give it 5 stars, but it's definitely one of her best. I like that this book makes you think about subconscious bias and other more subtle aspects of racism. And since she is such a popular author across a wide range of people, it probably ended up in a lot of hands. I read three books this week: Something In the Water by Catherine Steadman ... I really enjoyed this thriller and would recommend it ... 4.5/5 Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave ... a book that started out light but got more serious as it went on ... 3.5/5 What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan ... this was well written but didn't really have the suspense that I wanted ... 3.5/5 Now I am reading A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles ... I loved Rules of Civility so I have high hopes for this I loved both The Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow!
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Post by mrgiedrnkr on Sept 5, 2018 3:36:48 GMT
I finished a few this week based on recommendations from these threads. I really love the variety I am getting inspired to read.
Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan - This is a tale of multi-generational women who happen to be witches & the persecution they faced because of their beliefs. Book spans from 1800s thru the end of WW2. I was left wishing there were more words to get us thru to modern times. Even if you are not of the paranormal nature as a reader, I think most would enjoy this book about strong women.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell - I just thought this one was OK. It wasn't a plot I had seen before but it wasn't good enough to make me search out other works by the author. A story about a girl gone missing and its affects on her family.
Paper Ghosts - Julia Heaberlin - I thought this concept was really good. I felt it was slow in many parts but I really did want to see how it ended. A girl takes out a serial killer with dementia on a road trip to his favorite spots to get him to spill all his secrets about his kills because he was never convicted of any of them.
Stacy
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Post by lynnek on Sept 5, 2018 15:12:59 GMT
All I finished this week was Clock Dance by Anne Tyler. What a nice read. I had not read anything by her before. It reminded me in a way of A Man Called Ove. It was all about a group of people living together and interacting. The story follows Willa through her life. From growing up to marriage to kids to being a widow. Finally the biggest part of the story focuses on Willa going to care for one of her son's ex-girlfriends. There she meets the neighborhood people and their lives intertwine. 4.5 stars.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,480
Jun 26, 2014 1:03:18 GMT
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Post by edie3 on Sept 5, 2018 16:34:42 GMT
@lynneck I love Anne Tyler! Read some of her other books, I have enjoyed them all, esp Breathing Lessons and Ladder of Years.
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maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,731
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Sept 5, 2018 18:59:37 GMT
The last two weeks, I've read: The White Tigress by Todd Merer: It was barely okay. The second Benn Bluestone novel. Benn is a lawyer who worked for South American drug cartels, getting them deals with the US government. I kept thinking the story had to get better, but there was a LOT of action. Robicheaux by James Lee Burke. I really disliked this one. I had thought the series was ended with the last book. This was just generally sad, although beautifully written as always. Robicheaux backslides with alcohol, with horrible results. I don't think I'll read any more of these, if he writes another. The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George: The latest Detective Lynley novel. This one was fantastic. I didn't need to spend much time catching up, since it's been a few years since the last in the series. I love her writing, and the story was great. I'm currently reading Stay Hidden by Paul Doiron. The latest Mike Bowditch mystery. I love this one. It's very dark, and very good. It takes place on a remote island, 20 miles off the coast of Mt. Desert Island, ME. So far it's my favorite in the series.
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Post by mrgiedrnkr on Sept 7, 2018 18:46:07 GMT
I quickly ripped through a set of 4 Witch books this week. The first two were the best but I would get the next one by the author. Thankfully, they were all on Kindle Unlimited so it was a free read. If you enjoy paranormal reading (witches, psychics), these were a quick, light read. They are the Witches of Palmetto Point Series by Wendy Wang Stacy
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Post by sues on Sept 7, 2018 19:07:45 GMT
I read Wicked Charms- the last of the Diesel/Lizzie series by Janet Evanovich. It wasn't bad. Entertaining enough. I wanted something light after finishing I'll Be Gone in the Dark last week. Now I'm reading A Gentleman in Moscow. I liked The Rules of Civility and this is the same author. I had no idea what the book was about- just that I liked Civility and so many people I know recommend it. I got about 50 pages in and I had to look up a summary because I could not figure out where it was going or if I was likely to like it. I love the way he writes and the story sounds intriguing.
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