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Post by RobbyKay on May 9, 2016 1:36:06 GMT
Hey Readers!
I finally finished The Boys in the Boat. It was very good, and highly recommended, but it took a long time. It's about the University of Washington crew team that won the gold medal in 8-man crew at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
I was watching My Cat From Hell on Animal Planet, and Jackson Galaxy was visiting a woman who rescues and adopts blind cats. She was inspired by Gwen Cooper, who wrote a book called Homer's Odyssey, about the blind cat that she adopted. I picked up a copy at the library and read it last week. It talks about how homer came to live with her, and how he has influenced all aspects of her life, from where she lives to who she dates. The most fascinating part of the story is 9/11, and she is living and working a few blocks from the World Trade Center towers. She was forced to evacuate directly from her office, and had no way to get back to her apartment to check on her cats. It was harrowing!
Now switching back and forth between two titles: The first is The Nest, by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, about four siblings who have been patiently awaiting the financial windfall promised by their father, and discovering that most of is has been used by their mother to bail one of them out of trouble. This family puts the fun in dysfunctional.
The second title is Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong. I've just started, so i can't quite get my head around it, but there are some supernatural villains, self-driving cars, and one very smelly cat.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on May 8, 2016 0:40:17 GMT
Girls on the Move Girls FAN (Fitness and Nutrition) Club
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Post by RobbyKay on Apr 25, 2016 4:23:40 GMT
Hey readers,
I'm rapidly trying to finish my book club title for our meeting on Monday night. We're reading Ivan Doig's The Eleventh Man. It's set in WWII, from the perspective of a member of a championship football team in Montana. During the war, he is assigned to write feel-good stories about all of his teammates' exploits in the war. But as the war drags on, he is increasingly challenged to write those stories. It's a good story, and it communicates the flavor of the time really well, but it's been a struggle to get through it. Doig wrote some long paragraphs in this one, and since the action keeps moving around the world, there is a lot of scene setting and battle scene descriptions that take a lot of concentration.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Apr 18, 2016 3:19:10 GMT
Hi Readers!
I read the latest Black Dagger Brotherhood title, The Beast. I think this series has jumped the shark, but I still enjoy revisiting the old characters, and I admire JR Ward's world-building abilities. The hot vampire porn factor is a little tired, and the political intrigue is lacking, but it was nice to visit with old friends.
I've been listening to The Librarian Is In podcast; two librarians from the New York Public Library discuss library issues and make book suggestions. One of the books they recommended was The Bunker Diaries by Kevin Brooks. It's a YA title about a group of people who are kidnapped and imprisoned, and what they do to survive. It's written in the form of diary entries of one of the kidnappees, and it's part survival story, part political-science commentary, and quite intense. I started it late last night, and I'm already 100 pages in. So far, it's really good.
I also started Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, about a rowing team from the University of Washington who had great success at the Olympics in the thirties. Several of my friends have recommended it to me, so I'm eager to see what the fuss is about.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Apr 14, 2016 3:15:47 GMT
I love mine with pickled jalapeno slices and provolone cheese.
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Post by RobbyKay on Apr 13, 2016 4:35:20 GMT
If you like your time travel with a little romance, Georgina Young-Ellis writes the Time Mistress series. A scientist from the future travels back in time to live during the times of her literary heroes.
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Post by RobbyKay on Apr 10, 2016 22:37:30 GMT
Hi Readers,
I just finished Stephen King's Finders Keepers. It's the second novel in King's Bill Hodges trilogy. These books are pretty tame for King, but this one sets up the third, and I can see it bringing some classic King elements to the table.
Now I'm reading the latest Black Dagger Brotherhood novel, The Beast. It revisits Rhage and Mary. The opening chapters are intense, so I'm eager to see how the rest turns out!
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Post by RobbyKay on Apr 5, 2016 2:54:31 GMT
I've gone to one here in Portland with my teenage daughter. Some of the cats seemed excited to see us, and came right up to us and interacted with us immediately. Others were very shy, and stayed away the whole time we were there. And then there were the tweeners, who seemed really shy, until you picked up a favorite toy or gave a good head scratch; then you had a new best friend!
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Post by RobbyKay on Mar 28, 2016 0:51:52 GMT
Happy Easter Readers!
I finished my book club book early this morning; John Dunning's Booked To Die. It's the first book of a mystery series set in Denver. The main character is a former police detective who leaves the force and opens a bookstore. As the booksellers around him are murdered, he is drawn back into police work to find their killers.
It was OK. The author killed off the most interesting characters that I would like to meet in future books. And there was a lot of detail about the bookselling business, which I struggled to care about.
I'm excited to see that a new Black Dagger Brotherhood title, The Beast, is due out next week. I think the series reached its peak several titles ago, but I always look forward to catching up with Brothers.
Happy Reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Mar 21, 2016 2:45:56 GMT
Hey Readers!
I finished up Lisa Lutz' The Passenger - think Izzy Spellman turns to the darkside. It was a good read, and intense in places, but it was also quite far-fetched.
For a palate cleanser, I read Cheryl Strayed's Brave Enough. It's just a book of quotes for some of her publications. It was a nice confidence booster and a quick blow-through book. It would make a nice gist for a Cheryl Strayed fan, or for a non-reader who really liked the movie Wild, but just wouldn't ever read the book.
I'm currently cruising to the end of Boris Fishman's newest title, Don't Let My Baby Do Rodeo. It's about an immigrant couple from New Jersey who adopt a baby born in Montana. As the birth parents drop off the baby at the adoptive parents' home, the mothers have a discussion, and the birth mom makes the new mom promise to not let her baby do rodeo. Eight years later, the boy is intensely drawn to nature, and his city-slicker parents make a journey to Montana to find out why. It explores themes including nature vs. nurture, adoption, and immigrant culture. So far, it's pretty good.
Next up is We love You, Charlie Freeman, about a family who adopt a chimpanzee as part of a science experiment. It's by Kaitlyn Greenidge, and I'm looking forward to it.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Mar 14, 2016 4:28:02 GMT
I read So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger. It's set in 1910, about a writer with serious writer's block who goes on a cross country adventure with a man he just met who needs to set things right in his own life. It's quite an adventure.
He also wrote Peace Like a River, but he hasn't released a new book since 2008. I would like him to publish more titles, but I can't seem to find anything that gives me hope.
I just started Lisa Lutz' newest title, The Passenger. She is the author of the Spellman books. This is more of a mystery/thriller; very different from her other works. So far, the main character seems like a darker version of Izzie Spellman.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Mar 7, 2016 5:17:12 GMT
Hi Reading Peas!
I just finished up Joshilyn Jackson's newest title: The Opposite of Everyone. It's quirky southern fiction with over-the-top female characters who have been through the wringer. I really enjoyed it.
Next up was Michael Sears' latest: Saving Jason. This is a mystery/thriller series that features a former Wall Street trader who committed a crime and was sent to prison for it. Now he's out, barred from his former profession, and supports himself by doing under-the-table investigations. The plots are complex, and I don't always understand the details of the financial world, but the main character has an autistic son, and their relationship is always at the forefront of the story. This one was had some really exciting moments!
I picked up a copy of Oliver Sacks' book, Gratitude. It's made up of four essays he wrote near the end of his life. It's only 45 pages long, and took less than an hour to read. It was a great, quick read between other books.
Have a great reading week!
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Post by RobbyKay on Feb 1, 2016 0:36:22 GMT
Hey Readers!
I finished the latest Charley Davidson book, Dirt on Ninth Grave. It was better than OK. It was nice to see our favorite characters again, and the story was better than adequate, but the paranormal part of the story just confuses me. I'm ready for this series to come to an end.
Next up was a new YA title, This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. It's the story of a school shooting, told in real time. It was intense and sad, but a really good read.
Now I'm reading Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Kay Kristoff. I started this one on my e-reader, but it there were parts that I couldn't read. I gave up after a few pages. I picked up the traditional version at the library, and it's going much better. The graphical elements are important to the mood of the story, and they weren't coming through well digitally.
Happy Reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Jan 25, 2016 0:35:34 GMT
Hey Readers!
I read Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden this week. I have wanted to read this author for quite awhile, but the opportunity finally presented itself when my book club selected it this month. It's a mystery told through time from the perspective of three different female characters. It was a good story, and and a definite page turner towards the end. If you enjoy historical mysteries that are strongly driven by female characters, this is a good one for you.
Like the Great Carpezio, I'm reading Darynda Jones The Dirt on Ninth Grave, and I'm glad to see that someone liked it. I'm also keeping current with this series, but I agree that it has jumped the shark, and I hope that a worthy conclusion is in the works.
Speaking of book series that have jumped the shark, I'm excited to see that Msdintz enjoyed Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning. I've enjoyed the series, but that last title (Iced) didn't do the series justice. I'll give this one a try just as soon as my turn comes up at the library.
Happy Reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Jan 18, 2016 4:55:05 GMT
Hey Readers!
Add me to the list of readers tackling Kate Morton this week. I'm reading The Forgotten Garden for my book club. So far, so good, and I'm glad to hear positive reviews from others on this one.
I just finished Vanessa Diffenbaugh's We Never Asked For Wings. It was set in the Bay Area and tackled themes of immigration and abandonment. It seemed a little improbable at times, but it was an enjoyable read.
I'm looking forward to reading Darynda Jones' latest Charley Davidson title, The Dirt on Ninth Grave. I thought the series jumped the shark, but I'm hoping this one goes in a new direction.
I'm also looking forward to Karen Marie Moning's latest Shadowfever title, Feverborn. This is another series that has probably gone on farther than it needed to, and the last title was a really weak point in the series, but I'll give it another chance.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Jan 11, 2016 3:24:41 GMT
Hey Readers,
We started out the week with snow, so I had a little extra reading time. I finished the third book in Jane Smiley's Last Hundred Years saga, Golden Age. It tells the tale of the Langdon's from 1987 through 2019. I've been reading about this family's successes and failures for the past 100 years, I was hoping it would end more favorably. The ending was a quite bleak, considering I've fallen in love with these people.
Next up was the second book in Lexie Dunne's Superheroes series, Supervillains Anonymous. It was pure fluff.
I'm almost finished with Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly. It's a YA title I picked up at the library. It's a cute mystery with plenty of high school angst.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Jan 7, 2016 0:54:43 GMT
If I have to buy a special bra just to wear it, then I don't need it.
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Post by RobbyKay on Jan 4, 2016 2:58:29 GMT
Happy New Year Reading Peas!
On sound Pea advice, I read Ben H Winters The Last Policeman. It's a pre-apocalyptic murder mystery set in Concord, NH. I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to the next title.
I picked up the last title in Jane Smiley's Last Hundred Years Trilogy, Golden Age. It follows the Langdons from 1986 through 2019. In the second book, as the family expanded and the stories became watered down, I wasn't really looking forward to the third title, but I'm keeping track of all of the family members, and the story is really engaging. I have n't quite finished it, but it's a solid conclusion to the series.
I also picked up Illuminae by Kauffman/Kristoff. I've heard great things about it, and I've also seen reviews that were less than impressed. I'm at the very beginning, but so far, so good.
Last week I read Superheroes Anonymous by Lexie Dunne. This week, I picked up the sequel Supervillains Anonymous. It's a cute romantic adventure set in a world with superheroes. Totally fluff reading.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Dec 28, 2015 0:46:51 GMT
Hey Readers!
After last weeks heavy read, I picked up a lighter title, Superheroes Anonymous by Lexie Dunne. It's a cute adventure/romance about a woman who is constantly getting into predicaments, having to be rescued by the local superhero. She is kidnapped by a supervillain and transformed into her own version of a superhero. Chaos ensues. It was cute and light - just what i needed.
My book club title this month is In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien. It's a mystery set in Minnesota in the mid-eighties. A couple who have been through a tough political campaign, only to lose by a landslide retreat to a lakefront cabin to rest and recover. Then someone disappears. There were some heavy themes in this one, but it was really engaging.
As far as reading goals go, I set a goal of 75 books on Goodreads this year, and I met my goal at the beginning of December. I noticed on Goodreads that you could view your stats for the year, including number of pages read, and I may set a goal of pages read rather than books read, because I tend to shy away from really long books if I think my books-per-year goal is in jeopardy.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Dec 21, 2015 2:08:39 GMT
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!
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Post by RobbyKay on Dec 11, 2015 19:47:38 GMT
Hey CrankyPea!
I'm glad it's working out for you!
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Post by RobbyKay on Dec 9, 2015 6:17:33 GMT
Alton Brown has on on the Food Network website.
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Post by RobbyKay on Dec 7, 2015 5:32:00 GMT
Hey Readers!
First up this week was All the Things We Never Knew by Sheila Hamilton. The author is a local radio personality, and she tells the story of her first husband and the father of her daughter, who spirals downward under the weight of mental illness until he is hospitalized, medicated, then commits suicide. It was fascinating to see the side of this person who I listened to on the radio every morning on my way to work, who seemed to have an enviable life, going through this kind of hell. It's a personal story, but also includes plenty of information about mental illness, the diagnosis process, and how it affects the people around them. I couldn't put it down, and thought it was a really good read.
Next up was Lara Adrian's latest Midnight Breed title: Bound to Darkness. Back in 2009, when vampire porn was hot, the Peas introduced me to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and I power-read through the series. Once I finished those, I sought out a read-alike series, and discovered Lara Adrian. This title is a continuation of the series, set twenty years in the future. The babies that were born during the original series are all grown up and having hot vampire sex. This one was enjoyable. The focus is less on the build-up to the consummation of the relationship by the couple, and more about the couple working through their relationship issues while they are enjoying hot vampire sex.
After that, I did a 180 and picked up Te-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me. This title has won awards this year. It's a letter from a black man to his son, talking about growing up in Baltimore, and going to Howard University, and becoming a father and how he sees the world. It was an intense, but short, read.
Then, back to the vampire porn! J.R. Ward has built a sub-series to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The first title is Blood Kiss. I wasn't excited at first - who hasn't had their story told? But it's loaded with backstory about the Brothers that never fits into the other books. I'm about 70 pages in, and I'm really enjoying it.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 30, 2015 0:26:57 GMT
Hi Peas Who Read!
I just finished Naomi Novik's Uprooted. It was really good. It was sort of a fairy tale with magic and some romance, some political intrigue, and a lot of war.
Happy Reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 22, 2015 22:04:24 GMT
Hey Readers,
I read a couple this week. For my book club, I read Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. It's a story about two women who have each suffered loss, who come together to get through their issues. It was a cozy read, and I enjoyed it, but it didn't really have a plot.
On a whim, I picked up The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. A group of high school kids make their way through senior year, while strange supernatural things happen all around them. This was a fun read. It touched on lots of hot topics, and paid homage to angsty teenage fiction.
Last week, one of the recommended reads was Uprooted by Naomi Novik. I just started this one, but so far, so good.
Happy Reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 16, 2015 18:13:11 GMT
I set a goal of 70 books on Goodreads this year, and I met the goal yesterday. Woo-hoo!
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 16, 2015 0:48:33 GMT
Hey Readers!
On a whim, I picked up Welcome to Night Vale. It's based on a the serial podcast that's been described as "Lake Wobegon as told by Stephen King." The book was sweetly bizarre, but it was a fun read.
Next up is my book club title, Astrid and Veronika. I'll let you know how it goes.
Happy reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 9, 2015 4:07:07 GMT
Hey Readers!
I just finished Darynda Jones' most recent Charley Davidson novel, Eighth Grave After Dark. I enjoy this series, but I also think it's past its prime. I enjoyed the snappy dialog, but the convoluted world they live in confuses me. This one was better than the last several.
After several readers here recommended it, I picked up Julia Child's My Life in France. It's a good one, and every time I pick it up, I want to cook something!
Now I'm reading This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison. Harriet's husband has died, and she discovers he purchased an Alaskan cruise for two without telling her. Now she needs to work up the courage to go, and decide who to take with her. The story is told in short vignette's of her life arranged out of sequence. So far I'm enjoying it.
Keep on reading!
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Post by RobbyKay on Nov 2, 2015 0:22:19 GMT
I made my own baby food for both of my kids. I used this book: Super Baby Food. We had good results.
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Post by RobbyKay on Oct 28, 2015 3:58:40 GMT
My book nerd problems are all related to using an e-reader: - I used to enjoy searching for books at garage sales and thrift stores, but now I find I would rather read them on my device.
- I miss owning a copy of a great book, and sharing it with my friends. Now, if it's really good, I just recommend it.
- My go-to Christmas gift used to be a brand new hard-cover book, specially picked out for the recipient. It's not the same gifting a book credit at Amazon.
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