The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,965
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jan 26, 2020 17:36:39 GMT
Let’s talk books. What books did you read this week?
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
Jun 26, 2014 18:26:03 GMT
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jan 26, 2020 18:13:58 GMT
Happily, I'm on a Colson Whitehead run right now. What a fantastic author.
I finished The Underground Railroad and Apex Hides the Hurt last week. Very different books, different themes, different approaches, yet he does it all very well. I loved Underground Railroad where he imagines slaves escaping the South on a literal underground railroad. The novel is part magical realism and part historical fiction; due to the strength of his writing he can weave genres together. Apex is pure satire and pretty funny. At the same time, it was thought provoking. The novel is really about language and how powerful language is our lives.
I'm working on Nickel Boys now and really enjoying 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 Jan 26, 2020 18:38:51 GMT
I read books 2-4 in the Miss Peregrine's series. I enjoy YA books. This sort of series wasn't around when I was actually YA, so I read them now, and I'm not embarrassed. Next I am starting to reread the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, she is working on a sequel trilogy and the first book comes out at the beginning of March, so I wanted to refresh myself on the characters before then.
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Post by maryland on Jan 26, 2020 21:16:11 GMT
I was having trouble getting into Such a Fun Age and A Nearly Normal Family, so I only read about 50-100 pages then stopped. Started reading Past Perfect Life, which I liked, but I had it in the car, and my daughter was driving it, and the car started having problems, so she took it to the dealership and didn't realize I left the book. So had to find a new one because car will be in the shop for 5 days. Started Stolen Things and so far so good!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 26, 2020 21:41:37 GMT
Last week I finished The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I was confused at the beginning because of the switch of time frames and the multitude of characters that I couldn't figure out their connections. It finally all came together. 4/5 stars.
Now I'm reading Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman. I'm about 3/4 finished and am enjoying it. Like The Family Upstairs, it has some time switches but they aren't confusing. The story is about 6 college students who meet freshman year so the chapters go back and forth between freshman year, senior year and the teller of the story's childhood memories.
Next up is Someone We Know by Shari Lapena.
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Post by tommygirl on Jan 26, 2020 21:47:12 GMT
Right now I am reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis. I am about 75% finished and it has been a good read.
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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 Jan 26, 2020 21:59:25 GMT
2 for me this week. I flew through Big Lies in a Small Town. Another great story by Diane Chamberlain. It was slightly more predictable than The Dream Daughter, but I found myself no less immersed.
Then I listened to Conviction by Denise Mina. I could not finish that book fast enough. I mean I think I deserve a medal for sticking with it. This is probably my first Reese Witherspoon book flop. There was a brief mention of some animal cruelty and after that I just already felt so much negativity there was no salvaging it for me.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,300
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Jan 26, 2020 23:34:07 GMT
I finished The Lost Books of Jane Austen by Janine Barchas. The premise was interesting, and the beginning of the book was, too, but in the end I found it repetitive and a little disappointing. I rated it three stars on GoodReads. I'd only recommend it if you're really interested in the world of 19th century book publishing. Lol.
I'm halfway through The Godfather by Mario Puzo. I saw the first two movies in the trilogy years ago, have never been interested in gangster movies really...but I watched a show on TV a few weeks ago where they talked about the movies, how they came to be made, and analyzed the story and the characters from a more literary perspective. It was really excellent; they had interviews with Coppola, Pacino, Caan, several film critics, etc. It made me want to read the book and I have to say I'm enjoying it. It's a sordid story but it's fascinating, too. I feel like I'm understanding all the hoopla about The Godfather for the first time.
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,641
Jun 26, 2014 14:35:07 GMT
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Post by janeliz on Jan 26, 2020 23:56:58 GMT
Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt. This is the 3rd book in the Andy Carpenter mystery series. He’s a criminal defense attorney and dog lover (hence the spelling of the word “lead” in the title) and always has a big cast of characters around him. I don’t do as many mystery series as I once did, but I really enjoy this series. They’re just fun page turners.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 27, 2020 0:15:42 GMT
Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt. This is the 3rd book in the Andy Carpenter mystery series. He’s a criminal defense attorney and dog lover (hence the spelling of the word “lead” in the title) and always has a big cast of characters around him. I don’t do as many mystery series as I once did, but I really enjoy this series. They’re just fun page turners. We love David Rosenfelt! We've read all of his Andy Carpenter books and all of his stand alone books.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,788
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Jan 27, 2020 1:02:58 GMT
Read “The Hideaway” by Lauren K. Denton. Pretty good story about a New Orleans antiques dealer who inherits and restores a big old waterside house. I enjoyed it. Started a reread of “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt yesterday. I am happy to say that I got pulled into the story quickly, and have forgotten enough of it to make the second time a worthwhile read. I do remember that it was my favorite read of 2013, and will be on my top ten of all time list.
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Post by jackietex on Jan 27, 2020 1:09:30 GMT
I finished The Lost Books of Jane Austen by Janine Barchas. The premise was interesting, and the beginning of the book was, too, but in the end I found it repetitive and a little disappointing. I rated it three stars on GoodReads. I'd only recommend it if you're really interested in the world of 19th century book publishing. Lol. I'm halfway through The Godfather by Mario Puzo. I saw the first two movies in the trilogy years ago, have never been interested in gangster movies really...but I watched a show on TV a few weeks ago where they talked about the movies, how they came to be made, and analyzed the story and the characters from a more literary perspective. It was really excellent; they had interviews with Coppola, Pacino, Caan, several film critics, etc. It made me want to read the book and I have to say I'm enjoying it. It's a sordid story but it's fascinating, too. I feel like I'm understanding all the hoopla about The Godfather for the first time. Hmmmm, maybe I'll listen to The Godfather on Audible some time.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,808
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Jan 27, 2020 1:11:11 GMT
I read two books this week.
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, which is YA. It's a bit far-fetched, but filled with a cast of adorable characters. Including a goat. A goat! What's not to love? 4/5 stars.
The Pecan Man. This is an older book, a mystery, and so well-done. Aside from the editing, which I will comment on here only. The book is self-published. 4/5 stars.
I'm reading both Boys on the Boat and Just Mercy right now.
Lisa
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Post by chlerbie on Jan 27, 2020 3:16:07 GMT
I read Ask Again Yes, Dear Edward and The Secret Life of Violet Grant this week and really enjoyed all three. Almost finished with The Haunting of Ashburn House which I got for free on Amazon and am surprised at how fun it is. Getting ready to start Where the Crawdads Sing.
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Post by NicL on Jan 27, 2020 3:17:47 GMT
I was having trouble getting into Such a Fun Age Then I listened to Conviction by Denise Mina. I could not finish that book fast enough. I mean I think I deserve a medal for sticking with it. This is probably my first Reese Witherspoon book flop. There was a brief mention of some animal cruelty and after that I just already felt so much negativity there was no salvaging it for me. Thank you for posting this. I am in a reading funk right now but I just didn't care much for either of these. Both DNF's for me. Seven Days by Alex Lake came in for me - it's early days but going better than the last 4 books I have tried
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Post by pjaye on Jan 27, 2020 3:46:17 GMT
The first this week was The Ones We Choose by Julie Clark, this is a fictional story about a woman who had a child using donor sperm and how that child struggles because he doesn't have a father, it also covers themes of family, DNA/DNA testing, & inherited diseases. I's hard to rate this book, on the whole I liked the story, but didn't always agree with the authors/characters views and a couple of co-incidences in the book were so unbelievable and would never have happened and that almost ruined it for me. But if you can go with the flow and not overthink it, it is quite entertaining. 3 stars
Deborah Harry must have lived a crazy and interesting life, so I'm astounded that she managed to turn it into such a stinker of a book. Face It by Debbie Harry is truly dreadful. Firstly the audiobook - she narrates it herself...in a mumbling monotone that is extremely difficult to keep listening to. Secondly the book reads like a list "then we made this record" "We broke up" There is zero insight into anything that happened in her career and it's like she has no feelings about anything. She's also forgotten a bunch of stuff and says "I don't remember" a lot, she mentions people's names without explaining who they are, and glosses over a couple of decades of drug abuse with just the occasional comment about "scoring heroin" nothing about how she stopped using. Then there's some existential pondering about bees and a whole section on opposable thumbs (ever noticed how aliens don't have thumbs yet they can still fly their spaceships through the universe??) Don't even bother. I rated it one star on Goodreads but would have been zero if I could.
I just finished A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean and this was another one I find difficult to rate and review. On one hand I enjoyed listening to it and it kept me engaged in the story, but on the other some of the events were so unlikely and so many really awful things happened to one character that it really stretched my ability to accept the storyline. It's dual timeline WW2 fiction, in the modern day Gillian finds a photo of her British grandmother with a Nazi officer and they look like they are in love, then her 93yo grandmother finally tells them all the secrets she has kept over the years. It was ALL the things that happened to the grandmother during the war that got quite unbelievable at times. But overall I still gave it 4 stars
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 27, 2020 5:28:33 GMT
I'm halfway through The Godfather by Mario Puzo. This brought back a funny memory to me. In 1971 or so I bought the book and read it. Loved it. Started dating a guy and loaned it to him to read. Several months later I asked him if I could have it back and he admitted that he gave it to a girl he was dating when we started dating. We dated for 6 years so I eventually forgave him for giving my book away.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,373
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jan 27, 2020 8:16:28 GMT
I have been reading a lot more than usual this past week - rehab after a knee replacement has meant a lot of sitting around waiting. First up was The Department is Sensitive Crimes, by Alexander McCall Smith. Easy reading and quite funny in places - think Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but set in Malmo, Sweden. This is the first in this series and I will probably read more.
Next up was Hostage by Kristina Ohlsson. This is her 4th book in the Fredrick’s Bergstrom/Alex Rechts series, but can stand alone. A plane leaves Stockholm’s Arlanda airport bound for New York and shortly after takeoff, a note is found in a toilet saying there is a bomb on board, and making demands on both the Swedish and US governments. Riveting reading - I really like this author and the topics she covers in her books.
Just finished with Big Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus. This is also one in a series, I think #3, but they have been translated from German out of order, so I’m not sure. I haven’t read them in order. The discovery of a girl’s body in the Main river near Frankfurt is the start of an investigation into a child abuse ring involving many high ranking people. There are several threads running their way through this book and it can be tricky to follow at first, but all the stories come together at the end.
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Post by maryland on Jan 27, 2020 15:26:58 GMT
Last week I finished The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I was confused at the beginning because of the switch of time frames and the multitude of characters that I couldn't figure out their connections. It finally all came together. 4/5 stars. Now I'm reading Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman. I'm about 3/4 finished and am enjoying it. Like The Family Upstairs, it has some time switches but they aren't confusing. The story is about 6 college students who meet freshman year so the chapters go back and forth between freshman year, senior year and the teller of the story's childhood memories. Next up is Someone We Know by Shari Lapena. I have Tell Me Everything that I got at the library. I haven't started it yet, but glad to hear you like it! I liked Someone We Know, read it last fall.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 27, 2020 15:28:07 GMT
I'm halfway through The Godfather by Mario Puzo. I saw the first two movies in the trilogy years ago, have never been interested in gangster movies really...but I watched a show on TV a few weeks ago where they talked about the movies, how they came to be made, and analyzed the story and the characters from a more literary perspective. It was really excellent; they had interviews with Coppola, Pacino, Caan, several film critics, etc. It made me want to read the book and I have to say I'm enjoying it. It's a sordid story but it's fascinating, too. I feel like I'm understanding all the hoopla about The Godfather for the first time. My brush w/ fame is that we used to hang out w/ the man who produced most of Coppola's movies, including The Godfather movies. (The producer had moved back to Oklahoma and was good friends w/ one of my good friends). He rarely talked about his Hollywood days, but every once in awhile he would throw out a juicy morsel. The producer was recently inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Coppola came and spoke at the ceremony. I read Arcadia by Lauren Groff. It is a novel about a boy who grows up on a commune in New York and how that experience shapes his life. It is a good story and it was well written, but I thought it was a little too long. I felt like the story dragged at times.
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Post by maryland on Jan 27, 2020 15:32:02 GMT
I was having trouble getting into Such a Fun Age Then I listened to Conviction by Denise Mina. I could not finish that book fast enough. I mean I think I deserve a medal for sticking with it. This is probably my first Reese Witherspoon book flop. There was a brief mention of some animal cruelty and after that I just already felt so much negativity there was no salvaging it for me. Thank you for posting this. I am in a reading funk right now but I just didn't care much for either of these. Both DNF's for me. Seven Days by Alex Lake came in for me - it's early days but going better than the last 4 books I have tried Thanks for the recommendation! I saved it on pinterest, looks good!
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hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,406
Jul 6, 2016 16:42:12 GMT
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Post by hutchfan on Jan 27, 2020 15:32:54 GMT
I read Noel Street by Richard Paul Evans. It was about a single white mother raising her biracial son in a town called Mistletoe after her husband died in Vietnam and her family disowned her. I really enjoyed this light read.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 16, 2024 9:44:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2020 17:08:49 GMT
I just discovered that I missed the free prime reading books for January. We get 2 this month.
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Post by needmysanity on Jan 27, 2020 19:44:54 GMT
I'm half way through The Escape Room by Megan Goldin - I'm enjoying it
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 27, 2020 20:21:01 GMT
Two for me this week; one good, one disappointing.
WHEN I WAS YOU BY MINKA KENT : 4 STARS Description: Jan 2020 Kindle First Book. After barely surviving a brutal attack, Brienne Dougray rarely leaves her house. New tentant, Dr Niall Emberlin is a welcome distraction. Brienne stumbles across unsettling evience that someone else is living as her ! Same name, car, hair, clothes. Review: Quite a few TwoPeas liked this book; I can see why. Book moved along very quickly with a big twist in the middle. Liked the pace of the book and a good ending. Very enjoyable.
HOUSE ON FIRE (NICK HELLER SERIES BK 4) BY JOSEPH FINDER : 2 STARS Description: Investigator Nick Heller's army buddy dies from his drug addiction. Now a woman steps forward to be a whistleblower on her family's pharmaceutical company. Review: I was so looking forward to Joe Finder's new book ! I love Joseph Finder's books but his last two Nick Heller books have not been enjoyable. They are mysteries and not thrillers. I think I'm done with the Nick Heller Series.
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Post by stingfan on Jan 27, 2020 20:52:06 GMT
Finished...
Heft by Liz Moore - I really liked it! I didn't like being left with the ending though. I wanted to know more about how the relationships continued to evolve.
Long Bright River by Liz Moore - So I read 3 of her books recently. This was actually my least favorite of the 3. Heft is #1, The Unseen World is #2, and this is #3.
Started...
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - I read and liked The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton (another man on death row who he also represented) last year and have had this on hold for months!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 16, 2024 9:44:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2020 21:34:19 GMT
I finished The Winemaker's Wife and absolutely loved it, although the main character drove me crazy sometimes.
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smcast
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,454
Location: MN
Mar 18, 2016 14:06:38 GMT
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Post by smcast on Jan 27, 2020 22:09:52 GMT
I finished The Winemaker's Wife and absolutely loved it, although the main character drove me crazy sometimes. I just checked this one out. I've been consumed by a new netflix series another thread led me to (Hart of Dixie) instead of reading.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,608
Jun 26, 2014 1:03:18 GMT
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Post by edie3 on Jan 27, 2020 22:25:57 GMT
We dated for 6 years so I eventually forgave him for giving my book away. Not giving back a book would be a deal breaker for me! LOL! I am reading Things You Save in a Fire and liking it so far.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 27, 2020 22:56:45 GMT
We dated for 6 years so I eventually forgave him for giving my book away. Not giving back a book would be a deal breaker for me! LOL! I am reading Things You Save in a Fire and liking it so far. I got the book through the Doubleday Book Club so it only cost me 99 cents. I don't buy books any longer ~ I either get them at the library or download to my Kindle. I also rarely reread books. I did read The Godfather and Rage of Angels twice.
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