The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 3,019 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Aug 19, 2024 14:14:29 GMT
Hello readers!
This week I finished: The Faculty Lounge
Jennifer Mathieu Contemporary/Humor/Romance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Various characters at a high school interact in what is almost a series of vignettes that revolve around the death of a substitute teacher the plot arc of a school year,
It was an easy read, and anyone who has worked in a school will find many of the stories humorous and even a little poignant. There is romance but it is just maybe ⅛ of the story. I didn’t LOVE the book, but I found it entertaining and some of the moments were very true to the life of a teacher/school employee. Malibu RisingTaylor Jenkins Reid Contemporary Historical fiction (if that makes sense) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
A “summer read” from a few years ago that I finally got around to reading this summer. I know many of you have read it.
Family drama, quick-paced; I liked how the author wove different timelines and characters together. What did you read this week?
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hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,604
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Post by hutchfan on Aug 19, 2024 15:57:36 GMT
Happy Monday everyone!
I read How To Read A Book by Monica Wood. This was such a beautiful story, wonderful characters, (a few awful ones too), I loved it!⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one year old woman named Lorraine Daigle...
Violet Powell, a twenty-two year old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk driving crash that killed a local teacher.
Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest.
Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn't yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.
When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland-Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release. Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman- their lives drastically change course, and the three connect in surprising and transformative ways.
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Post by lainey on Aug 19, 2024 16:53:15 GMT
3 finishes for me this week!
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin 2 stars
Set in the contemporary Paris of American expatraites, liasons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality. James Baldwin's brilliant narrative delves into the mystery of loving with a sharp, probing imagination, and he creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the heart.
I know a lot of people love this book and think it's heartbreaking and tragic but the misogyny and lack of a decent plot made it hard work.
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi 4 stars
When thirty-four-year-old Ms. Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that, as the only woman at her new workplace--a company that manufactures cardboard tubes--she is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her colleagues' dirty cups--because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms. Shibata is not pregnant.
Pregnant Ms. Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms. Shibata isn't forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms. Shibata rests, watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. But pregnant Ms. Shibata also has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Helped along by towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app on which she can log every stage of her "pregnancy," she feels prepared to play the game for the long haul. Before long, though, the hoax becomes all-absorbing, and the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.
You have to admire Ms Shibata's commited to her lie!
They Were Here Before Us: A Novella in Pieces by Eric LaRocca 2 stars
The only thing more brutal than nature is love.
A very weird, gory and uncomfortable collection of short stories (I have no idea why it's billed as a novella in pieces!) that covers decay, bestiality, animal abuse, and meerkat infanticide. You all know I love a weird book but I have no idea what I just read. 2 stars because there was obviously something that made me keep reading.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,828
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Post by gottapeanow on Aug 19, 2024 18:13:18 GMT
I read one this week: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Here's my GR review.
This was stellar! It's definitely a slow burn.
I loved all the timelines and various POVs. Nice short chapters too.
In short, this is about two missing kids from the same family, years apart. Bear first, then Barbara. What are the odds?
The story is set against a backdrop of privilege and luxury. Judyta is the investigator, shoved to the side as a woman and one of the youngest team members.
Couldn't put this one down. One of my very favorite reads of the year. 5/5 stars.
Reading Like Mother, Like Daughter right now and enjoying it.
Lisa
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,509
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 20, 2024 0:08:59 GMT
First was The Wedding Bookstore by Alice Hoffman. This one was a head scratcher for me. Why??? Glad I didn't pay to read it.
Then, it was Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. I thought I figured out the gotcha pretty early on (in "Part 2") and I had a lot of books (4) come in from the library, so I read the epilogue, then I read "Part 5", (yes I had it nailed), but then I read "Part 4", then said what the heck, so I read (Part 3). Nothing like reading a book backwards. I wasn't thrilled with this book, and I don't think it was entirely because of the unconventional way I read it.
Lastly, was the short story from Elin Hilderbrand Natural Selection. I'm sure everyone had this figured out early on too, but I'm a fan of EH and liked it. I'd love a chance to go to Galapagos Island and tour. (But not the way that Sofia did.)
Currently listening to Iron Flame. This one might take a while.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Aug 20, 2024 1:10:29 GMT
I finished If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay. It was told from different POV which are in different cities/countries instead of the names of people who are involved there. Does that make sense? There are a couple of twists that I did not see coming. Overall I enjoyed it although there were a lot of characters to keep track of. Luckily it was a book so I could flip back easily. 4/5 stars
Now I'm reading Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewel.
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Aug 20, 2024 18:04:00 GMT
Still plugging along with the same books as before, but want to share a fun story. The library system near me has an "ask the librarian" feature on their website. I've been keeping a to-read list on my Google Sheets and want to add covers of what I've read to a scrapbook next year, so I've been copying pictures over to Word to print off. Anyhow. Some books that were not by a certain author were coming up when I searched for one, and I was getting annoyed, so I wondered if it was a cataloguing error. My email to them: Hello! This is more of a cataloging comment/something I noticed. When I search for The ghosts of Eden Park (by Karen Abbott), it lists Abbott Kahler as the author; but the result comes up as The Book Woman's Daughter, by Kim Michele Richardson. In addition, when searching both Karen Abbott and Abbott Kahler individually, two of the same books come up under both (Liar, temptress, soldier, spy and American Rose). Response: Thank you for reaching out, this was a really interesting question to work through. Karen Abbott changed her name to Abbott Kahler around 2014/2015. Here is information from the author on why: www.abbottkahler.com/about (right above the media kit, there is a link to the name change story). Because her name is on the book cover and title page, we transcribe that into the catalog record, along with the ‘official author’s name’ (Abbott Kahler). If you used a key word search in the catalog, Ms. Kahler’s name is listed as a reviewer in the Description field for the Book Woman’s Daughter. That’s why this title comes up in the search. |
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Post by lgr4 on Aug 21, 2024 1:31:11 GMT
Happy Monday everyone! I read How To Read A Book by Monica Wood. This was such a beautiful story, wonderful characters, (a few awful ones too), I loved it!⭐⭐⭐⭐ Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one year old woman named Lorraine Daigle... Violet Powell, a twenty-two year old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk driving crash that killed a local teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn't yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed. When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland-Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release. Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman- their lives drastically change course, and the three connect in surprising and transformative ways. I finished this one this week too!!! I liked it alot!!! |
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 21, 2024 16:26:45 GMT
THE PERFECT NURSE (BK 1) (JUL ‘24 - 5 STARS) BY DANIEL HURST
DESCRIPTION : ‘My name is Darcy, I’m your nurse and I’m here to help you.’ I repeat the words I’ve said so many times. Except this time, I don’t mean it. If you saw me walking down the street, you’d think I was pretty ordinary – I wear the typical crisp, white nursing uniform, my hands are scrubbed clean and you’d have no reason to believe I was anything other than a good citizen. A good nurse. But looks can be deceiving. I broke all the rules a nurse should follow. I wanted someone gone so badly. And now they’re dead because of me.
REVIEW :
First books by this author were The Wife’s Baby (‘24 - 268 Pgs - 3 Stars), The Colleagues (‘24 - 4 Stars), The Couple’s Revenge (‘24 - 258 Pgs - 4 Stars), Her Husband’s Mistake (‘23 - Only 217 Pgs - 4 Stars) and The Intruder (‘22 - 270 Pgs - 3 Stars).
I always like how Mr. Hurst’s writing really moves along. So many direction changes in this book I didn’t see coming. What could be next? One of those books that I just kept saying “one more chapter, one more chapter” til my eyes couldn’t stay open any more. Easy read but soooo entertaining! So glad I have Book 2 - The Nurse’s Lie to continue Darcy’s journey right away!
THE NURSE’S LIE (THE PERFECT NURSE BK 2) (AUG ‘24 - 5 STARS) BY DANIEL HURST
DESCRIPTION : Only a few months ago, my life was simple. I spent most of my time caring for patients in brightly lit hospital wards. Then I’d pick up my son from kindergarten before cooking a meal for my husband. I’d drink in every precious moment with them. Now everything has changed…. I don’t recognise the woman I’ve become. I’m a liar. Nurses are supposed to save lives. Instead, I helped to take one. I did it to protect my family. No one can find out what I’ve done because I’d lose everything: my marriage, my gorgeous baby boy – even my life. Then one day I step through the front door to find a woman with long, blonde hair and perfect white teeth in my family home. My heart pounds in my chest. We used to work at the same hospital. She’s the only one who knows my biggest secret and my darkest lie. It’s clear she’s back for revenge. But she’s underestimated me. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my loved ones safe.
REVIEW :
First books by this author were The Perfect Nurse - Bk 1 (‘24 - 5 Stars), The Wife’s Baby (‘24 - 268 Pgs - 3 Stars), The Colleagues (‘24 - 4 Stars), The Couple’s Revenge (‘24 - 258 Pgs - 4 Stars), Her Husband’s Mistake (‘23 - Only 217 Pgs - 4 Stars) and The Intruder (‘22 - 270 Pgs - 3 Stars).
The troubles in Darcy’s life and her family’s lives continue - full speed ahead. I love how some chapters are cliff hangers. The Nurse’s Mistake (Bk 3) comes out 11/5/24 and I can’t wait to continue this series.
HAPPY READING !
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 22, 2024 12:15:20 GMT
I have gotten SO MUCH reading done this past week! My husband is out of town for nine days.  The weather has finally cooled off to the 70s during the day (although I know we're in for more heat and humidity before this summer is over because this is the DC area  ) and yesterday I spent hours sitting outside reading. And I've been going to bed by 7:00 every night and reading for several hours before I fall asleep. -- Anyway, here's what I've read since last week's thread. I didn't actually read every one of these from start to finish in one week... I had started a few of them earlier, but finished this week. I usually have at least three books going at once. haha The Maid by Nita Prose. Not part of the "Housemaid" series. The main character, Molly, is a maid in a nice hotel, finds a body one day when she goes in to clean a room, and the plot evolves from there. The twist though is that Molly is probably autistic. They never say exactly, but that's what it seems like to me. The story of her life and how some people have taken advantage of her is sad. But the ending is good. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. Book 2 of "The Maid" series (Book 3 isn't published yet). This time a guest drops dead in front of everyone, the police decide he was murdered, and it goes from there. In this book we learn more about Molly's younger days, which again is sad about how people took advantage of her. But still an excellent ending, and the snippy police officer gets her comeuppance. haha -- I really liked both of these books. Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. A week or so ago I wrote in this thread about "Nine Lives" by the same author, which I either saw someone else mention in this thread or I picked up randomly from one of those library "while you wait for your hold" lists. lol. I discovered that Swanson has written a lot of books. I chose "Eight Perfect Murders" to read next because it fit one of this month's prompts for my book group ("a mostly teal cover", lol) I loved the references to older murder mystery classics, and I loved the book. I have several more of his downloaded to my Kindle. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb. I'm sure many of you have read at least some of the "...in Death" books. They take place in NYC at some point in the future, but not so far in the future to be science fiction. The main character is a police detective. I picked this one up because I needed a book set in NYC for my book group. -- The most interesting thing about this book is that I tried reading it a few years ago and didn't really like it. I did finish it but dragged myself through it. I remember starting the second one and getting maybe three chapters in and then quitting. Well this time I couldn't stop reading. hahaha I loved it. I think I read it in one day. I'm waiting to get the second book from the library and we will see if that's a success this time around. lol Class Mom by Laurie Gelman. This is one that I started a few weeks ago and finally got around to finishing. The problem with this one is that it's a regular font book and I can only read those with good light, preferably sunlight. Normally if I get a physical book I try to get large print. But I was able to get this finished this week because of the lovely weather that allowed me to read outside. -- The main character is the mom of two college aged girls, and a kindergarten boy. She becomes the room parent for the kindergarten class, with all that entails. I enjoyed it, and there were a lot of laugh out loud parts. Anyone who has ever been a class parent can relate. So glad those days are behind me. I have the second one, "You've Been Volunteered", sitting on my pile. And this one is large print so it might take me less than three weeks to read it. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. One of my book group's prompts this month is "an author's 2nd book". This one is Swanson's second so that's why I read it. Another quick read and I liked it as much as the other ones. This one did start a bit slower though, but just when I was thinking it was a big draggy...boom, plot twist. lol. So that was my reading week. I have three books started at the moment, and it will be four if I can get the second in the "...in Death" series.  |
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Bridget in MD
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,723
Member is Online
Jun 25, 2014 20:40:00 GMT
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Post by Bridget in MD on Aug 22, 2024 19:49:54 GMT
3.5 Stars for The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker. Hope was a thin thread to hang on to, but sometimes it was all you had.
In 1924, Cecily's mother leaves her at an orphanage in Chicago. She is then sold to a a traveling circus and transformed into Jacqueline DuMonde, the “little sister” to the bareback rider Isabelle. Years later, creating a family within the circus, Cecily meets Lucky. Their relationship endangers her life, and she finds herself alone once again.
In 2015, Cecily is now 94 and living a quiet life in Minnesota, with 4 generations: her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. When her family decides to use an at-home DNA test for a school project, the unexpected results not only bring to light the tragic love story that Cecily has kept hidden for decades, but also throws into question everything about the family she’s raised for almost seventy years.
To be honest, 4 generations (and their own drama) was almost TOO much/too many levels, but I understand why for the purpose of the story.
2.5 Stars for Bear by Julia Phillips. Sam and her sister, Elena, live on an island off the coast of Washington with their terminally ill mother. Sam works long days on the ferry; Elena bartends at the local golf club - together they barely make ends meet.
One night, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. When the bear turns up by their home, Sam is terrified of it, but Elena encourages it to visit. When their mother passes away, Sam wants to sell their home and leave, but Elena won't hear of it.
It's more of a book about a relationship btwn the two sisters, and the bear thrown in the mix doesn't make their relationship any more interesting or the story any more satisfying to read.
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 22, 2024 22:33:22 GMT
Almost forgot one from last week …………
HOUSE OF GLASS (‘24 - 4 STARS) BY SARAH PEKKANEN
DESCRIPTION : On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie. A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying? Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.
REVIEW :
Previous book by Sarah Pekkanen “alone” was Gone Tonight (‘23 - 5 Stars). Previous books by this author co-authored with Greer Hendricks, were The Golden Couple (‘22 - 4 Stars), You Are Not Alone (‘20 - 5 stars), An Anonymous Girl (‘19 - 4 Stars) and The Wife Between Us (‘18 - 3 Stars).
Great writing like always which kept me intrigued. A twisted legal case to find a nanny’s murderer with the help of a mute child. Learning about the lawyers own difficult past added another dimension to this story. Solid mystery with a complete ending that I would like to see expand to a book 2.
Have a GREAT reading weekend !
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The weather has finally cooled off to the 70s during the day (although I know we're in for more heat and humidity before this summer is over because this is the DC area 
) and yesterday I spent hours sitting outside reading. And I've been going to bed by 7:00 every night and reading for several hours before I fall asleep. 
