paigepea
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Aug 3, 2014 13:59:21 GMT
Wow - August already!
We are still at the lake so I'm getting more reading done then normal, which is great. Thanks to whomever started the thread last week because I was late in getting here.
Last week I said I finished THE ORCHID HOUSE by Lucinda Riley. I really enjoyed it. Fast read, good story. I also read the second DIVERGENT book. It was a bit slow for me so I'm hesitant to read the third one.
Since I loved THE ORCHID HOUSE, next I read THE LAVENDER GARDEN by Lucinda Riley but I can't recommend this one. It was so convoluted and far fetched.
Now I'm half way through BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty and I can't put it down. I love it so far.
What is everyone else reading. I'd love a good rec for something to read next.
Paige.
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Post by sleuthgirl on Aug 3, 2014 14:47:25 GMT
I'm reading the first GAME OF THRONES book. I'm over halfway through and I like it. I need to print out a map and list of who's who to keep up with it a bit better. There's just so much to keep up with and I tend to read at night after being worn out by a toddler. lol
We just started watching the show as well.
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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 Aug 3, 2014 14:49:17 GMT
Back to work/school/reality for me this week, leaving precious little time for what's really important: reading. Only one book this week.
I re-read The Hot Zone (Preston). This book came out in 1995 and tells the story of the first emergence of the Ebola virus. Fascinating and frightening reading. (by the way...it's only $4.99 for Kindle)
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luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,069
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
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Post by luckyexwife on Aug 3, 2014 14:53:36 GMT
I just finished Whistling Past the Graveyard. I loved it! 4/5 stars. There were some parts that were harder to read, but I should have expected it. It was about a 9 year old girl that runs away from home in 1963 in Mississippi. She gets picked up by a young black woman traveling with a white newborn. Their road trip is full of adventure. I recommend it to anyone.
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,457
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 3, 2014 15:11:40 GMT
I finally finished the last HP book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. Whew! I'm glad that's over.
On audio I finished Taylor Stevens' The Catch. It was just OK. I don't think it was as good as previous books, but still a good listen. Hillary Huber is a great narrator.
Now I'm back to Nora Roberts with The Next Always.
For the Ken Follett fans - book three of the Century Trilogy (think Fall of Giants and Winter of the World) comes out mid September. It's called Edge of Eternity.
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valincal
Drama Llama
Southern Alberta
Posts: 5,768
Jun 27, 2014 2:21:22 GMT
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Post by valincal on Aug 3, 2014 15:22:51 GMT
I'm listening to Middlesex right now and loving it. The narration by Kristoffer Tabori is fabulous!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 8, 2024 11:40:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 15:30:30 GMT
Just finished 11/22/63 and TRIED to start What Alice Forgot, but apparently she FORGOT chapters 6 7 and 8 in my book! Anyway, now reading The Husbands Secret, then onto The invention of wings.
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valleyview
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,816
Jun 27, 2014 18:41:26 GMT
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Post by valleyview on Aug 3, 2014 15:48:53 GMT
I finished Serena, and was not really impressed. The movie stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, but I am not sure they can save this story.
I may try something light like Big Little Lies for next week. Thanks for the rec!
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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 Aug 3, 2014 16:18:19 GMT
Two for me this week. First was what I'd consider a beach read called After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reed. A pretty quick read, this was about what happens after the burning love faded in a marriage and the resentments you hold for one another grow so large that you question if you should stay married. The characters in this book decide to take a year long no contact break for one year to determine if their marriage is over. Good story.
And the next was a much anticipated book for me-Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I devoured this book in a day. Loved it! I have now read all but one of her books and this did not disappoint. If I had to rank her books, it probably does not top The Husbands Secret, but still excellent. From the beginning you know that a murder occurs, but it's thru the story telling that you find out who was the victim and who was the murderer. There's the same quirkly cast of characters found in all her books, as well as great dialogue. While there are a couple of big themes on the story, there are some smaller ones that I always tend to identify with. In this case, the mommy wars at the school. She really nailed it. Definitely would recommend.
I have the audio version of Outlander. I'm going to start that next-30 hours :-)
And boy I must be getting old but I know a book I want to read is being released on August 5, but for the life of me I can't remember.
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Post by Katiepotatie on Aug 3, 2014 18:25:31 GMT
I'm reading Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand. Beachy chick-lit. 1/3 of the way into it, and I'm just not that into it!! Will finish it, but I'm not likely to read more of her books.
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Post by sugarmama on Aug 3, 2014 18:40:19 GMT
sleuthgirl--I recently read A GAME OF THRONES also. Looking forward to the next one. I have been watching the series as well and the book did help to keep track of who's who. I also found a guide to the houses online on the HBO website.
luckywife--I have WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD on my list to read. Thanks for posting the review!
BIG LITTLE LIES--also on my list to read and I have heard really good reviews about it other places besides here. Glad you liked it, Finaledition!
I've been listening to Dinesh D'Souza's "America" and it is very interesting. Lots of history and lots of explanations about past events. In some ways, it's really an eye-opener!
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Post by sues on Aug 3, 2014 18:41:10 GMT
I finished I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. It was OK. I wouldn't really recommend it though. Most of the essays made me wonder why the heck she felt she needed to commit them to paper, much less a book. She's a talented writer. She can be funny. But this book was kind of a snore.
I started The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes. It's not a book I would have gravitated to, but my sister loved it. I got hooked pretty quickly. I'm almost done already and I can't wait to see how it ends.
Also finishing my purse book soon- The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer. I had a hard time getting into it at first- but it seems like she hit her stride when she started getting into more characters and less Hollywood stereotype mocking. It's actually not a bad book. (I know it's an oldie. It's been sitting on my shelf forever.)
I'm not sure what's next. I think maybe Hyperbole and a Half. It looks like it will be a quick one and I've been wanting to read it for awhile.
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Judy26
Pearl Clutcher
MOTFY Bitchy Nursemaid
Posts: 2,971
Location: NW PA
Jun 25, 2014 23:50:38 GMT
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Post by Judy26 on Aug 3, 2014 19:12:40 GMT
I only read one this week. I finished All the Light We Can Not See by Anthony Doerr as recommended here. It was a wonderful book. I read slowly because I wanted to savor Doerr's beautifully yet heart rendering descriptions. My only criticism of this book was that I felt the ending was a bit disconnected. It was one of my favorites this year and I am reluctant to start anything new as I can't imagine it holding water after All the Light.
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Post by zoeybug on Aug 3, 2014 19:47:37 GMT
Hi Refupeas who read! Happy wife , I loved Whistling Past the Graveyardtoo, even though it's just a tad far fetched .
I finished California and I liked it a lot, but it had one of those sudden endings..which I hate.
Next I read Attachments by Rainbow Rowell and lved this little office romance set in1999.
Tuesday gone- totally get the "back to reality!" I'm a preschool teacher and although we go back later than public schoolteachers,vacation is almost over and this will seriously cut into my reading time !
Have a good week everyone! Libby
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Post by picotjo on Aug 3, 2014 19:49:28 GMT
I just finished One Breath Away , by Heather Gudenkauf and loved it. I am now reading The Donor by Helen Fitzgerald, and it seems pretty good!
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Post by candygurl on Aug 3, 2014 19:51:26 GMT
I finished the YA trilogy called 'The Pledge' and it was pretty good! Really like the second book.
Now I'm reading 'A House in the Sky'. It's about a young freelance journalist who gets captured in Somalia. It's based on a true story and good so far.
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Aug 3, 2014 19:53:22 GMT
Still reading the latest Outlander book, Written in My Own Heart's Blood. I'm dragging my feet finishing it, because I have enjoyed it so much & don't want it to end.
I didn't care for the last book. Jumped around far too much. But, this one, despite the different story lines, has a lovely flow.
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Post by alyssam on Aug 3, 2014 20:27:16 GMT
I'm reading the Brilliance books by Marcus Sakey. I just started the 2nd book. Great if you enjoy a dystopian read that isn't too far fetched.
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Post by alyssam on Aug 3, 2014 20:27:35 GMT
I'm reading the Brilliance books by Marcus Sakey. I just started the 2nd book. Great if you enjoy a dystopian read that isn't too far fetched.
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psychgirl
Shy Member
Posts: 37
Jun 26, 2014 1:27:38 GMT
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Post by psychgirl on Aug 3, 2014 21:17:45 GMT
I'm listening to Middlesex right now and loving it. The narration by Kristoffer Tabori is fabulous! This is one of my all time favorites and I've never listened to it. I'll have to do that!
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Post by 1lear on Aug 3, 2014 21:26:42 GMT
I'm still reading The Romanov Sisters-about 1/2 way right now.
I started a big project this week-going through all the books in my house and getting them organized by category. Also getting ready for Lupus to pick up donations next week so getting rid of some of my books. It's a little overwhelming-I have a lot of books! I put all decorating/landscaping books in the family room, all cookbooks in the kitchen/dining room, all Civil War, WWII and Revolutionary War books in the office. In the basement, I have 4 bookcases, so I'm putting all classics, religious, non-fiction (other than war history books) and educational books down there. Each person's bedroom will house their collection of fiction.
This project has made me realize that I do not need to buy or download any new books until I go through the books I currently own-I have a lot I haven't read.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,817
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Aug 3, 2014 23:02:12 GMT
Only one for me this week... I guess I was busier than I thought! Yuck.
I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe. Sigh. It's beautiful. Just beautiful. It is based on the true story of 200 - 250 women who fought in the Civil War alongside husbands, fathers, sons and brothers. Rosetta aka Ross follows her husband, Jeremiah to the battlefield. The book chronicles their courtship, marriage, the reason she decided to follow him, and their time on the battlefield.
My GR review is below.
I Shall Be Near to You was beautiful and tragic. McCabe does a masterful job of portraying Rosetta as strong yet vulnerable along with the tug-of-war of emotions as her husband Jeremiah enlists in the Civil War. Rosetta follows him, and their experiences result is a gorgeous but brutal story. I loved the language and even the small details, such as the random use of capitalization in the letters.
Nicely done, Erin Lindsay McCabe, nicely done. 4/5 stars.
I an working on a non-fiction book and slogging through a classic. Not too excited about this one thus far, but it has over-the-top ratings on GR, so I will stick with it a bit longer.
Lisa
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Post by smokeynspike on Aug 3, 2014 23:29:31 GMT
I am still reading Help For The Haunted by John Searles. I just didn't read a ton this week.
Melissa
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Post by Charlotte on Aug 3, 2014 23:42:03 GMT
I know that I was the last person on the planet, but I finished Divergent. Also a book called The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. It is about a woman who is kidnapped and all of the players involved. It was an engaging read with a surprise twist. I just started reading The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddon. A mindless summer book about a group of women who vacation together every August.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 8, 2024 11:40:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 23:46:05 GMT
I just finished two books that I liked very much, but were WAAAAAAAAY too long!
"I Know this Much is True" by Wally Lamb, a family saga, mainly about a pair of identical twins, one schizophrenic, the other normal. It was very good but at 900 pages, it would have been better IMHO if 600 or so had been deleted.
"Duma Key," by Stephen King. I love Stephen King, anything he writes is okay with me and this one had so much potential. But it would have been SO much better if he would have consulted me before publishing it, LOL. I would have told him to make it TWO different books, because it really seemed like that's what it was, two different books crammed together, which sort of diminished them both.
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,074
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Aug 4, 2014 0:02:52 GMT
I read a fairly unsatsifying The Wishing Thread by Lisa van Allen - I can't remember from where I got the recommendation, but it was just ok.
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Post by maryland on Aug 4, 2014 0:10:49 GMT
At the beach, so reading lots! Read "The Midwife's Confession", saw it recommended on here. Loved it! Also read "Digging to China" and that was okay. Read "On the Island" again, and love it.
I love Elin Hildebrand books! I went to her book signing a week ago at a great bookstore at Rehoboth Beach. I bought her new book. But I still have her book "Beautiful Day" to read. Can't wait. I read one of her books each year at the beach. I have a whole basket full of books to read during our vacation.
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Post by salem on Aug 4, 2014 0:46:04 GMT
I'm fighting my way through Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich. I've always enjoyed the Stephanie Plum series, but I think it's run it's course. Most of the time it only takes me a day or two to get through one, but this time I just can't work up the interest. Blah.
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Post by marie on Aug 4, 2014 1:28:17 GMT
I am reading The Maze by Catherine Coulter. It's book 2 in her FBI series and I like the main characters. I also picked up Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. It was recommended on last week's thread by SabrinaP.
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,457
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 4, 2014 1:32:22 GMT
I'm fighting my way through Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich. I've always enjoyed the Stephanie Plum series, but I think it's run it's course. Most of the time it only takes me a day or two to get through one, but this time I just can't work up the interest. Blah. I haven't read 21 yet (I'm waiting for it to come to my library), but I agree that it's run it's course. I don't know why I keep reading them. After 20 I actually sent JE an e-mail telling her that Stephanie needs to make a decision on Ranger or Joe and the book should be titled Twenty-One and Done!.
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