The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,936
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Sept 18, 2017 3:32:47 GMT
Hello Readers, What did you read this week?
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Post by MorellisCupcake on Sept 18, 2017 3:48:58 GMT
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
Member is Online
Jun 26, 2014 0:30:34 GMT
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Post by finaledition on Sept 18, 2017 4:05:10 GMT
We moved so I just don't have the time to read, but wanted an audio book while I unpacked. I started A Gentleman in Moscow and probably listened for an hour and had no recollection of what I listened to-oops. Clearly it's not the kind of book that I can multitask so I had to switch genres and listened to The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. This is the one about Catherine of Aragon. Liked it as much as the others, but I feel like the end is always rushed. . I swear those books are like crack for me and the perfect unpacking companion. :-)
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Post by freecharlie on Sept 18, 2017 4:15:47 GMT
I read The Delphi Project. As usual, it is a trilogy, so now I have to read the next ones.
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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 Sept 18, 2017 9:47:02 GMT
I'm about to finish The Radium Girls (Moore). It's the true and horrifying account of young women in the 1920s who worked painting watch and clock faces with radium paint. They would keep the point of the brush fine by putting it to their lips. Within a few years, many of these women developed radium poisoning and died. Their tragic cases became some of the first tests of worker's rights as their employers denied all responsibility.
I'd heard of this before, but to read about how painfully they died and the struggles they faced is amazing and sad. A recommended non fiction read.
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luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,067
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
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Post by luckyexwife on Sept 18, 2017 13:08:23 GMT
I read The Girl Before by JP Delaney. It was good, but there were a few things that didn't quite fit together as smoothly as the author was trying to fit them together. Overall I did enjoy it. 3.5 out of 4 stars.
I was on the waiting list for The Lying Game by Ruth Ware, and it just came in, so I'll be starting that today or tomorrow.
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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 18, 2017 13:38:14 GMT
I read:
The Twelve by Justin Cronin. 4/5 stars. Second in The Passage trilogy. Enjoyed this one. At first it felt scattered, but I like how it all came together. I'm on the waitlist to get the final book - interested to see how it finishes up.
Eat Only When You're Hungry by Lindsay Hunter. 2/5 stars. Was expecting to like this one more. I didn't really like the characters, wasn't very interested in the story, and did not find it "achingly funny" like it promised.
The Breakdown by B.A. Paris. 2/5 stars. Predictable and boring. The bulk of the book was so repetitive and didn't do much to move the story forward. Meh.
After a string of a couple of duds, it looks like I'm back on track with The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. About a third of the way in and I'm loving it.
On deck I have: Little Fires Everywhere (can't wait to read this one - I loved her first book, Everything I Never Told You, and this one is getting a lot of praise and buzz) and The Weight of Ink.
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Post by auntkelly on Sept 18, 2017 14:01:34 GMT
I'm reading The Angry Wife by Pearl S. Buck,which was published in 1946, but still seems very relevant in today's world. The setting is West Virginia at the end of the civil war. The characters are dealing with post civil war life. One of the characters refuses to accept that anything has changed since the end of the Civil War. Other characters are willing to accept that there is no longer slavery but cling to the idea that blacks and whites are not equal. Two of the characters believe that the civil war changed everything and there are no longer any barriers between blacks and whites.
It's a very steamy novel and I'm sure my grandparents wouldn't have approved of it for a number of reasons, including the fact that it dealt w/ interracial marriage. It's hard to believe it was published in 1946. It's sad to think that our nation is still grappling with the issues the country was dealing with at the end of the civil war.
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Post by sweetshabbyroses on Sept 18, 2017 14:58:00 GMT
I read 1000 White Women: The Journal of May Dodd by Jim Fergus. I love historical fiction and this was no exception. I like the format he used, as journal entries by May herself. The only negative I can say is that is obvious in several instances that a man was writing with a woman's voice. Some of events in the story and May's reaction were a little off. I gave it four out of five stars. On another note. I'm trying for the third time to get into the book, Before We Were Yours, and it's just not happening. Did anyone else have this problem, does it pick up? I'm on page 36.
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Post by tara595 on Sept 18, 2017 15:50:44 GMT
I'm almost finished with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I'm loving it. It's a fictional story about an Old Hollywood movie star and her life and rise to fame. I'll miss the characters when it's over.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Sept 18, 2017 17:05:10 GMT
I read a couple of novels that turned out to be just "meh." The Breakdown is by B.A. Paris. She wrote Behind Closed Doors which I think some Peas here read. I didn't realize it was the same writer...I gave Behind Closed doors three stars when I read it several months ago, and The Breakdown got the same. It's about a woman who is being gaslighted by...someone, and I'll just say that there were absolutely zero twists or surprises in this plot.
And I read Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine, about a woman who is in hiding with her kids four years after discovering that her husband is a serial killer. Interesting premise, and the writing wasn't bad, but some of the computer/tech details (as she covers her identity) didn't sound right to me, and the law enforcement details also seemed off and unrealistic. But the nail in the coffin was when I got to the end of the book and it has a SEQUEL that will be out in December. I am so tired of stories that can't be told in one book. Everything has to be a damn trilogy! I don't know if this one will be two books or three, but either way I won't be following up. Grr.
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633
Jun 26, 2014 14:35:07 GMT
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Post by janeliz on Sept 18, 2017 19:32:11 GMT
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy. It took me a while to get around to this one, because I had seen more than a few lukewarm reviews. I liked it, though. It didn't blow my mind in any way, but I thought it was a really solid, engaging story.
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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 18, 2017 19:47:22 GMT
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy. It took me a while to get around to this one, because I had seen more than a few lukewarm reviews. I liked it, though. It didn't blow my mind in any way, but I thought it was a ready solid, engaging story. I haven't read this one, but want to. Slate's Audio Book Club had an episode on this one earlier this summer. I always like their book discussions.
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Post by kckckc on Sept 18, 2017 19:52:31 GMT
I finished four books this week.
The Saboteur by Andrew Gross. I received the audio CD of this book as a Goodreads giveaway. This one is a historic thriller set during WWII. A group of Norwegians set out on a mission to destroy the heavy water that the Germans need to make an atomic bomb. I liked this one and will definitely try to read more by this author. (The narration was excellent). 4/5
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt. A fictional account of the Lizzie Borden axe murders. 3.5/5
Shtum by Jem Lester. Ben is the father of a severely autistic ten year old boy. He also has problems in his marriage, and problems with his job. He and his wife separate, ostensibly to increase the odds of their son getting into a very expensive, very nice residential school. Ben and the child move in with Ben's father - a man Ben really doesn't know very well. Good story. The author is the father of an autistic son, so I assume this is a pretty realistic tale. 4/5
One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel. The story of a very dysfunctional family. The father is physically and mentally abusive and a drug addict, and manipulates his two sons into siding with him during a divorce with their mother. This is a very sad book - it was rather stressful to read. It is very short - I read it in one sitting. 4/5
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peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,389
Aug 16, 2014 23:15:53 GMT
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Post by peaname on Sept 18, 2017 20:33:51 GMT
I'm reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by sorry, I don't know right now.
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,677
Jun 25, 2014 19:33:19 GMT
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Post by Rhondito on Sept 18, 2017 20:42:28 GMT
I'm trying for the third time to get into the book, Before We Were Yours, and it's just not happening. Did anyone else have this problem, does it pick up? I'm on page 36. I couldn't get into it either and gave up. I'm almost finished with Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It was published in 2011 so it's been out a while but I'm loving it. It's my favorite book I've read all year.
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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 18, 2017 20:46:43 GMT
I'm reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by sorry, I don't know right now. One of my favorites of the past five years. Anthony Marra's second novel was also great.
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Post by leannec on Sept 18, 2017 23:55:52 GMT
I'm reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine ... I'm only about 25% in but I'm really enjoying it It does kind of remind me of Where'd You Go Bernadette and The Rosie Project in that the main character is definitely quirky
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 18, 2017 23:58:49 GMT
I'm finally reading Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.
I finished the Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this trilogy if you're into sci-fi/fantasy. Most fall apart for me, but the third book (The Stone Sky) was amazing!!!
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Post by birukitty on Sept 19, 2017 0:46:16 GMT
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks (due to migraines which are now finally getting better thanks to a new doctor) so I've got a few to review:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas This was an amazing read for me. It's a novel about a 16 year old girl named Starr who grew up and lives in a poor neighborhood but attends a fancy suburban prep school. She's trying to balance both worlds when one night she is with her best friend from childhood named Khalil and he is shot by police. He was unarmed. This book gave me an inside look into something I'll never experience as a white woman. It taught me many things and for that I am grateful. Although it is a novel I think it is an important read for everyone. 5 stars
Everybody's Son by Thrity Umriger Really liked this book but didn't love it. It's about Anton, 10 year old boy who is left alone in an apartment in the projects for 10 days during Atlanta's worst heat wave with no electricity. He finally breaks a window and climbs out cutting his leg on the glass. A policeman finds him covered in blood. His mother is discovered in a crack house nearly unconscious. Anton is put into child services while his mother goes to jail. A judge who's recently lost his own son uses his power and connections to bring Anton into his home as a foster child. I gave it 4 stars
The Raft by S.A. Bodeen I wanted to read this YA book because it was about a teen girl who gets on a cargo plane to fly home to Midway Island with only a pilot, co pilot and herself on board. Something happens to the plane and it crashes into the ocean. She ends up in the life raft with the co pilot who is unconscious and it's all about how she survives the ordeal. I'm a sucker for survival stories, especially those involving life rafts and at sea stories, so I decided to give this one a try. It's a very short book, I could have read it in one night but I was reading the last two books here at the same time. All in all it's okay and I gave it 3 stars on goodreads.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton This is a science fiction book about an elderly man, a brilliant astronomer who works in a research center in the Arctic. News of a catastrophic event arrives and everyone leaves except for this man. He wants to stay and complete his work. At the same time a crew of astronauts are coming home from a mission to Jupiter. Mission Control falls inexplicably silent and the crew is left wondering if they'll ever make it home. I really liked this book. I figured out the twist early on and the writing was very good with lots of detail. What I hated however was the ending. I won't spoil it by saying anything about it, but it made me upset enough to bring the rating down to 3.5 stars.
Jane Austen At Home by Lucy Worsley I loved this biography! I've always liked Jane Austen but have to admit this is the first biography that I have read of her, and it was perfect. Sometimes biographies can get dry as dust as they go on and on, but this one kept me very much entertained and I learned so much about Jane Austen. This is one of those books that I will treasure always and plan to buy a hardback for myself to keep. 5 stars!
Just want to mention that when I write what a book is about I only give as much information as what is in the description on goodreads.com I never want to ruin anything for the reader with too much information or spoilers.
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Post by refugeepea on Sept 19, 2017 2:23:19 GMT
I haven't participated in a while, because it took me forever to read an almost 800 page book. Then I managed to finish audio books and a book much quicker.
The Fifties by David Halberstam "The Fifties is a sweeping social, political, economic, and cultural history of the ten years that Halberstam regards as seminal in determining what our nation is today."
Frightening how much the current administration is like McCarthy.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker I'm sure you all are laughing I haven't read it until now. To be fair, it was released when I was in elementary school and it was never assigned in school. I give it five stars.
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky "Molly and Robin Snow are sisters, and like all sisters they share a deep bond that sustains them through good times and bad. Their careers are flourishing—Molly is a horticulturist and Robin is a world-class runner—and they are in the prime of their lives. So when Molly receives the news that Robin has suffered a massive heart attack, she couldn’t be more shocked. At the hospital, the Snow family receives a grim prognosis: Robin may never regain consciousness."
It was ok, a basic chic lit kind of book about family relationships.
The Last Outlaws: The Lives and Legends of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid by Thom Hatch Very informative with lots of background history of both men. Slow moving, but I enjoyed it and the narration as well on this audio book.
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Post by refugeepea on Sept 19, 2017 2:55:30 GMT
Do the Philippa Gregory series need to be read in order or do they stand on their own?
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tanya2
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1604
Posts: 4,426
Jun 27, 2014 2:27:09 GMT
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Post by tanya2 on Sept 19, 2017 3:38:52 GMT
I'm working on Spoiler Alert The Hero Dies a memoir by Michael Ausiello about his late husband's battle with cancer. Loving it so far
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Post by lesserknownpea on Sept 19, 2017 8:18:59 GMT
I read 1000 White Women: The Journal of May Dodd by Jim Fergus. I love historical fiction and this was no exception. I like the format he used, as journal entries by May herself. The only negative I can say is that is obvious in several instances that a man was writing with a woman's voice. Some of events in the story and May's reaction were a little off. I gave it four out of five stars. On another note. I'm trying for the third time to get into the book, Before We Were Yours, and it's just not happening. Did anyone else have this problem, does it pick up? I'm on page 36. Did you google the army officer? He was a real guy. Very interesting how these events affected him for the rest of his life. This story really has stayed with me. It's been 6 years since I read it.
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Post by jassy on Sept 19, 2017 12:27:44 GMT
I just finished The Alice Network by Kate Quinn 5/5. LOVED this book.
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,677
Jun 25, 2014 19:33:19 GMT
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Post by Rhondito on Sept 19, 2017 14:38:12 GMT
I read 1000 White Women: The Journal of May Dodd by Jim Fergus. I love historical fiction and this was no exception. I like the format he used, as journal entries by May herself. The only negative I can say is that is obvious in several instances that a man was writing with a woman's voice. Some of events in the story and May's reaction were a little off. I gave it four out of five stars. On another note. I'm trying for the third time to get into the book, Before We Were Yours, and it's just not happening. Did anyone else have this problem, does it pick up? I'm on page 36. I don't know if you know it, but the sequel came out last week - The Vengeance of Mothers. lesserknownpea SaveSave
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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 19, 2017 14:54:32 GMT
I'm finally reading Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.It's about damn time.
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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 19, 2017 14:54:55 GMT
I just finished The Alice Network by Kate Quinn 5/5. LOVED this book. I can't wait to read this one! I'm on the waitlist at the library.
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scrappyesq
Pearl Clutcher
You have always been a part of the heist. You're only mad now because you don't like your cut.
Posts: 4,032
Jun 26, 2014 19:29:07 GMT
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Post by scrappyesq on Sept 19, 2017 15:00:19 GMT
I finished The Fifth Element by NK Jemisin. I thought it was good up until the last 100 pages. Then I thought it was fantastic. 5/5
I'm about to start The Obelisk Gate also by NK Jemisin.
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ginacivey
Pearl Clutcher
refupea #2 in southeast missouri
Posts: 4,685
Jun 25, 2014 19:18:36 GMT
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Post by ginacivey on Sept 19, 2017 15:03:01 GMT
I read 1000 White Women: The Journal of May Dodd by Jim Fergus. I don't know if you know it, but the sequel came out last week - The Vengeance of Mothers. i loved 1000 white women and knowing there is a sequel - i'm off to order it
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