The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 3,165 
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Nov 18, 2019 3:12:29 GMT
What did you read this week?
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Post by jackietex on Nov 18, 2019 3:49:11 GMT
I finally finished listening to the five books in the Game of Thrones series! I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but I've been listening since the end of March and I am so happy to be able to move on to something a little lighter (and shorter)! This afternoon I started The Dutch House and I'm really enjoying Tom Hank's voice.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Nov 18, 2019 5:14:13 GMT
I read The Grammarians by Cathleen Schine. This was for my book club and I really did not like it. I should clarify, I found 80% of the characters to be snooty, know it alls who were pretty insufferable. Needless to say I’m proud that I finished, but won’t be recommending it.
I also read The Floating Feldmans. It was pretty cute. A somewhat predictable story of a multigenerational family going on a cruise together-all who seem to be keeping a secret and none are particularly close. Tensions run high at sea. A good story and a sweet ending.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,912
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Post by gottapeanow on Nov 18, 2019 5:43:12 GMT
Last Christmas, my sister gave me this book as kind of a joke. Because church potlucks. Family dinners. And many disgusting Jell-o recipes. Lol.
Jell-O Girls: A Family History by Allie Rowbottom. Here is my GR review.
This is, obviously, about Jell-o. It's also about mental illness. About feminism. About relationships. But most of all, it's about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters. 3/5 stars.
I guess it was missing something for me.
Lisa
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Post by cadoodlebug on Nov 18, 2019 5:46:01 GMT
I'm probably going to finish This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger in the next few days. I've really enjoyed it but some of it is hard to read. Next up is Lock Every Door by Riley Sager then The Escape Room by Megan Goldin. I've had to freeze all my holds because they are all coming up at the same time!
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samantha25
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,320
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Post by samantha25 on Nov 18, 2019 5:47:09 GMT
Crappy book by James Patterson- Killer Chef and I finished it but so stupid. Why oh why do I pick these crappy ones?
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Nov 18, 2019 11:53:36 GMT
For me this week:
The Swallows (Lutz). I've read almost all of Lisa Lutz's books and they are often funny and cynical. This book takes a different direction. It's set at a down-at-the heels boarding school where you find the usual teenage cliques and drama. There is a also a secret "darkroom" where the boys rank the sexual performance of the girls. One teacher and a handful of girls are determined to bring down the darkroom. It was a good read, but also very disturbing.
Elevation (King) I read this is one sitting. A man suffers a mysterious illness that causes him to rapidly lose weight while his physical appearance stays the same. It was easy to get caught up in this imaginative story.
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Post by monklady123 on Nov 18, 2019 12:19:22 GMT
I finished The Alice Network. LOVED it. Then I wanted to start The Huntress, which I have out from the library also, but I'm also reading The Heart Goes Last (Margaret Atwood) and it's due first. So I started reading "Heart" but I could see "The Huntress" right over there on my coffee table, calling to me.  So I went online and found "The Heart Goes Last" as an ebook from my library. I borrowed that, so now it's due after "The Huntress" which means I can leave it till later. (and just turn off my wifi on my Kindle if I can't finish it, lol). I also just finished The Secrets We Kept, which then made me want to read Doctor Zhivago. I have "Zhivago" from the library but I doubt that I'll be able even to start it unless "The Huntress" really grabs me like "The Alice Network" did. We will see.... |
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 3,165
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Nov 18, 2019 12:47:38 GMT
Current thread
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Post by yodutchess on Nov 18, 2019 13:26:02 GMT
I found Time Magazine ‘s list of the 100 best books ( so far) so I picked two from that. I read The Nickel Boys and The Dutch House. Both were excellent reads!
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Post by pjaye on Nov 18, 2019 13:34:45 GMT
also just finished The Secrets We Kept, which then made me want to read Doctor ZhivagoI plan to do the same, although I though I might read Doctor Zhivago first as I've never read it (not seen the movie either) This is two weeks worth as I didn't get around to posting last week. First up was The Child Finder (Naomi Cottle #1) by Rene Denfeld. Set in Canada, Naomi is a private investigator who specializes in finding missing children. She's called in by a family still looking for their 8yo daughter who vanished 3 years ago when the family were out getting a Christmas tree. It becomes clear that something also happened to Naomi when she was younger and that forms part of the dual story line. There's some challenging topics covered, child abuse, violence etc but it's not extreme. I liked the writing in this, there's a lot of imagery used that takes the edge off the difficult aspects. Then I went straight on to the second book The Butterfly Girl - this is a direct follow-up and this time explores Naomi's story in more detail. The second one wasn't as good as the first though. 3.5 stars for the first one and 3 for the second. Normal People by Sally Rooney this is my book club book for this month. Set in Ireland & is basically a romance between Marianne and Connell which starts in high school and is on & off all the way through college and early adulthood. This bored me, mainly because the characters were so young and it was just all them and their conversations, nothing else happens. Also the writing in this is odd, very detail orientated (someone goes shopping and you get told not only what they buy, how much it weighs, then describes going through the checkout, how much it cost and then they put the item into a recycled shopping bag...which is great but OMG SO boring!) 2 stars Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok. This is about a Chinese family with two daughters, their grandmother who lives in the Netherlands is dying so the oldest daughter goes to be with her and then no-one is able to contact her. Then the younger girls also travels to the Netherlands to find out what happened to her sister. This had a few twists and surprises, one was pretty obvious but I was surprised by the other. 4 stars. Now I am just about finished The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns. Dual story line, 1950s Japan and a young Japanese girl meets an American marine and they fall inn love and want to get married. Then in the modern day storyline the marine is dying and his daughter finds out that he may have had a baby with a woman in Japan and she travels there to try to find out what happened to the woman and possible baby. I'm really enjoying this, it will be at least 4 stars. Excellent narration too if anyone is looking for a good audiobook. |
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Post by monklady123 on Nov 18, 2019 14:19:42 GMT
also just finished The Secrets We Kept, which then made me want to read Doctor ZhivagoI plan to do the same, although I though I might read Doctor Zhivago first as I've never read it (not seen the movie either) I've never read it either, and haven't seen the movie. I think I'll read it first, then find the movie on Netflix or Amazon. |
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,666
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Post by janeliz on Nov 18, 2019 14:32:47 GMT
Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong.
A fun read. If you enjoy her stand-up shows, you’ll enjoy this one.
Inside Out by Demi Moore. I like her as a person and actress, but this memoir felt a little hollow to me. She was raw and honest about her rough childhood, but there was just something missing for me.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. Drawn back together years after a mysterious tragedy, siblings and childhood housemates contend with what really happened in a wealthy London home. I read this in a flash, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
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momto4kiddos
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,156
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
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Post by momto4kiddos on Nov 18, 2019 14:39:40 GMT
I read Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane over the weekend. Kept me on the couch all day Saturday trying to finish.
Now off to the library to pick up the 4 books that came in for me...I hate when they all come through at once. I see lots of couch time in my future.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Nov 18, 2019 15:05:32 GMT
Crappy book by James Patterson- Killer Chef and I finished it but so stupid. Why oh why do I pick these crappy ones? It was probably my least favorite book of his I've read. Having lived in NOLA for 23 years, the only thing I liked was knowing all the places the chef went, reading the descriptions of the food and the recipes at the end of the book. But the plot and action were stupid beyond compare. |
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Post by stingfan on Nov 18, 2019 18:10:29 GMT
Finished...
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall - I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one. It follows two couples over a number of years, their paths to becoming ministers/ministers' wives, and the relationships among the 4 of them. I found it pretty compelling and would recommend it.
Started...
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - This is for my January book club. I wouldn't say it's the best book of hers that I've ever read, but it's interesting enough to keep me going.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,912
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Post by gottapeanow on Nov 18, 2019 18:47:59 GMT
pjaye, The Woman in the White Kimono was definitely one of my favorite reads this year. So amazing! Lisa
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Post by birukitty on Nov 18, 2019 18:54:17 GMT
Two for me this week. First up I read Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton. This had to have been one of the most original books I've ever read. It's science fiction about a pet crow named S.T. who lives in Seattle with his human Big Jim and Jim's loyal but dim witted dog Dennis. Life is grand. S.T. is loved by Big Jim who rescued him as a hurt baby crow and raised him to adulthood. Big Jim taught him words and feeds him Cheetos as a treat (S.T.'s favorite food). Then one day Big Jim's eyeball falls out. The book is told from S.T.'s viewpoint. Turns out there is an apocalypse happening with a virus effecting all humans, but not animals. The book follows S.T. and Dennis as they struggle to survive in this new world. What I loved about the book is how well it is written especially if you've ever shared your life with a pet or know animals. There is a chapter from the viewpoint of a cat that to me describes a cat's thinking to a T. (Having had cats for 51 years). And a chapter from a poodle's perspective that I also loved. I didn't want this book to end and I was sad when it was over. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.
The next book I read was All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio. This was a historical fiction book with two different timelines. The book begins in 2009 Paris, France when Caroline is riding her bike and crashes into a truck. She survives but is left with no memory of her past-to the point that she doesn't know her name. She lives in a beautiful apartment in a fashionable part of Paris and while trying to unearth clues as to who she is she discovers a stash of letters hidden in her apartment by Celine from 1943 when France was occupied by the Germans. The book moves back and forth in alternating chapters between Caroline's story and Celine's story. I've read quite of few of these types of books and I really liked this one. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.
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Post by birukitty on Nov 18, 2019 18:54:57 GMT
pjaye , The Woman in the White Kimono was definitely one of my favorite reads this year. So amazing! Lisa Mine too. |
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Post by pjaye on Nov 19, 2019 0:52:02 GMT
pjaye, The Woman in the White Kimono was definitely one of my favorite reads this year. So amazing! Lisa I just finished it and I agree, 5 stars from me too. |
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gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,461
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Post by gina on Nov 19, 2019 0:56:33 GMT
I read a cutesy book called Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan. 3-ish / 5 stars. Cute. Nothing to write home about.
I'm listening to Daisy Jones and the Six on audio and I'm about 65% through with it. I was dismayed to see a bunch of you guys in last week's thread say you didn't like it after I got it right away on audio but I decided to go ahead with it anyway since it's rated pretty highly on Goodreads. Really enjoying it (I LOVE Judy Greer who voices Karen Karen) but I do not like Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) reading as Daisy. She irks me. Every other narrator is cool though. I like that there are so many!
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Post by cindyupnorth on Nov 19, 2019 1:09:33 GMT
I finally finished listening to the five books in the Game of Thrones series! I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but I've been listening since the end of March and I am so happy to be able to move on to something a little lighter (and shorter)! I read all of the GOT books. It took me a year! you did good! I totally hear you on looking forward to going on to something else! |
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Nov 19, 2019 1:24:02 GMT
I'm listening to Daisy Jones and the Six on audio and I'm about 65% through with it. I was dismayed to see a bunch of you guys in last week's thread say you didn't like it after I got it right away on audio but I decided to go ahead with it anyway since it's rated pretty highly on Goodreads. Really enjoying it (I LOVE Judy Greer who voices Karen Karen) but I do not like Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) reading as Daisy. She irks me. Every other narrator is cool though. I like that there are so many! Well I for one LOVED it. I also did the audio version and was completely into the story. I just read today that they have cast Daisy for the amazon production. And I’ll be watching that too-can’t wait. Actually I’m looking forward to the soundtrack too. |
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Post by pjaye on Nov 19, 2019 1:31:05 GMT
I'm listening to Daisy Jones and the Six on audio and I'm about 65% through with it. I was dismayed to see a bunch of you guys in last week's thread say you didn't like it after I got it right away on audio but I decided to go ahead with it anyway since it's rated pretty highly on Goodreads. I liked it, I thought it was entertaining and kept me interested, but it wasn't one of those books I'd rave about and say I "loved" |
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Post by cindyupnorth on Nov 19, 2019 1:44:47 GMT
Well I for one LOVED it. I also did the audio version and was completely into the story. I just read today that they have cast Daisy for the amazon production. And I’ll be watching that too-can’t. Actually I’m looking forward to the soundtrack too. Who did they cast??! |
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Post by cindyupnorth on Nov 19, 2019 1:45:16 GMT
Pjaye!!! I can't get used to your new avatar! LOL
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Nov 19, 2019 1:58:40 GMT
Well I for one LOVED it. I also did the audio version and was completely into the story. I just read today that they have cast Daisy for the amazon production. And I’ll be watching that too-can’t. Actually I’m looking forward to the soundtrack too. Who did they cast??! Riley Keough. She’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley. I don’t know what she’s been in. But I was just glad to hear that it’s not in the production file cabinet. |
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Post by cindyupnorth on Nov 19, 2019 2:28:27 GMT
Riley Keough. She’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley. I don’t know what she’s been in. But I was just glad to hear that it’s not in the production file cabinet. Wow! yea, she was in The girlfriend, something?? It was on HBO, or starz. A college student that becomes an "escort". I don't see her as Daisy at all, but if she has a bit of the old Elvis in her, then maybe.. |
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Post by pjaye on Nov 19, 2019 2:45:21 GMT
Pjaye!!! I can't get used to your new avatar! LOL lol...why is that? |
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Post by tara595 on Nov 19, 2019 18:54:21 GMT
I've been in a reading rut the past couple of weeks. I've started and stopped a bunch of books and/or falling asleep!
BUT, thanks to all of you, I lucked out and got The Woman in the White Kimono e-book from the library and started it last night! Thanks peas!
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So I went online and found "The Heart Goes Last" as an ebook from my library. I borrowed that, so now it's due after "The Huntress" which means I can leave it till later. (and just turn off my wifi on my Kindle if I can't finish it, lol). 
