March 2023: What are you reading?

[Vintage81]

8 hours ago, Just Kate said:

I just read All the Broken Places by John Boyne, which is kind of a sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I really enjoyed reading All the Broken Pieces, although it was a very difficult read at times. After reading it, I learned that the book is quite controversial, as some people feel that in this book and in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Boyne is trying to to make the reader feel sympathy for Nazis. I certainly didn’t see either book that way, but that sentiment gave me something to think about after my reading. 
 

Would you say it’s necessary to read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas prior to reading All the Broken Places? 

[Robin M]

I took a break from Andrea Stewart’s the Bone Shard Emperor to read Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls which was an interesting read. I really didn't expect to like City of Girls so much and was pleasantly surprised. Vivian is an interesting character who is writing Angela to tell her 'what was she to her father." Vivian took us all the way from when she was 19 and failing Vassar to when she was an old lady and finally told Angela near the end of her story what her father meant to her. The supporting cast were an eclectic bunch and made the story.   I laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed taking a tour of Vivian's life. She was happily promiscuous, enjoyed men, although it did get her in trouble a time or two, and had no intention of ever getting married. 

Nonfiction wise, I’m reading Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones as well as Dinty Moore’s The Mindful Writer.

Finished Every Tool’s a Hammer by Adam Savage and got so much out of it, I want to buy the book for both my technicians and make them read it. 

Also finished listening to Drew Haye’s The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant.  I totally enjoyed listening to Fred and found myself laughing out loud at his dry wit and his exploits. Loved the humor and how he managed to get into and out of situations. The narrator was great. 
 

[Miss Tick]

On 3/17/2023 at 10:42 PM, Ordinary Shoes said:

Murderbot is a self aware rogue security unit (a bot). 

I'm in the midst of a reread of this series. I was traveling internationally last week and feeling very travel-stressed and realized this was a good comfort read to dive into while waiting (and silently stressing). Almost as good as watching another episode of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon!

I noticed the author will soon be publishing another book in the series.

[Just Kate]

23 hours ago, Vintage81 said:

Would you say it’s necessary to read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas prior to reading All the Broken Places? 

Not at all. It wasn’t until the end of All the Broken Places that I realized it was a sequel (I think I knew it when I reserved the book from my library through the Libby  app, but I must have forgotten as I started reading the book). But The Boy is the Striped Pajamas is very good, even though it was written for a younger audience, if I’m remembering correctly. 

[marbel]

My reading is all over the place right now. 

I'm still listening to and enjoying Moby Dick and The Pickwick Papers, but I'm easily distracted from them by all the new books that come into my path. But I am continuing. 

Last week I read the latest Jane Harper novel, Exiles. I've read all her books since her debut, The Dry. This one was a little different than I was expecting but still good. But reading it made me want to revisit The Dry, so I borrowed that on audio. 

I also picked up The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (Jan-Phillipp Sendker) at a new-to-me library I was visiting. I had put the book on my to-read list a long time ago and then forgot about it, and then suddenly there it was in front of me. I started reading this last night (I try to read physical books only at bedtime), and am hooked. 

Also started another library book, nonfiction (I do try to read nonfiction!), Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay but am not far enough into it to have an opinion.  I had enjoyed her book Jewels: A Secret History many years ago. 

 

[Kalmia]

I have had very little time to read published books as I have been reading a.k.a copyediting the memoir of a friend and my daughter's novel in progress. 

But I did read two fiction novels from a bag of books my friend passed on to me: Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I think the one by Matt Haig was thought to be some kind of great philosophical thought experiment, but it seemed obvious and almost dated. I didn't put either down, but neither would I recommend them. Just "airport" books, I guess.

I have on my desk The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts. "In 1954, sixty-three-year-old Maine farmer Annie Wilkins embarked on an impossible journey. She had no money and no family and she had just lost her farm, and her doctor had given her only two years to live. But Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died..." It is a biography, and I am wondering if I should have bought Annie Wilkins personal writings about her journey instead. We'll see! I like the idea of it, because I used to ride all the time and my secret dream has always been to find a retired police horse (or other solid, bomb-proof horse) and ride the backroads of Maine taking photographs. 

and

The Reindeer Hunters by Lars Mytting which is Norwegian fiction set in 1903. 

 

[Storygirl]

I've been reading posts, but it seems I haven't made any yet this month.

In print, I read Piranesi by Susanna Clark. Loved loved loved it. I passed it to DH, who also read it. Piranesi lives in a mansion with endless rooms. The lower level has tides that bring water and floods in and out, and the upper level is open to the weather above. Piranesi explores this world, in which he lives alone, with some visits with a man he calls The Other, and he keeps a record in his journal of the various rooms, the tides, and other discoveries. I can't say more without giving away important plot points.

I read a bunch of audiobooks:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I'd never read this one before, but so many others have that I won't bother describing it. DS17 read it for AP English and had a great dislike of the main character, due to actions at the beginning. I said that it was a story of redemption, and he agreed but still was angry about it.

Shrines of Gaity by Kate Atkinson. Because of Atkinson's literary writing style (which I appreciate -- I've read most of her books), it took me a bit to figure out what was happening and who the characters are, but once I got into the story, I really enjoyed it. A civilian woman helps a detective investigate the disappearance of some young girls -- seemingly connected to nightclubs run by a notorious criminal family. Set in 1920's London, the story spends more time developing character and setting than plot, so expect it to seem more like historical/literary fiction, rather than a detective story. I think people who enjoy reading classic would like this one.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk. I picked this one up because of the library setting, but it didn't enthrall me, and I've forgotten many details already. After the head of rare books ends up unconscious in the hospital after a health emergency, his long-time assistant must not only take over his duties (which other staff members resent) but also figure out what happened to a missing rare book.

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Storygirl

[Garga]

Reading “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”. I read it as a young teen and am realizing I don’t remember a single word of this book. (It’s been about 37 years since I read it.) I’m loving reading it, and it’s rather poignant to read now that I’m an adult, reading about a young girl in 1912 (not sure if the book stays in 1912, or if we watch her grow up—I can’t remember!). 

Right now, the children (11 years old and 10 years old) are poor and make money by finding tin foil and things in the street to trade for pennies. The girl has access to some pulp fiction magazines for free that she reads and then sells to a local store for them to sell to customers for half price.

I can’t think of ways like that that 10 and 11 year olds could earn money nowadays. It’s such a bygone era where children can earn money in little ways like this. Anyway…it’s been interesting to read.

[Storygirl]

More audiobooks:

Storm Watch by CJ Box. I've read all of Box's books. This is the 23rd in his Joe Pickett series. Game warden Joe finds a dead body (naturally) and investigates on his own after the sheriff's office tells him to stay out of it (of course). Meanwhile, an anti-government extremist group attempts to recruit his best friend, Nate Romanowski. Box's last book was probably my least favorite of the series, but he is back on his game.

Babel by RF Kuang. This title is hard to describe but has received a lot of attention in the book community, so it would be easy to read more about it. In the 19th century, at the height of English colonialism, Robin, a Chinese orphan, is taken to England by a wealthy benefactor, who educates him and then sends him to Oxford as a language specialist. But there is a fantasy twist -- language specialists with a unique facility are able to create magic using silver bars, and these silver bars are one of the foundations of England's imperial powers. Robin is confronted with ethical dilemmas as his understanding of colonialism and opportunities to rebel against the system develop during his years at Oxford. The fantasy elements are not the main emphasis, and you don't need to be a fantasy reader to dive into this book. People who liked Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell  by Susanna Clarke will likely enjoy this one (I liked Babel more).

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai is another new release getting a lot of buzz. Bodie returns to her high school boarding school to teach an interim course on podcasting, and one of her students decides to explore the true-crime case of a murder from Bodie's time at the school -- in fact, the murder of a girl who was at one time Bodie's roommate (though not a close friend). This reexamination makes Bodie rethink what happened and question whether the right person went to prison. At times, Bodie uses the first person address "you," to mentally confront a person from her past whose actions and intentions she is now challenging. Both enjoyable as a mystery and thought provoking, even though I can't say that Bodie herself was a favorite character for me.

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Storygirl

[Storygirl]

And more audiobooks:

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord, a YA romance. Between her junior and senior years of high school, musical theater Millie hopes to convince hr father, who has raised her on his own, to let her go to early college. After discovering an online journal of her father's from when he was college-aged, Millie identifies three women as her possible mother; her grand plan is to find her, in the hopes that, as a fellow theater person, she will support Millie's perspective. Although the Mama Mia references are obvious, they are not overdone. Of course, there is a boy from her school who is Millie's arch rival and whom she despises (or does she?) as they share a competitive summer internship. Loved it!

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell. Another really fun new release. This is a locked-room style murder mystery, set during the filming of a week-long American baking competition show, similar to the Great British Baking Show. Really clever and delightful.

Maame by Jessica George. Maddie has spent her teen years and early twenties caring for her ill father and supporting the family, while her overbearing mother has been in Ghana and her older brother is off doing his own thing. When her mother returns, Maddie has a chance to move out and explore what she wants for her own life, including a new job opportunity, roommate relationships, and romance, She stumbles over obstacles as she works to make her own way. Quite a bit of the book also addresses issues related to grief, depression, and sexual awakening.

And I finished one more fun one, but I'll post about it another day. I need to walk the dog and make supper.

[Kareni]

I read another book that is military science fiction ~ Terms of Enlistment (Frontlines Book 1) by Marko Kloos. I enjoyed it, but I don't believe I'll continue on at this time.

"The year is 2108, and the North American Commonwealth is bursting at the seams. For welfare rats like Andrew Grayson, there are only two ways out of the crime-ridden and filthy welfare tenements: You can hope to win the lottery and draw a ticket on a colony ship settling off-world . . . or you can join the service.

With the colony lottery a pipe dream, Andrew chooses to enlist in the armed forces for a shot at real food, a retirement bonus, and maybe a ticket off Earth. But as he starts a career of supposed privilege, he soon learns that the good food and decent health care come at a steep price . . . and that the settled galaxy holds far greater dangers than military bureaucrats or the gangs that rule the slums."

Regards,

Kareni

[happi duck]

I've paused Bittersweet and skipped book club on it.  It was triggering sadness.  

I do the Kindle reading challenge and switched over to that.

I read a fun cozy mystery by a black author for Black History month called: Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett

I'm currently reading Shrill by Lindy West for women's history month. 

[KrissiK]

I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as an adult, too. I really liked that book.

[Kassia]

4 hours ago, KrissiK said:

I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as an adult, too. I really liked that book.

Same for me.  It was my beloved aunt's favorite book and I regret not reading it until after she died.  I wish I had read it when she was alive so we could have discussed it.  After she died, her copy of the book was the only thing I wanted from her house and it's the only book I own other than my Little Women book that she gave me as a child.  

After reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I went on to read Betty Smith's Maggie-Now, which I also liked a lot and Tomorrow Will be Better, which I was just so-so on.

[Kareni]

What a lovely keepsake from your aunt, @Kassia! I'm intrigued with the idea that you own two books made with paper. Do you own e-books or use the library or both?

Regards,

Kareni

[Kassia]

18 minutes ago, Kareni said:

What a lovely keepsake from your aunt, @Kassia! I'm intrigued with the idea that you own two books made with paper. Do you own e-books or use the library or both?

Regards,

Kareni

I use the library only.  I don't read e-books.  I don't reread fiction books and don't feel like I need to keep most nonfiction or reference books so that's why I don't have any.  

The funny thing is that DH is a book collector and has well over 1000 books.  We both love to read but I own two books and he owns so many!  It was nice during the pandemic because I had so many of his books to choose from when the libraries shut down.

[Kareni]

30 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I don't reread fiction...

Ah, and I am an avid rereader. (I can certainly get my money's worth rereading a favorite book!) 

32 minutes ago, Kassia said:

The funny thing is that DH is a book collector and has well over 1000 books. ... It was nice during the pandemic because I had so many of his books to choose from when the libraries shut down.

I can well imagine that that was a tremendous boon!

Sending good wishes that you will always have access to a great library.

Regards,

Kareni

[Amira]

I just finished listening to These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. I loved it and am looking forward to tomorrow's book group discussion about it.

[Kassia]

21 minutes ago, Kareni said:

 

Sending good wishes that you will always have access to a great library.

 

Thank you!  That will definitely be part of the decision when we finally move - need to be near a library!  

I just started All My Rage mentioned by @Kidlit earlier in the thread.  

[Vintage81]

I have been consumed by K-dramas, so I haven't been reading as much. 😂

My book club meets tomorrow and I'm supposed to have finished The Bear and the Nightingale. It is not going well. I think I just passed the 100 page mark last night. I can't tell if I don't like the book or I'm just not in the mood for it, but it just seems to drone on and on. Like it seems to take 10 pages to tell what a sentence could. 🤪 The writing isn't bad, it's just a bit much. 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Vintage81

[Vintage81]

On 3/20/2023 at 3:59 PM, Vintage81 said:

I have been consumed by K-dramas, so I haven't been reading as much. 😂

My book club meets tomorrow and I'm supposed to have finished The Bear and the Nightingale. It is not going well. I think I just passed the 100 page mark last night. I can't tell if I don't like the book or I'm just not in the mood for it, but it just seems to drone on and on. Like it seems to take 10 pages to tell what a sentence could. 🤪 The writing isn't bad, it's just a bit much. 

I'm DNFing this book for now. I've read about 150 pages and I'm still just meh about it. I've got too many other books I want to read, so back to the shelf it goes! Maybe I'll pull it back out another day. 

[Kareni]

Don't these look enticing? (I can't determine if these are real or imagined.)

Regards,

Kareni

[Laurel-in-CA]

I too read CJ Box's latest, as soon as I could get it from the library! So good!!

And I've gotten hooked on David Feintuch's two series, Seafort Saga and Hope series. Almost done and ready to head back to a mystery.

Read Something in the Water for my book club. What a surprise twist on the plot!! From the title I thought there was going to be a monster, but instead it was a moral dilemma. Really quite a good read for me, though I didn't agree with the main character's choices.

[Kareni]

I just finished a new book, Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry: A Novel by Sara Read, which I enjoyed. I requested this some time ago and thought it would be a romance, but (while it included a romance) it was much more. (FIC 28, RR 10, NF 2, NS 3//)

"The headlines dubbed it the art heist of the decade…

Twenty years ago, Johanna Porter was a rising star in the art world. Now she’s an unknown soccer mom. When an invitation arrives for an elite gallery opening for her former lover, the great Nestor Pinedo, Johanna wants to throw it in the trash where it belongs. But with some styling help from her daughter, she makes an appearance and comes face-to-face with the woman she was before the powerful and jealous Nestor ruined her.

La Rosa Blanca is a portrait of Johanna herself, young and fierce and fearless—a masterwork with a price tag to match. When she cuts it out of its frame, rolls it up and walks out, Johanna is only taking back what was stolen from her.

Hiding out with La Rosa Blanca in a shack on the Chesapeake Bay, Johanna digs into the raw work of reviving her own skills while battling novice-thief paranoia, impostor syndrome and mom guilt. But Johanna doesn’t just want the painting—she wants to paint again. To harness her powerful talent, she must defy everyone’s expectations—most of all her own—for what a woman like her should be."

Regards,

Kareni

[scholarly]

I recently finished Morningstar: Growing Up With Books by Ann Hood. It was a nice, pleasant read about how books affected her youth and adolescence.

[math teacher]

I'm listening to Dandelion Summer and enjoying it.

[Kareni]

Last night I finished End of Story by Kylie Scott which I quite enjoyed. This was a contemporary romance with one paranormal element. While doing home repairs, a contractor finds divorce papers behind a wall in his name and the owner's name that are dated ten years in the future. The two are acquainted when the story begins as she had previously dated his best friend. This was a fun story, but (highlight to read) SPOILER ALERT***how the divorce papers came to be  there remains a mystery.**END SPOILER  (Adult content) (FIC 29, RR 10, NF 2, NS 3//)

"When Susie Bowen inherits a charming fixer-upper from her aunt, she’s excited to start living her best HGTV life. But when she opens the door to find that her contractor is none other than her ex’s best friend, Lars—the same man who witnessed their humiliating public breakup six months ago—she isn’t exactly eager to have anyone around whose alliance is with the enemy. But beggars can’t be choosers, and the sooner the repairs are done, the sooner she can get back to embracing singledom.

Things go from awkward to unbelievable when Lars discovers a divorce certificate hidden in a wall and dated ten years in the future—with both their names on it. It couldn’t possibly be real…could it? As Susie and Lars work to unravel the document’s origins, the impossibility of a spark between them suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. But would a relationship between them be doomed before it’s even begun?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Quarter Note]

Finished Northanger Abbey a few days ago, for the Literary Life reading challenge, "Work by Austen you have never read before".  

So much fun!  It made me want to pick up all the Gothic novels mentioned in the book.

That made me think:  I rarely read anything from the eighteenth century.  Would any of you who love old literature have any to recommend?  Somewhere on my to-read list is Tobias Smollett's The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  David McCullough, in his notes to his autobiography of John Adams, mentioned that he read it as part of immersing himself in Adams' world, but ended up liking it so much that he read it twice.  That's high praise!  

Any others?

[Quarter Note]

One more:  

Reading friends, I can't recommend this book highly enough:

Heidi's Alp:  One Family's Search for Storybook Europe by Christina Hardyment (1985)

(Many thanks to @Eos for recommending it in another thread a year ago!)

Three reasons to read it:

 - It's about all those places in Europe where the classic children's literature that we love take place!  

- The author is so funny, with a really dry wit that has you chuckling on every page.

- Most of all, the author is a mom like us (well, like me).  She had all these dreams of doing great things with her life, and then... kids happened.  Then she decides to do something about it.  Near the front of the book, she reflects:  "What had happened to my old dreams, of exploring...excavating... daring...?  Was a family a ball and chain for life?...Too timid to take the initiative, we push and prod our children through the conventional hurdles of childhood.  Schooldays and homework tidy away children from adult lives - they cage up parents and reduce them to garage attendants.  When the children trail home at the death of another day, we refuel, wash and service them, then post them off again in the morning."  

But then she does something about it!

Near the end of the book, she and her husband notice how they've changed:  "Looking at the world through the children's eyes made it look a lot less jaded and tired, and a lot more fun."

My husband and I have been reading this aloud to each other for several months and just finished it this morning.  We were sad that it ended!  (And for those of you of my age, the 80's flashbacks were fun, too.😉)

[alysee]

Just started Confessions on the 7:45 this morning. I'm about 50 pages in. 

[Vintage81]

22 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (audiobook) - friends to lovers romance. This was cute but I didn't like it as much as Henry's other books, Book Lovers and Beach Reads. Typical Henry novel with snappy dialogue and smart and funny characters. 3/5 stars. 

Emily Henry's books are starting to frustrate me. I've read all three. I really liked Beach Reads. People We Meet on Vacation was just meh for me. I know with most contemporary romance books they are a bit of a stretch when it comes to reality, but this one was a bit much. I just kept saying...really....really?? Then, with Book Lovers I was excited about the story premise (because....books!), but it wasn't exactly what it was advertised to be (they weren't really enemies to lovers). Then, to me, the protagonist didn't really change much during the story, and I think she should have (trying to say that without spoilers! 😂). I do love the writing though...agree with you on the snappy dialogue...it's my favorite part. Hence my frustration with her books. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by Vintage81

[marbel]

19 hours ago, Quarter Note said:

Heidi's Alp:  One Family's Search for Storybook Europe by Christina Hardyment (1985)

Many years ago, I read Christina Hardyment's book Arthur Ransome and Captain Flint's Trunk after reading all the Swallows and Amazons books to my kids - all 12 (?) one right after the other. I've got her book on Sir Thomas Malory on my list but not sure when I will get to it. 

[Pawz4me]

I finished Demon Copperhead yesterday. I give it a solid 4.5. It was one of those reads that gave me a book hangover--a little headachy and worn out, a little sad that it was over, and guessing that my next book is probably going to be a little disappointing in comparison.

[helenalarson]

On 3/19/2023 at 10:50 PM, Storygirl said:

I've been reading posts, but it seems I haven't made any yet this month.

In print, I read Piranesi by Susanna Clark. Loved loved loved it. I passed it to DH, who also read it. Piranesi lives in a mansion with endless rooms. The lower level has tides that bring water and floods in and out, and the upper level is open to the weather above. Piranesi explores this world, in which he lives alone, with some visits with a man he calls The Other, and he keeps a record in his journal of the various rooms, the tides, and other discoveries. I can't say more without giving away important plot points.

I read a bunch of audiobooks:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I'd never read this one before, but so many others have that I won't bother describing it. DS17 read it for AP English and had a great dislike of the main character, due to actions at the beginning. I said that it was a story of redemption, and he agreed but still was angry about it.

Shrines of Gaity by Kate Atkinson. Because of Atkinson's literary writing style (which I appreciate -- I've read most of her books), it took me a bit to figure out what was happening and who the characters are, but once I got into the story, I really enjoyed it. A civilian woman helps a detective investigate the disappearance of some young girls -- seemingly connected to nightclubs run by a notorious criminal family. Set in 1920's London, the story spends more time developing character and setting than plot, so expect it to seem more like historical/literary fiction, rather than a detective story. I think people who enjoy reading classic would like this one.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk. I picked this one up because of the library setting, but it didn't enthrall me, and I've forgotten many details already. After the head of rare books ends up unconscious in the hospital after a health emergency, his long-time assistant must not only take over his duties (which other staff members resent) but also figure out what happened to a missing rare book.

Also, some time ago, I started reading How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul J. Silvia because I need to improve my writing skills. Being a student requires a lot of skills and knowledge, and writing is something I need to improve. I like this book, and I think it's really informative, and I also write a lot, so I also have practice. For now, it's hard for me from time to time to finish papers, but I work on them. And when I need help, I ask someone for advice or use examples. The last time I needed to write a paper on this page https://studydriver.com/freedom-of-speech-essay/, I read almost all provided there freedom of speech essay examples, and I managed to write my own papers, which was pretty good. Of course, I didn't get the best grade, but at least I didn't miss the deadline. And I hope that after finishing that book, and maybe one more, my skills will improve.

Shrines of Gaity by Kate Atkinson has been on my reading list for a long time, but I've read mixed reviews of it, and my friend didn't like it at all. But I like such a genre, so I think I'll give it a try.

And now I'm reading The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, and that novel is fantastic. I've read half of it in a day because the story is so catchy.  It's based on real-life events, and it makes you feel the full spectrum of emotions.

[Lynn in al]

The Empty Birdcage, The Authenticity Project, The last house party, 13 minute murder 

[AmandaVT]

I finished Sourdough last week. I think I got the recommendation from one of the book threads here. I loved it - thank you to whoever recently recommended it!

I'm involved with a Lent church book group, and we're reading Good Enough - 40-ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection. I'm enjoying it, but the pace set by the people running the group is more of a "speed read" rather than a "read and digest for a bit," so I think I'll keep this handy to reread. 

My current before-bed light read is a Rescue Alaska mystery called Finding Hope (available on Kindle Unlimited). The main character is part of a search and rescue team and has the ability to "connect" with victims, which enables them to find and save more people. Very light reading. 

And my current work book is Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler- "Perfect for students who have been convinced they are naturally "bad at math," the author offers a demonstration of how to turn self-doubt into self-confidence by relying on the "mindset" framework."

[Storygirl]

7 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

I've been wanting to read Demon Copperhead and you just inspired me to put it on hold at the library (I'm #20 so I've got some time). I was a bit intimidated because it's a retelling of the Dickens book. My 9th grade English teacher put me off Dickens for life by forcing us to read Great Expectations in class. We had to read it out loud, chapter by chapter, down the rows in the class. It was torture. I resolved that I needed to get over this and actually read Dickens as a grown-up and put Great Expectations on my TBR. 

My reading resolution for this year was to use the library more and it's beginning to stress me out. My holds become available when I'm not expecting it. I quickly go from, "oh crap I have nothing to read! to oh crap, I've got too much to read!" I use one library for physical books (I prefer physical, especially if it's a long book) and another library for Libby (my local library uses Cloud and I don't like reading ebooks on the Cloud app). If I get a book with a waiting list I feel like I need to read it quickly so I can get it to the next person. And I just saw a TikTok about how Libby is very expensive for libraries which made me feel guilty about checking out ebooks but not finishing them. 

 

On the Libby app, if you aren't ready to read something when it is your turn, you can bump it to a later date.

I use Libby for audiobooks only and bump things A LOT. I do feel pressure sometimes to get through things quickly, but I try to remind myself that I don't have to feel guilty about taking the time allowed me, even when others are waiting. I have to talk myself through it sometimes, though!

[Kareni]

3 hours ago, AmandaVT said:

I finished Sourdough last week. I think I got the recommendation from one of the book threads here. I loved it - thank you to whoever recently recommended it!

I read that a couple of years ago and found it a fun book.

Regards,

Kareni

[Grace Hopper]

I just finished The Last Thing He Told Me, in anticipation of the miniseries coming out with Jennifer Garner.

I thought it started off great, and then ended too soon. I feel like the author missed opportunities to take her characters to additional locations and have a little bit more thriller/adventure element to the story. She introduced characters and plot devices that struck me as significant but ended up having very little to do with the story. At heart I think it’s a stepmom/stepdaughter relationship story, but it’s really marketed as more of a mystery and so while I liked the relational components, I really didn’t feel like the author fleshed out the mystery as fully as she could have. It reminded me of a late-era John Grisham novel; I’ve found many of his books in recent years just kind of give up at the 3/4 mark and end the story with a short narrative to wrap it up. Not entirely satisfying. 
 

 

[importswim]

3 hours ago, Grace Hopper said:

I just finished The Last Thing He Told Me, in anticipation of the miniseries coming out with Jennifer Garner.

I thought it started off great, and then ended too soon. I feel like the author missed opportunities to take her characters to additional locations and have a little bit more thriller/adventure element to the story. She introduced characters and plot devices that struck me as significant but ended up having very little to do with the story. At heart I think it’s a stepmom/stepdaughter relationship story, but it’s really marketed as more of a mystery and so while I liked the relational components, I really didn’t feel like the author fleshed out the mystery as fully as she could have. It reminded me of a late-era John Grisham novel; I’ve found many of his books in recent years just kind of give up at the 3/4 mark and end the story with a short narrative to wrap it up. Not entirely satisfying. 
 

 

I absolutely agree with your assessment. It felt really rushed at the end and like the author phoned in the last quarter of the book.

[Grace Hopper]

31 minutes ago, importswim said:

I absolutely agree with your assessment. It felt really rushed at the end and like the author phoned in the last quarter of the book.

Whew! Glad it wasn’t just me! I felt bad saying that because I really did enjoy the first part of the book - it completely drew me then dropped me like a hot potato!

[KungFuPanda]

I’m reading This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes for my book club. I’m at 51% and need to finish by Friday. I hope I make it. It has so much name dropping and I don’t know half these people. It also has entirely too many penises. 

[Kareni]

6 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

It also has entirely too many penises. 

That made me laugh!

I hope you'll finish the book before your Friday meeting.

Regards,

Kareni

[pinball]

I’m reading Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by rabia Chaudry rn…literally rn…and a pic of her w/Adnan Syed popped up on my TV.

Syed’s murder conviction was reinstated and the pic was some older footage of him being released.

[Vintage81]

DDs and recently finished reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Stargirl was a new student at Mica High School and she was different from everyone else. Having been previously homeschooled she didn't fit in with the rest of the kids. Leo liked her and they started hanging out but he was conflicted when the school started shunning Stargirl. The story was pretty good and brought up some good conversations that it’s okay to stand out and be different from the crowd, etc. There were a few things I didn’t like, like how the author made it seem like Stargirl being homeschooled played a part in her “weirdness.” She also did some other things that could be taken as nice but also as a tad stalker-ish. (4 stars)

[WildflowerMom]

I'm reading 'An Everlasting Meal' and it's excellent, so far.   

[Kassia]

I just finished All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (YA) and Somebody's Daughter by Ashley Ford (memoir).  Both were very good.

Currently reading Nothing General About It:  How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital by Maurice Benard (memoir).

 

[Kareni]

Early in the week, I read three related works by one author ~

Space Junk: Houston, We Have a Hottie (Space Series Book 1) by Sara L. Hudson 

"NASA engineer Dr. Jackie Darling Lee is a genius about many things... the male species is not one of them.

Then a little friendly blackmail from a co-worker has Jackie walking into a Texas saloon ready to initiate Operation Social Life. After making friends with her waitress and helping a drunk country beauty get home safely, she thinks she’s off to a good start.

Flynn West left his family’s rich ranching life behind after discovering his girlfriend’s gold digging ways. Now he specializes in vintage muscle car restorations in his own shop in Houston.
He’s taken women off his radar, until a wild-haired blonde drags his drunk little sister through his front door. The moment he sees those thick, black-framed glasses on that slender nose, Flynn’s captivated.

Ignitions ignite, and not just from Flynn’s skills at hot-wiring cars.

But in the midst of the International Space Station being threatened and old flames reappearing, can Jackie and Flynn let go of old hang-ups long enough to reach the end of their Happily Ever After countdown?

Or will it be a failure to launch?"

Also Space Age: Houston, Prepare to Launch (this novella now seems unavailable in English other than in the linked anthology) plus the story "Space Landing" which was in 1001 Dark Nights Short Story Anthology 2020.

These were pleasant entertainment, but I don't expect to reread them. (Adult content)  (FIC 30, RR 10, NF 2, NS 5//)

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I've been fighting a cold this week so was in the mood for a comfort read. I reread a favorite science fiction series: Linesman, Alliance, and Confluence by SK Dunstall. I enjoyed them all again. Below is the blurb for the first book. (FIC 30, RR 13, NF 2, NS 5//)

"The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…

Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever."

Regards,

Kareni

[WildflowerMom]

I also just started Soul City and it is good, so far.