July 2023: What are you reading?

[Vintage81]

☀️Happy July! Hard to believe we’re already half way through the year already! 

Per my Goodreads Reading Challenge, I’ve read 37 books and I’m currently on track for reading my 75 book goal. I feel a bit behind, though, because I’m usually several books ahead of my goal, but oh well. ☺️

I look forward to hearing what y’all have been reading! 

[heartlikealion]

The Blue Castle. A hive boardie sent it to me a while back and I didn't get far but I've been making a conscious effort to read it lately while I ride my bike. 

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Vintage81 said:

Hard to believe we’re already half way through the year already! 

Yikes!

I finished another reread of a favorite book which I enjoyed once again ~ Linesman (A Linesman Novel Book 1) by S. K. Dunstall

 (FIC 60, RR 27, NF 5, NS 16, PIC 1///)

Regards,

Kareni

[scholarly]

I didn't get mine for the end of June in, so here they are.

D is for Deadbeat- Sue Grafton; Better than the last Kinsey Millhone book. Good enough, but not amazing... yet I can't stop reading this series

The Way of Life: A Theology of Christian Vocation- Gary Badcock; I took notes on this one and might do a lesson on it at church sometime. It is a look at what God "calls" us to do, specifically in life vs as a job. I liked the author's line of thinking/interpretation, especially as someone who has given up a career in order to homeschool.

The Clue of the Tapping Heels- Carolyn Keene; They really threw a lot in this Nancy Drew mystery! Cat shows, tap dancing, and insane asylum escapee... I can't imagine what when on during the writing of this.

Gardener of Versailles: My Life in the World's Grandest Garden- Alain Baraton; This was a collection of experiences of the long-time head gardener at Versailles, mixed in with historical info. It wasn't particularly cohesive, but it kept my attention. I would have liked more details to the stories.

The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk- Carolyn Keene; Another Nancy Drew, better than the last, although still delightfully implausible.

[SKL]

Hi guys, slow reader check-in here! 

I'm reading a book called "Storm in a Teacup - the Physics of Everyday Life."  It's interesting - wish I'd read it younger.  I don't know how long it will take me to finish it, as I'm still early in the 1st chapter!

For my upcoming cruise, I plan to bring a novel called "Unmarriageable."  I bought this over 2 years ago and never got around to reading it - been reading a bunch of nonfiction about psychology and teaching kids to drive.  😛  I hope this will just be a fun read for a change.  🙂

[alysee]

The Midnight Library for book club. I've heard good things but so far it hasn't hooked me. 

[Kassia]

44 minutes ago, alysee said:

The Midnight Library for book club. I've heard good things but so far it hasn't hooked me. 

I didn't like this one much but I think everyone I know who read it did.  

I'm still reading These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, Arizona Territories.  

[Kidlit]

I'm in something of a reading slump.   We're on a family vacation right now and I have a couple of things with me:  Midnight Library and African Town.  I've read part of both of them, but stalled out in both.   We'll see if I can restart and make progress. 

[AmandaVT]

I just finished A Duet for Home, which is one of our upcoming Golden Dome nominees for next year. Middle grade fiction - our librarian gives book loving teachers sneak peeks at the upcoming year's nominations and lets us read them over the summer! This one is a good one - adjusting to living in a homeless shelter and kids working together for good is the main theme. I enjoyed it - perfect summer read!

[Kidlit]

18 minutes ago, AmandaVT said:

I just finished A Duet for Home, which is one of our upcoming Golden Dome nominees for next year. Middle grade fiction - our librarian gives book loving teachers sneak peeks at the upcoming year's nominations and lets us read them over the summer! This one is a good one - adjusting to living in a homeless shelter and kids working together for good is the main theme. I enjoyed it - perfect summer read!

Ah! By the author of the Vanderbeekers!  It can't help but be good!

[Ottakee]

I am diving deep here.

The first is pretty deep.  Given to me by a friend.  I am slowly making my way through…maybe up to page 60 or so.   So far I am finding it well reasoned.

The second one (the audio book) I might abandon (unless someone here can convince me to continue).  It started out with some good points to consider but now about 1/2 way in she is totally losing me on a lot of medieval stuff and magic and other stuff.   

 

 

[Kidlit]

@OttakeeI listened to all of Making of Biblical Womanhood, but I will admit to blanking out on some of the historical details.  I'm already in her camp so I wasn't listening to disagree or even really to think critically, so I approached it more as a casual listen.  YMMV. 

[Ottakee]

4 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

@OttakeeI listened to all of Making of Biblical Womanhood, but I will admit to blanking out on some of the historical details.  I'm already in her camp so I wasn't listening to disagree or even really to think critically, so I approached it more as a casual listen.  YMMV. 

I was raised in the opposite camp but now am fairly in her camp but think that if she wanted to persuade more people it should be done a bit differently as I could see many from where I grew up dismissing some of her ideas that are more out there.

[Kidlit]

20 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I was raised in the opposite camp but now am fairly in her camp but think that if she wanted to persuade more people it should be done a bit differently as I could see many from where I grew up dismissing some of her ideas that are more out there.

I can see that.  I DEFINITELY think the fact that she's a historian probably hurts her with an oppositional audience.  Well, not the fact that she's a historian but the fact that she's making an historical argument. They'd have no reason to think the Medieval church got it right, either. 

[Ottakee]

10 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

I can see that.  I DEFINITELY think the fact that she's a historian probably hurts her with an oppositional audience.  Well, not the fact that she's a historian but the fact that she's making an historical argument. They'd have no reason to think the Medieval church got it right, either. 

She kinda lost me at the Mary Magdalene killed a monster that was eating a man and then he came back to life

[Kareni]

For my book group tomorrow, I read The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel by Pip Williams. (I'd attempted unsuccessfully to read this a year or so ago, but this time was a go.) This book is a very female centric book which I enjoyed. The main character's life revolves to a large extent on the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. (FIC 61, RR 27, NF 5, NS 16, PIC 1//)

"Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and, learning that the word means “slave girl,” begins to collect other words that have been discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.

As she grows up, Esme realizes that words and meanings relating to women’s and common folks’ experiences often go unrecorded. And so she begins in earnest to search out words for her own dictionary: the Dictionary of Lost Words. To do so she must leave the sheltered world of the university and venture out to meet the people whose words will fill those pages.

Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Inspired by actual events, author Pip Williams has delved into the archives of the Oxford English Dictionary to tell this highly original story. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a delightful, lyrical, and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words and the power of language to shape the world."
Regards,

Kareni

[Faith-manor]

More issues of Mother Earth News and Hobby Farm, Chickens in the Road, and my great great great grandmother's letters. We just found a box of them.

[Kareni]

I also recently finished We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian which I enjoyed (even though I took a two week break mid-book). This was a historical romance set in the 1950s featuring two men, a newspaper journalist and the son of the newspaper's owner who is learning the business. (Adult content)

"Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city’s biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can’t let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy.

Andy Fleming’s newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He’s barely able to run his life—he’s never paid a bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he’ll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it.

Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can’t deny. But what feels possible in secret—this fragile, tender thing between them—seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they’re willing to fight."

**

I also reread two fan fiction short stories set in the world of a favorite series (Lyn Gala's Claimings series); I enjoyed them both. They were Deviations and Revelations, both by allonym.

(FIC 62, RR 27, NF 5, NS 18, PIC 1///)

Regards,

Kareni

[Kassia]

3 hours ago, Kareni said:

For my book group tomorrow, I read The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel by Pip Williams. (

 

3 hours ago, Kareni said:

I also recently finished We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian which I enjoyed (even though I took a two week break mid-book).

I've had the first on my to-read list for a while and just put the second one on the list.  🙂

3 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

More issues of Mother Earth News and Hobby Farm, Chickens in the Road, and my great great great grandmother's letters. We just found a box of them.

Wow, that is so cool about the letters!  

[Vintage81]

Yesterday I finished The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. In the book, we follow Lucy Hart, who is a kindergarten teacher's aid in need of some help. She desperately wants to foster/adopt a little boy in her school but she doesn't have the means to do it. Just when all hope looks lost, her favorite childhood author announces a contest that could be the answer to all her problems. 

This was a cute story and a fast read. I believe the contest portion was a nod to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There was a bit of a romance, but it was not central to the story. The book is kind of short, so I think some background stuff could have been explored a bit more. Overall, though, I enjoyed this one. (4 stars)

[Miss Tick]

I've been enjoying the Penric & Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold. It is a series of fantasy/action novellas, I think 10 or 11 at this point. Although Penric is male, his demon is female. The stories are clever without relying on a lot of sex and gore. They also don't feel the need to follow every trope, which I find refreshing, sometimes they just escape without a sudden last moment of peril, the woman does not reflexively Accept the marriage proposal, etc.

[Kareni]

@Miss Tick, if you haven't already read it, I highly recommend Bujold's The Curse of Chalion. It's a novel set in the same world as the Penric books.

Regards,

Kareni

[katilac]

On 6/30/2023 at 9:55 PM, heartlikealion said:

The Blue Castle. A hive boardie sent it to me a while back and I didn't get far but I've been making a conscious effort to read it lately while I ride my bike. 

I very much enjoyed that book! Might have to re-read it. 

On 6/30/2023 at 11:21 PM, scholarly said:

D is for Deadbeat- Sue Grafton; Better than the last Kinsey Millhone book. Good enough, but not amazing... yet I can't stop reading this series

I feel you. I am reading a really bad FBI agent series - my mom gave me an old Kindle that had the first two on it, and I should have stopped there, but I'm like, well, there are only 9 of them, and the library has them all, and I'm strangely compelled by seeing how many times she can make seasoned FBI agents and police detectives be impressed by the protagonist suggesting the simplest of things. What, you want to look for a connection between these very similar cases? That just might be crazy enough to work! 

I'm on #7, so I'm in it to win it at this point. 

Other current or recent reading: 

• Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won't Save Black America: this is by Dr. Stacey Patton, who I am not familiar with, but it seems like it will pull in a fair amount of research
• Code 1244: The 1986 Mt. Hood Tragedy: a high school group trying to summit, cascading bad decisions even though the leader was experienced

[Kassia]

I'm terrible with technology so this isn't useful for me, but I thought maybe someone here would be interested:

[4kidlets4me]

I finished two rather disappointing books this week, but I filled in two more bingo squares

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and his son Owen King. All the women and girls of the world fall asleep and don't wake up. A cocoon forms on their face and if you wake them up they will murder you. Something like 5% of the worlds women never went to bed that night and manage to keep themselves awake for the 6 or so days that book takes place. All the men lose their minds, there is civil unrest everywhere, people storm the White House demanding the cure. After COVID this part seemed super believable! A "woman" named Eve seems to be causing it or at least knows why it's happening.
This started out great but the ending was terrible and totally unbelievable. For a book that is nearly 800 pages long it was very disappointing that the ending felt very rushed and almost like they couldn't figure out how to end it. He really needs a good editor because this book could have easily been 350-400 pages, there was way too many irrelevant details and minor characters that could have been cut. I gave it 3 stars

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. This one was even worse than that other one. It starts off so slow I picked it up and put it down again like 5 times before I just decided to power through. Nothing really happened until about 100 pages into a 280 page book. Ripley is a con man that is hired to bring Dickie Greenleaf back to the US from Italy where he's been living off his trust fund. His father wants him to come home and run the family business. Everything that happens after that is totally unbelievable to the point that it's almost farce. I gave it 2 stars.

 

[Kareni]

This afternoon I read, Signal Moon by Kate Quinn, a short work which I quite enjoyed. It features two characters, a young woman living during WWII and a young man in 2023, who communicate with each other. (FIC 62, RR 27, NF 5, NS 19, PIC 1//)

"Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption.

One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help.

An American ship is taking heavy fire in the North Atlantic—but no one else has reported an attack, and the information relayed by the young US officer, Matt Jackson, seems all wrong. The contact that Lily has made on the other end of the radio channel says it’s…2023.

Across an eighty-year gap, Lily and Matt must find a way to help each other: Matt to convince her that the war she’s fighting can still be won, and Lily to help him stave off the war to come. As their connection grows stronger, they both know there’s no telling when time will run out on their inexplicable link."

Regards,

Kareni

[ScoutTN]

The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You

By Dina Nayeri

Her brother wrote the children’s book (middle grades) Everything Sad is Untrue

[Kassia]

I finished These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, Arizona Territories.  I had mixed feelings about it.  I liked the history part of the book but it felt very long with too much romance.  

[Kareni]

I completed another reread of a favorite book, Alliance (A Linesman Novel Book 2) by S. K. Dunstall.

(FIC 62, RR 28, NF 5, NS 19, PIC 1//)

Regards,

Kareni

[alysee]

Reading The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. 

[Kareni]

A couple of bookish posts ~

Jo Walton’s Reading List: June 2023

From the Word Wenches: What We are Reading

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I've been recovering from some minor surgery this week so reread a couple of relatively recent favorites ~ The Book of Firsts and Four Kings both by Karan K Anders. 

Here's a blurb for the first book. (Adult content) (FIC 62, RR 30, NF 5, NS 19, PIC 1///)

"Three boys, the 'kings' of the school. One cynical newcomer. An outrageous competition.

When Mika Niles overhears the details of "The Book of Firsts" she's at first bemused, then scornful, then intrigued. Judging which of three very handsome young men is best at kissing, and...?

With no time in her final year for serious attachments, a series of lunchtime trysts is more than tempting – and an opportunity like this might never come her way again. But this light-hearted game is also a scandalous secret, and few can play with fire and walk away unscathed."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kassia]

@Karenihope your surgery went well and hope you are recovering comfortably. ❤️ 

[Kareni]

Thank you, @Kassia. All is going well. I hope the same is true for you!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I'm drawn to stories with a time travel element so was happy to get a library copy of 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King. I quite enjoyed this book about a man going back in time to attempt to stop the assassination of JFK, but be forewarned that it is long (1121 pages!) and contains a fair bit of violence. I've read very little by Stephen King as I do not care for horror, but this was not a horror story. (FIC 63, RR 30, NF 5, NS 19, PIC 1//)

"Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life – a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time."

Regards,

Kareni

[ScoutTN]

Kidnapped by RL Stevenson

[Kassia]

2 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

Kidnapped by RL Stevenson

I really liked Kidnapped.  I read it for the first time while homeschooling dd.  

I'm reading Sing Backwards and Weep: A Memoir.

[easypeasy]

I'm currently reading:

The Millionaire Next Door by Stanley and Danko

The Wealthy Barber by Chilton

and the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas (same author as A Court of Thorn and Roses series, but not nearly as spicy, which, for me, is nice)

Nothing cerebral at the moment. 🤪

 

[Laura Corin]

Late to the party. We visited Whitby early in the month, so I re-read Dracula - it's a more interesting novel than I had remembered.  I then read The  Castle of Otranto, because that might be on my reading list for a university module I'm taking in the autumn. 

Two history books that I had ordered both became available from the library, so I am now half way through both. The first is Servants,  by Lucy Lethbridge,  which is about the lives of servants in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries, from their own testimonies. An antidote to Downton Abbey fairy tales.  The second is The Restless Republic - Britain without a Crown, by Anna Keay, which sees the mid 17th century though individual lives. I recommend both books.

I've listened to two Scottish mysteries by Marion Todd - enjoyable local colour and a believable central female character. 

On my list  - more books from my module reading list. And Gwen and Art are not in Love, one of four novels by my niece Lex Croucher.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Laura Corin

[Kareni]

For my local book group, I read The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery. This was an easy to read nonfiction book about octopuses. (The author said that the word octopi is incorrect which was news to me.) (FIC 63, RR 30, NF 6, NS 19, PIC 1//)

"In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.

Scientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds."

Regards,

Kareni

[Laurel-in-CA]

A "My-Gen" reunion consumed most of my early July -- 4 siblings and spouses. We hadn't seen each other since before covid and are scattered across several states and countries so it was wonderful to have extended time together. My sister brought some of Mom's files (seem to be everlasting), which included letters my dad had written to us in our 20s. Lovely, and so much more tender than he could manage to be in person. Old church directories with photos.....LOTS of memories. Planning for an all-gen reunion in a couple of years. Meanwhile, dh's latest job search continues...lots of recruiters but no offers yet.

I am in the midst of The Ballad of Laurel Springs, which is Appalachian folklore, a generational story with a bit in the voice of each of the women in a family. This is for the bingo square that has "choose a book with your name in the title."

For book club, I am starting The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba on audio...not my favorite medium, so I hope I can enjoy it despite the different tech.

Finished Salvage Right by Lee & Miller, which is a Liaden story about an interstellar "light" - once a rogue entity but now establishing itself as a safe port of call for traders and independent intelligences that operate starships. Interesting in light of all the recent discussion of AI. These two are among my favorite authors, so I had pre-ordered this on my kindle as soon as it was available.

[lovinmyboys]

I have read 3 non-fiction books so far this month:

It Goes So Fast: the year of no do overs by Mary Louise Kelly. I really enjoyed this one- My oldest is a senior this year so I found it relatable and I feel like I “know” her a bit from listening to her on NPR

Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond. I was so excited for this as I loved Evicted, but this was a much different style of book and I just wasn’t expecting that. It is more of a manifesto. I thought it was good, but I am a huge mood reader, and I don’t think I was in the mood for it.

 

Armageddon: what the Bible really says about the end of the world by Bart Ehrman. This book was interesting and it is a topic I have been wanting to learn more about.

For fiction I read Pineapple Street, The Golden Spoon, and The Soulmate. They were all enjoyable, quick, easy, fun summer reads.

Next up is I have some questions for you for fiction and I’m not sure about non fiction yet. Maybe The Price you Pay for College or Jesus and John Wayne.

[Kareni]

I just finished an enjoyable science fiction book Divinity 36: Tinkered Starsong by Gail Carriger; it had a unique storyline and I look forward to the release of the sequel.  (FIC 64, RR 30, NF 6, NS 19, PIC 1//)

"Phex is a barista on a forgotten moon. Which is fine – he likes being ignored and he’s good at making drinks. Until one day an alien hears him singing and recruits him to become a god. Now Phex is thrust headfirst into the galaxy’s most cutthroat entertainment industry, where music is visible, the price of fame can kill, and the only friends he has want to be worshiped.

Welcome to the divinity. Where there is no difference between celebrity and religion, love and belief, acolyte and alien. Where the right kind of obsession can drive a person crazy or turn them divine."

Regards,

Kareni

[KrissiK]

I finally finished ",The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder" by David Grann. Good book, well written, interesting story, but very depressing. I think that's why it took me so long to get through. Now I am reading "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom which I am really enjoying.

Edited July 19, 2023 by KrissiK

[Kassia]

On 7/17/2023 at 1:22 AM, Kassia said:

 

I'm reading Sing Backwards and Weep: A Memoir.

I read about 25% of this and returned it.  Not for me at this time. 

I started All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle and like it so far.  It's not the type of book I generally enjoy, so I don't know if I'll get through this one either.

[Kareni]

I read an art book that was a quick and pleasant read ~ Doodling for Tree Huggers & Nature Lovers by Gemma Correll.  (FIC 64, RR 30, NF 7, NS 19, PIC 1///)

"Designed to appeal to seasoned artists and doodle enthusiasts alike, Doodling for Tree Huggers & Nature Lovers is packed with more than 50 fun and inspirational prompts, doodling exercises, and outdoorsy factoids. With her cute and clever art style, professional illustrator Gemma Correll takes readers on a doodling journal that sparks the imagination and spurs doodlers to explore, experiment, and brainstorm unique ways to doodle their favorite outdoor places and activities. Doodling for Tree Huggers & Nature Lovers combines the allure of a traditional nature journal with witty humor and whimsical doodles, taking doodlers on an adventure that covers everything from camping and conservation to forest animals and plant life--all while encouraging artists and doodle enthusasts to develop their own style and techniques. With its portable format and plenty of open doodling pages, this series is perfect for on-the-go creative types."

Regards,

Kareni

[SKL]

I forgot to bring my books on my cruise!  (It was item number 936 on my prep list, and someone was in my way when I went to grab them, so ....)

I bought a couple books at the airport.  One was called "The Good Sister."  This one I read through on the cruise.  I didn't really like it, but I tend to finish books I start unless I just can't stand them.  😛  The second book was a James Patterson / Alex Cross, and I only just started it.  Not sure when I'll have a chance to finish it.

So when will I get to read Unmarriageable?  Our next trip is in December, but I probably won't have any free time due to year-end work deadlines.

[ScoutTN]

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Listening to Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott

Edited July 20, 2023 by ScoutTN

[Vintage81]

We've been on vacation the past couple of weeks, and miraculously I read some books!

Before we left, I finished Divine Royals by Rebecca Ross. I haven't read YA fantasy in a while and this one was pretty good. It's about two rival journalists, Iris and Roman, who work at the Oath Gazette and are fighting for the columnist job. Iris is struggling because her brother is fighting in the war (a war between two gods). To ease her worries, she starts writing him letters and putting them under her wardrobe where they disappear...a kind of magic portal. She thinks the letters are going to her brother, but one day she finally receives a reply from someone else (guess who?!?! 🫢). 

There were some things about this story that I wish had been explained more...like the actual fantasy part (the war between the gods)...that part was very minor. Plus, the story went from hate to love rather quick. However, it kept me entertained and wanting to keep reading on. I also liked the part of the story about the characters being war journalists. There was a cliffhanger at the end, so I'll definitely be picking up book two. (4.5 stars)

In the car on our trip, I listened to a few audiobooks...

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy - I wasn't familiar with this actress, but I had heard of the show she was on. The book mainly focuses on her relationship with her mom, who was a narcissist. Jennette goes through how her mom basically forced her into an acting career and taught her how to be anorexic (which eventually turned into bulimia). It's hard to say I enjoyed such a story, but I liked the book and I liked the way she told her story. (4 stars)

I finally finished Persuasion by Jane Austen - When I started this book, my goal was to read a chapter a day while reading other books. This plan started off okay, but then quickly derailed (I'm bad at reading multiple books at a time 🤦‍♀️). I had already read about 60% by the time we left on our vacation, so I got the audiobook from the library and finished the last 40% in the car. The audiobook I got was terrible, but I'm glad I listened to it! The last 40% was the most enjoyable part of the book. I enjoyed this story and the character of Anne, but I do wish Captain Wentworth had been more present throughout the story. My enjoyment may also have been hampered by the fact that it took me so long to read it. I own this book, so I'll try rereading it another time. (4 stars)

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter - I needed something lighter for the trip home and this one fit the bill. This is my third book by Lynn Painter, and I really liked it. I was skeptical about it because it's a groundhog day kind of story but it was sweet. The main character Emilie just wanted a perfect Valentine's day, but horrible things kept happening each day...her boyfriend was cheating, she lost her summer internship, her dad was moving away, etc. My only complaint about this book was the narrator. I'm pretty sure this book was set in Nebraska but the narrator made everyone sound like they had a New York style accent. Plus the male voices were weird. (4.5 stars)

[Kassia]

16 minutes ago, Vintage81 said:

 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy - I wasn't familiar with this actress, but I had heard of the show she was on. The book mainly focuses on her relationship with her mom, who was a narcissist. Jennette goes through how her mom basically forced her into an acting career and taught her how to be anorexic (which eventually turned into bulimia). It's hard to say I enjoyed such a story, but I liked the book and I liked the way she told her story. (4 stars)

I finally finished Persuasion by Jane Austen - When I started this book, my goal was to read a chapter a day while reading other books. This plan started off okay, but then quickly derailed (I'm bad at reading multiple books at a time 🤦‍♀️). I had already read about 60% by the time we left on our vacation, so I got the audiobook from the library and finished the last 40% in the car. The audiobook I got was terrible, but I'm glad I listened to it! The last 40% was the most enjoyable part of the book. I enjoyed this story and the character of Anne, but I do wish Captain Wentworth had been more present throughout the story. My enjoyment may also have been hampered by the fact that it took me so long to read it. I own this book, so I'll try rereading it another time. (4 stars)

 

I loved I'm Glad My Mom Died even though I wasn't very familiar with the actress (my kids used to watch her show, though).  My mom was a narcissist and I've struggled with eating disorders my whole life, so I think that contributed to how much I connected with her story. 

Persuasion is one of my favorite Jane Austen books.  🙂  I agree that the way you ended up reading it would make it harder to appreciate the book as a whole.  

I'm still reading All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle and like it, but we're traveling soon and I'll have to take a break from it until we get back.