July 2023: What are you reading?

[Lady Florida.]

45 minutes ago, Kassia said:

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 listened to I'm Glad My Mom Died and liked it, if liked is the appropriate word. It made me really feel for her. I was familiar with the actress because ds had a crush on her during her iCarly days. Most of his friends had a crush on Miranda Cosgrove but he liked the tomboy girl. 

Persuasion is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) Jane Austen novels. I regularly reread Austen. 

[Kidlit]

On 7/8/2023 at 5:50 PM, ScoutTN said:

The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You

By Dina Nayeri

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

I read and enjoyed Everything Sad is Untrue.  (Listened to audiobook)   

[Kidlit]

I just finished listening to Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.  It's inspired by Little Women and I enjoyed thinking about that.  Napolitano writes beautifully. 

[Kidlit]

On 7/16/2023 at 5:55 PM, Kareni said:

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

I've always wanted to read this but really don't like violence.  (Which is an odd thing to even say since it's about an assassination.)

Edited July 20, 2023 by Kidlit
Autocorrect into wrong word 😩

[Kassia]

17 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

I read and enjoyed Everything Sad is Untrue.  (Listened to audiobook)   

I've had this on my to-read list for a while.

37 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

 

Persuasion is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) Jane Austen novels. I regularly reread Austen. 

I think it's tied with Pride and Prejudice for my favorite.  

[Kareni]

4 hours ago, SKL said:

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 ....)

Oops! Glad you were able to find some other books on route. And I hope that the cruise was fun and relaxing.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Regarding 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King:

2 hours ago, Kidlit said:

I've always wanted to read this but really don't like violence.  (Which is an odd thing to even say since it's about an assassination.)

If you are willing to skim the occasional page, I think you would find it worth your time.

Regards,

Kareni

[eve0806]

 I'm reading about spiritual leadership, I put the novels aside for now

[lynn]

Scythe, The Wishing Game, The Eyre Affair, The Remains of the day and just started Portrait of an Unknown Women.

[KrissiK]

23 minutes ago, lynn said:

Scythe, The Wishing Game, The Eyre Affair, The Remains of the day and just started Portrait of an Unknown Women.

I read “The Remains of the Day” last summer and really really liked it.

[Vintage81]

27 minutes ago, lynn said:

Scythe

Love this series. I've been meaning to get the fourth book that came out not too long ago (I think it's called Gleanings), but I keep forgetting. ☺️

[Bootsie]

I just finished Zorba the Greek.  The writing is brilliant but I didn't find it to be a quick, engaging summer read; now I am beginning Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.

[Ottakee]

I just finished this book.   It started slower but then drew me in.   Story of a young man in the search for a father he never knew.  
 

 

[4kidlets4me]

I finished March Books 1-3 by John Lewis for my graphic novel square. These were really good but if you already know about Lewis' role in the Civil Rights Movement you won't learn anything new. 4 stars.

I checked out The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter from the library to see if I wanted to buy it. The first half of the book is her telling you how exercise and eating well will help with most of the symptoms and the second half is full of medical interventions you can get. Hard pass for me. 2 stars.

I finished Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton for my local author square. This book was awesome not only is she a local author but the book is set in Seattle at all the places I know well which made it super easy to picture while reading. The book is narrated by a crow and other animals after a zombie apocalypse has ripped through the human population. This was such a fun apocalypse book! There's a sequel I can't wait to read. 5 stars.

I also finished Anthem by Noah Hawley for the recommended by a local bookseller square. I loved this book! But this book is very divisive. Goodreads reviews are all over the place. The plot is basically teenagers across the world are killing themselves in mass and the grownups don't know why. But also everything that has happened in this country in the last 5 years is in this book- Trump, Epstein, wildfires, crazy politics, COVID etc. I gave it 5 stars and would definitely read it again.

 

[Kidlit]

14 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I just finished this book.   It started slower but then drew me in.   Story of a young man in the search for a father he never knew.  
 

 

I listened to this audiobook and loved it. 

[Pawz4me]

20 minutes ago, 4kidlets4me said:

 

I also finished Anthem by Noah Hawley for the recommended by a local bookseller square. I loved this book! But this book is very divisive. Goodreads reviews are all over the place. The plot is basically teenagers across the world are killing themselves in mass and the grownups don't know why. But also everything that has happened in this country in the last 5 years is in this book- Trump, Epstein, wildfires, crazy politics, COVID etc. I gave it 5 stars and would definitely read it again.

 

Sounds interesting, so I just got the e-book from the library. Thanks! I'm slowly working my way through Dune, but I'll probably take a break from it to read this one.

[Ottakee]

59 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

I listened to this audiobook and loved it. 

It was different but good

[lovinmyboys]

2 hours ago, 4kidlets4me said:

 

I also finished Anthem by Noah Hawley for the recommended by a local bookseller square. I loved this book! But this book is very divisive. Goodreads reviews are all over the place. The plot is basically teenagers across the world are killing themselves in mass and the grownups don't know why. But also everything that has happened in this country in the last 5 years is in this book- Trump, Epstein, wildfires, crazy politics, COVID etc. I gave it 5 stars and would definitely read it again.

 

I have this one on kindle- I’ll move it higher on my tbr list. I read Before the Fall by him a few years ago and enjoyed it. 

[Laura Corin]

I just listened to an abridged reading of Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton. A fairly gripping but somewhat heavy-handed allegory about environmental catastrophe. 

[KrissiK]

3 hours ago, Ottakee said:

I just finished this book.   It started slower but then drew me in.   Story of a young man in the search for a father he never knew.  
 

 

i read that one a while back. I thought it was ok. the problem was, I just seriously hate octopuses, so that made it a little difficult to read.

[marbel]

I'll look for that Noah Hawley book. I also read Before the Fall and enjoyed it. 

I seem to be completely trapped in a British police procedural series I came across on Hoopla audio. Actually, 2 series. The author is Peter Grainger. I started with the second series, Kings Lake Investigations, which is a spinoff of the first series. (I may have mentioned it here before; I've been on this jag for a while.) It didn't matter that I came into a spinoff, it was easy to catch up with the main characters. When I finished those 4 books, I moved on to the first series - DC Smith - and am on the 4th book of that. So now I'm getting full background on many of the people I've already met. (DS Waters, the "hero" of the Kings Lake series, is a rookie detective in the DC Smith series. I have developed a crush on him, just so you know. How does that even happen?)

I don't know why these have captured me so completely. They are long and quite detailed. The narrator is top-notch though and I'm coming to love the characters. The first book in the first series is An Accidental Death. 

I NEVER do this with series. I usually listen to 2 in a row at most, and generally quit altogether after 3 as they become repetitive. 

Books continue to come in from the library and I dip into them, but I'm immersed in this series with no end in sight. (Actually there is an end, but I don't remember how many books there are.)

[alysee]

Reading A Willing Murder. It's the first in a series by Jude Devereaux. I've never read anything by her but I'm always looking for new authors. 

[Kareni]

I've recently finished two books ~

I quite enjoyed Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld which is the first book I've read by this author. This featured a woman writing for a late night show and a musician appearing on the show in 2018 as a guest host. The story resumes in 2020 when they reconnect, in Covid times, via email. I have a fondness for books with epistolary content, so this definitely appealed.

"Sally Milz is a sketch writer for The Night Owls, a late-night live comedy show that airs every Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.

But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actress who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the Danny Horst Rule, poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.

Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy—it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her . . . right?"

**

I also enjoyed Chaos Reigning (The Consortium Rebellion Book 3) by Jessie Mihalik; I thought I had read this final book in a science fiction series but evidently had not. My only quibble is that the reader learns very little about the hero.

"As the youngest member of her High House, Catarina von Hasenberg is used to being underestimated, but her youth and flighty, bubbly personality mask a clever mind and stubborn determination. Her enemies, blind to her true strength, do not suspect that Cat is a spy—which makes her the perfect candidate to go undercover at a rival House’s summer retreat to gather intelligence on their recent treachery.

Cat’s overprotective older sister reluctantly agrees, but on one condition: Cat cannot go alone. Alexander Sterling, a quiet, gorgeous bodyguard, will accompany her, posing as her lover. After Cat tries, and fails, to ditch Alex, she grudgingly agrees, confident in her ability to manage him. After all, she’s never found a person she can’t manipulate.

But Alex proves more difficult—and more desirable—than Cat anticipated. When she’s attacked and nearly killed, she and Alex are forced to work together to figure out how deep the treason goes. With rumors of widespread assaults on Serenity raging, communications down, and the rest of her family trapped off-planet, Catarina must persuade Alex to return to Earth to expose the truth and finish this deadly battle once and for all.

But Cat can’t explain why she’s the perfect person to infiltrate hostile territory without revealing secrets she’d rather keep buried. . . ."

 (FIC 66, RR 30, NF 7, NS 19, PIC 1//)

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Late last night, I finished an enjoyable historical romance, The Gentleman's Book of Vices (Lucky Lovers of London 1) by Jess Everlee. This featured two men, an author and a man with debts who is reluctantly on the verge of marrying. (Significant adult content) (FIC 67, RR 30, NF 7, NS 19, PIC 1//)

"London, 1883

Finely dressed and finely drunk, Charlie Price is a man dedicated to his vices. Chief among them is his explicit novel collection, though his impending marriage to a woman he can’t love will force his carefully curated collection into hiding.

Before it does, Charlie is determined to have one last hurrah: meeting his favorite author in person.

Miles Montague is more gifted as a smut writer than a shopkeep and uses his royalties to keep his flagging bookstore afloat. So when a cheerful dandy appears out of the mist with Miles's highly secret pen name on his pretty lips, Miles assumes the worst. But Charlie Price is no blackmailer; he’s Miles's biggest fan.

A scribbled signature on a worn book page sets off an affair as scorching as anything Miles has ever written. But Miles is clinging to a troubled past, while Charlie’s future has spun entirely out of his control…"

Regards,

Kareni

[KrissiK]

I finished “Pilgrim’s Progress” last night.  It was good and a good “translation”.  I know it wasn’t an actual translation, because it was written in English originally, but….whatever you call it. it was a pretty easy read. Now I am reading another book I picked up on our East Coast Trip last spring - “The Shrivers’ Story: Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg” by Nancie W. Gudmestad. It’s a good book. Short, but having been to Gettysburg, now, and visiting the Shriver House, it makes it all that much more interesting.

[GailV]

I've been reading but not posting, so here's a catch-up.

Fiction:

Hide and Sneak (Savannah Reid Mystery #23) by G.A. McKevett. I don't think I've read anything else in this series. I was wandering through the library looking for something mindless to read, and the cover art looked like this would be appropriate. It really hit the spot, and didn't require knowing anything about the previous 22 books. A forgettable diversion. 

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8) by Deana Raybourn. I read this series whenever I happen to notice a volume on the New Books shelf at the library. They really vary in how much I enjoy them, but some are fun. This one was definitely fun. I even learned that "She sells seashells by the seashore" is about an actual person - Mary Anning.

Unkindness of Ravens (Greer Hogan Mystery #1) by M.E. Hilliard. A new-ish series about a librarian who reads a lot of mysteries. Lots of discussion about other mystery series, including Trixie Belden. A cover blurb said the book would be great for fans of Louise Penny, but I honestly don't see that being a tie-in -- this did not remind me at all of Gamache and Three Pines. I still enjoyed it, though.

Well well well, now that I type it out, it looks like while many of you are busy reading classics, I'm over here reading mystery series. It's been that sort of month.

[Ottakee]

18 hours ago, KrissiK said:

I finished “Pilgrim’s Progress” last night.  It was good and a good “translation”.  I know it wasn’t an actual translation, because it was written in English originally, but….whatever you call it. it was a pretty easy read. Now I am reading another book I picked up on our East Coast Trip last spring - “The Shrivers’ Story: Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg” by Nancie W. Gudmestad. It’s a good book. Short, but having been to Gettysburg, now, and visiting the Shriver House, it makes it all that much more interesting.

Which version did you read?  I have never read pilgrims progress

[KrissiK]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

Which version did you read?  I have never read pilgrims progress

The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress by Alan Vermilye.

[KrissiK]

I started another Brian Kilmeade book last night. “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History”. Great book so far.

[Quarter Note]

Reading friends, I finally  finished Tom Jones (1749) by Henry Fielding, just short of 900 pages!  You can'r read this book assuming that it is a novel written according to 21st century taste and styles, or you'll never get through it.  But it was a really fun visit to the 18th c. I'm continually amazed to read old literature and find out that, at heart, the human spirit is just the same.  

Edited July 28, 2023 by Quarter Note

[Kareni]

I quite enjoyed Charm City Rocks: A Love Story by Matthew Norman; this book features a once famous female rock drummer and a cardigan wearing piano teacher who are brought together by the latter's teenaged son.  (FIC 68, RR 30, NF 7, NS 19, PIC 1///)

"Billy Perkins is happy. And why wouldn’t he be? He loves his job as an independent music teacher and his apartment in Baltimore above a record shop called Charm City Rocks. Most of all, he loves his brainy teenage son, Caleb.

Margot Hammer, on the other hand, is far from happy. The former drummer of the once-famous band Burnt Flowers, she’s now a rock-and-roll recluse living alone in New York City. When a new music documentary puts Margot back in the spotlight, she realizes how much she misses her old band and the music that gave her life meaning.  

Billy has always had a crush on Margot. But she’s a legitimate rock star—or, at least, she was—so he never thought he’d meet her. Until Caleb, worried that his easygoing dad might actually be lonely, cooks up a scheme to get Margot to perform at Charm City Rocks.

It’s the longest of long shots, but Margot’s label has made it clear that any publicity is an opportunity she can’t afford to miss. When their paths collide, Billy realizes that he maybe wasn’t as happy as he thought—and Margot learns that sometimes the sweetest music is a duet."

Regards,

Kareni

[Laura Corin]

I've finished Servants and am now reading Lady Audley's Secret. 

[Kidlit]

I finished listening to Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell.  Enjoy probably isn't the word for this type of book--I found it very interesting.  I was especially interested in the discussion around boutique fitness and multilevel marketing, two things that are rife in my community.  

[Ottakee]

7 hours ago, Kidlit said:

I finished listening to Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell.  Enjoy probably isn't the word for this type of book--I found it very interesting.  I was especially interested in the discussion around boutique fitness and multilevel marketing, two things that are rife in my community.  

Just reserved this from the library.

[Kareni]

For my distant book group, I read The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves. The book takes place in 1991 and 2001 and features a college student with autism and the young man who she dates. I found it an enjoyable and somewhat predictable read but fairly light (though it did have some sad events). I'll be curious to hear what the others thought of it.   (FIC 69, RR 30, NF 7, NS 19, PIC 1//)

"Annika Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people's behavior confusing, she'd rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game—and his heart—to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She's living the life she wanted as a librarian. He's a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Earlier today I finished the contemporary romance To the Moon and Back by N.R. Walker which I enjoyed. This was set in Australia and featured the single father of a newborn and a nanny. (Adult content)

"Gideon Ellery had the perfect life. Nice house, great job, and a long-time boyfriend. Weeks after adopting his nephew, his boyfriend splits, leaving Gideon a single father to a newborn. Overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and unsure how to navigate fatherhood, he’s asked to return to the office. He’s overwhelmed and at his breaking point.

Toby Barlow is back in Sydney after three years of studying, travelling, and nannying in the UK. He needs work and a place to live, and the perfect solution drops in his lap. After all, caring for a sweet baby in a beautiful home owned by a gorgeous single man isn’t exactly terrible.

Gideon isn’t too keen to share his life with a stranger, but his need for help is too great. Sunshiny Toby isn’t prepared for a grumpy Gideon or his utterly adorable son, Benson. Or how easily he slots into their lives. And Gideon’s not prepared for how much he needs Toby.

Or how much he wants him.

Neither is prepared for the complications of falling in love."

**

I also read a graphic novel which was an okay read, Star Trek: Picard-Countdown by Kirsten Beyer.

"Before he retired to his vineyard, Jean-Luc Picard was the most decorated admiral in Starfleet. Then one mission changed his life forever. What could make this dedicated and disciplined leader question his calling?"

**

I also started Nora Roberts' newest book, Identity. Unfortunately, it had so much impending doom that I abandoned it after five chapters. Anyone here had better luck?

(FIC 70, RR 30, NF 7, NS 19, GN 1, PIC 1//)

Regards,

Kareni

[Ottakee]

I just finished The Violin Conspiracy. It was an enjoyable listen.   A few minor things were a bit implausible, but overall a good story.

Story of a young Black man and his violin that was stolen just before a major classical music competition.