May 2024: What are you reading?

[Vintage81]

Happy May! 🐞

It’s definitely starting to almost feel like summer. It’s getting hotter, school is almost over, and activities are starting to wind down. I’m looking forward to some down time. 

I haven’t been reading as much as I’ve wanted to, so I’m hoping to get back on track this month. 

I can’t wait to hear what you all have been reading! ☺️

[ScoutTN]

Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins

The Island of the Mighty by Padraic Colum

[Ottakee]

Fire Road

True story of the girl from Vietnam burned in the dropping of a bomb.   Powerful in so many levels.

[*****]

Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body: Pistorius, Martin: 9781400205837: Amazon.com: Books

Idk if I heard about the book here or elsewhere but what an amazing story. (Trigger warning,  s*x/physical abuse in his history).  I looked up the author and he has a Ted Talk episode as well. The invention of AAC devices for communicating literally saved his life. 

 

[GailV]

John for Normal People: A Guide Through the Depth and Drama of the Fourth Gospel by Jennifer Garcia Bashaw. Part of The Bible for Normal People series, which I tend to like. And I liked this one, too. She frames John as a musical that we're attending, but in this case we have a friend (the author) explaining what's going on. I loved the footnotes -- lots of insights there. All of it is stuff you could actually share with most church Bible study groups, unlike a couple of weeks ago when I was reading the Bacchae and then sitting oh so quietly through discussions of "I am the vine you are the branches." 

Also, this marks finishing the Gospels in our "read a chapter per day 5 days per week" tour of the New Testament. BOOYAH! 

Divinity 36: Tinkered Starsong Book 1 by Gail Carriger. Another YA book in the Crudrat universe. But this time the author seems to be drawing inspiration from K-pop .... I don't know much about K-pop, but I thought this was absolutely fun and imaginative.

The Last Devil to Die: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman. This is fourth in the series, which I've been reading as they're published. They come out about once a year, by which time I've started to forget everything about previous books, putting me on par with some of the characters with memory loss. Parts of it were goofy fun, and parts were poignant. I cried a couple of times. 

[sheryl]

I'm reading AW Tozer books!  31 day devotional right now.  It was compiled by Edythe Draper who used Tozer's notes.  I think that's what I read.  It is deep and rich! 

[Faith-manor]

"A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food."

I am also knee deep in "Space Mathematics: Math Problems Based on Space Science".

This probably doesn't count as reading in the traditional sense, but I sight read through a new Brahms piece today which is kind of mathematical reading.

[Kareni]

Over the past week, I continued reading books by Nathan Lowell. I reread the final book in the initial series, Owner's Share. I then skipped over the next trilogy and continued with a reread of School Days  before reading the new to me Working Class and Hard Knocks. I enjoyed all of these science fiction/space opera books.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I also read Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle which I quite enjoyed due in part to its unusual premise. The main character, from the fifth grade on, received a message (post card, note under her door, paper stuck on her shoe in the street) that listed the name of the new romantic interest in her life and the amount of time it would last. That time might be two months, three years, or one night.  When the story begins, she has just received a note with a name but no time period.

"Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart."

**

I also read Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet, a biography intended for older children (and people like me). In addition to enjoyable text, this had wonderful artwork by the author/illustrator 

"Caldecott Honor winner Sweet mixes White’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell the story of this American literary icon. Readers young and old will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children’s book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute, a New York Times bestseller, includes an afterword by Martha White, his granddaughter."  

///

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I read Cut Paper Pictures: Turn Your Art and Photos into Personalized Collage by Clover Robin; I enjoyed seeing the author's works but did not find any tips that apply to my bookmarks.

"Collaging can be done with a variety of different materials. Cut Paper Pictures shows how you can incorporate paint and other materials into your collages to really bring your art to life. Teaching through demonstration and deconstructed projects, visual artist Clover Robin guides you through the process without pushing you into specific projects. Offering step-by-step instructions, visual inspirations, and even a library of unique colors and textures, the author covers all the necessary materials, tools, and know-how, from adding color and using existing photos to create unique personal art." 

Regards,

Kareni

[lynn]

I am almost finished with "A Most Clever Girl" by Stephanie Thornton

Not sure what's next.

[Kareni]

I just finished reading If You Can Cut, You Can Collage by Hollie Chastain; this was an enjoyable book to browse through.

"Collage is a wonderful creative outlet, particularly for people who want to make art, but don’t feel they have the skills or confidence for other endeavors. You can still explore and experiment with color, composition, and various themes and end up with exciting and often unexpected results.
 
If you Can Cut, You Can Collage takes some of the mystery out of collage through easy illustrated pages that show you the basic techniques of collecting and cutting imagery, composing and adhering compositions, and then provides a wealth of exercises that get readers going on their own creative projects.
 
We’ll get you started with simple, focused, projects like making a collage with only circles, where you’ll learn important concepts like how to create a focal point, how to use repetition successfully, how to achieve contrast, balance, symmetry, and more. You’ll be incorporating vintage ephemera, typography and lettering, and even urban and found materials in no time!"

ETA: I also enjoyed browsing through Collage Workshop for Kids: Rip, snip, cut, and create with inspiration from The Eric Carle Museum by Shannon Merenstein and Delight in the Art of Collage: Mixed-media Collage and Assemblage Techniques and Projects by Lisa M. Pace.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[KrissiK]

I just finished "Silas Marner." The satisfied the "Classic novel" category. It was pretty good.

[popmom]

@Faith-manor A Bold Return… is on my list for when I regain my former reading skills. I order most of my beef and pork from White Oak. 🙂 

I am currently reading The Rule of St Benedict. 

Edited May 5 by popmom

[bookbard]

I went onto Reddit for a list of books people loved and read:

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cattrell. Interesting premise, poor execution - academics discussing academia on a water planet. It's actually magic, not science? Nice descriptions of underwater world. 

The Lightest Object in the World by Kimi Eisele. (Redditors loved this one). Very readable apocalyptic novel but kind of childish? An activist and her teacher boyfriend are stuck on either sides of America (I think!) and he walks the traintracks to her but gets sidetracked by a cult. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. This was fascinating and I'd recommend it; I read it without spoilers and it was probably better that way. Kind of literary fantasy, I guess.

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. (Also highly recommended by Redditors). I am slogging through this. It's slow. Wikipedia also says it's brilliant so I will keep at it. I have really enjoyed other Dickens books, so am hopeful. The writing is very modern, strangely enough.

 

 

[madteaparty]

After finishing Fresh Water For flowers (title was a mistake I think, it makes better sense in French-it refers to changing the water of cut flowers), and being so obsessed with it I bought it for 6 other people,  now reading all this author has written that has been translated. “Three” is the name of the next book. 
finished Pride and Prejudice with DD on audio. She wants more Jane Austen but I think Jane Eyre next. There’s a full cast production coming to audible soon

[Amoret]

6 hours ago, bookbard said:

I have really enjoyed other Dickens books, so am hopeful. The writing is very modern, strangely enough.

I thought the same thing, but by the end, I did like it (though it is far down on my list of favorites). It was Dickens's last big novel, and I felt like by this point, he had given up on the whimsical language and wonderful characters that made his books so enjoyable and returned to the heavy-handed social commentary that was common in his earlier works like Oliver Twist (but with more cynicism and less hope). The characters seemed more like cardboard cutout mouthpieces than round, realistic people. It has been quite a while since I read it, but that is what has stayed with me.

I slogged my way through Martin Chuzzlewit because everyone said it was brilliant, but it wasn't. It had its charms and moments (the opening is especially vivid and Pecksniff is an excellent villain), but there are many reasons why it is not commonly read.

Edited May 5 by Amoret

[Kareni]

4 hours ago, madteaparty said:

After finishing Fresh Water For flowers ... I bought it for 6 other people....

That is certainly high praise, so I'm off to get a sample.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

For my book group on Tuesday, I read So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger. I came to enjoy the story more in the final half. It's set in 1915 and is narrated by a writer who is struggling to write a second book. His neighbor (once a criminal) wishes to apologize to the wife he deserted some twenty years earlier and asks the narrator to accompany him across the country on this errand. All manner of events take place as a young man joins their group and they are pursued by a Pinkerton agent. 

"Minnesota, 1915. With success long behind him, writer, husband, and father Monte Becket has lost his sense of purpose . . . until he befriends outlaw Glendon Hale. Plagued by guilt over abandoning his wife two decades ago, Hale is heading back West in search of absolution. And he could use some company on the journey.
 
As the modern age marches swiftly forward, Becket agrees to travel into Hale’s past, leaving behind his own family for an adventure that will test the depth of his loyalties and morals, and the strength of his resolve. As they flee the relentless former Pinkerton Detective who’s been hunting Hale for years, Becket falls ever further into the life of an outlaw—perhaps to the point of no return."

Regards,

Kareni

[Garga]

This book filled with short stories from the 1940s and 1950s that I got at an antique store. They are like little Twilight Zone episodes (at least the first 2 are —the 3rd one was just weird. The first one was a little disturbing and has stuck with me for a bit. )

What’s funny is that the characters aren’t good. They’re not necessarily bad, but they’re not good and it’s making me realize just how much people don’t change. And when people say, “Oh, everyone was so much [insert glowing, positive adjective here] in the past!”, it’s just not true. People see the past with rose colored glasses, but people have had all the same sins in their hearts from the dawn of time.

Edited May 6 by Garga

[GailV]

A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett. These stories were written under a pen name years ago, pre- Discworld, and found by fans looking through old newspaper archives. Several are about Christmas, and thus the local public library labelled it as Holiday. Little nuggets of ideas-to-come pop up here and there in the stories, for example, a town named Morpork.

[EKS]

Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier

[Grace Hopper]

I’ve not been reading books much due to other life happenings, but have finished these since I last reported. 
 

Gator Country (Rebecca Renner)

Thanks @Lady Florida. for this recommendation. I did the audiobook and enjoyed it very much. So much nostalgia, I could feel myself standing on some of the roads described. It was entertaining and easy to visualize.  I knew alligator products were black marketed but did not know about the eggs. Fascinating. I appreciate the compassion the author has for the people who genuinely lived (sustenance basis) on the land prior to the rise of truly criminal activity. 

 

Moxie (Jennifer Mathieu)

YA story about a group of girls who decide to fight back against misogyny in their southern small town high school. It’s a little dramatic but I enjoyed it and know at least one of my dds could identify with it had she read it in high school (not going to recommend it to her now though, she is older and has already had her experiences validated and doesn’t need the flashback). Social activism, teen friendships and first love. A quick read. 

 

Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found (Mike Cosper)

The author describes his faith journey through tumultuous times in the American Evangelical church world. I use the word validated again; I have enough post it notes stuck in this library copy that I went ahead and ordered a personal copy that I can descend on with my yellow high-liter. Recommend for anyone who has struggled with church in the past 8-10 years.

 

(woah sorry about the large font)

Edited May 6 by Grace Hopper

[bookbard]

20 hours ago, Garga said:

What’s funny is that the characters aren’t good. They’re not necessarily bad, but they’re not good and it’s making me realize just how much people don’t change. And when people say, “Oh, everyone was so much [insert glowing, positive adjective here] in the past!”, it’s just not true. People see the past with rose colored glasses, but people have had all the same sins in their hearts from the dawn of time.

Yes, whenever I think kids today are particularly naughty (usually my own), I remember all those books which starred naughty children and realise it's always been that way. Very satisfying. 

[Laurel-in-CA]

Reading With Patrick by Michelle Kuo (not the ice skater). Memoir of the child of asian immigrants who joined Teach for America and ended up in rural Mississippi teaching mostly black students, and her interaction with one particular student (Patrick) through some of his life challenges. What looked promising when she left Miss. for grad school turned out not to be when she returned. Patrick was in jail and charged with murder, ended up serving time for manslaughter. What resulted from her meetings with him while he was in jail awaiting trial. Just a bit on what happened after he got out and began trying to rebuild his life. Meditations on her own effectiveness, what literature was "right" for her students, how to have an impact.

I read this for book club, although I would never have picked it up on my own. A tragic story with a lot of persistence, a bit of hope for redemption, and many  questions about how to make positive and long-term changes. I would recommend it.

[Kareni]

I've recently finished several books.

I enjoyed A Sense of Danger: A Section 47 book by Jennifer Estep which is described as urban fantasy; the leads both work for an organization staffed with people with paranormal powers. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Be aware that there is significant violence in the book.

"A SPY . . .

My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m an analyst for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks terrorists, criminals, and other paramortal bad guys who want to unleash their abilities on an unsuspecting mortal world. I have a magical form of synesthesia that senses danger and uncovers lies—making me a stealthy operative.

I’m trudging through another day when one of Section’s cleaners—assassins—takes an interest in me. I don’t need my synesthesia to realize that he is extremely dangerous and that he will do anything to achieve his goals—even if it means putting me in the line of fire.

. . . AND AN ASSASSIN

I’m Desmond Percy, one of Section 47’s most lethal cleaners. I’m also a man on a mission, and I need Charlotte Locke’s skills to help me keep a promise, settle a score, and kill some extremely bad people.

Charlotte might not like me, but we’re stuck together until my mission is over. Still, the more time we spend together, the more I’m drawn to her. But at Section 47, you never know who you can trust—or who might want you dead."

**

I also enjoyed Ticket Out (Traffic Warden Mysteries Book 1) by Michelle Diener which is a 1960s era mystery set in London. The lead character is a traffic warden (sometimes called a meter maid in the US) who encounters a murder victim; a detective becomes a romantic interest. I will happily read on in the series even though my favorite of the author's books are her science fiction romances.

"It’s the summer of 1963 and Gabriella Farnsworth is a newly-minted London traffic warden. She’s used to temper tantrums, swearing, and threats, but finding a dead body is an entirely new low.

She isn’t interested in getting more involved than she already is in the investigation into the man she found’s death, but when, a few days later, she stumbles over a second body lying feet away from where she found the first, she can’t avoid it.

She knows the streets of her route, knows the people on them, but she is absolutely astonished when New Scotland Yard discovers the art gallery near where she found the bodies is a front for mixing up a new psychedelic drug.

Suddenly, the reason for the killings starts to make sense, but what neither she nor the New Scotland Yard detective assigned to the case understand is that the killer’s agenda is more complex than a drug turf war, and by the time Gabriella works it out, it just might be too late . . ."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I enjoyed the contemporary romance I'm Your Guy by Sarina Bowen which features a hockey player with an empty home and a designer (someone who furnishes homes).

"TOMMASO

The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.
A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?

CARTER
I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details:
He doesn’t mention that he's a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.
The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I've never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.
Oops. Too late."

**

I also enjoyed A Light In The Dark (Tales from the Deep Dark Book 1) by Nathan Lowell ; this is a novella set in the same world as a favorite series of mine but featuring different characters.

"When Captain Bjorn Gunderson docks with what he thinks is routine cargo, he embarks on an unexpected voyage. On a milk run from Welliver to Breakall, a tiny rock punctures his ship and leaves the crew adrift twenty-thousand years from home. With food, water, and air running out, a desperate crewman takes a reckless gamble, risking his life in a daring bid to find safety. What he finds instead puts them all at risk."

///

Regards,

Kareni

[KrissiK]

I just picked up “Magnificent Rebel: Nancy Cunard in Jazz Age Paris” by Anne de Courcy. It’s pretty good. I think this is the fourth book I’ve read by her. She enjoys writing about British socialites in the early half of the twentieth century.  The first one I read by de Courcy was about Coco Chanel, and that was a good one, too.

[Ottakee]

I loved this book.  Story of an elderly lonely lady and the power of connections.  

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

I loved this book.  Story of an elderly lonely lady and the power of connections.  

I liked this one a lot too.  I usually don't like these types of books, so it was a surprise that I enjoyed this one as much as I did.  

I'm reading 

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

[Kareni]

For my book group this week, I read Deacon King Kong by James McBride. It took me a while to get caught up in the story, but I ended up quite enjoying it.

"In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range.

The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong, James McBride’s funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird. In Deacon King Kong, McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed it, the white neighbors, the local cops assigned to investigate, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat was deacon, the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself.

As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters—caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York—overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, McBride shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion."

Regards,

Kareni

[bookbard]

Just read a pretty good YA book called Nyxia - my 13 yr old really liked it. A bunch of teens are sent into space. The main character soon realises there's something shifty going on, all the teens are poor and the company is taking advantage of their desperation. Pretty good exploration of ethics at a teen level. There's 2 more in the series that I have on hold at the library. 

[Vintage81]

I finally finished a book! 

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: 

"Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. 

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?"

I've read many Abby Jimenez books, but I'm sad to say this one has been my least favorite so far. I'm not sure why exactly. The premise for many of these contemporary romance books tends to be silly, which this one was but that doesn't usually bother me. I think I didn't really like the two main characters. They kind of got on my nerves throughout the book. There are a lot of elements in this story, so the romance felt like a side-show to all the drama the two main characters were going through. Not bad, but not great. (3 stars)

[Kassia]

On 5/11/2024 at 8:36 AM, Kassia said:

 

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

I just finished this and started a novel by the same author:  The Center of Winter.  It's good so far.  

[ScoutTN]

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

[GailV]

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin, which @madteaparty had mentioned earlier. I was totally enthralled by this, and feel like I've just had a weeklong trip to France.

[Vintage81]

DD and I are a little behind with our American Literature study, but we've finished our next reading which was Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman. (We read parts I and II.) I wasn't sure whether or not to include this in our list, but because the author is American and part of the story takes place in NYC and discusses his relationship with his father, I kept it. I know these books are quite controversial, so I'll just say that I really appreciated reading them and I'm glad I had my daughter read them too. I think they are important for discussion. 

[madteaparty]

On 5/16/2024 at 2:37 PM, GailV said:

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin, which @madteaparty had mentioned earlier. I was totally enthralled by this, and feel like I've just had a weeklong trip to France.

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I was just in France and bought this in French, aspirationally of course.  The cover is the same as the English one. 
I’m now reading Three by the same author and it’s good but a bit more meandering and not as gripping as this one. 
 

 

Edited May 18 by madteaparty
Typo

[Kassia]

On 5/13/2024 at 9:27 AM, Kassia said:

I just finished this and started a novel by the same author:  The Center of Winter.  It's good so far.  

Finished The Center of Winter, which I liked, and I'm starting Pearl S. Buck's East Wind: West Wind.  I'm pretty sure someone here just mentioned it.  

I've had Fresh Water for Flowers on my TBR list thanks to @madteaparty.  

 

[Kareni]

@Vintage81, my daughter and I both read Maus when she was studying the time period 1700 to 2000 as a ninth grader. I also found it a valuable read.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Other books finished this week include ~

Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me by Susan L. Roth which was an enjoyable picture book by a collage artist who compared herself and her art to a bower bird creating his nest.

"Sibert Medalist Susan L. Roth is like a bowerbird, a small black bird found in Australia and New Guinea that builds elaborate structures from various materials they find near their habitats.

Though Susan creates books to attract readers and bowerbirds build bowers to attract a mate, both get their ideas from the world around them and the materials they find. Both love colors. No two of their respective creations are alike. And most importantly, both Susan and the bowerbirds aspire for their finished works to be greater than the sum of their parts.

Complete with engaging backmatter and dazzling artwork crammed full of so much to look at, this visually delightful picture book from award-winning author and artist Susan L. Roth is a fascinating comparison of art we create and art we find in nature."

**

I reread Stray (Touchstone Book 1) by Andrea K. Höst as I am planning to make a bookmark for a friend who also likes this science fiction work. This book is currently free for Kindle readers.

"On her last day of high school, Cassandra Devlin walked out of exams and into a forest. Surrounded by the wrong sort of trees, and animals never featured in any nature documentary, Cass is only sure of one thing: alone, she will be lucky to survive.

The sprawl of abandoned blockish buildings Cass discovers offers her only more puzzles. Where are the people? What is the intoxicating mist which drifts off the buildings in the moonlight? And why does she feel like she's being watched?

Increasingly unnerved, Cass is overjoyed at the arrival of the formidable Setari. Whisked to a world as technologically advanced as the first was primitive, where nanotech computers are grown inside people's skulls, and few have any interest in venturing outside the enormous whitestone cities, Cass finds herself processed as a 'stray', a refugee displaced by the gates torn between worlds. Struggling with an unfamiliar language and culture, she must adapt to virtual classrooms, friends who can teleport, and the ingrained attitude that strays are backward and slow.

Can Cass ever find her way home? And after the people of her new world discover her unexpected value, will they be willing to let her leave?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I enjoyed  Maz, Origin by T. L. Ford which is about an exceedingly bright fourteen year old raised from birth in a prison city on a slightly alternative earth and her life after her escape/rescue.  This book took a surprising turn at about the halfway point when aliens landed on earth.

"Entering the witness relocation program after lawfully escaping a massive walled-in prison, teenage Merrill tries to fit into our society. Unfortunately, her background and decisions may not let her.

Maz, Origin is a story of growth and love, guilt and innocence, and changing goals. What is morally right and what is legally right? And what's legal for humans may not be for aliens..."

**

I also read the contemporary romance Coast to Coast (Arizona Raptors Book 1) by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey which was a pleasant read. (Significant adult content)

"When opposites attract, this bottom-of-the-league team will never be the same again. 

A stipulation in his father's will forces Mark back into the arms of a family that disowned him and leaves him one-third owner of a hockey team facing financial ruin. He doesn't even watch hockey, let alone like it, and wants nothing more than to head back to New York. Then there's the new coach, a stubborn, opinionated, irritating man with superiority issues and questionable music taste."

///

Regards,

Kareni

[GailV]

Build the Life you Want  by Arthur C. Brooks. I heard the author on a podcast (10% Happier) and thought this sounded interesting. I'd tried reading one of his recent books, From Strength to Strength, and abandoned it about half way through. I made it all the way through this one (yay me!). It was mostly engaging, had lots of really great info firmly based in scientific studies. The author said on the podcast that he is about 70 percent happier these days since he's started implementing these ideas. I'm fairly confident I will forget most of the suggestions; I'm already hazy on what the beginning of the book was about, as a matter of fact. In my defense, I'm reading about 5 to 10 books at any given moment.

Oprah Winfrey chimes in here and there through the book and is listed as a co-author, which seemed like a marketing move. I think it was Oprah's idea for him to write the book in the first place.

[wisdomandtreasures]

Year 9 books from Ambleside Online and Sense and Sensibility for fun. 

[Kareni]

After rereading Stray, I got sucked in and read on in the Touchstone series. I've since reread with pleasure Lab Rat One, Caszandra, and Gratuitous Epilogue all by Andrea K. Höst.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kassia]

On 5/17/2024 at 8:04 PM, Kassia said:

Finished The Center of Winter, which I liked, and I'm starting Pearl S. Buck's East Wind: West Wind.

 

Finished East Wind: West Wind, which I really enjoyed and just started An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin

[Kareni]

I just finished Whispering Wood by Sharon Shinn which is a newish follow on fantasy to the author's four books in the Elemental Blessings series. I enjoyed it but my favorite remains the first book in that series.

"Valentina Serlast has reluctantly traveled to the royal city to witness her brother Darien be crowned the king of Welce. A hunti woman with an affinity for the forest, Val is much more comfortable living in isolation on her country estates, almost forgotten by everyone. When Darien convinces her to extend her stay, she is drawn into an unfamiliar whirl of activity, meeting with ambassadors from other countries, becoming friends with the unpredictable Princess Corene, and trying to learn the secrets of a glamorous foreign visitor named Melissande.

But nothing makes Val more breathless than the reappearance of Sebastian Ardelay, a red-headed rogue who has been her best friend since childhood. She quickly learns that Sebastian has been risking his life in a dangerous venture that could get him banned from the kingdom—or even lead Welce to the brink of war."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I finished my reread of Andrea K. Höst's Touchstone series by reading In Arcadia and Snow Day. I enjoyed them both.

**

I also enjoyed a quick browse through Paperie: 100 Creative Papercraft Ideas by Kirsty Neale.

"Paperie features a myriad of innovative ideas and easy-to-master papercraft techniques including clever ideas for unique stationery, home décor, cute paper jewelry, inspiring wedding ideas, upcycled gifts and one-of-a-kind accessories.

Each of the techniques are accompanied by simple step-by-step instructions and diagrams—techniques include origami, stamping, stenciling, embossing, transfers, stitching on paper, collage, papercutting, decoupage, screen printing and papier mâché...."

///

Regards,

Kareni

[ava_johnson]

For now, i plan to order something new to read. It was interesting to find out what people are reading right now

[KrissiK]

I finished “The Magnificent Rebel: Nancy Cunard in Jazz Age Paris” by Anne de Courcy.   What a crazy book.  I really want to know what this woman was like. In person. She was absolutely extraordinary in the book. Wealthy, gorgeous, magnetic, talented. She was addicted to alcohol and “tea” and the men she had affairs with never got over her. She had a brief affair with Aldous Huxley and he was so obsessed with her that his wife made him move out of the country so he could continue writing. As one would expect, she was not very likable. I don’t know that extreme people ever are very likable.

Edited May 27 by KrissiK