What Are You Reading Now (anything goes) 2026 > Likes and Comments

What are you reading that is not autobiography, biography or memoir?

My current read is a self-help; Good Energy by Casey Means. Really enjoying it but slowly because it’s lots to take in.

I'm reading a y/a Christian dystopian trilogy. Two stars to the first one, but I read another 2 star reviewer who went on to like the other two better, so. I'm currently reading the second one that is definitely better written than the first (it'll get a three star like from me, which is better than 2!) It's called A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes. Ideally the third one will be the best.

I'm at the point where I'm not interested in impossible fictional tech most of the time which partly affecting my rating.

I just finished Truly by Lionel Ritchie. It covered his whole life, not just the music. I’m 59 y/o r&b fan so very familiar with the music and absolutely loved this book.

I was wowed by Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. It explains so very much of what is going on in the world. 5 stars, would reccy to anyone who knows how to read

Something to Look Forward To: Fictions by Fannie Flagg
3 stars


Going into this, I did not read what the book was supposed to be about. After a while, I thought that the characters must tie together somehow. That was when I read the book blurb and found out each chapter was a stand-alone short story. Usually, Fannie Flagg has incredible insight into the lives of rural characters but sometimes she gets a little crazy, like having her characters reincarnated as insects and animals or a Mork and Mindy like space guy. There were points in this book that I really liked but I would have liked it better if the stories tied together in some way and leave out the crazy parts.

Greatly enjoying The Best American Crime Writing: 2003 Edition: The Year's Best True Crime Reporting.

A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough
5 stars


I wish everyone would read this book and take it to heart. This is a history of our environment and what we have done to harm our planet and what we need to do to save it. David Attenborough is 99 years old now. We need more people to take his place if we are to save the planet for our grandchildren and beyond.

I just finished The Nature of Fragile Things. Great historical fiction about the strength of women through times of impossible difficulties. Narrator is fantastic. 5/5 for me

Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book by Mark Bittman


Read this 5 years ago and decided to read it again. As you might guess, if food isn't in it's pure, unadulterated state it probably is not good for us.

Koren wrote: "Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book by Mark Bittman
[bookcover:Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food..."

Yes, so true! For years I've primarily shopped in the outer circle of stores, but even then we have to be sharp and read labels, especially, but not only, in the dairy section..

Sis gave me this book for Christmas We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life's 20 Questions as meant to be encouraging. It has snippets of various conversations from American mostly female podcast interviewees and supposed to answer all your nagging questions about life. Not sure it really helps me but I suppose for women of a certain age who may be questioning their identity I suppose?

I haven't read any Glennon Doyle but heard she is quite well known..,for being a Christian turned lesbian soccer player wife?

Zoo by James Patterson
3 stars


It took me about 100 pages to decide I was going to finish this book. Then I got into it around 180 pages and then by the end I was wishing I hadn't stuck with it. The plot was just too weird and too much like sci-fi. The one redeeming point of this book is the realization that if our use of petroleum products and cellphones was going to be our demise, few people would give them up.

Koren wrote: "Zoo by James Patterson
3 stars


It took me about 100 pages to decide I was going to finish this book. Then I got into it around 180 pages and then by the en..."

Thanks--if it's on my want to read shelf I'm going to move it to delete. I don't mind scifi, but am not into weird.

A fun read, haven't finished yet.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
3 stars


I really disliked the plot line of the man living with the wolves. Apparently, it has really happened, but I just found it so unbelievable and ended up skipping the parts where the person in the coma is talking about living with wolves and acting like them. I did, however, like the plot line about euthanasia and the family fighting over what to do. If the patient made a miraculous recovery I was going to throw the book across the room. I am interested in euthanasia and did a research paper on it in college. I found myself not really liking the main characters in the book, especially the teenage girl. This is not the best Jodi Picoult book I have read.

The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells by Sarah Churchwell

I knew Gone With the Wind was fiction, but until now never investigated what it really told about the history of the US civil war. And how some of it had fascist sympathies, and how it all relates to what the current President is doing. hmm

Was a bit repetititve but I enjoyed the parts more relating to the novel rather than all the current day politics.

Selina wrote: "The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells by Sarah Churchwell

I knew Gone With the Wind was fiction, but until now never investigated what it really told abo..."

I read Gone With The Wind when I was a teenager (loooong time ago!) It was my favorite book for a long time. Not sure if I would feel the same way today. I think of the book more as a love story than a statement of how things were in the pre-and-post Civil War South. Not sure if I would want to read this one.

I liked Gone With the Wind as a teen, but couldn't stand Scarlet when I tried to reread it as an adult.

Yes Scarlett was obnoxious. I think in the movie Vivien Leigh played her with a lot of charm, so people overlooked her bad characteristics.
In the novel Scarlett was not beautiful, and it's stated in the opening sentence! But in the movie Scarlett was obviously beautiful, in fact she was stunning and Vivien Leigh, (who is a wonderful actress) couldn't hide her beauty.

Mystery: An Alex Delaware Novel
Jonathan Kellerman
This is another Alex Delaware mystery and this time a battered woman's body was found and there was no DNA to match. Milo Sturgis is also on the case. Not my favorite book of his but I liked it. Mystery

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes

How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days by Kari Leibowitz
3 stars


The basic premise of this book is that how you view winter is in your attitude. She traveled to countries that have very long winters, such as Norway and Iceland and studied how they approach winter. I guess if you live in those countries you have to have a good attitude about winter. Personally, I have a much better view about winter now that I'm not driving to work in the middle of the night and not having to spend 3 days at work during a blizzard.

Currently listening to Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China by Jung Chang...sort of a sequel to Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China more from Jung Changs point of view. So some of it I already know about. But it goes into more of her own life since the Cultural Revolution I think.

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars


Are there any mega billion dollar companies that are honest? This company, and many others I'm sure, will do anything to make a huge amount of money. It's a scary thing to think that they will outright lie about the ingredients in their products. I always thought the FDA thoroughly vetted all products and that it took years to get new products to market. I learned that is not true and the FDA is in the back pocket of the drug companies. At the end of the book the author offers ideas to turn this around. I'm not sure that the powers that be will pay attention.

Old Babes in the Wood: Stories by Margaret Atwood


Margaret Atwood is getting old..and she likes talking/writing to the dead. If you a fan, you'd enjoy it though. It's sad that her husband died, but as always she's able to spin a story about that.

Koren wrote: "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars


Are there any mega billi..."


Interesting. One of their many locations is in a nearby town/city and one of my kids had a temp job there once.

I know someone who had a long career as a salesperson for Johnson & Johnson in Canada, but he wasn't involved in any of those aspects of it. Well, primarily knew, but we're FB friends--he's older than me by a number of years (older than my husband by some years as well) and is retired.

Ironically, some of their medical equipment is good. Big pharma can be a very mixed bag as there are many different divisions and employees.

Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars


Are there ..."

I"m sure they have improved, but the book has a chapter where they had a lot of trouble with their hip and knee replacements and their mesh for prolapsed bladders.

Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars
[bookcover:No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson|21624755..."

I’m sure they have, but they’re not the only big pharma company to have had big problems with products! Big pharma (all of them) has also caused extra harm to women because they used the scientific method in drug studies which is to avoid too many parameters. Because they tested medications only on male rats and men, more women have had serious reactions and death. This is because hormones affect how medications work. I think there are other things they could check for such as race, ethnicity, blood type because it’s all important and could help with prescribing theh right stuff (but it will never be perfect due to allergy potential.)

Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars
[bookcover:No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Jo..."

Wasn't it Johnson and Johnson that sold the talcum powder that's linked with cervical cancer?

Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars
[bookcover:No More Tears: The Dark Secrets o..."

Not sure, but since they started making baby powder in 1894 they would have had no idea about any link from talc to cancer. However many baby and cosmetic products are still made with talc by many companies. J & J claims that once a link was established in the 1980s (yes, it gook that long) but they say they make sure the talc isn't contaminated with asbestos. The link for pure talc ovarian cancer is unclear because it's not a common enough cancer.

The IARC classifies talc with asbestos as carcinogenic and probably carcinogenic by itself, but it hasn't been banned from use.

I didn't use baby powder with my kids for other reasons.

The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto: The True Story of Five Courageous Young Women Who Sparked an Uprising – The Holocaust Biography of Female Resistance Leaders
by Elizabeth Hyman
4/5 stars
This is a very interesting book about the Warsaw Ghetto in which five young women in the Holocaust who helped lead the resistance, sabotage the Nazis, and aid Jews in hiding across occupied Poland and Eastern Europe. I enjoyed it. Non-Fiction

Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Koren wrote: "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
4 stars
[bookcover:No More Tears: The..."

When there was asbestos found in some child sand product recently there was a huge recall and parents were scared that their child may have been exposed/played with it at preschool or primary school.

Anyone who's house was built pre 1980s would probably have asbestos in the ceiling.

Finished reading Beaches by Iris Rainer Dart. The movie made of it with Bette Midler was also good I remember. It's a chick lit weepie, about a lifelong friendship.

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
1 star


I tried to get into this but couldn't. I usually quit around 50 pages if I'm not interested, but this one I kept thinking if I just stick with it I will get into it. Finally gave up at 250 pages of this over 500 page book.

Am reading Feijoa: A story of Obsession and Belonging . It's coming into feijoa season here in Auckland, New Zealand.

Selina wrote: "Am reading Feijoa: A story of Obsession and Belonging. It's coming into feijoa season here in Auckland, New Zealand."

This is the first time I've heard of this fruit!

Hi Everyone ~

I'd love to hear your review of my memoir, Clearly Lies Are True - A Memoir about growing up in the cult of Scientology.

I've been sharing my story and signing books at Barnes & Noble bookstores in California. You can check out my events at https://www.linktr.ee/clearlyliesaretrue

Clearly Lies Are True


Pamela Nickel Williams

Pamela wrote: "Hi Everyone ~

I'd love to hear your review of my memoir, Clearly Lies Are True - A Memoir about growing up in the cult of Scientology.

I've been sharing my story and signing books at Barnes & No..."

Many of us have long to-be-read piles, so it can take time to get to new books. You've posted in this group a number of times; if any of us read your book, we'll review it here :).

The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy
Susan Wise Bauer
Interesting non-fiction book about sickness and how humankind reacted to it throughout the years. I learned a lot. Non-Fiction

Julie wrote: "
[book:The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and..."

This sounds interesting...I am sure I must have read something by this author before.

We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy by Yael Kohen
2 stars


I got this book because I thought it would be funny, but it wasn't the least bit funny. Instead, it is written like a bunch of people sitting in a circle and talking about their experiences, but actually, I think the author took comments from articles and didn't actually interview anyone. It was really dull! I was surprised that it is focused on such a small group of comedians. There really are a lot of good comedians that aren't even mentioned and sometimes the people that are speaking repeat what someone else said. I would recommend looking elsewhere for a good comprehensive book about women in comedy.

Koren wrote: "We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy by Yael Kohen
2 stars


I got this book because I thought it woul..."
Huh ok
Can you say what names are mentioned? Maybe put this one in the Comedy Club thread?
Yea you kind of expect a book of comediennes to be at least funny

This book got 3 stars from me and I suspect I was being generous. I started the second paragraph of my review with "I didn't like this nearly as much as I thought I might...," however, I didn't expect it to be funny so that might have influenced me. This is more of a feminist history book.

Selina, I wrote, "From Phyllis Diller to Chelsea Peretti, from Joan Rivers to Anjelah Johnson, from Carol Burnett to Mindy Kaling..." but there were others in there as well (can't remember who since reviews this in January, 2020.)

Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back by Ann Vielesis
4 stars


Ok. I admit it. I'm one of those that prefer not to know where my meat comes from. If I had to be a vegetarian, I would probably starve. This book goes through the history of how we went from growing most of our own food to just going in the supermarket and getting things off a shelf and not knowing how they are grown or where they came from. I do read labels and this book will make me more alert to what is in my food.

Koren wrote: "Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back by Ann Vielesis
4 stars
[bookcover:Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Fo..."

I actually saw this when I logged in and left a comment (don't do much of that!) I've done this for many years, and for myself personally have to be extremely careful. (I used to grow most of our summer produce as well.)

What I didn't mention is that I am only able to eat food I can find in the outer circle of the store (organic grass-raised beef, butternut squash because unlike many squashes it's low in tyramine, etc) or order in bulk online from carefully selected sources because I have a number of adult-onset food allergies (finally got the epi-pen I should have had since I was very young as a result of one of those.)

Even if I didn't mind conventionally raised food, I get headaches from eating meat fed conventionally raised grains from some of the chemicals on them (or even grass if it's not labelled organic.) As you may have read, they can eat fodder with much higher levels of pesticides, etc, than is allowed to be sold directly to people.

If anyone else here is a migraine sufferer--if you think you get them from beef, it might only be aged beef due to the formation of tyramine as it ages. I get my beef ground and always make sure the best buy date is far off. Tyramine is also found in cured meats, aged cheeses and fermented foods. Link to tyramine infohttps://headaches.org/resources/low-t... BUT note that there are other things in foods that can trigger migraines for SOME migraineurs.

Yes, I did read about how what the animals eat shows up in their meat and in the early to mid 1900's the animals were fed some pretty sketchy things. I live in the middle of hog country (as a matter of fact, my county is the self-titled bacon capital of the world). It makes me sad that the hogs basically live their whole lives in a pen that they can't even turn around in. I guess I am lucky that I can have a garden and apple trees and have planted some other fruit trees that have yet to produce anything and I work with a gal that I can buy farm fresh eggs and responsibly raised chicken and beef.

Am reading Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Good so far...by the author of Crazy Rich Asians, so I kinda know what to expect.

Koren wrote: "Yes, I did read about how what the animals eat shows up in their meat and in the early to mid 1900's the animals were fed some pretty sketchy things. I live in the middle of hog country (as a matte..."

Twice my parents and friends each bought a suckling pig that lived in a large pen (once each in two houses where we lived) where they prepared the ground for my parents' later vegetable garden. They had ample room and plenty of things to root up plus we fed them. They lived happily until someone he hired made sure each family could eat the pork. I remember my mother making head cheese which I wouldn't touch because I didn't like dairy cheese.

They also spent decades with chickens who had plenty of room--it spoils one for the worst store-bought ones.

Firestorm - The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster by Jacob Soboroff
3 stars


Written by a television reporter, this book was more about what he saw and heard and telling us repeatedly that he was 'born and raised' in the area of the fires and recounting places and people that he knew that were burned or displaced. At the end he gives suggestions to help end the fires, but I wish there would have been more answers.