Karen’s Comments (group member since Apr 06, 2020)

Karen’s comments from the Classy and Trashy Book Club with the Moorhead Public Library group.

Yes! I listened to The Library Book a year or two ago and I did enjoy it.

Wow. I haven't posted here in more than a month. I've read/listened to a bunch of books since then, but I'll only mention a few. I listened to the second Deborah Crombie book, which I enjoyed. I haven't gotten to the bug, multiple book conspiracy yet, though.

I also listened to another Chet & Bernie mystery and I always love hearing things from the POV of Chet, the dog.

In an unintentional theme, I listened to The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman, set in the 1918 pandemic - good but sad, though it ends on a more hopeful note - and Pandemic by Robin Cook, which I didn't like as much as I hoped to.

I'm almost finished listening to Ken Follett's new prequel to Pillars of the Earth, The Evening and the Morning. I'm really enjoying it overall, though, in part because it's a prequel and I know it needs to end where Pillars begins, there are things that I predicted early on would happen that have or seem to be about to happen (but maybe I'm wrong - I should see later today when I expect to finish).

The other big book I recently finished was Jane Austen's Letters ed. by Deirdre Le Faye, which I enjoyed, though it wasn't a quick read. Having done the free online JA course multiple times (and another time coming up in late Nov) and read a few biographies, this was the next thing that I was determined to get to and I'm glad I did.

I finished the first of 4 novellas by 4 different authors in The Deadly Hours this morning. The first was by Susanna Kearsley, but I didn't like it as much as I enjoy many of her books. I still plan to read the others especially since the last is written by CS Harris whose books I love.

I just finished The Far Pavilions a little while ago and I loved it! I hadn't realized that some of the characters are real historical figures and at least some of the book is based on real events, but I learned some stuff when I looked at something online and then read more just after I finished.

Yesterday, I finished listening to Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell, which is about Shakespeare's acting company, including his brother Richard who was an actor (in the book - I just checked and it seems that little is known about the real Richard). I enjoyed it. Having done a couple of Shakespeare-related courses online over the past few months, there were a bunch of familiar people and places that came up in it.

I also recently finished listening to Anxious People (the new one bu Fredrik Backman), which I liked, but maybe not quite as much as some other of his. It was quirky and lighter than some of his too; and The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue about the Spanish Flu epidemic in a hospital in Ireland, which was good too.

I think Sam reads Aunt Dimity and likes them, but I haven't tried them yet myself. I am still working my way through The Far Pavilions which I'm loving, but it's long and I have limited reading time and I keep taking breaks to read library/book group books. Right now I'm reading Montana Sky, though I'm still sure I won't be done by discussion time on Tuesday.

I'm listening to the updated Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope, which is fine so far, but not blowing me away.

Last week I had a great few days of new installments in mystery series when I listened to the latest Armand Gamache (All the Devils Are Here) and read the new Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes (Riviera Gold). I also liked Christina Baker Kline's new one, The Exiles.

One that I loved not too long ago was Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. I think I put a hold on it because an author mentioned it at a Zoom discussion I went to, but when it popped up I didn't remember anything about it. But, once I started listening I really enjoyed it.

Oh my! I didn't realize we'd be meeting online to discuss. I have just barely started the book (I'm on page 31) and with running a book sale for the next 3 days, the chances that I'll finish it by Tuesday are fairly close to nil, but I'll come anyway. I'm excited to chat with the gang!

I finally took the time to listen to that podcast with Ann Patchett and found it really interesting. I hadn't remembered a lot of the details, but they discussed the book with spoilers which reminded me of things and I found it worth the time. Here is the direct link in case anyone else wants to give it a listen: https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast-epi...

I think Far Pavilions was probably filmed in some version, but not sure. I'm loving the book, but I'm still only between 1/3 and 1/2 way through (it's nearly 1200 pages of small font and I don't get a huge amount of reading time). I'm around page 450 or so, so it feels like I've read a decent amount.

I hadn't heard about P&P with dragons. Not quite sure what to think of that concept... Please let me know if you hear good things about it!

Glad you are enjoying St Cyr, but no - definitely not feel-good romance. I'd say historical mystery and relatively dark rather than cozy. I'm all caught up on those at the moment, which I have mixed feelings about.

My current read is The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye, which is nearly 1200 pages with tiny print so will be a long-term read. I'm really liking it so far, but at only page 263 there's lots more to go.

This morning, I finished listening to Miss Austen by Gill Hornby about Cassandra Austen, sister of Jane, and it included a lot of their true history that I've learned about through an online course and biographies recommended there. I recommend that if you're interested in JA. It's fiction, but well-researched and pulls some unknown things together in plausible ways.

Before that, I listened to The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and it was extremely informative, but also extremely disturbing. It made me angry and sad, but I do feel better informed now and that's a good thing.

I just saw this and didn't know if anyone would be interested. Gretchen Rubin is the author of The Happiness Project and other books and does a podcast with her sister.

Attention book-lovers! Elizabeth and I are thrilled to announce the latest book for our “Happier Podcast Book Club.” It’s The Dutch House, the brilliant, page-turning novel by Ann Patchett. We’ll be talking with her on July 8th, so dive in and send us your questions by posting to social media using the hashtag #happierpodcastbookclub. And follow me on Goodreads to join the discussion there!

Onward,
Gretchen Rubin

The St Cyr series hasn't ended, I just reached the last of the published ones so I have to wait for the next to come out. Up to now I've been able to choose when I read them or how many I read in a short period since I tried to stretch them out.

I ended up liking Evelina. And, yes, it is written in letters, though some of the letters don't sound like how you'd write since they had dialogue and such. But, I enjoyed it more than I thought I might. I found it an easy listen. The language flowed and wasn't hard to follow and the story, while having some coincidences and moments of eye-rolling was overall enjoyable. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was given how little I've heard about it before starting to take the free online Austen course I've done 4 times so far (and which will be starting again Sunday night).

The Crombie book wasn't bad, but I think I'll like them more when they have dual time periods.

Now, I'm listening to If We Were Villains, which is about a bunch of students studying Shakespearean acting. It's been fun since I recently did a couple of Shakespeare courses and watched a production of Macbeth online (and they do a few scenes from that in the book).

I listened to the first Deborah Crombie book and finished in the last day or two. I liked it, and it reminded me of lots of other cozy mysteries I've read or listened to, but I admit my mind wandered a bit. Admittedly, that could be because of real life stuff going on and I intend to give the second a try, but so far I wouldn't say that I loved it.

I'm reading the most recent Sebastian St Cyr mystery and I'm liking it, but I'm kind of sad that I don't have any more to look forward to after this one.

And, I'm listening to Evelina by Frances (Fanny) Burney, which has come up multiple times as something Jane Austen would have read and showing that some women published in their own names in their lifetimes. So far, it's surprisingly good and not particularly stuffy or hard to follow. I'll see how it develops, but so far, so good. :-)

I just found out that B&N will be hosting Madeline Miller, author of Circe and The Song of Achilles this Thurs June 4 at 6PM our time. I thought some people here might be interested. I heard her speak at an earlier virtual event and really enjoyed it.

Since I'm here, I'll say I'm currently reading the most recent Kopp Sisters book by Amy Stewart and I'm enjoying it, though I don't seem to get through text books as fast as audiobooks.

On audio, I recently listened to the new Hunger Games prequel and thought it was good, but I didn't like it quite as much as the original trilogy. It did show the seeds of several things that we saw in the main trilogy. One of my daughters read it and felt the same way. I also found it wasn't as predictable as I sometimes find YA books. I predicted a couple of things (and mentioned them to my daughter) and I was wrong, which amused her because my kids get annoyed that I can often predict so much that they don't catch.

Thanks for holding the video meeting. I really enjoyed it even though I was late. And, yes, I think 4 is a fair rating. I don't recall the details since I listened a while ago, but that's my guess as to what I would have rated it if I rated it at the time.

Apparently, scholarships are being announced Tuesday at 7PM, so I will at least be late and may not make it at all. :-( Sorry. Just found out about this in the past few days.

I can't remember what I was reading when I last posted, but I need to update my current listen to The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow which focuses on Mary Bennet from Pride & Prejudice. I'm a little over halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. I also happen to be reading a Jane Austen biography recommended on the free online JA course I've done 4 times now, so there have been some connections there too.

I recently finished A Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, which I'd never read before and was not quite what I expected (though I'm not sure exactly what I did expect - just not a "church" characterized by nudity and multiple sex partners) and Nothing Daunted by Dorothy Wickenden which is nonfiction about two educated society women who went to small-settlement Colorado to teach in 1916. The author is the granddaughter of one of the women and had lots of letters that inspired her to write it.

Hannah wrote: "Karen wrote: "Me again. I hope it's OK to double post here. I finally finished The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. It was certainly interesting, but I found it a bit of a slog at parts. My impr..."

It's nice to know that you had a similar reaction to Grady Hendrix books. So, I'm not the only one. I suppose I wasn't supposed to like the way the husbands were acting so my reaction might have been a sign that it was well-written, but I didn't end up loving it so that says something too.

Thanks for the info about The Arcadia Project series. I hadn't heard about it before and I don't ever remember reading about someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, so it sounds intriguing.

Me again. I finished The Lager Queen of Minnesota this evening and enjoyed it. Is anything happening with Pop Lit? This is a bit early for me to have read it for One Book One Community since I'll forget so much, but I had it on hold and scheduled for this time period because it was supposed to be Pop Lit's May pick.

I also recently finished Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris, which is a follow-up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, focusing on one of the minor characters in that one. It focuses mostly on her time in a Russian gulag where she was sent after surviving Auschwitz so it's hard to say I liked it, per se, but I found it a good listen.

Oh, and I just downloaded and started listening to my first audiobook (which is my first item) from Hoopla! Always fun to have new options. :-)

Oh good! So glad that we are planning to meet in real time. now, I just have to find a detailed summary of the story that I really don't remember. I remember some very general outlines, but that's about it.

Deb - I don't think I remember you telling me your joke. Like you, I basically have one joke that I ever remember, so some of you may have heard this before too:
Why don't aardvarks get infections?


Because they eat all those ant-ibodies. ;-) (Actually, that seems a little more topical for these times than it has been when I've told it other times.)

Me again. I hope it's OK to double post here. I finally finished The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. It was certainly interesting, but I found it a bit of a slog at parts. My impression was that it was an amusing and interesting read, but it was far drier and more clinical than I expected. So, I liked it and thought the cases were intriguing, but I didn't find it a great read, if that makes sense.

Yesterday, I finished listening to The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. I loved the title and really wanted to love the book - it came highly recommended by a friend whose taste often matches mine, but this one just didn't grab me as much as I hoped. I got so frustrated with some of the characters (largely the husbands), that I was annoyed for a chunk of it and that didn't help my overall liking. Oh, well.

On a not-perfectly-related note that i wasn't quite sure where to ask: after receiving the email newsletter yesterday, I got a library Bingo card. Are these supposed to be things I've done in the past week or so? For example, I told my husband about getting a library card online right after the shelter-in-place started, so can I include that space? Does Goodreads count as social media in terms of talking about an item I enjoyed? Can I type out a joke here, or do I have to call the hotline? you know, all sorts of important question and I only have a few more days, apparently.