Suzan’s Comments (group member since May 22, 2020)

Suzan’s comments from the 2020 Big Book Summer Reading Challenge group.

Allen wrote: "I finished The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. While it was good, it didn’t hold true. But all in all, it was enjoyable."

Congrats on finishing another Big Book, Allen! I need to read more Sue Monk Kidd - so many good books and so little time!

Cheriee wrote: "I've finally started my 4th big book of the year, A Matter of Malice by Thomas King although at 400 pages it just sneaks in. I'm a hardcore fan of Thomas King anyway and am really ..."

I've never read any Thomas King. And isn't such a thrill to check a book you want to read anyway and see it is 400 pages? ha ha Enjoy!

Allen wrote: "Debating on reading 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand. Nothing wrong with a man enjoying a beach read , and i enjoyed her last one, Summer Of 69."

Definitely nothing wrong with it, Allen! I have not read any Hilderbrand novels (!), so I have some catching up to do - I keep hearing great things about this latest one.

Tarissa wrote: "Currently reading Allegiant by Veronica Roth!"

Good for you, Tarissa! That was my favorite of the 3 novels - finally explained some things! Enjoy!

Victoria wrote: "I’m going to try to read Alexander Hamilton using this group:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ar......"

Sounds like a fun way to read it, Vicki! It's a hefty one, but I know lots of people who've enjoyed it.

Sue wrote: "I've just finished a small book, , and am trying to decide between two for my next big read:

[bookcover:The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's..."

Ooh, they both look good, but I haven't read either yet, so I won't be much help to you! Let us know what you decide, Sue!

Elinor wrote: "I have just started my second Big Book this summer - Sapiens: a brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Happy reading everyone!"

Sounds like a good one, Elinor - enjoy!

Allen wrote: "Starting The Book Of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. My father is a retired pastor, so I think this will be interesting,"

Sounds great, Allen! I loved The Secret Life of Bees but haven't read another Monk Kidd novel since! Looking forward to hearing what you think.

Heidi'sbooks wrote: "I finished Gorbachev!! What a beast. (Not Gorbachev, the book.) I have a review on my goodreads page."

ha ha! Way to go, Heidi! That is a big accomplishment!

Jane wrote: "Just finished Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.

What a fun romp in Victorian England: https://janegs.blogspot.com/2020/07/n..."

Congratulations on finishing your Big Book, Jane! And that one is a BIG book - I looked it up :) I like Dickens but haven't read that one yet. I am way behind on reading reviews (family crisis), but will look forward to reading yours this week.

Karla wrote: "Finished my 4th book: Circe by Madeline Miller (audio narrated by Perdita Weeks). 416 pages.
A 5 stars read for me. I love Miller's writing and compelling story. It's been over a year since I read ..."

Wow, Karla - congrats on your 4th Big Book!!

I have heard such glowing reviews of Circe from so many people, but I am really not into mythology - at all! I can't decide whether to try it or not - so glad it was right up your alley, though!

Allen wrote: "Finished Origin by Dan Brown"

Congratulations on finishing a Big Book, Allen! I have still only read The DaVinci Code from Brown, but I would love to read more!

Kate wrote: "I just finished my second Big Book of the summer, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon which was a 5 star read! I loved the writing and how the story unspooled through all of the characters...."

So glad you enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind, Kate! I have never read any Murakami, either, so I'm interested to hear what you think.

Emily wrote: "I finished Last Day by Luanne Rice - 412 pages.
This was my first book of hers. She is extraordinarily prolific - 34 books to her credit!
I liked it especially because it takes place along the Conn..."

That sounds good, Emily! I've never read any Luanne Rice, either - I guess I should. Glad you enjoyed it!

Nancy wrote: "recently finished A Truly haunting exploration of depression, suicide and grief. Although it's 466 pages it only took me two days to read because ..."

Wow, sounds like a really powerful novel, Nancy!

D.L. wrote: "I finally got to start my first big book of the summer: The Murder House. I've been whittling away at my smaller books this summer and now it's time to tackle some large ones. Next ..."

Sounds like a couple of good ones, DL - enjoy!

Sue wrote: "I'm late to the party, but since I just finished City on Fire, Garth Risk Hallberg's 900+ page first novel, it seemed like a good time to join!

I'm currently listening to [book:The..."

Hi, Sue - so glad you decided to join the fun! Yup 900+ pages and 38 hours on audio - those definitely both qualify! Sounds like some great Big Book plans for you this summer - glad the challenge fits in with your own goals for 2020!

Can you just do me a quick favor? Add a short note to the "Sign-Up" discussion thread, so when I tally up participants at the end of the summer for the giveaway I won't overlook you. Thanks!

Karla wrote: "I'm planning to start my 4th book: Circe by Madeline Miller"

Wow, 4th Big Book, and it's still June! Way to go, Karla - enjoy! I know a lot of people have LOVED Circe.

Nancy wrote: "Well, I had to set A God in Ruins (my own book) aside because our Library opened for take out and I couldn't resist putting a hold on a few books (7 I think at last count) and I got [bookcover:The ..."

I enjoyed A God in Ruins, but I fully understand the excitement of the library re-opening! I have a book of my own to pick up this week there :)

Hey, Nancy, I just noticed that you are also right here in DE - hi, neighbor! My son's best friend from HS and college roommate (they just graduated) is from Middletown.

After procrastinating all week, I finally wrote another Big Book review!

I listened to A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen, a novel about a global pandemic (I know - stick with me here), 6 years later, and how circumstances bring 4 people together - it's post-apocalyptic but the focus is on the characters and their relationships. I enjoyed it! Here's my full review and a sample of the excellent audiobook:

https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2020/...