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

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

I finished my 2nd and 3rd Big Books this week! On audio, I finished A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen, and in print, I finished reading Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty, which I really loved!

I'm behind on reviews but will begin to write my Big Book reviews this coming week. The good news about Big Book Summer is fewer reviews to write - maybe I can catch up!

Davida wrote: "I also finished my 2nd book of this challenge, but my review of the first will be published next week, and this one will be reviewed in early July."

Way to go, Davida! I am behind on my reviews, too :) Just finished my May reviews, so next week I can finally start on the Big Book reviews!

Karla wrote: "I finished my 2nd book: Run Away by Harlan Coben (audio narrated by Steven Weber) 416 pages. Mystery that begins with many different stories that develop and one by one come together to make quite ..."

Glad you enjoyed it, Karla! Are you going for #3??

So glad you're enjoying it, Elinor!! It is HIGH on my TBR list!

Heidi'sbooks wrote: "I'd like to sign up for the Big Book Summer reading challenge. Thanks!"

Thanks, Heidi! That helps me keep things straight :)

Susan wrote: "Suzan wrote: "Susan wrote: "I am in and it works out prefectly for I am going to re read The Stand by Stephen King."

Welcome to Big Book Summer Challenge, Susan. The Stand is pretty much the perfe..."

I am probably due for a re-read, too!

Pam wrote: "I just finished Outlander by Diana Gabaldon at a whopping 850 pages. I haven't read a book that long in quite some time! I recently watched the first 3 seasons of the Outlander series on Netflix so..."

So glad you liked it, Pam!! I've read Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber so far. I really should read #3 this summer, but I have such a big stack of Big Books! ha ha

Heidi'sbooks wrote: "Hello! I previously joined the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge years ago when I had a blog. Now I only have my Goodreads and Instagram accounts. I'd love to join again this summer. I need a littl..."

Hi, Heidi, and welcome back! I used to love reading your blog :) I'm a bit jealous of your social media downsizing - it can be overwhelming some days to keep up with it all!!

I haven't read the Gorbachev book but good luck with it! I did read Nightingale, and I loved it.

Can you just do me a quick favor? Leave a short comment in the Sign-Up discussion thread - just so I'll remember at the end of the summer when I do the giveaway that you are participating!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks! Enjoy those Big Books and nice to hear from you again :)

Sace wrote: "So I thought I had my candidates all set, but then I started reading The Ministry of Utmost Happiness for a challenge on Litsy. It's over 400 pages so I might end up calling that my..."

Extra Big Books always come along to entice during the summer :) I keep hearing about what other people are reading and wanting to add another to my already-overstuffed list! Hope you enjoy this one!

Deb wrote: "Next completed book:

If It Bleeds by Stephen King 447 pgs

Here is my GR review:


If It Bleeds by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Stephen King is one of my to..."

Glad you enjoyed it, Deb! Ken is reading Hearts in Atlantis right now. Stephen King is always good for a Big Book! I just read The Outsider in the fall and loved the Holly Gibney character, and I have Mr. Mercedes lined up for my own BBS!

Robin wrote: " The City We Became
(Great Cities #1)
by N.K. Jemisin.
So much more than science fiction. Excellent.
464 pages."

My son loves N.K. Jemisin! I need to give her a try.

Karen wrote: "Finished my first Big Book of Summer, Temptation by Janos Szekely. It's a coming-of-age story about a young Hungarian boy between the wars, newly translated. Great story but there is some racism ty..."

That sounds like an intriguing novel, Karen - glad you enjoyed it!

Victoria wrote: "Ok, I finished a second ARC, Utopia Avenue! I think this was published last week but I’ll have to check the date. Recommend this one for fans of David Mitchell or [book:Daisy Jones ..."

I'll have to check that out, Vicki! I loved Cloud Atlas.

Brian wrote: "Karen wrote: "Brian wrote: "Today, I finished The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrim's Progress being some account of the steamship Quaker City's pleasure excursion to Europe and the..."

Oh, wow, Brian - that's quite a backstory! I didn't realize it was nonfiction. A lot of money for that time!

I agree the shorter Twain sounds very relevant!

Allen wrote: "Origin by Dan Brown"

Enjoy, Allen! I want to read that one one of these days!

Karla wrote: "I've DNF 2 books. They may be very good books. one I just couldn't get into (fault of my own lack of focus). The other I hope to read, but I was listening to the audible version and hated the narra..."

Sometimes it's like that! Harlan Coben is usually good for a gripping story!

Karla wrote: "I've begun my 2nd book: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs"

Enjoy it, Karla!

Karla wrote: "I finished my 1st big book: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (audio book narrated by Jorjeana Marie, Cassandra Morris, Michael Crouch, Will Damron) 401 pgs. Historical fiction . 4 refugees (from dif..."

Oh, I love Ruta Sepetys! So glad you enjoyed Salt to the Sea - I bet it was great on audio.

Have you read Shades of Gray (not THAT one) - it was her first novel and blew me away - highly recommended.

Victoria wrote: "Love your ending comments! THAT’S exactly why this book didn’t appeal to me despite being an Erik Larson fan. I just feel like I don’t want to read any more WWII books for some period of time."

ha ha yeah, I get that, too - sometimes, you just need a break from WWII.

Kate wrote: "I finished my first Big Book, The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. A 5 star read for me!! My review:



The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz ..."

Glad you enjoyed it, Kate! I always like Larson's books - he's such a good writer and always chooses fascinating subjects. Will have to add this one to my list!