Laurel’s Comments (group member since Dec 30, 2013)

Laurel’s comments from the All About Books group.

#24 Desperate Hours
3 stars. Okay as fan fiction, but the TV show has presented a different history of the relationship between Burnham and Spock. I have the second book, and am reading it, but if it isn't better I probably won't continue.

#21, 22, 23

A children's graphic novel series. Great fun. 5 stars. Cats in Space. What more can I say?

#20 La's Orchestra Saves the World - 4 stars

Something a little different from Alexander McCall Smith. Short and sweet, not quite a romance, just his usual ordinary people doing ordinary things with a good dose of love and compassion.

#19 The Butcher Bird - 5 stars

A "leftover" that has been on my TBR for too long. I loved it, but found it very similar plotwise to the first in the series. I've immediately requested the third book, but hope the author will do something different.

#18 Pachinko - 4 stars

This was for my May book club, and one of our "Asian" selections for this year. Very interesting to learn more about Korea and Japan. 4 stars because it got a bit long and repetitive, and I just lost interest in the ending.

#16 Bertie Plays the Blues

#17 Sunshine on Scotland Street

Finished two more in this series, but I think I'll take a break now!

#15 The Importance of Being Seven - 5 stars
A reread and a favorite series. Now I have caught up to where I left off. And I have downloaded the audio of Bertie Plays the Blues to start tomorrow.

#14 Little Fires Everywhere 3 stars
Maybe it should have been 4 considering I liked it much better than The Aviary Gate. But bottom line - I won't be going out of my way to read more of this author. Read it for book club. Not my usual thing.

#13 Becoming - 5 stars
Loved the book, inspiring message, inspiring author.

#12 The Aviary Gate - 3 stars
I finished this after all, and ended up giving it 3 stars, mainly for the historical detail. I didn't like the dual timeframe. They could have left out the contemporary plot. I couldn't see that it added anything.

I've watched Lost in Space. I liked it. Different from the original. I need to get back to it!

Currently reading The Aviary Gate which was a "Random Read" last year, and I retained it for this year's goal. However - at 60 pages in, I am flirting with abandoning it. The reviews on Amazon are lackluster. I'm not liking the dual-timeframe. And it is the first of a trilogy, so if I finish it I will feel as if I need to continue the series.

Reasons to finish it: I need a title that starts with A for for my Reading the Alphabet challenge (was supposed to be February, but I'm behind...) and it fits my "Bird Theme" challenge.

Reasons to not finish it: Well, basically the old adage "So many books, so little time..." I have well over 3,000 titles on my TBR shelf, and the whole point of having the Random Reads challenge is to either read a book or delete it.

So has anyone ever added a goal to actually not finish books? Ha ha ha! But seriously, I might! If I make it a goal, it gives me "permission" in a way, to abandon books that I am not really liking.

I'm debating abandoning The Aviary Gate. Only about 60 pages in, but I'm not liking the dual time-frame - not seeing any connection yet. It's the first of a trilogy. Do I keep going to see if it improves, or bail now?

So many books, so little time....

Janet C-B wrote: "How is the audio for Becoming? I have it on hold at the library. It will be a few more weeks. Currently reading the hardcover."

Janet, it is alright. Michelle narrates it, so it has that "Chicago nasal twang." I am also mildly bothered by the way she pronounces every word beginning with "str" as "shtr." But really that is minor. Her story is interesting, and I am enjoying it.

I'm currently listening to Becoming. Won't finish it in March though.

April's book club is reading Little Fires Everywhere so I'll be listening to that when I finish Becoming.

Also reading The Aviary Gate and I might actually have some time today. I just haven't been doing as much reading as I used to. Don't know what I'll pick yet after that...

#11 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - 4 stars
Feel good chick lit, but completely unrealistic. Not my genre, but I enjoyed it.

#10 Main Street - 3 stars
Love the writing, and depressingly current. It just got old after awhile.

#8 Breaking Cat News: Cats Reporting on the News that Matters to Cats - 4 stars

#9 Lupin Leaps In - 5 stars
One of my favorite comic strips.

#7 The Forgotten Creed: Christianity's Original Struggle against Bigotry, Slavery, and Sexism - 4 stars
Scholarly and excellent historical context on a passage from Galations.

#6 Owls: Our Most Charming Bird - 4 stars
Very cute. Smaller than I expected. But charming, indeed. Watercolor illustrations of 50 owls and brief, witty descriptions. The first of my random reads and probably the shortest.