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

Laurel’s comments from the All About Books group.

Currently reading:
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (audiobook in car)
Plague Land (bedtime fiction)
Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own (non-fiction)

Coming up:
F2F Bookclub: The Light Between Oceans
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

If I get through all those, I'll be doing well.

Needing something much lighter after The Goldfinch, so I'm currently listening to Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good - I love Father Tim and Jan Karon always makes me laugh. Also reading Plague Land, which despite the gruesome time period is also quite humorous, and Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own

12. The Goldfinch
4 stars. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Still behind for the year, but this one was 784 p. so that has to count for something!

784 p.
Total: 4,419

11. H is for Hawk
5 stars. Memoir, birds, nature writing, psychology, philosophy, grief, healing. Wonderful book.

320 pages
Total: 3,635

10. Year of Wonders
4 stars. Beautiful writing, and good sense of time and place, but it felt as if she tacked on the ending of a different book at the end!

Almost finished with H is for Hawk and still working on The Goldfinch

308 pages
Total: 3,315

I just got Cloud Atlas from the library, so I'm hoping to join that read. Colleen, I was a little disappointed with People of the Book. Not sure why, exactly, just felt it wasn't up to my expectations. Loved March. The Nightingale is also on my list. I'm doing a bird theme this year.

Hoping to finish Year of Wonders, The Goldfinch(audiobook), and H is for Hawk

Coming up, but probably won't finish in April: Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good(audiobook) and Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

I am liking it Greg. About 1/3 in. The narrator is very good.

Updated the book posts to reflect page totals. I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse... :-/

March recap:
Back on track with 4 books for the month, but still 3 behind for the year.

Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction - sequels 12 + 2 challenge
The Silkworm - random reads
The Winter Witch - books set in Wales
Red Sparrow - birds theme

Currently reading: The Goldfinch, Year of Wonders for the Daytimers group. I chose The Goldfinch to replace Middlesex (the library no longer had enough copies for our group) and it fits my birds theme and new authors theme. Also reading H is for Hawk.

Next up: Still need to read The Chaperone, Dead Wake, and Wolf Hall.

9. Red Sparrow
4 1/2 stars. Not my usual genre but I really enjoyed it. The author is a former CIA operative and knows his stuff. Well developed characters, and incongruously, bonus recipes after each chapter. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

431 pages
Annual total: 3,007

8. The Winter Witch
4 stars. A lovely tribute to Wales, especially the language and the landscape. Part historical, part romance, part fantasy. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

340 pages
Annual total: 2,576

That happens to me all the time. Currently putting off my other reads to read H is for Hawk. It has holds waiting, so I either read it right now, or put myself back on the waiting list.

No, the length didn't bother me.

7. The Silkworm
5 stars. Another solid entry in the Cormoran Strike series. So macabre, it's almost funny. J.K. Rowling skewers the publishing industry.

455 pages
Annual total: 2,236

6. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction
3 stars. It was okay, but I really wanted more from it.

109 pages
Annual total: 1,781

February recap:
Only read two books, The Cuckoo's Calling and Longbourn, so I am falling behind for the year. Didn't get to the March Daytimer's read yet because I wanted to follow up The Cuckoo's Calling with The Silkworm.

Currently reading: The Silkworm, Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction, The Winter Witch, and over the long term - War and Peace and Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia.

Next up: Will read The Chaperone (audio book in car) as soon as I finish The Silkworm. Just received an ARC of Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania which I can't wait to start. Our program for our annual St. David's luncheon was on Margaret Mackworth (Lady Rhondda) and the Lusitania, so this is very timely! Would like to get to Wolf Hall before the TV series is broadcast. Yes, I still plan to read the P&P scenes and H is for Hawk, but probably won't get to them this month.

5. Longbourn
5 stars. I liked it, but with some reservations. Probably should have been 4 stars, but I'm trying to even out my 3,4, and 5 star reads. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

332 pages
Annual total: 1,672

Finally finished...
1. Which book were you recommended and who recommended it to you?
Longbourn by Jo Baker. Recommended by Sandy.

2. Would you have read the book ordinarily?
Yes, this one was fairly high on my TBR list already.

3. Have you read anything by the same author before – if so what have you read?
No, I haven't read anything else by this author.

4. What did you think of the book you were recommended?
I liked it with a few reservations, though I gave it 5 stars.

5. Would you recommend this book to someone else?
Yes, and I already have.

6. Would you take part in another recommendation swap in the future?
Absolutely, but I have to be in the right frame of mind and looking for something new to read.

I loved Suite Francaise! Have recommended it a lot.