Michelle’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2021)

Michelle’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

112 books and we're not even halfway through the year. You're amazing Lillie.

I enjoyed reading the two so close together. I was amazed at how closely Kingsolver mirrored Dickens but I do think Dickens was better especially at the end.

Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "“Too many cooks spoil the broth, many hands make light work, great minds think alike, fools never differ.”
― Lee Child, Persuader

#55 [book:Co..."

It's a good series. I like the character but every now and then Child seems to phone it in on the plot.

“Too many cooks spoil the broth, many hands make light work, great minds think alike, fools never differ.”
― Lee Child, Persuader

#55 Code Name Hélène My second read by Ariel Lawhon and I think I have a new favorite author. This novel was based on the true story of a woman who fought in the French resistance during WWII. Lawhon writes about strong women and her stories have a feel of modern sensibilities to them which would make me doubt their authenticity. Yet the two I have read are based on actual historical figures and their real stories seem to support that viewpoint. Either way her writing is solid and both books have been excellent stories in and of themselves. 4 Victory red lipstick stars. Audiobook. Historical Fiction.

#56 Persuader Reacher's motivation seemed a little weak in this book until his flashbacks to the past began. Without the backstory this would have seemed random even for a Reacher novel. More than anything this book seemed to be a vehicle for Lee Child to show off his knowledge of firearms. Since I'm not really a fan that didn't impress me as much as it should have. I didn't hate the book but it could have been better. 3 big guns, dangerous people stars. Audiobook. Thriller.

56 books/5942 pages

Current:
The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading ebook. First story made me tear up. Cheesy but great for people who like to read books about books and who dream of owning a bookstore
The Colors of All the Cattle ebook. Back from library limbo. I'll try to finish it this time.
Bride Audiobook. Liking it so far. It's giving out that Twilight vibe. Book candy!

Not sure why I'm comparing books to food suddenly. Too close to lunch I guess :)

“The thing about lipstick, the reason it’s so powerful, is that it is distracting. Men don’t see the flashes of anger in your eyes or your clenched fists when you wear it. They see a woman, not a warrior, and that gives me the advantage. I cannot throw a decent punch or carry a grown man across a battlefield, but I can wear red lipstick as though my life depends on it. And the truth is, these days, it often does.”
― Ariel Lawhon, Code Name Hélène

I just thought these were really nice writing.

“The woman looked up at the sky, which was beginning to salt with stars”
― William Kent Krueger, The River We Remember

“he had harvested an abundance of happiness, which he’d stored in the silo of his heart.”
― William Kent Krueger, The River We Remember

“The light in the west was mostly memory now. Along the horizon lay a thin strip of red and a few scraps of cloud that were the color of flamingo feathers”
― William Kent Krueger, The River We Remember

“When people lie, they take away your ability to make a real decision.”
― Blair Fell, The Sign for Home

“Chains might be made by others, but we tend them.”
― Pierce Brown, Light Bringer

#49 The Sign for Home I enjoyed the parts of this book that dealt with the deaf/blind lifestyle and perspective. I found the romance and the parts about religion a little troubling. It was not bad just a little clumsy. 3 author might be on a soapbox stars. Audiobook. Contemporary Lit.

#50 The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma I'm not at all sure why I waited in the library queue for this one but it turned out to be interesting. I like that it emphasized a treatment approach that was not necessarily centered around prescriptions. 3 yoga for mental health stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction.

#51 All the Dead Shall Weep It's an interesting series with some great world building and I like the main character. Unfortunatley, it looks like the POV going forward will be split between the MC and her sister which doesn't thrill me. 3 stepsister is a bore stars. Audiobook. Fantasy-Alternate History.

#52 The River We Remember When the body of an unpopular leading citizen is found in the river, it is all the local sheriff can do to keep the peace long enough for him to find the killer. A solid mystery and top notch writing. 4 everybody has a past stars. Audiobook. Historic Fiction/Mystery.

#53 Light Bringer Darrow is back and that is really the only news. The story just circles around and around the same familiar themes in this 6th book in the series. 3 like the characters/tired of the plot stars. Audiobook. Fantasy/SciFi.

#54 The Honeymoon Crashers A brief sequel to The Unhoneymooners and it was a delight. Light, fun and heavy on the witty banter. I think you can always count on Christina Lauren for a satisfying Rom-Com. 4 wedding planner romance stars. Audiobook. Romantic Comedy.

54 books/5491 pages

Current:
Persuader Reacher is back. Audiobook.
Code Name Hélène Savoring this one. ebook.
The Colors of All the Cattle Getting back to this one next. ebook.

“OUR LIVES AND the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about the past. In all of them there is truth, and in all of them a good deal of innocent misremembering.”
― William Kent Krueger, The River We Remember

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Soooo close! But I still have to go with a 👎 for Light Bringer.

Thank goodness Darrow lives. Unfortunately, his return from the d..."

Alondra, I loved this series, then I hated this series and after book number 6 I think I'm just ambivalent. The author's formula is obvious at this point and, even though I want to know the fate of the characters, I'm not sure how much more of this endless misery and death I can put up with. What was novel and exciting in the first few books of the series is wearing very thin now.

Soooo close! But I still have to go with a 👎 for Light Bringer.

Thank goodness Darrow lives. Unfortunately, his return from the dead is accompanied by his usual round of heart-breaking moral dilemma. As Darrow reflects on his past and uses his regrets to attempt to be a better person, Lysander is drawn further into the darkness by the intrigue with which he is surrounded. It seems he will have no choice but to follow the same dark path taken by Darrow with monstrous results for everyone. On opposite sides they charge through space leaving chaos and death in their wake.

It was great having Darrow back in the story but I still hate all the roving POV's that the author has decided to use. IMO the series was much better when it was from Darrow's POV only. This book took me from bored because I thought I knew the ending, to hopeful because it looked like things were going to all come together and work out at last, to mad because I was right in the beginning and I knew how this was going to turn out. There were parts I hated and parts that interested me and plenty of the author's trademark plot twists but overall there was nothing new in this 6th book in the series.

3 help I'm stuck in a repetitive series and I can't get out stars.

Quotables:

“Rather than fretting about whether I’ve made the right choices, I instead focus on preparing for the next one, whatever that might be.”
― Pierce Brown, Light Bringer

“Be wary of tyrants: they will help you today and own you tomorrow.”
― Pierce Brown, Light Bringer

“Worry is a spiral with death at its center,”
― Pierce Brown, Light Bringer

Alondra wrote: "Ssooooo; you officially completed this challenge.... Yyeesss!

*fist pump*

Congratulations, Michelle!! Woot!!"


Thanks Alondra! I hadn't looked at it that way. I'm still shooting for all 16.

Lea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Starting to listen to Light Bringer. 30 hours. This author better wrap up the story this time or I may be out."

Supposedly 7 books in the series, so you've got one..."

Mmmm! That's bad. I can already tell there are too many players. It's getting hard to keep up and I don't really care. When the author switched to multiple POV's I think he made a bit mistake.

Starting to listen to Light Bringer. 30 hours. This author better wrap up the story this time or I may be out.

Right on target with All the Dead Shall Weep the 5th in the Gunnie Rose series.

Lisbeth's sister and her young brother-in-law come to visit but right away things seem to go amiss. The brothers take off in pursuit of a roving group of mercenaries leaving the sisters to pick up the pieces back home. Meanwhile they are visited by a long string of suitors looking for an alliance with Felicia, Lisbeth's sister.
Gunnie Rose has her hands full.

I think this was definitely a filler book bridging the series from one focus to another. I didn't dislike it but I also didn't feel it was much of a story. I was very pleased that at least half of the story was back to Lisbeth's POV. Unfortunately, it looks like from now on the series will have multiple POVs, the sister being one of them and I do not enjoy Felicia. I'm questioning whether I will continue with the series if that is the case. On the other hand the author seems ready to open up a new storyline that might be more interesting.

3 luke warm on this one stars.

Glad you enjoyed The Frozen River Ioana. I'm currently reading Code Name Helene by the same author. It's shaping up to be another stunner. I'm glad I found this author but I'm beginning to understand why there is always a wait list for her books at the library.

Starting All the Dead Shall Weep Gunnie Rose #5.

Great month Lillie! Congrats!

I was reading The Colors of All the Cattle but it went back to the library so I'm at the mercy of the hold list again. 13 weeks! I hope I can still pick up where I left off.

👍 Thumbs up for Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers 👍

Things have been slow at her teahouse and maybe a little lonely since the death of her husband but one morning Vera Wong finds a corpse in her tearoom and life gets more interesting. Vera begins her investigation into the murder immediately even though the police don't call it murder...yet. This amateur sleuth will have you in stitches and win your heart all at once.

I enjoyed this little cozy mystery. Mainly due to the character of Vera. She is annoying and interfering and totally endearing. I will definitely read more in this series.

3 cup of nice hot tea stars.

Quotables:

“People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often.”
― Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

“In her experience, it’s best to nod and agree with what people say before doing exactly what you wanted from the very beginning.”
― Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

“You been standing there for exactly four minutes. I think this unusual behavior, even for a millennial.”
― Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

“Trifles make the sum of life. ”
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

#45 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers A widow who owns a teashop finds a new lease on life when she encounters a dead body in her shop. Her determination to solve the murder brings her a whole new group of friends and revives her failing teashop. Nice mystery. Funny. Great character in Vera. I would read a sequel. 4 tea and comfort food stars. Audiobook. Mystery.

#46 David Copperfield After reading Demon Copperhead I had to listen to David Copperfield. I'm glad I did. No one does orphans like Dickens. I appreciated this classic but like it's modern copycat it dragged on in the final pages. While Barbara Kingsolver mirrored Dickens to a letter in her version, I think she dropped the ball at the end downplaying the defeat of the villian. In David Copperfield the coming together of many of the characters to see that Uriah Heep get his just deserts, revives the story. I also preferred Dickens' version of a happy ending which actually brought David and Agnes together to Kingslover's version which only hinted at a possible future together. Dickens characters in this book were so well drawn that it is easy to see how this novel stands the test of time and is still emulated today. 3 hero of my own life stars. Audiobook. Classic.

#47 A Serpent's Tooth Ninth in the Longmire series. The sheriff tries to help a young runaway and ends up taking on a cult and a dangerous group of conmen. So well narrated by George Guidall. 4 deep cover operative stars. Audiobook. Mystery

#48 Holmes, Marple & Poe This book was fine. I enjoyed it but I wasn't overwhelmed. Like so many of James Patterson's books it has a production line feel to it. Probably because that is exactly what they are. It's not a bad thing. It's like eating a twinkie instead of homemade cake. It's just not as good but if a twinkie is what you've got, OK. 3 good idea but needed a little more substance stars. Audiobook. Mystery.

48 books/4585 pages

Currently:
The Sign for Home ebook
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma Audiobook. Not sure why I'm listening to this one.

“Never," said my aunt, "be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot, and I can always be hopeful of you.”
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Big thumbs down 👎 for The Stolen Heir !!!!

There was this girl fairy thing and this boy prince fairy thing and the prince was o..."

For real! Like I said Holly Black is a good writer. That was probably the only part of The Stolen Heir that I understood. I would definitely start with the preceding trilogy or better yet try The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.

I was probably just as annoyed as you were Lillie but I vented most of my frustration on my review on my challenge list. I'm trying to put this book in the past now. I think eliminating Emily Henry from your reading list is good advice. I just hope I can follow it the next time one of her books gets hyped.