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

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

Catching up!

#70 Only a Monster This book had the potential to be just another YA Love-triangle Fantasy tale but I'm pleased to report that when the time travel kicked in it became much more interesting. Interesting enough that I will probably pick up the sequel. 3 stars. Audiobook. YA Fantasy-Time Travel.

#71 The Stationery Shop A bittersweet tale of lost love and romance amid revolution. 4 stars. Audiobook. Historical Fiction/Romance.

#72 Someone Like You For RL book club. I am sad to report that this was as close to not reading a book as you can come. It was just a lot of nothing; the characters were all nice, the story was bland and uneventful, everything turned out fine. There were lots and lots of nice words strung together. 2 stars. ebook. Romance.

#73 All the Sinners Bleed This book had too much action and grit to be nothing. S.A. Cosby's tale of the first black sheriff of a small southern town does not disappoint. I'm such a fan of this author! 4 stars. Audiobook. Thriller.

#74 The Light Pirate A young girl adapts to the new world left after climate change and the slow dissolution of civilization. Hope amid the ruins was the theme here. 3 stars. Audiobook. Apocalypse Lit-CliFi

Star Tally 2023

5 stars - 11
4 stars - 32
3 stars - 28
2 stars - 3

Current:
Witch King ebook. Trying to find the time to read this one.
Going Zero Audiobook. Surprisingly good.
All the other books listed above that I'm supposedly not giving up on.

Thanks Lillie!

Thanks everybody. I think series are my jam lately. Lots of light hearted comfort reading

Ioana wrote: "Congratulations!
Of course you should make/start a 3rd list, AND share the secret on how to pick winners."

List #3 is up. The secret to winners seems to be rely on your Goodreads friends for recommendations. It proved to be almost foolproof. The more GR readers like it the better the chances I will too.

O.K. all you Goodreads enablers here it is list #3. If I don't finish it in 2023, I'm holding all of you responsible. This is another round of series reading. Some old favorite series. Some new I'm giving a try. Some I found I enjoyed on my previous list.

#1 Echo Burning Jack Reacher #5 complete 8/30/23 3 stars
#2 High Five Stephanie Plum #5 complete 9/24/23 3 stars
#3 Night of Miracles Arthur Truluv #2 complete 10/15/23 4 stars
#4 The Brass Verdict Lincoln Lawyer #2 complete 9/10/23 4 stars.
#5 The Man Who Died Twice Thursday Murder Club #2 completed 7/19/23 4 stars
#6 Dogs of War Joe Ledger #9 completed 7/5/23 3 stars
#7 Dead Man's Hand The Unorthodox Chronicles #1 completed 7/26/23 3 stars
#8 When Clouds Touch Us Inside Out and Back Again #2 completed 11/11/23 4 stars
#9 The Cold Dish Longmire #1 completed 8/5/23 4 stars
#10 Fire Touched Mercy Thompson #9 completed 7/31/23 4 stars
#11 A Psalm for the Wild-Built Monk and Robot #1 complete 8/24/23 5 stars
#12 Deadline Newsflesh #2 complete 9/1/23 3 stars

Alternates (but not really I won't feel like the list is complete without all 16 read)
#13 The Hidden Palace Golem and the Jinni #2 completed 7/28/23 4 stars.
#14 Maisie Dobbs Maisie Dobbs #1completed 7/10/23 4 stars
#15 The Hidden One Kate Burkholder #14 completed 6/29/23 4 stars.
#16 Time and Again Time #1 completed 6/27/23 3 stars

This completes this list. I have to say I'm finding it hard to believe. I don't think I have ever finished all 16 books on one of these challenges and this year I have finished all 16 on two lists and its just mid June. Go figure. I will definitely be trying something similar on next year's challenge. Now the next question should I tempt fate and try a third list? Hmmm...

Only a Monster I'm going to give this one a hesitant Overlooked.

A young girl accidentally discovers that she has inherited her family's ability to steal time from others and use it to time travel on the very day that they are all killed by a young man avenging the death of his family.

I was ambivalent about this one at first. It seemed in the early chapters that we were being set up for the oft told angsty teenager who doesn't know she has magical powers and is caught in a love triangle YA story. It was that but after the time travel began it became much more interesting. It was also well written so that the teen angst was kept to a minimum. In the end I enjoyed it and I will probably give number 2 in the series a try.

3 time travelin' stars

Favorite Quotes:

“Monsters look like giant spiders," Joan said. "Or like robots." She'd seen enough cartoons to know. Gran sometimes told jokes without smiling. Maybe this was one of those times.
But Gran's eyes weren't shiny with a held-in joke. They were serious. "That's pretend monsters," she said. "Real monsters look like me and you.”
― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

“You're a hero and I'm a monster", she whispered. "There's only one way that story ever ends.”
― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

Ioana wrote: "😇 😇 I only have a huge TBR, no list. Not even a single 12+4 list, ever. Don't mix me with "those who should not be named" list makers.
Ok, I admit, I have an Excel spreadsheet with several tabs...b..."

Right, right. Of course. There are no list makers here.

Thanks Lillie ! And no way Ioana. You guys are the list makers. I've just fallen victim to your propaganda.

So good Lillie

Ioana wrote: "Congratulations! And all 16 seem to have been well picked, nothing below 3 stars. You know you have time for at least another list, right?"

Thanks Ioana! I'm going to finish my other challenge list first but I will admit I have ideas for a 3rd list. You people are so dangerous.

Lea wrote: "Congratulations! And what a way to end. I thought City of Ink was the perfect ending to that series, and now I just have to see what else Hart is writing, because I am here for it. :-)"

Thanks Lea! I agree on Hart. Her writing is beautiful. I wonder if there won't be more Li Du she left it open at the end.

Thanks Alondra!!

Ioana wrote: "Michelle wrote: "You guys are really messing with my head now. I read Poisonwood Bible and hated it. A lot."

Please don't feel bad, we all like different books. I am afraid to post this on my list..."

I liked RBC Ioana but I can definitely see what you mean. It wasn't a happy book, uplifting maybe but not happy, and all the coincidental happenings did stretch credibility to the limit. I can definitely see if you had a problem with it. For myself I was in the mood for it when I read it and because I like fantasy I have learned to suspend disbelief pretty well. Also, I listened to the audio. I would have had much less patience with it if I had been reading.

Bill wrote: "Alissa wrote: "Alondra wrote: " Mmmmm, did you already do a 3rd list??? 4th??."


NO ma'am ;-)

I'm certainly not working on my 2024 list!!! ::skips happily:: lol"

Me either... 😗😉😂"

You guys are fooling no one.

Thanks Karol! I won't be far behind this on my other challenge list either. Makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#56 The Galaxy, and the Ground Within Becky Chambers clever..."

Hurry! I want to know what you think about it.

Lea wrote: "Awww...I loved 84, Charing Cross Road and City of Ink. All the President's Men was interesting too.

I love your still pretending I'm going to finish but not really reading list. :-)"

I'm just being real.

Lea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "You guys are really messing with my head now. I read Poisonwood Bible and hated it. A lot. I very hesitantly read the Bean Tree books and enjoyed them both. I was leery of Demon Co..."

O.K. I think but I'm definitely not going to rush into it.

Time to catch up this list.

#64 Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity A lot of good information and good ideas here. Not much of an overall plan but some good things to work into your routine. 3 stay healthy as long as you can stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction-Health.

#65 84, Charing Cross Road The only word that I can use to describe this book is charming. A collection of letters between and American writer and an English bookseller. It was funny and moving and well....completely charming. 4 sweet book lover stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction-Epistolary.

#66 A Hard Day for a Hangover This is a fun series about a female sheriff in a quirky little town. Chock full of characters this series is completely predictable and bound to make you smile. 3 I saw that coming stars. Audiobook. Contemporary Fiction/Mystery.

#67 Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide This book had it's moments and the characters did grow on me but I really felt it lacked something. It just felt a little too silly maybe? 3 stars. Audiobook. Mystery.

#68 All the President's Men A new forward by the author published in this most recent edition of this classic compares the Watergate era with current events in the U.S. That was very interesting and well done. The rest was interesting but not nearly as exciting as I remember the movie being. That thought made me realize I had actually read this before years ago. I didn't think it was as exciting as the movie then either. I'm not sorry I listened to it again. Watergate clearly marks a change in both government and the press that we are still seeing play out today. 3 stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction-Historical.

#69 City of Ink The final installment in an excellent mystery series set in ancient China. Beautiful descriptive writing is the hallmark of this series. Well done. 4 top notch writing stars. ebook. Mystery/Historical Fiction.

Star Tally 2023

5 stars - 11
4 stars - 30
3 stars - 26
2 stars - 2

Currently reading:
Only a Monster audiobook.
Someone Like You ebook for RL Book Club.
Witch King ebook. I haven't actually started this one just borrowed it but I'm really excited about this new Martha Wells.

Still pretending I'm going to finish but not really reading:
A Suitable Boy
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook