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

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

Thanks to my husband I did read Baldacci's The Christmas Train. That's a great one for anyone who likes to read a Christmas book around the holidays.

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#45 Nettle & Bone A fairy tale for the modern ages with a princess who solves her own problem and a hero that has her back. Along ..."

I don't know if you telling me that makes me less eager or more eager to read the rest of the series.

#45 Nettle & Bone A fairy tale for the modern ages with a princess who solves her own problem and a hero that has her back. Along the way there are dust witches, fairy godmothers, and bone dogs. I really like the way T. Kingfisher spins a fantasy yarn. 3 stars. Audiobook. Fantasy.

#46 Feed I felt like this one was YA but it was still a great Zombie story. The political intrigue here was more gruesome than the Zombies but as it was written around 2010 strangely prescient. The dipiction of a pandemic was spot on. Great audio production. 3 can't say no to a good zombie tale stars. Audiobook. Fantasy/Zombie Apocalypse.

#47 Future Home of the Living God An unspecified apocalypse triggers societal breakdown and leaves a young woman desparate to protect her unborn baby from the new regime. The story is less important here than the writing. Louise Erdrich has such a gift. This was a beautiful story. Reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale but still a unique story unto itself. 4 if I could write I would like to write like Louise stars. Audiobook. Fiction/Fantasy?/Apocalypse?

#48 The Orchid Thief Every now and then a book comes along that everyone raves about. It's made into movies. People reference it. People recommend it. Finally, with trepidation I break down and read it. And then, I say, "I don't get it". This is that book. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything really. I don't get it. 3 at least it was short stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction.

Star Tally 2023
5 stars - 9
4 stars - 23
3 stars - 14
2 stars - 2

Currently:
You Have a Friend in 10A: Stories Audiobook.
The Spare Man ebook. Really liking this one. I just need more time to read it.
A Suitable Boy ebook. Ignoring at the moment.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold ebook. Same.

Karol wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#39 #40 #42"

Michelle, I LOVED A Gentleman in Moscow! It was the first book by Amor Towles I read. I have also read The Lincoln Highway which was e..."

A Gentleman in Moscow was just one of those books that you either love it or hate it but it stays with you forever. So good! Glad I'm not the only one who loved it. I'm curious about the author's other books but like you everyone on Goodreads says his books are completely different. I'm not sure if that is a good thing right now so I may give it some time.

Great letter! My husband reads a lot of Baldacci and he's always trying to get me to read them. I have read a few and enjoyed them. I think my reluctance to read more is similar to how you felt above and you make me think I should take his advice and read a few more of them. Have you read the Atlee Pine series? That is on his list. Maybe I need to go home and check them out.

Bonnie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "14/16! So close! Nettle & Bone Overlooked but I shouldn't have. T. Kingfisher is great!

A princess suddenly come..."


Enjoy Bonnie!

14/16! So close! Nettle & Bone Overlooked but I shouldn't have. T. Kingfisher is great!

A princess suddenly comes to the realization that her eldest sister was sacrificed to an evil prince for political reasons. Her second sister will be next and after that she will take her sister's place. In order to free them and protect her country the princess must do the impossible. She must become a hero. So she does. Enlisting a zany crew of helpers, a demon chicken and a bone dog she sets out to save them all.

A perfect light and funny fantasy about a princess coming into her own. This is the second book I have read by T. Kingfisher and both have been pleasantly surprising reads. This author writes a fairy tales the way they should have been written with plenty of magic and happy endings but also with enlightened heroes and empowered heroines. She throws in just enough humor and maybe a lesson or two to think about. Very nice. A great break from more serious reads.

3 who needs fairy godmothers stars.

Favorite Quotes:

“Rage was only useful if you were allowed to do anything with it.”
― T. Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone

“It was the dogs she wanted. Perhaps she might have built a man out of bones, but she had no love of men any longer.
Dogs, though…dogs were always true.”
― T. Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone

“Are you all right?" asked Fenris.
"Horrible puppet," she said, "demon chicken, fairy godmother."
"And it's a fool's errand and we're all going to die," said Fenris. He patted her shoulder. "Still, I have to admit I didn't see the chicken or the puppet coming.”
― T. Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone

#42 The Thursday Murder Club Four seniors in a senior village form a murder club to solve cold cases until an outbreak of murders drops a new case right into their laps. I absolutely loved this book! The characters were wonderful and I don't think I have ever read a mystery with as many twists as this one had. Funny yet very sweet. 4 the elderly always get their man stars. Audiobook. Mystery.

#43 A Gentleman in Moscow Another amazing book! An aristocrat lives under house arrest at Moscow's Metropol hotel for decades but somehow lives a full life. So well written and like the previous book chock full of wonderful characters. His excellency the count being the prime example. A quiet book out of necessity but one that immerses the reader entirely in its setting. 4 stars. Paperback. Historical Fiction.

#44 And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle I'm adding this one to my President's challenge even though I had already read one on Lincoln. I'm glad I didn't miss this one though. Reading about such a divisive time in our nation's history and how one man's deep commitment to taking the high moral ground changed our world; inspires me with hope. Would that in our current turmoil we could find another Lincoln to lead the way. 4 stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction-Biography/President's Challenge.

Star Tally 2023
5 stars - 9
4 stars - 22
3 stars - 11
2 stars - 2

Currently reading or ignoring:
A Suitable Boy ebook. Ignoring.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold ebook. Mostly ignoring.
Nettle & Bone Audiobook. Actually listening to this one.

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "A Is for Alibi Finished or just begun depending on how you look at it.

A woman wrongfully convicted of her husband's murder asks K..."

Thanks Alondra! Good information. Cozy until M.

Just started listening to Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher.

Alissa wrote: " BOOK 47

This book is from my Neglected BOTM reads list!
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn



4 STARS

Th..."


I enjoyed Killers too Alissa. I wouldn't want to get on those women's bad side. Glad you liked it!

I actually can't wait for the second one. Maybe my library will buy extra copies.

#17 is another for Europe - Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis' Fortress Prison.

Stopping off in Vermont with The Golden Spoon. The British Baking show as a murder mystery. Fun!

Sounds like April is shaping up to be a good month for you Bill. Happy reading!

Lillie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "So do the audiobooks get any better?”

So I’m not sure how to answer this. I did enjoy the audiobooks but it may have been because I was predisposed to liking the series? I’m not s..."


Hmmm... I'm pretty sure I did listen to Mary Peiffer so maybe I need to switch narrators. I may also try at least one in print. Sometimes things just sound better in your head. Also, I can see that Grafton might have improved over time. She definitely had time to perfect this series. I just wish she had made it to Z. It seems so unfinished.

The Thursday Murder Club This one was over too fast!

Four elderly sleuths liven up their retirement years as members of the murder club. They normally try to solve cold cases but suddenly a series of real murders crops up. The case takes a number of surprising turns but the murder club doesn't give up. They get the answers to all their questions and drink some nice wine and eat some tasty baking along the way.

This book was both funny and sweet. I loved all the characters, even the murderer. I don't think I have ever read a mystery that took more twists and turns than this one. Every time you thought you knew where it was going, the murder club uncovered something new. I wanted to check out the next book immediately but there is a long wait for the second one at my library. So disappointing. I will definitely be finishing the series.

4 lemon drizzle cake stars!

Favorite Quotes:

“The sun is up, the skies are blue, and murder is in the air”
― Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

“It was a well-known fact that there were no calories in homemade cakes.”
― Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

“We all have a sob story, but we don't all go around killing people.”
― Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

“He’s all the things that can go wrong with men if you leave them to their own devices.”
― Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

Lillie wrote: "I can't believe you're almost done both of your lists!

As usual, I've added yet another one of your books to my tbr list. Remarkably Bright Creatures looks like a fantastic read."

You should definitely add it. It was a sweet story. The audiobook was well done too. One thing I'm discovering with this list is that the Goodreads readers are pretty on the mark when they like a book. So far even the ones I thought were over rated still had redeeming qualities for the most part.

Lillie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "3 this was no Maltese Falcon stars"

I think if I were to have started this series now in today's world, I'd probably stop after this one. Because it's so dated. But back when it f..."

So do the audiobooks get any better? I know some series that were recorded around this time later switched readers and were vastly improved. I thought the concept of a woman PI was great. I just didn't like the execution. I thought the mystery was good too. Just not the characters. I don't think it was because it was dated. I definitely felt like I understood what the author was doing with it. It just didn't ring true for me.

I'm killing my lists this year if I do say so myself. It's making me think I should try the same kind of list next year.

#39 Defending Jacob This was a re-read for my RL bookclub. I love the twists and turns this story takes. I also found the central question of the book "Can a person carry the propensity to murder in their DNA?" to be an interesting approach to this tale. I listened to the audiobook this time around and while I didn't enjoy it quite as much as my first read, I think my former rating still holds. 5 stars. Audiobook. Legal Mystery.

#40 The White Lady This book was a complete surprise. I thought it would be a quick little mystery thriller while I waited for something better from my hold list. I ended up loving it! The first Jacqueline Winspear that I have read. I think I'm going to have to fix that soon! An act of violence in a small village reveals that their new neighbor Ms. White is not the quiet old lady they all thought. 5 stars. Audiobook. Mystery/Thriller.

#41 A Is for Alibi This was another surprise but not the good kind. Based on all the Goodreads hype I thought I would love this series. Not so much. I will say that I listened to the audio production and it was terrible. I just felt that the whole thing was very one dimensional and the prose was choppy. I did like the overall concept and I may at some point read B just to give the series a fair chance so I'm bumping my rating up a little. 3 stars. Audiobook(a really bad one) Mystery.

Star Tally 2023
5 stars - 9
4 stars - 19
3 stars - 11
2 stars - 2

Current:
A Suitable Boy ebook Of course!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold ebook Still not getting around to this one.
A Gentleman in Moscow paperback A really great book. I hope to finish it soon.
The Thursday Murder Club audiobook What a hoot! I'm loving this one.