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

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

#120 Tripwire Book #3 of the Jack Reacher series. Reacher's past becomes the center of this mystery/thriller. This may have been my favorite so far. I'm such a Reacher fan now. 4 stars. Paperback. Mystery/Thriller.

#121 Tell Me an Ending A futuristic novel in which we assume it is possible to erase memories. What would happen if the people in charge of that were less than ethical? Great concept but it bogged down a bit in the psyches of the various characters. 3 stars. Audiobook. Fantasy.

#122 Clark and Division Loved this one. A young Japanese American girl tries to solve the mystery of her sister's death after her family is relocated during WWII. This book is a good mystery, but it really shines as historical fiction. The time period and the subject matter were fascinating. 4 stars. Audiobook. Historical Fiction/Mystery.

#123 Frost Burned #7 in the Mercy Thompson series did not disappoint. Mercy is one bad shape shifter. The story begins just after Thanksgiving so this made a fun and seasonal listen for me as I decorated the Christmas tree. 4 stars. Audiobook. Paranormal Fiction.

123 books/14530 pages

Currently:
A Suitable Boy ebook. Plugging along but I'm really too busy to read.
The Codebreaker's Secret Audiobook. I'm deep into historical fiction all of the sudden.

Glad to hear you are on the mend Martha!

I think you will both like Wanderers. It reminded me a little of The Stand. It follows lots of characters all being drawn to the same place. I think it will hold your interest.

Official list: read 25/26 categories in 2023.

1. A book with a villain. Verity
2. A book written by an author with the first initial of A or Z. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
3. A book released over 5 years ago. Three to Get Deadly
4. A book with a protagonist that is over 40. Killers of a Certain Age
5. A book that has an even number of pages. Falling
6. A book with an intriguing title. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
7. A book involving a lie. The Stationery Shop
8. A book with alternating time periods. The Liar's Dictionary
9. A book about revenge.Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide
10. A book set in the 1980’s.The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson
11. A book that is dusty on your shelf. A Gentleman in Moscow
12. A book under 300 pages. Call Us What We Carry
13. A family drama. Properties of Thirst
14. A book with a one word title. Fallen
15. A book centered around a holiday. One Last Gift
16. A book that starts with “H”. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life
17. A book with a beautiful cover. The Secret Book of Flora Lea
18. A female author that is new to you. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
19. A new book by your favorite author.All That Is Mine I Carry with Me
20. A story about a road trip.Solito
21. A book that is co-authored.Mad Honey
22. A gothic or noir novel. The Spare Man
23. A book with an autumn vibe.
24. A book set in a place you want to visit.Murder Mystery Book Club
25. A book with a purple cover.Aurora Rising
26. A book with a happy ending. The Rewind

I have a confession to make here. I have actually been planning for the 2023 challenge already. I usually don't like to think about it until New Year's. I should be good to go when it opens up but the problem is I have so many good ideas and so many books it may take until New Year's to pick one.

#115 Love on the Brain Funny and entertaining romance but very predictable and happy. It had a surprising (given the lightness of the rest of the book) dark turn at the end but the story quickly self-corrected and returned to its predicted happily-ever-after track. 4 stars because light and predictable were what I needed. Audiobook. Rom-Com.

#116 When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky The story follows a young native american woman who happens to be a horse diver during the time just after WWI. I can't really say too much about the plot without spoiling the book but this was a great read. Interesting characters and a fascinating bit of history. 4 stars. Audiobook. Historical Fiction.

#117 Little Souls Two sisters depend on each other to overcome the hardships they face during WWI and the Spanish flu epidemic. I always enjoy Sandra Dallas. Her understated approach to historical fiction always makes her characters seem more realistic. 4 stars. Audiobook. Historical Fiction.

#118 Crazy Faith: It's Only Crazy Until It Happens A good discussion of the practice of faith from a Christian perspective. 4 stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction-Christian.

#119 The Deal of a Lifetime Short story about a man who makes a deal with death. 3 stars. Audiobook. Contemporary Fiction.

119 books/13911 pages

Current
A Suitable Boy ebook I'm enjoying this one but it is another long one. I hope I can get through it.
Tripwire Paperback. Reacher is new to me but I'm loving this series.
Tell Me an Ending Audiobook. Just downloaded.

Even one handed you add to my TBR Martha. Congrats on finishing. Prayers for your healing. Stay calm and keep reading.

I really need to start the Thursday Murder Club series.

Lillie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "4.5 singing in church stars"

Again, I love your rating system. And, I agree Baldwin’s book is fantastic. I think I ended up giving it 4.5 stars too. Loved it so much that when son..."

Yes. I wish I had read it when I was younger. Baldwin captures those mixed up emotions and the time of life when you feel everything deeply so well.

Kindle says it is 1500+ pages. I was hoping that was kindle sized pages but I don't think so.

Currently reading A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. Really enjoying this one so far. We still have a little time but I think this will probably be the last one from the list that I finish (assuming I finish it 1500+ pages). That will put me at 15 books. Not what I hoped for but not bad. Also, this list had been a list of winners. I don't think there is anything I have just hated.

I felt similarly about Cloud Cukoo Land. I gave it 3 stars because it wasn't bad writing it was just too much. It would have benefitted from serious editing fewer main characters, fewer storylines and fewer pages.

I love your comment "keep starting books instead of finishing" That could be my theme song for November. Happy reading even if you only read beginnings.

Ioana wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I finished it! I finished it! I don't usually post just one completed book but I feel like this is such an accomplishment. I somehow made reading this book a second job and I'm soo..."

Probably a good call.

I finished it! I finished it! I don't usually post just one completed book but I feel like this is such an accomplishment. I somehow made reading this book a second job and I'm soooo glad its done.

#114 Cloud Cuckoo Land I really loved All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Obviously, I did not enjoy this follow up book as much. I also did not hate it. While I was reading the book I enjoyed the stories but when I put it down I had no desire to pick it up again. My problem was that it had way too many main characters and their stories were too disjointed. There seemed to be no connection between stories. Having read Doerr before I knew that he was going to bring it all together in the end but it took way too long. By the end it becomes obvious that the whole book is a tribute to books and the timelessness of story. The last 250 pages or so things start to come together, and they were actually great. It was just long, long, long and I never got to spend enough time with any one character to actually care. I'm giving it 3 stars because the writing is good and the book as a whole is not bad. IMO this could have used better editing. Cut it down to 2 or 3 main characters and shave off about 200 pages and you might have something. My recommendation for this one is that if you feel you have to read it get the audiobook. I don't know if the audio version is any good, but it will take up less of your life. 3 stars. Hardback. Fiction.

114 book/13901 pages

Current:
Tripwire
A Suitable Boy
When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky

Ioana wrote: "Book #68 of 2022: American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road. I had never heard of the Silk Road website before. Well, I've never shopped for d..."

I learned a little about this guy in Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption but it was one of the more fascinating sidebars. I would love to know more. Thanks for the add to my infinite TBR.

Glad to hear you enjoyed Fairytale so much Alondra. I also loved the set up as much if not more than the fantasy part. I would have been happy with that if Charlie never went into the shed. Also dog person or not who couldn't love Radar. What a dog!

#110 Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution A great fantasy with orphans, a school of magic and secret societies but with a serious side of anti-racism and anti-colonialism. I did not expect this one to be as good as it was. I would recommend this one for anyone looking for a good old school fantasy story. 4 stars. Audiobook. Fantasy.

#111 Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It A good discourse on the challenges faced by men and boys in our current culture. I felt too much of the book was dedicated to making the author's case about the state of things and too little to offering solutions. The solutions offered mostly involved major policy and societal change rather than individual solutions so I'm not sure they are very helpful. 3 stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction.

#112 Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything This book was a little dated and I thought that many of the topics discussed were oversimplified but on the whole the book was a delight. If you want an entertaining book that "thinks outside the box" pick it up. I may check out the podcast next. 4 stars. Audiobook. Nonfiction-Economics.

#113 Go Tell It on the Mountain A heartbreaking coming of age story, beautifully written. A young boy struggles with his future and the secret pasts of those around him as he tries to determine the man he will become. 4.5 stars. Audiobook. Fiction/Classic.

113 books/13275 stars.

Current:
Tripwire Paperback. Holding off on this one for now. I've got too many books going.
Cloud Cuckoo LandHardback. Still plodding along with this one on the weekends.
New and Selected Poems, Volume One ebook. This one returned to the library. Back to the hold list.
Skinnytaste Fast and Slow: Knockout Quick-Fix and Slow-Cooker Recipes for Real Life ebook. I'll get through it eventually.
A Suitable Boy ebook. Liking this one a lot so far.
Love on the Brain Audiobook. This one is a little obvious but I needed something light.

I just finished listening to Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. This classic coming of age story centers around a young boy growing up in New York. On the edge of manhood he struggles with his desire to do the right thing his environment and the secrets of his parents' past. He wants to be a good man but struggles to define what that means.

The story is heartbreaking and at times cruel, but the writing is superb. The characters and settings are drawn with such precision that the reader almost feels they are present. The prose reads more like poetry. This book has impact. It is not one that I will soon forget.

4.5 singing in church stars.

Favorite quotes:
“EVERYONE HAD ALWAYS said that John would be a preacher when he grew up, just like his father. It had been said so often that John, without ever thinking about it, had come to believe it himself. Not until the morning of his fourteenth birthday did he really begin to think about it, and by then it was already too late”
― James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain

“It’s a long way,” John said slowly, “ain’t it? It’s a hard way. It’s uphill all the way.”
― James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain

“The Lord had given her what she said she wanted, as was often, she had found, His bewildering method of answering prayer.”
― James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain

Eliminate 2,3,4,7,17,21,24,27,28,35

Ioana wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I read the sequel and enjoyed it Ioana but I don't think it had the impact of the first one. It was a good book and did address some controversial issues. I think you could read it..."

LOL I would definitely go for it then. It's a good book. You won't be sorry and you will have finished a series. No down side.