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

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

Whew! so much to update. Here goes!

#10 The Secret of Snow A middle aged woman has to face her past in order to move forward in life. This was more than a romance but it was still a little shallow and not that interesting. Not terrible but... audiobook. 3 stars. Contemporary Fiction.

#11 The Current Wow! I loved Descent by Tim Johnston and I loved this one too. A suspenseful, psychological thriller. It's the writing that gets me. The characters are so well written and the descriptions are perfection. hardback. 4 stars. Thriller.

#12 The Premonition: A Pandemic Story A fascinating overview of what happened (or didn't) in our country at the beginning of the pandemic. ebook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

#13 Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy The true story of one of the most prolific Russian spies of our time and she was never caught. This wasn't edge of your seat exciting but it was pretty amazing. audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

#14 Moon of the Crusted Snow An indeginous community reacts to an apparent apocalypse with a return to traditional ways. The focus is on one young family and you will be totally drawn in by them. The writing was incredible and the peaceful approach to the apocalypse refreshing. audiobook. 5 stars. Apocalypse Fiction.

#15 The Jane Austen Society If you love Jane Austen read this one. A group of villagers band together to create a memorial for their favorite author. Not only is this book filled with Austen-esque characters and romances, it does a thorough job of discussing Austen and her books. Interesting and fun. A book about books. paperback. 4 stars. Historical Fiction.

The books below demonstrate what can happen when your reading life falls down the wellness rabbit hole. You don't have to tell me, these are a little on the weird side. For all that they were interesting and maybe I picked up a couple of tips.

#16 The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative A study of what happens when we encounter nature and what it does for us. You don't have to read it. I can give you what you need to know. Everyone needs to get outside (the further away from the city the better) for at least 5 hours per month. Even 5 minutes will help but 30 minute increments are ideal. audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

#17 Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art James Nestor explores the act of breathing as a health measure. Yes, breathing can cure your ills, extend your life, help you lose weight etc. But beware you are probably not doing it right. Weird and sometimes entertaining. The breathing exercises at the end of the book were probably the most helpful part of the whole thing. ebook/audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

17 books/3263 pages

Current:
Fit Soul, Fit Body: An Ironman and a Shaman Put You on the Path to Lasting Health and Happiness That's right I haven't made it out of wonderland yet. You know one book leads to another. That's what my challenge is all about. ebook.
Crosstalk I always enjoy Connie Willis audibook.
The Light Between Oceans paperback.

What an interesting reading month you are having! I absolutely agree on People We Meet on Vacation. It was all too contrived. Also, terrible and misleading title. I felt similarly about Shadow and Bone but have not been inclined to pick up the next book. There just wasn't any depth to the story. I'm trying to ignore anything you say about Krakauer Jon.

I finished Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice several days ago but I'm just getting around to recording it here. After a small, northern community is cut off from the outside world the indigenous community members turn to tradition to survive. The biggest question is what to do with outsiders who come to them seeking shelter. The story centers around one small family and their efforts to keep their community safe in the face of an unspecified apocalypse.

I loved this beautifully written apocalyptic tale which focused on community and connection as a means of survival rather than the brutal action typical in this genre. The author was able to communicate the desperation of the situation but also the quiet strength with which the characters faced the challenge. I also appreciated the use of a fictional apocalypse as a vehicle to discuss the treatment of indigenous tribes both in the past and today. Finally, I just loved Evan and his family. The loving relationships between family members was portrayed so sweetly.

5 stars for this strong, silent-type apocalypse novel.

Favorite Quote:
“Yes, apocalypse. We've had that over and over. But we always survived. We're still here. And we'll still be here, even if the power and the radios don't come back on and we never see any white people again.”

Alissa wrote: "Michelle wrote: "The audiobook on this one reminds me of Daisy Jones & The Six which makes it a win for me. ..."



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND ...requested lol Daisy Jones is my favorite au..."

I don't think you will be sorry. I don't know if I have a favorite audiobook of all time but I definitely love the mock documentary trope in an audiobook. It just lends itself to audio production so well.

Martha wrote: "Currently reading -
Lincoln - it's a slow process. It's paperback, but one of those huge ones that are hard for me to hold. It's very interesting! No changes here, just have been ver..."

Erlendur? Isn't that one of the places Frodo visits in Lord of the Rings? :)

I take back what I said above. I do know what list it came from. It was from a list found in The Sentence by Louise Erdrich which I recently read and loved. The main character works in a bookstore and her reading list is found in the back of the book. I was intrigued. Of course, I can never say no to an apocalypse.

Lea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I just started listening to Moon of the Crusted Snow. This one had me at hello. I don't know what list it came from but I already know I'm going to like it."

Oh, b..."

Ooops :D

I just started listening to Moon of the Crusted Snow. This one had me at hello. I don't know what list it came from but I already know I'm going to like it.

Kim. E. wrote: "Since I last checked in you've read a few more that I have now added to my tbr list (had to include the word "list" somewhere.

I'm wanting to read several different genres and purposes about Chin..."

Thanks Kim! I would say you couldn't go wrong adding Jade Dragon Mountain and Opal & Nev to any list. Hope you enjoy them!

Mary wrote: "Goodluck with your list Michelle! I loved North and South and Things Fall Apart is a must read in my opinion. I hope you enjoy your list!"

Thanks Mary! I'm glad to know you enjoyed those two. I'm hoping to get to them soon.

Ahh Lea, just when I put Krakauer to rest you make me think I should give him another chance.

Checking Michigan off the list with The Secret of Snow a quick, fiction novel about a woman confronting her demons and changing her life.

I have to say that Into the Wild put me off of Jon Krakauer. I recognized even before reading it that the broken characters he wrote about would not appeal to me but I was somewhat offended at the glorification of the situation in that book. The book itself was well written and the subject was fascinating but it didn't feel like a good fascination. I would be interested to hear whether his other books differ from that theme.

Lillie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#7 Sourdough Not as good as Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by this author but still a lot of fun.


#9 The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton The Final Revival of Opal ..."

The two books were very different and enjoyed the whimsy and weirdness of Sourdough but Penumbra was definitely the better book.

Lea wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Bwahahhaha.... I did read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, so I am officially in the club.

I think Parable of the Sower will blow you away with all the similarities to this moment ..."

The Parable of the Sower will definitely blow you away. The similarities to current times are downright frightening.

Lillie wrote: "January has been a good reading month for me. Read 11 books, 9 from my lists and 2 free reads. 1 audiobook and 10 physical books.

The Poet X was my ..."

I absolutely loved both The Poet X and The Reading List. Glad to hear you enjoyed them too! Good month!

Lea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Wow! Look at that page count! Congrats!"

I do count pages for books I listen on audio; otherwise, it would be a lot lower - I think I only physically read 4 books this month. (and..."

You should feel good about it. I don't have any issues with how anyone counts pages or otherwise. BTW physically reading 4 books is awesome too.

Wow! Look at that page count! Congrats!

As far as great audio productions that really make the story come alive the two are right on par with each other. Daisy Jones lacks the social justice understory and so I would say is lighter but I enjoyed both books equally.

#8 Jade Dragon Mountain I can't say enough good things about this book. An excellent closed door mystery set in ancient China. The book was so descriptive and well written that the reader has no trouble visualizing the story. audiobook. 5 stars. Mystery.

#9 The Final Revival of Opal & Nev The story of a fictional rock n roll duo and the controversy that surrounds their beginnings. Rock n roll glamour with a strong dose of social justice make this book both entertaining and thought provoking. Great full cast audio production. audiobook. 4 stars. Contemporary Fiction.

9 books/ 1900 pages

Currently reading:
The Current hardback. Nice mystery.
The Premonition: A Pandemic Story ebook. Back from library limbo. Picking up where I left off. Fascinating.
The Secret of Snow audiobook. Just started this one so not yet sure if I will stick with it.