Pam’s Comments (group member since Dec 07, 2021)

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

I’m still reading books I started in July but will commit to one that I’m starting today for August - A Zoo in My Luggage by Gerald Durrell. I’m listening to the audiobook.

I’m waiting till the very end of the month to decide on a book and also see what I finish this month. I am looking at 2 Isabelle Allende books as choices. But, if a library book comes in this week, that may change.

I’ve not made much progress on this list, even though I still want to read all of the books! I’ve pulled The Violent Land off my shelves to read next but I think I need lighter material right now after just finishing Death’s End! I might choose something from my other 12+4 list. I just started a Russian satire, The Fur Hat by Vladimir Voinovich, which is very funny! Too bad I left it off my challenge.

Finished Death's End. That was a long and very scientific (lots of physics that I don't understand) SF read, #3 in the The Three Body Problem trilogy. I really liked the first 1/3 of the book but it got to be too much for me and then the ending was bizarre. It's not like anything I've ever read! Very interesting ideas but it was not an easy read for me. I think the author tried to do too much with this book. I preferred the 2nd one. Once I finished the 2nd book, I felt like I HAD to read the 3rd. That's how it is with series! I haven't rated it yet but will probably give it 4 stars. (5 for imagination and world-building but 3 for enjoyment and readability. It really needed to be shorter, IMO)

I read this book in June and really enjoyed it! As other reviewers have commented, some of the stories start to feel similar, especially towards the end. That was my only criticism. Being a frequent library patron and bookstore visitor, I really appreciated the personal stories about how people got into the business. The one story I felt particularly moved by was the librarian who works in the Boniuk Library in the Holocaust Museum Houston. I even added 4 children's/mid-grade/YA books he mentioned to my TBR.

One comment I remember reading in a lot of the stories is the debunking of the notion that no one reads any more. "They are wrong, Reading is still a thing," says Mary Elisabeth Anderson. I don't think anyone in this group would disagree!

I still have the eBook checked out and plan to go through it and take some notes. I did a lot of highlighting but no review yet. I gave it 4 stars. I hope everyone else enjoys the book!

I will commit to finishing Death's End by Liu Cixin. I started it on June 19 but, being 604 pages and kind of a dense read, is taking me awhile to read!

Awesome!

Adventure

I completed my goal of reading 6 but I have one more that I'm working on. I will likely read a couple more this year!

I’m reading The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson. It’s really interesting! This is my first book by Larson.

I will read Pessoa: A Biography by Richard Zenith. I started it earlier this year but it’s on pause. I plan to get back to it in May.

I’m committing to read Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles.

Lillie wrote: "I hear you about The Road to Roswell. So disappointing from an author who's written some really good books. Oh well."

I've read that her earlier books are better. Would you agree??

Halfway through the challenge and I'm realizing that I have to start reading the books I own, despite the fact that library holds are coming in faster than I can read them! I have 3 right now.

The Goodbye Cat was really good. If you enjoyed this author's book The Travelling Cat Chronicles, you will likely enjoy this one too! The last story features Nana from that book. What I like about the stories is how the author expresses what the cats are thinking! Now, when I look at my dad's cat, I wonder what's going on in that mind of his! I'm more of a dog person than cat but I do like Japanese stories with cats, for some reason, and there seem to be a lot of them.

I forced myself to finish The Road to Roswell but wished I wouldn't have. That was a very disappointing read for me. I had hoped it would be like a Carl Hiaasen style humorous alien abduction in New Mexico (my home state). But, I didn't see the humor past the first chapter and most of the book dealt with miscommunications between the alien "Indy" and his abductees. It was tedious and silly. I hate to leave negative reviews, but I had high hopes for this one and a lot of readers have recommended this author. I don't think I will read any more of her books.

I've started The Goodbye Cat, which is a collection of 7 short stories, and have read the first 2 stories. I like this book a lot! After finishing it, that will be all of my planned library reads, for this challenge, except for one which is a group read in the fall. I think I will read Violeta next. I'm excited to finally read an Isabella Allende book! I have one other book of hers that I plan to read this year - Daughter of Fortune, for a challenge in a different GR group.

I'm going to commit to reading The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. My library hold just came in. It's huge - 656 pages! I don't usually read books this long but I'm going to give it a try. It was short-listed for the Booker Prize and I've heard a lot of good reviews.

Well, I DNF’d my book after ~20 pages. I might try it again later this year. I just wasn’t interested in it right now.

I think I will finish Road to Roswell after all! I have 10 days left on my library checkout. It’s getting little more interesting at the halfway point. My hold for The Goodbye Cat just came in so I’ll start that next. I think next year I will do a just challenge with only library books! Maybe specifically new releases (2024-2025)?

I thought Oath and Honor was really good! I watched most of the Congressional Hearings so I was very familiar with the testimony but Cheney had a lot of other very disturbing behind-the-scene details! I thought it was really well written and very compelling.

I also want to read Ministry for the Future. I’ve only read one of KSR’s books, Galileo’s Dream, and didn’t like it. But, I want to try something else! I’ll give him one more try. Antarctica and the Three Californias Trilogy also look interesting. I look forward to your thoughts on Ministry!

Thanks Alondra! I did a good job with my library book selection. We will see about the books I own! That’s a hard one for me since I’m a heavy library user and always putting books on hold, especially new books. I don’t know why I keep buying books. I think it’s because they are $1 or $2 and it’s too good of a deal to pass up! In March, I’m definitely reading 1 or 2 books I own, even if they are the shortest books on my shelves! 😂