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What Are You Reading - Part Deux
message 3101:
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Karen M
(new)
Sep 11, 2016 03:52PM
I started The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America and I can say I know what all the fuss was about! It's really two storylines and they are both really interesting.
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Karen M wrote: "Finished In the Dark Places and am now a real fan of Peter Robinson. I added the first book in the series to my series wish list.I just about started [book:An Unmark..."
Good for you, Karen! I enjoy Peter Robinson a lot as well.
Karin wrote: "I'm enjoying The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics"I'm planning on reading this book soon ... I've been holding off (and don't know why as every one I know thought it was a great read. Its the choice for my local book club next month.
¡Ask a Mexican!
– Gustavo Arellano – 2** “¡Ask a Mexican!” is the title of Arellano’s regular column in the OC Weekly, in which he tries to answer questions on the culture of America’s rapidly growing minority. This is a collection of those columns. Like most such satirical / humorous columns, they are best taken once a week. Reading all of them at once was a bit much. I was bored by much of it and didn’t find it very funny, though I did like the descriptions of food.
Full Review HERE
For Your Love
– Beverly Jenkins – 3*** This is the sixth book in the Blessings series, which follows the residents of Henry Adams, Kansas, a small town originally founded by freed slaves. I liked that things don’t always go smoothly, but that – for the most part – the characters react realistically. And then there’s Astrid Wiggins; she is a caricature, so evil and unreasonable in her hatred and vindictiveness that she’s totally unbelievable. On the whole, however, it was an enjoyable, quick read. It reminded me of both the Miss Julia series by Ann B Ross, and the Harmony series by Philip Gulley.
Full Review HERE
The Art of Racing In the Rain
– Garth Stein – 5***** and a ❤The story could be maudlin but it isn’t. Enzo is a philosophical narrator, and also a fair one. (Though he does have a thing for the zebra demon.) There are moments of laugh-out-loud humor, sing-out-loud joy, and sigh-out-loud sadness. I listened to the CD for this re-reading. The audio is performed perfectly by Christopher Evan Welch. Have a hankie ready for the last few chapters.
Full Review HERE
Book Concierge wrote: " The Art of Racing In the Rain
– Garth Stein – 5***** and a ❤
The story could be maudlin but it isn’t. Enzo is a philosophical narrator, and als..
A favorite for me!
The Geography of Genius
– Eric Weiner – 3*** The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places, from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley. Weiner explores the culture of various cities and eras that resulted in an environment that fostered genius. It’s an interesting book, but not a particularly compelling one, and there were times when I just zoned out. Still, I learned a little about a variety of subjects.
Full Review HERE
Finished The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America which was a definite 5 star read and now I've started reading Time and Regret. 
Death by Darjeeling
– Laura Childs – 3*** This is a good cozy mystery. I like how Childs took time to build the relationships among the tea shop’s employees, and other characters. There are plenty of suspects, and a couple of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I’ll keep reading this series.
Full Review HERE
Sept 18 – currently readingTEXT –
The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo MartinezAUDIO in the car –
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina BivaldPortable AUDIO –
The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
Book Concierge wrote: " Death by Darjeeling
– Laura Childs – 3***
This is a good cozy mystery. I like how Childs took time to build the relationships among the tea shop’s employ..."
I started this series and by the second book I knew I really liked it so I have the next two sitting on the media cabinet. I swear I'm going to get to them yet.
Loved, loved, loved this book. The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Donnalee wrote: "Loved, loved, loved this book. The Art of Racing in the Rain."So happy to hear that, it's been a favorite of mine since I read it. Loved it also.
I'm reading Perfect People by Peter James.
I am reading The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller
The Girl in the Green Raincoat
– Laura Lippman – 4**** In a plot reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan is bed-bound and bored, so she takes to watching the people in the park across the way. When she notices a woman in a green raincoat, and then the woman’s “disappearance,” her curiosity gets the better of her, and Tess gets her boyfriend, BFF, and assistant to help her find the truth. The plot moved quickly, there were several twists and turns that kept me guessing, and the reveal was a surprise.
Full Review HERE
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
– Katarina Bivald – 3*** Sara Lindqvist arrives in Broken Wheel IA to visit her pan pal Amy Harris. But Amy has died and the town’s residents invite Sara to stay on in Amy’s house, because that’s what Amy would want. At a loss, Sara decides to open a book shop with Amy’s books, and begins to change how the citizens feel about books, reading themselves and others. A sweet (if simplistic) fairy-tale story with a happy ending.
Full Review HERE
The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life is right now on the top of my reading list but I usually have a lot of books open. This one I will finish over the weekend but I´m really trying to slow myself down. Pure enjoyment.
Later today I'm going to start reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen.
This is a great introduction to the descriptive genius of James Lee Burke. His written words have the ability to capture the beauty of the landscape and mood while highlighting the troubling powers of the demons living within the characters. Poetic and captivating, Burke is an author worth checking out.
The Boy Kings of Texas
– Domingo Martinez – 2** This is a memoir of growing up in Brownsville Texas, near the border with Mexico, in a poor barrio, with few opportunities and even less hope. There are parts of this memoir that are engaging and funny. But on the whole I felt as disenfranchised from the experiences he relates, as he states he felt. I kept waiting for some insight, and never got it, and I’m left disappointed and dissatisfied. I felt I was reading the rambling notes of a journal his therapist suggested he keep, rather than a cohesive memoir.
Full Review HERE
Sept 25 – currently readingTEXT –
Help, I Am Being Held Prisoner by Donald E. WestlakeAUDIO in the car –
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise KiernanPortable AUDIO –
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tuesdays With Morrie
– Mitch Albom – 5***** and a ❤The subtitle is the perfect synopsis: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson. This little gem of a book is the result of Tuesdays the author spent discussing life, death, family, work, and love with his former professor and mentor, who was dying of ALS. It’s touching and inspiring.
Full Review HERE
Book Concierge wrote: " Tuesdays With Morrie
– Mitch Albom – 5***** and a ❤"
Loved this one!
I'm reading The Vegetarian. As a psychiatrist, I marveled at the book’s unsettling, visceral exploration of aggression and sexuality; as a novelist, I admired its powerful technique.
Eggsecutive Orders
– Julie Hyzy – 3*** Book number three in the series has Executive Chef Ollie Paras and her staff planning for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. I like this cozy mystery series. Ollie is a strong female lead character – tenacious, hard-working, and intelligent, if given to the occasional emotional outburst. Hyzy includes a variety of potential suspects and enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. A fast, enjoyable cozy mystery.
Full Review HERE
I'm starting Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner today.
Jackie wrote: "I'm starting Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner today."I really enjoyed that one, Jackie.
I am currently reading The Orchardist byAmanda Coplin. It is so beautifully written, but it also has a page turning plot. I am so impressed with this debut from a fairly young writer. I am also reading Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler. Anne Tyler is probably my all-time favorite author, so I have a difficult time being objective when rating her books. This one is good so far, but it doesn't seem to have quite the familiarity found in her other books. She was given the task of retelling "The Taming of the Shrew," and I have to wonder if she wrote a bit differently knowing she had to write within these designated parameters. I'm only on the third chapter, though, so I know I may get to familiar "Anne Tyler" territory soon.
Finished Guardian's Mate and if you are into shape shifters this is a good one!I've started a new one, an ARC, The Tourist. Not far enough in to get a feel for it but it is a time travel story.
Just finished Tamer of Horses. It was a 4 star read for meHere is my review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Still reading Roots: The Saga of an American Family
and almost finished In the Stillness
Karen wrote: "I am currently reading The Orchardist byAmanda Coplin. It is so beautifully written, but it also has a page turning plot. I am so impressed with this debut from a f..."I really liked this debut novel!
Help, I Am Being Held Prisoner
– Donald E Westlake – 3*** Harry Künt (WITH an umlaut, and pronounced KOONT) finds himself in prison after pulling one practical joke too many. Westlake excelled at writing comic crime capers, where something always goes wrong, but no one is shot or seriously injured. There are plenty of escapades herein and some were laugh-out-loud funny.
Full Review HERE
Going to start reading The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence later today.
By the Shores of Silver Lake
– Laura Ingalls Wilder – 4**** Book number five in the Little House Series has the Ingalls family moving to Dakota Territory. Wilder gives the reader a good picture of the joys and sorrows of pioneer life – the harshness of weather, the bounty of a good crop and plenty of game to hunt, the dangers of the wilderness, the joy and comfort of family. These books are just a joy to read.
Full Review HERE
The Girls of Atomic City
– Denise Kiernan – 4**** This is a fascinating micro history of the men and women – many women – who worked to extract the key ingredient that would fuel the bombs the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasacki, thereby ending the war. Kiernan did much research and was able to interview a few surviving women to get their personal stories. Using the personal stories of a handful of women made the history personal and engaging.
Full Review HERE
I'm starting A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry today.
Hula Done It?
– Maddy Hunter – 1* This is book number four in the Passport to Peril series, starring tour escort Emily Andrew and the group of Iowans she takes on various vacations. The characters are cardboard, the plot is thin, and the dialogue is tortured. Hunter did manage to add a few tidbits of Hawaiian history, but not really enough to give a real sense of the islands. Oh well … it was a fast read, and it satisfied a challenge to read a book set in Hawaii.
Full Review HERE
Jackie wrote: "I'm starting A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry today."Wonderful book!
As The Waltz Was Ending
– Emma Macallik Butterworth – 4**** This memoir is written for a young adult audience. It is very interesting to see how the historic events unfold through the eyes of a child, and how seductive the opportunities promised by the Nazis were to the young students they recruited. The book is rated as being for age 12 and older; there are some horrific experiences related here, so it may not be the best book for particularly sensitive youngsters.
Full Review HERE
Life Studies: Stories
– Susan Vreeland – 3*** Vreeland is best known for her historical novels focusing on various artists. This is a collection of short stories that focus on art, but more on the people around the artist, rather than on the artist him/herself. The first half of the book is set in an historical time frame, the second half is contemporary. I really liked some of these stories, and others left me feeling ‘meh.’
Full Review HERE
Hi Book Concierge,Just finished A Fine Balance & I totally agree with you :)
Today I'm going to start reading Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee.
I will be starting Tracks of Her Tears tonight. Has to be better thanThe Tourist (still shaking my head that I had to finish it so I could review it.)
.
A Few Fair Days
– Jane Gardam – 4**** Lucy is a young girl living in a small, seaside town in Yorkshire, in the years between the wars. This is a charming collection of stories about childhood, and reminds this reader of our greatest and most valuable plaything – imagination. I loved how they played pirates, explored the abandoned estate next door, or searched the seashore for “treasure.” At least one of their escapades had me laughing aloud. Just a lovely book.
Full Review HERE
Jackie wrote: "Today I'm going to start reading Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee."Another great book!
Throne of Jade
– Naomi Novik – 4**** In Book two of this series, the Chinese demand the return of the dragon known as Temeraire. Novik does a great job imagining a fantasy scenario where dragons are part of the Air Corps, while also keeping the reader in a (circa) 1801 time frame. The battle scenes are exciting, and the intrigue builds suspense. I really like the growing relationship between Temeraire and Capt Laurence. This is not my preferred genre, but I think I’m hooked on the series.
Full Review HERE
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The Next Best Book Club
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