What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews Showing 5,801-5,850 of 12,687

[Bionic Jean]

Also a couple of factual books about penguins,

John Sparks and Tony Soper - Penguins - ★★★ - Jean's review

Lisa Purcell - Penguins - ★★ - Jean's review

[Leslie]

An interesting selection Jean!

[Dale]

Read and reviewed The Lake House 5 star read. Review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suz]

So disappointed I have only read my first Tim Winton just now. Have just finished Breath and my review is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Tom]

Finished Paper Towns by John Green. 4 Stars.

[Bionic Jean]

Diversity rules, Leslie! ;)

[B the BookAddict]

I've finished This House is Haunted by John Boyne.

My review is at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Leslie]

Jean wrote: "Diversity rules, Leslie! ;)"

:-)

[Canadian Jen]

Just finished Circling the Sun. Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Diane S ☔]

Finished The Tsar of Love and Techno: Stories
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Albert]

I finished The Hair of Harold Roux. A very interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed. A novel within a novel with other subplots and complex characters. Beautifully written. I didn't take a strong liking to any of the characters; that is not something I need, but may bother others. This was my first novel by Thomas Williams; I was very impressed.

[Chrissie]

I completed Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson.

Do you want a scary book, an adrenalin thrill? Here is your book!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Leslie]

I finished our group nonfiction book yesterday -- The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo. Very good biography of General Alexandre Dumas (father of the famous writer) and I learned a lot about race relations in France during the 18th century. I give it 4 stars.

[Chrissie]

Leslie, how many stars did you give it? Is the history dry? Do you have a review? sorry for all these questions.

[Leslie]

Chrissie wrote: "Leslie, how many stars did you give it? Is the history dry? Do you have a review? sorry for all these questions."

I gave it 4 stars. I just finished writing my review which you can read here and it is also in my personal challenges thread with some additional comments there.

I didn't find it dry at all. But I didn't read all of the many notes! I liked that he clearly had done the research but didn't feel the need to read all the details; with the Kindle, I found it easy to go to the notes I wanted to & ignore the others.

[Chrissie]

Leslie wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Leslie, how many stars did you give it? Is the history dry? Do you have a review? sorry for all these questions."

I gave it 4 stars. I just finished writing my review which you c..."

Thank you very much for your help. I don't understand why some people say it is dry. Jeez, where will I fit in? I have been considering this book for a LONG time.

[Angela M]

I finished Marvel and a Wonder. 4 stars . My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrissie]

I finished Things Fall Apart.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This classic was a mixed bag for me.

[Charbel]

Chrissie wrote: "I finished Things Fall Apart.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This classic was a mixed bag for me."

Not to mention that the title is a downer :/

[Chrissie]

I really disliked Ethan Frome.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrissie]

Charbel wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I finished Things Fall Apart.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This classic was a mixed bag for me."

Not to mention that the title is a do..."

Yeah, I put Yeats' poem there in my review.

[Marina]

Chrissie wrote: "I really disliked Ethan Frome.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Wow, I read your review and now I'm not at all sure I should read Ethan Frome as my first book by Edith Wharton. Maybe I'll listen to The Age of Innocence first, which I have as an audiobook.

[Diane S ☔]

Finished In the Dark Places
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrissie]

Marina wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I really disliked Ethan Frome.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Wow, I read your review and now I'm not at all sure I should read [book:E..."

Anything has to be better than this. For my part though, I am will be steering clear of Wharton. This is not because I dislike dark books! I explain this above to Diane. Neither would I appreciate a book about the "horror" of causing a scandal! I know this is common behavior but I don't need to read about such.

[Albert]

@Chrissie I have not read Ethan Frome but have heard others make similar comments that they did not like it. The only Wharton I have read has been The Age of Innocence which I enjoyed very much and did not find dark. I remember coming away from it thinking I wanted to read more Wharton. Maybe you would find it different.

[B the BookAddict]

I also loved the movie adaptation of The Age of Innocence.

[dely]

I've finished Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 3*
Some parts were just ok but the whole story helps to understand how life can be for a woman in India: what a combined marriage can be, what it means to be a widow, what happens if a wife doesn't get pregnant or has a child without being married. These parts were interesting though the two main characters (two cousins we follow from their childhood) behave sometimes, in my opinion, in a childish way: they were very close since their birth but then they don't talk about the most important things and this leads to some misunderstandings. Surely the author needed these parts to delineate better the story but the two characters lose in this way of credibility.

My Italian/English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Diane S ☔]

Finished Infinite Home
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrissie]

Albert wrote: "@Chrissie I have not read Ethan Frome but have heard others make similar comments that they did not like it. The only Wharton I have read has been The Age of Innocence whic..."

Albert, I have no trouble with dark books!!!!! It is the inability of the characters to shape their own lives that annoys me. OK, you make one decision. Something happens. You either live with those consequences, knowing full well that you brought them about, or you do something to change them. Don't just sit and moan. That is what annoyed me!

[Suz]

Finished a light read 204 Rosewood Lane. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Albert]

Chrissie wrote: "Albert wrote: "@Chrissie I have not read Ethan Frome but have heard others make similar comments that they did not like it. The only Wharton I have read has been [book:The Age of Innoce..."

I can see why that could bother you. That goes completely against my grain as well. I have some people in my life that are unwilling to try to change their lives, even though they have that power and I don't understand it.

[Angela M]

Finished Thirteen Ways Of Looking. 5 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[B the BookAddict]

I've finished The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne.

My review is at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bionic Jean]

I've just reread a favourite Fantasy book from my teens, by Alan Garner - Elidor, and happily still found it rates ★★★★★

Jean's review

[Alice]

Finished The Good Earth. 3.7 stars from me. I liked the indigenous parlance, but the tone just sounds a bit surreal.

My Review

[Leslie]

Chrissie wrote: "Albert wrote: "@Chrissie I have not read Ethan Frome but have heard others make similar comments that they did not like it. The only Wharton I have read has been [book:The Age of Innoce..."

Then you will definitely not like The Age of Innocence!! I found that passivity of the characters in all the Wharton books I have read (which is only 3, Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence, and The House of Mirth). I think that one of Wharton's recurring themes was the internal conflict between what people wanted to do and what was considered acceptable behavior by society. Unfortunately that leads to a lot of moaning in her books! Either they are moaning about how they can't do what they want or they do what they want and moan about how they are outcast...

Can you tell that I am not a Wharton fan?

[Leslie]

I have finished revisiting our group classic for August & September, Far from the Madding Crowd. I discussed my opinion in that thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Alice]

B the BookAddict wrote: "I also loved the movie adaptation of The Age of Innocence."

ditto! I love Michele Pfieffer in it. The movie nudged me to add the book to my list.

[Chrissie]

I totally adored The Marriage of Opposites.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here you get historical fiction at its best. You fill out the nooks and crannies of people's minds.

[Tom]

Finished Life in a Medieval City. 4 Stars.

[Diane S ☔]

Chrissie wrote: "I totally adored The Marriage of Opposites.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here you get historical fiction at its best. You fill out the nooks and cra..."

Wonderful Chrissie.

[Diane S ☔]

Finished The Taming of the Queen

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrissie]

Diane, :0)

I am in such a splendid mood after reading a good book. Really, I should not be so dependent on books.

Am I the only one who gets grumpy when reading a bad book? I just don't like dumping books b/c sometimes they do improve.

[[deleted user]]

I tend to just stop reading generally unfortunately. I don't like giving up on books so I don't read for a bit. Then I pull myself together and get out of my slump!

[Chrissie]

Oh Heather, giving up totally on reading, that is worse. I just cannot survive w/o a book. I feel sorry for you. I continue reading bad books but I can see how edgy I get. I think how much calmer it would be if I could be a person that doesn't get involved.

[Albert]

If I read something bad or unsatisfying, I just try to make sure the next thing I read is something I know that I am going to enjoy. Just trying to wash that bad taste out of my mouth.

[Book Ninja]

I finished reading to Kill a Mockingbird but I haven't rated it yet nor have I written a review because I don't know how I feel. I liked the characters and the story but I don't know how many stars to give to this book.

[[deleted user]]

I just gave up on a book (A Brief History of Seven Killings), and I feel good about my decision. When I was young, I would never even consider abandoning a book. I feel I've matured, and I don't want to waste my time on something unsatisfying. I know by 100 pages in whether or not I can get something worthwhile from a book.

[Petra]

Rahat, I base the stars on my gut reaction of how I feel about the overall book. Some books make me feel good when I reach the end, others frustrated, for example. The good feeling book might get 3 stars (maybe 4 if it has other good qualities that I recognize), the frustrating book 2 stars (as an example).

I seldom give up on books but I will occasionally. The last I gave up on was recently (Liar's Bench). It just got to the point where I didn't care what happened, it was all too silly. Unfinished books don't get rated; they just quietly disappear off my shelves.
Even a book that I find frustrating and unlikable usually has some redeeming value to keep me going and that leaves me with the hope that the book will turn around. If it doesn't, it's a 1-star book but I've read it to the end. LOL! (I will try to finish an unsatisfying book just so that I can review it and show my displeasure at it. LOL!)

[Chrissie]

Thanks, Terri, for telling us.