Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion
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Just finished listening to the
The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman. An incredible book about the lead up and first month of World War I. So many mistakes were made that led not just to deaths of this war, but also the mistakes in the peace (not covered here) led to death in World War II as well as the Balkan wars and the Middle East. A lot can be laid at the feet of the arrogant leaders in August 1914.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
PS - If you have an in with Goodreads administrators, I hate the new change. I can barely see that light grey (or is it gray) they use for previously clicked links.
I've have finished reading Enchanted Islands. 4 stars. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... I really enjoyed this fictionalized portrayal of a couple thought to be spies, based on journals of Frances Conway and her husband Anslie Conway .
I was on a small roadtrip so I finished 3 books:- The Black Box
- audible version. Not the best Bosch novel but I still really enjoyed it. 4 ★- Just Take My Heart
- audible version. I hated the narration (in French). They included all these special sound effects (sound of court room, sound of phone ringing, etc.) and the narration was so cheesy! Arf I hated it. On top of that, the dialogues were corny and the male characters were not very masculine. Don't get me wrong, I don't want macho characters but I felt like they thought like women, not men. The mystery was good so I ended up giving it 2 ★
- Now You See Me
. Good mystery novel. The beginning was slow but after that it was very good. 4 ★
Stephanie wrote: "I just finished 
and almost had to pick my jaw up from the floor.... It was a ★★★★☆ read. I really enjoyed hearing about Leah R..."The I just finished this book. I had heard weird things went on in that religion, but I had no idea how weird and illegal some of it was. Having children work all those hours at such young ages. Not having children attend regular school. Both of those are against the law. Amazing how Scientology succeeds in getting people to give up their finances to the point where they are desperately in debt for the remainder of their lives. How sad. Even though the majority of churches would like their parishioners to tithe, no well- meaning church, synagogue, etc. would want their members to go bankrupt.
Certainly learned a whole lot and have a different perspective on Leah Remini now.
Mod
On top of that, the dialogues were corny and the male characters were not very masculine. Don't get me wrong, I don't want macho characters but I felt like they thought like women, not men. The mystery was good so I ended up giving it 2 ★"
I hate when they add sounds and try to make it all dramatic. It is so distracting! Ugh...
Also, it's interesting how some women can write men and make them believable and other's can't (and likewise with men writing women). It makes such a difference if the author can't get into the head of the opposite gender.
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and almost had to pick my jaw up from the floor.... It was a ★★★★☆ read. I really enjoyed he..."This is on my TBR too. I keep hearing good things about it. Glad you ladies both found it interesting.
@kristie : and the music was so outdated! I almost felt like i was in a bad soap opera from the 80s! Hahaha
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Hahaha...oh, that's bad! lol
Finished Did You Ever Have a Family. A stunning 5**. Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Thanks for the tip, Stephanie. I love audio and will plan to listen to this one when I get around to reading it.
Just finished reading my interlibrary loan
A Heritage of Stars by the amazing Clifford D. Simak. How I managed to make the half-century mark without being exposed to this author, I can't imagine. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
RIP Muhammud Ali
Hey Kirsten,I'm not a big fan of sci-fi, but your review makes this book tempting. I'd rather read a book outside my genre with top-notch writing than a poorly written book within my genre any day of the week. I added it to my TBR shelf. Hoping I get a sci-fi assignment during WOBBLE so I can read it soon.
Nanci wrote: "Hey Kirsten,I'm not a big fan of sci-fi, but your review makes this book tempting. I'd rather read a book outside my genre with top-notch writing than a poorly written book within my genre any day..."
I'd highly suggest anything by him. This one is excellent, but so are the other two I've read Way Station and All Flesh is Grass. His science fiction is quite human and accessible. It deals with science fiction/technology but in the way it affects humanity.
Just started my Kindle Unlimited selection
Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell. It's sort of a Horatio Hornblower in space. Really enjoying it so far. Especially the chapter about making the ship's coffee. I totally related.
Mod
The Art of Not Breathing - It took me forever to finish this book. The idea for the story was great, but it was poorly executed IMO. The writing just felt really detached, instead of emotional, and I couldn't become engaged. 2.5 stars
Brother Odd - I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the first two. I think there was a sci-fi aspect that I didn't care for. Otherwise, it was good. 3.5 stars
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender - This was such a strange and fascinating story. It was very different than I expected, but it was creative and had good writing. 4 stars
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The City of Mirrors - I've been waiting forever to read this one. It is the final book in The Passage trilogy. I'm about 10% in and it took me a bit to try to remember who everyone was, etc.
All the Missing Girls - Planning to start today or tomorrow. It is a NetGalley for me and a new release this month. 
Stars Above - I put this one aside so I could get through The Art of Not Breathing. I look forward to finishing it though. Fun short stories!
Just finished: 
Her Final Breath - this was a great read for me. A mystery suspense. It was the second in the series and I thought it was better than the first. The author did a good job continuing on with the reoccurring characters. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am about to start:
A Clockwork Orange - I have never read this one and it was recommended to me to try!
Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Nanci wrote: "Hey Kirsten,I'm not a big fan of sci-fi, but your review makes this book tempting. I'd rather read a book outside my genre with top-notch writing than a poorly written book within my..."
Cool. Thanks for the additional info. I'll let you know what I think afterwards.
I liked Ava Lavender a lot! Kind of weird, but good.I've recently read
4 stars - The second book in a youth trilogy set in an alternative version of World War I where the Germans/Austrians have hydromechanical war machines and the Brits have darwinistic bioengineered creatures (such as a gigantic whale floating with balloons and harboring soldiers). There's also a girl posing as a boy and a prince and all in all it's just a nice story with a sort of steampunk setting. Closer to middle school than high school.
5 stars -I think this trilogy is truly marvelous. This last book is slower than the previous ones .. it's less about thrills and more about reasons/background .. tying it all together somehow. I'll have to think about all of it for a bit. It's not easy reading and I definitely need to read the whole thing .. the whole 2000 pages ... again sometime soon. Preferably in one go without interruptions (maybe taking a week of work or something ;) ) ... it's a world to immerse oneself in.
I finished LaRose. 5 stars. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....This is a beautifully written story and the first novel that I have read by Louise Erdrich and now I have to read more by her .
I've read a few Louise Erdich novels. Never disappointed. Glad you found her.
I just finished reading my Kindle Unlimited selection
Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell. It's a fun read taking place in the trading routes of the universe.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished listening to
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. This audiobook was very enjoyable as read by actor Tom Hollander. Very intense.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've finished Vinegar Girl. 3 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... This is a retelling of the Taming of the Shrew. This was an entertaining read but the retelling of Shakespeare just didn't work for me .
I read Chasing the North Star. 4 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....I definitely recommend this story of runaway slaves and their journey to find freedom.
I am reading Girl at War
right now. It is about a girl living in Croatia when that war broke out. But flashes forward 10 years to her going to college in United States.It started out a bit confusing because I didnt know much about the history/culture of the region. A little more background would have been helpful for me. I am at 60% and it is so good and a little haunting and sad.
@Angela - great review on Chasing the Star. I am going to add it.
@Kirsten - I recently tried A Clockwork Orange and couldn't understand what was going on. Enjoyed your review of it though.
Thanks , Vicki. Hope you enjoy it .
I'm currently listening to
. I've read all the rest of the series and so far it is what I was expecting. It will be interesting to see how it's translated to a television series.In print I'm reading
. I love the rest of this series and although this one has started out a little slow for me, I'm hoping that it picks up soon!
Mod
Angela added Chasing the North Star to my TBR shelf. The title sounds perfect for the book. I know I'll like the premise of the book. I just finished The Lacuna. Has anyone read it? There seem to be two definite camps for this 500 page book; love it, or hate it. I fell into the latter camp. At the very end it picked up and finally became good, but oh my gosh, during the first 3/4 it was so boring! It would have been a DNF, except I needed it to satisfy two challenges.
I'm reading The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca
for another book club. Currently living in Casablanca, I am totally disappointed in this book. It feels like the author went from one cliché to another one to make the book somewhat entertaining. I don't think I will finish this one.
I just started Crown of Midnight
. So far I like it.
I have almost finished Everyone Brave is Forgiven
by Chris Cleave. ( World War II seems to be a setting for great books lately. I read Lilac Girls two weeks ago.)I believe this is probably one of the books that most honestly describes the brutality and horror of war I've ever read and yet the characters transcend their environment. It's certainly not a feel good novel but is a mesmerizing story.
My TBR list is getting longer by the second. Too bad I can't read them as fast as I can add them. Just finished The Summer Before the War
and was again impressed by this author's writing and storytelling (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand), but her second book is a completely different novel - and historical fiction. Loved it - 5 stars, with tears.
Colleen, you had me at Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and then you tossed in historical fiction and 5 stars and I was a complete goner! I know just what you mean about your TBR list. This thread is lethal!
Vicki wrote: "I am reading Girl at War right now. It is about a girl living in Croatia when that war broke out. But flashes forward 10 years to her going to colle..."Was it the slang? I have it on good authority that you can find a glossary of Nadsat terms on line.
Nanci wrote: "Colleen, you had me at Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and then you tossed in historical fiction and 5 stars and I was a complete goner! I know just what you mean about your TBR list. T..."I absolutely adored Major Pettigrew's Last Stand!!
Finished listening to
Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie yesterday. A romantic ghost story inspired by Henry James' classic novella The Turn of the Screw.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nanci wrote: "Colleen, you had me at Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and then you tossed in historical fiction and 5 stars and I was a complete goner! I know just what you mean about your TBR list. T..."Lol Nanci! There is no help - not that I'd want any :-)
Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Vicki wrote: "I am reading Girl at War right now. It is about a girl living in Croatia when that war broke out. But flashes forward 10 years to her ..."Yes, it just seemed like too much work to figure out so I moved on.
I finished Dirt Road. 3.5 stars . My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... I enjoyed this story about a grieving boy and his father and the power of music but it was a bit too long .
I finished Lions: A Novel. 5 stars. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... This is a beautifully written story that left me with questions but was so worth reading .
I finished
Working Stiff by Annelise Ryan yesterday. An excellent debut cozy, though I am not sure it qualifies as a pure cozy since it has some elements you don't normally see there.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished The Sunlight Pilgrims. 4 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... A wake up call about global warming but about so much more .
I finished An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny. It's being compared to Blind Side. It's an autobiography as well as a biography about a well-to-do white woman in NYC who befriends a 12 year old black boy who is panhandling. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Angela M wrote: "I finished The Sunlight Pilgrims. 4 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... A wake up call about global warming but about so much more ."Just added this to my TBR shelf. Excited to read it after reading your review!
Thanks , Nanci. I'll be interested in what you think.
Nanci wrote: "Angela added Chasing the North Star to my TBR shelf. The title sounds perfect for the book. I know I'll like the premise of the book. I just finished The Lacuna. Has anyone read it..."
Update for Angela. I picked up Chasing the North Star from the library a few days ago. I've got some others I need to read first, but I feel like it's just sitting there saying, "Come on...you know you really want to read me first!". Ha!
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Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club
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It's incredible! I can't recommend it enough!