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Read, Reading Now and Reading Next (Oct-Dec 2016)
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Ezi, Factory Superintendent
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Oct 14, 2016 08:16PM
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"Hey Melissa,
Guess what I chose this week's bingo (Ugly Covers):
It's been a while but I remember enjoying it.I picked
~ works for both PtP and bingo. There were some really awful covers on that list, lol
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I picked
~ works for both PtP and bingo. There were some really awful covers on that list, lol"I just didn't love that book, but I think it's the writing style. I don't find him amusing.
Caddie Woodlawn
– Carol Ryrie Brink– 4****
This Newbery Award winner tells the story of Caddie Woodlawn, age about 12, in 1864 Wisconsin. Caddie is a courageous, intelligent and resourceful girl. The story reminds me a bit of Laura Ingalls Wilders’ “Little House” books, and that is definitely a good comparison.
Full Review HERE
Oct 16 – currently readingTEXT –
Midaq Alley by Naguib MahfouzAUDIO in the car –
Dracula by Bram StokerPortable AUDIO –
Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
Finished up
on audio and read both
and
. I enjoyed all of them. OMG the voice Luke Daniels does for Oberon is hilarious!Started audio
and reading
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ThatEzi wrote: "I like the Scribe on audio"It's been really good so far.
Sit! Stay! Speak!
– Annie England Noblin – 1* Addie Andrews has inherited her Aunt Tilda’s house in tiny Eunice Arkansas, so she moves from Chicago, and the painful memories there, to refurbish the homestead and heal from her wounds. The best part of this novel – and unfortunately is a small part – is Felix, the pit bull puppy; and I say that even though I’m not a “dog person.” I knew going in that it was chick lit, and I wasn’t expecting great literature but this was really bad.
Full Review HERE
I finished
- I enjoyed it - reminded me of Consequences - not that they are the same type of dark. Ezi ~ I thought you had recommended this book to me for MnG or Pchicks this month but I must have been mistaken. Anyhoo - I want to continue and read book 2 sometimeStill working on
and loving it. I'm sorry I've waited so long to start this series but I really didn't love her other series ...probably why I've put it off...shame on meI'm almost done with reading
- good book to read for October. Beginning is pretty slow but sure does pick up around 60% mark and now really creepy
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Reading:
To Read:
@Ezi - how was Bittersweet? Yeah ~ you're all up to date with the Meg :)Are you enjoying Counterpoint?
Finished
- loved it - awesome series starter 5♥Also finished
- 3♥ - first part was too slow for me - last 30-40% was good. Started
on audio - still deciding on a book to 'read'
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- I enjoyed it - reminded me of Consequences - not that they are the same type of dark. Ezi ~ I thought you had recommended this book to me for MnG or ..."I've read up to book four in this series. I get it if it's in sale
ThatEzi wrote: "~Melissa~ wrote: "I finished - I enjoyed it - reminded me of Consequences - not that they are the same type of dark. Ezi ~ I thought you had recommended this book..."Cool - I put #2 on my list to get
Pax
– Sara Pennypacker – 4**** Peter is forced to turn his pet fox, Pax, loose in the woods, but then reconsiders and sets out to rescue his beloved pet. This is a wonderful tale of loyalty, love, grief and perseverance. The point of view shifts from from Pax’s story to Peter’s experiences by chapters. Both Peter and Pax have been betrayed and are distrustful as a result. They draw on reserves of strength, courage and perseverance they didn’t know they had to help not only themselves but those around them.
Full Review HERE
Journey to the River Sea
– Eva Ibbotson – 4**** Maia is an orphan in London, in the early 1900s who is sent to live with distant relatives on their rubber plantation in Brazil. What a lovely adventure / coming-of-age story! Maia is a strong female character – intelligent, kind, generous, brave, resourceful and loyal. I did think the Carter family – father, mother, and twins – were rather stereotypical “villains,” but that is a small quibble. This is a children’s book, after all, and I don’t expect the same subtleties that I would in literature written for adults.
Full Review HERE
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Reading:
To Read:
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Reading: 
To Read: [bookcover:Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marria..."I love the Mercy Book: Bone Crossed the best. I also love the MacKenzies
Dracula
– Bram Stoker – 5***** Stoker wrote this as a series of journal or diary entries, letters and newspaper clippings. This gives a certain immediacy to the writing, and builds suspense. The novel is wonderfully atmospheric; from the delights of a new culture as Harker first experiences the loveliness of Eastern Europe, to the creepy, skin-crawling scene with the hordes of rats, and finally to the “pure-white” snow of the mountain blizzard, time and again Stoker puts the reader smack dab in the middle of the scenes. But the novel is more than just a horror story. There are several themes which would be great for book group discussion.
Full Review HERE
Anne’s House of Dreams
– L M Montgomery – 4**** What I love about these books is Anne, herself. She’s so optimistic and friendly, with good common sense, a kind heart, and a generous spirit. She is no stranger to trouble and heartache, and this book definitely includes some heart-wrenching events. I love the young woman she has become.
Full Review HERE
The Dinner
– Herman Koch– 4**** In an oh-so-fashionable restaurant in Amsterdam two couples meet for dinner. I was completely fascinated by the psychological nuances explored in these two couples. Over the course of this meal they dance around the very serious situation their sons have gotten into. Emotions are triggered, and just as quickly suppressed. I can hardly wait for my F2F book group discussion!
Full Review HERE
Midaq Alley
– Naguib Mahfouz – 4**** I love stories that feature an ensemble cast such as this. Midaq Alley is but one of many such small streets in Cairo. The residents form a microcosm of society, and over the course of the novel they fall in love, endure heartbreak, commit crimes, become ill, take chances at new adventures, and simply move on with their lives. Mahfouz’s writing is wonderfully atmospheric – I could smell the bread baking, or hear the cacophony of sound in a busy public square.
Full Review HERE
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Reading: [bookcover:Jane and the Unpleasantness a..."
I got Alvin Ho on audio so on a family trip, my son can listen to it.
The Monkey’s Raincoat
– Robert Crais– 3.5*** This is a great detective story that reminds me of the old-fashioned noir tales by Chandler. I was hooked from the beginning and interested throughout. Will definitely read more of this series.
Full Review HERE
The Red Leather Diary
– Lili Koppel – 4**** Lily Koppel was a young (age 22) writer working at the New York Times when she discovered an old red leather diary. It had originally been given to Florence Wolfson for her 14th birthday – Aug 11, 1929, and Florence dutifully wrote in it every day for the five years allowed on its pages. The diary did more than offer a fascinating glimpse into the past. As Lily read the young Florence’s record of her hopes, dreams, heartbreaks and triumphs, she discovered something about herself. And then Koppel went searching for Florence…
Full Review HERE
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Listening to
To Listen to:
Up To This Pointe
– Jennifer Longo – 2** When her life-long plan to be a ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet goes awry, 17-year-old Harper Scott finagles a way to go to Antarctica for six months as a research assistant. This story line is so ridiculous that I made myself dizzy rolling my eyes. On the plus side, Harper does mature (a little) over the course of the novel, and while she makes some foolish mistakes she does eventually learn some important lessons.
LINK to My Review
Saving Fish From Drowning
– Amy Tan – 3*** Twelve American tourists join an art expedition that begins in the Himalayan foothills of China and heads south into the jungles of Burma. And then, on Christmas morning, eleven of the travelers boat across a misty lake for a sunrise cruise – and disappear. I like Tan’s writing. She has the ability to plop me right into the middle of a completely different culture. This story has some elements of magical realism. Tan deftly explores the ways in which American tourists make “innocent” mistakes that have significant consequences. At 474 pages, this is longer than it needs to be. Still, I enjoyed it and was entertained throughout.
LINK to my review
Make Way For Ducklings
– Robert McCloskey – 5***** and a ❤ Mr and Mrs Mallard search for a good home in which to raise their brood. This is a perennial favorite for children and their parents. Oh, how I loved the story of how Policeman Michael and the other people ensured the safety of Mrs Mallard and her brood: Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack, as they crossed busy streets, waddled past coffee shops and book stores, and finally made their way to the Public Gardens, for a reunion with Mr Mallard who waited patiently on the little island in the pond. It’s an absolute delight to revisit this story and I marvel at the wonderfully detailed illustrations.
LINK to my review
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Reading
To Read: hmmmmm
The Girl Who Played Go
– Shan Sa – 4**** Set in Manchuria circa 1931, the novel is told in alternating points of view: a 16-year-old Chinese girl who has mastered the game of go, and a Japanese soldier in disguise to challenges her to a game. I’m glad that Shan Sa included footnotes on the Japanese and Chinese history, because my own education in this is woefully lacking. What really shines in the novel, however, is how the characters come to life. . I was engrossed in their lives, and completely stunned by the ending.
LINK to my review
Mrs. Mike
– Benjamin and Nancy Freedman – 4**** This is a novel, but it is based on the real life story of Katherine Mary O’Fallon. It’s a great adventure story, love story, and pioneer story. The young couple endure several misadventures and tragedies, including wildfires, floods, and epidemics of diphtheria and influenza. It is their deep love for one another that sees them through, as well as their willingness to understand the cultural mores of the Indians and adapt to, or at least tolerate, their differences.
LINK to my review
Emily and Einstein
– Linda Francis Lee – 3*** Alexander “Sandy” Portman dies in a tragic accident, but comes back as an old dog, which his widow, Emily, adopts and names Einstein. Interesting premise, mediocre execution. Much of the drama was over-the-top ridiculous, including the tortured memories and soul-searching. On the plus side, it was an entertaining and quick read. I was captured by the story and enjoyed it as a kind of break from more serious reading.
LINK to my review
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
– Tom Robbins – 2** Entertained as I was by the occasional wild description and laugh-out-loud moment, however, in general I was bored by the book. All those interludes to wax poetic about this or that philosophy seemed nothing but an attempt to distract the reader from the lack of a story. Clearly, Robbins is not the writer for me.
LINK to my review
Signs and Wonders
– Philip Gulley – 3*** Book three in the Harmony series looks at a year in the life of the Quaker community’s residents. I just love this series. Each book gives us a glimpse of all the good – and not so good – in human nature, but with the hope that the good will outweigh the bad. They are a perfect break from the stresses of life, and a reminder that there is much good in this world.
LINK to my review
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Listening to
To Listen to:
Homemade Sin
– Kathy Hogan Trochek – 3*** This is a pretty good series. I like the premise of the House Mouse cleaning service for these cozy mysteries; Trochek gives the reader a nice cast of colorful supporting characters who work for the heroine. Callahan Garrity is a strong, intelligent, resourceful woman. It’s a speedy read, the action is fast-paced, and I like the characters. I’ll read more of the series.
LINK to my review
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Now listening to
. Hoping to finish this seriesNext up is
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The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
The Woman in Cabin 10 (other topics)Hyde (other topics)
Our Souls at Night (other topics)
A Lone Star Christmas (other topics)
Our Souls at Night (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles de Lint (other topics)John Grisham (other topics)
Naguib Mahfouz (other topics)
Bram Stoker (other topics)
L.M. Montgomery (other topics)
