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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations, reviews Part 2
I read Jacob T. Marley over the past couple of days. It's a fun Christmas read; not on the same plane as Dickens' A Christmas Carol but I enjoyed the look at the story from Marley's side. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finally finished
Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King. My spoiler free review can be found at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... or sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I have finished The story of a humble Christian 5*What a wonderful book written like a play. It talks about Pope Celestine V, how he became Pope, why he was it only for a couple of months, and what happened next.
The author puts in this book the difference between the Church as a constitution and a humble believer. The Church corrupted and who wanted always more power, the believer following the Gospels.
I don't think it's a book only for believers, because the story of this pope and that of the Church could be interesting for anyone. It is set at the end of the 13th century and the author wrote it after several researches about this pope.
I just finished Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold by Margaret Atwood. A retelling very well done.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished with my Christmas read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. A reread. Always a pleasure. Henry Tilney has always been my favorite Austen hero.
I finished Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs. 5 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Britany wrote: "Finished 
by Fredrik Backman-- 4 StarsBeautiful short story that packs a punch
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"
I didn't know this was a thing. Picked up the ebook/audiobook and look forward to reading it this weekend. Thanks!
Anytime Tom! ;) Looking forward to your thoughts.
I finished reading This Business of Living: Diaries 1935-1950 by Cesare Pavese. I didn't write a review. However, Joan asked in another thread, when I first started reading this book, that she wished to know more about it since the blurb doesn't say much. So, here it is: it's the author's own diary, with his thoughts on various subjects, especially on poetry, writing, women (be warned that he proves to be quite misogynistic), life. Curiously, he doesn't talk about politics or the current state of affairs - bear in mind that most of the diaries are written during the fascist period and World War II. There are lots of beautifully written, insightful lines. I cannot quote because I read the book in Italian. The diaries are all the more interesting because they stop just a few days before the author's death by suicide. He talks about suicide quite a bit, although by no means extensively. I gave the book 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4. I definitely recommend it, especially if you're interested in Pavese's life and/or have read his books.
Finished
The Rose in Winter by Sarah HarrisonYou can find my spoiler free review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... orhttps://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Yesterday, I completed Augustown.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I had a really hard tine writing the review.
Recently finished listening to
City of Bones by Michael Connelly. My spoiler free review can be found at https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/... andhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Not So Secret Emails Of Coco Pinchard by Robert Bryndza
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Elizabeth Berg-- 2 StarsThis was not good...
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My final read of 2017 was
The Wanted by Robert Crais my spoiler free review can be found at https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/... orhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Happy New Year! Here is my review of Chemistry by Weike Wang. This was my final book for 2017.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman 4 StarsIf you have seen (view spoiler) the general premise is similar.
Love New Zealand author Paul Cleave and his latest offering
A Killer Harvest doesn't disappoint. My spoiler free review can be found at sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/... or https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read Return to Dragon Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man by Jonathan D. Spence. An educational read. 4 stars.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have completed my first book for 2018: Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Enjoyed this Golden Age detective story
Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude. My spoiler free review can be found on https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/... or https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've finished K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America's Most Unlikely Tourist by Peter Carlson.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Everyone else is posting their first reviews of 2018, and here I am still getting around to my last reviews of 2017. Anyway, here they are:Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Metaphorical Theology by Sallie McFague
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My first book of the year: Pane e bugie by Dario Bressanini 4*No English edition. The title is "Bread and Lies". The author is a chemist and scientist and in this book he talks about all the lies around food.
Is it true that organic food is healthier or more safe? No, it isn't and he explains why. Everything he writes about is based on serious scientific researches (there are always notes so that the reader can go and read the researches on interent). Is it true that GM food is dangerous? No one knows till now, so we can't say if it is dangerous or not.
This book is very interesting and written in an easy way so that also people who aren't into chemistry or science are able to understand it. The author talks about the most common lies: brown sugar is healthier respect to white sugar, Monosodium glutamate leads to cancer, organic food is healthier, farm-to-table products are better for the environment because there is less pollution, etc.
He also explains why these lies are so fast to be believed by people and how it's difficult to let them understand that these are only lies. The author isn't against organic food or pro GM food; he is objective and explains everything very well so that the reader can be more watchful when buying food.
I would recommend it to everyone obsessed with organic food or to those, like me, that thought that farm-to-table products pollute less, that brown sugar is better for our health, that there aren't pesticides in organic food, and GM food is the Evil.
The final book I completed in 2017 (started another on 31st Dec and completed it yesterday) was The Flesh Eater by John Gordon. Reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2240881340.
Here's the first of 2018 - The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell. Reading what others have said, I seem to be in a minority in being underwhelmed by this book - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2241030811.
Have listened to two titles over the past few days
My Man Jeeves and
Thank You, Jeeves both by P.G. Wodehouse. My reviews can be found at https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
My review of
Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
All About Books
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Book 3 - Fires of Azeroth - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2225417471.
For some weird reason, in My Books, Fires of Azeroth isn't showing up at the top of my read page because it keeps deleting the date read from the list view. Tried several times adding it but then a refresh blanks it again.