Play Book Tag discussion
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2016-19 Activities & Challenges
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Trim the TBR—August Planning and Reporting
OK - My computer has crashed - not even a blue screen of death! I have no way to access my list. I am hoping that the list I had sent at the beginning of this is still somewhere. Can anyone help me?
Kszr-went to your Member Challenge thread, is that what you are looking for? Your # 16 shows there as Homesick
KzarHere's your whole list1 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women
2 The 19th Wife
3 Less
4 The Power
5 The Yellow Birds
6 Burial Rites
7 The Lady and the Unicorn
8 The Girl Who Knew Too Much (Burning Cove, #1)
9 A Place for Us
10 The House of Broken Angels
11 Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved
12 Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces
13 The Underground Railroad
14 The History of Love
15 The Music Shop
16 Homesick
17 The Space Between Us
18 The Miniaturist
19 The Bookshop of Yesterdays
20 The Map of Salt and Stars
21 Freud's Mistress
22 Everything Here Is Beautiful
23 History Is All You Left Me
24 Someone Knows My Name
25 The Keeper of Lost Things
26 Little Fires Everywhere
27 Ordinary Grace
28 Prayers for Sale
29 The Alice Network
30 The Golden Son
31 Anything We Love Can Be Saved
32 Joy in the Morning
33 The Beauty of Humanity Movement
34 The Weight of Heaven
35 The Samurai's Garden
36 The Bean Trees
KSZR, I am reading The Invisible Bridge as my number 16, with two others, if you haven’t read it, and you want to jump ship and join us. See you tomorrow for Storyteller’s secret? If your screen crashed, text me for the address. A thousand people we both now have my phone number. Elizabeth, Jae, Loren for three!
Cora wrote: "My #16 is NOS4A2 and it has been tagged 21st century, so that works out nicely."I don't believe we planned it, Cora, so it's more of a happy accident, but my No. 16 book is also NOS4A2.
I have been reading more horror/fantasy/suspense this summer than usual. This is my first by Joe Hill and I'm looking forward to it.
August: #16 Walking the Trail
Fits the August tag: 21st Century: No
Page Length of the book- 258 pages
Joanne wrote: "KzarHere's your whole list1 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women
2 The 19th Wife
3 Less
4 The Power
5 The Yellow Birds
6 Burial Rites
7 The Lady and the Unicorn
8..."
THANK YOU!!
Amy wrote: "KSZR, I am reading The Invisible Bridge as my number 16, with two others, if you haven’t read it, and you want to jump ship and join us. See you tomorrow for Storyteller’s secret? If your screen cr..."As you can tell, I couldn't make it last night. The Invisible Bridge is amazing, however. Enjoy.
My #16 is Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper. I've enjoyed some of his other books so I'm looking forward to reading this one.
This was published in the 21st century, but I'm the one and only person who's tagged this as 21st century, so I'll say this does NOT fit the monthly tag.
Missed you K! I know I’ll get to see you soon. Thanks for the push on invisible bridge.
#16 The Golden Age of Murder - Martin Edwards - 4 and a 1/2 stars
528 pages
Apparently fits the tag of 21st century (on page 3) but I wouldn't tag it as such - it's firmly 20th century for me.
It's an interesting book that tells the story of detective fiction in the 1920s and 30s, focusing on Agatha Christie, Anthony Berkeley and Dorothy L Sayers along with their colleagues. It has increased my TBR massively! However the introduction is a bit misleading as it suggests that the book will focus on the mysteries in the lives of Christie, Berkeley & Sayers, but it only does so in the concluding chapter.
Cross-posted to the 21st century August folder
528 pages
Apparently fits the tag of 21st century (on page 3) but I wouldn't tag it as such - it's firmly 20th century for me.
It's an interesting book that tells the story of detective fiction in the 1920s and 30s, focusing on Agatha Christie, Anthony Berkeley and Dorothy L Sayers along with their colleagues. It has increased my TBR massively! However the introduction is a bit misleading as it suggests that the book will focus on the mysteries in the lives of Christie, Berkeley & Sayers, but it only does so in the concluding chapter.
Cross-posted to the 21st century August folder
August #16:NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
4 stars
692 Pages - TAGGED 21st Century
Vic has a paranormal ability to find things. She simply has to have the desire to find something and ride her bike really fast. A bridge to the location of the thing she is trying to find will magically appear. This ability leads her to danger one day when, after running away from home, she literally goes looking for trouble. The trouble she is lead to is serial killer Charlie Manx, who kidnaps children, after killing their parent, and takes them to a mysterious Christmasland forever. Their encounter will alter Vic's life forever.
This was a good horror novel. The bad guy was terrifically horrible and scary, but had a bit of charisma that made him more than the typical evil monster. There were some great supporting characters that were easy to root for. Although the beginning was a bit slow to start, there were definitely times (especially in the second half of the book) where I was on the edge of my seat. The ending felt very satisfying to me, even though it was not how I expected it all to end.
August # 16The Invisible Bridge - Julie Orringer
5 stars
pp. 624
I was excited to have The Invisible Bridge for the Trim the TBR challenge this month, as so many people whose judgement I trust have rated it highly. In addition, I read Julie Orringer book The Flight Portfolio earlier this year and was impressed by her writing.
What seemed to put me off when I considered it in the past was the length. As an impatient person I like to whip through a book at a certain speed, however I found that the pacing for The Invisible Bridge kept moving at the desired rate and I was compelled to keep reading. In the beginning I thought perhaps we could have moved more quickly but in the end I believed that the time taken in setting up the relationships of the characters in the book was absolutely necessary.
There is of course a sense of doom any time a book is set during World War II, and The Invisible Bridge is no exception. I grew very attached to Andras and Klara, the main characters, so I was concerned about their fate. Andras who is from Hungary is a student of architecture in Paris.
"Andras’s drawing had slipped one of its pins and hung askew from the wall. He looked at it and thought, That’s right. At that moment, everything seemed to hang at an angle by a single pin: not just houses, but whole cities, countries, peoples. He wished he could quiet the din in his mind."
I was impressed with how well Orringer explains the war in Hungary. I had previously read two books, In the Darkroom and The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World which are set in Budapest and became charmed by the tales of that city, so I was eager to learn more about Hungary and its role in World War II.
I recommend The Invisible Bridge for those who like a good historical fiction.
TRIM TBR: Normal People by Sally Rooney 3 *’sPages: 273
August Tag, 21st Century: Yes (1st published 2018)
This book did not resonate with me. I understand the psychological perspective that drove the story line but I felt cheated by the missing ‘fill in the blanks’ that colored Marianne’s character and her family’s dislike, even hatred, for her. I also often felt like the story line was forced in shallow ways especially when the relationship between Connell and Marianne, the two main characters, would pull away from their relationship and then suddenly from a simple running into each other again would restore the relationship with but a ‘I’m sorry about …..’.
I know that there are many people that absolutely adored this book so I will say only a little more about my reasons for rating it a smidge above mediocre. I see their adoration in the author’s ability to show deep felt feelings and how relationships can easily spin in and out of control. In many areas, the author did do these well, just not well enough for me in comparison to other equally revealing emotional story lines that have been presented by other authors. In addition, and lastly, perhaps my reduced appreciation is also as a result of my distant removal from the character’s age and their telling of an 18 to 20 -year-old’s love story living in 2011-2015. Potentially I am not as in touch with the current generation as I would like to think.
The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay2 Stars
Trim the TBR - June
227 Pages
The Rain Watcher is a powerful family drama set in Paris as the Malegarde family gathers to celebrate the father's 70th birthday. Their hidden fears and secrets are slowly unraveled as the City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster. Seen through the eyes of charismatic photographer Linden Malegarde, the youngest son, all members of the family will have to fight to keep their unity against tragic circumstances.
I do not remember how this book ended up on my to-be-read shelf, but today I regret that it ever did. This book had potential, but was an utter failure and one of, if not the worst book I will read this year. I see all of the glamorous reviews, but the book as a whole was just a failure for me.
So why give it two stars instead of 1? The story did have several really interesting story lines. (view spoiler) Any one of them could have made for a great novel, but instead they were smashed together with none of them being developed entirely. I could never figure out how any of the main story lines fit together in the grand scheme of things. And none of this is including the minor story lines that get no resolution at all. These make the novel even more difficult to stomach.
Overall, the book just failed to deliver. It lacked development of the plot, the characters, and the overall voice of the novel. Very disappointing read.
August #16 The Brothers K by David James Duncan645 pages
4.5 stars
Does not fit the tag
Sweeping family saga set mostly in the 1960’s – 1970’s in the state of Washington, The Brothers K is the story of the Papa Hugh Chance, a former baseball player whose career was derailed by injury, Mama Laura, a fervent Seventh Day Adventist with a painful past, and their four sons and two daughters. It is told in first person by the youngest son, Kincaid, through his own observations, as well as news articles, letters, school papers, and family memorabilia that provide additional points of view into relationships and events, and covers topics such as baseball, family dynamics, religion, nature, politics, war, and coming of age during the turbulent sixties. Though the characters are many, the focus is primarily on Papa Hugh, Mama Laura, and three of the four sons: Everett, Peter, and Irwin. Everett, the eldest, clashes with his mother regarding religion and becomes a rebel-hippie-agnostic. Peter, the second son, is the most athletically gifted, but is drawn to intellectual pursuits and Eastern spiritualism. Irwin is a good-hearted trusting soul who embraces his mother’s religion but also suffers the most trauma. It is a great example of how siblings can be remarkably different in temperament and avocations.
The author has a wry sense of humor and is skilled at evoking emotion, at times funny, poignant, or heart-breaking. Baseball anecdotes and analogies are prevalent in the first half of the book. Duncan uses baseball as a metaphor for life, and baseball fans will particularly enjoy this part. As the storyline expands, and the children grow to adulthood, the focus shifts away from baseball and toward their various interests. It also moves away from their small hometown in Washington to international locations. There are plentiful allusions to The Brothers Karamazov, for which the book is named, but the storyline is substantially different, and it is not required to have read Dostoevsky’s novel in order to appreciate this one. As baseball fans will know, a “K” represents a strike-out, and the characters suffer a number of failures, life lessons, and adversities. Duncan explores the nature of success and failure by examining life-altering decisions, and the roles of fate, chance, and spirituality. The characterization is outstanding, with enough detail to understand motivations. At almost 650 pages, Duncan takes a few detours that perhaps were not strictly required and relates extended dream sequences. It will require the reader’s patience and persistence, but the payoff felt worth the effort. This book explores the themes of faith, hope, self-discovery, doubt, internal strife, love, forgiveness, and redemption. It is a gem of a book, a mixture of a great yarn and a thought-provoking philosophical look at life.
August - #16224 pages
does not fit the tag
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
2 stars
Veronika, a 24 year old woman in Slovenia, swallows an overdose of pills hoping to end her life. Instead she wakes up in a local mental hospital. She is told by the doctors that the pills she took and the resulting coma have damaged her heart beyond repair and that she will likely die within 5 days. Veronika, undaunted by her diagnosis since she planned to die anyway, spends her remaining days interacting with several other patients who ultimately see her shortened life's journey as one of hope.
This book was so not for me. Once again I find myself out of my comfort zone in a book with too much depth that I just cannot grasp. I had originally thought to give this 1 star but the ending bumped it up to 2.
Sister - Rosamund Lupton 3.5/5#16 August 319p
I'm not sure if I ever would have gotten to this book if not for this challenge, and it would have been glaring at me from the TBR wondering what it did to deserve the neglect. It's not you, book, it's me.
It's possible that this book is tagged 21st century, it's got some themes to be sure, but I couldn't go through the 3,300 tags to find out.
A girl goes missing and her sister tries to find out what happened. The story is told in the form of a letter from the looking sister to the missing sister. It got me interested right away and I was engrossed. As things started to be revealed, I started to think it was a bit silly and the motivation behind the missing sister pretty far-fetched. However, that won't stop me from listening to the second book.
The audio was well done.
#16 Trim the TBR. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce
320 pages, 5 stars
Matches the August tag. (Shelved 20 times as 21st Century)
They say that a novel is a different book for each reader, because we each bring our own experiences and interpretations into the book. I suspect that could be especially true for this book. There is a lot going on in this seemingly simple story. On the surface, Harold's walk across England is about hope and his desire to keep his friend alive. Harold undertakes a difficult challenge with no preparation, and this could be a metaphor for many things one might strive to do in life. At one point in the story, other people join in (with their own goals and intentions), and they try to takeover and change the quest. In any quest to meet a goal (or make a change), other people can help, change, or impede your progress. We saw all of this in Harold's trip.
This book is also about marriage, friendship, parenting a difficult child, regrets, gratitude, grief, wonder, openness, blame, transformation, redemption, and more. I think this book can stimulate some useful reflection on your own life.
Sometimes a book comes to you at exactly the right time. This is my Trim the TBR book this month, and it was the perfect time for me. The day I started this book, I was dealing with a current issue that was emotionally entangled with old issues, and I couldn't think my way through it. This book helped me to get outside of my own head for a while. It was nice to experience Harold’s long walk, and his wife’s experiences as well. Their reflections on their marriage and son were particularly interesting to me. By the end, this book helped me to gain a little perspective and see things from a new point of view (and it got me out of my angry funk). It was very meaningful. I don’t know if this book would have been as relevant to me when I was younger.
I've had this book on various to-read lists over the years, often listed near A Man Called Ove, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. While the plots of these books are all different, I do think they have some commonalities. This book also reminded me of a great indie film called The Straight Story, and there is one bit of the book that reminded me of a scene in Forrest Gump. I'd be interested in other books that have hidden depths or deal with personal transformations.
Barbara wrote: "Hooray! My #16 book is A Rule Against Murder, an Inspector Gamache novel. I love this series by Louise Penny! This is number 4, I'm way behind in the series but that's OK. Seven peop..."I love this series! I would recommend it to anyone. I'm up to #12.
July #23All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - 3 stars - 531 pages
I finally finished and am finally getting around to writing the review!! I was hoping to get it done in time but just couldn't make it.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Trim the TBR - August - #16A Rule Against Murder
322 pages
Also fits the monthly tag!
I really enjoy Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his lovely wife Reine-Marie. They are so sweet together. They are at a lovely lodge, the Manoir Bellechasse, outside of Quebec and not very far from the village of Three Pines, scene of previous books, to celebrate their anniversary.
When they arrive, they find out their stay coincides with the family reunion of the Morrow family. In my opinion a more unlikable group would be hard to find. That doesn't bother the Gamaches though, they are just happy to be there, far from many things that would disturb their peace.
As usual, Gamache is called upon to use his excellent skills as an Inspector. This time, the crime comes to him at Manoir Bellechasse. It's a real puzzler too. An excellent story.
I really enjoy the way Louise Penny writes. She is so good at setting the stage, describing the people, the environment surrounding them, the quick little moments of humor, and the small movements and actions that make them so human. There is one section in the beginning I especially enjoyed when Gamache is speaking to his friend Peter, an artist, about the fact that Peter's wife is also an artist. "I'm not sure Raine-Marie would be pleased if I became a librarian, like her" said Gamache, looking over at his wife talking animatedly with Clara. "I can just see the both of you working at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Montreal, seething resentment between the aisle. Especially if you get promoted." "That wouldn't happen. I can't spell. Have to sing the alphabet every time I look a number up in the phone book. Drives Raine-Marie crazy. But you wnt murderous feeling? Hang around librarians," confided Gamache. "All that silence. Gives them ideas." Cracked me up - I'm a retired librarian.
The end of this story was a real grabber, playing on Gamache's fear of heights. At the very end, all is beautifully revealed but I, for one, didn't understand one of the sentences on the last page. Now I'm off to do some research.
Trim the TBR August #16
Malevil by Robert Merle 3 starsDoes NOT fit August theme
575 pages - Original US English translation hardcover - could not find info on original French hardcover publication.
This is a dystopian novel set in Southwest France at a time, when written and first published in France [and presumably the whole world] in 1972 , in the near future of 1977. A 'clean' (lithium not hydrogen) bomb is exploded over France, destroying the world and all living in it from humans to insects. There are pockets of survivors who were located somewhere protected by some natural phenomena. This story, told from a narrator's viewpoint as if written for posterity as a history, centers on such a pocket of individuals who survived because they were in a wine cave deep under a medieval castle [known as Malevil, hence the book title], built under a cliff. The combo of sheltering cliff, medieval castle (they built to last back then), and underground cavern saved our small group, mostly friends from childhood, a couple of the castle owner's employees, and a young scientist.
The reason behind and cause of the destruction is of little importance once of course the question of potential nuclear fallout is answered. What is the center of the story is both the group's survival and governing structure going forward. The role of religion is very clearly at the heart of what the author seeks to portray here; this being rural France, Catholic/Protestant vs. Communist/Atheist. The narrator is in so many ways a Christ figure - named Emmanuel, charismatic, a natural leader, unwed and childless, immensely intelligent, and a mediator. Religion is in some fashion the underpinnings for much of any society's norms and government and conflicts. And of course leads to great abuses as well, as is seen when another pocket of survivors is found in a nearby town. The author has pretty decided opinions on what is needed to govern effectively, and some form of religion is part of it.
I am not particularly familiar with the dystopian genre, but this did not really read to me as typical. In fact, it reads very much like a pioneer story, with settlers struggling to create a new community while surviving in an inhospitable land, and battling those who would take or destroy all you have struggled to achieve. Or even more a boy's adventure story. It also suffered by clearly placing it in the late 1970s, a time now over 40 years in the past, a period that saw 9/11 and the rise of nuclear weapons in the hands of extremists like Iran and North Korea. It reads a bit too naive from 2019. Especially when you have work like Station Eleven for comparison.
I also had a serious problem with the way the author depicted women. While he has the women to a large degree own their sexuality, it ends up reading too much like a male adolescent's wet dream. The women, what few there are because of course not being as physically strong as men they were less likely to survive, are either children, sex bombs, or physically unattractive (i.e. obese, skeletal, manly). Women are mostly excluded from key decision-making and governing. And this was written and set in the 1970s! Unbelievable. The lack of ethnic diversity is far more understandable and acceptable given this is a very rural insular village in France, far from an urban center.
It was a good read, not a great one. I did like how the author had the voice of another survivor interrupt Emmanual's account from time to time, and actually write the conclusion. Just as you might find Emmanual's voice a little too egotistical, a new tone is introduced briefly, and a new perspective. It was on my TBR because a friend recommended it as being a bit different, due to the French setting, survival by being in a wine cave, and the kinds of decisions the survivors had to make with an eye to continuing humanity.
August trim #16The Breakdown by B.A. Paris / 3 stars
Does NOT fit tag
328 pages
I decided to put this in "other" because there is really nothing that would define this as 21st Century other than its publication date really...
I think Paris' thrillers are pretty average, but after reading a couple of her books I will always read her. You want a straight forward thriller with a good hook, B.A. Paris is your writer. You want strong, complicated characters then not so much.
The hook of The Breakdown is Cass takes a shortcut despite her husband's warning not to and the next day she finds out a woman she passed on the road (pulled over on the shoulder) has been brutally murdered.
The rest of the story follows Cass in a post-trauma paranoia. Is she imagining things or does the murderer know who she is and trying to silence her forever.
Not much more to say. B.A. Paris stories are always fast reads.
Her writing is good but the novels could really be elevated by more complex characters.
August Trim #16Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
3 Stars
Does it Fit 21st Century Tag: Yes
Hey look- I read another GIRL book! Surprise surprise.
We all know I'm semi-addicted to these psychological thrillers. This one was definitely darker than most, with some themes I wasn't suspecting, but also wasn't surprised by (view spoiler). The problem with this one was that it seemed very OVERDONE. There are not one but TWO MAJOR things in our unlikeable protagonist's past. Both of which are not-so-carefully revealed at different times so manipulate us to thing that we should feel bad for the protagonist, and "understand" why she is the way she is. Too bad I'm onto you author- and won't let you manipulate my feelings the way you want them to go!
This is about Jessica, whose built her life in NYC after going through tragedy in her past. Now a documentary is happening about her story, and bringing up all the memories, past, the unspoken relationships and reopening wounds. Now, I'm all about the Flynn-ian style unlikable narrator, but this girl is just bitchy. She wasn't smart about how she handled situations, I didn't like her "poor me" attitude. She's covering all her bullet wounds with bandaids- and hides it all under a fake smile and her fake champagne taste.
Now it seems like I'm hating on this book. I didn't hate it, it was entertaining, I liked the reveals, I liked the plot twists. It had that addictive "want to know more" thing that keeps you turning pages. It just wasn't amazing, and there are lots of BETTER psychological thrillers out there. But popcorn fluff- yes! Let me enjoy my lifetime movie book, and I'll forget the plot about it in a few weeks.
PBT Note: Tagged by 10 ppl as 21st century, I do feel like it encompasses some themes discussed with this tag (see spoilers). Also I think the 'girl' trend is ultimately a 2000-the foreseeable future trend.
Space OperaBy Catherynne M. Valente
4 stars
Trim the TBR #16
352 Hardcover pages
Not the monthly tag
After long years of galactic war the winning aliens came together and decided on a particular, non-lethal way for newly discovered races to prove their sentience and join the interstellar civilizations: the Metagalactic Grand Prix. All races send their best performers to wow the judges with song and spectacle. After all, only sentient species have the time, resources and empathy for music, art and performance. Ranking influences the portion of shared resources a given planet receives for the coming cycle, so it’s no game. When a new species is discovered they must defeat at least one other sentient species, or have their species annihilated.
This year the humans are forcibly invited to compete. At the bottom of the list of possible competitors the alien researchers compiled is the one group still alive: Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes. A flash-in-the-pan from the long ago 2000s they haven’t performed together in years. Decibel Jones (real name Danesh) has been making failed solo albums and working his moment of fame for all it’s worth since then, while Omar (stage name Oort St. Ultraviolet) is living a perfectly normal life with wife and kids while playing session music and writing jingles. Miranda Wonderful Star is unavailable, but in the rush to get to the contest the family cat is brought along, just because. Decibel puts on his best rhinestones, makeup and charm to work the alien green room. Omar has several perfectly reasonable small nervous breakdowns. All of humanity watches the 24-hour contest reality show and realize The Absolute Zeroes have no chance to beat any other planet in a fair contest.
This was just the right book at just the right time so I was delighted. I might not have been at another time. Inspired by Eurovision and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is it quite silly with a heavy dose of melodrama. I’d appreciate that any time. The problem, for me, is the writing. I write a long sentence and drove my English teachers crazy with my commas, but this book was their revenge. Every sentence was full of metaphors on top of British slang with alien sentiments and deep dive rock references. It was too much. It was too much for the editors as well as there were gaping inconsistencies and holes. I loved the glam rock absurdity and many of the creative aliens so I forgive the author. I will not try anything else by her until the exact mood strikes.
#16 - AugustThe Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
5 stars
272 pages
A love story between Lale, a Slovakian Jew and Gita. While the author doesn’t ignore the atrocities that took place at Auschwitz and Birkenau it is clear that this story’s focus is love, hope, and survival and that is what makes it a such a compellingly great read. It’s a true story, and the characters, real people, survive and go on to live happy, full lives despite the numbers permanently inked on their arms reminding them of how near death they both came. There are recollections within these pages of small kindnesses as well as huge risks prisoners took to help one another survive. I can’t say enough good things about this book. If, like me, you’re hesitant to pick it up because you can’t stomach another depressing WWII read, I encourage you to give it a chance. It’s not the typical Auschwitz story and instead leaves you with the certainty that for the most part, there is an innate goodness in all of us.
#16The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins
4 stars
323 pages
I didn't look to see if it fits tag
Starts of pretty boring. A girl riding a train and written in diary style. After a little bit it picks up and gets interesting and someone goes missing. By the end I could hardly put it down. Suspense and Mystery. I was surprised by the who's and why's. In the end I wonder why on left in on my TBR so long other than I don't like to read books when there is a bunch of hype about them. I don't usually like to watch movies about books I read, but found I can't to see the movie.
# 16 Every Heart a Doorway 4 stars173 pages
Fits The Monthly tag-16 people tagged it 21st Century
Wow! Not what I expected from this book. I was extremely awed and mesmerized by Seanan McGuire's writing and world building.
The story is dark: There are doorways to "other worlds" and it seems that each doorway is meant for a certain person, and those people are few and far between. Once you find your door, you might not come back or you could come back not wanting to....Eleanor West has a home for the Wayward children who come back against their will. Here she hopes to make their lives a little bit better. There is something sinister going on though at Miss West's home.
The book has some humor, it explores gender and acceptance. I fell in love with a couple of the characters. All in all a very satisfying read.
The Invisible Bridge by Julia Ohrringer; 5 stars, #16
What an absolutely beautiful and engaging book! I must admit I was a little intimidated to start. At 750 pages, I had a hard time getting to it, until a challenge made it possible and a must. (#16). Plus I had two (at least) companions to read it with. But it was engaging and beautifully done. I was engrossed and enraptured into the story. I couldn't put it down.
The story itself traces a young Hungarian man who gets an opportunity to go to Paris for architecture school, and agrees to deliver a (top secret) letter. This eventually leads to an unforgettable love affair and yet another brilliantly written WWII story, where I must admit the losses are guttural, but the resilience and the fortune equals in the roller coaster of the heart. I greatly enjoyed each twist and turn.
I am posting this review on the general feed, in the August Other category, in the Trim Folder (#16), in the Buddy Read for Invisible Bridge thread, and possibly in the Jewish Book Club, if I can find the thread there as well. But for those who have read the book, I just wanted to say that the author had a way of capturing things that absolutely tugged on the heart strings and made you understand its power. Perhaps one of the many favorite stories told, which will forever stay with me, is when Andras described his mother, and how she would care for his wife in his temporary absence, he recalls a memory of himself as a kid, who had received a spectacular present, and whose mother saved the day from a huge devastation with ease and acuity, that was heroic. The story in itself was descriptive and and moving, but what it meant to him in the present, was the link that made me pause in the book, reflect, and sigh with the "aah" of understanding. I felt that. And much of the book was just like that. I laughed in places, cried in others. I hoped, I dared, I dreamed, I grieved, and I lived it - all 750 pages. What a pleasure!
#16If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him... by Sharyn McCrumb 4 stars
does not fit tag
180 pages
This is the eighth book in the Elizabeth Mac Pherson series. I haven't read any other books in the series but I found this one enjoyable. Elizabeth is a forensic anthropologist who has been hired as an investigator at her brothers law firm while she's going through a rough patch. Her brother is defending a woman who is accused of poisoning her husband after he took a separate, illegal, wife. He's also representing a woman who wants to marry a dolphin. Meanwhile his partner is defending a woman who shot her ex-husband and his new wife. The book covers a lot of serious topics about feminism but there is plenty of humor too. I plan to look for more books in the series.
Rachel N. wrote: "#16If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him... by Sharyn McCrumb 4 stars
does not fit tag
180 pages
This is the eighth book in the Elizabeth Mac Pherson series. I haven't read any other boo..."
Oh I had forgotten this one! Definitely read more in series - I highly recommend Missing Susan - London, Jack the Ripper Walking tour, The Windsor Knot includes meeting the Queen - hilarious and excellent.
For something completely different and fun: Bimbos of the Death Sun and Zombies of the Gene Pool.
Her Ballad series are darker I found.
#16 August Trim the TBR
The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon - 3.5 Stars
1,456 pages
Does Not Fit Tag
The massive fifth book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, The Fiery Cross, picks up in 1771, where Jamie and Claire Fraser are still living in North Carolina along with Brianna, Roger, and their son. But their peaceful life is starting to fall apart. The American Revolution is still a number of years away but Jamie has been asked by the governor to raise a local militia. Jamie already knows about the Revolution but now, as it approaches, he starts to worry about protecting his loved ones.
Much of the book revolves around the everyday life of the Fraser clan. The characters are very realistically portrayed and their actions lead to some incredible drama. There are many story lines that continue, as well as a couple that come to the end. Of course, some new surprises occur that will have you adding the next book to your TBR. It's hard to review this book without giving away spoilers. If you are already a fan of the series, you will enjoy continuing your journey with Claire and Jamie.
The story alternates between Claire, Jamie, Roger and Brianna which I liked. So much happens in the last half of the book that I found it easier to understand when seen through eyes other than Claire's. I did find the first half of the book to be very slow moving. There were numerous descriptions I didn't find interesting or required, like pages of Claire's medical experiments and even more detail of crying babies and dirty clouts (diapers) than anyone wants to hear.
It's been years since I read one of the Outlander books and I was excited to have this come up in the Trim Challenge. I thought this book was the weakest of the series to date, but I already have the next one on my Kindle and do plan to read it soon. Whatever the issues that I had with this book, I'm not quite ready to leave these characters behind.
August Trim #16Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Fits the 21st Century Tag
510 pages
4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
August: #16 Walking the TrailFits the August tag: 21st Century: No
Page Length of the book- 258 pages
2 stars
I don't even know where to begin or how to write a good review. Not impressed with his writing style nor am I impressed with the story telling. If you are wanting a book about Cherokee Trail of Tears this is far from it. It is about a man walking the trail with clear intentions of writing a book about it. Has some interesting thought provoking moments but overall found it be dry and lacking the respect the Cherokee Trail of Tears deserves.
Trim the TBR #16Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper
4 stars
352 pages
Doesn't fit 21st century tag
I love Jonathan Tropper's books. Always funny, easy, lighthearted - and this one was no exception.
I was a twist on "chick lit", where the main character is a man in search of love and meaning in his life.
He has a "perfect" girlfriend and another girl he's known "forever" who he has conflicted feelings for.
Throw in a job crisis and a giant health scare, the reappearance of the father who abandoned him as a child, a few friends and brothers, and you can almost see the full story from the set up.
I won't give any spoilers, but the story ends up where you might expect. The fun of Jonathan Tropper's books are the twists and turns to get to the obvious ending.
This was a perfect summer book and I'm glad I had a chance to read it!
#16 August (also fits monthly tag)Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
4 stars
This is a memoir about a girl’s experiences with foster care and how these years affected her. Ashley was taken from her young mother at the age of three. She had many foster families over the nine years she spent in the system. Ashely tells of overcrowding, abuses, and disappointments. It is an eye opening story.
The book is from Ashley’s point of view. As she has gotten older she better understands the people around her and accepts others more. She has become an advocate for foster children, talks of her becoming part of a family and also how it took time to adjust. Ashley’s story is both educational and emotional. It is a book I will not forget.
#16Goodnight Nobody / Jennifer Weiner
4 stars
Kate is a mom of three, living in the suburbs and feeling like she just doesn’t live up to the other moms, and none of them are interested in being friends with her. She misses her best friend Janie from when they lived in New York City; luckily, “Aunt” Janie comes to visit fairly often. When one of the other local moms (Kitty) invites Kate over to talk about something, Kate instead stumbles upon Kitty’s dead body in the kitchen, with a knife sticking out of her back. Kate and the other moms are worried when the police aren’t finding who did it. Kate, having a reporter background, decides to do some digging herself. While digging, Kate also learns that Kitty was in touch with an old crush of Kate’s in New York, and the digging brings them together.
I really enjoyed this. The ex-flame helping out makes for a slightly more interesting investigation. After taking a peek at some of the other reviews, I had no problem with Kate! I guess I “get” her infatuation with her former crush (though I am not married, so…), and I don’t have kids, so the fact that she wasn’t terribly happy with her current situation didn’t really bother me. In any case, I really enjoyed the story!
Trim #16does NOT feat the monthly tag
A Passage to India by EM Forster
376 pages
The bottom line is - I didn't love it.
First of all - the audiobook is a shocker, and usually if I don't like it I stop early so to not ruin the reading experience, but I felt like I'm not loving the book as a whole, and so continued listening. Maybe it was a mistake...
Forster wrote in 1924 a brave book criticizing harshly the british occupying and colonising India
The story is told from few different points of view - both Indian and British, and all are very limited in their understanding of the other side.
In some ways it is still a very timely tale - there's a discord between cultures again. or maybe there always is. but the suspiciousness of The Other is very strong again in the world
One of the characters said that English men can be a friend with Indian in england, but not in India. That sentiment stayed with me. The gap between 'conqueror' and 'native'...
Parts of it are beautiful, parts of aged a bit and bored me. It was worth reading and I might try a printed version one day.
Trim #16 Cold Kill by P.J. TracyDoes not fit the Tag. (Although it is clearly set in 21st century since it is 60 years after the Cold War)
320 pages
Standard P.J. Tracy. Fast paced with lots of action and a few twists. A scientist is killed because he realises his ideas could be misused. 60 years later those ideas have been developed and anyone who may know anything is being killed off, including descendants of the original scientists.
Who is doing the killing? Their own government or the Russians? Who is shooting the assassins? What did the scientist try to prevent the world from using and why was his plane blown up?
Lots of questions but most of the answers are fairly obvious if you have read a few P.J. Tracy books. All the usual characters are there being superhuman as usual and saving the day.
Some nice news for Grace for once.
August - #16Title:
Belshazzar's DaughterAuthor: Barbara Nadel
Date Read: 08/26/2019
No. of Pages: 448
Rating: ★★★
Review:
This is a police procedural set in Balat, a suburb of Istanbul, dealing with the gruesome murder of Leonid Meyer , an old immigrant Russian Jew. Inspector Cetin Ikmen and his second in Command, Sergeant Mehmet Suleyman work on the case to solve it. While Ikmen’s boss wants to project this as a racist murder, Ikman wants to reconstruct the lives of all the suspects to understand the mtoive for the murder. Reinhold Smits, a Nazi sympathizer, Maria Gulcu and her grand daughter, Natalia Gulcu – supposed descendants of the ill fated Romanov family, Robert Cornelius, Natalia’s ex-pat lover who works as a teacher in a language school form the main suspects. Though set in modern Istanbul, the storyline spans about 80 years. Fatma,the ever pregnant wife of Cetin and their romantic interlude, Mrs. Suleyman, the dominant mother of Mehmet and Dr. Timur Ikmen, father of Cetin and an expert in russian history, Arto Sarkissian, the police surgeon add the Turkish flavour to the story. There is a final twist in the story which is related for Robert Cornelius but leaves the police to guess what could have been – a different kind of ending. The multicultural characters that are part of Istanbul and the beauty and squalor of Istanbul’s various areas have been brought out well.
Riding Lessons - Sarah Gruen 387 pagesTagged 21st Century
2 stars
I wanted to like this book. I loved Water for Elephants and so expected to like it. But I didn't. This book is basically a Hallmark movie in print. Girl was once a champion equestrian and had a terrible accident and never rides again. Fast forward 20 years, girl has moody teenaged daughter and proceeds to lose her job and her marriage (he cheated) in the same day. Oh yeah, plus her dad has ALS and is doing poorly. So she packs up moody teenager and moves in with parents at their horse ranch in the country. Enter hot new trainer who is determined to help girl get her groove back, and equally hot childhood sweetheart who is now a veterinarian. I think it's pretty obvious where the story goes from there. If I was in the mood for a Hallmark movie/book this would have been great. But I just found it shallow and predictable. Full disclosure, I couldn't finish it. My eyes can only roll so much before they get stuck.
August - #16
The Woman in Cabin 10
PBT tag - 21st Century - listed by 17 people
3 stars
Review: Laura “Lo” Blacklock gets a dream assignment to cover a luxury cruise of the Norwegian fjords. 2 days before the trip her apartment is burgled while she is there, causing panic attacks and sleep deprivation. Lo also has a slight problem with drinking. Once she boards the ship with a dozen other passengers and the ship sails we have the scene set for a locked room mystery. Then there is the chance meeting with a girl in the next cabin who is not listed on the guest list. Lo is awakened by what she views as the murder of this girl and her calls for help only bring disbelief. More twists and turns lead to a surprise, but I never really got vested in Lo as heroine. I did not particularly like her or many of the side characters. Just lacked the suspense the reviews alluded to.
#16 - The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony MarraFits monthly tag of 21st century (tagged by 9 people)
Hardcover 352 pages
It's hard to describe this, because though it's a collection of stories, it's not really individual shorts but a collection of character studies, all interwoven, and set in the former USSR. The links may be tenuous at first but after you get through a few you start to spot the connections sooner.
I'm sorry to say I was disappointed with this. Perhaps I'm just tired of books that employ the switching POVs and back-and-forthing in time that seems to be the rage in this last decade. But I was unable to connect with any of the characters or care very much for any of them, so what was meant to be poignancy was mostly lost on me. I also got tired of the preponderance of metaphors and similes and flowery prose, but above all I was tired of the gloominess of it all. It took me all month to finish this because I kept dropping it for other books. I much preferred Marra's other book, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, but even that one did not live up to the hype, IMO.
I think Marra's writing is just not my thing. I can appreciate his skill, but this book just did not touch me. I didn't hate it, but by the end I just wanted to get through it.
Hi all, I am planning to close this thread Wednesday afternoon, so be sure to have your reviews posted by then!!
AUGUST - # 16Fit's the Tag - NO (However, it is tagged "21st Century Fiction")
Pages: 278
The Flight of the Maidens – Jane Gardam – 4****
In the summer of 1946 three young women prepare themselves to head off to university and explore the world beyond Yorkshire, England. What I love about Gardam’s writing is the way she paints her characters and shows us who they are. Gardam changes point of view from chapter to chapter to give each girl a chance in the spotlight. Still, while Leiselotte’s journey is the most wide-ranging and full of surprises, I’m not sure I ever really got to know her and felt that her story was somewhat tacked onto that of the other girls.
LINK to my review
TBR #16Pages 374Homesick
rating ****
In a village abandoned by fleeing Arabs in 1948, Avram and Noa move in together, taking their relationship to the next level. Avram, a psychology student, has been working at a mental health facility as part of his education. Noa is working on creating her term project for photography. Noa becomes friends with Sima, her landlord. Sima is fighting with her husband Moshe, who is being influenced by his Rabbi brother, to be more religious. Yotam lost his brother Gidi in the unrest. His parents are lost in grief and don't seem notice Yotam is not doing well at school. Avram befriends him and is a friend when needed.
Through this, Saddiq finds that the house Moshe's parents are living in was the one his family was forced to abandon in 1948 after lurking around for months. His mother sends him to get something left in the walls of the house.
Moshe's father, recently impacted by a surgery, mistakes Saddiq as his dead son Nassim and lets him into the house. After confusion the police come, a shot is fired, and Saddiq is arrested.
Throughout this, Avram's friend is writing him, talking of love, adventure and more. As the story concludes, the community that is built helps define what it means to be home, with all its various meanings.
TBT #16The Passage by Justin Cronin
843 pages
Fits August monthly tag--21st century (I don't know that I would personally tag this as 21st century, but it is tagged as such on page two of the list of tags/shelves the books is on.)
The Passage is the largely the story of viral vampires (vampires created by a virus from deep within the jungle). The virus soon overspreads the world, but one girl, Amy, who we follow throughout the bulk of the book, possible holds the answer to saving the civilization.
Overall, the concept of this book is intriguing, with the cause of vampirism (or something akin to it steming from a virus. The "vampire-like" creatures are referred to as virals . But this is more than just a vampire story; this is an epic tale of a vampire virus created through scientific experiement and the absolutely of military power in the process of creating the virus. It is also an epic apocalyptic tale of survival, relationships, love, and death. The book really does run the gamit with regards to its focus, which may be why parts of the book seem to drag a bit, but the center still manages to hold.
Overall, it's fairly well written, with a tightly driven plot that leaves just enough unreavealed to make you want to read on to the next installment in the trilogy.
I will admit that I frist because interested in the book when I saw the advertisments for the television series, but never actually watched the series. But I am glad that I picked up the book and finally got around to reading it.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Homesick (other topics)The Flight of the Maidens (other topics)
The Tsar of Love and Techno (other topics)
The Woman in Cabin 10 (other topics)
Belshazzar's Daughter (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Barbara Nadel (other topics)P.J. Tracy (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
Diana Gabaldon (other topics)
Paula Hawkins (other topics)
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342 Pages
Does not fit the tag this month.
4 Stars
This was literally a charming retelling of a Cinderella (with a good dash of Beauty and the Beast lore thrown in) retelling. Set in medieval England, it was fun and different and lighthearted and it made me laugh out loud so many times. The Hero can meet any enemy with courage, face any hardship, but he has one secret, abiding fear: his children. He is desperate to find a woman who can tame them and take them in charge, but who does not have any appeal to him at all so that he is not further tortured by any more new babies, destined to terrorise him. Hilarious plot.