The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU
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<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
Ways To Hide In Winter – Sarah St.Vincent – 4****
This is a tightly written, marvelous psychological / political thriller. The characters are skittish, guarded, and yet reveal themselves by their actions. Kathleen and Daniil recognize in one another a certain similarity – both are running from the truth, both profess to need solitude even a way to hide away, and yet both want desperately to confide and reveal their pain and their hopes. This short novel includes some major issues The landscape is practically a character, and adds to the feeling of isolation, loneliness and imminent danger. The reader is kept in suspense to the very end.
My full review HERE
Finished:
- 2*,
- 3.5*,
- 3.5*Reading:
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
Stars of Fortune - audiobook
Rubyfruit Jungle
Queen of Scots
The Crossing
After You – Jojo Moyes – 3***
A sequel to her runaway hit Me Before You, this brings the reader up to date on Louisa and her efforts to heal from the events in the earlier novel. I can’t say much more because that would spoil the first book. There are no easy, straightforward answers for Louisa, Sam or Lily. Or, for that matter the supporting characters. While the scenarios these characters are dealing with are not situations I have personally dealt with, their emotions ARE familiar to me. I did think that the plot got a little too complicated. Still, this was a very enjoyable sequel to the first book and I’m glad to have read it.
My full review HERE
Before I Die – Candy Chang – 3.5***
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Chang noticed the many abandoned, boarded up homes in New Orleans. One such house was in her neighborhood – a daily reminder of damage, devastation, shattered hopes and despair. She was inspired to do something and got permission from the owner and the city to create a piece of public art. Her project brought her neighborhood together as people wrote, read, and discussed the responses, and drew national and international attention. This book chronicles the efforts of people in 40+ countries on six continents to create similar works of art.
My full review HERE
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*Reading:
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
My Lost Family - audiobook
The Crossing
Love And Ghost Letters – Chantal Acevedo – 3.5*** rounded UP
Acevedo gives us a wonderful exploration of Cuba from 1933 to 1969. Over the course of the novel Acevedo explores love in its many forms: passionate, within marriage or outside of it, as a teenager, during old age, parental and among friends. The upheaval within the relationships is contrasted nicely against the revolutions and political changes in the country during this time frame.
My full review HERE
All the Stars In the Heavens – Adriana Trigiani – 3.5***
Historical fiction based on real-life Hollywood drama: the love affair between Loretta Young and Clark Gable that resulted in a love child. I like Trigiani’s writing. I like the way she draws the reader in and moves the story forward. I really liked the secondary story of Alda and Luca – their steady love story is a direct contrast to the multiple relationships / marriages / breakups / divorces of the Hollywood stars
My full review HERE
Finished "Winter Garden" continuing to read "The Secret Bride"
Passing – Nelle Larsen – 4****
Larsen was part of the Harlem Renaissance and this book is a marvel of social commentary. In this slim volume Larsen explores issues of black/white identity, of the desire to get ahead and the societal obstacles to that path, of male/female relationships, and female-female rivalries. There is tension, fear, anger, joy, desire and hope. We get a wonderful glimpse of middle-class Black culture in 1920s Harlem.
My full review HERE
The Library Book – Susan Orlean – 4****
On April 29, 1986, there was a disastrous fire in the Los Angeles Public Library. The conflagration reached 2000°F and burned for more than seven hours. It was the single biggest library fire in U.S. history, consuming 400,000 books and damaging 700,000 more. This is the story of the fire, the investigation, and the building / rebuilding of the library. fire, scientists and fire marshals, and family members of the primary suspect. The result is a comprehensive story, not just of the fire, but of libraries in general, and the LAPL in particular.
My full review HERE
Empty Mansions – Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr – 4****
Subtitle: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune. I remember the news coverage when Ms Clark was “discovered” living in a hospital room while her several mansions stood empty. I found this book completely fascinating. And yet … This story made me so very sad for this woman who, for all her wealth, lived such a lonely and limited life.
My full review HERE
Started: The First Man in Rome: A big owned book that may take me a while
The Alice Network: Audiobook
Oh, Play That Thing
Girl Waits with Gun
Grace Among Thieves – Julie Hyzy – 3***
Book three in the Manor House Mystery series, starring Grace Wheaton, curator and manager of the estate / museum in the North Carolina mountains. As cozy mysteries go, this is a pretty good series. I like Grace, who is generally calm in a crisis, and obviously competent at her job. She does seem to have a blind spot where romance is concerned but she helps the police find the culprit, further securing her future at Manor House.
My full review HERE
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...Just started last weekend. It's taking me a bit to really get into it. 🤷♀️
Well, this is my practice run with posts... Let me try again. Woah.... it is much easier using a computer (rather than a phone)!! So yeah, I'm reading Salem's Lot.
Jessica wrote: "Well, this is my practice run with posts... Let me try again. Woah.... it is much easier using a computer (rather than a phone)!! So yeah, I'm reading Salem's Lot. "The APP is awful-if you are using your phone my advise is to use the web site instead!
Summer At the Little Beach Street Bakery – Jenny Colgan – 3***
Book two in the Little Beach Street Bakery series, this is an enjoyable chick-lit romance with food. There’s the usual drama one expects from new-adult relationships, life choices, career moves, etc. Wonderful cast of supporting characters. It’s a fun, fast, light read. Perfect for a vacation read, or anytime you want something entertaining.
My full review HERE
I am starting off the new season with a little bit of everythingFantasyNinth House
Historical Fiction The Widow of the South AND The Fountains of Silence
Non Fiction An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943
Best of Luck in the new season!
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*Reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome: A big owned book that may take me a while
The Alice Network: Audiobook
The Prisoner Of Heaven – Carlos Ruiz Zafón – 3***
Book three in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Oh, I love Zafón’s writing! The book is very atmospheric; I can feel the chill of a wintery wind, smell the candlewax and dust, practically taste the delicacies offered at 7 Portes restaurant. There are twists and turns and changes in timeline that confuse, obfuscate, tease the reader and illuminate the plot.
My full review HERE
I’d Kill For That – Marcia Talley, Gayle Lynds, et al
1*
This is a cooperative / team effort among thirteen women mystery writers, each one writing a different chapter.
I thought the characters were over the top, and there was little character development. I thought there were far too many murders, almost as if each author needed to add a murder in her chapter. I thought the final critical scene where all is revealed was unbelievable, though I won’t outline my reasons here as that would be a major spoiler.
I would have abandoned it but it satisfied a couple of challenges. At least it was a fast read.
Finished:
- 4*Still reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome: A big owned book that may take me a while
The Alice Network: Audiobook
The Map of True Places
Bedford Square
The Game of Silence – Louise Erdrich – 4****
Book two in the Birchbark House series which is about an Ojibwa tribe’s life on their island in Lake Superior. Omakayas is the young girl who narrates this book, which chronicles a year on the island that is today known as Madeline Island. I love how Erdrich depicts these people and their way of life. Not everything is pleasant or easy, but there is room for joy and happiness, for children to explore and learn. I will continue reading this series.
My full review HERE
Finished:
- 4*I enjoy the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry.
The Perfect Ride – Gary Stevens – 2**
Gary Stevens is a Hall-of-Fame jockey and this is his autobiography. He openly and honestly relates his childhood, early training, and path to being one of the top jockeys in the world. I like horseracing and reading about the sport, but this book was frequently boring. I believe Stevens felt the thrill and excitement but he failed to convey that on the page.
My full review HERE
Finished:
- 4*Still reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome: A big owned book that may take me a while
The Alice Network: Audiobook
Started:
Uniform Justice
Skull Duggery
Ordinary Life – Elizabeth Berg – 4****
This is a collection of short stories exploring the role of women and their relationships in contemporary America. Berg writes wonderfully about these women. I understand their frustrations and share their hopes, empathize with their pain and disappointments, and celebrate their triumphs and joys. Their lives may be “ordinary” … the stories, and this collection, are NOT.
My full review HERE
Just finished Ninth House-WoW! is all I can say.Fans of Macabre and Horror will love this one. Not the Leigh Bardugo any of us has seen before, and not the type of book I would normally give 5 stars to-but she outdid herself with this one.
OntoChildren of Virtue and Vengeance
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*Still reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome: A big owned book that may take me a while
Started:
The Beast
Grave Mercy
Dancing with the Sun
Heart of a Samurai – Margi Preus – 4****
This young adult novel is marvelous work of historical fiction based on a real person. Manjiro leaves his village at age 14, only to be shipwrecked on a deserted island and then rescued by an American whaling ship. I really liked this book and how Preus explores prejudice and intolerance, as well as the gifts of curiosity, eagerness to learn and being open to new experiences.
My full review HERE
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 5*,
- 3*Reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome - A big (owned) book that may take me a while
Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life With the Tree-planting Tribe
The Chalk Man
The Fact of a Body – Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich – 5*****
Wow. I was completely mesmerized by this memoir / true crime work. Marzano-Lesnevich puts me right into the narrative and I feel invested in both her story and that of convicted murderer, and pedophile, Ricky Langley.
My full review HERE
Just finished An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943-intense, but written like a novel-loved it
Finished:
- 5*,
- 4*I give 5* to books that impact my life. While Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life With the Tree-planting Tribe is nonfiction, its message certainly has impacted my life. More than that, the prose descriptions written by the author are outstanding!
Starting:
Children of Blood and Bone
The Art of Mending
A Season of Delight
Still Reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome - A big (owned) book that may take me a while
A Sudden Light – Garth Stein – 3***
This is a ghost story, an historical novel, a coming-of-age story, and a tale of dysfunctional families and long-held secrets that MUST COME OUT. I found it very atmospheric and liked the way Stein handled the paranormal elements.
My full review HERE
The Shininghttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Currently reading
NOS4A2 - Joe Hill, excellent so far.
Dark Matter - half way through very good
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 3*,
- 4*Reading:
Last Train to Istanbul - Kindle
The First Man in Rome - A big (owned) book that may take me a while
Extraordinary People
Uneasy Relations
Rapture in Death
Grace Takes Off – Julie Hyzy – 2.5**
Book four in the Manor House Mystery series has Grace and her boss and benefactor, Bennett Marshfield, traveling to Italy to visit one of Bennett’s long-term friends. Grace is getting on my nerves. She has the worst taste in men and, despite her “experience” solving crimes, never seems to pick out the culprit early enough to avoid more danger. Oh well, cozy mysteries are still my reading snack food of choice.
My full review HERE
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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Fox & I (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Rainbow Rowell (other topics)
Liam Moiser (other topics)
Barbara Mertz (other topics)
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Things You Save In a Fire – Katherine Center - 2.5**
Going into this I knew I was getting a “chick-lit” romance, with a flawed heroine hiding from her feelings due to an earlier trauma. Cassie is a (mostly) strong woman, working in a “man’s” job – even excelling at it. It was a fast read and I was pulled into the story quickly. But I thought the past trauma was handled poorly, and Cassie’s weak-at-the-knees, head-over-heels, hit-by-a-truck reaction just doesn’t ring true to me. Despite its flaws, Center’s novel kept me turning pages, but it’s not a book I’d save in a fire.
My full review HERE