The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU
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<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
I finished Blackberry Pie Murder and went back to Across The Wide And Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary Of Hattie Campbell
The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson – 3*** This is book # 4 in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series. Goldy is a likeable amateur detective, but I thought too much time was spent on outlining the fight between the “charismatics” and the “Old Guard” factions of the Episcopal Church and not enough time spent on investigating the murder. Still, this was easy to get into and a pretty fast read. Davidson offered plenty of suspects, plot twists and recipes to keep me turning pages.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished Across The Wide And Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary Of Hattie Campbell and started "The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson
Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes – 3*** Book on CD read by Blair Brown. The intended audience for this novel is the middle-school crowd, and I think they would respond really well to it. Henkes did a good job of showing tweens on the cusp of growing up – conflicted between loving and wanting to be with family, and wanting to explore and go out on their own. Martha does a lot of thinking and worrying over whether her dreams are really her own, whether her grandmother will die soon, whether Jimmy really likes her, etc. However, this novel just didn’t do much for me. It was a perfectly good book, but not great.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Endangered Species by Nevada Barr – 3***Book # 5 in the Anna Pigeon series finds Anna on temporary fire-suppression duty at Cumberland Island National Seashore. I like Anna Pigeon. She’s smart, resourceful, strong and independent. I wish she didn’t take so many foolish chances; then again, when she gets in a jam she usually gets herself out of it rather than wait to be rescued. Barr writes about the wonders of the national parks and gives a realistic look at wilderness life, including spiders, ticks, snakes, etc. There are plenty of suspects, several red herrings, and multiple plot twists; all of which kept me turning pages. It’s a solid mystery
This is a Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I was expecting this book to be rather dull, but I really like it so far! The writing is beautiful.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera – 3*** Audiobook performed by Richmond Hoxie. There are passages with luminous writing, passages which forced me to think and some that really resonated with me. But I kept losing my way in all the ruminations and dreams and philosophical treatises. I usually enjoy novels with a philosophical bent. Unfortunately, this is the wrong time for me to read a book of this nature (especially in audio format). My lack of concentration simply didn’t allow me to give the work the attention it deserved. I’ll give 3 stars for now – good but not great – and reserve the right to change my rating after I re-read it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman – 4****A young Indian dancer loses a leg in an accident, and has to find a new path to her dreams of being the best interpreter of the Bharantanatyam style. Venkatraman packs a lot of emotion into a few words in this novel told entirely in verse. It is an inspiring story of one young woman’s courage, grace and spiritual awakening. Veda is a wonderful heroine. Over the course of the novel she comes to realize the true meaning of friendship, love, and sacrifice. I really liked how the author portrayed the relationships Veda had with family, friends, and teachers. The cultural framework may be very different, but the interpersonal dynamics are universal.
This is a Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished "The Cereal Murders and starting Baby, Oh Baby!
The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde – 3*** Audiobook performed by Elizabeth Jasicki. Fforde entertains with another flight of fancy and fantasy. The plot has been written before – evil geniuses out to control the world, thwarted by an honest, morally upright young person with right on her side. I like that Jasper’s heroine is a strong, intelligent, resourceful young woman who uses wit and intelligence rather than might to best her enemies. Jasicki’s audio performance helped me suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy the ride. On the whole, however, I think this is a book best enjoyed by a younger audience; ages 10-15 seems to be the target group.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
South of Superior by Ellen Airgood – 2** The dust jacket promises: “A rich debut novel [that] celebrates taking joy in the simple things, and the deep reward that comes from caring for others. The characters and the setting are so real and heart-felt that you will be drawn immediately into their world.” I didn’t get any sense of joy or deep reward. As for the characters – I got really tired of the irascible Gladys, the sweet Arbutus, the confused Madeline, the stoic Paul, etc. I knew going in that this wouldn’t be great literature but was hoping to find a heart-warming story. I was disappointed. If it hadn’t fulfilled a challenge, I would not have finished it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The seven medals of success presents the adventures of two children who win, one by one, the medals of courage, cooperation, curiosity, patience, creativity, perseverance and empathy. In their journey they are accompanied by Memo, the dwarf of their memory; he reminds them certain events in their life and they learn the rules of each psychological characteristic.The book contains stories for children about developing personal success skills and it is based on psychological and pedagogical studies. Every chapter of the book has a Parent's Corner, with a short description of the psychological concepts and exercises for developing each personal trait. Also, every chapter includes a poem because psycho-pedagogical studies demonstrate children learn easier by combining the linguistic and the „musical” intelligence.
We, the authors are university researchers and professors: G. Panisoara has a Ph.D. in Psychology and I.O. Panisoara has a Ph.D. in Educational Sciences.
The patience poem (fragment from the ebook)
Do you know Trici – the caterpillar?
She cried: her beauty was no thriller
But time marched on, as it went by
She turned to a fine butterfly
Here is why:
You want time to pass by quicker,
“I want to play now,” you dicker,
You want to grow up much faster.
But patience is what you must master.
If you have patience you will learn
To calm yourself and wait your turn
Step by step you will succeed
Patience is the thing you need.
http://www.amazon.com/seven-medals-su...
The Day the Music Died by Ed Gorman 3***
This is a basic murder mystery with a sprinkling of cultural references from the late 1950s that had me taking an enjoyable trip down memory lane. The plot has several twists and complications that kept me guessing, and there is a bit of romantic tension to add interest. Sam McCain is a great character and I like his interactions with the various women in his life. On the whole, it’s a short, fast, enjoyable read, and I’ll probably read more of Gorman in the future.
This is a Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley – 3*** Audiobook performed by Simon Prebble. A human corpse, mostly eaten by hyenas is found in the Kalahari, and Detective David “Kubu” Bengu leads the investigation. This is a wonderful debut mystery with a great central character. He combines intelligence, education and sound police procedures with tenacity and a keen intuition. Kubu also loves opera, good wine and his wife. The plot is fast paced and complicated, with plenty of suspects and several plot twists that I did not see coming. Simon Prebble does a marvelous job performing the audio. I’ll definitely continue the series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ill Wind by Nevada Barr 3.5***
Book #3 in the Anna Pigeon series, has the national park ranger assigned to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. When a child dies the new-age proponents attribute it to the upset spirits – Chindi – and predict things “will happen” with the summer solstice. But Anna is convinced that the real culprits are human. Anna Pigeon is a great character – intelligent, mature, physically fit and tenacious. The plot was a little slow to take off, but the many suspects really kept me guessing right up to the time that Anna unveiled the perpetrator. On the whole, this is a very satisfying mystery read.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buzz Off by Hannah Reed – 2** This has all the hallmarks of a successful cozy mystery: a likeable main character, a budding romance, an interesting backstory (beekeeping), and a plausible reason for our amateur detective to get involved. On the other hand, Story’s need to put everything into bullet-points and her sister Holly’s continued use of text-speak completely irritated me. While I liked the basic premise for this series, the irritations in the dialogue and style tipped the scales and I’m giving it only 2 stars.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh – 2**Book # 2 in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn series has him witness a murder on stage when the prop gun is loaded with live ammunition instead of blanks. There are more than enough suspects from the sleepy doorman to the theater owner/producer. The action is told almost entirely in dialogue with little descriptive prose. I’m not sure why but I was left feeling rather “blah” about it, so only 2 stars.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am currently reading the King. I have loved all of JR Wards books so far
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (Audiobook read by John Lee)3.5***
In a future world, society is ruled by a Colortocracy, with a social hierarchy based upon one’s limited color perception; in this world, you are what you can see. This novel is unlike anything I’ve read before and yet I recognize many elements. Fforde has written a book that combines science fiction, dystopia, romance, quest, coming-of-age, adventure and political espionage. He touches on themes of racism, friendship, slavery, euthanasia, loyalty, love, family and courage. I grew to love Eddie and Jane and was cheering for them right to the bitter end … and beyond.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene – 4**** During WWII a 12-year-old Jewish girl with a turbulent family life comes across a German prisoner of war who treats her with respect and makes her feel, for the first time, that she may be a worthwhile person, a person who could be loved. This is a novel about compassion, loyalty, self-realization, courage, faith and self-preservation. Patty is a wonderful character – intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and courageous. But she is also a child and her immaturity shows in her impetuous actions and telling of tales. I love that final image as Patty imagines herself treading water, still far out to sea, but in sight of land, and deciding that she’ll try to swim for it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith (Audiobook read by Simon Prebble)3***
This is an ensemble piece providing a slice-of-life look at the residents of Corduroy Mansions, the nickname given to a block of mansions in a London Pimlico neighborhood. It’s not plot-driven but character-driven; the “action” is the kind of action most of us have in our everyday lives: a date here, a visit with a brother there, a stressful job, a new car, a dog that chews your favorite shoes, etc. I thought it was charming and enjoyable. A nice light read with characters I (mostly) liked. I’m reminded of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Every Crooked Nanny by Kathy Hogan Trocheck – 3*** This is a good start to a mystery series. Callahan is a strong central character; her previous experience as a cop and private detective makes this more than the typical cozy. Yes, we still have a cast of colorful characters in her house-cleaning crew, and her mother, Edna, who is also her business partner, provides a nice counter balance. It was fast paced, entertaining and kept me turning pages. I’d definitely be up for trying another in the series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie 2**
I love Agatha Christie and have enjoyed other Miss Marple mysteries, but this one misses the mark. It is far too convoluted, and yet very slow going despite everything that is happening. Christie has proved that she is more than capable of juggling many storylines to build suspense and thwart the reader’s efforts to figure out the solution. But rather than tight plotting with twists and turns, this novel’s storyline seemed to just meander without purpose (other than to fill pages). In the end, I felt that I hadn’t read a Christie novel at all, but something written by a less-skilled author to imitate the Queen of Crime.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes by Daniel L Everett – 3*** The subtitle pretty much sums this up: Life and language in the Amazonian Jungle. Everett chronicles his experiences over three decades living among an indigenous tribe. Parts of this book are very enjoyable for an armchair traveler). There is plenty of danger – 30-foot anacondas, jaguars, piranhas, distrustful natives, malaria, and tarantulas the size of dinner plates. Stories of such encounters were fascinating, but other sections of the book read more like a research paper and I would lose interest.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Do go through my book review blog at www.shvoong.com/writers/dnairand my personal blog at www.nairdevis.wordpress.com
I just finished reading All Our Pretty Songs and Dirty Wings--ready for the final installment of the trilogy to come out now...I've been in YA-binge-reading mode over the summer and am excited about picking new books for the challenge that push my boundaries.
I've finished Bound and Unbroken - Skye Callahan. Now I am reading Welcome to the Dark House - Laurie Faria Stolarz.
I have to keep it varied for sure. I read one real book, one on Kindle, one on my iPhone, and listen to one audiobook. This helps me have reading material available at all times! Right now I'm reading:
In the middle of "Tracks" by Louise Erdrich, then I will start on the Reading Challenge!
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie - 3***Hercule Poirot mystery # 8 has the “retired” detective on holiday with his friend Hastings at the Cornish seaside town of St. Loo. A mystery lands in their laps when a young heiress admits that she’s had several near misses in the last few days. This is a fine example of the kinds of puzzling cases Christie is so good at crafting, with a large cast of colorful characters and quite a few plot twists. On the whole an entertaining summer read.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am currently reading "The blue virgin" by Marni Graff. I am on the initial chapters but totally loving it so far
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink - 4**** The subtitle says it all: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital. This is the story of the men and women who survived Hurricane Katrina inside New Orleans Memorial Hospital, of those who died. I thought that Fink did a fine job of outlining the conditions within the hospital during and after the storm. However, in part two, I felt that Fink lost some of her journalistic detachment. The grand jury may have declined to indict, but Fink seems bent on trying Dr Pou in this book. Despite what I perceive as Fink’s bias, however, I still think this was a fascinating and informative look at how our governments and institutions are prepared (or not) to deal with the realities of a major disaster.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reading the 2014 Madison "Go Big Read": I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
Book Concierge wrote: " Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink - 4**** The subtitle says it all: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged ..."
I liked this book too! I agree that the reporter clearly thought Dr. Pou was in the wrong though and that a more unbiased assessment might have been better.
I'm just starting The War on Women in Israel: How Religious Radicalism Is Smothering the Voice of a Nation and I think it's going to be a fascinating read.
The Right Thing by Amy Conner – 2.5** Annie and Starr were best friends in second grade, until Starr and her daddy suddenly moved away. Some twenty years later, Annie and Starr meet outside a department store and immediately renew their friendship, setting off on a road trip. I was interested in the friendship between these two women, but Conner lost me at the end. Annie makes some really uncharacteristic decisions, and the final chapter was particularly unbelievable. So the end result was that I was left feeling unsatisfied. I do think that Conner shows promise and I’d be willing to try another book by her … but not anytime soon.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Confabulist by Steven Galloway - 3*** Using the life of Harry Houdini as a framework, Galloway crafts a novel that “creates a magic trick of its own, revealing the ways in which love, grief and imagination can – for better or worse – alter what we perceive and believe.” The book is told in alternating chapters, jumping from present day to the past and with different narrators. Like a skilled magician Galloway kept the reader’s attention away from what was REALLY happening and led us to what he wanted us to believe was happening. I’m still not sure I fully understood everything that was going on, but I enjoyed the ride.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished Underdog and starting "The Beekeeper's Apprentice"
Reading The Objects of Her Affection by Sonya Cobb (ARC from publisher), re-reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and listening to 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino, all good so far - great in the case of Outlander.
A Is For Alibi by Sue Grafton – 4**** Book #1 in the Kinsey Millhone series. This is a fast-paced mystery thriller with plenty of twists and turns and multiple suspects to keep the reader busy. Kinsey is a wonderful lead character –resourceful, tenacious and intelligent, and she can take care of herself. I like that the book is set in an era before wide-spread use of computers, and without cell phones. Mary Peiffer performs the audiobook at a good pace. She does not use many different voices for the various characters, but Grafton’s dialogue makes it clear who is speaking and I was never confused.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - 5***** This is the first memoir in a series of six which together formed Angelou’s autobiography. In this work she chronicles her childhood from about age three to age 17. This is a wonderfully told first-hand account of a young woman’s coming of age, as well as of the changes brought about in the country from 1930-1945. She was an extraordinary woman, and this is an extraordinary memoir.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have to laugh at my attempt to control my reading. To reduce/streamline my TBR pile(s) and to read new authors. I only found this SRC in September and thought ... brilliant.... another factor to add into my literary explorations. Of course it also depends what Books are reviewed in the Guardian, recommended by Amazon, listed on Book Riot etcetc. Thinking about it I have no control whatsoever. I then I read a book. Wow Dragons in the Napoleonic War - Do I read it as first in a series, or as a "War" book.... and I try to decide ....but then I wanna read the 2nd in the series. That's ok I can fit that in. Its brilliant : a completely different kind of stress. I love it,
Chris Everest - Sheffield - England
Five Patients by Michael Crichton – 3*** Crichton uses five patients’ case studies to explain how a large hospital works. He wrote this nonfiction account when he was barely out of medical school himself – November 1969. Since then much has changed, and much remains the same. So, while this work is obviously dated, I still found it interesting.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Opposite of Everyone (other topics)Small Wonder (other topics)
I, Alex Cross (other topics)
Fox & I (other topics)
On Gold Mountain: The 100-Year Odyssey of a Chinese-American Family (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Gill Paul (other topics)Elizabeth Peters (other topics)
Rainbow Rowell (other topics)
Liam Moiser (other topics)
Barbara Mertz (other topics)
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Book on CD read by Stephen Hoye. The subtitle gives a pretty good synopsis: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin. Watching these events unfold, and learning about the Dodds was interesting to me, but not compelling. Larson is known for exhaustive research as well as for a writing style that really personalizes history. I’ve read several of his books and I found this one good but not great. Stephen Hoye is an accomplished voice artist, but there was something about his narration that just put me off the book. I was really interested for the first four discs, but then slowly grew bored.
This is a Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...