The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
>
<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
Hell or High Water by Joy Castro – 4**** A fast-paced psychological thriller set in post-Katrina New Orleans and featuring a strong female lead. When reporter Nola Cespedes begins writing a feature story on the city’s sex offenders, her own unresolved issues begin to surface. I’d read another book by Castro.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Amazing Mrs Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman – 3*** This is a delightfully imaginative (and highly improbable) cozy series. Mrs Pollifax is a marvelous main character – a widowed grandmother who occasional serves as a courier for the CIA. Her ability to make friends of total strangers and gather about her a variety of allies makes for a colorful cast of characters and some unexpected turns in the plot. A fast-paced, easy read. I’ll definitely keep on with the series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished "I Am Malala" and starting "Eleanor and Park"
We Are Water by Wally Lamb – 5***** Intricate and nuanced, Wally Lamb has given us a portrait of one American family’s disintegration and coming back together. Rather than use a single narrator, Lamb gives voice to various characters, switching point of view from chapter to chapter. All these characters suffer trauma and loss, and struggle to find their way back to hope. There were some very distressing scenes dealing with pedophilia and hate crimes. But we should be bothered by those issues and facing what makes us uncomfortable is a theme of this book. The audio book is narrated by a cast of voice artists, including the author himself.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
just finished the maze runner series. it was pretty good. I'm currently reading the stand and about to start If I Stay.
Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz – 3*** In this third book of the series, Isabel (“Izzy”) Spellman is undergoing court-ordered therapy and trying to decide what to do with her life. This is a fun, fast “mystery” that is more focused on the zany relationships within the Spellman family than on any actual case. I think I may have reached my limit with this series. I found Christina Moore’s delivery on the audio somewhat droning, and at times I abandoned the CDs for the text.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I had to check on the due dates for all of my library books. Some of them I couldn't renew because of holds, so I had to move those to the top of my TBR pile.Instead of starting The Lost Island, I wound up reading If I Stay. It was such a short book that I have already finished. Now I'm onto The Perfect Witness: A Novel.
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld – 4**** I was expecting a somewhat light look at a fictional first lady. What I got was a nuanced, complex portrait of a woman who found herself in a very public position. I liked that Sittenfeld takes the reader back to Alice’s childhood and introduces us to this young, quiet but inquisitive girl. While her life takes some unexpected turns, Alice remains true to herself, confident in her opinions, compassionate and thoughtful. She is no less strong because she is quiet. Kimberly Farr does a fine job performing the audio version. She has good pacing and really brought Alice to life for me.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Instructions For Visitors by Helen Stevenson – 3*** A charming memoir of life and love in a small French village near the Spanish border. I didn’t understand the attraction to Luc, but I did fall for the village life.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn – 3*** This was not the light, fluffy holiday book I thought it would be. It is a history of Western civilization told through the lens of the legend that is today’s Santa Claus. John Mayer’s delivery on the audio is ponderous. Still it was fairly interesting.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bones of Betrayal by Jefferson Bass – 3*** Book # 4 in the Body Farm series is a solid mystery thriller, with a back story that involves the Manhattan Project in World War II, particularly the work done in Oak Ridge Tennessee. It’s fast-paced, informative and has interesting characters. I did think the plot got a little too complicated and perhaps there was one body too many, but I was still entertained and engaged from beginning to end.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and I love love love it!!!
I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and I love love love it!!!
by PeaklesI'm reading The Broom of the System: A Novel by David Foster Wallace.
It was a Christmas gift. I'm having a better time with this one than I had with DFW's Infinite Jest.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – 4**** This was not the light, fluffy chick-lit romance I thought it would be. Rather, it is a wonderful, complex and compelling story of two very different people who meet in extraordinary circumstances and deeply affect one another over a period of six months. I did wonder if the title would be better reversed - YOU before ME. The audiobook is narrated by a team of voice artists, each taking on the perspective of a different character.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu. It definitely deserves its Librarian's Choice sticker :)https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
I'm trudging through The Wind in the Willows for a challenge in another group and I can't wait to finish! It started off kind of cute, but I'm getting a little tired of it.Afterwards I'm going to reward myself by reading Larger Than Life then Leaving Time
1984 by George Orwell – 4**** Classic dystopian science fiction, written in 1948 and imagining a totalitarian society where Big Brother watches your every move and the ruling party controls all information. The thing that I find most frightening about this world that Orwell created is how very plausible it is. I couldn’t help but think of current events – torture, “Newspeak,” wars, video cameras on every corner, texting and hackers no longer respecting anyone’s privacy. Frank Muller does a fine job narrating the audiobook. The scenes where Winston is being re-educated gave me goose bumps.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon– 4**** I really enjoyed this look at a marriage through the eyes of two very different people. The story covers several decades, though much of the action is concentrated during the World War II era. Gutcheon uses multiple points of view and moves back and forth in time as people remember past events, so I’m left feeling a little as if I’ve only scratched the surface, rather than gotten the full story. I am reminded that there are many stories in the people around me; that what we see of a person – even one we think we know well - may be only the tip of the iceberg.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke – 1* Book # 6 in the Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series is a waste of time and paper. The mystery takes up less than half the total page count; a community cookbook covers the majority of the book. The story is weak, and the recipes don’t sound very appetizing to THIS cook. Well, a couple of dessert recipes interested me enough to grant 1 star.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In the middle of reading the miser of Mayfair by my.c. Beaton. Looking at finishing it off today and finish off another one
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony (with Graham Spence) – 4**** I really enjoyed this memoir of the author’s time spent with a herd of wild elephants on his game reserve in South Africa. There are moments of humor as well as harrowing tales of danger. What really comes across his is deep love for these magnificent animals. While the elephants are central to the tale, he also includes details of the Zulu culture in post-apartheid South Africa and information about other endangered species. Simon Vance does a superb job voicing the audio book; I felt as if I were sitting around a campfire in the bush hearing Anthony recount his adventures.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished of the maser of mayfair last night, i then went onto the andrew gross reckless book, finished that today. Love doing this reading challenge to read so many books a year has i have read and finished books that i have started but not finished and also gets rid of the books half finished. What does everyone do with their books when they have finished with them? If reading library books i tend to take back has soon has i have finished but if they are my own books i pass over to a mate
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith – 3* Book # 2 in the Isabel Dalhousie series has our philosopher investigating mysteries of the heart – both literally and figuratively. I enjoy the philosophical / ethical / moral dilemmas (both real and imagined) that Isabel contemplates. And I really like her relationship with the various characters. This is a gentle, thoughtful read with endearing characters and some food for thought. Davinia Porter does a fine job performing the audio.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig – 4**** Ivan Doig has a way of exploring the everyday events of a person’s life and making them seem epic in scope. In this marvelous novel he gives us a precocious, if worried, twelve-year-old narrator who hero worships his father. Rusty is a great observer and while his imagination can get ahead of the facts, he can also be pretty astute when judging character. I loved reading about these two and the family unit they create. I really love the way Doig paints the landscape; the sense of place is so strong that the setting is practically a character.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just downloaded Leather and Lace by Jessie Evans. Just finished Mike Wells' Lust, Money & Murder's first three books (waiting for the rest of the series to go on sale.. hopefully) Definitely a quick read and the story is action filled! Takes you through all the characters lives about the same event and how they all played a role and their perspective.
I am looking to do reviews in exchange for a free Kindle edition of their book :)
Happy Reading!
I'm reading Penman's When Christ and His Saints Slept, really awesome historical fiction about King Stephen and Empress Maude. But it's a dense story, so sometimes I take a break with something lighter. Right now that's My Brother Michael, classic romantic suspense by Mary Stewart. Both books are great.
The Paper Magician by Charlie N Holmberg – 2* Book #1 in a series that is clearly meant to ride the coattails of The Night Circus. A strong heroine doesn’t save the poor plotting or simple writing. Mostly I was bored.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished "Sabriel" and "Bridge to Terabithia". Review is up on the blog: http://www.readrecently.com/read-rece... . I'm currently reading: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin – 4**** Someone is murdering children in 12th-century Cambridge England. King Henry II sends for a medical expert from Salerno; he doesn’t expect to get a woman – a mistress of the art of death. This is not only a great mystery, and but a fine work of historical fiction. I was invested in the story and in Adelia’s work from the beginning. The murders are pretty ghastly, and there are a few scenes of real terror and graphic violence. But the strong central character is what really held my interest and I’ll definitely read more of the series. Rosalyn Landor does a fine job performing the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished reading "Code Name Verity" and starting "Delirium"
The Sugar House by Laura Lippman – 3*** Book # 5 in the Tess Monaghan series has the former reporter turned private investigator taking on a job as a favor to her Dad. I like this series and I really like Tess. She’s intelligent, strong willed, confident, resourceful and tenacious; and she doesn’t rely on some “strong, handsome type” to get her out of a jam. Lippman fills the books with local references giving the reader a definite feel for the location. And, since Tess was an English major, the novel is also full of references to books. All in all, a solid mystery read.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy – 3*** When curator and Marshfield Manor director Abe Vargas is murdered, newly hired assistant curator Grace Wheaton steps in to keep things running smoothly on the estate. She also begins investigating the murder, and a finds a family secret in the bargain. This is a decent cozy mystery with a likeable heroine. I’ll continue reading this series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished "Delirium" and starting "A Light Between Oceans"
The Secret Piano by Zhu Xiao-Mei – 4**** Subtitled: From Mao’s Labor Camps to Bach’s Goldberg Variations, this is a memoir that speaks about the irrepressible human spirit and the power of music and art to elevate and inspire. I was completely fascinated and couldn’t put down Zhu’s recollections of her time in China. The book did bog down somewhat for me after Zhu arrived in Paris, but it’s still a good read.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm currently reading a little bit of everything:
Will be starting
when I finish Honor and Polygamy. I'm really enjoying discovering some new authors and reading outside of my comfort zone. I never would have picked up half of these if not for trying to fit certain challenge tasks. I discovered the Emi Lost and Found series by Lori L. Otto (Time Stands Still is book 2) while researching books for the challenge and definitely a great series. I love that the characters are believable and face realistic situations.
I started a book that has been sitting on my shelf at home for years. I think the cover (kinda like the cheap tabloid look) and the length of the book put me off (over 500 pages). However, surprise! I am really enjoying it. Touched by Fire.
Right now I am reading
. Once I finish that, I will start
.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – 4**** This is a classic tale of resurrection and redemption set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. It wouldn’t be Dickens without a huge cast of supporting characters, several twists in the plot, secret identities, unexpected connections, and long discourses wherein the characters expound on various issues, while the reader is anxious for the action to continue. But don’t let that dissuade you. It’s a marvelous story and the last hundred pages just flew by for me. Frank Muller does a wonderful job performing the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda – 4**** This is a story of the jungle, green hell and Eden; of the Shuar Indians, who know how to live in harmony with it; of the machines and settlers and gold prospectors and gringos who have invaded it. Nature, out of balance, becomes vengeful and violent. The writing is poetic and atmospheric, with a great sense of place. I couldn’t help but think of my father – the way he knew the land and respected the animals who made it their home.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
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)
More...
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)
More...
What a gem of a novel. This is a character-driven story involving two couples: Sonja and Henry House who live and work on the House orchards that Henry's family has farmed for generations, and Henrietta and Ned Weaver, a wealthy and famous painter and his long-suffering wife. When Sonja begins to pose for Weaver jealousies flare. Beautifully written, and so evocative of time and place. Of course, I know Wisconsin's Door County Penninsula very well, so I'm sure that helps.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...