The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU
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<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
Finished: The Cider House Rules - 3*Additional books added to currently reading:
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why
The Blue Notebook
♥Robin ♥ wrote: "Bea you are so like me. I always have several books going at once. I just can't help myself :) I enjoy seeing what you are reading also. I really need to keep up with this thread a little better so I can keep up with what you and Book Concierge are reading,liking and disliking :)."Robin, my husband is a BIG watcher of TV dramas. I realized that my habit of having a lot of books going at one time is a bit like watching episodes of TV shows. For me it works until a book gets SO interesting that I have a hard time putting it down.
Right now I have five that will be really vying for that attention from me soon.
Book Concierge wrote: "
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – 4****A blind French girl and a young German orphan find their lives intersect in the walled Brittany..."
I just got this one out of the library as an audiobook.
Bea wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – 4****A blind French girl and a young German orphan find their lives intersect..."
I read this about a year ago and I really struggled with it. I just couldn't get into it. It just plodded along. I usually love historical/WWII books but I think the story of the mythical gem turned it into more of a fantasy and those two elements just didn't blend right for me. I hope you enjoy it Bea :)
Bea wrote: "♥Robin ♥ wrote: "Bea you are so like me. I always have several books going at once. I just can't help myself :) I enjoy seeing what you are reading also. I really need to keep up with this thread a..."LOL I think you are probably right :) I don't watch tv instead I just have a bunch of books to read. I am a mood reader so that is probably why I have so many started. Sometimes I just want something light and fluffy that requires little brain power where other times I want something a little deeper :)
Finished:
- 3*Expect to finish today: Undead and Unwed, Thyme of Death, The Inquisitor's Key, and Fight Club
Currently reading:
1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2. The Blue Notebook
3. Buried Secrets
4. Magic Study
5. All the Light We Cannot See
A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper – 2** Sixteen-year-old Sophie FitzOsborne writes of her life in the crumbling castle on the small island of Montmaray. It is 1936 and their isolation is about to end as news from the mainland lets them know the world is on the brink of war. Sounds exciting but overall I was bored. There are a few moments of decently written suspense, and I liked the strong female characters. But the cliffhanger ending seems manipulative, and I’m not sure I care enough about what happens next to read book two in the series. I see the appeal for the YA audience, but it’s not for me.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 4*,
- 5*, and
- 4*
Currently reading:1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2. All the Light We Cannot See
3. Buried Secrets
♥Robin ♥ wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "
A Rocky Mountain Christmas by William W Johnstone – 2** Just out of curiosity......have you read anything else by William Johnstone? I have a couple of the Christmas books by him and..."
Robin - Thank you for your kind words about my reviews. This was my first book by William Johnstone and I didn't realize it was #2 in a series until I had already picked it out (for the cover) ... I didn't feel at all lost though, so I think that they can be read as stand alones even though they might feature the same basic characters. (Sort of like Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series ...)
Book Concierge wrote: "♥Robin ♥ wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " A Rocky Mountain Christmas by William W Johnstone – 2** Just out of curiosity......have you read anything e..."
You are more than welcome!!!! I give credit where it is due and your reviews are great :) I am one of your many followers as your do help me make decisions on a lot of books lol.
Thanks for replying to the question about the William Johnstone books. I'm usually pretty bullheaded about reading a series in order but like you, the covers of his books are easy fits for tasks.
Currently reading:1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2. All the Light We Cannot See
3. The Golem and the Jinni
4. Blood Magick
5. The Sandman, Vol. 3: Dream Country
6. Buried Secrets
7. Pale Gray for Guilt
I expect to finish Buried Secrets today or tomorrow.
I finished "The Oddfits" and going back to "Tricky Twenty-Two"
I have finished up a few books over the last few days that were in my currently reading stack. 1. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban--4 stars
2.The Night Circus--1 star
3.The Complete Poems--4 stars
4.A Flickering Light--2 stars
5.The Fortune Hunter--2 stars
6.GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love--3 stars
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum – 4****I’ve been disappointed by so many books that were “book-club favorites,” so I wasn’t expecting much, but I’m very glad I read it. Are we doomed to love “Those who save us,” despite their otherwise reprehensible behavior? The reader is at an advantage over Trudy, because s/he learns Anna’s secret long before Trudy. Complex issues, well-developed characters, and a compelling narrative.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 4*Expect to finish today: The Sandman, Vol. 4: Seasons of Mists , Pale Gray for Guilt
Currently reading:
1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2. All the Light We Cannot See
3. The Golem and the Jinni
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – 2.5** In 1941 Stalin’s Soviet Army invaded Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and deported many of the residents of those countries to Siberia. Sepetys based this novel on the story of her own grandparents. There is an important historical story here, but the writing left me cold. The teen narrator really irritated me. Emily Klein didn’t help with her narration on the audio book. I found her performance overly dramatic to the point that I wanted to “boo” her.
Full Review HERE
Book Concierge wrote: " Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – 2.5** In 1941 Stalin’s Soviet Army invaded Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and deported many of the residents of ..."
l loved this book. It is one of my all time favorites :) I actually read it but glad to know the audio version isn't that great!!!
I finished
today and was very disappointed. 2 stars.This book left me in a state of confusion by what was and wasn't being told. It was disjointed and left out important tidbits of information.I just couldn't grasp a good connection with the MC or develop any feelings for her.
I have read one other book by this author that I thoroughly enjoyed. She definitely has a way with words but some how it was lacking in this book.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins – 3***This was a pretty entertaining high-school romance, set in Paris. I’m way past the teen angst stage, but I was rather charmed by Anna and this teen drama. It was a fast read with characters right out of central casting, but it held my attention. I can certainly see the appeal for the YA crowd at which it is aimed.
Full Review HERE
Just Shy of Harmony by Philip Gulley – 3*** This is book 2 in the Harmony Series, and I just love them. They are gentle stories with a good sprinkling of humor, and a few life lessons learned, but without being preachy.
Full Review HERE
I have had a couple days off so I have been reading like crazy. I decided to get some of my shorter books read for the challenge and so far this is what I completed:Everything: A Very Short Introduction--1 star. This isn't what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be about things not the other titles in the series. Needless to say I was not impressed by this. Glad it was short. It was just a marketing ploy for books I wouldn't waste my money on.
Fish!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results--1 star. Somebody at my last job gave me a copy of this book and told me how good it was. Needless to say, it got thrown in a pile of uninteresting books. Not to long ago I decided I needed to clean out that pile and added it to my bedside tbr. Well, I should have put it in the bag of books I was donating to the library. Basically it is just a book about choosing your attitude,have fun at work, pay attention to others and make their day and stay focused on the here and now. Nothing that we haven't heard before by business/workplace motivational speakers for the last 100 years LOL. It's just a concept that the authors don't tell us how to develop the skills or knowledge for.
The Secret--1 star. WOW I am on a nice little roll of 1 star non-fiction books here. If I could have rated this in the negatives it would have gotten a -10. Was I supposed to learn something from this book? If I was, I sure didn't. So the main idea of this book is that if you think positive then you will get what you want......... if that is so why i haven't I won the lottery yet. Just because you think about what you want doesn't mean you will get it. When bad things happen to you, IT'S YOUR FAULT.......Whatever. This book is the biggest crock of crap I have ever read.
Dream When You’re Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg – 2.5** Berg takes us to Chicago at the time of World War II in this story about three sisters, their lively Irish family, and the men they love. It started out okay, got very interesting in the middle and then completely lost credulity in the last two chapters. What I most enjoyed about this novel was the look at everyday life on the domestic front during this very trying time in history. I especially liked the way Berg talked about the way that the roles of women in America were forever being changed by the requirements of war. Berg narrated the audio version herself. She does a credible job, but she should really let a professional voice artist read her books.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*,
- 5*Currently reading:
1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2.
3.
4.
5. A Thousand Acres
6. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
I also have a lot of Graphic Novels from the library for various challenges. My goal is to get at least 4 read over the weekend.
The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections
The Color of Earth
The Color of Water
The Color of Heaven
I am currently reading:1.The Boy on the Wooden Box
2. Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen
3.Evil Obsession the Annie Cook Story
4.The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder
5.Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
6.Salt to the Sea
LOL Bea I too have several Graphic Novels that I am trying to get read. I will have to look to see which ones I have and make a list of them later :)
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*
I finished "The Book of Speculations" and starting "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend"
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I finished "The Book of Speculations" and starting "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend""I will be curious to see what your opinion of
I think I added it to my TBR lol where a GR friend read it and liked it :)
I'm just in the last third of Slash and Burn, which is book 8 in Colin Cotterill's Dr Siri series. I can't recommend this series highly enough for people who like a really quirky and humorous mystery series, with a dollop of weird.
The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan – 3***This is the first in a mystery series featuring Charlie Howard, successful author and part-time professional burglar. I thought it was highly entertaining, with a fast pace, interesting characters, and a great setting. I was charmed by Charlie and I’ll definitely read more of this series.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*Comment on All the Light We Cannot See: I listened to the audio CD edition and found that the movement between the story before the war and the events of the war were a bit disjointed for me. I think I would have followed it better if I had had the book in hand. Still it was a very good story and, in the end, brought resolution to the many different characters' stories.
Currently reading:1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
3. The Tin Roof Blowdown
4. Out of the Easy
5. A Thousand Acres
6. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
7. Sea Swept
I still have some Graphic Novels from the library for various challenges left to read.
The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections
The Color of Earth
The Color of Water
The Color of Heaven
Finally finished It. Good creepy book that could have been condensed a bit. I think it bounced back and forth too much for me to just sit and read. Without that I feel the nightmare factor would have hit me more, still 4 stars.Currently:
4:50 from Paddington
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Antisemitism: A Very Short Introduction
The Visitors
Finished:
- 5*,
- 5*,
- 4* (started and finished in same day)
DNF:
- This book is a Nobel Prize winner, but I just could not get interested in the story.This is the first DNF for me. Usually I mark a book as To Finish Reading and give it another try. Not this one.
Finished:
- 3* (A good cozy story, entertaining), 
- 4*Added: The Color of Water
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 5*
Currently reading:1. Anna Karenina (Kindle edition) - reading on sleepless nights
2. The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections
3. The Color of Heaven
4. 50% Off Murder
5. Loving and Leaving the Good Life
6. Midaq Alley
7. Wanting
8. Wintergirls
I finished "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" and starting "The House on Mango Street"
Finished:
and The Color of HeavenAll the Graphic Novels are completed. My next side project is to read the Short Books I have listed for all of my challenges. Those are books that are less than 250 pages long. I participate in four challenge groups and have a list of 13 Short Books that I own + 3 checked out from the library.
Bea wrote: "Finished: and The Color of HeavenAll the Graphic Novels are completed. My next side project is to read the Short Bo..."
I need to do that too Bea. I should tackle my reads in that manner and maybe I would get a little more accomplished.
Right now I am trying to finish up my library books before they are due back LOL Keeping fingers crossed I get them all read.
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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A blind French girl and a young German orphan find their lives intersect in the walled Brittany town of Saint-Malo in August 1944. Doerr gives us wonderful descriptions, letting the reader experience the world as Marie-Laure or Werner does. Doerr peoples the novel with a wide assortment of characters, but the two young people at its core will stay with me for a long time, as will the haunting strains of Clair de Lune. The audio version is performed by Zach Appelman, who does a marvelous job. His gift as a voice artist makes it easy to believe he is speaking for a blind teenaged girl, a confused German boy, an elderly uncle, or a gruff soldier.
Full Review HERE