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 just started American Pastoral. I bought it over a year ago and am finally starting it! (My personal goal for the rest of the year is to read more of the books I own, including a few classics.) I hope it lives up to its Pulitzer prize standing. So far, I like it (after the first ~20 pages)! This is my first Philip Roth book. If I like it, I plan to read his Zuckerman series. Zuckerman just happens to be a character in this book, also.
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*
Dead Wake by Eric Larson – 4**** The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. Larson uses tidbits found in research materials from a variety of sources to flesh out a narrative tale of a great disaster. Larson shifts perspective from the Lusitania, to the German submarine U-20, to Room 40 (the British Intelligence headquarters). It’s a compelling story, which completely captured my interest despite my knowing how it would turn out. Scott Brick does a good job reading the audiobook. His delivery is rather dry, but this is fine for a work of nonfiction.
Full Review HERE
Donna Jo wrote: "Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I finished "The Book of Speculations" and starting "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend""How did you like it? I enjoyed it"
Which book?
I finished Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family and started The Black Swanby Mercedes Lackey
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 4*Currently reading:
1. Humboldt's Gift - owned
2. A Murderous Procession - owned
3. The Lost Hero - library
Plan to start in the next day or so:
1. Port Eternity (Age of Exploration, #1) - owned
2. Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives - owned
3. The Periodic Table - owned
4. Cross Fire - library
5. Slaughterhouse-Five - library
These last five books are, for the most part, short. As Ed and I will be traveling to FL (9h), I thought shorter books for the trip would be best.
June 5 – currently readingTEXT –
If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't) / Betty WhiteAUDIO in the car -
The Hundred-Foot Journey / Richard C. MoraisPortable AUDIO -
A Moveable Feast / Ernest Hemingway
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – 4**** What an absolute delight! Simonson’s writing reminds me of Jane Austen's novels. Simonson sets her story in a small English village, whose residents would prefer that time stand still notwithstanding major outside influences. The villagers are left reacting to changes that make them very uncomfortable. Against these global events, however, is the very personal story of these characters; this is where Simonson shines. She has a great gift for dialogue and for creating a social structure that draws the reader into the small dramas of life that give her work universal appeal.
Full Review HERE
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón – 5***** Wow. The plot is intricate and compelling, the characters complex and interesting, and the writing is simply wonderful. And, of course, we have the marvelous Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This is a dark, gothic novel full of mystery and intrigue. At heart it is a story of man’s struggle against his baser instincts. Although there are many twists in the plot, Zafón keeps some major surprises for the ending. Dan Stevens is simply marvelous performing the audio version.
Full Review HERE
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham – 2** What’s the male equivalent of chick-lit? Jock-lit? Well, whatever term we use, this novel is it. Light on plot (and what’s there is predictable), a little romance, a life lesson learned (sort of), and a lot of football. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed some of the scenes that explored Italian culture. Evan Welch does a fairly good job of voicing the audio. He has good pacing and I liked the way he voiced the Italians.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 4*I loved this story involving both Greek and Roman versions of the Gods.
The Ghost and Mrs. Jeffries by Emily Brightwell – 3*** This is book #3 in the cozy mystery series featuring Mrs Hepzibah Jeffries, housekeeper to Inspector Gerald Witherspoon, and her team of servants who all help solve the crimes. It’s a fast read, full of colorful characters, and I enjoyed watching Mrs Jeffries figure it out and gently coaxing the Inspector towards the correct solution to the mystery.
Full Review HERE
I'm currently reading Sense and Sensibility, which is a little slow going so I started The Princess Bride to read alongside it. I've never seen The Princess Bride film so I'm going into this a bit blind, but I'm really liking it so far.
Finished:
- 4*Oh, my! That was the last book in the series, and the author has died. Now I will never get to find out if Rowley lives and they all return safely to England. Rats! Although I really did enjoy this series.
If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) by Betty White – 2.5** I feel a little mean not liking this more. I love Betty White, and some of the essays in this book are spot on perfect. But it’s pretty lightweight in substance, and while it is a fast read, it just didn’t satisfy what I look for in a reading experience.
Full Review HERE
Well, I did not manage to start any of my proposed books while traveling, although I did finish two already in progress and make some actual progress in Humboldt's Gift (about 100 pages).I have also re-thought what books to read next, so...here is my new list - starting today.
Currently reading:
1. Cross Fire
2. The Rise of Nine
3. Succubus Heat
4. Slaughterhouse-Five
5. Humboldt's Gift - continuing to progress (own)
6. The Screwtape Letters: First Ever Full-Cast Dramatization of the Diabolical Classic With DVD
7. A Game of Thrones - late night ebook (own)
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway – 4**** Early in his career as a writer, Hemingway lived in Paris with his wife and infant son. This is his memoir of that time, when he was young, curious, and soaking up atmosphere with a sponge. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have shared even one afternoon with these young writers! There is immediacy to Hemingway’s writing that just draws me into the world of his work. I thank Hemingway for letting me live vicariously through his memories.
Full Review HERE
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – 3.5*** Eleanor is the new kid – and target – at school; Park is a quiet loner who prefers listening to his music tapes and reading comics. Eleanor winds up sitting next to Park on the bus and slowly they begin to notice the value in one another. I can certainly see where the target audience would love it (as my niece did). But for me it’s just a little better than average. Fair warning: there is some very vulgar language in the book.
Full Review HERE
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain – 3*** McLain does extensive research and had a wealth of information on which to base this work of historical fiction. I appreciate how she paints the landscape of this part of Africa in the early part of the 20th century. I recognize Markham’s intelligence, determination and tenacity, but she never seemed to learn anything from her mistakes. I struggle with giving the work a higher rating because I so disliked Beryl Markham. McLain chose to focus her work on Beryl’s childhood and young adulthood, so that the character is just becoming the woman we know about when the novel ends. And I’m left feeling disappointed in both Beryl and the book.
Full Review HERE
Book Concierge wrote: " Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – 3.5*** Eleanor is the new kid – and target – at school; Park is a quiet loner who prefers listening to his music tapes and re..."
I really liked this book.
I finished The Princess Bride, which I was slightly underwhelmed by and have started The Sea of Tranquility, which I'm really really liking.
Finished:
- 4*Currently reading:
1. Humboldt's Gift - will finish in a day or two
2. A Game of Thrones - late night ebook (own)
3. Explosive Eighteen - library
4. The Secret Keeper - library
5. Still Life - library
6. The October List - own
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa – 5***** and a ❤A beautifully elegant gem of a novel. The slow way in which the Housekeeper, Root and the Professor get to know one another is framed by his lessons on the poetry of mathematics. I liked how Ogawa used the Professor’s and Root’s love of baseball to frame their growing friendship. It is a story about love (not to be confused with a “love story”).
Full Review HERE
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – 3.5*** Eleanor is the new kid – and target – at school; Park is a quiet loner who prefers listening to..."
Everyone seems to really like this book but me lol. I grew up in the 80's and I felt like everything was contrived and very unbelievable. I was very disappointed in it as I had very high expectations for it.
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C Morais – 3*** Hassan Haji is born into a restaurant family and becomes a celebrated French chef in this delightful fable. The book focuses on his life’s journey, and those bumps in the road that might derail his ambitions. There is a significant clash of cultures when this Indian family establishes their Maison Mumbai in the small French village of La Lumiere. But good food will always attract a following. Neil Shah does a good job of performing the audio version.
Full Review HERE
I finished "The Black Swan" and starting "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain – 4**** I first listened to this audio in Feb 2013. I listened again in preparation for my F2F book club. I won’t change my rating, but I find the audio more annoying this time for the poor voice work. The book, however, is still a good one in the way McLain portrays the Hemingway’s marriage and their life in 1920s Paris. I really liked Hadley.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 2*,
- 3*,
- 4*Currently reading:
1. A Game of Thrones - late night ebook (own)
2. The Secret Keeper - library
3. The October List - own
4. Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives - own
5. The Blood of Flowers - library
6. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures - library
7. She's Come Undone - own
8. The Husband's Secret - library audiobook
9. The Garden of Evening Mists - library ebook
The books I own in this list are for the most part books that I have had a long time and just have not been able to get into or start for varying reasons. Hopefully this reading time will get them off my various lists.
Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis de Bernières – 4**** Dionisio Vivo is a philosophy teacher, whose letters to the editor about the effects of the coca trade on the people of this unnamed South American country have attracted the wrath of the local drug lord. This is a fun romp of a satire, full of magical realism and totally outrageous scenarios. I laughed aloud in many places, and cried out in dismay in others. The language de Bernières employs is nothing short of delightful. The reader who can suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride will find much to enjoy.
Full Review HERE
The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown – 3*** As summer begins, ten-year-old Alice meets two extraordinary people: a bi-racial boy visiting his grandparents for the summer, and a middle-aged artist with AIDS who has come to live with his sister. This coming-of-age novel brought back many fond memories of the summers spent doing “nothing” and “everything." One of the difficulties with choosing a child narrator, however, is that the adult reader will clearly see certain plot elements coming long before the less-experienced child. Still, I thought Brown did a good job of revealing the plot elements, and the changing relationships.
Full Review HERE
I finished "The Mermaid's Mirror" and starting "One Good Knight" by Mercedes Lackey
Finished:
- 4*,
- 5*,
- 4*Currently reading:
1. A Game of Thrones - late night ebook (own)
2. She's Come Undone - own
3. The October List - own
4. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures - library
5. The Blood of Flowers - library
6. The Garden of Evening Mists - library ebook
Finished:
- 4* and
- 3*I was not sure that I would like The October List as Mr. Deaver wrote it backwards - on purpose. He started with the last chapter (the end) and then wrote each chapter following as what happened at a specific time before the one just read - all the way back to the beginning. I initially found this disconcerting to read as every action scene was followed by what had happened prior...to several different characters. But midway through the book, I began to pick up on this technique and follow the story more closely. I was really surprised when the TWO twists were revealed in the last (actually the first) chapters which ended the book. He did this on purpose, and I think he succeeded in what he set out to do...very well.
Regarding the Bond story, Ian Fleming's Bond was not the suave spy of the later movies. This book had five chapters, which each described a different mission or time in Mr. Bond's service. Although it is written as a book with five chapters, it read more like five short stories.
Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock by Emily Brightwell – 2.5** I like this cozy mystery series featuring Mrs Jeffries and other servants in the Inspector’s Victorian household, who work together to lead their boss to the solution of the mystery. However, I think I’ve read too many recently and the plots are getting formulaic and thin. Still, it’s a fast read, and an occasional cozy never hurt anyone.
Full Review HERE
"Journey to Munich" by Jacqueline Winspear.
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian – 3.5*** Emily Shepard is a troubled teen. Totally understandable, given that she’s been orphaned by a nuclear plant disaster where both her parents worked, she’s homeless, and she’s one of the most reviled people in Vermont, if not all of America. The novel is told as a series of journal entries, and Emily’s recollections are not linear. Often, I was irritated with her, but I grew to like her and root for her. She was intelligent, resilient, tried to be responsible, and very vulnerable. Grace Blewer does a fine job narrating the audio version. Blewer is Bohjalian’s daughter, and she helped him with the slang and cadence of speech so that he could write in a more-believably-teen-aged voice.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 3*,
- 5*Currently reading:
1. A Game of Thrones - late night ebook (own)
2. She's Come Undone - own
3. The Blood of Flowers - library
4. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures - library
5. The Book of Fate - own
6. The Silkworm - library
7. Nightmare in Pink - library
8. In Praise of the Crone - own
9. How the Shaman Stole the Moon: In Search of Ancient Prophet-Scientists from Stonehenge to the Grand Canyon - own
4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie – 3.5*** The story begins when Mrs McGillicuddy witnessed a murder on a passing train. She reports it to the authorities, but as there has been no body found, and no woman reported missing, they dismiss her story as active imagination. This is a great cozy mystery, featuring a fine cast of suspects and amateur sleuths. Miss Marple employs the assistance of the very capable Lucy Eyelesbarrow, a young woman who is smart and steadfast. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with. Joan Hickson - the marvelous actress who played Miss Marple in the television series – is absolutely pitch perfect narrating the audio book.
Full Review HERE
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – 3*** The novel – a combination of historical fiction and fantasy – tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. In general, I like fantasy, and I love magical realism, so I really wanted to like this book. But it never really captured my attention, and I found it tedious to read in places. I was not swept away. Still, there are passages that were riveting and I never felt like I should just give up on the book. Final verdict: a decent but uneven debut, and I won’t be in any hurry to read the planned sequel.
Full Review HERE
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 4*Currently reading:
1. A Game of Thrones - late night ebook (own)
2. She's Come Undone - own
3. In Praise of the Crone - own
4. How the Shaman Stole the Moon: In Search of Ancient Prophet-Scientists from Stonehenge to the Grand Canyon - own
5. The Book of Fate - own
6. Nightmare in Pink - library
7. Unreap My Heart - own
8. Uprooted - library
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff– 5***** In October 1949 Helene Hanff, a single woman living and working in her small New York apartment, responded to an ad placed in the Saturday Review of Literature by Marks & Co, a bookshop in London that specialized in used books. Thus began a two-decade long correspondence and friendship between the reserved bookseller and the irrepressible Miss Hanff. What a delight it is to be allowed to watch this growing relationship, fueled by a shared love of books, and an ability to laugh at oneself and one’s follies. It’s the kind of book I’ll read over and over just for the sheer joy of it.
Full Review HERE
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman – 4**** Subtitle: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. This is a fascinating medical mystery, and a balanced exploration of two very different points of view. I thought the book could have used more editing; Fadiman tends to repeat her message. Still, I was really caught up in the story, and appreciated learning more about the Hmong culture.
Full Review HERE
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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