The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
Please Look After Mom – Kyung-Sook Shin – 3***
This is the story of one family’s search for their mother, who has gone missing one afternoon in a crowded Seoul subway station. The author tells the story from the perspective of four characters, and also uses second person voice for much of the book. Perhaps she intended to draw the reader in with this technique, or perhaps it is a common grammatical choice in Korean, but I found it difficult to connect to the characters.
LINK to my review
Farwell My Lovely – Raymond Chandler – 3***
I came late to Chandler’s series about P.I. Philip Marlowe, but I sure am enjoying them now! The action is non-stop, and the characters so vivid they virtually jump off the page. I’ll definitely keep reading the series.
LINK to my review
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zavin – 3***
One snowy December evening A.J. Fikry finds that someone has left a baby between the shelves in his bookstore. This is a fable about second chances and the redemptive power of love. It’s a somewhat quiet story, as novels go, but it is full of the drama of every day existence. I also loved all the literary references.
LINK to my review
We Are Called to Rise – Laura McBride – 4****
McBride’s debut novel tells the story of four different people whose lives intersect as the result of one split-second choice. The novel is told by each of these four characters in turn. I was immediately drawn into their personal stories. McBride does a great job of writing these characters, making them real to the reader. I thought the ending was a little too contrived, but that was really my only complaint. I look forward to reading her next book.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3*Reading:
The Name of the Wind
Last Scene Alive
Mr. Churchill's Secretary
Dust
And maybe either Kisscut, which I own, or Glory in Death, which is due soon at the library (or I could check it out again).
Book Concierge wrote: " We Are Called to Rise
– Laura McBride – 4****
McBride’s debut novel tells the story of four different people whose lives intersect as the result of o..."
Added to wishlist
Catch-22 – Joseph Heller – 3***
I definitely see why this is on its way to becoming a classic. Heller’s story of one unit fighting in Italy during WW2, could easily be updated to today and still ring true in many respects. It’s funny, irreverent, and disturbing. Still, satire is not my favorite genre. I appreciate it, but don’t necessarily like it.
LINK to my review
The Perks Of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky – 4****
This is a coming-of-age novel featuring 15-year-old Charlie, who tells the story via letters he writes to an unnamed friend. I like YA fiction like this. Charlie is very real. He is a great observer of teenage and family life. As he describes events and how he reacts to them, he gives the reader a pretty accurate view of high-school dynamics. This is Chbosky’s debut novel. I hope he writes another novel; I would definitely read it.
LINK to my review
Finished Live and Let Growl". I finished The 5th Horsemanby James Patterson and starting The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
Knots And Crosses – Ian Rankin – 3***
This is the first in the Inspector John Rebus mystery series. Edinburgh is plagued by a series of kidnapping/killings of young girls. Rankin writes a fast-paced thriller with several twists and turns in the plot, and a complex lead character. I definitely read more of this series.
LINK to my review
June 24 - Currently ReadingTEXT –
The Lowland / Jhumpa LahiriAUDIO in the car –
The Japanese Lover / Isabel AllendeMP3 Player AUDIO -
Eragon / Christopher Paolini
Cops And Robbers – Daniel E Westlake – 3.5***
Tom and Joe are New York City policemen. They are also planning a grand heist that should net them two million dollars. This book doesn’t include the kind of zany antics that Westlake is known for in his comic crime capers, but there’s plenty of action, quite a few surprises and plot twists, and a great sense of time and place.
LINK to my review
Jane Steele – Lindsay Faye – 3.5***
Lindsay Faye’s re-telling of Jane Eyre , is an imaginative romp. Readers of the classic will recognize many plot elements, but Faye has let her imagination run wild. The story is still set in the same era as Bronte’s classic novel, but this Jane is a serial killer. If that makes you gasp is horror … well give the book a chance. It’s great fun to read
LINK to my review
I finished "The Fire Rose" and starting "Blind" by Rachel DeWoskin
Love Walked In – Marisa de los Santos – 3.5***
Cornelia, the “under-achiever” in her family, is the manager of a café. One day a Cary-Grant-look-alike walks in and her life changes. This is a chick-lit, romance novel with great heart. The novel is told in alternating points of view: Cornelia, and Clare, an eleven-year-old with a chaotic home life. I loved them both, though I was somewhat incredulous at several plot points.
LINK to my review
Something Rotten – Jasper Fforde – 3***
Book four in the Thursday Next fantasy / sci-fi “literary detective” series. What I most enjoy about this series is Fforde’s vivid imagination and all the literary references. The plots are completely unrealistic, but that’s part of the fun.
LINK to my review
The Agony and the Ecstasy – Irving Stone – 4****
Stone’s epic historical novel tells the life story of Michelangelo. Additionally, the novel includes much of the politics of the times, from the Medicis in Florence to the various Popes in Rome, it’s a fascinating history of the era. This was a re-read for me, but my rating reflects my original reaction (circa 1965).
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*Reading:
The Name of the Wind
Kisscut - on back burner.
Peace Like a River
Plaid and Plagiarism
Monk's Hood
Dragonquest
Written In Blood
The Lowland – Jhumpa Lahiri - 4****
This is a dense, complex character-driven story, that explores both the immigrant experience and the relationships between family members. It starts slowly, but the really builds in the last third. Lahiri writes beautifully, and I kept marking passages. I so wish this was a book-club selection, because I long to discuss it with someone.
LINK to my review
The Japanese Lover - Isabel Allende – 3***
This is a sweeping love story that spans decades. Told in alternating time frames, and with alternating points of view, the story unfolds as Irina and Seth discover tidbits of information about Alma’s past. The title alone is a pretty clear indication of what is to come in the novel, and yet I was fascinated to learn the details.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*Reading:
The Name of the Wind
Kisscut - on back burner.
Peace Like a River
Dragonquest
Written In Blood
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers – Mordecai Gerstein – 4****
Gerstein brings the sense of awe and wonder to French aerliast Pierre Petit’s amazing feat, performed in 1974 as the World Trade Center was nearing completion. Beautiful illustrations.
LINK to my review
The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland - Rebekah Crane – 1*
Okay, I knew this was a YA novel about a summer camp for at-risk teens, going into it. I knew from the title and cover art that some sort of summer romance would come into play. But I am so over the teen angst phase of my life, that I find it overly dramatic and cliched.
LINK to my review
I finished "Murder at the Puppy Fest"
July 09 - Currently ReadingTEXT –
Final Jeopardy / Linda FairsteinAUDIO in the car –
Into the Beautiful North / Luis Alberto UrreaMP3 Player AUDIO -
The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin
Tigers in Red Weather - Liza Klaussmann – 2.5**
This is Klaussmann’s debut and I see a nugget of a good novel here. But the execution falters. The dialogue is tortured. And the fractured timeline and changes in point of view do little to help the story arc.
LINK to my review
Eragon - Christopher Paolini – 3***
This is # 1 in the Inheritance series. I am clearly not the target audience for this fantasy novel. However, kudos to Paolini for creating this complex world, with many characters and beings, mythology, history, diverse landscape and complex social structure. I definitely see the appeal for the intended audience, even if it’s not really my cup of tea.
LINK to my review
Hamlet – William Shakespeare – 4****
I’ll dispense with the summary for this classic tragedy by William Shakespeare, but as I’ve said before, I really dislike reading plays. I much prefer to see them performed live by talented actors, the medium for which they are written. There are hundreds of editions of this work, and I recommend that readers get one that is annotated.
LINK to my review
Band of Brothers – Stephen E Ambrose – 4****
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Ambrose profiles the officers and enlisted men alike. Their personal stories, gleaned from hours of interviews as well as their journals and letters, lend great authenticity to the narrative.
LINK to my review
The Gatekeeper – Kathryn Smith – 4****
Subtitle: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency. This is a fascinating biography of the woman “beside” the man, who despite her influence at the time, quickly slipped out of the public’s consciousness.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Kisscut - own
Written In Blood - library book due 7/31
The Coroner's Lunch - library book due 7/21
West of Here - library book due 7/17 (this one will be late)
The Serpents Tale – Ariana Franklin – 3.5***
Book two in the series. There are several things I like about this series, starting with Adelia Aguilar – a strong, independent, resilient, and resourceful heroine. Franklin does a lot of research and it shows in the way she sets the tone and describes the landscape and relationships in 12th century England. The plot is intricate, and had more than one surprise for the reader.
LINK to my review
Final Jeopardy – Linda Fairstein – 3***
Linda Fairstein mined her own experience as a top prosecutor in New York’s Sex Crimes Unit for this debut thriller, starring NYC prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. It’s a fast-paced mystery with plenty of suspects, interesting plot twists, a likeable main character, and some complicated relationships. I’ll definitely read more of this series.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*Reading:
Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman - library DUE TODAY
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Kisscut - own
Written In Blood - library book due 7/31
West of Here - library book OVERDUE
Obviously I have to focus on the books that are due or overdue at the library first!
Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea – 3.5***
This is a quest novel, a coming-of-age story, and a road trip adventure, populated by one of the most eclectic cast of characters in literature. I loved Nayeli, whose smile is like the sunrise. She’s honest, fierce, loyal to her friends, and determined to succeed in her mission. The novel is translated from Spanish to English, but still includes much Spanish and even some “Spanglish.” This may be challenging for readers who don’t speak Spanish.
LINK to my review
Malicious Intent – Kathryn Fox – 3.5***
Great debut in a crowded field, starring Sydney’s only female freelance forensic pathologist. Fox writes a tense, compelling mystery thriller with a (mostly) strong female lead. I had identified the culprit pretty quickly, certainly by half-way through the novel, but enjoyed watching the characters figure it out for themselves.
LINK to my review
Happy Never After – Kathy Hogan Trochek – 3***
I like this mystery series. It’s a little edgier than a traditional cozy, because Callahan is a former Atlanta Police Officer, but it has many of the classic elements of a cozy. I really enjoyed the premise in this installment, especially as I was a teenager in the era of the sixties girl groups.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 4*Reading:
West of Here - library book
Little Women - library CD
The Velocipede Races - library book
One Corpse Too Many - library book
Not actively reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Kisscut - own
Elephant Company – Vicki Constantine Croke – 3.5***
Subtitle: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II. The subtitle really intrigued me and I was eager to read about this particular episode, but the author gives us more than 200 pages of background before we get to World War II and the vital role Williams and his elephants played in the fight against the Japanese.
LINK to my review
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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I just finished reading escape under the forever sky and am currently reading Step on it ,Cupid