The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU
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<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
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Bea
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Aug 01, 2017 04:20AM
Finished:
- 4*
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Baker Towers – Jennifer Haigh – 3.5***
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I love to read and discuss with my F2F book club. Haigh focuses on the Novak family to tell the story of America in the years following World War II. It’s a microcosm of American life, that encompasses many of the issues faced by the nation during the 1930s through 1970s.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3.5*Reading:
Little Women - library CD
The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian - library
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon - library
Emma's Gift - own
44 Scotland Street - library
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Not actively reading:
Kisscut - own
Sycamore Row – John Grisham – 3***
A wealthy man commits suicide and leaves the majority of his estate to his black housekeeper. Why would he do such a thing? John Grisham can certainly write a thriller, and his courtroom scenes are entertaining, suspenseful and informative. I liked the various characters, or more accurately, I like the way Grisham writes these characters, even the smarmy attorneys hired by Seth’s children and Lettie’s n’er-do-well husband and distant relatives.
LINK to my review
I finished I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchairby Patrick Gray and starting Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
Bliss – Kathryn Littlewood – 2**
The Bliss family’s special Cookery Booke is full of ancient recipes for treats such as Cookies of Truth and Singing Gingersnaps. I think some middle-grade readers will be entertained and enjoy this, but I found it really awful. A few entertaining scenes and recognition that I am NOT the intended audience cause me to give it 2 stars.
LINK to my review
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener – M.C. Beaton – 3***
This series is growing on me, as I get to know Agatha better. She’s a smart woman in business (apparently), but she is woefully bad at relationships. It takes a long time to get to the murder with all the relationship drama, but once Agatha discovers the body, her curiosity keeps her nosing about. All in all a satisfying cozy mystery.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 4*Reading:
Little Women - library CD
Emma's Gift - own
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Kisscut - own
The Madhouse Nudes - own
Except for the CD book, the rest are all books I own. I decided to focus on books sitting around waiting on me.
Reading 2 non-fiction: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania and Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir and 1 novel: The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up (GR giveaway). I just barely started Three Men in a Boat but will probably have to check it out again. They all seem pretty good, especially Dead Wake. I just can't figure out what I feel like reading!
Thank you to everyone posting on this thread. I have added quite a few books to my TBR!I am not one for overlong reviews, so this is just perfect.
.. and I've added some of mine too. :)
Theft of Swords by Michael J Sullivan - 4*I have been reading quite a few fantasy series this summer. This is a fun picaresque adventure that will please the amateur of the genre.
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King - 3.5*A retired Sherlock Holmes takes on an apprentice in the shape of Mary Russell. Another great yarn. However, I wished the intrigue had been a bit less predictable: the villains felt somewhat rehashed, for example.
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab - 4*Usually, the second instalment in a trilogy is weaker than the first or third one - building on the suspense for the denouement in the final book. I found the second book in the 'Shades of Magic' fantasy series much better than the first one. Excellent character-focussed action and development, great villains. The series is tagged as 'Young Adult' but is eminently readable. I can't wait to read the third and final book.
The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin - 5*I do like the 'Inspector Rebus' series - I live in Scotland! I love reading about the places I have been etc. This instalment in the series was particularly gripping - full marks all round.
When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi – 4****
This memoir was written when Paul Kalanithi was in his mid-thirties, about to finish his training as a neurosurgeon, and had been diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer. I was interested and moved by his story.
LINK to my review
I finished Call Me By Your Name! It was very different from any romance novel I've ever read. Here's my review
And the movie trailer was released last week as well!
Sworn to Silence – Linda Castillo – 4****
First in a series. This is a tight, fast-paced thriller. I really like Kate; she’s intelligent, resourceful, fiercely protective, determined and a strong leader. Readers looking for a “cozy” Amish book should look elsewhere. There is a violent sexual predator on the loose and the victims endure torture and physical violence. I will keep reading this series.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 3*Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
The Partly Cloudy Patriot
Girl in Hyacinth Blue
La's Orchestra Saves the World
Every Heart a Doorway
My Mrs Brown – William Norwich – 4****
This is a lovely, charming story of one woman’s quest, at once modest and outlandish: to own an Oscar de la Renta sheath dress with jacket. Mrs Brown’s genuine goodness and politeness serve her well. Despite being the target of mean-girl behavior at work, and some serious setbacks, she perseveres quietly and consistently. It’s a wonderful fable, and I just love Mrs Brown.
LINK to my review
Kitchens of the Great Midwest – J Ryan Stradal – 3.5***
A debut novel that shows the writer’s promise. The story is told in roughly chronological order, but each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. Through them the reader gets to know Eva, “the mysterious chef behind the most sought-after dinner reservation in the country.”
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 4* Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
La's Orchestra Saves the World
The Drowning River
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders
Half Broke Horses – Jeannette Walls – 4****
In what she calls a “true life novel,” Walls turns her attention to her maternal grandmother: Lily Casey Smith. Walls is a wonderful storyteller; she really brings Lily and all the other characters to life. And what a life! The author also does a fine job of putting the reader into this time and place. I could practically smell the horses, and feel the dust on my skin.
LINK to my review
Groot – Jeff Loveness (illustrated by Brian Kesinger) – 2**
Hmmm. Really don’t know what to say about this graphic novel / comics collection starring a talking tree with limited vocabulary, and a perpetually irritated Rocket Raccoon. Clearly I’m not the target audience, but I think I see the appeal. It satisfied a challenge and took my mind off my troubles for an hour.
LINK to my review
Lucky Man – Michael J Fox – 4****
Michael J Fox was barely thirty years old when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. This is his memoir in which he explains how and why “I consider myself a lucky man.” He is honest and forthright in describing his childhood, early career, missteps, alcohol abuse, successes, and failures. I was interested and engaged in his story. Not your typical celebrity memoir.
LINK to my review
Don’t You Cry – Mary Kubica – 2.5**
Quinn is a bad roommate, but when Esther goes missing, she’s concerned and determined to find the truth. Meanwhile, Alex is besotted with the strange woman, Pearl, who frequents the diner where he works. The plot is convoluted and complicated, yet somehow lacks suspense. I was not impressed.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*I continue to enjoy Neil Gaiman's worlds. This book is filled with short stories and poems.
Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
The Drowning River
Carolina Moon
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
The Dud Avocado – Elaine Dundy – 2**
The book jacket promises “the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Charming, sexy, and hilarious…” That’ll teach me to believe a book jacket blurb. There are some scenes where Dundy really captures my attention – the way she describes a perfect cocktail, or the guests at a dinner party, for example – but I was bored with most of it. Sally has no real purpose and I just didn’t care what happened to her or her “friends.”
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
The Trespasser
Waiting for Sept 1 to start The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History and Are You Somebody? : The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman. I also checked out the audiobook of Canada. Getting all of my books and worksheet ready for the fall challenge!
Under This Unbroken Sky – Shandi Mitchell – 5*****
This debut work just about broke my heart. Mitchell’s writing is luminous and poetic in places, making the landscape and weather central characters in the drama that unfolds in the late 1930s on the plains of Northern Canada. The novel touches on the immigrant experience, the harsh realities of prairie life, domestic abuse, faith, friendship, charity, pride, survival and forgiveness. This is a book, and an author, that deserves a wider audience.
LINK to my review
Sept 1 - Currently ReadingTEXT –
Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam MeekingsAUDIO in the car –
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane AckermanMP3 Player AUDIO –
Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn
I finished "The Essex Serpent" and starting "Asylum"
Expect to finish later today: 
Currently Reading:
Stealing Mona Lisa
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
The Trespasser
I'm having to read Middlemarch for my book club, and I must admit, I'm finding it a bit of a struggle.
The Member of the Wedding – Carson McCullers – 4****
Twelve-year-old Frankie Adams is bored with life and longing for adventure, for a sense of belonging to something “bigger.” Carson McCullers has a way of writing her characters that draws the reader into their very souls. Frankie’s journey through this phase of adolescence is at once painfully distressing, funny and charming. I was, in turns, afraid for Frankie and amused by her.
LINK to my review
Death in Yellowstone - Lee H Whittlesey - 1*
If you’re looking for a dry recitation of facts this is the book for you. If you are looking for a compelling, adventure / thriller try Night of the Grizzlies instead.
LINK to my review
I finished "Asylum" and starting a re-read "Jane Eyre"
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*,
- 3*Currently Reading:
Stealing Mona Lisa
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World
The Turquoise Lament
Moved to Later stack:
The Trespasser
Unless - Carol Shields – 4****
When Reta Williams, a successful author and translator, discovers that her 19-year-old daughter has left college to panhandle on a Toronto street corner, she struggles to understand how and why Norah could have come to this. Sheilds’ novel explores what it means to be a woman, a mother, a writer, a feminist.
LINK to my review
Binti - Nnedi Okorafor – 4****
This is a coming-of-age story, an adventure, a buddy road-trip, and a space opera all in one small package. I loved Binti. She’s resourceful, mentally and physically strong, a loyal friend, a compassionate person, and a canny negotiator. Science fiction is not my favorite genre (understatement), but I might read more of this series.
LINK to my review
Dune - Frank Herbert – 3***
Okay … science fiction epics are just not my thing. That being said, I do recognize and appreciate what has made this such an enduring classic in the genre. Herbert has created a complex world, with warring factions, political intrigue, and a great main character in Paul Muad’Dib. I think if I had read this when I was in high school or college I would have rated it higher, but it just doesn’t appeal to my reading tastes at this stage of my life.
LINK to my review
Death at Wentwater Court - Carola Dunn – 3***
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery debut. Daisy is a delightful central character and amateur sleuth. I’m a little unhappy with how the book ends –but it’s true to the time, place and social class.
LINK to my review
Under Fishbone Clouds - Sam Meekings – 3***
This is a love story and family saga set against the backdrop of 20th century Chinese history. We watch Jinyi and Yuying grow through their childhoods, courtship, early marriage, and mature years. Meekings also gives the reader insight into how the wars, Japanese invasion, and Mao’s Cultural Revolution impacted the people of China.
LINK to my review
I finished "Jane Eyre" and starting "Thirteen Reasons Why"
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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