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 finished "Thirteen Reasons Why" and starting "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne
The Good Girl - Mary Kubica – 3.5***
What I most look for in this genre is a plot that keeps me interested, and keeps me guessing. Kubica delivered that. I was caught up in the intrigue, and interested in these characters and how they fit together. The changing points of view and time lines kept me off balance, much as the characters in such a scenario might feel.
LINK to my review
The Zookeeper’s Wife - Diane Ackerman – 4****
When the Nazis occupied Poland during WW2, many Polish citizens helped to shelter their Jewish friends and neighbors. This is the story one of family, and the wife and mother in particular: Antonina Zabinski, the zookeeper’s wife. It’s a fascinating story, and well told.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*Currently Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World
I finished "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and going back to "Salem Falls"
Eventide - Kent Haruf – 5*****
Continuing the story of the residents of fictional Holt, Colorado, the novel features some of the same characters that readers came to love in Plainsong . Life can be hard in Holt. Accidents cause injury and death. Alcohol fuels violent tendencies and foolish behavior. Then again, some people rise to the occasion and help one another, moving forward with courage and grace. I came late to the party when it comes to reading Haruf. But better late than never.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*Currently Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
A Doll's House - re-read for a library discussion group
Survival Instincts
Damage Control
Airs Above the Ground
Saint Monkey - Jacinda Townsend – 3***
In the late 1950s, two friends in a small town in Kentucky share big dreams. But their paths diverge and the lose one another in the process of growing up. This debut novel shows that Townsend is a talented writer, and some of the scenes she paints are very vivid, but the novel never really captured my attention. Still, I would read another book by her.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 5*,
- 4*Currently Reading:
The Name of the Wind - Kindle
Damage Control
Airs Above the Ground
In the past two months (since my husband died), I seem to struggle to start and finish books. Instead of 6-7 books/week read, I struggle to finish one.
Lamb In His Bosom - Caroline Miller – 5*****
This 1934 Pulitzer winner deals with a backwoods existence in rural Georgia, following the Carver / Smith families from 1832 until shortly after the Civil War. They battle weather, wild animals, disease, and injuries. And, when called, the men leave to fight a war they never wanted, and have no stake in. Descriptions so vivid you can feel the heat, smell the blood, hear the birds or the wail of panthers. It is a simple story, of simple people, but their lives are anything but simple.
LINK to my review
Book Concierge wrote: "
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 bel..."
I love this book, too. Carson McCullers is a gifted writer.
I have just started Gulag
by Anne Applebaum. So far, I am engrossed and impressed with Applebaum's research and clarity on a typically dense subject.
I am done with" Salem Falls. I finished "Stay With Me" and starting"The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*Currently Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
The October Killings
The Sherlockian
The Other Story
The Trespasser
Blood, Bones and Butter - Gabrielle Hamilton – 3***
Subtitle: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. I’ll say this for Hamilton – she can definitely write. I was fascinated by the stories of her upbringing. I laughed, cheered and gasped at the anecdotes of her years working for the big catering companies, the summer camp and her own restaurant. But she kind of lost me when she got to her marriage. But what really shines in this memoir is her relationship with food. I relished in the descriptions of both simple and elegantly complicated meals.
LINK to my review
The Complete Maus - Art Spiegelman – 3***
This book combines the two original graphic novels: Maus I and Maus II. In general, I am not a great fan of graphic novels. I usually find the artwork too dark and the text too minimal and simplistic. That’s not the case for this work. I thought it was easily accessible and a way to introduce the subject to an audience that might not read a traditional book. However, while I appreciate it, and understand why it has garnered such acclaim, it just didn’t work very well for me.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*Currently Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
The October Killings
The Trespasser
The Gentlemen's Hour
The Long Quiche Goodbye
A Pale View of Hills
I returned this book to the library unread - The Other Story. I just never got around to starting it.
Dreams of Joy - Lisa See – 3***
This is the sequel to Shanghai Girls, but this book really focuses on China and the results of the cultural revolution. The novel gives the reader an horrific look at the devastating results of Mao’s Great Leap Forward. I was already familiar with this episode in China’s recent history, but watching it unfold through these characters made is somehow “personal” and gave it much more impact. My main problem with the book was the central character: Joy. She was so immature and naïve … I just wanted to throttle her.
LINK to my review
Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie – 3***
Hercule Poirot may be on holiday in Egypt, but his “little grey cells” are working overtime. There are plenty of suspects and almost as many motives.
LINK to my review
I finished "The Happiness Project" and starting "Perfect Chemistry" by Simone Eckles
Dracula - Bram Stoker – 5*****
If you’ve seen any of the movies, you know the basic plot, but the original novel is so much more! To begin there is the typical Victorian theme of strong men coming to the rescue of pure damsel in distress. However, Stoker turns the tables a bit when he gives Mina the intelligence, foresight and courage to fight the evil forces in her own way. The novel is wonderfully atmospheric; time and again Stoker puts the reader smack dab in the middle of the scenes.
LINK to my review
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor - Lisa Kleypas – 3***
I knew going in that this was a cheesy holiday romance. Despite the book jacket’s promised “magic” there isn’t much of it here … unless you count a child’s belief in fairies and Santa Claus as magic. But that’s okay, it’s still a fun read.
LINK to my review
I finished "Perfect Chemistry" and starting "Violets Are Blue" by James Patterson
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*
In the Woods - Tana French – 4****
This is a stunning debut. Gripping and suspenseful, with many twists and turns. I guessed the culprit fairly early on, but was still enthralled by the psychology of the characters – whether police, victims or perpetrator.
LINK to my review
Living To Tell the Tale - Gabriel Garcia Marquez – 3***
This is the first in a planned three-volume autobiography, taking the reader from Marquez’s birth in 1927 to his young adulthood in the mid 1950s. In recounting his early life, the author also tells the history of Columbia – the politics, culture, troubles and triumphs of the people. Magical realism is a style that is ingrained in the oral story-telling traditions of Latin America, and I loved those little hints of magical realism in this work. Reminded me of listening to my grandparents recount tales of their own childhoods.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*Currently Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
The Trespasser
The Gentlemen's Hour
Hamlet
The Leper of St. Giles
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection
The Gospel of Loki and I have to say I am SO over mythology - I hope the new year misses this all together. This is a reasonably well written book but I am so bored
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*Currently Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
Hamlet
The Leper of St. Giles
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection
The Three Weissmanns of Westport - Cathleen Schine – 3.5***
This is a charming re-telling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility . I had great fun trying to match Schine’s characters with Austen’s, and trying to figure out how certain plot elements might play out. Despite my familiarity with the original, Schine surprised me more than once.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*Currently Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
Hamlet
The Last Time I Saw Paris
The Other Story
The Horse Whisperer
Double Indemnity - James M Cain – 5*****
Cain is a master of the roman noir. His writing is every bit as seductive as the temptress at the heart of his story. You just know this is going to end badly but you cannot tear yourself away, you just HAVE to continue.
LINK to my review
The Illusion of Separateness – Simon Van Booy – 3.5***
Van Booy tells this interwoven story from different perspectives and in different time periods. Throughout we see how a small act of kindness – or cruelty – can reverberate through time and across continents. The writing is poetic and fluid. I felt immersed in the story, and was never disoriented by the changing perspectives or time lines. I want to read it again, and I would definitely read another book by this author.
LINK to my review
I finished "Violets Are Blue by James Patterson and starting "\I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
The Children Act – Ian McEwan – 3***
Fiona Maye is a High Court judge who presides over cases in family court, but while she is dealing with this heart-breaking legal case, her personal life also demands attention. The decisions she makes will have consequences for all. I like the way that McEwan explores hidden emotions and the effects of those feelings on the characters’ decisions and actions. I was interested in the subject, but McEwan lost me as the novel progressed. When it ended I felt like I was missing something.
LINK to my review
Murder in the Paperback Parlor – Ellery Adams – 2**
Number two in the “Book Retreat Mysteries” series set in Storyton Hall, “the perfect getaway for literature lovers.” This has all the elements of a typical cozy mystery: an amateur sleuth, a “cute” occupation / back story, a little romantic tension, and more suspects than you can shake a stick at. The premise of Storyton Hall, however, lost me a little – most likely because I had not read the first book in the series. I did love all the references to books, however. I think I’ll go back and read book # 1 before I give final judgment on the series.
LINK to my review
Norwegian By Night – Derek B Miller – 4****
An eighty-two-year-old former Marine suffering from PTSD, leaves his New York home to live with his granddaughter and her husband in Oslo, Norway. Isolated by language, Sheldon still recognizes a bad situation when the neighbor woman is attacked by a violent stranger. He grabs the woman’s small son, and flees. How he eludes both the bad guys and the police, while keeping the boy safe is the central plot. But Miller’s character study of this unlikely hero is what makes the novel shine. A wonderful debut!
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*Currently Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
Hamlet
The Other Story
Celestial Chess
The Long Stitch Good Night
Yesterday's Spy
Heart and Soul – Maeve Binchy – 3***
This is a story of family, friends, patients and staff whose lives intersect at a heart clinic in Dublin. This was the right book for me at the right time – a gentle, engaging story that focuses on relationships. It is a sort of snapshot of a year in these people’s lives. This is a sequel to Nights of Rain and Stars, with many of those characters appearing here as well.
LINK to my review
I finished Dragonflight and starting "Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*,
- 3*Still Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
The Other Story
Celestial Chess
Murder in the Mystery Suite – Ellery Adams – 3***
Book number one in the Book Retreat Mystery series. This was a delightful cozy mystery. The premise is a bit outlandish, but it makes for a colorful cast of characters. And I love all the literary references.
LINK to my review
Sundown, Yellow Moon – Larry Watson – 2**
I’ve read several of Watson’s other books and am a fan of his writing, but this was clearly not his best work. The narrator’s inability to let go of a murder/suicide in his home town during his teens, and his inability to connect with those around him make for a decidedly distant experience. At the end I’m left feeling “is that all?”
LINK to my review
Karma – Cathy Ostlere – 3***
This young adult novel is told entirely in verse, making for a very fast read. While there is a “love story” in the plot, the book includes some pretty serious matter: religious strife between Sikhs and Hindus, civil and political unrest in India, and the treatment of women. Maya is a strong female lead, despite the trauma she’s faced and her withdrawal into herself.
LINK to my review
Ukulele Murder – Leslie Langtry – ZERO stars
This is just bad. The writing is hackneyed, the dialogue is tortured, the plot is ridiculous, and none of the characters is believable. Even worse, in my opinion, is the lame attempt at humor in re Nani’s mother’s alcoholism. Alcoholism is *never* funny.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*Still Reading:
Sense and Sensibility - Kindle
Started:
Flesh and Bone
A Discovery of Witches
Dipped, Stripped, and Dead
The Importance of Being Earnest
Drums of Autumn – Diana Gabaldon – 3.5*** (rounded up)
Book number four in the bestselling Outlander series, has Jamie and Claire making their home in the mountains of North Carolina. I just love this series. Gabaldon writes compelling stories with characters I care about. Even the ones I hate (Brianna) keep me interested and engaged, and the action is non-stop.
LINK to my review
I finished "Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and starting "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver
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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...
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick – 5***** and a ❤
What a treasure! This inventive, unusual novel in words and pictures, won the Caldecott medal for illustration. The book is intended for children, but will delight adults as well. The story of Hugo, Isabelle and Papa Georges is enthralling, and kept me guessing. But the drawings … oh, the drawings! The reader really needs to spend some time pouring over these intricate illustrations.
LINK to my review