The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU
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<closed thread>What are you currently reading?
Autobiography of a Face – Lucy Grealy – 4****
What is more important to your sense of self that to recognize yourself in the mirror? What if the face you saw in the mirror was one you could not bear to look at? A face that could not possibly reflect the you inside? Grealy writes so eloquently and honestly about what she went through as a result of childhood cancer, and how she felt growing up “ugly.”
LINK to my review
You Remind Me of Me – Dan Chaon – 3.5***
Chaon’s skill as a short-story writer shows in his debut novel. The first four chapters of the book introduce us to four different characters and time frames. Eventually the connections between them will be clear to the reader. What I really like about Chaon’s writing is how he explores issues of identity, how characters are shaped by their environment, by chance and opportunity, and by the choices they make. There is much to dislike about these damaged people, and yet I am drawn to these characters and their stories.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 2*Reading:
When Mourning Comes
Lincoln in the Bardo
Speaker for the Dead
The Strange Files of Fremont Jones
On hold:
Night Moves - own
Davita's Harp - own
Finished:
- 4*I had never heard of or read anything by this author before, but I just loved her character, Fremont. Then, I learned that the author died 5 years ago. :( Oh, well...she at least has a series of Fremont books. I will definitely continue this series.
The First Deadly Sin – Lawrence Sanders – 4****
I first read this back in about 1975 and was completely gripped by the writing and the suspenseful story. I liked it just as much on re-reading it.
LINK to my review
Isn’t It Romantic – Brett Fletcher Lauer & Aimee Kelley – 2**
Subtitle: 100 Love Poems By Younger American Poets. I like poetry, and I do not need a neat rhyme or rhythm to enjoy the form. However, many of these poems did absolutely nothing for me. Definitely not a “romantic” collection, in my humble opinion.
LINK to my review
Silas Marner – George Eliot – 3***
A classic tale of the redemptive power of love, first published in 1861. A reclusive, miserly weaver’s life is changed when he finds a toddler on a snowy evening. As is typical of the novels of the era, the plot includes numerous coincidences that stretch this reader’s tolerance. There is much misery, but Eliot does give us a few moments of joy, and an ending full of hope.
LINK to my review
A Morbid Taste For Bones – Ellis Peters – 3***
I’ve heard about this series set in 12th century England for some years, and always wanted to try them. I found it rather slow moving, but really liked the lead character, Brother Cadfael. I’d be willing to read another in the series.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*Did you ever have a series that you meant to continue but never did? That is Ender's Saga for me. I added this book August 18, 2012 to my TBR. It took me 6 years to get back to the series! Oh, my. I just cannot figure out what took so long!
My copy had an introduction about writing the book by the author. After reading that, I was ready to read the book. Knowing that he also struggled with letting this book come to life, made my own recent struggles seem to be a part of the long process in my own getting to the reading of this book. LOVED it!
Reading: When Mourning Comes
Lincoln in the Bardo
The Hangman's Daughter
The Devil Colony
The Death of Bees
Fear of Frying
Still on hold:
Night Moves - own
Davita's Harp - own
Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty – 4****
Moriarty uses the “minor” drama of helicopter parents to explore larger issues of school bullying and domestic abuse. The reader knows from the first chapter that someone has died … but who died and who was responsible will have to wait until the last 40 pages of the novel. Using multiple narrators, and different timelines seems a popular technique in novels these days. It’s difficult to do this well, but Moriarty is a master. Even the secondary characters fairly leap off the page.
LINK to my review
Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty – 4****
Moriarty uses the “minor” drama of helicopter parents to explore larger issues of school bullying and domestic abuse. The reader knows from the first chapter that someone has died … but who died and who was responsible will have to wait until the last 40 pages of the novel. Using multiple narrators, and different timelines seems a popular technique in novels these days. It’s difficult to do this well, but Moriarty is a master. Even the secondary characters fairly leap off the page.
LINK to my review
Elephant Winter – Kim Echlin – 3***
When she learns that her mother is dying, Sophie Walker must give up her nomadic lifestyle and leave Zimbabwe to return to the family farm in southern Ontario. This is really a character-based story, though there are some significant events, including a couple of violent altercations. Mostly, however, Echlin treats the reader to Sophie’s thoughts as she considers her mother’s condition, her role as daughter, lover, friend, her past and future. I really liked Echlin’s writing style. There was something so quiet and comforting about it. And still her imagery is very vivid.
LINK to my review
The Shack – William P Young – ZERO stars
Several people have recommended this to me, but it’s really not my cup of tea. I found the message heavy-handed and the writing simplistic.
LINK to my review
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The Silver Linings Playbook – Matthew Quick – 4****
What a delightfully quirky and touching story. I never saw the movie, but knew it was very popular. I put the book on my tbr knowing basically nothing about it and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Pat is a wonderful character and narrator. Tiffany is so confused and hurt and hopeful, that she, too, just pulls me in.
LINK to my review
I finished "Fried Green Tomatoes at Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg and starting King of Foxes by Raymond E. Feist
Currently reading: Hild
The Way of Kings
Lincoln in the Bardo
When Mourning Comes
Funerals are Fatal
Still on hold:
Night Moves - own
Davita's Harp - own
3rd Degree – James Patterson and Andrew Gross – 2**
This is book three in the Women’s Murder Club series with Patterson’s name getting top billing on the cover, but I suspect mostly written by Andrew Gross. The formula must not have been working well because there’s a significant change among the club members. I’ll say this for the team of writers – they keep things moving quickly.
LINK to my review
Lockdown – Laurie R King – 4****
King is probably best known for her Mary Russell series, but this is a stand-alone psychological thriller. The novel focuses on an incident at Guadalupe Middle School in San Felipe, California, and follows the characters from shortly after midnight to about 1:30 in the afternoon. I thought a couple of the elements of the plot’s ending were just too conveniently pat, but I was still entertained throughout.
LINK to my review
Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures – Emma Straub – 3***
I wasn’t expecting great literature, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a rags-to-riches, poor-girl-marries-powerful-executive, money-can’t-buy-happiness story that would have easily been produced by the studio-system of Hollywood in the 1930s and ‘40s. The book is light on character development, but it’s a quick read, and although I found the plot somewhat predictable, I was content to go along for the ride.
LINK to my review
Snow Falling on Cedars – David Guterson – 4****
At once a courtroom drama, a love story, a war story and a coming-of-age story, Guterson’s debut novel is a marvelous work depicting one man’s struggle against his baser instincts. A murder trial serves as the framework for exploring the complex relationships between Kabuo, Natsue and Ishmael.
LINK to my review
Currently reading, effective March 12TEXT -
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim MarshallAUDIO in the car -
Beartown by Fredrik BackmanMP3 audio -
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Finished:
- 4*Currently reading:
The Way of Kings
When Mourning Comes
The Xibalba Murders
The Lady and the Unicorn
WEDNESDAY – 28 Feb 18
Plaid and Plagiarism – Molly MacRae – 3***
Four women take possession of their new bookshop, Yon Bonnie Books, in the Highlands of Scotland. Before Janet can move into her new house, however, they find a body in the garden shed. I like these characters. Add some colorful local citizens, a constable who’s never had a murder case before, and lots of references to books and you have a recipe for an enjoyable cozy mystery.
LINK to my review
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WEDNESDAY – 28 Feb 18
The Christmas Shoes – Donna VanLiere – 1.5*
Trite and maudlin Christmas story that capitalizes on the popularity of the song. There are better Christmas stories with meaningful messages out there.
LINK to my review
My Name is Red – Orhan Pamuk – 3***
Set in 16th-century Instanbul, this is a murder mystery, an art history lesson, and a love story all in one. I found it difficult to follow because of Pamuk’s unusual style. Each chapter has a different narrator. When he focuses on the murder and the investigation, the story is quite compelling. However, Pamuk also includes long passages on art, the history of Turkey, and the teachings of Islam. I found these interesting, but felt they interrupted the story arc and sometimes had me scratching my head wondering what I had just missed.
LINK to my review
Night At the Fiestas – Kristin Valdez Quade – 4****
It’s difficult to rate a collection, because some of the stories resonate more with me than others. Quade gives us ten beautifully written stories in this collection. Ever since I studied O Henry and Edgar Allan Poe in junior high, I have loved short stories. With this collection, Kristin Valdez Quade is added to my list of authors who have perfected this format.
LINK to my review
March: Book Two – John Lewis – 4****
This is the second in a trilogy of graphic memoirs detailing the Civil Rights Movement and early career of U.S. Representative John Lewis. I applaud Lewis and his collaborators for bringing this era in America’s history to the attention of young readers. Providing this information in this format makes it more accessible to a young audience, and it’s important that they learn about this episode in our nation’s history.
LINK to my review
Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi – 4****
A sweeping historical fiction that follows the descendants of two half-sisters over three hundred years. Trying to cover 300 years of history, on two continents, is an ambitious undertaking. Doing it in just over 300 pages is just about impossible. But Gyasi does a credible job. Each chapter focuses on a different character, moving the action forward generation by generation. This debut shows that Gyasi is an author to watch.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 3*,
- 4*Currently reading:
The Way of Kings
When Mourning Comes
Blood Music
In Praise of the Crone
The Valley of Fear
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L Hopp, Camille Kingsolver – 3.5***
Memoir of a year during which Kingsolver’s family vowed to eat only what they grew or could find locally available. I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did, though Hopp’s essays, in particular, left me feeling that I was being scolded. I was happy that Kingsolver included some very humorous vignettes (the stories of “turkey sex” and her 9-year-old’s entrepreneurship was particularly engaging).
LINK to my review
Prisoners of Geography – Tim Marshall – 4****
I’ve always been relatively good at geography, and yet I wouldn’t say I’m particularly interested in or fascinated by the subject. Until now. I was pleasantly surprised at how very readable and understandable Marshall’s work is. I quickly became engaged in the way he outlined the benefits and challenges of various geographical features.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 3*Currently reading:
When Mourning Comes - on backburner
Blood Music
In Praise of the Crone
Words of Radiance
The Sugar Queen
Fatal Remains
The Cuckoo’s Calling – Robert Galbraith – 4****
Galbraith is the pseudonym of J K Rowling, and this book proves that she knows how to craft a compelling story. I really liked Strike as a lead character, but I really loved his assistant, Robin. These two make a great team. The plot is suitably complex, with plenty of red herrings to confuse and misdirect both Strike and the reader. I’ll definitely continue with this series.
LINK to my review
Finished:
- 4*,
- 4*,
- 4*
Beartown – Fredrik Backman – 4****
A character wonders: “what are principles worth, if you don’t win?”. That may be the essence of this novel, set in a small town where hockey is everything. This is definitely a departure from the kinds of novels that have made Backman an international literary star. No cranky old men or grandmothers who spin fantasy adventure tales here. But you will recognize Backman’s gift for drawing characters – good, bad, young, old, talented young people, and alcoholic has-beens.
LINK to my review
Currently reading: Fear Death by Water
Blood Music
Words of Radiance
The Dirt on Ninth Grave
Set aside for now:
When Mourning Comes
In Praise of the Crone
Lord Edgware Dies – Agatha Christie – 3***
Hercule Poirot and his faithful sidekick, Colonel Hastings have their work cut out for them. All these suspects … All these conflicting stories … And those “little grey cells” get a workout! Christie writes wonderful characters, even if she uses stereotypes that are jarring to modern sensibilities. She’s also very good at crafting intricate plot twists. These mysteries are my go-to reading “comfort food.”
LINK to my review
Cork Dork – Bianca Basker – 2.5**
Subtitle: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste. I picked up the book only because it’s a selection for my face-to-face book club. Bosker’s writing pulled me in. She’s funny and irreverent, and also entertaining and informative. Still, I found much of it repetitive. Just not my cup of tea (or glass of wine), I guess.
LINK to my review
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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Fox & I (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Rainbow Rowell (other topics)
Liam Moiser (other topics)
Barbara Mertz (other topics)
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The Raven King
Red Harvest
When Mourning Comes
On hold:
Night Moves - own
Davita's Harp - own
(My own books often take second place to library books which have a return date.)