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Read, Reading Now and Reading Next (2015)
Uhoh. I'm reading this one right now and thoroughly enjoying it so far. And the audio. But I'm only a couple hours into it
Penni wrote: "Uhoh. I'm reading this one right now and thoroughly enjoying it so far. And the audio. But I'm only a couple hours into it"Just came from dinner with our friends ... she LOVED this book and was telling me all the good things about it. Intellectually I understand what she's saying, but it didn't sit well with me.
Just read: Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream(4*) - a poignant look at the Permian Panthers- the high school football team in a small town in west Texas and the pressures put upon the team by the local residents who treat them like gods. Reading now: Weightless by Sarah Bannan
Reading next: Ghost Story by Peter Straub
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn – 2** This modern re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale missed the mark for me. Plot elements were too implausible (and I’m not talking about the magic, witch and fairies), and the dialogue was tortured. I see the appeal for the YA crowd and it was a fast read. I did like the way these two teenagers matured over the course of the novel.
Full Review HERE
Zia by Scott O’Dell – 3*** This sequel to O’Dell’s Newbery Award winner, Island of the Blue Dolphins is not so compelling a story as the first book, but I still thought it was a good middle-grade book. Zia is a strong heroine – intelligent, resourceful, loyal and brave. I also liked the social history lesson O’Dell imparts.
Full Review HERE
Sophie wrote: "Just read: Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream(4*) - a poignant look at the Permian Panthers- the high school football team in a small town in west Texas and the pressure..."Friday Night Lights is one of 5 books that I never finished. I had to return it to the library and never got back to it. I may have to pick it back up.
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March: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin – 3*** This is a graphic novel depiction of Lewi’s memoir of coming-of-age during the 1960s and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on him, and on the country. What he has to say about that period of history is important. I realize this format will bring the story to many young people that would not otherwise read the history books, but I really dislike graphic novels. I find the illustrations too dark and the type difficult to read.
Full Review HERE
The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle – 4**** Subtitle: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist. This piece of historical fiction is told entirely in verse, the medium which Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda (a/k/a Tula) chose to voice her opinions on slavery and women’s rights. Engle’s poetry is moving and elegant; I marvel that she can convey so much in so few words. At the end of the novel she includes some historical background on Gertrudis, as well as some of her original poetry (in Spanish, with translation). I highly recommend this for everyone, but especially for young women.
Full Review HERE
A Shelter of Others by Charles Dodd White – 3*** Talk about Southern Gothic! This is a dark story, where the characters are greatly affected by (and seemingly unable to avoid) forces greater than themselves. White’s writing has some powerful images, but the book is light on dialogue and I found this approach resulted in less character development since much of their interaction was missing. White also tell the story from alternating character’s point of view. This serves to keep the reader slightly off balance, while also giving the reader more information than the individual characters might have.
Full Review HERE
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The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian – 3*** I’ve read several books by Bohjalian, but this one is quite a departure. I’m not a big fan of the paranormal/horror genre, but this certainly captured me, held my attention and kept me off balance. Tension builds to a dramatic confrontation that really had me on the edge of my seat. And then we come to the epilogue … totally took me in a direction I did not see coming. Alison Fraser and Mark Bramhall did a fine job narrating the audio version. They have good pacing and Fraser uses a number of different voices for the various characters. Bramhall’s voice is appropriately “creepy” as he performs Chip’s point of view; I really got the sense of Chip’s slow deterioration into depression, paranoia and mental distress.
Full Review HERE
From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne – 3*** The fourth of the Extraordinary Voyages series, this was first published in 1865. That was 104 years before the USA actually did send a man to the moon, and it’s interesting to read the “science” and compare Verne’s suppositions with what actually happened in 1969. Verne populates the novel with a colorful cast of characters. It was an enjoyable adventure tale, though I admit to skimming over much of the scientific calculations.
Full Review HERE
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To Read
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – 3*** Is there anyone who doesn’t know the basic storyline of Alexei Karenin, his wife Anna, and her lover Count Vronsky? Tolstoy’s novel explores much more than this love triangle, but this central story was what I found compelling. Too bad I had to wade through all that other stuff. Nadia May does an okay job of narrating the audio version. She does tend to “read” rather than perform but her pacing was good and her diction clear.
Full Review HERE
Mod
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – 3*** Is there anyone who doesn’t know the basic storyline of Alexei Karenin, his wife Anna, and her lover Count Vronsky? Tolstoy’s nove..."
sad one. even the movie was tough
B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton – 3*** Book two in the mystery series featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. I like this series. Kinsey is a smart, resourceful woman who takes her job seriously and doesn’t rely on some strong handsome type to come along and save her. The action is fast, the characters entertaining and Grafton includes enough twists and red herrings to keep this reader guessing right along with the characters.
Full Review HERE
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Wedding Belles by Haywood Smith – 2** In book three in the Red Hat Club series Georgia’s only daughter, Callie, has just announced her engagement – to a totally unsuitable man! The novel covers several months of Georgia commiserating with her pals in the Red Hat Club as she worries about the great mistake her daughter is about to make. The writing is repetitive and the two subplots did little but fill pages. Still, it’s a fast read and there were a couple of entertaining (if totally implausible) moments.
Full Review HERE
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne – 3*** This is a classic adventure tale – imaginative, humorous, suspenseful and even though high implausible still great fun. Simon Prebble does a fine job narrating the audio version. He has good pacing and he brings the characters to life. I especially liked his voice for the irascible Professor Lidenbrock.
Full Review HERE
The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle – 4**** Subtitle: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Engle studied Manzano’s poetry and life and decided that to do justice to the power of his words, the biography should also be written in verse. Her poems are powerful, evoking a visceral response to the cruelty, sadness, dashed hopes and lost opportunities the young Juan experienced. But there is also the triumph of his indomitable spirit and a voice that would not be silenced. I’m so glad I came across this little gem.
Full Review HERE
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~★★★..."I enjoyed that first one a lot!!!
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The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O’Connor – 4**** This is a story of a portrait of a beautiful Viennese Jewish salon hostess, the now-vanished turn-of-the-century Vienna cultural scene of which it became an emblem, the atrocities of the Nazi regime, and the efforts of Adele’s heirs to recover this and other paintings from an Austrian government that wished to hide the realities of war-time complicity. I was interested from beginning to end, though wish a little more time had been spent on Klimt and Adele.
Full Review HERE
Ezinwanyi~Boo boo kitty wrote: " Marla wrote: "Read: ~★★★★~★★★..."I enjoyed that first one a lot!!!"
I did too. I like Julie & Matt better than Celeste.
Mod
~★★★..."I enjoyed that first one a lot!!!"
I did too. I like Julie & Matt better than Celeste."
Yes
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach – 3.5*** Science writer Mary Roach tackles the human digestive system in this work of nonfiction. Roach entertains and informs as she reports on various scientific studies, in some cases interviewing the researcher, and/or participating a re-creation of the study.
Full Review HERE
Miracle at St Anna by James McBride – 3*** Inspired by the experiences of African American Buffalo Soldiers serving in Tuscany during World War II, McBride has crafted a novel of brotherhood, faith and redemption. He uses magical realism to great effect, but doesn’t sugarcoat the harsh realities and brutality of war and deprivation.
Full Review HERE
Bushwhacked: Life in George W Bush’s America by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose – 4**** The subtitle really says it all. It’s a somewhat dated book, today, and yet frighteningly appropriate in this “primary” season. Oh, how I miss Molly Ivins!
Full Review HERE
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl – 4**** The subtitle – The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise – is a pretty good synopsis of Reichl’s memoir of her tenure as a restaurant critic for the New York Times. I loved her stories of the various restaurants, but what I really appreciated was a glimpse at her growth as a person. A delicious memoir, and I devoured every word.
Full Review HERE
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie & Charles Osborne – 2** This is the seventh work featuring Hercule Poirot. It’s a traditional locked room mystery, with plenty of suspects. Originally written as a play it was novelized by Charles Osborne some twenty years after Christie’s death. The result is a little stilted, though the dialogue and basic plot are classic Christie.
Full Review HERE
Aloft by Chang-rae Lee – 4* Jerry Battle is the narrator of this character-driven novel. It is his unavailability – emotionally and physically – that colors all the relationships he has. My reactions to Jerry were as puzzling as his own reactions to what’s going on around him – I was angry, confused, frustrated, ready to give up, wanted to go on, and ultimately loved him and his family.
Full Review HERE
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Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach – 4* Like she did for death and digestion, Roach educates and entertains in her third book, this time focusing on sex. I found it both interesting and entertaining. Sandra Burr did a fine job on the audio version. Her pacing is good and she gives just the right mix of gravity and light-hearted fun to the text.
Full Review HERE
Mrs Jeffries Dusts for Clues by Emily Brightwell – 3*** In book two of the series the action focuses on a missing servant girl. I enjoyed this cozy mystery, featuring Mrs Jeffries and other household staff who keep Inspector Witherspoon at the top of his game. I thought the ending was rushed, and the resolution a little too convenient. Also, the epilogue added nothing to the story. Still it was a reasonably satisfying cozy.
Full Review HERE
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The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith – 3*** This is the third installment in the series featuring philosopher Isabel Dalhousie. What I really like about this series are Isabel’s philosophical musings, and this one is no exception. The central ethical dilemma seems to be when to keep one’s mouth shut vs when to tell all one knows. Hilary Neville does a fine job performing the audiobook. She has good pacing and I love the way she voices Isabel.
Full Review HERE
A Mind to Murder by P D James – 4**** This is an engaging, interesting and complex murder mystery. I love Dalgliesh and his quiet, deliberate manner. James crafts a plot that seems straightforward, but which includes numerous red herrings to keep the reader off balance. Well done!
Full Review HERE
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Carrie by Stephen King – 4**** I first read this back when it was a new book in 1974. I was fascinated and horrified. The movie, starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie, was excellent, and I have to admit that re-reading it now, I can’t help but picture images from the film.
Full Review HERE
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I just read The Memory Keeper's Daughter
I am now reading
The Kitchen House and next I'm reading The Kite Runner
Mr Ives’ Christmas by Oscar Hijuelos – 4**** This Pulitzer finalist (1996) is a lovely, contemplative novel – a character study and philosophical exploration of one man’s search for spiritual peace. Hijuelos paints a picture of a gentle man, with a quiet strength born of his circumstances, and of the influences of both the Church and his adoptive father. It is through them that he learns to love and to endure. I’ll be thinking about this gem for a long time, and I’m certain I’ll re-read it.
Full Review HERE
Just finished listening to
Took awhile to get into but loved it towards the end and from an audio viewpoint LOVED Bob's lines.Just finished reading
thought it was ok but had some negatives to it. purchased next book in series and hoping it was "first book in series" issues.Currently listening to
because sometimes fluffy romance is great.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey – 4**** Updating a traditional Russian folk tale, Ivey gives us the story of an older, childless couple, and the little girl they find and “adopt” in the snowy woods of Alaska, circa 1920. I really liked how Ivey explored the relationship between Mable and Jack, and how it evolved throughout the book. I also liked that Ivey kept me guessing about Faina. Ultimately, the message of this charming novel is to encourage us to “choose joy over sorrow.”
Full Review HERE
Dragonfly in Amber by Diane Gabaldon – 2.5** Book two in the Outlander series continues the story of Jamie and Claire. I was bored by much of this. The plotting seemed very uneven to me. Several interesting characters were introduced in the Paris setting, but they simply disappeared in the second half of the book. The political “intrigue” wasn’t intriguing to me. Davinia Porter, however, is spectacular narrating the audio version of this series. Her facility with voices makes me believe she IS Murtagh, Raymond, Claire, Fergus, the Duke of Sandringham, Jenny, Jamie, et al.
Full Review HERE
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The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
The Clockwork Dagger (other topics)White Night (other topics)
Poison Promise (other topics)
Jane's Melody (other topics)
Gabriel's Rapture (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Danielle Paige (other topics)Jerome K. Jerome (other topics)
Edith Wharton (other topics)
Lisa Kleypas (other topics)
Kristen Ashley (other topics)
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Todd is many ways a typical young teen – full of anxiety about growing up, certain he knows much more than he actually does, prone to rash actions, and lacking impulse control. My stars, but he got on my nerves. His use of vulgar language and everyone’s lack of grammatical English just made my teeth hurt. Add the “spooky” atmospheric music /sound effects to the audio and the cliff-hanger ending and … well, I can’t give negative stars … Can I?
Full Review HERE