August 2021 REPORT - Tables Turned

[Janice, Moderator]

When you finish reading your selection for August's challenge, report your success in this thread.

1. Report with your WoF name.
2. Please tell us whose shelf you got to snoop in.
3. Link to the book.
4. Tell us why you picked your book.
5. Tell us what you thought of it. Please be analytical in your presentation, and not just that you liked it or didn't. We want to know why.

Here is a reminder of the challenge details:

Last month, we had our challenge book picked for us. This month we're going to turn the tables and pick from our buddy's list, because it's so much fun being snoopy. Perhaps curiosity won't kill the cat this month, but reward it.

Here's how it works:

1. Sign up below and link to your shelf that you would like a person to pick from. If you created a shelf for last month's challenge, perhaps you'd like to use that one again.

2. On Wednesday, I will tell you whose shelf you get to snoop through.

The list!

3. Pick one of the books on that shelf, and that will be your challenge book.

Just a reminder about privacy settings - If your profile is private, you will need to temporarily change your settings or add your buddy as a friend.

And a note on those dang pesky series books.... If your buddy has a series book on the list, say book 3 of the series, you may read either the 1st book if it's a new to you series, or whatever book you are currently at. Eg, buddy has The Cabinet of Curiosities which is book 3 of the Pendergast Series. I could read Fever Dream which is book 10 because that's the next book in the series for me to read.

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Challenge.
3. The book must be read between August 1 and August 31, 2021 (based on your local time zone).
4. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose but you may only report one.
5. The book must be 175 pages or more determined by the issue you read.

In the case of ebooks & audiobooks, use the hardcover or paperback edition to determine page length. From the book page, select “all editions”, then select the first paper edition as your guide. If reading an ebook and there is no paper edition, the ebook book must be at least 250 pages. If reading an audiobook and there is no paper edition, your book must be a minimum of 6 hours long.

[Sharon]

WoF SharonBiskit

I was able to choose my book from Peggy’s wonderful list!

The Book of Speculation

I picked this book because it involved books, a library, a mystery and a bit of darkness. It also takes place by an ocean which is an immediate draw. The cover was also a big draw!

I quite liked the book. There are certainly some tragic characters and some delightful ones that keep the book from being too dark. And I think this book is really about the characters, even the house which played quite a large character in the book It does contain suicide so readers should be forewarned. I am not always a big fan of plots alternating the past and present but it seemed to work quite well with this story. There were also bits of the book that had a flare of folktale about it. I am really glad I chose it. I had to go ahead and get it read as I will have to take a break for reading due to cataract surgery tomorrow (please excuse any typos!)

I really like this challenge.

[Pragya]

WoF Pragya
Emma's shelf
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

I picked this book because most others looked like series or genre I don't normally read.

I really liked this book. I have never finished a monthly challenge this early in the month. But it was such a fast-paced read, I really had to know what was going to happen. Its being non-fiction piqued my interest further. The book was so sad but really insightful as well. I don't even know how to process this person's life journey, it has been so harrowing. I commend his courage and tenacity. Overall, I am so glad I read this book. I highly recommend it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Your choice does look like an interesting read, Pragya!

[Trudy]

WofF TrudyAn

I read How to Love Animals: In a Human-Shaped World from Marie (UK)'s shelf. I chose it because my concern about the impact of eating meat continues to grow, and I thought this book might provide some food for thought.

The book explores the complicated relationship humans have with animals. It proposes strategies towards developing a more fair way to live alongside them, and argues we must accept alternatives to meat eating to lessen its devastating impact on the climate. A broad range of topics is discussed, including abattoirs, zoos, trophy hunting, medical research, and our obsession with pets. I thought the discussion was well balanced and well researched. Some of the writer's arguments have provided me with a new perspective on animal welfare, ethics, and the environmental impact of humans' relationship with animals.

[Jayme, Moderator]

WoF Jayme
Margo's shelf
The Space Between Worlds

I chose this book because I've missed reading sci-fi this year and this one looked good.

At first I was a little put off with the first person narrative that seemed to make the story distant and a bit cold, but that soon disappeared as the story became grittier and more captivating than other sci-fi books that I have read. The worldbuilding is detailed and smart, and the characters were just different enough in the multiverses to keep me guessing and surprised at the plot twists.

This book is a stand alone, but I just saw that there is a second book in the series which I am looking forward to reading because there were several characters and worlds that need to be explored. Worth the read. Thanks Margo!!

[Anne ✨]

WoF AnneFindsJoy
Ellie-May's shelf
Clap When You Land

I chose this book because I really like the author Elizabeth Acevedo - her lyrical / poetic style and her spoken word poetry style narration. I loved Poet X (gave it 5*), so when I saw this on Ellie-May's shelf, I knew I had to choose it!

I adored it!!! A 5* listen for me, just as I'd hoped! It was a heartfelt story and I loved how the story was told from alternating perspectives of two sisters who have jut learned of each other's existence. The book was especially powerful to listen to, with the rhythms, the emotions, and a unique narrator for each sister. One of the sisters lives in New York City and the other in Dominican Republic - they grew up differently, and I felt the authenticity to each's sister's experience was portrayed well.

[Katrisa]

WoF - Katrisa
Jocelyn's shelf

I chose Tell Me because I just read the first book for our group read and I owned this one already. I enjoyed the book. I liked getting a bit deeper into the main characters that were introduced in book 1. There were some surprises in this book. I gave it 4 stars.

[Vicki]

WoF Vicki
I snooped on Marnie's shelf and chose The Power

I originally selected a few sci-fi books off her shelf and I might yet read another one this month. Just seems to be what I am in the mood for. I had never heard of The Power before the challenge so thank you, Marnie.
I gave it 5 stars for now but it might go down to 4. It's a disturbing story of women suddenly becoming more physically powerful than men and how that would completely rewrite our societies.
I enjoyed the different perspectives, especially one of the main characters who is a male journalist documenting the changes and uprisings in our currently most patriarchal countries. His perspective and how it changes over the years was the most interesting because it was the most subtle.

[Christina ❤️M❤️]

Wof- Christina

I got to chose from Shirley's read shelf. I was happy to see that she had read The Plot.

I had been wanting to read thanks to informative GR reviews and I wasn't disappointed because I loved it. 5 stars

Even though I saw it before the main character... the ending was awesome.

[Shirley]

Glad you like it Christina. I plan to read more of this author.

[Shirley]

WoF name. Shirley
I chose from Aya’s shelf. Thanks, Aya!


Pachinko

I’m not sure why I chose this book. The cover is exquisite and it was a book that had interested me when it was first published, but for some reason didn’t end up on my TBR.

I gave it 4 stars. Firstly, it’s a family saga, spanning almost a hundred years, which is a favourite genre for me. Secondly, the family background is very interesting. Starting in Korea and ending in Japan, the story follows a Korean family through the turbulence of wars and social upheaval, and the struggles of the Korean people to have a better life. And lastly, it is written in a way that makes the family seem like a real family - with both weaknesses and strengths among the individuals.
I didn’t know anything about Pachinko (a type of pinball game played in Pachinko Parlours), is a multi-million dollar business in Japan, and one with which many Korean-Japanese people have some historical or social connection.

[Margo]

WoF margo

I picked Ticktock from Katrisas shelf, and believe me literally had 1000s to choose from! I thought I was bad for adding books but I've finally found someone with less powers of resistance hehe Anyway, it was great fun to browse your shelf Katrisa 😉

This book was vintage Koontz. It actually felt like 80s horror so I was surprised to find it was published in 1996. I liked the story but felt very dated and in need of a lot more character development. There were a few laughs in it which I think is important with this genre - it shouldn't be taken too seriously. I gave it 3 stars.

[Janice, Moderator]

WoF - Janice


I found several titles on Vicki's shelf but finally decided on In the Blood since I already owned the book and it would fit in the toppler.

I gave the story 4 stars. I didn't expect genealogy to be so fraught with danger and so thrilling. It held my attention throughout. I liked the characters and even chuckled a few times at situations. It's a good thing I liked it because I own three more books in the series.

[Marie (UK)]

August Reporting
WOF Marie UK (MAZZA)

Link to original picking post https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I read IQ by Joe Ide
I generously gave it 2 stars

it was ok

This book follows the life of Isiah Quintade known as IQ through two different time periods.
As a teenager his only living relative, his brother Marcus is killed in a road traffic accident. IQ tries not to let anyone in authority know and is living on his own in the house they once shared. He meets Dodson a ne'er do well if ever there was one and invites him to share his home.

Some years later IQ and Dodson are still partners in something not too far from crime and somewhat resembling private detection. A previous"job" left someone called Flaco injured and without parents and IQ is attempting to do right by him.

There you probably have my full understanding of what was going on except to say that IQ and Dodson take on a job to protect a rapper convinced his life is in danger.

This is the first book I have read by this author who is a Japanese American that grew up in deprived LA. For me it was a very hard read - a typical American Gang related setting with nonsensical language such as reupping and key bending to try and decipher. None of the characters were really likeable although IQ perhaps has a good side to him. The rest is just violence, shootouts and colourful language.

I think these books need a genre of their own Defining them as Mystery or thriller is perhaps too bland a name for what they are.
"American Gangland" comes to mind as an appropriate MPG. . Then I could just avoid them. I am sure the genre is one liked by many but i think only if you have a concept of the setting and it's own nuanced language

The ending leads me to believe there is another IQ book in the Author's mind. If there is it won't be top of my to read list

[Ayacchi]

WoF Aya

I read 2 books off Kristie's shelf which I love both but will report The Whisper Man for this task.

The reason why I chose this book is because I'm keeping my first book for the Annual and that I've been wanting to read it since it was published 2 years ago. Despite of the 2 stars I often found on the review's corner, I think it was great and I enjoyed it so much. I'm drawn to each characters until I didn't care to find out about the culprit. Maybe the lack of expectation helps my judgement. With this kind of outcome, I think I'm more open to read his other works in the future.

[Cherie]

WoF Cherie

I read two books off of TrudyAn's list but will report Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, which I liked better and gave 4 stars. The other book that I finished, early this morning was Thunderstruck, which I had chosen to read after I did not think CL,CL was going to be available from my library in time. The authors of both books were new to me and I read CL,CL for the 24 hr toppler.

The book was about a murder and two missing girls. The story was set in a small town in Mississippi. Silas, called 32, for his baseball jersey number is black, and a deputy sheriff and Larry Ott, white, is an auto mechanic and owns Ottoutomotive, which he inherited when his father died. Both men were friends when they were boys.

The book used a dual time line approach to go back into the past and recount the time that the boys became acquainted and document their family and their past and the disappearance of one of the girls. The storyline of the murder and disappearance of the other girl in the story was set in the present, when both men were 41 years old. The two men who had been friends in their High School days, were not friends any longer.

It was a well written story, very emotional and full of southern attitudes (bigotry and racism on both sides). It was easy to read and some of the imagery beautifully stated. The locations - dirt roads, houses, barns, small towns, and the countryside were all characters in the story, and all played their parts. The character building was done well and I was immediately drawn into the story and it kept my interest throughout. It was a book that I could immediately start over, just to enjoy again, and I actually did re-read the first couple of chapters the next day, after I had finished the book. I wanted to review the murder details again, and I discovered that I had overlooked the name of one of the later characters involved in the story. I am looking forward to reading another one of the author's books, set in the south again.

[Kristie, Moderator]

WoF: Kristie

I read The Housekeeper for this challenge. I chose it off Almeta's shelf because it looked interesting and I already owned it.

I really enjoyed this book. At first, I was put off by what a terrible person the narrator was and I was concerned that I might not enjoy it with her as our MC. However, the writing was engaging and the story had a few twists that kept it interesting.

This was the second book I read by Natalie Barelli and although I still had to suspend my disbelief at times, I enjoyed this one more than the previous book. Happy with my pick. :)

[Marnie]

WoF Marnie

I read Cinder from Christina’s shelf. I chose it because I was curious how well they could retell this fairytale with a science fiction slant.

I listened to this book and the first thing I noticed was how much the narration added to my visualization of the story ( that is not always the case for me.) Though it followed the well known story the Sci Fi aspect was so clever that it kept me entertained. I knew what would happen but not how. I’ve had this on my TBR for a while now and am glad to move it to the Read list.

[Emma R.]

WoF: Emma R.
Pragya’s Shelf

I read The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Talesby Oliver Sacks. Pragya and I’s shelves did not have much overlap, so this was one of the few books that was on my TBR pile.

This was an okay book. It is a collection of case studies by a neurologist. The case studies within the book were fascinating. The author was a bit wordy, which made the book a little challenging to read at times. This felt more like a book I would read in a class instead of for fun. Overall, I’m glad I finally read this book, but I’m not sure if I will be recommending it to anyone.

[Almeta]

WoF Almeta

Finished Cantoras from Jayme 28 Aug

An interesting and varied representation of feminism.

The treatment of women in 1977 Uruguay is appalling. I hope things have changed by now.

[Jenn]

WoF - Jenn

Sorry this is so late - stupid awesome camping trip with no cell reception, followed by stupid work actually expecting me to work - the nerve.

Anyway, I got to browse through Rusalka's shelf - so many great books! I found that she had a Harry Potter book on the shelf, so I listened to the next for me which was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but I held off reporting it because I really wanted to read another from her list, but had a delay trying to get it.

I read Rusalka, I mean a book that shares its name with one of our beloved fearless leaders . . . how could I not? And, it was awesome! C.J. Cherryh is amazing, weaving and winding this tale that is part Russian folktale, part fantasy, part thriller sliding off in the direction of horror, and all awesome. It put me in mind of a saying that came down from one of the grandmothers, "If wishes were fishes, we'd all eat like kings." I really liked the concept of (view spoiler)[ magic being wishes, with some people being more, or less, connected/in tune and able to throw a little intension into their wishes - AKA Wizzards. (hide spoiler)] And, I will never discount a creak under my stairs again, it could just be the house settling, or I may have displeased the House Thing . . .

[Janice, Moderator]

Perfect choice, Jenn!

[Janice, Moderator]

There is still time to post reports for your completed books. I won't be online much this weekend and will likely post badges on Monday.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

WOF - Rusalka

I chose Autumn off Cherie's shelf.

I chose it honestly, as it was the only book on there I could find that I could access that wasn't going to cost me $40+.
I did have a back up option but I really didn't want to use that as it is a yearly option I have no backup for. So this was it!

I went in with very low expectations. I'd heard her books were loved by critics but that's not a wonderful recommendation. I confuse her in my head all the time with another author. And I really really enjoyed it.

I always want to like poetry, but I never do. But this book crossed that void for me between a novel and poetry. It slips into poetry and pulls itself back to a narrative. It's a story with lyrical and poetical writing. It's not too wanky about it either. It has passages that describe exactly how I feel about things. It's nearly made me cry at one point, and books don't do that to me, but the observational phrasing of what I have felt before got me.

I was going to give it 4 stars, but I realised talking about it, I cannot. It was a 5 star read for me.

Thanks Cherie!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Jenn wrote: "...I read Rusalka, I mean a book that shares its name with one of our beloved fearless leaders . . . how could I not? And, it was awesome!..."

Nawww! And so so glad you enjoyed it Jenn!! A friend got it for me years ago and I just haven't gotten there yet. Moving it up the list!

[Janice, Moderator]

Badges have been posted. Please let me know if I've missed anyone.

[Jenn]

Haha, love it 😂 Thanks Janice!