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What did you read last month?
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What did you read in ~~ February 2022
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I am quite pleased with my reading month, despite a bummer or two.The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu--Tom Lin. Old west, where the MC is a Chinese American assassin, trained by his Caucasian adopted father to do the work. While magic realism is part of the piece, for me, it fit nicely into the story line (carnival, for instance), so that i didn't mind one bit.
Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom--Carl Bernstein. A good presentation of life in the newsroom in the early 1960s. Living in D.C. and working for the Washington Times, meant he covered unusual angles of the JFK inauguration, race issues and the changes in his hometown. Well done.
The Anomaly--Hervé Le Tellier. Much of this science fiction book was similar to a US tv program, Manifest. Story: one jet flight from Paris to NYC arrives twice, months apart. How did this happen? No answers but mostly fine presentation about the lives of many aboard, as well as scientists working on it.
The Case of the Velvet Claws--Erle Stanley Gardner. Very first Perry Mason mystery, where we see Perry's intent when taking clients. In this case, Della Street believe the client is a consummate liar.
Approach to Archaeology--Stuart Piggott. Written in the late '50s, it serves as a sort of introduction to the ideas of historic vs. prehistoric, testing methods and processes used to determine facts. I liked it.
The Good Lord Bird--James McBride. Another western, this time the POV is from a 12-year-old boy who is somewhat adopted by abolitionist John Brown in Kansas. The story follows Brown to his Harper's Ferry infamy.
The Bookshop--Penelope Fitzgerald. A Buddy Read with other Book Nook Cafe members. This is about one woman's attempt to run a bookshop in a town which seems indifferent to her efforts.
The Healer--Antti Tuomainen. Set in the near future of Helsinki, where climate change and unending rain has flooded the coast and made life in the city awful. Worse, the MC's wife has vanished while on a story for her newspaper.
Life on Mars--Tracy K. Smith. Book of poems about Smith's father, who worked on the Hubble Telescope, as well as events in her life, including given birth. Good one.
Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi--Timothy R. Pauketat. Short yet well-developed book about this ancient city, today a sit visitors can see, which includes the 3rd tallest pyramid in North & South America. Interesting material about the process of archaeology and how suppositions about those people are developed.
Letters to Camondo--Edmund de Waal Pottery de Waal writes letters to his late distant relative whose home is now a Parisian museum full of artifacts from late 1800s France. I heard about this one from PattyMac, who favorably reviewed this wonder.
Oops! I forgot one. The Perishing--Natashia Deón. The writing and story idea for this one was good. For me, the book would have been better if, rather than dual characters "speaking", we had only Lou, an orphan from 1930s LA. Her story was compelling and really gave readers a sense of what occurred. For me, this really dropped the good feeling i had about the overall story. Btw, it wouldn't surprise me if this was the first in a series with this character from Deón
madrano wrote: "I am quite pleased with my reading month, despite a bummer or two.Amazing deb ! You had a stellar reading month. Your enthusiastic comments on Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl Bernstein has me looking forward to reading this memoir. Thanks !
Here are mine...Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik ⭐⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin ⭐⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald ⭐⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Death of My Aunt by C.H.B. Kitchin ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The World of Plymouth Plantation by Carla Gardina Pestana ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Death on Nantucket by Francine Mathews ⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
madrano wrote: "I am quite pleased with my reading month, despite a bummer or two.The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu--Tom Lin. Old west, where the MC is a Chinese American assassin..."
This may be one of the most diverse lists I've run across - congrats!
Thank you, John. The diversity wasn't planned but it certainly worked well, particularly for our Determination Challenge.From your own list, i was drawn to far too many for my own good. :-)
Starting at the bottom, the GR write-up sounds good and your concluding comments about other books in the series are encouraging. The Rats idea sounds different, but possibly i'm just not familiar enough with the concept.
Your observation about Brandwashing sounds on target. I'm fairly certain my husband did, indeed, read something similar when he got his MBA. I'm sure the layers and layers to marketing has increased over the years. Adding this one to my list, for certain.
The Plymouth book is just the sort i like to read when visiting such sites.
But it's the Baldwin review that really calls to me. Thanks, John.
And congratulations to you. What a full month of reading.
John wrote: Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik ⭐⭐⭐⭐"John, regarding your review of this audio book, do you ever read and listen at the same time ? I do with some books and find it quite rewarding. And of course you can stop and highlight or take notes as warranted.
The only time I read and listen would be for Spanish practice to get used to the sound, without missing too many words. I don't take any sort of notes, although that would come in handy in writing reviews later.
John wrote: Probably would help to be familiar with Southeastern New England geographically, but maps are included at times to help the reader understand relationships among locations mentioned."From our Challenge !
# 50- Book that has some illustrations, photos or maps
Thanks for sharing, John. Nice reviews and a nice reading month for you, except for Death on Nantucket.
Here are my February reads. I didn't read as much this month as I was watching the Olympics and the Jeopardy college challenge. I hope to get back on the reading track in March.
King Richard: Nixon and Watergate — An American Tragedy by Michael DobbsNon Fiction
Rate: 5/5
This book us about the unraveling of President Richard Nixon's presidency. The books focus is the one hundred days that followed his second inaugural.
I thought it was really well done.
Many of the quotes in the book come directly from the thirty-seven hundred hours of Nixon's recorded tapes which became available to the public in 2013.
The author writes, and I agree, "...only the most hard-hearted of critics will fail to feel any empathy for the pain of a man whose dreams turned to nightmares as a result of his own mistakes."
The section dealing with the POW reception at the White House was quite moving. I've never read about this event before.
The Bookshop by Penelope FitzgeraldFiction
Rate 3/5
This was a Book Nook Cafe Buddy Read. I always enjoy reading a book with others. As to this novella, I was expecting more from the plot. Though the writing had some very witty and funny lines that I enjoyed.
The Year of Magical Thinking: The Play by Joan DidionPlay
Sort of a memoir
Rate: 4/5
I thought this was a compelling and raw memoir. Didion tells of the horrible experience when her daughter Quintana suddenly became seriously ill and landed unconscious in the ICU. Then if that wasn't enough to cope with suddenly her husband dies. Her pain is palpable. How she tries to cope when her world changed in a minute is poignant.
The writing style is different and may not be everyone's cup of tea. However, I thought the blunt sparse style served the story well.
Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases by Dean OrnishRate: 4/5
Dr. Ornish covers all bases for optimum health. 1- Diet -mostly plants & whole foods- optimum is vegan. His diet is also low saturated fat. 2, exercise (includes exercises to do) 3- stress management (mediation) and 4- social support. Book also includes some recipes. The section on mediation I found very good. I've read most of his other books and thought they also were quite good and science backed. This was no exception. Well done !
Very interesting assortment of titles! My family are all Jeopardy addicts.
I accidently hit post before finishing my book list. Sorry ! I enjoy Jeopardy. I like that it is also generally a quiet show. No screaming, bells and flashing lights. It also fits my schedule. After dinner I can have my cup of tea and relax for 30 minutes and watch the show.
madrano wrote: "I am quite pleased with my reading month, despite a bummer or two...."You've had a marvellous month of reading, Deb. Definitely something to be pleased about.
I'm intrigued about the Perry Mason mystery, the archeology book and the book of letters by Edmund de Waal.
Nice assortment!
John, thank you for your reviews. Stuff Matters & Brandwashed would make for interesting reading. Advertising plays such a large role in our lives. I try not to be influenced, but who knows whether I am?
Alias, you've had a deep, intense month of good reading. I am glad that you read The Bookstore to help lighten that. The Year of Magical Thinking is on my radar. Thank you for reminding me of it.
I am taking part in a "Fantasy Tournament" in another group. We are reading 2 fantasy books a month and voting on a winner. This will go on for 5 months; in the 6th month we'll pick a winner from the 5 chosen semi-finalists. This month I got a bit of a head start by reading 3 of the chosen books:
A Deadly Education (4-star; audio) - I enjoyed this book the most of all three but it's not a selection for this month, so I hope it holds up to it's competition when the time comes.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Vita Nostra (3-star)- while I liked the idea of "becoming one with the Universe" and "grow beyond your limits", this book was too vague and the story moved too slowly to truly keep my interest.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Fifth Season (3-star; probably should be higher; audio) - The three star is mostly for the cliffhanger. This book is the first of a trilogy and leaves the reader with a wonderful story that isn't complete. However, I should rate it on where the story is going and how engaging it is. In that case, it's a solid 4-star.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Alias Grace (3-star) - I enjoy a book by Margaret Atwood, and this one is no different. It's an interesting look into true-life murders that occurred in Toronto in the 1800s. To this day, it is unknown whether Grace committed the murders. Sadly, the story seemed long and drawn out. Margaret Atwood doesn't do this, so I think I missed a nuance or two.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks (3-star) - this book was losing it's lustre. Had it gone on much longer, the rating would have dropped.
There are a number of women in this book. They lead interesting live, but they all sounded like the same life, so blended together in my mind.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm re-reading the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, but also read a couple of memoirs that I really enjoyed.The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg and Frontier Follies: Adventures in Marriage and Motherhood in the Middle of Nowhere by Ree Drummond
Petra wrote: "Alias, you've had a deep, intense month of good reading. I am glad that you read The Bookstore to help lighten that. The Year of Magical Thinking is on my radar. Thank you for reminding me of it."
Petra, I read the play. That's a mash-up of two of her other books.
I enjoyed it and will definitely read the book. Her reactions to the tragedies touched a cord with me and I could relate to her actions.
Petra wrote: "I am taking part in a "Fantasy Tournament" in another group. We are reading 2 fantasy books a month and voting on a winner. This will go on for 5 months; in the 6th month we'll pick a winner from t..."A nice eclectic reading month for you, Petra. I enjoyed reading your reviews.
Julia wrote: The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg.."I'm going to add this to my TBR list. I'm sensitive to animal books. I hope it doesn't leave me in a crying heap on the floor. I already have his All Over But the Shoutin' on my list.
Petra wrote: "I am taking part in a "Fantasy Tournament" in another group. We are reading 2 fantasy books a month and voting on a winner. This will go on for 5 months; in the 6th month we'll pick a winner from t..."Interesting idea for a tournament. It's also neat that you can "read ahead", in case you light a fire for yourself on the fantasy front, so to speak. I imagine the group would enjoy that final month best, if for no other reason than seeing which book "wins", so to speak.
The covers of first two are appealing to me. I'm not usually one to notice covers, so that says something. Then again, i also liked the one for the Atwood novel. Maybe i'm in a visual state of mind.
ANYway, i liked reading about each of your selections but find the Queens really sparked my interest. Thanks for this title, and thanks for the repetitive warning.
Julia wrote: "I'm re-reading the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, but also read a couple of memoirs that I really enjoyed..."Julia, i've not heard of this series but it looks intriguing. Briggs's brief bio on her GoodReads page also appeals. Being the child of a children's librarian must have been joyful. Those librarians seem to have maintained their sparkle, imo.
Alias, for a slow month of reading, you got some good ones under your belt. Your comments about Jeopardy! are right on target. It was the only game show i can tolerate at this point and the lack of jumping up & down is probably exactly why.
Here's hoping you have a great reading March.
Madrano, I'm jealous about The Case of the Velvet Claws--Erle Stanley Gardner. I love Perry Mason and the books are scarce in the library. 🌞
My library had a real mixed bag of Mason mysteries but seemed to have most of them. Some were recent (this century) reprints, others were from the '90s and two were published in the '70s. The covers were all over the place, too, but mine (this century) was not a jacket, mostly black with silver printing, echoing the velvet, i suppose.I've seen some of his books from the '70s with covers which look as though they could have been copied from the originals in the '30s and 40s. From what i can tell they are the same inside, though, and that is what counts.
Turtle Diary, Russell Hoban, 5 starsThis book has left me with a big smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart.
It is not an easy work to describe because in parts the tone is whimsical but it is not a whimsical book.
There is sadness in the book but I would not say it is a sad book.
I think this work should be considered a classic as it is timeless and I cannot imagine a time where the feelings of the protagonists will not resonate with the reader.
Rachel wrote: "Turtle Diary, Russell Hoban, 5 starsThis book has left me with a big smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart.
It is not an easy work to describe because in parts the tone is whimsical bu..."
Thanks for the title, Rachel. The Amazon synopsis sounds like a book I would enjoy.
Turtle Diary---Russell Hoban
Life in a city can be atomizing, isolating. And it certainly is for William G. and Neaera H., the strangers at the center of Russell Hoban’s surprisingly heartwarming novel Turtle Diary. William, a clerk at a used-book store, lives in a rooming house after a divorce that has left him without home or family. Neaera is a successful writer of children’s books, who, in her own estimation, “looks like the sort of spinster who doesn’t keep cats and is not a vegetarian. Looks…like a man’s woman who hasn’t got a man.” Entirely unknown to each other, they are both drawn to the turtle tank at the London zoo with “minds full of turtle thoughts,” wondering how the turtles might be freed. And then comes the day when Neaera walks into William’s bookstore, and together they form an unlikely partnership to make what seemed a crazy dream become a reality.
Wow! When i saw the name Russell Hoban, i wondered if he could possibly be the same guy who wrote Bread and Jam for Frances, which both my children liked. Yes, it is the same man. Cool. AND, my library has it, so it's now on my iPad. Thanks, Rachel.
This month I read more than last one, but still not that many as I´d like to. But probably I will forever want to read more than I do ;)This month I also had mostly German books, that´s why I haven´t written that much in the other topic as well. I still have a big number of books to read and last month I subscribed to the local library, from where I also chose one book
Career Suicide: Meine ersten dreißig Jahre
That´s the autobiography of Bill Kaulitz, singer of the band Tokio Hotel. He grew up in a small city under simple conditions and became famous over night in the age of a teenager. He described how everyone (manager, disc label, fans etc) wanted something else from him and that it was hard to manage, with all this while you´re basically a child. It was an interesting read.
Heart-Shaped Box
A rockstar buys an old suit. That suit belonged to an army veteran who died and who haunts the new owner. Furthermorel, the daughter of the veteran was a fan of the rockstar and killed herself; the ghost thinks, that it was the rockstar´s fault and therefore wants to kill him. It´s a nice idea, but in the story the rockstar and his girlfriend flew on a roadtrip and the story was always the same: Running away, the ghost wants to make them kill each other, they running away, the ghost wants to make them kill each other and so on...... It was a bit boring.
Herr Sonneborn geht nach Brüssel - Abenteuer im Europaparlament (Mr. Sonneborn goes to Brussels - Adventures in European Parliament)
Martin Sonnebron is the leader of German satirical party "DIE PARTEI" (THE PARTY) and was elected into the parliament of the EU. In the book he writes about the parliament, his work and related topics. As he is in a satirical party, he has his own political style (e.g. always voting yes and no in turn) and shows the curiosities of political life (for getting money from the German state, his party sold 100€-banknotes for 80€, but as the partys get money from the state for every money they get by selling stuff, they came out of this story with a big profit - by showing this publicly, there was a law enacted that changed the official party funding). It was a nice and funny read.
And then I finished two chemistry-related books:
Kekules Traume: Eine Andere Einfuhrung in Die Organische Chemie (Kekule´s dreams - a somehow different introduction to organic chemistry) and Crystallography Made Crystal Clear: A Guide for Users of Macromolecular Models. Both books were quite well written for their purpose.
Thanks for sharing, Florian. You had a nice eclectic reading month.
Florian wrote: "This month I read more than last one, but still not that many as I´d like to. But probably I will forever want to read more than I do ;)..."I hear that, Florian!
How i wish Mr. Sonneborn goes to Brussels (Herr Sonneborn geht nach Brüssel - Abenteuer im Europaparlament) was available in English, as it would be an interesting contrast to other countries.
Thank you for the list, Florian.
I am behind it seems. I forgot to put February reads in here. :)
Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Unwanted by John Saul - 5 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Cabin by Matt Shaw - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Black Diamond Death by Cheryl Bradshaw - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Cabin II: Asylum by Matt Shaw - 1 star.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dark City by Kit Hallows - 5 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rum Runner by J.A. Konrath - 5 stars. My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
THEM by James Watts -4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Lighthouse by Amy Cross - 3 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon - 5 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Vampires, Zombies, & Mojo Men by Ronald Kelly - 5 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Gloop! by David Brian - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Midnight Falls by Kit Hallows - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Slander Hall by Matthew Tait - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Horror Collection: Ruby Edition by Kevin J. Kennedy - 5 stars. My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dawn Girl by Leslie Wolfe - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ghost Stories by Ron Ripley - 4 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dying Valentine by Calvin Demmer - 3 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mirror by Graham Masterton - 5 stars.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
That is my wrap for February! :) I read a lot it seems! lol :)
Very nice, Marie ! Only one clunker in that big batch of books.
Barbara wrote: "Nice going Marie. 🙂"Thank you, Barbara! :)
Alias Reader wrote: "Very nice, Marie ! Only one clunker in that big batch of books."Thank you, Alias! It seems I have had a few "clunkers" since the beginning of the year. lol :)
What a full reading month you had in February, Marie. I like your description of "stepping into" a book or series or new author. It's a good way of putting the process of reading, particularly when it's about alternative realities. It's neat that you sometimes revisit books you read long ago. Often this is a way to see where some of our interests begin, as well as to see if author's "hold up" over the years. It sounds as though Saul does.
Neat that the "Order of the Shadows" series excited you so. When that happens, we remember the joys of reading and finding "the one", so to speak.
Thank you for sharing about the new series, featuring Sloane Monroe. I hope i can find copies, unlike that Jack Daniels series.
When you share about what fails you as you read the books, i learn about whether or not something might appeal to me. Thanks for doing that, Marie.
madrano wrote: "When you share about what fails you as you read the books, i learn about whether or not something might appeal to me. Thanks for doing that, Marie...."You are welcome, Deb! :)
The crime thriller series by Cheryl Bradshaw featuring Sloane Monroe - sometimes though books are on sale and I can grab them cheap. The author also writes a haunted series too.
The author John Saul I read a lot of his books when I was young - in my 20's. All I was reading back then was Stephen King, John Saul and Dean Koontz. Those three I would rotate on reading whatever they had out at the time.
These last two or three years though I have been wanting to revisit books that I read years ago as I have read so many books that it is just so hard to remember every single story and since King, Saul, and Koontz were my mainstays back in the early days of my reading marathons I want to recapture those feelings I had when I first started reading those authors.
Is is funny but I am trying to finish up series that I have started in the past - within the last two or three years but then I come across 10 more series I want to start as I see books that come across my feeds on here! LOL
I think that saying "one step forward - two steps back" applies to my reading habit on series books! LOL I gain three new series as I finish up one series. It is hopeless! LOL :)
Marie wrote: "I think that saying "one step forward - two steps back" applies to my reading habit on series books! LOL I gain three new series as I finish up one series. It is hopeless! :) ..."I know what you mean, Marie. Then, when favorite authors create new series, on top of one's we already love, it's neat but also daunting. How many series can our brains handle?!
madrano wrote: "I know what you mean, Marie. Then, when favorite authors create new series, on top of one's we already love, it's neat but also daunting. How many series can our brains handle?!..."Exactly my thoughts about series. What I find interesting is that there are tons of authors that do series now too. It is not like the old days where you read a novel and didn't have to worry about hunting down the next book after it. lol With series there seems to be no end to how many there will be in one fell swoop. lol
Marie, you summed that up quite nicely. It's a new age--and evidence that folks are still reading!
Book Nook Cafe
Books mentioned in this topic
The Cabin (other topics)Black Diamond Death (other topics)
The Unwanted (other topics)
Mirror (other topics)
Cunning Folk (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cheryl Bradshaw (other topics)Matt Shaw (other topics)
Adam L.G. Nevill (other topics)
Kit Hallows (other topics)
Graham Masterton (other topics)
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Here is the Folder to tell us what your monthly reads for February 2022 were. What books did you start the new year with?
Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book