Kristin & Kelsie's Book List! Feel free to join!

[Kristin]

OK! Sounds great!! I haven't made much progress in the book yet- I think I'm in chapter 4!!

[Kristin]

Hmm what do you think of The Lucky Ones so far?? I'm on page 50 and it seems slow to me !

[Kelsie]

I've been super tired this week so I'm not quite that far. Charlie is reminding me of Lucky Luciano from Boardwalk Empire. I keep picturing him in my head as I'm reading!

[Kristin]

Ooo that's a good depiction!!!

I wish I had more time to read as well! So much drama with my sister's situation, and my dad had minor shoulder surgery too! I told them that they are falling apart right now but time will heal!!!

[Kelsie]

I hope they are both doing better! I've been in my hometown this weekend visiting my parents & attending Ashley's food tasting with her! I'm sick with a cold (I get one every January!) so I'm unsure if I'll be heading into work tomorrow. That could mean extra reading time ahead. ;)

[Kristin]

Oh no!! I hope you feel better! I have not been sick yet (knock on wood) and usually I get sick in December near holidays lol!

My sister seems ok!! Thanks for asking !

I read 30 pages last night and still can't get into it much :(

[Kelsie]

Today's question: What do you think about the girls' love interests in The Lucky Ones?

[Kristin]

I never cared for Max!!!! Thom and Grady are ok, and I don't think Charlie is meant for Astrid!! We shall see !!! What do you think? Kinda wish one of them stayed single for a bit LOL

[Kelsie]

I think there was a scene in the previous book where Cordelia and Max were at a restaurant together and I liked his humbleness. Overall though - not a fan. I agree, Thom and Grady are okay. Valentine is sleazy. Charlie is rather out of control!

What do you think about Victor? I've been picturing him as Owen Slater from Boardwalk Empire, lol.

[Kristin]

I think Victor is my favorite male character! He seems sensitive and sweet, which goes well with Astrid's personality! I am having a problem picturing his looks in my head! I think in the previous books, I imagined him being this huge mobster guy with scars on his face !! So it's tough for me to think of him as attractive!!

I must say, I enjoy the parts of the book when all 3 girls are together!!!!

[Donna]

Hi sorry i have not been emailing you guys. But i am ready for the 2017 book challenge i plan on reading 7 books this year. They are: "The Herb Book" "Smoke and Mirrors" "The Sight" " The House Of Silk" "Micro" "Disease; The Extraordinary Stories Behind History's Deadliest Killers".

[Kelsie]

Sooo stressed this week with work (our files are down), the bridal shower I'm hosting this weekend, etc. Trying to mentally escape with my book whenever I can!

[Kristin]

I feel so behind on reading ! My book is around 430 pages.. I have like 100 more to go!!

Good luck with everything !!!!!!!

[Kelsie]

Am I remembering correctly? Do you own Love & Gelato? If so, would you like to buddy read it together sometime this spring?

[Kristin]

I do own it !!!! Yes, let's read together this spring/ summer !!!!

[Kelsie]

I ordered my copy so I'll have it whenever we're ready. I'll probably need to run to the grocery store for pasta and gelato too. ;)

[Kelsie]

Curious to hear how Harry Potter is going for you this time around.

[Kristin]

I'm about 90 pages in and I am remembering small bits and pieces! Steven is very excited I'm reading the series! It has been fun talking through each chapter and mentioning the characters.

I am really interested in reading book 4, because I haven't read it before! I hear that is when the series becomes less childish too!

[Kelsie]

How is the second book going for you?

[Kristin]

Kelsie wrote: "How is the second book going for you?"

I am really enjoying it but haven't been able to read for a few days! I'm in D.C. for a conference, head to Baltimore tonight, and then Poconos on Friday :-o

[Kelsie]

I hope you've been finding some time to read on your new deck furniture! xo

[Kristin]

Hi!! I really wanted to read outside today but it was way too hot in the sun! I just ordered an umbrella for the deck lol!

[Kelsie]

The past six books I've rated have all been 3 stars! Can you say mediocre reading slump?

[Kristin]

Ugh, the worse!!! Harry Potter 5 is picking up, but haven't had much of a chance to read these past few days!!

[Kristin]

Yikes, HP 5 took me like 6 weeks to read!!! It was 860 pages!!

I am 3 books behind schedule :( I have a few books on deck that I think I can plow through after I'm done HP!!

[Kelsie]

How many more Harry Potter books do you have left to read this summer?

[Kristin]

I am halfway through the 6th book and then there is a 7th! That's it !!!

[Kelsie]

How did painting the bookcase go? What do you have planned to read after finishing the HP series?

[Kristin]

Steve still has to do the 2nd coat of the bookcase!!! It's looking good though! After HP7, I have to read Anna kendricks book that I borrowed, and then maybe we can read love & gelato? It might not be summer though 😒 Harry Potter is taking me forever! The last book has almost 800 pages!!! It is good though!!!

[Kelsie]

Hmm, it doesn't really feel like fall until October... We can still read it whenever you're ready! Or if it takes awhile longer, we could start The Luxe. :)

[Kelsie]

BUDDY READ

Love & Gelato: Beginning to Chapter 5

(view spoiler)[Growing up, I wonder what Lina was told regarding her father/father's absence. Surely she would've asked her mother where her father was? Unless I'm missing something, no father (missing or otherwise) was discussed until her mother's final days when she started talking about her "friend" Howard. (hide spoiler)]

[Kristin]

Yea, that seems a bit odd to me!!! I also wonder how her mom and dad just stopped communicating at some point!! I believe I am on chapter 9 now! It's fast paced, but unsure how realistic of a story it is .. hm!

[Kelsie]

Love & Gelato: Chapter 11, Page 165

(view spoiler)[I get the feeling Howard isn't "X" in the diary... I wonder if he's still her father though? (hide spoiler)]

It's been a busy week but looking forward to more reading time this weekend.

[Kristin]

I am on page 245, chapter 16- I am heading to wildwood this weekend so hope to finish the book tonight or tomorrow!!!! Happy reading!!!! I am unsure if I like the book or not... I am finding her mom's journal entries more interesting than her visit to Florence haha!! I am craving gelato now!!

[Kristin]

Test

[Kristin]

I'm on my phone app and wasn't sure if I could hide spoilers... I can't :( I am on page 294, chapter 21 and Lina is annoying me !!!!!

[Kelsie]

I am currently on page 257, chapter 18.

(view spoiler)[Lina just discovered Matteo Rossi looks like her. (hide spoiler)]

[Kelsie]

Love & Gelato: Some thoughts

(view spoiler)[Howard was such a stand-up guy! I wish he would've tried harder for a relationship with Lina's mother... Instead he just kept his love bottled up. :( I thought it was cute how he joined Lina on her search for The Dress. It reminded me of my dad or your dad. Not every dad would be that involved. :)

I was so-so about Ren... but he had some cute lines in the last chapter.

I also liked the message at the end about how Lina was starting to live again, after loss. (hide spoiler)]

[Kristin]

Howard was totally a great guy!!! Was wondering if he would ever get together with Sonia ?!

[Kelsie]

I kept thinking Sonia would turn out to be one of their old friends from the journal, and that Sonia was just a nickname!

[Kristin]

Wow, 40 books so far!!!!! Great job!!! I'm falling behind :( I am 5 books behind schedule, but I did take off extra days of work with Thanksgiving and Christmas, so hope to catch up! I am like 25% of the way through the Airbnb book but haven't picked it up for weeks - I keep reading other books lol!

Also, I think the HUGE Harry Potter books put me behind, but I am glad I finally read them :)

[Kelsie]

I'll be taking extra days off too. I have a good many to spare! This upcoming weekend looks gloomy - perfect reading weather.

Even though Harry Potter put you behind, at least you can consider them quality books and time well spent! What will you read next? I'm debating between a mystery by Sara Shepard or the Christmas ebook I won, but it might be too soon for that.

[Kristin]

Steven and I are able to take off from work the week between Christmas and New Years finally!!!

I just started Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness last night and it sucked me right in! It's a true story about a New York Post reporter who lost her mind for a good month and had many neurologists stumped! Her arm going numb and bright lights bothering her were first signs of an issue, but initial MRIs and blood tests were all clear. She just woke up one day in a hospital in a straight jacket with a bracelet that said 'flight risk' and didn't remember what happened!!!! So crazy! I'm curious to find out what happened. Her parents kept detailed journals, and her boyfriend remembers a lot of that month, so she had to ask them for the details. :-o

A mystery in the fall sounds great!

[Kelsie]

I hope you've been able to get into your current book?! One more book for me until I reach my goal. What's been your favorite read so far this year? Mine was the very FIRST book I read back in January, In Real Life!

[Kristin]

Hi! I finished the Ann Rule book and it was fair! I still have to write a review! I am almost done Ellen Degeneres' newest book too! Trying to speed it up so I can catch up to my reading goal a bit :-/

Eleanor & Park and The Impossible Fortress were my two favorites so far!!

[Kristin]

I don't think there is any way I can reach my book goal this year :( I'd have to read 8 books in one month basically!!

[Kelsie]

We've been watching Z: The Beginning of Everything with Christina Ricci. It's an Amazon thing, not Netflix, unfortunately. Although I think it's actually been cancelled, it has great 1920's vibes which I think you would appreciate!

[Kristin]

Oh wow! I’ll have to look into it! Is it amazon prime?

[Kelsie]

Yes! I somehow qualified for another free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. There's 10 episodes.

[Kristin]

I did too!!! So I have 30 free days, yay!!!