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What did you read last month?
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What I read January 2012
Joie wrote: "Don't get me started on the feminist issues in this book - that's a whole other chapter!Caleb's Crossing ..."Tantalizing way to end your post, Joie! I read & really liked Geraldine Brooks's Year of Wonders, so am not surprised to hear the prose was well balanced. Your post is encouraging.
You'll have to let us know what you think of the Zombie book. It's a bit appealing but i've been let down by other books poking around Austen novels. Up until the Zombie one, the most unusual (for me) was Pride and Prescience: Or, A Truth Universally Acknowledged. The supernatural aspects ended up turning me off, though.
deb, envious of your beach visit
My January books read list:No Mark Upon Her--I received this book free through the BookBrowse First Impressions program. Often they are first novels, or books by less familiar writers, but this was written by an established author and I enjoyed it very much. It is the umpteenth in a well-written series featuring two British police officers, a married couple. Good characters, and a plot that seemed realistic but kept you wondering. I enjoyed all the references to Henley-on-Thames, where a son-in-law lived, and whose father was an Olympic rower.
Death Comes to Pemberley--Very good. Faithful to Pride and Prejudice, and maintained the flavor and the cast of characters. A plausible plot and conclusion. Liked the offhand references to characters in other Austen novels, including Persuasion and Emma.
Alice Bliss--A lovely, poignant story of a family, particularly a teenaged girl, whose father/husband is deployed to Iraq. Beautifully written. Alice is a delight, but of course not perfect. She is extremely close to her dad, and misses him terribly, but is determined to carry on with everything that they would normally do together. Highly recommended.
Flesh And Blood--In the Dr. Alex Delaware series. Alex and his friend, police detective Milo Sturgis, try to find out what happened to one of his ex-patients, whom he feels he failed several years ago. Alex did a lot of independent snooping in this one, and almost suffered for it. Not his best, but OK.
Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: "My January books read list:...[deb edited]
Death Comes to Pemberley--Very good. Faithful to Pride and Prejudice, and maintained the flavor and the cast of characters. A plausible plot and conclusion. Liked the offhand references to characters in other Austen novels, including Persuasion and Emma...."
I'm so glad to read your comments, Carolyn. My curiosity about this P. D. James is high but i didn't want to be disappointed. Now you tell me characters from other Austen novels are mentioned! LOVING IT! Thanks.
deborah
Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: Flesh And Blood--In the Dr. Alex Delaware series. Alex and his friend, police detective Milo Sturgis, try to find out what happened to one of his ex-patients, whom he feels he failed several years ago. Alex did a lot of independent snooping in this one, and almost suffered for it. Not his best, but OK.
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Gosh, I haven't read a Alex Delaware novel in years. He was one author I used to rush to buy his novels in hardcover.
I managed to finish 8 books in January, which actually surprised me as I am currently knee-deep in the college application process with my oldest son. Perhaps the stress of the experience of nagging him to finish essays and make appointments with his guidance counselor is being alleviated by diving into a book and escaping from this world into another one! Lol…In awarding kudos to the books I’ve read, I’ve found a process that works for me. If I liked a book enough to finish it, I give it 3 stars. If I found it entertaining as well as "finishable," I give it 4 stars. If I find it so good that it makes me want to take a vacation day from work and read it straight through, I'll give it 5 stars. FYI: I didn't take a vacation day in January. That summarizes my reading month in a nutshell. ;)
My reads for Jan. 2012:
3-Star Reads:
Room by Emma Donoghue. Mesmerizing story told from the point-of-view of a 5-year-old child who has been held captive for literally his entire life in a small room with his mother (who was abducted several years before he was born.) I liked that angle--it was interesting to imagine what it would be like to have never, ever seen the world outside the 11x11 room in which you were born. I thought the book lost something about 3/4 through, and I wasn't as impressed with it by the end. I'd still recommend it, though.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett: I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't like this book better than I did. It was well written, and the plot was interesting. It was just one of those books that I enjoyed while I was in the actual act of reading it, but I wasn't in a hurry to pick it back up once I had put it down.
The Sweet Life in Paris: A Recipe for Living in the World's Most Delicious City by David Lebovitz: This book teetered on the edge between 3 stars and 2 stars for me. It came highly recommended by a good friend, so I wanted to like it. If I was a chef or a baker or even liked to cook just a little, I would probably give this 4 stars. But since I'm not and I don't, I was more interested in the author's description of his life as an expat in Paris and I mostly just skipped over the recipes. After reading this, I was a)hungry and b)pretty sure I never want to visit Paris. Because the Parisians come across as horrible, selfish people. Not sure if that's the image the author wanted to portray, but there it is.
The Red Thread by Ann Hood: I like Ann Hood. I liked this book. I think it sort of left some "threads" unraveled, which left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.
4-Star Reads:
Booked to Die by John Dunning: A re-read of a book I enjoyed the first time. I'm re-reading the rest of the series now, too.
Lost in Shangri-laby Mitchell Zuckoff"\: I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It was a quick read about an event of which I was unaware, and I always love learning something new from history. I liked the writing style as well, finding it to be simultaneously informative and amusing. I laughed out loud several times while reading it (such as the story about the soldiers "dropping trou" to prove to the natives that they were men!), which I don't often do with a nonfiction history book. I would definitely recommend it--particularly since it is such a fast read.
Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy: Last year I read Kennedy's Leaving the World and really, REALLY liked it at first. I thought the writing was smart and intelligent and I would stop periodically and think, "Wow, that sentence was really profound!" But then after about 250 pages I was getting tired of all the profound-ness and then I got almost irritated and I started thinking it was more...I don't know, pretentious? So I expected the same thing from "Pursuit of Happiness." However, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the plot and the writing very much.
11/22/63 by Stephen King: Some slow parts in the middle that bogged me down, but overall I enjoyed this book. It's been a long time since I read a Steven King novel...I don't enjoy the horror genre as much now as I used to when I was younger. But this book took me by surprise--because, above everything else, this was a love story. Totally not what you (or at least I) would expect from Steven King.
And one book that I couldn't even muster up the interest or enthusiasm to finish:
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson: I put it down after 80 pages and never felt the desire to pick it up again. 'Nuff said.
Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: "My January books read list:No Mark Upon Her--I received this book free through the BookBrowse First Impressions program. Often they are first novels, or books by less familiar wr..."
Someone recently recommended Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal. Kind of a magical realism take on Austen.
Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: "My January books read list:No Mark Upon Her--I received this book free through the BookBrowse First Impressions program. Often they are first novels, or books by less familiar wr..."
You are all provoking me today--in a good way!!! I love Book Browse and participate in the First Impressions program, too. I have read some wonderful books there. I'll look for your reviews. I'm using my real name there, too.
My January reads were The Sunday Philosophy ClubAlexander McCall Smith Rating 4
This was the first of series set in Edinburgh. It was quite enjoyable. I will read more in the series.
HangmanFaye Kellerman
rating 3+ This was a visit with old friends. I enjoyed it
My Reading LifePat Conroy
rating 4
I enjoyed this book however it made me feel very underread.
Madrano wrote: "Joie wrote: "Don't get me started on the feminist issues in this book - that's a whole other chapter!Caleb's Crossing ..."Tantalizing way to end your post, Joie! I read & really liked [author:Ger..."
I wrote somewhat of a review of the P&P& Zombies but for reasons not clear to me, it wasn't included. The long & short of it was that it left me slightly amused but more disappointed. I don't know what I was expecting but I feel what I read was a bit clunky in its attempt to inject more humour in a novel already regarded as hilarious (by me, anyway).
BTW, living in Sydney, beaches are not too far away and our 10 days was spent in a beach house, metres from an almost private, secluded beach. Heaven! With a cup of tea in hand, it was the perfect place to read on the balconies or in bed with the beach and the crashing waves for company - I feel blessed.
Lesley wrote: "Year of Wonders is one of my favourites. Loved it!"I enjoyed it as well. Also liked her People of the Book very much.
Amy wrote: "I managed to finish 8 books in January, which actually surprised me as I am currently knee-deep in the college application process with my oldest son. Perhaps the stress of the experience of naggin..."--------------
I enjoyed reading your reviews and I really like you guide to rating a book.
Meredith wrote: "My January reads were My Reading LifePat Conroy
rating 4
I enjoyed this book however it made me feel very underread.
Hang..."
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Thanks for reminding me about this title, I wanted to put in on my To Read list.
Amy wrote: "In awarding kudos to the books I’ve read, I’ve found a process that works for me. If I liked a book enough to finish it, I give it 3 stars. If I found it entertaining as well as "finishable," I give it 4 stars. If I find it so good that it makes me want to take a vacation day from work and read it straight through, I'll give it 5 stars. FYI: I didn't take a vacation day in January. That summarizes my reading month in a nutshell. ;) ..."Amy, i like your system. It's less open to change of opinion because you are keeping with the actual reading as well as content. This makes such sense.
And thank you for the Shangri-la title. If someone mentioned it on the board, i forgot about it. Sounds interesting, particularly since i've not heard about it until now.
deb
Carolyn, I listened to People of the Book on audio. I was not that taken with it, but I do think it might have been the reading not the content. I should try the written form some day I guess.
Lesley wrote: "Carolyn, I listened to People of the Book on audio. I was not that taken with it, but I do think it might have been the reading not the content. I should try the written form some da..."I agree with you Lesley. I did like her other books though.
I am open to Geraldine Brooks's books but they've been hit or miss for me. Year of Wonder is still my favorite, by a long shot.deb
January 20121Q84 - Haruki Murakami (925 pages)
This book was standard Murakami. It's not his best, but it made me realize he's better at shorter works. Some aspects of the book are wonderful, but for the most part it's the character back stories an little vignettes.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -Jonathan Safran Foer (326 pages)
Decided to re-read this since the movie came out. It wasn't as great as I remember it being when I first read it, but it was still heartbreaking. It had some great moments, but it was still largely overdone
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest -Stieg Larsson (563 pages)
Finally got around to reading the last installment of Larsson's series. It picked up right where the second one left off. There was none of the time to pick up the pace like a lot of his books have.
Goodnight Tweetheart -Teresa Medieros (222 pages)
Twitter is nothing more than a haiku for the semi-illiterate. It's also that fine middle point on the Vehn diagram where retards and narcissists intersect. This is what happens when I buy books for 25 cents and the Borders going out of business sale.
January 2012 total pages 2036
Total 2012 pages 2036
Total all time pages 34706
Good month, Stephanie. I enjoyed reading your comments.
Stephanie wrote: " Goodnight Tweetheart -Teresa Medieros (222 pages)Twitter is nothing more than a haiku for the semi-illiterate. It's also that fine middle point on the Vehn diagram where retards and narcissists intersect. This is what happens when I buy books for 25 cents and the Borders going out of business sale...."
Stephanie, i got a LOL moment from your comments on this book. Thanks for the fun start to the day. Continued success with your reading goals.
deborah, another Twitter-less person
An embarrassingly late recounting of my "recent" reads. Some of these go back to the beginning of December!11/22/63 - Stephen King. A man goes back in time to 1958 with the goal of stopping the Kennedy assassination. But there's so much more to this story than just that one plot line, and in spite of my claims about not liking long books, I enjoyed every page of this 850+ page novel. Not the typical Stephen King book, but one of my favorites of his. A
Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story - Wally Lamb. A friend recommended this to me when I wasn't feeling well and I remember liking it, and that it made me smile, but I have no recollection of what it was about! (Can't grade what I don't remember!!)
A Prayer for the Dying- Stewart O'Nan. Set in a small Wisconsin town shortly after the Civil War, the main character who is the local sheriff, pastor and undertaker, must deal with a diphtheria epidemic in the town. His three professions all make different demands on him, demands that are frequently at odds with each other. Although this was a very grim, depressing book, I enjoyed it. And I am becoming a huge Stewart O'Nan fan, the more books of his that I read. A
American Boy- Larry Watson. I've enjoyed reading Watson in the past, but this book, not so much. Two teenage boys become obsessed with a young woman who was shot by her husband and who comes to live with the town doctor, the father of one of the boys. This wasn't a bad book, but it just didn't do much for me. B
Too Close to the Falls - Catherine Gildiner. A mostly charming memoir about growing up in a small town near Niagara Falls during the 1950s and 60s. There are charming moments, heartbreaking ones and very thoughtful insights too. I've known about this book for years but just got around to reading it, and I'm glad I did. A-
Connie wrote: "An embarrassingly late recounting of my "recent" reads. Some of these go back to the beginning of December!-----------------------
Better late than never! As usual, I enjoyed reading your reviews.
Thanks, Connie - I almost always admire Stewart O'Nan's books too, despite their subject matter.
Sarah wrote: "Thanks, Connie - I almost always admire Stewart O'Nan's books too, despite their subject matter."I have hated three of his books and really liked the others. I rarely have such a dichotomy of opinion on an author's work.
Connie....my favorite Larry Watson book was White Crosses, but I have found his books hit-or-miss with me.
So many great-sounding books! Will have to catch up but here are the ones I read/finished in January.Fruit: A Novel About a Boy and His Nipples
3 stars
This was a sweet, funny book that's set in the city where I live right now! It was enjoyable but not amazing. I did feel that though the setting and situations were very specific, it was easy to empathize with the characters.
On A Cold Road: Tales Of Adventure In Canadian Rock
3 stars
I actually own this book but never got around to reading it till I found out it was on the shortlist for this year's Canada Reads (more info: http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/). Certain parts of the adventures for the rock bands were eye-opening and interesting but the presentation of the experiences from different bands seemed really jumbled and there wasn't enough context given.
The Crow Trap
3 stars
Wanted to try a mystery by Ann Cleeves with Vera Stanhope. This was enjoyable enough but not so that I'd pick up the next one.
More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City
3 stars
Informative, balanced and well-researched though a little dry sometimes. Also, the author doesn't provide too much in the way of solutions but he does a good job of helping people understand the issues and points to areas that could use further research.
Anil's Ghost
4 stars
Buddy Read book! Really enjoyed it though it was heart-breaking in parts. I thought the characters were very compelling even if they were not the main ones; the author's switches in focus were not distracting at all.
BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine
3 stars (so far)
I read a substantial part of this book in January but had to return it to the library before finishing (second time!). I was about 3/4 of the way through and found the analysis of pop culture enlightening and also slightly disturbing. Will have to pick it up again when I get the chance.
Sumofparts wrote:Fruit: A Novel About a Boy and His Nipples
This was a sweet, funny book that's..."
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I have to say that is a attention getting title ! :)
I enjoyed your reviews. Thanks for sharing we us.
Sumofparts wrote: "BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine3 stars (so far)
I read a substantial part of this book in January but had to return it to the library before finishing (second time!). I was about 3/4 of the way through and found the analysis of pop culture enlightening and also slightly disturbing. Will have to pick it up again when I get the chance...."
Thanks for the title, Sumofparts. I've read the magazine on & off but not in a few years. (Nothing against it, i was just overwhelmed with more pressing topics.) DD was offered a job there around 2000 but wanted to live in NYC instead of San Francisco. Now i see they are in Portland...hmmm. We lived in the Portland area for 12 years & consider it our home base, of sorts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitch_%2...
deb
Michele, Amy and Connie - mixed opinions on 11/22/63! My book group was thinking about reading it so I'm a little worried especially since it'll actually be my first Stephen King book. Sarah - thanks for bringing Why New Orleans Matters to my attention. Sounds like a compelling book.
JoAnn/QuAppelle - thanks for the reminder to read American on Purpose. He's awesome.
Shay - as always, in awe of your reading rate! Very intrigued by 1Q84 now.
Also, I got a chuckle from your opinion on travel even though I don't exactly share it. I actually went to China last year and there's obviously some of what you mentioned but it was also an eye-opening and fun experience. I'm still glad armchair travel is available though.
Lesley - thanks for bringing The Happiest Refugee to my attention.
Joie - I gave up on P&P&Zombies; glad to know I wasn't the only one it didn't work for.
Alias Reader - ha, yes, even the librarian checking it out for me did a double-take. Hope February is a better reading month for you!
deb - War Dances! Stuff came up but I've started the book and will discuss ASAP in the Buddy Read thread.
Cocktail Hour and Shipwrecks sound really good.
Re Bitchfest - you're welcome! Just a note that some of the articles are a bit dated since the book was published in 2006 and goes back ten years from then. Also, I'm not very familiar with certain topics addressed in the collection so your mileage may vary on what you find interesting/informative to read. Thanks for the link re the magazine.
Sumofparts wrote: "Michele, Amy and Connie - mixed opinions on 11/22/63! My book group was thinking about reading it so I'm a little worried especially since it'll actually be my first Stephen King book. ."
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I thought it was good. But not nearly as good as
The Stand
Alias Reader wrote: "I thought it was good. But not nearly as good as The Stand" Thanks; I'll have to check that one out too.
January 2012 Reads: Things Fall Apart 4 stars. Certainly a different perspective than I am used to and a subject matter that is not something I encounter everyday. A relatively quick read.
The House of the Spirits 4 stars. Story of three generations of women in Chile. Loved the intertwined characters. Loved the magic realism - not a style with which I have a lot of experience.
The House of Doctor Dee 2 stars. I wanted to like this book and I did up to a point. The last 1/3 of the book was like a slog through quicksand for me. I kept waiting for a payoff that, in my opinion, never came. I have been told that thiss is not the best of Peter Ackroyd so I'm willing to give another one of his books a try.
STINKER OF THE MONTH (and likely of 2012): Blood and Guts in High School - stopped after less than 50 pages. One of the worst books I've ever tried to read. I may be an old fuddy duddy but I did not get the point or the purpose for this book to exist. Seemed like it was just shocking for shock value alone.
Am trying to finish up Little Women for my F2F bookclub on Monday night. I'm close to the end and am really enjoying it. I can't believe I have never read it before.
Two 4 star books. Not a bad month, Toni.
Love the idea of a "Stinker of the month"! Thanks for sharing, Toni. I liked Things Fall Apart, too. deborah
I've liked every Bohjalian novel i've read. The one you mentioned, Normie, sounds good, too.
It was very good. My first one by the author.
Oh wait! I read Water Witches. I forgot. I remember not caring for it too much.
My first was a gift. Otherwise i suspect i never would have tried one of his books. It was Skeletons at the Feast. The topic (immediate post WWII) was one i haven't read much about in fiction. I liked the explorations Bohjalian offered, too. It led me to more by him.deb
Normie wrote: "Oh wait! I read Water Witches. I forgot. I remember not caring for it too much."The cover (not the one on the book now) is what drew me to the book, but I liked the story of finding water and the ecological aspects.
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Normie wrote: "Oh wait! I read Water Witches. I forgot. I remember not caring for it too much."The cover (not the one on the book now) is what drew me to the book, but I liked the story of fi..."
It has been some time since I read it. I couldn't get into and I finished it because I can't not finish a book. Night Strangers was better I think.
I finished it because I can't not finish a book. Glad to see that I am not the only 1. Usually I buy my books, and I figure that I bought it because it looked good. I have started skimming a book, if the subject matter o=is bad, but I will read it eventually. Now some books may take a long time but.....it will be read.
Richiesheff wrote: "I finished it because I can't not finish a book. Glad to see that I am not the only 1. Usually I buy my books, and I figure that I bought it because it looked good. .."
This is why I rarely buy books. I would feel compelled to finish them because I had invested $$$ in them. With library books, I have "freedom to abandon".
Lesley, i hope you enjoy it as much as i did. When you read it, please keep us in mind!deb
I've been in an awful reading slump. Hopefully, it's just about run the course.Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. 2 stars. I just couldn't get into the story.
77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz. 3 stars. I'm a Koontz fan but this was just so-so.
The Baby Jesus Butt Plug by Carlton Mellick III. 4 stars. This guy isn't everyone cup of tea but I enjoy a good splatterpunk, bizarro tale...now and then.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 4 stars. I'm not a fan of series but this one, written for the young adult, kept my attention. I finished the others in February.
Two four stars and a three star...that looks pretty good to me !
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Books mentioned in this topic
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I enjoyed reading your reviews, Joie.