What are YOU reading? (Formerly Summer of Books...)

[snapdragon]

I have most of Steve Barry's Cotton Malone series but I have taken a break from the series at the moment.

The Codex Alegra Series by Jim Butcher is really cool - refreshes ancient Rome ideas with personal magic and kingdom infighting. Excellent Series. The first book is the Furies Of Calderon.

He might also be interested in The Others Series by Anne Bishop. Alternate universe where humans are the secondary beings and live in enclosed cities so they don't end up being killed.

Could he like Merecedes Lackey's Valdemar books or Tamora Pierce's books about Tortall or possibility Kevin Herne's Iron Druid Series? 

[snapdragon]

Just finished listening to Fire Strike By Clive Cussler & Mike Madden. I had fun and it still feels like Clive had a hand in the book. 

Finished Glitter by Shannon Mayer

Also am working on the Kate Daniles Series by Ilona Andrews and have read up to Magic Rises so far.

Attempted to read Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution but the author was really dry, and I just could not engage.

[saveinla]

Just finished Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. I was not impressed with this book. I liked Pachinko more.

[steph08]

Just finished The Lost City of Z by David Grann. I really enjoyed it! 

I have another of his books - Killers of the Flower Moon - ready to go. And I will also look into his latest - The Wager. 

[Artemis Windsong]

The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart - fascinating, historical story of turpentine harvesting.

[Happy prose]

Just started readingHang the Moon, by Jeannette Walls. So far it's really good.

[bean29]

Sept 11, 2023 21:02:25 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

Just started readingHang the Moon, by Jeannette Walls. So far it's really good.

This was one of my recent Audible Selections.  I enjoyed it very much. 

[azucena]

Finished Covenant of Water - interesting story. Wasn't sure how it would all come together but it did. 

www.amazon.com/Covenant-Water-Abraham-Verghese-ebook/dp/B0BJSGV831/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20DUKBUL749Q5&keywords=covenant+of+water&qid=1694532252&sprefix=covenant+of+water%2Caps%2C1018&sr=8-1

Wasn't sure why my library queue was getting empty. Then realized this thread has been a little quiet

[chiver78]

a HS friend professionally published her PhD thesis, and it landed from the Amazon fairy this afternoon. I'll be packing it to read while I travel this weekend. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, she grew up downtown and got up stupid early to get bussed out to my lazy HS. her thesis explored the program she participated in, and what it did to change her personal trajectory. the book jacket calls out her LD (I had no idea!) and now she's a PhD.

[Artemis Windsong]

Lady Tans Circle of Friends - Lisa See

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molinar.  It's about Vincent Van Gogh's SIL who inherited his paintings.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oof, haven't updated here in a bit. 

What I've read since my last post

June, Reimagined, by Rebekah Crane 
This one is good but has its limitations. 
I really enjoyed the writing and the character development of the main characters. 
The side characters were not at all developed to the point of being unknowable at almost unnecessary. 
The journey is good. 


There's No Coming Back from This, by Ann Garvin
I don't recommend this if you want a thought-provoking book. It definitely fills a "brain break needed" space. 
The plot is mostly there, but the sequential logic is not. 

The Last Lie Toldf, by Debra Webb
Interesting unfolding of details. Well-paced mystery. Set up for a sequel which looks like came out earlier this year. 

Reluctantly Home, by Imogen Clark
Nice parallel stories that show a difference in decades and in dealing with grief. 


Currently Reading

Broadway Butterfly, by DiVello, Sara

Goodbye, Perfect: How to Stop Pleasing, Proving, and Pushing for Others… and Live For Yourself, by Kabir, Homaira

Just put on Audible: 

The Circle by Dave Eggers

[chiver78]

Sept 28, 2023 16:24:36 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

Lady Tans Circle of Friends - Lisa See

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molinar.  It's about Vincent Van Gogh's SIL who inherited his paintings.

I'm going to look up that Lisa See title. I very much enjoyed another of hers, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. thanks for the tip!

[snapdragon]

I just listened to Payback in Death by J.D. Robb. I can't remember how may books I have read right now. I have read Only Bad Options and Only Good Enemies by Jennifer Estep.

Read Poet by Audrey Faye and I will admit that I cried through a bunch of the book, but it was really good.

I have reading on the back burner at the moment but hope to get back into it soon. I have read 342+ books this year and am on track to reach my goal of 400. The past few years I was at 500+ but I knew I would be doing more things and moving so I cut back on the reading.

[snapdragon]

Listened to book 1.5 of the Olympian Spires Series called Warriorborn by Jim Butcher. It's only been 7+ years since the first book came out and the second book is coming out soon! Seriously enjoy the series and the narrator. 

[steph08]

After reading what I thought was a terrible "romcom" - Icebreaker - I needed a book reset. 

So, I started re-reading Jane Austen novels. haha! I have read Pride & Prejudice (my favorite) and Sense & Sensibility so far. Now, I'm on Emma. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oct 26, 2023 12:55:41 GMT -5 steph08 said:

After reading what I thought was a terrible "romcom" - Icebreaker - I needed a book reset. 

So, I started re-reading Jane Austen novels. haha! I have read Pride & Prejudice (my favorite) and Sense & Sensibility so far. Now, I'm on Emma. 

🩵💙💜

[happyhoix]

Sept 11, 2023 17:49:53 GMT -5 steph08 said:

Just finished The Lost City of Z by David Grann. I really enjoyed it! 

I have another of his books - Killers of the Flower Moon - ready to go. And I will also look into his latest - The Wager. 

Have you seen the movie Lost City of Z? Also, Killers of the Flower Moon is also out as a movie right now. That one is very long - almost 4 hours - but excellent. Also infuriating, just how poorly the native Americans were treated. 

Movie is full of really great actors. 

[happyhoix]

Just finished the latest Louise Penny book, World of Curiosities. One of her best, I think.

In the middle of listening to a book about Agatha Christie by Lucy Worsley. She’s a British historian who has done several good documentaries that have been on PBS, she is good at making history interesting .

[Artemis Windsong]

AB Sing Me Home by Jody Picoult.  I like most of it but didn't finish because of controversial topic.  What I liked is each chapter had a song to start it.  The singer (main character) used music therapy for various people from rebellious youth to dementia patients.

[Happy prose]

Reading Five Star Weekend. So far I'm enjoying it.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I was going through my Kindle looking for something to read and realized that I had several Patricia Cornwall books I hadn’t yet read.  I’m on the third of what I had downloaded.  

I tend to find an author, and read everything written until I run out of their work, then backtrack after a few years to catch up.  I think it’s been more than a few years!

[tcu2003]

It’s been awhile since I posted here - I’ve read a to this year, or at least compared to recent years. Mostly romance novels, some action adventure, and some memoir/biography. Some of the ones I’d recommend:

Romance:
The Singles Table by Sara Desai
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Long Game by Elena Armas
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon


Memoir/Biography:
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor


Other:
Memphis by Tara M Stringfellow
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

[Artemis Windsong]

I started Long Lost by Harlan Coben and I'm getting into it.

False start on How To Be Perfect.  The correct answer to every moral question by Michael Schur.  I'll see if I warm up to it with a few reads.

I probably already mentioned The Story Teller.  Partial read.  It's too heavy on Holocaust.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 10, 2023 13:16:08 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I was going through my Kindle looking for something to read and realized that I had several Patricia Cornwall books I hadn’t yet read.  I’m on the third of what I had downloaded.  

I tend to find an author, and read everything written until I run out of their work, then backtrack after a few years to catch up.  I think it’s been more than a few years!

So I checked what I had on my kindle already purchased, and had to download 4 more to complete the series.  I guess over time every time I saw one on sale I snagged it.  I think I’ll be reading this author awhile.

[Opti]

Nov 12, 2023 16:17:49 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

It’s been awhile since I posted here - I’ve read a to this year, or at least compared to recent years. Mostly romance novels, some action adventure, and some memoir/biography. Some of the ones I’d recommend:

Romance:
The Singles Table by Sara Desai
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Long Game by Elena Armas
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon


Memoir/Biography:
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor


Other:
Memphis by Tara M Stringfellow
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

I just finished the last one on your list.

[tcu2003]

Nov 13, 2023 20:29:56 GMT -5 Opti said:

Nov 12, 2023 16:17:49 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Other:
Memphis by Tara M Stringfellow
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

I just finished the last one on your list.

What did you think? I didn’t remember anything about her when I started the book, but then was fascinated learning all the Helen of Troy, Odysseus, Agamemnon, etc connections.

[Opti]

I had heard the name, but I did enjoy all the age of heroes' characters being involved in the story. Bloodier than I expected but being set in Sparta at the start it should not have surprised me.

[tcu2003]

I read Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros last week and LOVED it. And then immediately reread it. The next book just came out and I have it on hold at the library, but will probably cave and buy it instead. We’ll see. In the meantime, I forced myself to read The Five-Star Weekend by Elon Hilderbrand as it is due back to tomorrow, and it was not the best follow up read to Fourth Wing - I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it a few books ago.

But seriously, if you like fantasy at all, I highly recommend Fourth Wing. Fantasy isn’t what I gravitate to, but I do love the Harry Potter and Rick Riordan series, so after having multiple people recommend Fourth Wing, I put it on hold at the library and I’m so glad I did (though now I want to buy a copy).

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

A few weeks ago, I finished 

The Running Girls
by Matt Brolly

Excellent mystery. 


Now I'm in the middle of 

Well Behaved Wives: A Novel
by Amy Sue Nathan

Unless the end of it is a disaster, it's excellent historical fiction. 

[snapdragon]

I just finished listening to Christmas at the Gingerbread Inn on Audible and while I enjoyed the story and the narrators were really good, I could not connect with either character. The mental stress and complete brain gymnastics that the FMC was going through and the stress/guilt about taking over running the place seemed so unnecessary to me. The MMC just had a major savior/guilt complex and was a complete moron at times.