Time to share what you’ve been reading in December!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Favorite Book of 2020” thread. You can still add your favorites to that list. As always, you’ll find that thread and previous monthly book threads in the “Hooked on Books” group.
I’m not doing well with reviewers’ recommended books:
*The Girl with the Louding Voice, Daré. I read half then gave up. I just can’t read another poor-girl-determined-to-get-education book. For me, this one screamed YA. I even tried listening, hoping the proper cadence would help. I tried. Not for me.
*Homeland Elegies, Akhtar. Highly touted by lofty reviewers, the author has won the Pulitzer and a Tony. I’m sure it wasn’t intended to bring joy, but I’d hoped for deeper understanding of the life of immigrants in America. I don’t understand, I’m missing the point. To me it felt like a lot of defensive anger and rationalization. I finished the book and still don’t understand praising Hitler and 9-11. I don’t get it. I sure hope one (or more) of you can clue me in.
So, my response to 2 book club selections I dragged through? I just borrowed the newest Ruth Ware mystery, One by One, from the library—straight to my Kindle. I’m looking forward to less misery and more escapism. Feeling shallow and gleeful. During this pandemic, I’ve learned the great effect what I’m reading can have on my mood. For me, this isn’t the time for negative and depressing. So for now, I’ll stick with mysteries, thrillers, crime and the beloved writers who bring me smiles.
Sorry so long-winded. Thanks if you understand me.
Last edited by amiga13; 01-01-2021 at 07:56 AM..
Reason: Preposition ugh
The Great Santini: I've seen the movie but never read the book. I really enjoyed the book. My only complaint was that there were some storylines I wanted more development on. I gave it 4/5 stars.
Defending Jacob: Great book. I gave it 4/5 stars. It kept me interested and it was unpredictable. However, I wanted the storyline at the end to be wrapped up!
Just Mercy: I gave it 4/5 stars. I liked it. It made me think. It was interesting. I just think it jumped around too much. I liked the movie better.
With the Might of Angels: The civil rights movie and school integration is one of my favorite parts of history to read about. I gave this book in 4/5 stars. I liked it, but the experience was toned down.
Right now I'm reading Educated. It's okay. Some parts are really good, other parts seem to drag on or get repetitive.
The Chain by Adrian McKinty. I took a chance on this one as I typically avoid the kidnapped child premise. This is really intense and I need to know how it ends.
I’m listening to Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell. The book isn’t at all what I expected and I’m 80% done with no clue who the real players are. I’m a fan if this author and am enjoying this story very much.
Splendid and Vile was excellent. It is a nonfiction about church hill. By Eric Larson.
Now reading anxious people by Fredrick backman. It’s ok.
Deep creek, finding hope in the high country. By Pam Houston. Excellent. About a woman who bought a ranch. Very interesting. Was for my book club. We do zoom book club.
I was more consumed with movies and tv shows than books. (Loved The Invisible Man and The Undoing.) I only have one recommendation,
A Gentleman in Moscow. It was a great adventure for me. I easily pictured myself sitting in the lobby of the Metropol.
I just finished reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz. Very good and I read it in 2 days. But I didn't realize until after, when I was looking up more info on the characters (it's based on a true story) how many of the simplest details the author got wrong. Some of the Holocaust Memorial organizations felt compelled to put out reports officially correcting what had been written. That ruined the story for me.
Now I'm starting Shadow and Bone. Recommended by some young folk I know, who are super excited that it's becoming a Netflix show. I like fantasy, so fingers crossed that it's good!
December books: The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths. Book 6 in the Ruth Galloway series.
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry. This was a Book Club book. Many parts are beautifully written with stunning images--I could see, hear, and feel much of what he wrote. I'm not, however, a big fan of war books (in this one the US Civil War, American Indian Wars) or descriptions of man's inhumanity to man.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. A quick, interesting read about a Japanese woman who works in a convenience store.
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. I loved this book!
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz. sigh. I wanted to like this but I found it so self indulgent on the part of the author. It was way too long so I read much of it the quick way, KWIM?
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. A frothy, frivolous, fun read that was exactly what I needed for the few days around Christmas when I was in a Covid induced funk.
The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. Not bad, not great.
Current reads:
for Book Club: Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout. I didn't like Olive Kitteridge and continue to dislike this one. I'm not a big fan of short stories and I really, really don't like Olive herself. I probably won't finish it.
Book on my phone which I read when I'm waiting (and waiting and waiting and waiting) for Man. The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis. It's what I call a Now and Then book where someone finds an artefact and there's a story of the Now of the finder and the Then of the artefact. I have since learned the genre is called Multiple Timelines. Who knew?
My Waiting for Dinner to cook book: Writers and Lovers by Lily King. So far, so good.
i'm currently finishing: Three Keys (kids' book), sequel to Front Desk---I don't love it (either of them--because it seems so unrealisti--how a 10 year old is managing everything and dealing with adults....I know it's based off the author's life---but i'm invested in the story, so i'm finishing it.)
my next book is The Good Braider--novel written in poems about a Sudanese refugee.
I'm currently reading Learning to Die in Miami:Confessions of a Refugee Boy by Carlos Eire. I had read his previous memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy, which, although well-written, was far too long at 400+ pages, and became tedious, and I started flipping through it after 200 pages.
Nevertheless, I got the follow-up book to satisfy my curiosity about the author's subsequent escape from Cuba with 15,000 other children during Operation Peter Pan airlift. I'm half way through this second book and will abandon it as well. A good editor would helped.
This month was a good month for me. I had some really good reads!
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. I've seen tons of mixed reviews on this one, but I really liked it. I found the Egyptology stuff very interesting.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo - a 4 star read for me (I rarely give 5 stars, so 4 is good!)
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? - this is a continuation of the diversity training we did this fall, as well as many books I have read in the past year or so. This one was not the easiest one to read, but had a lot of good information and gave me some good perspectives on issues that I want to learn more about.
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family - a fascinating read about a family that had 12 kids, 6 of which (I think it was 6) that were schizophrenic. Many current practices and research stems from working with this family.
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate - another 4 star read for me.
I'm in the middle of Beach Music by Pat Conroy. It has great reviews but I'm not loving it. I don't dislike it enough to give up, but so far I'm not finding it as compelling as I had hoped.
I also restarted the Outlander series for the umpteenth time. I'm hoping this time the newest book is out by the time I get through it!
I read many great books lately, most of them recommended hereand
- writers and lovers : great writing but a bit too close to home right now
- The lives of Erie Pritchard: one of my favorites
- Deacon King Kong: another great one!
- The bookshop at Watersend: good read too
- The Happy Hollisters and the trading post mystery: took me 50 years back
And I reread three favorites:
Mr Penumbra 24 hours bookstore
Ajax Penumbra 1969hours
A gentleman in Moscow,
all excellent!
I am currently re-reading Their eyes were watching God, another book that needs to be re-read regularly, IMO
During break, I got caught up on the Maisie Dobbs series, by Jacqueline Winspear, and the Armond Gamache series, by Louise Penny, and am looking forward to the next installments.
I've been watching Murdoch Mysteries on TV, so I started the novels by Maureen Jennings and finished the first one, Except the Dying, today.
Daughters of Erietown was one of my favorites. She did a talk for the Cuyahoga Public Library’s program Between the Book Jackets with her husband, Senator Sherrod Brown. If they archived it, it’s a good listen. Currently reading Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne.
Some books for the intermediate grades that I've read recently are War Stories by Gordon Korman and Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (author of Hunger Games.)
I read The Restaurant and The Christmas Restaurant by Pamela Kelley. I love reading some Christmas fiction this time of year.
My mindless reading for the past few days is Crazy Stupid Bromance(#3 in the Bromance Book Club Series)
I finally bought American Dirt, so that will be my read for January.
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01-01-2021, 06:05 AM
Time to share what you’ve been reading in December!
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