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What are you reading now??
Thank You, Jeeves by P G Wodehouse – 4**** Book on CD performed marvelously by Jonathan Cecil. This was a typical Jeeves romp. Lighthearted, fun, entertaining and extremely visual. I will warn modern readers, however, Bertie and another character don blackface for much of the second half of the novel. The dialogue includes one particular racist slur that would never be used so casually today; the work was originally written in 1934. Had someone been able to rewrite these scenes to use a different device that was not so racially demeaning I would probably rate it higher.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
..."Barbara,
how did you like it? I loved the Darkyn series but didn't read Kyndred because I was mad at how the series was left open ended
Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya – 3.5*** Antonio narrates this mystical coming-of-age story and spiritual journey that reminds me of the oral story-telling traditions of my grandparents. Ultima is a curandera – a healer who uses herbs – and she teaches the young boy that his inner strength will allow him to overcome the tragic circumstances one encounters in life. In Anaya’s writing the landscape becomes as important as any character. The novel includes quite a lot of Spanish language words, phrases and even sentences. Non-Spanish speakers may feel a little lost, though I believe context explains everything pretty clearly.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Railway Children by E Nesbit – 4**** This is a delightful classic of children’s literature. Uprooted from their suburban home to a smaller country cottage, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis make the best of things and try their best to not add to Mother’s worries. I love how inventive they are in their play, and how they display loyalty, courage and compassion. I’d read Nesbit’s Five Children and It series when I was in middle school, but never read any of her other works. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Lord of the Flies by William Golding – 5***** A group of British schoolboys is marooned on a tropical island when their plane crashes. With no structure other than what they themselves create and impose, the group descends into survivalist mode, with violent results. It’s a fascinating and disturbing story. The audiobook narrated by the author, which is a shame. His voice is far too old for these young boys and his delivery was distracting. Still, the novel is gripping, and deserving of the highest rating.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
, so now for October 1, I will listen to
and read
Rest in Pieces by Rita Mae Brown – 2** Book # 2 in the Mrs Murphy mystery series featuring Mary “Harry” Haristeen and her menagerie – Mrs Murphy (a grey tiger cat), Tucker (a Welsh corgi), and Simon (an opossum living in the hay loft). I found it a disappointing sophomore effort, with little plot and too much descriptive filling. I did like that Harry is a strong, intelligent and resourceful woman.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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"I am considering reading that tomorrow for SSS
Ezinwanyi~the Troublemaker wrote: "Steph wrote: ""I am considering reading that tomorrow for SSS"
I love it so far I'd definitely recommend it
Mod
"I am considering reading that tomorrow for SSS"
I love it so far I'd definitely recommend it"
IT's one of my MnG picks, so it will get read this month:D
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne – 4**** This classic adventure tale was first published in 1870. Verne creates an imaginative and wondrous world. There are scenes that had me literally on the edge of my seat, but there were also long passages detailing the scientific classifications of underwater life that just about had me nodding off. Nemo is a marvelous villain – a seductive genius who can be charming, and yet with a deep-seated hatred of man and a skewed view of the world. I wish I knew more of his back story, of what made him what he is in this novel. James Frain did a fine job narrating the audiobook.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Listening to
and reading
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester – 3.5*** On August 27, 1883 the volcano Krakatoa exploded in a cataclysmic eruption that literally annihilated the island and killed over 36,000 people. This is a natural history of the island, the geological forces that led to its formation, destruction and rebirth, and the aftermath of that event. Winchester is a geologist as well as a writer, and so is the perfect person to pen this history. However, he seemed determined to include every bit of scientific research he uncovered. I’m sure I was influenced by having seen the PBS show about the volcano; I was expecting more action. Still it’s a fascinating story and I was mesmerized for most of it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher – 3*** The formula is wearing thin for me in this fourth book in the series. Harry is taxed to the max, battling ghouls, vampires, wizards, trolls, ogres, faeries and even a plant monster. The White Council is against him and his temper gets the better of him, but he still has a few friends he can count on. I really like Harry as a character, and the action is fast-paced and interesting, but the series is getting repetitive.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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, now reading
&
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman – 3*** This is a memoir of the author’s time as a prisoner at the Women’s Federal Correction Facility on a drug charge. I wasn’t eager to read it and the first chapter almost made me pull the plug, but once she started detailing her life at Danbury the narrative grew on me. What really redeemed the book was Kerman’s depiction of the women she met at Danbury. Despite their limited education, and criminal records they were generous and kind to “the new girl.” Mostly, they taught her to face her past and become accountable for her own role in winding up in prison. Cassandra Campbell does a fine job performing the audiobook.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Winterkill by C J Box – 3*** Book # 3 in the Joe Pickett series has multiple plot lines: a federal bureaucrat’s murder, his foster daughter’s mother wants her back, and a couple of egomaniacal government officials think nothing of jeopardizing other people’s safety for their political gain. Joe Pickett is the quintessential “good guy.” I read the series mostly because of him. However, I thought the plot got overly complicated in this novel.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
and already bought
Away by Amy Bloom – 3.5*** Lillian Leyb escapes Russia when her family is killed in a pogrom. Alone in America and determined to succeed, she learns to use others as she, herself, is being used. Once she hears that her daughter may have survived, she sets out on an epic odyssey from New York’s Lower East Side to Seattle and Alaska en route to Siberia. She endures setbacks that would break a weaker person, and encounters a host of colorful characters who are richly drawn. The story isn’t always linear, so even though Barbara Rosenblatt does a marvelous job of narrating the audio book, I’d recommend reading rather than listening.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller – 4**** Originally titled What Was She Thinking. Barbara narrates as she records her observations of her friend and fellow-teacher’s affair with an underaged male student. Sheba is obsessed with the affair, emotionally stressed and not thinking straight. But the reader slowly becomes aware that Barbara is also emotionally damaged- equally obsessed with her friendship with Sheba and jealous of Sheba’s relationships with others. What Barbara reveals about herself in recording Sheba’s story is more subtle and interesting than the story she is trying to tell. She is dangerous woman to have as a “friend.”
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown – 2.5**Two gruesome murders have the residents of Crozet, Virginia in a tizzy. Postmistress “Harry” Haristeen, and her faithful animal companions – Mrs Murphy and Tee Tucker – solve the case with the help of a few postcards. More of the book is spent on dissecting Harry’s failing marriage, or opinions on racism, feminism, the environment, etc than on the murder. On the plus side, it’s a fairly fast read and Harry is an interesting character. While she’s suffering the hurts of a broken relationship, she is generally a strong, independent woman and I appreciate that. But it IS supposed to be a murder mystery, so I’d like more mystery and less social commentary.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
1st To Die by James Patterson – 2.5** Debut of The Women’s Murder Club. Four women – a homicide inspector, a reporter, a medical examiner and an assistant D.A. – put their considerable talents together to catch a serial killer. I liked how Patterson portrayed the four women; they were professional, strong, intelligent, and tenacious. I did get tired of Lindsay’s emotional struggles, and thought her health issue was an unnecessary subplot. Skip the audio which is over-acted by Suzanne Toren; lost a half-star on the rating due to her melodramatic performance. I’ll probably read another in the series – emphasis on READ, not listen.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Paula by Isabel Allende – 5***** Evocative, heart-rending, luminous, suspenseful, triumphant – I cannot think of enough adjectives to describe this beautifully written memoir. Allende lays her soul bare on the page as she attempts to write her family history at the bedside of her comatose daughter, Paula. The work moves back and forth from Allende’s history to the events in Paula’s hospital room. It took me a while to get into the book; the writing is very dense. But Allende’s gift for storytelling is evident. Her experiences may be unique, but her reactions are universal.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin – 4**** This is a beautifully written debut novel that exemplifies “show, don’t tell.” Just as you get to know your neighbors or friends over decades, one event and reaction at a time, the reader gets to know Talmadge over the course of the novel. A man of few words he rarely directly reflects on the guilt he carries over his part in events. Rather, his actions speak to his deep-seated pain and desire to make amends. Coplin also writes with eloquence about the land and the time period. Mark Bramhall does a marvelous job voicing the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Ugly Little Boy by Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg – 3*** Alternate title: The Child of Time - Interesting science fiction fantasy. What happens when a
Neanderthal child is plucked from the Ice-Age and deposited into a “bubble” in a 21-st century scientific laboratory. One compassionate nurse, hired to care for the child, gradually becomes very close to the frightened child, and recognizes that what may be good for science is not necessarily good for the boy. First published as a short story in 1956, Robert Silverberg teamed with Asimov to add more information on the Neanderthal tribe from which the boy was taken, as well as a subplot involving a self-proclaimed child advocate adept at media relations.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished- I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill YouThe Sisterhood of the Traveling PantsCurrently reading- All-American GirlAnne of Green GablesRuby Red
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson – 4**** A classic of the genre, Shirley Jackson’s novel has been scaring people since 1959. Four people come to Hill House to investigate whether there is an occult presence. They get more than they bargained for, and Eleanor, a meek young woman with a past that includes a poltergeist, is particularly affected by the House. Bernadette Dunne does a marvelous job narrating the audio version. Get a bag of popcorn, turn the light low, and listen – if you dare!
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier – 4**** Two men meet by chance and discover they are so identical in appearance they could pass for one another. After a night of drinking, John awakens in Jean’s pajamas, and finds that his French counterpart has stolen his identity and car. There’s nothing to do but take on the mantel of the Comte de Gue until the “practical joker” returns. Du Maurier writes wonderfully complex psychological suspense, and this is a stellar example. The way in which John muddles along as “Jean de Gue” reveals much about his doppelganger. The plot is full of twists and turns, which kept me interested and intrigued from beginning to end.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Don’t Ask by Donald E Westlake – 3*** Book # 8 in the John Dortmunder series is a fun, fast, entertaining read. This time out the gang is involved in an international incident centering on an ancient religious relic. Dortmunder is a rather gentlemanly burglar; he’s a mastermind and a great planner, but his plans, however well thought out and featuring split-second timing, never quite work out. The joy comes in watching Westlake’s imaginative, convoluted scenarios unfold.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – 4**** Audio book narrated by Don O’Grady. Genetics professor Don Tillman has decided to marry – once he finds the perfect wife with the use of the extensive questionnaire he’s developed. But when he meets Rosie Jarman he sets aside the Wife Project to help her with her Father Project. As the project continues a friendship develops. This is an endearing, tender romantic comedy that had me laughing aloud in places. A delightful surprise!
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee – 4**** The subtitle says it all: A Biography of Cancer. Meticulously researched and explained so a layman can understand, Mukherjee has indeed crafted a biography of this disease that scares so many of us. He includes a few patient stories to make the scientific information more personal. Stephen Hoye does a fine job reading the audio version of this book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra – 4**** This short novel follows two couples in a Taliban-run Kabul. Khadra writes with poetic detail about a city which the residents no longer recognize as their own. They struggle to make sense of a culture that is at once familiar and foreign. This is a tragedy, and things will not end well for all these characters. But I feel that I have gained a little understanding of the situation by reading this novel, and for that I’m grateful.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
700 Sundays by Billy Crystal – 3*** This is a memoir of his youth growing up in an extended family on Long Island. Billy Crystal’s father, Jack, died when Billy was just fifteen; he figures he had only 700 Sundays with his father. These Sundays form the framework for this memoir. Based on the Tony Award winning play by the same title, it is not about Crystal’s career as an entertainer, but about the family that nurtured the boy. I wish I could have had an audio version of this, or watched a DVD of the Broadway show, because as I read I couldn’t help but feel that the material is best performed.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue – 3*** An ethereal novel that moves back and forth in time from 1920’s to contemporary New Orleans. Raziela Nolan was a vivacious woman planning a career as a doctor when she dies in a tragic accident. Now she watched over a young married couple, Amy and Scott, from her place in “the between.” Both Razi and Amy are dealing with loss and grief. I liked the young Razi, but never connected with Amy. I thought the dual plot lines got away from Domingue, but it was a decent debut novel.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
reading
...right now.... these are good...till now.(only started....finished
.as usual liked heyers writing.but still on the whole it was **(2 stars) for mealso reading
in the backgroung ...very slowly... like 3 pages every 2d or 3d day....sarting was good though.. miss brooke is too much...
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The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
The Duke Is Mine (other topics)Wild Things (other topics)
Love You More (other topics)
Lie With Me (other topics)
A Trouble of Fools (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kristen Ashley (other topics)Karen Marie Moning (other topics)
Kristen Ashley (other topics)
Angela McCallister (other topics)
Larissa Ione (other topics)
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Audiobook narrated by Paul Michael. A young German corporal falls for the lovely daughter of a French bookseller in 1943 occupied Paris. This is an impossible relationship for she is dedicated to the Resistance. And yet…. No, this is not a hearts-and-flowers romantic escapade; it’s gritty and real, full of hardship and heartache. It’s also a suspenseful novel. I was engaged from beginning to end.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...