Read Women discussion

Hannah wrote: "I'm listening to She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore on audio and am struggling to follow it. I loved the opening scene but have been a little mystified since. I'm wo..."

I've only read it in print, but had no trouble following the story. For context, I'm a very ordinary reader, comprehension-wise ;)

I was unsuccessful in getting into it, Hannah, notwithstanding my desire to do so. The group read didn't have much uptake. Nadine's a far better bellwether.

p.s. I went and looked through my most reliable friends' reviews and King seems to be somewhat polarizing, depending on whether the reader liked the superhero/magical realism aspect of it. Even my detractor friends gave it 4 stars for plot, history, writing style, though. Aside from the MR component, the ones who didn't think it worked as well came in at 3 stars with a view of, it's a debut and not all of the different pieces came together as successfully as they'd have hoped.

Hannah, I also read it in print form and had no issues following the story. I gave it three stars because some elements of the story were developed then dropped without a satisfactory resolution in my opinion. I enjoyed it, but I can see why not everyone would.

Carol wrote: "I was unsuccessful in getting into it, Hannah, notwithstanding my desire to do so. The group read didn't have much uptake. Nadine's a far better bellwether.

p.s. I went and looked through my most ..."

I just looked at my review - 4 stars, with the first half being terrific and the second half problematic. But overall, creative and engaging. I didn't realize that my review was a bit spoilery, so I've added spoiler tags. My review.

Thanks for your thoughts all, I'm not very far in so I'll stick with it and let you know how I get on. Perhaps it was just the early stages of the migraine that is now developing!

Hannah wrote: "Thanks for your thoughts all, I'm not very far in so I'll stick with it and let you know how I get on. Perhaps it was just the early stages of the migraine that is now developing!"

oh, bummer about the migraine. i'm so sorry to hear that, hannah. i hope it departs more swiftly than normal.

Thanks Carol, now the migraine has left I am well into this audiobook and enjoying it immensely!

Hannah wrote: "Thanks Carol, now the migraine has left I am well into this audiobook and enjoying it immensely!"

That's good news. So glad.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. I liked it more than I had expected, and I see why my library has such a long wait for a 6- year old title.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3626501629

Just start the book

"No way a monkey could be persuaded to give up a banana in exchange that whole bunch of them awaits him or her up in the heavens" quote from the book Sapiens< A Brief History of Humankinf

Jovan wrote: ""No way a monkey could be persuaded to give up a banana in exchange that whole bunch of them awaits him or her up in the heavens" quote from the book Sapiens< A Brief History of Humankinf"

Yes, Harari's book yields many quote worthy excerpts!

Especially,as here in Serbia patriarch‚s funeral during corona outbreak turned into circus. Poor man died after catching corona on funeral of another high church cleric and his corps paraded in front of massive crowd and on national TV despite measures not to have 5 persons in the same room/chamber!
Maybe his next book will be on us Balkaners, although the author mentions Serbs in one of the first paragraphes.
Stay safe

I just bailed on Miracle on Cherry Hill by Sun-mi Hwang.
I loved the author's previous 2 books but just did not connect with this at all and I found the writing to be a bit clunky and on the nose.

Just started Family of Origin. I haven't heard much talk about it, but I'm really enjoying it.

Hannah wrote: "I just bailed on Miracle on Cherry Hill by Sun-mi Hwang.
I loved the author's previous 2 books but just did not connect with this at all and I found the writing to ..."

That's a shame I liked the sound of that one, think I saw it on your list first? But does cut down my tbr pile which is dangerously large!

Yes, I was also a little bit grateful to remove it from my bloated tbr :)

I’m reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I think I’d call this grunge-punk spec fiction. It’s definitely coming from the underbelly of a degenerate alien city which makes Blade Runner look positively bright and cheery. I’m enjoying it, but I can only stand to read a chapter or two at a time, it’s just so intense.

I picked this up after reading Kraken, which I enjoyed tremendously because of all its twists and turns. I definitely wouldn’t recommend his writing to anyone with ‘delicate sensibilities’. But for all the encrusted feces and broken bones on the surface, there’s something disturbingly elegant about Mieville’s writing.

Sparrow Knight wrote: "I’m reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I think I’d call this grunge-punk spec fiction. It’s definitely coming from the underbelly of a degenerate alien city which makes ..."

I abandoned 'Perdido Street Station' even though I liked the sensibility and the writing, reading your thoughts about reading it, I think maybe I should tried approaching it differently. But I've also been circling 'Kraken' for a while, so think maybe I'll take the plunge on that one instead. Sounds as if you'd recommend it. I think Mieville's an interesting writer with a fairly unique approach.

I would recommend ‘Kraken’, it had more of an adventure feel, and moved along more briskly. ‘Perdido’ is going slower, I think in part because of all the world building necessary. It also feels darker to me. Or maybe that’s just because it’s 2020, and New Crobuzon seems like a reflection of the whole year. Ugh.

Yet, within the grunge and corruption, there is passion, and that’s really interesting. Different sorts of passion: for learning, between lovers, for justice. I am interested to see how these threads develop.

Sparrow Knight wrote: "I would recommend ‘Kraken’, it had more of an adventure feel, and moved along more briskly. ‘Perdido’ is going slower, I think in part because of all the world building necessary. It also feels dar..."

Thanks and look forward to hearing more about 'Perdido' when you finish it.

Sparrow Knight wrote: "I’m reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I think I’d call this grunge-punk spec fiction. It’s definitely coming from the underbelly of a degenerate alien city which makes ..."

Great description of why I DNF'ed Perdido years ago. I didn't think I had a grunge ceiling, but apparently I do! The only other Mieville I've read is Embassytown, which was okay. I will try Kraken though - I'm just not ready to put him in my 'not for me' pile.

Nadine wrote: "Sparrow Knight wrote: "I’m reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I think I’d call this grunge-punk spec fiction. It’s definitely coming from the underbelly of a degenerate ..."
Yeah, “Kraken” takes place in the underbelly of London, which most of us are familiar with. It has one seriously creepy character, but it also has a delightful ancient Egyptian (?) something...not quite a god, but not far short. Demi-deity? Semi-deity? Parti-deity? LOL

“Perdido...” is like wading through sewage sometimes. Definitely a more challenging read.

I just started How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America, and the first chapter, an interview with Gladys Radek, who organized walks to call attention to the Highway of Tears in Canada, and the disappearance of and violence against Indigenous women, is heartbreaking, profoundly moving, and inspiring. I’m looking forward to reading more, learning more, and re-balancing my understanding of how it is to be indigenous on Turtle Island.

Sparrow Knight wrote: "I just started How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America, and the first chapter, an interview with Gladys Radek, who organized walks to call attention to the Highway of T..."
This sounds like it will be an intense read. I hope I catch your review Sparrow when you finish it.

Sophie wrote: "Sparrow Knight wrote: "I just started How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America, and the first chapter, an interview with Gladys Radek, who organized walks to call attent..."

I’m not much of a reviewer, so you might want to follow along with my updates. =0)

Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women

I’m reading a series of essays called I Like To Watch by Emily Nussbaum. A must read for those who love television. She is a very good writer. Highly articulate.

Tracy wrote: "I’m reading a series of essays called I Like To Watch by Emily Nussbaum. A must read for those who love television. She is a very good writer. Highly articulate."

Her anthology is entertaining even for those not really into tv.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

This was much better than I had expected - not only because it's by Dickens (because I didn't like my HS experience with A Great Expectations) but because many adaptations had overplayed the sentimental aspects.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3697267054

Currently reading the first book, The Fifth Season, in the Broken Earth Trilogy.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, war time drama. I picked it from local library, with my mother and me taking the book one from another.

The last nonfiction I finished was The Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell Us About Ourselves by Eric R. Kandel, who had won the Nobel prize for his research into memory. The author included a very brief chapter on sex differentiating the brain and gender identity.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3648998200

Home body by Rupi Kaur.

I just finished Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving America's Main Street by Rick Antonson because vicarious travel is currently my only available option.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3751014970

I finished The Humans by Matt Haig. Maybe some would consider this Sci-fi lite, but I really liked it.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3762318602

Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3753507151

I am late to the party and just started Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Sea Level Rise: A Slow Tsunami on America's Shores by Orrin H. Pilkey - a must read about the inevitable consequences

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3781247543

Michelle wrote: "I am late to the party and just started Becoming by Michelle Obama."

oh, i hope you enjoy yourself immensely. She's just a damned treasure.

I started my first Ruth Ware: One by One. I have high hopes, but have not had a good experience recently with highly popular Brit or American mystery/thriller authors -- Gilly Macmillan authored my most recent waste-of-time experience -- so am basically peeking through my hands as I progress through the early chapters. I'm also barely started into Alyssa Cole's When No One is Watching and, while her writing style isn't my thing, I'm holding out judgment on the work as a whole because there's something good happening, regardless.

Carol wrote: "I started my first Ruth Ware: One by One. I have high hopes, but have not had a good experience recently with highly popular Brit or American mystery/thriller autho..."

I've read 4 of 6 novels by Ruth Ware. When I recommend her work, I suggest In a Dark, Dark Wood or The Death of Mrs. Westaway as the starting point. Here's hoping you have a better experience with One by One than your recent Brit/American mystery/thriller reads.

Leah wrote: "Carol wrote: "I started my first Ruth Ware: One by One. I have high hopes, but have not had a good experience recently with highly popular Brit or American mystery/..."

Leah, I'll keep your recs in mind if this turns out to be a 3 or better. I had a feeling I was letting impulsivity lead me down a path of uncertain enjoyment. What's funny is that I own a copy of Dark, Dark Wood. *sigh*

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good

I'm currently reading The Secret She Keeps by Michael Robotham.
I was inspired to read the book after watching the television series based on the book and loving it! :)

Here's the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough - articulate and science-based

My review for my first 5☆ nonfiction of 2021 - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3812856977

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei - presented in graphical format, this is a quick read into an unpalatable but necessary-to-know part of American history.

my review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3365362217

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Never would have picked this graphic novel up if not for a group read but an interesting look into the adolescence life of Dahmer.

Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré

My first but not last le Carre novel as I loved his humor and wit and the multiple occasions of double meanings kept me on my toes.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3820672188

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen.

If you love dogs, then you should consider reading Winterdance. If you also enjoy adventure tales or are curious about Alaska, then I'd recommend that you add this to your TBR.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3801571422