Coffee & Books discussion
Bookish!
>
What are you reading?
Please Look After Mom – Kyung-Sook Shin – 3***
This is the story of one family’s search for their mother, who has gone missing one afternoon in a crowded Seoul subway station. The author tells the story from the perspective of four characters, and also uses second person voice for much of the book. Perhaps she intended to draw the reader in with this technique, or perhaps it is a common grammatical choice in Korean, but I found it difficult to connect to the characters.
LINK to my review
Farwell My Lovely – Raymond Chandler – 3***
I came late to Chandler’s series about P.I. Philip Marlowe, but I sure am enjoying them now! The action is non-stop, and the characters so vivid they virtually jump off the page. I’ll definitely keep reading the series.
LINK to my review
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zavin – 3***
One snowy December evening A.J. Fikry finds that someone has left a baby between the shelves in his bookstore. This is a fable about second chances and the redemptive power of love. It’s a somewhat quiet story, as novels go, but it is full of the drama of every day existence. I also loved all the literary references.
LINK to my review
We Are Called to Rise – Laura McBride – 4****
McBride’s debut novel tells the story of four different people whose lives intersect as the result of one split-second choice. The novel is told by each of these four characters in turn. I was immediately drawn into their personal stories. McBride does a great job of writing these characters, making them real to the reader. I thought the ending was a little too contrived, but that was really my only complaint. I look forward to reading her next book.
LINK to my review
Finished another one! This one was on audiobook.
Empire Of Ivory (Temeraire #4), by Naomi Novik
★★★★
This series is brilliant in it's historical and cultural contexts, and this book is no exception.
Here's a link to my review
Finished two books yesterday! That brings my tally for this month up to 8! Feeling pretty smug about it thankyouverymuch :)First book:
World And Town, by Gish Jen
A very good novel about finding out where you belong.
Here's my review
Second book:
Victory Of Eagles (Temeraire #5), by Naomi Novik
One of my favorite novels in this series.
Here's my review
Catch-22 – Joseph Heller – 3***
I definitely see why this is on its way to becoming a classic. Heller’s story of one unit fighting in Italy during WW2, could easily be updated to today and still ring true in many respects. It’s funny, irreverent, and disturbing. Still, satire is not my favorite genre. I appreciate it, but don’t necessarily like it.
LINK to my review
The Perks Of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky – 4****
This is a coming-of-age novel featuring 15-year-old Charlie, who tells the story via letters he writes to an unnamed friend. I like YA fiction like this. Charlie is very real. He is a great observer of teenage and family life. As he describes events and how he reacts to them, he gives the reader a pretty accurate view of high-school dynamics. This is Chbosky’s debut novel. I hope he writes another novel; I would definitely read it.
LINK to my review
Knots And Crosses – Ian Rankin – 3***
This is the first in the Inspector John Rebus mystery series. Edinburgh is plagued by a series of kidnapping/killings of young girls. Rankin writes a fast-paced thriller with several twists and turns in the plot, and a complex lead character. I definitely read more of this series.
LINK to my review
Mod
The Perks Of Being a Wallflower
– Stephen Chbosky – 4****
This is a coming-of-age novel featuring 15-year-old Charlie, who tells the story via..."
I agree! Desperately within he writes another!
Book 9 for this month! *doing a little dance*
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger, by Stephen King
★★★
Not 100% sure how I feel about this one yet. I'm hoping the rest of the series will improve my current opinions.
Here's My Review
Aaaannnnnnd Book 10! Two more to go and I hit my goal for this month!
Tongues Of Serpents (Temeraire #6), by Naomi Novik
★★★★
A fun installment in the series, with good parts, but not my favorite.
Here's My Review
Jane Steele – Lindsay Faye – 3.5***
Lindsay Faye’s re-telling of Jane Eyre , is an imaginative romp. Readers of the classic will recognize many plot elements, but Faye has let her imagination run wild. The story is still set in the same era as Bronte’s classic novel, but this Jane is a serial killer. If that makes you gasp is horror … well give the book a chance. It’s great fun to read
LINK to my review
The Lowland – Jhumpa Lahiri - 4****
This is a dense, complex character-driven story, that explores both the immigrant experience and the relationships between family members. It starts slowly, but the really builds in the last third. Lahiri writes beautifully, and I kept marking passages. I so wish this was a book-club selection, because I long to discuss it with someone.
LINK to my review
Something Rotten – Jasper Fforde – 3***
Book four in the Thursday Next fantasy / sci-fi “literary detective” series. What I most enjoy about this series is Fforde’s vivid imagination and all the literary references. The plots are completely unrealistic, but that’s part of the fun.
LINK to my review
Finished two and that completes my June reads!
Perks Of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
★★★★
A very good quick read that took me by surprise at the end.
Here's a link to my review
Crucible Of Gold (Temeraire #7), by Naomi Novik
★★★★
A great re-read that was better the second time.
Here's a link to my review
Mod
Perks Of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
★★★★
A very good quick read that took me by surpri..."
LOVE Perks!!!
The Agony and the Ecstasy – Irving Stone – 4****
Stone’s epic historical novel tells the life story of Michelangelo. Additionally, the novel includes much of the politics of the times, from the Medicis in Florence to the various Popes in Rome, it’s a fascinating history of the era. This was a re-read for me, but my rating reflects my original reaction (circa 1965).
LINK to my review
The Japanese Lover - Isabel Allende – 3***
This is a sweeping love story that spans decades. Told in alternating time frames, and with alternating points of view, the story unfolds as Irina and Seth discover tidbits of information about Alma’s past. The title alone is a pretty clear indication of what is to come in the novel, and yet I was fascinated to learn the details.
LINK to my review
Rachel Skye wrote: "LOVE Perks!!! "It was a really good book!
The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland - Rebekah Crane – 1*
Okay, I knew this was a YA novel about a summer camp for at-risk teens, going into it. I knew from the title and cover art that some sort of summer romance would come into play. But I am so over the teen angst phase of my life, that I find it overly dramatic and cliched.
LINK to my review
Tigers in Red Weather - Liza Klaussmann – 2.5**
This is Klaussmann’s debut and I see a nugget of a good novel here. But the execution falters. The dialogue is tortured. And the fractured timeline and changes in point of view do little to help the story arc.
LINK to my review
Mod
Eragon - Christopher Paolini – 3***
This is # 1 in the Inheritance series. I am clearly not the target audience for this fantasy novel. However, kudos to Paolini for creating this complex world, with many characters and beings, mythology, history, diverse landscape and complex social structure. I definitely see the appeal for the intended audience, even if it’s not really my cup of tea.
LINK to my review
Rachel Skye wrote: "Reading the Handmaids Tale!"Great book! Anxious to hear what you think.
The Devil in the white city by Erik Larson.
Hamlet – William Shakespeare – 4****
I’ll dispense with the summary for this classic tragedy by William Shakespeare, but as I’ve said before, I really dislike reading plays. I much prefer to see them performed live by talented actors, the medium for which they are written. There are hundreds of editions of this work, and I recommend that readers get one that is annotated.
LINK to my review
Band of Brothers – Stephen E Ambrose – 4****
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Ambrose profiles the officers and enlisted men alike. Their personal stories, gleaned from hours of interviews as well as their journals and letters, lend great authenticity to the narrative.
LINK to my review
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and American Gods by Neil Gaiman. My daughter and I are reading Divergent together and stopped for awhile. We're going to try and finish it this month.
The Gatekeeper – Kathryn Smith – 4****
Subtitle: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency. This is a fascinating biography of the woman “beside” the man, who despite her influence at the time, quickly slipped out of the public’s consciousness.
LINK to my review
The Serpents Tale – Ariana Franklin – 3.5***
Book two in the series. There are several things I like about this series, starting with Adelia Aguilar – a strong, independent, resilient, and resourceful heroine. Franklin does a lot of research and it shows in the way she sets the tone and describes the landscape and relationships in 12th century England. The plot is intricate, and had more than one surprise for the reader.
LINK to my review
The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson. A Goodreads giveaway!
Final Jeopardy – Linda Fairstein – 3***
Linda Fairstein mined her own experience as a top prosecutor in New York’s Sex Crimes Unit for this debut thriller, starring NYC prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. It’s a fast-paced mystery with plenty of suspects, interesting plot twists, a likeable main character, and some complicated relationships. I’ll definitely read more of this series.
LINK to my review
Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea – 3.5***
This is a quest novel, a coming-of-age story, and a road trip adventure, populated by one of the most eclectic cast of characters in literature. I loved Nayeli, whose smile is like the sunrise. She’s honest, fierce, loyal to her friends, and determined to succeed in her mission. The novel is translated from Spanish to English, but still includes much Spanish and even some “Spanglish.” This may be challenging for readers who don’t speak Spanish.
LINK to my review
Malicious Intent – Kathryn Fox – 3.5***
Great debut in a crowded field, starring Sydney’s only female freelance forensic pathologist. Fox writes a tense, compelling mystery thriller with a (mostly) strong female lead. I had identified the culprit pretty quickly, certainly by half-way through the novel, but enjoyed watching the characters figure it out for themselves.
LINK to my review
Happy Never After – Kathy Hogan Trochek – 3***
I like this mystery series. It’s a little edgier than a traditional cozy, because Callahan is a former Atlanta Police Officer, but it has many of the classic elements of a cozy. I really enjoyed the premise in this installment, especially as I was a teenager in the era of the sixties girl groups.
LINK to my review
Elephant Company – Vicki Constantine Croke – 3.5***
Subtitle: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II. The subtitle really intrigued me and I was eager to read about this particular episode, but the author gives us more than 200 pages of background before we get to World War II and the vital role Williams and his elephants played in the fight against the Japanese.
LINK to my review
Baker Towers – Jennifer Haigh – 3.5***
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I love to read and discuss with my F2F book club. Haigh focuses on the Novak family to tell the story of America in the years following World War II. It’s a microcosm of American life, that encompasses many of the issues faced by the nation during the 1930s through 1970s.
LINK to my review
Coffee & Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Day I Died (other topics)Summit Lake (other topics)
Under an Alaskan Sky (other topics)
Oxygen (other topics)
The House in the Pines (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lori Rader-Day (other topics)Charlie Donlea (other topics)
Jennifer Snow (other topics)
Carol Cassella (other topics)
Ana Reyes (other topics)
More...
Death, Taxes, and Hot-Pink Leg Warmers – Diane Kelly – 2.5**
This is book five in the series featuring IRS Special Agent Tara Halloway. I like that Kelly has given us the premise of a strong female heroine, though she doesn’t always deliver. Still, it’s a fast read and mildly entertaining.
LINK to my review