On The Same Page discussion

Alissa wrote: "Fabulous month!! Well done my friend"

Thank you, my friend! It has been good so far this year. :-)

Interesting:Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
I did not like the characters in any of the 2 books
I did not understand/approve of their actions, life styles
I am not interested in musicians and/or actors lives
I loved the 1st one (but I know it's because the audiobook was so well made) and was underwhelmed by the 2nd one

I plan to read Malibu Rising soon, I'm very curious how I'll feel about it, you're not giving me much hope...

Lea wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Glad you'll read more Dahl, I do recommend his adult books"

I didn't realize that Dahl wrote adult books, and then I started looking at all the books he'd written, an..."

They did collections based around themes a few years ago, I didn't like War, but the others are good. This is an example Trickery: Tales of Deceit and Cunning

Great progress in March and 2022 altogether! Feels good, doesn't it?
My granddaughter is here (1st time in awhile) so I haven't been reading much this weekend. I'm seriously thinking of starting the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Totally your fault. LOL

Lea wrote: "Alondra wrote: "I like that. Being careful. I just wanted to get lost in a book; I didn't want to think about it. Ya know?? 🤔🤔"

YES! I hated having to be so careful about my entertainment. I've al..."

Exactly! I don't think as much about it now; but I do automatically go to my comfort reads.

Ioana wrote: "Interesting:Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
I did not like the characters in any of the 2 books
I did not understand/approve of their actions, life styles
I am not interested in musicians and/or actors lives
I loved the 1st one (but I know it's because the audiobook was so well made) and was underwhelmed by the 2nd one

I plan to read Malibu Rising soon, I'm very curious how I'll feel about it, you're not giving me much hope..."

My absolute favorite part of Malibu Rising will not appeal to too many other readers, and it is the setting. I have lived in Southern California my entire life and while we never lived near Malibu, we did visit the city. Nowadays, I particularly like to visit Point Dume, which is the part of Malibu where Nina Riva's house was located. I loved that part. I also loved the connection to the other books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Nina's dad, Mick Riva, was the third husband of Evelyn Hugo, the short lived one. He was a singer, and I read that he also appears in Daisy and the Six, but I don't remember him from that.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "They did collections based around themes a few years ago, I didn't like War, but the others are good. This is an example Trickery: Tales of Deceit and Cunning"

I like the idea of doing compilations around a theme and that theme does sound interesting. I will have to find a copy to read myself. I am curious if his voice will change since he is writing to adults. Thanks for the recommendation, Desley!

Martha wrote: "Great progress in March and 2022 altogether! Feels good, doesn't it?
My granddaughter is here (1st time in awhile) so I haven't been reading much this weekend. I'm seriously thinking of starting the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Totally your fault. LOL."

It does feel good to be reading again. I'm glad to hear that your granddaughter is with you and I hope you are enjoying your time together!!!

I hope you like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series if you start it. I needed something light hearted, and nowadays, I sometimes have to reach to kids books for that feeling. If I have to take blame for something, I guess that series isn't a bad thing to have to my name. :-) :-) :-)

Lea wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "They did collections based around themes a few years ago, I didn't like War, but the others are good. This is an example Trickery: Tales of Deceit and Cunning"

I like..."

I started off with Kiss Kiss and Someone Like You, they were out of print so it took years of going round charity shops - think in the end I paid more and got them off Amazon. Looking at my Amazon account (that was scary, says I've bought 2501 books!), I own Cruelty, War, Madness, Deception and Innocence - sure I've read 2, I can only remember War though. The other options would be his autobiography - Boy is his childhood, Going Solo is his adulthood, which is why I didn't enjoy War, as Going Solo was part of it. I wish they had come on offer when I wasn't restricting myself to buying books, I only bought 4 of the 8, got Cruelty before Christmas.

Alondra wrote: "Exactly! I don't think as much about it now; but I do automatically go to my comfort reads."

Comfort reads...sigh....I will not stop reading those...but it is nice to feel like I can read other books, have a bit more variety, if I want to. I'm still loving reading all these children's books, I put them on my list because I didn't want to have books that would agitate me. And now, it is just fun to read them! :-)

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I started off with Kiss Kiss and Someone Like You, they were out of print so it took years of going round charity shops - think in the end I paid more and got them off Amazon. Looking at my Amazon account (that was scary, says I've bought 2501 books!), I own Cruelty, War, Madness, Deception and Innocence - sure I've read 2, I can only remember War though. The other options would be his autobiography - Boy is his childhood, Going Solo is his adulthood, which is why I didn't enjoy War, as Going Solo was part of it. I wish they had come on offer when I wasn't restricting myself to buying books, I only bought 4 of the 8, got Cruelty before Christmas."

Desley, you have a way of making me feel better. My Amazon account has less than 50 books purchased on it. Maybe that's because I just changed accounts, but I think it means that I can go on and buy more books? :-) On the other hand, you are so good at getting them on discount. Probably the amount I paid for my few books is the same as what you paid for your 2501 books! :-)

Glad I made you feel better! I think if you've bought less than 50 books, you definitely need to buy more! They are just the kindle ones, doesn't include the paperbacks I bought last year, or the ones from the charity shop. I may not pay full price for mine (at least half of those will be free), but you read more than me

I do enjoy reading children's books, and try and read at least one a year, my classics normally include one children's one. Might be Enid Blyton again this year!

I love all the talk about children's book. When people ask me why I read them I always say - Why miss a good kid's book just because you aren't still a kid? C.S. Lewis may have said it better “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”
― C.S. Lewis

For me it’s the picture books that I absolutely adore. When my kids cleared their shelves for “big kid” books, I saved about 25 books. Among my favorites are and

I love it! We loved Alexander and Sylvester too. Also Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Make Way for Ducklings, and Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business

Yes! Can’t go wrong with Caps for Sale or . Believe it not we never read Mike Mulligan or the Duckling books. Will have to track them down :)

Michelle wrote: "I love all the talk about children's book. When people ask me why I read them I always say - Why miss a good kid's book just because you aren't still a kid? C.S. Lewis may have said it better “A ch..."

I just saw a gif the other day that was like, why NOT read children's books??? Our books are about murder and mayhem, theirs are about a magic treehouse and a caterpillar driving a bus =)

Lillie wrote: "For me it’s the picture books that I absolutely adore. When my kids cleared their shelves for “big kid” books, I saved about 25 books. Among my favorites are [bookcover:The Seven Silly Eaters|20491..."

I love Alexander & Wild Things!! Also, anything by Margaret Wise Brown! Gave 4 of her books at baby showers recently.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Glad I made you feel better! I think if you've bought less than 50 books, you definitely need to buy more! They are just the kindle ones, doesn't include the paperbacks I bought last year, or the ones from the charity shop. I may not pay full price for mine (at least half of those will be free), but you read more than me

I do enjoy reading children's books, and try and read at least one a year, my classics normally include one children's one. Might be Enid Blyton again this year!"

The 50 number is the past two years because I had to change my Amazon account, but it does include about five that I bought as gifts. So buying 45 divided by two, or 22ish books a year isn't so bad. Unfortunately, while I do read more than 22 books each year, I do not read more than 22 books that are sitting on my shelves. It's usually more like around 10. :-)

Enjoy your classics and children's books, Desley! This year I'm re-reading Catch-22...at some point. Maybe next month?

Michelle wrote: "I love all the talk about children's book. When people ask me why I read them I always say - Why miss a good kid's book just because you aren't still a kid? C.S. Lewis may have said it better “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”
― C.S. Lewis"

I love C.S. Lewis. That quote is one of my favorite. I re-read his Narnia books a few years ago and they were just as fun as when I first read them as a child.

Lillie wrote: "For me it’s the picture books that I absolutely adore. When my kids cleared their shelves for “big kid” books, I saved about 25 books. Among my favorites are [bookcover:The Seven Silly Eaters|20491..."

I love picture books too. I remember Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, but not the other three, so I'm going to have to refresh my memory sometime.

Michelle wrote: "I love it! We loved Alexander and Sylvester too. Also Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Make Way for Ducklings, and [book:Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monke..."

I love Mike Mulligan and Make Way for Ducklings, I must lay my hands on Caps for Sale, it looks hilarious.

Lillie wrote: "Yes! Can’t go wrong with Caps for Sale or . Believe it not we never read Mike Mulligan or the Duckling books. Will have to track them down :)"

I love Where the Wild Things Are! I'm loving this thread so much, making a list of books to grab when I'm at the library next.

Alissa wrote: "I just saw a gif the other day that was like, why NOT read children's books??? Our books are about murder and mayhem, theirs are about a magic treehouse and a caterpillar driving a bus =)"

Yes, I get anxious with too much murder and mayhem, sometimes I just need to say Goodnight Moon. :-)

Martha wrote: "I love Alexander & Wild Things!! Also, anything by Margaret Wise Brown! Gave 4 of her books at baby showers recently."

Yes! I just answered the post before with a reference to Goodnight Moon, which is still something I read today when I'm trying to get myself to settle in to sleep. It doesn't always work, but what a calming book!

April Mid End Report

Books Read: 5 books this month and 54* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 37/100; 2020 Books 0/7, 2021 Books 3/11, and 34/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 7/16

Recently Finished:

The Long Haul - Hilarious story from the Wimpy Kids series about a summer holiday gone wrong. 3 STARS

The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green reviews random things from this geological age. I enjoyed it, but ultimately found it forgettable. It's a GRC Award. 3 STARS

City of Ink - In my opinion, this is the best of the Li Du series, it ties together the beginning of the series with the ending of the series. I have two regrets that kind of offset each other, 1) I regret that I didn't read this book more quickly so I would have remembered more of what happened in the first book and 2) I regret that I didn't read this book more slowly so that i would still have this book left to read. 4 STARS

The Lost Wife - I was given this book over five years ago, but have been trying to read only a few WW2 books every year; otherwise, I find myself start to get bored and callused at all the atrocities that happened. I thought this book was well written. While I questioned some of the choices of the main character, I was heartbroken for all of the people we met in the book. You find out something in the prologue and the rest of the book is figuring out how it happened. Surprisingly, it worked very well - it's a book about the journey and I think it works well. 4.5 STARS

The Gilded Ones - I started a new series, because, why not? :-) This is a YA series, but it is dark and violent. The world the author has built is not perfect and the actions of some of the characters do not withstand a very strict scrutiny, but the story is so good and the drama unfolding so interesting, that I could forgive it those faults. I really liked the ending, it was satisfying to have a real ending and not a cliffhanger. You can bet I'll read the next book when it comes out in May. 4 STARS

Currently reading:

Edmund Bertram's Diary - While this book is trying to explain some of the unexplainable plot points to me of Mansfield Park, my least favorite Austen book, I'm still not liking too many of these characters, and in a character-driven book such as Austen where very little happens other than people I can't stand talking to other people I can't stand, I am struggling with this book.

The Mysterious Island - This chunkster is 723 pages. I'm listening to it on audio, but it is slow going. The narrator is not my favorite, and I've already had to re-listen to the first hour of the book because I lost track of what was happening. Fortunately, I'm now over 20% into the book, and I am invested in the plot right now, but it took me awhile to get there. I decided it was time to tackle some of the more difficult books on my list, after playing around with all of the easier ones. :-)

Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life - Slow but steady progress.

Holy Bible: New International Version - I'm on target to finish this by the end of the year.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (1)
2. Lore Olympus (1)
3. Sweet Sanctuary (2)
4. Lunar Chronicles (1)
5. Greentown (2)
6. The Henna Artist (2)
7. Charlie Bucket (2)
8. Jake Brigance (1)
9. Shadow and Bone (6)
10. P.S. I Love You (1)
11. Deathless (1), with the next book coming out in May

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. Capitaine Nemo (1)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
1. Robot (2)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (8)
**I was excited about this until I realized that five of my series have new books coming out in May!

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series: (so you can see how I really made no progress!)
1. Ender's Universe (5)
2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz (1)
3. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid (7)
4. Xanth (39)
5. Stephanie Plum (7)

Series that added books this year that I'm abandoning, until I change my mind and read them anyway:
1. Crescent City

It's satisfying to finish a series but also bittersweet when it is an excellent series because you have nowhere else to go. I'm looking forward to continuing the Elsa Hart books, glad I still have some to read. Enjoy the rest of your April reading

Lea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I love all the talk about children's book. When people ask me why I read them I always say - Why miss a good kid's book just because you aren't still a kid? C.S. Lewis may have sai..."

I got a set from a charity shop about 14 years ago, turns out I never read the entire set as a child, I was quite shocked when I read the last book!

Great update Lea!

This talk about picture books and chapter books, makes me want to go back and reread the Narnia and Oz series.

Lillie wrote: "Great update Lea!

This talk about picture books and chapter books, makes me want to go back and reread the Narnia and Oz series."

Oz is another one I didn't realise had so many books, I did buy a complete set a few years back, need to start reading it, but might just do one a year.

Nice progress, Lea. Someday I promise I'll get to the Li Du series. Right now life got very busy and it's less time for reading, but the list will still be here when I'm ready 😉
Glad to hear The Lost Wife is not following the same old formula, I was afraid about that. It's on my TBR too.

Bill wrote: "It's satisfying to finish a series but also bittersweet when it is an excellent series because you have nowhere else to go. I'm looking forward to continuing the Elsa Hart books, glad I still have some to read. Enjoy the rest of your April reading"

Thanks, Bill. I'm hoping that you enjoy the rest of the Li Du series also, whenever you get around to it. I hope the rest of April brings lots of good books our way. I'm in the middle of The Mysterious Island which is so long. :-)

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I got a set from a charity shop about 14 years ago, turns out I never read the entire set as a child, I was quite shocked when I read the last book!"

That happens to me too. I think I've read the entire series, but it turns out that I haven't. I think that is what started me on re-reading a series from my childhood every year. This year is Catch-22 and Closing Time, and I'm already pretty sure that next year, I need to read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, because I *know* I haven't finished that series. :-)

Lillie wrote: "Great update Lea!

This talk about picture books and chapter books, makes me want to go back and reread the Narnia and Oz series."

I've never read the Oz series. I really want to read it, but there are so many books in the series, I have to be ready for it.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Oz is another one I didn't realise had so many books, I did buy a complete set a few years back, need to start reading it, but might just do one a year."

How fun that you bought the whole series and I love the idea of reading one per year. Maybe I'll catch up to you sometime - Oz is a series I've always known has so many books - that knowledge has kept me from even starting the series. :-)

Ioana wrote: "Nice progress, Lea. Someday I promise I'll get to the Li Du series. Right now life got very busy and it's less time for reading, but the list will still be here when I'm ready 😉
Glad to hear The Lost Wife is not following the same old formula, I was afraid about that. It's on my TBR too."

Yes, the Li Du series will be around whenever you want to transport yourself to 18th century China. You want to read them when you have time to immerse yourself in the book.

With regard to The Lost Wife, I would say that I enjoyed it, but that is because I haven't read much on WW2 over the past two years. Otherwise, it is going to be a bit the same. Characters go to a concentration camp. It pretty much sucks. But there was enough of a difference. And don't skip the afterward. The author talks about the book she started to write, based upon a real person. I honestly think that book needs to be written. :-)

Lea wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Nice progress, Lea. Someday I promise I'll get to the Li Du series. Right now life got very busy and it's less time for reading, but the list will still be here when I'm ready 😉
Glad ..."

Thanks on the points on both books. Not sure about my next WW2 book, I only had 1 this year and 1 last year, but (my mistake) 7 in 2020. They really need a new formula...

Lea wrote: "Lillie wrote: "Great update Lea!

This talk about picture books and chapter books, makes me want to go back and reread the Narnia and Oz series."

I've never read the Oz series. I really want to r..."

I think I was aware of a few by the films, but didn't realise it was 14, hence reading one a year! Also because I didn't realise how many Mary Poppins books there were, I got that as a combined book and read them back to back and struggled to finish it, so figured I'd split Oz up!

Lea wrote: "Martha wrote: "I love Alexander & Wild Things!! Also, anything by Margaret Wise Brown! Gave 4 of her books at baby showers recently."

Yes! I just answered the post before with a reference to [book..."

Izzy & I read that numerous times over the years. I thought these moms would get that one at their showers so I bought 2 other favorites ... [bookcover:Big Red Barn|401730] & . I kept copies of all 3 of these books.

Not sure why it won't show the cover of BRB.

Ioana wrote: "Thanks on the points on both books. Not sure about my next WW2 book, I only had 1 this year and 1 last year, but (my mistake) 7 in 2020. They really need a new formula..."

When they find the new formula, one thing we can be sure: we will enjoy the first few books, they will overuse it, and then we will be stuck trying to decide if the other books on our TBR should be read, removed, or placed on hold until they don't feel so repetitious. It's just like restaurants. Just a few years ago, everyone had to have sweet potato fries, and then everything came with Brussel sprouts, and then we're all eating poke bowls, and then we're using cauliflower for everything wheat related - like cauliflower pizza crust, and then we are having hot chicken, and then we are having sunflower butter. Somebody comes up with an idea and then the others must "improve" upon it, until we are all so sick of it. :-)

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I think I was aware of a few by the films, but didn't realise it was 14, hence reading one a year! Also because I didn't realise how many Mary Poppins books there were, I got that as a combined book and read them back to back and struggled to finish it, so figured I'd split Oz up!"

As a child, I thought it would be fun to read the library shelves from A to Z. I started, but by the time I reached BAUM, somebody had "borrowed and never returned" the first two books in the series, and I wasn't going to start reading Book #3 and I didn't want to ask for Books #1 and #2 for the next holiday, because what if I didn't like them? I wasn't allowed to watch the movie, so I really had no idea. I will start the series someday, but must give some attention to some other books first.

Lea wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Thanks on the points on both books. Not sure about my next WW2 book, I only had 1 this year and 1 last year, but (my mistake) 7 in 2020. They really need a new formula..."

When they ..."

LOL, we're a little bit behind here on the East Coast...we did everything up to the cauliflower pizza crust, but I haven't heard yet about the hot chicken or the sunflower butter. We'll catch up soon 🤣🤣🤣

Martha wrote: "Izzy & I read that numerous times over the years. I thought these moms would get that one at their showers so I bought 2 other favorites ... & The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown . I kept copies of all 3 of these books.

Not sure why it won't show the cover of BRB."

I've never read BRB, sounds like something I need to fix. I love The Runaway Bunny also. :-) Smart idea to get the other two and not the most famous one.

Lea wrote: "April Mid End Report

Books Read: 5 books this month and 54* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 37/100; 2020 Books 0/7, 2021 Books 3..."

I was wondering about The Guilded Ones; so I added it. 🤦‍♀️

Great update!!

Ioana wrote: "LOL, we're a little bit behind here on the East Coast...we did everything up to the cauliflower pizza crust, but I haven't heard yet about the hot chicken or the sunflower butter. We'll catch up soon 🤣🤣🤣"

It's coming, or it is already there, although I cannot recommend the hot chicken. I read that the hot chicken trend started in the South of the US and moved to California quickly as a pit stop on the way to Asia. Chicken is very popular in Asia (in China and Japan, people eat KFC for Christmas).

The sunflower butter is coming from the midwest, I think. I understand it is good for people with food allergens, but I thought it actually tasted pretty good. Like almond milk vs. regular milk, I can taste a difference, but I can still have both. Whereas, with only a few exceptions, most vegan cheese does not work for me. :-)

Alondra wrote: "I was wondering about The Guilded Ones; so I added it. 🤦‍♀️

Great update!!"

Alondra, I think you will enjoy The Gilded Ones. It reminded me of Children of Blood and Bone without the clunky love stories that push the plot in that series. I mean, there is a love story here too, but is in the background - the series is a fantasy book with a little romance thrown in, which just works better for me. :-)

Also enjoyed The Gilded Ones. Have the next one in the series as part of my challenge. Looking forward to it. Read it Alondra!!

Lea wrote: "The sunflower butter is coming from the midwest, I think. I understand it is good for people with food allergens, but I thought it actually tasted pretty good. Like almond milk vs. regular milk, I can taste a difference, but I can still have both. Whereas, with only a few exceptions, most vegan cheese does not work for me. :-)"

I don't eat fast food, so maybe the hot chicken is here already, but I would not know. Is it "hot" because it's spicy?
Sunflower butter...I would eat that, but I'd call it sunflower spread. It's just not butter 🤣
Vegan cheese? No, sorry, I love real cheese way too much.

Lillie wrote: "Also enjoyed The Gilded Ones. Have the next one in the series as part of my challenge. Looking forward to it. Read it Alondra!!"

May 31 the next one comes out! I'm excited! I hope I can squeeze it in sometime soon.

Ioana wrote: "I don't eat fast food, so maybe the hot chicken is here already, but I would not know. Is it "hot" because it's spicy?
Sunflower butter...I would eat that, but I'd call it sunflower spread. It's just not butter 🤣
Vegan cheese? No, sorry, I love real cheese way too much."

Yes, the hot chicken is hot because it is spicy. And it shows up at fast food restaurants as an offering, but we have about ten different restaurants that would more accurately be termed fast-casual locations in my little town. Type Nashville hot chicken into Yelp and see if you have some near you. I love flavorful food, but I do not like to have my eyes watering and my throat burning. Many of the restaurants allow me to get the food with mild seasoning, but I suppose I am missing the point of the restaurant. :-)

I, also, have a great love for cheese...and for everything dairy related. Since my mom acquired a dairy intolerance, I live in fear of having the same situation.