Pick-a-Shelf discussion

January Shelf is time-travel

What did you read?
Was it a 'science' based travel or magical?
Would you recommend it?

Oh, man. I got mixed up and pushed myself to read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, because I thought it was the December book. Duh! Well, I still have The Midnight Library, which I am starting today.

I gave Before the Coffee Gets Cold 4*. It is four short stories with a common setting ~ the cafe ~ and a common theme. Each person wants to time-travel. And there are rules: (1) must sit in a particular seat and not leave it, (2) nothing done in the past will change the present, (3) one can only meet people who come to the cafe, and (4) the visit must end before the coffee gets cold. Well-written, delightful read, and an intriguing idea.

I highly recommend. Oh, and more magical than science, for sure.

yay, glad you enjoyed coffee, Bea ;) it's such a lovely little book

I have also finished The Midnight Library. It was supposed to be my December book, but also fits for January. I gave it 4*.

This book came along at the same time that I usually consider what I have done during the year and what I hope to do in the new year. It is my life's resolution time. It always amazes me how the books I choose also fit my particular life.

It was delightful to find that as she grew to know what she wanted/needed/desired with all her heart was LIFE in all its messy, gritty, wonder-filled bits. I loved this book.

So, I guess with two time-travel books under my wing back-to-back, I am more willing to engage with this genre. Nice.

This book tried to be more scientific but only as a small part of her reasoning.

I read Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman ★★★★

A fascinating world; a futuristic Melbourne. I loved the characters despite being, at first, annoyed at Joss' hangup on her mother. All understandable and yet, that twist on all being not as it seems! I do wish there was a lot more on the time travelling side of things because that's what I kinda expected this book is about but truly, it isn't. Time travel may have been a device employed by author but this novel deals with a range of issue from social class, gender, to race.

I've just finished The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - 3★

I might have given it 4 stars but Nora gave me the pip. I did enjoy the story, though.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tien wrote: "I read Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman ★★★★

A fascinating world; a futuristic Melbourne. I loved the characters despite being, at first, annoyed at Joss' ..."

I've never heard of this one Tien, it sounds interesting! And i always love to read books set in Melbourne

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, the 9th in the series. I gave it 3.5 stars. I liked it but the first 2/3 was s-l-o-w reading ... not difficult, just not exciting and it was a problem not to find other interesting things to do like go for a walk or do laundry. The last 1/3 picked up the pace and had some new developments.

I finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ★★

After a few chapters I started to loose interest, because the pace was slowly and not much was happening. I was tempted to stop reading the book 3 times. Henry is who kept me reading. I though Luc was an interesting character. I had problems connecting with the MC. This was an okay read for me. I'd expected more from this author

I'd like to nominate: spain

Lusie wrote: "I finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ★★

After a few chapters I started to loose interest, because the pace was slowly and not much was happening. I was tempted to stop read..."

That's so funny Lusie, I thought Addie was fascinating but was completely bored by Henry!

lol Meg, that's funny

I read Time and Again by Jack Finney. ✭✭

I thought I'd like this one better than I did. Actually, I thought the movie Somewhere in Time, which I enjoyed, was based on this book. It's not. The time-travel mechanism is the same but the stories are different. I enjoyed the plot well enough but there were some major issues that set my teeth on edge. Granted, the book was published in 1970 so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised with the objectification of and paternalistic attitudes toward women. And, seriously, (view spoiler)[who brings a person from 1882 to the 1970s without asking, or even warning, them about it? (hide spoiler)] Anyway, I had a hard time overlooking these issues and they rather ruined my enjoyment of the book. Hence the 2-star rating.

PAS Challenge(s) used for: Just Read It!

I'd like to nominate: Feel Good

I read Hollow City. I really couldn't get into it. I don't know if that's because it's just been so long since I read the first one, or if I'm just in a different book place than I was at that time or if it's just not my thing. I did have the first marked as 'on the fence' about continuing. I think this decided it. Overall the book was fine. Just, not feeling it. I gave it 3 stars cause there was nothing really wrong with it beyond my current tastes. Also used for the Serial Challenge.
I'm nominating animals for my shelf.

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn
✭✭✭✭

Two researchers travel to 1815 on a mission to befriend Jane Austen and steal her missing unpublished manuscript for future scholars. At first I found it slow and uninspiring; another excuse to write Austen fanfiction. But at some point I became very invested in the characters. I appreciated the modern explanations of regency manners and customs. And the focus on the repercussions of time travel towards the end of the novel was great.

I nominate happy

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
✭✭

Another drawn out installment in this saga. A 49 hour audio book this time! We continue to hear about Claire and family's lives in 18th century America, in every detail. I often appreciate a book where 'nothing happens' but I think you need more character growth to drive that kind of book. And you need a point. This book picks up right where the last finished, and ended on a mid-story cliffhanger, it doesn't feel like it has a purpose. Even though there were some parts I enjoyed (e.g. the few sections referring to time travel), they were lost in the overall drag.

Used for Seriously Serial, JRI-1, Moving Mountains
I nominate translated

Iryna wrote: "i have read 11/22/63 by Stephen King.
it was so good. main character went to 1958 and saved JFK from Lee Oswald. the story has good love line, interesting plot and 50..."

I really enjoyed this one as well. King manages to incorporate the time travel aspects so seamlessly into the story.

A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor
✭✭✭✭

The st Mary's series just keeps getting better. In this third book, our historian heroine visits the trojan war, the Cretaceous, agincourt, ancient humans leaving Africa, and a 19th century cheese festival. The action scenes are really well written. I wish i hadn't waited so long between books though, there are some ongoing story threads that I'd competely forgotten.

I nominate happy

I read The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier, 3.5 stars.

To me, this wasn't as good as the other two books by du Maurier I've read (Rebecca and Jamaica Inn), but it was still good.

Dick is invited by his friend Magnus to spend the summer in his house while he's away, and to try out a very peculiar drug in the meantime. Magnus is a biophysicist and has developed this drug that brings you back in time. (So, this is definitely a "sciencey" sort of time travel). However, the travel seems to take place only mentally rather than physically, which makes the whole thing rather dangerous as the person time-traveling isn't aware of what he's doing while he's in "the other world".

As usual, du Maurier's writing is superb, and the book can be read either on a superficial level or on a deeper one. The effects of hallucinogenic drugs, covert homosexuality, doppelgangers, and much more - there's a lot in this book if one wants to read between the lines.

I found it hard-going at times, but all in all it's very enjoyable. However, if you want to read something by this author, I would recommend starting somewhere else.

ETA: I nominate ghosts.

I read Passenger. I liked a lot about it, but it also has one of my pet peeves, which is that the ending of the book doesn't really have a conclusion at all. It's as though someone took a too-big book, and just split it in half. Supposedly that would make one want to continue, but it annoys me enough that I might not.

That said, I did enjoy the characters, especially the female protagonist. And the concept of time travel -- how it happens and the things that can go wrong if one is not careful -- was interesting, a bit different from other time travel books I've read it. The author also did a fascinating job of weaving musical allusions throughout the book.

So I think I would recommend it, with the caveat that you don't expect an ending by the last page of the book.

A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor
This is book #4 of the St. Mary's series. They take lots of jumps around time in this volume as they try to outrun the Time Police. 17c London, ancient Egypt and more. I really enjoy this series!

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon ★★★★★

Anne grew up listening to her grandfather's tales of Ireland. When he passes, she goes to Ireland to spread his ashes. Soon she finds herself, shot and in a completely different time period....her grandfather's time period. The story has romance, history, and time travel all in one. I enjoyed the journey!!

I nominate female detective

I ended up reading In a Holidaze - the time travel aspect is relatively minor and is reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day with the heroine repeating the same few days over and over until she learns what the universe want her to know.

I nominate Gothic Romance

I read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. ✭✭✭✭✭

I'm so glad this prompt pushed me to read this book this month! It was an absolute delight. So funny and entertaining. I'm glad I read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome first. It's not necessary for understanding the plot, but the references were a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series but I'm bummed there are only 2 more books! This would be a good book for cats, too. ;-)

PAS Challenge(s) used for: Just Read It!

I'd like to nominate: Alternate History

I read One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4 stars

What do you do when too much time travel has broken history and it can't be fixed? If you're our anti-hero, you sit at the end of time and kill anyone who tries to come through so it can never happen again. Until someone turns up from the future...

Such a fun read! I loved the pet dinosaur, and Zoe. Couldn't quite get my head around the war aspect, but that didn't spoil anything.

Used for: Just Read It!

I nominate: Historical Mystery again https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

I read Pax Romana by Jonathan Hickman.



Ambitious, intelligent, and gorgeous to look at but also sort of confusing. 3.5 Stars

I nominate fashion.

What did I read? Nothing! I had one time travel book picked out to read and I forgot about it completely. 😪 Maybe I'll do better for February...

I am currently reading Kindred and loving it