Play Book Tag discussion

– What are the reading highlights of the year thus far? What books have been your favorite and why?

Migrations - very well written, tying together a personal story and a climate story

The Man Who Died Twice - this mystery series is delightful, both funny and touching

The Nesting Dolls - the author spoke over Zoom to our book group. This book is about 3 generations of women from Ukraine. We read it in January, so before the war. It takes place in 3 time periods, the 1940's under Stalin, the 1970's under the Soviet Union, and Brighton Beach in New York City in the current era. Each generation of women has to make tradeoffs.

@ Robin, I have the nesting dolls on my summer reading list!

Hatoolah liked the Nesting Dolls a bit back, so I put it on my TBR. It will rise up!

Razorblade Tears - brutal, beautiful, heartbreaking yet so hope-filled at the very end. This was a very brave book for the author to write as it is told from the perspective of 2 deeply homophobic men who now seek answers and vengence to the murders of their gay sons.

The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 - history of the first 2 years of tbe American Revolution. Loved that told mostly from the battle fronts, gave both British and Colonist sides, and reads like a movie unfolding in front of your eyes. I will be reading vol. 2 when published.

Clark and Division - a murder mystery set during the American internment and resettlement of those of Japanese descent on the west coast during WWII. Highly informative and deservedly won an Edgar award this year.

I also really enjoyed Razorblade Tears.

Other highlights from the last couple of months:

True Biz- 16 year old year deaf girl with a failed cochlear implant attends a school for the deaf, introduced to sign language and is finally able to properly communicate. Lots of other good stuff but I learned so much and was also engaged in the story. Would work for this month's tag.

The Housekeeper and the Professor An isolated math professor who is only able to remember less than an hour of time makes friends with the his new housekeeper and her son. Such a lovely friendship.

Nettle & Bone- A forgotten princess digs deep to set out on a journey to save her sister from an evil prince. Love that it was an adult (age wise only- fairly tame in romance) fairy tale that was smart and engaging.

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma- Memoir of a first generation Malaysian who was systematically traumatized with emotional, verbal and physical abuse by her parents and her journey to learn how to cope with the effect of the trauma on how her brain works. Lots of brain science and her study of various therapy attempts. Sad that her parents were so broken in how they treated her but really fascinating study.

I have not written a full review yet, but I just finished this book, which will certainly make my top ten list and might even be at the top:
The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

This book is a masterpiece in my opinion. It is a story of love in the time of war, the state of medicine in WWI, and personal journeys. It is beautifully written, cinematic in scope, and one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. It would make a great film or mini-series. I loved it.

I keep a favorites shelf for the year and add to it as I go along. So far, these are the books on that shelf:

True Biz by Sara Novic - the story was riveting and I was plunged into learning about Deaf culture, which I enjoyed.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson - This is a story about a Jamaican woman who has a most unusual life, told in short chapters. I was absorbed while reading it.

"Search" by Michelle Huneven - This is a fictional book that is written like a memoir of someone on a search committee for a new minister for her Unitarian Church. It was so real that I felt like I was reading the author's actual memoir. Very interesting and fun!

Violeta by Isabelle Allende - This is an epic drama of one woman's life, combining the personal with the history of her country (Chile). I found it hard to put down.

Doc by Mary Doria Russell - A story of the wild, wild west with all the heroes of yesterday. It holds a sentimental memory for me.

The Sentence by Louise Erdich - This is perhaps the best recent history of our covid years as well as what happened to George Floyd told within a fictional story. Equally fascinating to me was learning about Native American culture.

For those interested, here is my page of reviews for these books. Happy Reading!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

When I think about reading so far this year, some of my fun experiences were so many of us reading Project Hail Mary in January and reading all the reactions to it, reading the Edgar Nominations again this year and doing a buddy read with The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777.

Surprisingly, I have a large number of 5 star, so it may well be difficult to pin down the top 10, this year:
An American Marriage -I was impressed by her ability to highlight so many issues and viewpoints as well as diverse "American Marriages."
The Violin Conspiracy -A fun mystery which highlights how difficult it is for Blacks to break into the field of classical music.
The Thirty Names of Night - This book is a puzzle, but it also shows the struggle to come to terms with one's own sexual identity.
Salt Lick An interesting dystopian which plays with the time element.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - great non-fiction about growing up in the depression and overcoming odds.
Unearthing The Secret Garden: The Plants and Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett - I loved finding out about Frances Hodgson Burnett and her gardening life.
Moon and the Mars - A wonderful story about Ante-Bellum NYC. She really brought it and the characters to life.
The Lotus Eaters- About two unmoored individuals at the end of the Vietnam War.

Other highlights in reading:
The Book of Salt
Portrait of a Thief
Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women
The Art of Falling
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
A Recipe for Daphne

I have had some great years the last few months

The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves (reading book #2 right now)

The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777

I've been pretty stingy with 5-stars this year ... only two (and I'm rethinking the first one).

But I really did love The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris. 5***** and a ❤

Razorblade Tears was also a highlight for me!

I also really enjoyed Manhunt.
It's a wild story that manages to make a zombie story interesting despite that being a pretty well worn subgenre in horror fiction.

I just had a great experience where I bought a book and decided to start reading right away which I never do and I couldn't put the book down. It was Hidden Pictures. It's a horror / thriller. It's creepy and got a great mystery. Keeps you guessing at every turn, good twists. Not a book that is redefining the genre, just really hit from page one and I couldn't stop. Those are my favorite reading experiences!