Post by mrsukyankee on Jun 14, 2023 9:17:05 GMT -5
My bookclub just discussed Small Bodies of Water and I'd definitely recommend it if you like memoirs and poetry. It's about a young mix-race woman and her experiences around the world.
I am almost done with Tastes Like War: A Memoir by Grace Cho. It's about her mother coming to the US as a Korean immigrant and then dealing with mental illness. I am enjoying it for the most part although I agree with some negative comments that say she's focusing on herself the whole time and comes off a bit selfish. But I've now seen that her brother and other family members vehemently disagree with a lot of the book, calling it a work of fiction and say that they were never contacted to read a draft or confirm information. I've gone down a bigger rabbit hole reading the brother's dissent.
Has anyone else read this book?
I read this and thought it was good. It was explicitly a memoir, so IDK why people are surprised that she focuses on herself. It's all about her experience. What I remember about the brother was more that he just had lots of other stuff going on, nothing particularly negative.
The brother was all over Goodreads and Twitter (although Twitter was mostly posting back to his Goodreads comments). He says that the author was much less involved in her mother's life than the book leads you to believe, and that she states as facts things that are in question or unconfirmed and, in the brother's opinion, hurtful to the family's memories/legacy. One major example is the fact that she says her sister-in-law told her that he mother was a prostitute in Korea. The sister-in-law denies saying this and the brother claims it is either unknown or untrue. According to the brother, the author has since backtracked in more recent interviews to say the mother "may have" been a prostitute.
I think they were estranged prior to the book coming out but they definitely have no relationship now.
I am starting Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan.
I just got that one from the library! Did you read Nora goes off script (her other book)? I loved Nora but have seen some reviews saying not as good (though still good).
I really enjoyed Nora, though I have read some harsh reviews of it. So far I am enjoying it, though I am a bit frustrated with Sam, the female protagonist.
Post by Jalapeñomel on Jun 20, 2023 19:15:20 GMT -5
I’m listening to the worst audiobook I ever: The Perfect Marriage. The writing is atrocious and the reading is atrocious. I’d stop listening but I don’t want to start a new one before summer starts (and I stop commuting daily).
I’m listening to the worst audiobook I ever: The Perfect Marriage. The writing is atrocious and the reading is atrocious. I’d stop listening but I don’t want to start a new one before summer starts (and I stop commuting daily).
I read SO many bad reviews for this and decided against reading it and then read spoilers and was really glad I skipped it. All that to say, I’d start over with something short you can get through before your commute stops lol
I finished Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane and really liked it. I’ve never read one of his books (although I’ve seen most of the movies made from them, because Boston). It was 5 stars for me until about 80% of the way in then it got a little too Ben Affleck movie for me and knocked it down a bit to 4-4.5.
Thanks to whoever recommended The House on the Cerulean Sea audiobook. I’m almost done and I’ve absolutely loved it. I’ve slowed down to keep it from ending.
I am reading Chain Gang All Stars, in which the private prison system profits like crazy by starting death matches between inmates. I love that he has footnotes explaining real-life (horrific) prison stats and stories. It is a great, searing commentary on the private prison system. Major TW for violence.
I’m listening to the worst audiobook I ever: The Perfect Marriage. The writing is atrocious and the reading is atrocious. I’d stop listening but I don’t want to start a new one before summer starts (and I stop commuting daily).
I read SO many bad reviews for this and decided against reading it and then read spoilers and was really glad I skipped it. All that to say, I’d start over with something short you can get through before your commute stops lol
I gave up and am listening to old episodes of 20/20 and The Maintenance Phase.
I have no idea how this book got published. And no idea that the publisher let these two terrible actors read it! Double whammy
Post by texasharleygirl on Jun 21, 2023 8:59:35 GMT -5
I just finished "The Things We Never Got Over" by Lucy Stone. It's probably the first actual book that I have had in my hands to read in ages. A girl at the Target said it was good so I bought it. Nice easy read, cute plot. Sexual descriptions were um, very detailed. I must be getting really old, I literally didn't even read those parts; I was more interested in the storyline.
Post by litskispeciality on Jun 21, 2023 9:24:16 GMT -5
Can't remember if I posted that I started "The Last Housewife", and so far 25% in it's good, but could really pick up/is going to be too long. Picked up a paper copy at the library last night, hoping to make progress moving forward.
texasharleygirl I have "Things We Never Got Over" in paperback. Good to hear it's a good read. I picture it being very similar to a Colleen Hoover, just maybe not as violent. Have to read that soon. I agree with you that a lot of detailed sex scenes, esp. books that are read by younger people (Colleen Hoover books for example) make me cringe and wonder why they were added.
Jalapeñomel, TR, I read "The Perfect Marriage" last year as a Kindle free book and enjoyed it knowing Kindle free books are pretty hit or miss. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end, but can see why others wouldn't like it as I think I remember it getting slow in the middle.
Finally, has anyone read "Just the Nicest Couple"? I returned a book I DNF by the same author and the librarian asked if I read the couple book yet. I think I saw bad reviews somewhere?
I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately. I've started a few books and just never got pulled in. My hold on The Violin Conspiracy came in this week and I read over half of it the first day. I've just got the last ~40 pages left, hopefully I'll finish today. I'm really enjoying in, but there seem to be a few inconsistencies and that always bothers me. One for sure, the others may just be phrasing that doesn't read clearly to me.
Finally, has anyone read "Just the Nicest Couple"? I returned a book I DNF by the same author and the librarian asked if I read the couple book yet. I think I saw bad reviews somewhere?
This Nicest Couple was one of the worst books I’ve read in awhile, and I usually devour the thriller/suspense genre. It was so slow and seemed to think the readers were simpletons by spelling out unnecessary details. The husband main character seemed to think his wife was a child. I’ve never read anything else by the author but won’t be looking for her again.
Jalapeñomel , TR , I read "The Perfect Marriage" last year as a Kindle free book and enjoyed it knowing Kindle free books are pretty hit or miss. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end, but can see why others wouldn't like it as I think I remember it getting slow in the middle.
The review that made me glad I hadn't read it mentioned
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda - 3.5/5 The Marriage Act by John Marrs - 3.5/5 Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah - 5/5 The Celebrants by Steven Rowley - 4.5/5 We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin - 3/5 Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5
I had avoided Carrie Soto for a long time due to mixed reviews, but man, I love TJR's writing style. I flew through it and loved it. It was a lot of tennis, but I really didn't mind at all.
I'm currently reading The Violin Conspiracy based on at least one rec here and it has strong Goodread's reviews. But man, I'm finding it hard to get into. Something about the writing is...too simple? Too extreme? Like, the characters aren't super believable or something. I don't know, I can't put my finger on it. But the story sounds so good! It's due back tomorrow and I can't renew it anymore so I may just return it and put it back on my hold list and try when it comes up again.
Jalapeñomel , TR , I read "The Perfect Marriage" last year as a Kindle free book and enjoyed it knowing Kindle free books are pretty hit or miss. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end, but can see why others wouldn't like it as I think I remember it getting slow in the middle.
The review that made me glad I hadn't read it mentioned
Jalapeñomel , TR , I read "The Perfect Marriage" last year as a Kindle free book and enjoyed it knowing Kindle free books are pretty hit or miss. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end, but can see why others wouldn't like it as I think I remember it getting slow in the middle.
The review that made me glad I hadn't read it mentioned
which makes NO sense and would have really pissed me off because I hate that trope to begin with lol
I’m gonna spoil this book because no one should waste their time, but it’s so ridiculous, I have to list all the things that happen. Lol
-lawyer and unemployed writer husband live in Washington DC and have a second home for writing in VA (I think it’s Va) -husband has an affair -husband arrested because mistress is found dead in their second home in bed -husband is beat up in jail because mistress’s husband is a cop -lawyer decides to be her husband’s criminal attorney -husband’s mom hates lawyer because she stole her baby, her only child and acts crazy -mistress ends up having another life where she was arrested for the under of her first husband -mistress gets off due to missing evidence because mistress is in a relationship with a cop on the case -mistress is 4 weeks pregnant -prosecution is seeking the death penalty -husband is sent to house arrest -lawyer’s assistant sent blackmail notes to husband because she knows about affair -lawyer’s partner happens to be the dead mistress’s ex husband’s brother -husband has a journalist who does some hunting for info on mistress’s husband (who came to his house where he was on house arrest) -husband leaves house ends up in jail -journalist ends up being a PI for mistress’s husband -husband breaks out of jail and goes to reporters house
My book club is reading The Rose Code and it's so good! It's a novel about Bletchley Park codebreakers and the author clearly did so much research on the technical stuff, but it's not boring.
I finally finished Demon Copperhead over the weekend. I thought it was a very good book, but it was also very long - it took me about 2.5 weeks to read, which is quite a bit longer than most books. I would recommend it, but it's mostly not very uplifting so keep that in mind.
I am now reading Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes, and I can't decide if I like it. It is very readable so far and I'm getting through it quickly, but it also has a lot less substance than the last couple of her books that I've read. It's a nice departure from the heavy book I read right before it, so that's good at least.
I finished The House in the Cerulean Sea last night. I finally finished a book and will be able to return it to the library without it being late. I really enjoyed this book and may look at more books from this author.
For now though I am off to read the other three pages of this thread for more book recommendations.
Post by litskispeciality on Jun 22, 2023 9:51:43 GMT -5
Jalapeñomel, spoiling the end of The Perfect Marriage if you care. I think that's what might have saved it for me. I've never been pregnant, but the 4 weeks pregnant part was weird to me, like does that even show upon testing yet? Also the money plot how they had at least 2 houses in a very HCOL area, when the husband wasn't selling his books, even with a lawyer wife plot didn't make sense, like they wouldn't have enough money for that.
At the very end we find out the lawyer STBXW actually killed the mistress and set up the husband/STBXH. He's on death row for some reason and figures out she did it right as he's about to be executed.
Jalapeñomel , spoiling the end of The Perfect Marriage if you care. I think that's what might have saved it for me. I've never been pregnant, but the 4 weeks pregnant part was weird to me, like does that even show upon testing yet? Also the money plot how they had at least 2 houses in a very HCOL area, when the husband wasn't selling his books, even with a lawyer wife plot didn't make sense, like they wouldn't have enough money for that.
At the very end we find out the lawyer STBXW actually killed the mistress and set up the husband/STBXH. He's on death row for some reason and figures out she did it right as he's about to be executed. OMG!!!! brahahahahahahahahahahah.
Post by underwaterrhymes on Jun 24, 2023 6:50:13 GMT -5
I just finished The Ferryman. I can’t figure out my feelings on it. I gave it a 3 initially on Goodreads, but went back and gave it a 4 because I was still ruminating on it a day later. Probably a 3.5 if I could give half stars on GR.
Post by Jalapeñomel on Jun 24, 2023 16:26:49 GMT -5
Oh, and I might also recommend purchasing some LBGTQ+ books for Pride Month. It’s a good way to support the community as well as show book retailers that LBGTQ+ books are in demand.
I just finished "The Things We Never Got Over" by Lucy Stone. It's probably the first actual book that I have had in my hands to read in ages. A girl at the Target said it was good so I bought it. Nice easy read, cute plot. Sexual descriptions were um, very detailed. I must be getting really old, I literally didn't even read those parts; I was more interested in the storyline.
Good beach read.
I really loved The Things We Never Got Over. I wasn't expecting the detailed sexual descriptions either. Lol. Things We Hide From The Light is next in the series and was also good. The third book comes out in September.
I just finished With My Little Eye by Joshlyn Jackson. 4/5 not her best, but worth reading (her best is A Grown Up Kind of Pretty IMO)
Also finished Just Nicest Couple. It was fine until about 2/3 of the way through for me. Then it was awful and thrown together. And in true psychological thriller tradition, the epilogue disappointed.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune was a good beach read. 4/5