July book thread

[lizlemon19]

I just finished Black Cake and highly recommend. Interested to hear other recommendations.

[timorousbeastie]

Jul 12, 2023 14:43:58 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 5, 2023 12:44:06 GMT -5 just said:

Do you follow him on SM? He has cancer and is vlogging through the treatment in his typical funny but super smart way. 

Hank Green went super viral two days ago for his algo-speak and not being censored. The reactions to his privilege are worth the watch (I posted on CEP).

www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dbyk95/

www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dbUvXE/

Thanks for sharing. I don’t have TikTok so I hadn’t seen any of that. Has he responded? I’m hopeful that it was a situation of the stress of being just days out of chemo, waiting for scan results and to start radiation just made him not think clearly about what he was saying and how his experience could be different from that of others. Hopefully he took their points to heart. He comes across as the sort of person who genuinely cares about people, but I’ll freely admit I haven’t been following him that long and I could be completely wrong.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jul 12, 2023 17:01:50 GMT -5 timorousbeastie said:

Jul 12, 2023 14:43:58 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Hank Green went super viral two days ago for his algo-speak and not being censored. The reactions to his privilege are worth the watch (I posted on CEP).

www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dbyk95/

www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dbUvXE/

Thanks for sharing. I don’t have TikTok so I hadn’t seen any of that. Has he responded? I’m hopeful that it was a situation of the stress of being just days out of chemo, waiting for scan results and to start radiation just made him not think clearly about what he was saying and how his experience could be different from that of others. Hopefully he took their points to heart. He comes across as the sort of person who genuinely cares about people, but I’ll freely admit I haven’t been following him that long and I could be completely wrong.

He did respond. He explains why he deleted in the comments of the second link, and his TikTok has his apology pinned.

[timorousbeastie]

Jul 12, 2023 17:44:40 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 12, 2023 17:01:50 GMT -5 timorousbeastie said:

Thanks for sharing. I don’t have TikTok so I hadn’t seen any of that. Has he responded? I’m hopeful that it was a situation of the stress of being just days out of chemo, waiting for scan results and to start radiation just made him not think clearly about what he was saying and how his experience could be different from that of others. Hopefully he took their points to heart. He comes across as the sort of person who genuinely cares about people, but I’ll freely admit I haven’t been following him that long and I could be completely wrong.

He did respond. He explains why he deleted in the comments of the second link, and his TikTok has his apology pinned.

Thanks. I can’t see comments or get to his TikTok without having my own account. Did he seem to get it, or did he give a defensive non-apology apology?

[dontlook]

Jul 11, 2023 12:11:50 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Finished The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark and give it 4.25 stars. I really did like it, but I liked her book The Last Flight more. It was more suspenseful. Still a very good read.

Now I’m reading a Kindle Unlimited book I randomly saw called The Night Out. Not far enough in yet for a verdict.

I checked this out yesterday and finished today. Thanks for posting about it!

[Jalapeñomel]

So I finished Same Time Next Summer, and I had no clue what to read. I realized I never read the Hannibal Lecter series, so I picked up Red Dragon.

I loved horror books as a kid, and I have no idea why I never read them, but it’s never too late!

[hermione]

I just finished Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea. I couldn’t decide if I lived it or hated it. But I did find myself eager to pick it up each night.

[RoxMonster]

Jul 15, 2023 9:23:34 GMT -5 hermione said:

I just finished Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea. I couldn’t decide if I lived it or hated it. But I did find myself eager to pick it up each night.

I have this downloaded on my Kindle but haven't read it yet. Maybe that will be my next book after I'm done with my current one. I liked Summit Lake by the same author.

[RoxMonster]

Finished The Night Out and it gets 2.5 stars from me. It was decent, but I wish it was more suspenseful and I think some of the decisions the author had the main character take were unrealistic/dumb.

Just started Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult. Haven't read a Picoult book in probably 8 years.

[TR]

isabel - I just finished In the Lives of Puppets and I agree. I actually almost bought a copy at a bookstore before I read it because I assumed I’d love it as much as his others. But I just didn’t. So I’m glad I got it from the library instead.

[isabel]

Jul 16, 2023 16:39:05 GMT -5 TR said:

isabel - I just finished In the Lives of Puppets and I agree. I actually almost bought a copy at a bookstore before I read it because I assumed I’d love it as much as his others. But I just didn’t. So I’m glad I got it from the library instead.

The cover is beautiful and a good friend of mine actually gave me a copy she got in a book subscription thing, so I have it, but it’s definitely not one I would have bought at the end of the year.

[sadie]

Related. I've read 5,600+ pages since January. Neat statistic to track.

[scm1011]

I just finished We Once Were a Family by Roxanna Asgarian, which is about the 2 white women who drove their 6 adopted Black kids off a cliff 5 years ago. 5 stars. It toggled between that story and how problematic / racist the foster care system is.

It was particularly interesting for me because its something I witnessed in the last few years in my family. A cousin, who has some serious mental health issues, had her 3 kids taken away and put in foster care. My aunt, who is 10000% wonderful and stable petitioned for custody and was denied because she didn't cut ties from her daughter and the kids were adopted away with the quickness. It was heartbreaking and really fucked up and this book delves into how its a widespread problem - how reunification and family ties are really devalued in the system.

[isabel]

Jul 16, 2023 17:45:27 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

I just finished We Once Were a Family by Roxanna Asgarian, which is about the 2 white women who drove their 6 adopted Black kids off a cliff 5 years ago. 5 stars. It toggled between that story and how problematic / racist the foster care system is.

It was particularly interesting for me because its something I witnessed in the last few years in my family. A cousin, who has some serious mental health issues, had her 3 kids taken away and put in foster care. My aunt, who is 10000% wonderful and stable petitioned for custody and was denied because she didn't cut ties from her daughter and the kids were adopted away with the quickness. It was heartbreaking and really fucked up and this book delves into how its a widespread problem - how reunification and family ties are really devalued in the system.

Why on earth would they require her to cut ties with her daughter? Wouldn't it be better for the kids to have supervised time with their mom?

[scm1011]

Jul 16, 2023 17:48:48 GMT -5 isabel said:

Jul 16, 2023 17:45:27 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

I just finished We Once Were a Family by Roxanna Asgarian, which is about the 2 white women who drove their 6 adopted Black kids off a cliff 5 years ago. 5 stars. It toggled between that story and how problematic / racist the foster care system is.

It was particularly interesting for me because its something I witnessed in the last few years in my family. A cousin, who has some serious mental health issues, had her 3 kids taken away and put in foster care. My aunt, who is 10000% wonderful and stable petitioned for custody and was denied because she didn't cut ties from her daughter and the kids were adopted away with the quickness. It was heartbreaking and really fucked up and this book delves into how its a widespread problem - how reunification and family ties are really devalued in the system.

Why on earth would they require her to cut ties with her daughter? Wouldn't it be better for the kids to have supervised time with their mom?

Cousin (the mom) was living with my aunt (the grandma) and had no where else to go (cousin is an adoptee herself and in her 20s with her own issues). That was the issue. 

One slight bright spot is that Aunt and the adoptive parents have a great relationship now. The kids (who were adopted 2-3 years ago) spend 2 weeks in the summer with my aunt/their grandma. Cousin has moved to TX (we're in MA) so its not an issue with her presence. It was all heartbreaking though. The foster family (who are in Ohio) had very little knowledge of my Aunt's desperate want to adopt her grandkids before it all settled.

ETA: Cousin did not live with Aunt at the time the kids were taken away. It was a result of it happening - Aunt had her move home to help her get her shit together.

[redheadbaker]

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

[RoxMonster]

Finished Mad Honey. 4ish stars. There were a few things that annoyed me (many documented in the Mad Honey thread on here) but overall, it kept me engaged/reading and wanting to know what was going to happen.

Now starting a David Bell thriller called Try Not to Breathe.

[litskispeciality]

I'm late to posting that I started "The Lies I Tell". Only about 100 pages in, but it's soooo good. Thank you for whoever recommended that.

I'm also slowly chipping away at "The Night the Lights Went Out" by Karen White, but it's slower going than I was sold.

[scm1011]

I recently finished:
Pineapple Street: which I really enjoyed even though I know it got mixed reviews, 4 stars
Foster by Claire Keegan: novella about a foster child sent to live with a family in rural Ireland - I loved this, 5 stars
Tru Biz by Sara Novic: it was ok, it was told from 3 perspectives and one of them I hated so I got bored with those chapters. The ending was also abrupt and weird. 3 stars

I'm currently listening to Yellowface by R.F. Kuang which started strong for me but is getting repetitive/boring
I'm also re-reading the Beartown series so I can finally get to the 3rd in the trilogy.

[eb777888]

I also started The Lies I Tell and it's really good.

[Jalapeñomel]

I put down the Violin Conspiracy, but I will go back to it in the fall.

I’m almost done with Red Dragon, and I’m excited to start Silence of the Lambs.

[basilosaurus]

The alchemist. Easy fast read. Dnf. Utter drivel. I don't even remember why it was on my list.

The top review on Goodreads is hilariously great. So there's that

[basilosaurus]

Jul 25, 2023 15:24:36 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I put down the Violin Conspiracy, but I will go back to it in the fall.

I’m almost done with Red Dragon, and I’m excited to start Silence of the Lambs.

I read some of Hannibal outside at night under a super bright moon. I like spooking myself

[wildrice]

I finished They Both Die at the End earlier this week, and loved it. I wasn't even sure about reading it but it turned out to be a really sweet book.

Now I'm reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King and it's pretty good too. I am not really a fantasy/horror reader in general but I find his writing just so readable.

[isabel]

Listened to Fahrenheit 451. Both the narrators I listened to sucked. Probably would have enjoyed it more if the narrator had been better. It’s for book club. Interested to see how conversation goes about it tonight.

I’m reading About Grace by Anthony Doerr. I don’t dislike it, but it’s kind of long and has been a struggle. I had put another of his on hold too and I think I’ll give that a little more time before I pick it up.

[dontlook]

Finished:
The Lie I Tell: 4 stars
Heartbreak Houseshare: 4 stars. Cute story about being in your 20s and trying to find your way.
I Hate Running And You Can Too: 5 stars

Currently reading I Could Live Here Forever. I like it so far but I can see it going almost nowhere and being annoyed at the end. Fingers crossed it’s good.

I also have The Year We Turned 40 from the library up next.

[luckystar2]

I just finished the audiobook of Out of the Corner by Jennifer Grey. As a huge dirty dancing fan I enjoyed it. I felt like I could have used less of some stuff, more of dirty dancing and less jumping around. But overall I liked it. And I had no idea Matthew Broderick was such a jerk (well he comes off that way at least.)

I finished The Only One Left. I’m a big fan of the author so was excited for this one. But his last books had bad reviews so I hadn’t read it. I liked this one. Kept me hooked. Lots of twists and unbelievable but I don’t mind.

I just started Don’t Forget the Girl.

[jordancatalano4ever]

I’m including Junes books because it started me on a reading path that led to me learning I really like smutty romance books. I am not a sophisticated reader so take my views with a grain of salt if you like more sophisticated books lol.

June:
***Station Eleven: Emily St. John- I kinda liked this one. I read the book and immediately binged the series. The series took some real departures from the book and I don’t know which one I liked better.
***Golden Girl: Elin Hilderbrand- Cute story. I liked the viewing from heaven angle. I liked the characters themselves less though. I liked the Hotel Nantucket a lot more.
*****The Hating Game: Sally Thorne- So this was my gateway into romance and smutty books lol. So it’s probably not the best book but discovering I liked smutty romance sent me on a journey this summer so it gets high honors on that alone. Lol
**Every Summer After: Carley Fortune - This was kinda squicky to me because it was essentially a teen romance and I felt myself kinda feeling weird about reading these kids first sexual experiences lol. It wasn’t bad per se but not totally enjoyable for me.
****The Kiss Quotient: Helen Hoang- Really liked this. Loved the male character and his family. They felt like people I grew up with in SoCal.
*Beautiful Bastard: Christina Lauren - Meh. It was kinda terrible. Felt like the bad version of the Hating Game.
***Dating You/ Hating You- I liked this a lot more than Beautiful Bastard.

July:
****-***Winter in Paradise, What Happens in Paradise, Trouble in Paradise: Elin Hildebrand- I really did enjoy reading the stories and I loved the characters and their development. Somehow the story finished in a less satisfying way than I’d hoped for with the first book but I’d recommend it nonetheless.
*****Tools of Engagement, Fix Her Up: Tessa Bailey - loved these stories. I tore through them and the smut was great. Looking forward to picking up more Tessa Bailey books.
****-*Three to Ride, Two to Keep, One to Keep: Lexi Blake- This was a staircase of enjoyment for me. Really liked the first book. Liked the idea of a quirky town saving the lead and it had great Smut. I read the next two hoping I would enjoy them as much and I started to become annoyed by the third book. Maybe I will pick the series up again.
**Lessons in Chemistry: Bonnie Garmus- Didn’t really enjoy this. I don’t know. The main protagonist was unlikable. I also found the story of a feminist Julia Child unrealistic in a way. It was meh.
*****The Hunger Games- Reread with kiddo. Still holds up which is cool.
***Big Rock: Lauren Blakely- Cute. Good from male point of view. Nothing exceptional story wise but I liked it.
*****Your Dad Will Do, *Neon Gods, *Desperate Measures, *Learn My Lesson: Katee Robert- Holy Sh*t Your dad will do was pure smut and I loved it lol. Neon Gods and Desperate Measures were okay. I found myself getting bored and skimming. I found the use of Greek and Disney characters to be silly because aside from using small bits of the genres/stores it was basically unrelated to the stories. They were smutty stories but ultimately boring imo.
****The Unhoneymooners: Christina Lauren- Really enjoyed. Read it in 2 days. Closed door romance but I liked the characters and I enjoyed the journey to end the story.
Happiness for Beginners: Katherine Center- Just working through this now. Cute premise. Will probably finish tomorrow.

[RoxMonster]

Recent finishes:

What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall: 4 stars. Very suspenseful and a creepy atmosphere

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding: 4 stars. Lots of twists and kind of far-fetched but fast-paced and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena: 3 stars. I really like Shari Lapena books but this one wasn't my favorite. I read it in one day and it kept my interest but almost all the characters annoyed me and I wasn't in love with the plot. Still, a solid read.

Just started: All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

[madringal]

This is my July list. I use a 3 star scale.

111. All the Broken Places ⭐️⭐️⭐️
112. Lonely Heart Book Club ⭐️⭐️
113. Call the Canaries Home ⭐️⭐️
114. Such A Quiet Place ⭐️⭐️
115. A Slow Fire Burning ⭐️
116. The Beach Trap ⭐️⭐️
117. The One & Only ⭐️
118. Summer of Broken Rules ⭐️
119. The Nanny ❌
120. The Better Half ⭐️⭐️
121. When the Rain Ends ⭐️⭐️
122. La Vie, According to Rose ⭐️⭐️
123. The Maids Diary ⭐️⭐️⭐️
124. Local Woman Missing ⭐️⭐️
125. The Dead Romantics ⭐️⭐️
126. In A New York Minute ⭐️⭐️⭐️
127. One Last Secret ⭐️⭐️
128. Golden Hills ⭐️
129. Talk Bookish to Me ⭐️⭐️
130. One Day With You ⭐️⭐️