I only read two books in January because I was either caregiving or sick myself.
Both books, The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA and The Last Devil to Die (The Thursday Murder Club #4), were worthy reads.
Reading Tom Lake now. It’s fine but 25% in and it’s not knocking my socks off yet.
My recommendation for Black History Month is Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. There were times when I was so frustrated with Queenie and her poor decision-making but by the end of the book I was rooting so hard for her and was sad that our time together was at an end.
I just downloaded Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. I’m excited to start it. My January list:
1. The Burnout ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2. Before we were Innocent ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3. No Two Persons ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4. The Last Love Note ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5. American Dirt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6. Somewhere Inside ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 7. Maybe Next Time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 8. The House is on Fire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 9. The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10. The Last Letter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11. The Rent Collector ⭐️⭐️ 12. Something Wild ❌ 13. Florence Adler Swims Forever ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 14. Everything I Never Told You ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 15. The Second Chance Year ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 16. Lock Every Door ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 17. The Berry Pickers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 18. Hello Stranger ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 19. The Unmaking of June Farrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 20. Locust Lane ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 21. The Comeback ⭐️ 22. The Perfect Marriage ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 23. Secret of the Sassafras ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m current reading A Day in the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan Thrall and it’s so sad and maddening. Yesterday I finished Eastbound Maylis de Karangal which was very good and short, short being a nice change from a few recent books I’ve read: The Bee Sting and the Covenant of Water, both of which were good, but too long.
Favorite(s): "Black Cake" by Charmaine Wilkerson and "Walk Through Fire," by Sheila Johnson. Both were just exceptional.
Least favorite: "Mysterious Affair at Styles." I decided to read some Agatha Christie (love mysteries, but not all the gore), and started with "And Then There Were None," which was a mistake, because the former book was ok....but not nearly as much of a page turner, IMO, as the latter. But I'm finishing it, and reading her next one!
Post by gretchenindisguise on Feb 5, 2024 22:57:06 GMT -5
I just finished The Diamond Eye this weekend. It took me a while to grip me but it did eventually. Its a historical fiction that doesn’t stray far from the actual history and its a side of WWII I haven't read much about. Now I want to read Lyudmila’s actual biography.
In January I read Mother Daughter Murder Club (predictable but decent read, I think my 14yo would like it) and The Only Woman in the Room (also a good historical fiction about a strong woman I had never heard of).
I didn't line this up for Black History Month, but I just started Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. I would recommend anything she's written, especially The Men We Reaped.
I got Sing, Unburied, Sing (as an audiobook) because it's what was available and have been really liking it! So thank you for the rec. I'm on the list for her her other books now.
Favorite(s): "Black Cake" by Charmaine Wilkerson and "Walk Through Fire," by Sheila Johnson. Both were just exceptional.
Least favorite: "Mysterious Affair at Styles." I decided to read some Agatha Christie (love mysteries, but not all the gore), and started with "And Then There Were None," which was a mistake, because the former book was ok....but not nearly as much of a page turner, IMO, as the latter. But I'm finishing it, and reading her next one!
ATTWN is the March pick in my book club! I've never read any Christie before and I'm pleased to see it's still getting read 85 years after being published.
January fave: Shark Heart
January least fave: None, really, but I wish I'd read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo instead of listening to it
For African-American history month the first thing that comes to mind is An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. I remember it being quite big a few years ago.
I just finished The Diamond Eye this weekend. It took me a while to grip me but it did eventually. Its a historical fiction that doesn’t stray far from the actual history and its a side of WWII I haven't read much about. Now I want to read Lyudmila’s actual biography.
In January I read Mother Daughter Murder Club (predictable but decent read, I think my 14yo would like it) and The Only Woman in the Room (also a good historical fiction about a strong woman I had never heard of).
oooh, I'm going to look at Mother Daughter Murder Club. Both my girls are into true crime, and we all listen to Crime Junkie. This sounds perfect for all of us to read.
I read 4 in January: Reread Iron Flame Hello Beautiful The Black Witch A Woman is No Man
They were all different and engrossing in different ways. After the high of finishing Iron Flame a second time, I read The Black Witch. It had a similar feel to Iron Flame, but it was a PG version. It's a series of 5 and I plan to read the next one.
Hello Beautiful and A Woman is No Man were...a lot. I'm happy I read them, but felt physically drained after I finished them.
We read Hello Beautiful for our book club this fall, and that discussion was INTERESTING. Our "founder" actually called an emergency meeting a week later because she was so unsettled with where people fell regarding events that played out in that book, lol.
Forgot to add, nearly DNF "Killers of A Flower Moon." Started in December, and it took me a looong time to get into that. I think I only finished because I really really wanted educate myself about the history of what happened in this community. Should have done it as an audio book - I do better with non-fiction as audio books.
Wrapped up The Berry Pickers. It was fine. I enjoyed one half of the story more than the other so that made it drag a little.
Started Tom Lake last night. I’m feeling skeptical about this one because of all the accolades, but so far it’s interesting enough. I’m just glad it’s not 700 pages like stupid Demon Copperhead.
I read 4 in January: Reread Iron Flame Hello Beautiful The Black Witch A Woman is No Man
They were all different and engrossing in different ways. After the high of finishing Iron Flame a second time, I read The Black Witch. It had a similar feel to Iron Flame, but it was a PG version. It's a series of 5 and I plan to read the next one.
Hello Beautiful and A Woman is No Man were...a lot. I'm happy I read them, but felt physically drained after I finished them.
We read Hello Beautiful for our book club this fall, and that discussion was INTERESTING. Our "founder" actually called an emergency meeting a week later because she was so unsettled with where people fell regarding events that played out in that book, lol.
Forgot to add, nearly DNF "Killers of A Flower Moon." Started in December, and it took me a looong time to get into that. I think I only finished because I really really wanted educate myself about the history of what happened in this community. Should have done it as an audio book - I do better with non-fiction as audio books.
I am intrigued by your emergency meeting. What was the drama?
I read 5 books in January. A lot of thrillers, because my SIL gave me a stack of books and she reads a lot of them -Lessons in Chemistry (4*) -Girl in Pieces (3.5* and should come with a TW) -The Only One Left (4*, which is high for me to give a thriller) -None of This is True (4.5*, which is very high for a thriller) -No One Can Know (2.5*)
I have one book finished for February, Behind Closed Doors (3*)
Right now I'm reading Just Another Missing Person. I really need a few of my library holds to become available so I can get something different. I have Demon Copperhead and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store in my que and it looks like they both should be ready this week.
I finally finished up The Maid on audio. The reader was good (Lauren Ambrose) but the story got a little monotonous for me. 3 stars. I'm about 300 pages into Iron Flame and finally getting into it. I've picked it up and put it down a bunch because it just hasn't hooked me like Fourth Wing, but it seems to be picking up.
We read Hello Beautiful for our book club this fall, and that discussion was INTERESTING. Our "founder" actually called an emergency meeting a week later because she was so unsettled with where people fell regarding events that played out in that book, lol.
Forgot to add, nearly DNF "Killers of A Flower Moon." Started in December, and it took me a looong time to get into that. I think I only finished because I really really wanted educate myself about the history of what happened in this community. Should have done it as an audio book - I do better with non-fiction as audio books.
I am intrigued by your emergency meeting. What was the drama?
We read Hello Beautiful for our book club this fall, and that discussion was INTERESTING. Our "founder" actually called an emergency meeting a week later because she was so unsettled with where people fell regarding events that played out in that book, lol.
Forgot to add, nearly DNF "Killers of A Flower Moon." Started in December, and it took me a looong time to get into that. I think I only finished because I really really wanted educate myself about the history of what happened in this community. Should have done it as an audio book - I do better with non-fiction as audio books.
I am intrigued by your emergency meeting. What was the drama?
LOL
************spoilers***********
She was aghast at how many of the group were ok with the guy getting together with the second sister, and wanted to revisit that, like "are you guys SERIOUS?! It's her SISTER'S HUSBAND!!!" And there was a lot of discussion and back and back and forth with the behavior of the sister who was his first wife. It was actually the most "book cluby" book club we'd ever had. We usually chat about the book for a little bit, then just chit chat about anything/everything else going on in our lives, because it's a super casual group at baseline. But this book? this one kept us focused!
I just finished The Diamond Eye this weekend. It took me a while to grip me but it did eventually. Its a historical fiction that doesn’t stray far from the actual history and its a side of WWII I haven't read much about. Now I want to read Lyudmila’s actual biography.
In January I read Mother Daughter Murder Club (predictable but decent read, I think my 14yo would like it) and The Only Woman in the Room (also a good historical fiction about a strong woman I had never heard of).
oooh, I'm going to look at Mother Daughter Murder Club. Both my girls are into true crime, and we all listen to Crime Junkie. This sounds perfect for all of us to read.
Have you read Good Girls Guide to Murder? L loved that series and it felt like that to me.
I finally finished up The Maid on audio. The reader was good (Lauren Ambrose) but the story got a little monotonous for me. 3 stars. I'm about 300 pages into Iron Flame and finally getting into it. I've picked it up and put it down a bunch because it just hasn't hooked me like Fourth Wing, but it seems to be picking up.
But they were never really right for each other! The first sister just wanted a husband, any husband. She wasn't truly in love with him. lol The second sister was his soulmate! But I was very bothered by the general lack of involvement with his child.
You can tell her you found more people on the internet who disagree with her.
I really love it when we find books that actually keep us engaged in the book conversation. Controversy over something inconsequential is nice sometimes.
The first three books of the Inspector Pekkala series by Sam Eastman Yellowface by R.F. Kwon On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good by Elise Loehnen A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall
A Day in the Life was devastating. The events mostly took place in the West Bank, and it gives a look into everyday life for Palestinians living there.
One Our Best Behavior was interesting but fairly repetitive.
I didn't line this up for Black History Month, but I just started Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. I would recommend anything she's written, especially The Men We Reaped.
I just finished A Day in the Life and for some reason (thankfully) I didn’t realize it was nonfiction until the end. So incredibly heartbreaking and maddening.
Both of my book clubs picked memoirs this month and ooof. Definitely my least favorite genre and I am really struggling to finish the second (I lead the discussion so I have to read it.)
Friends bookclub: Crying in H Mart Work social justice bookclub: Uphill
Post by basilosaurus on Feb 20, 2024 2:28:15 GMT -5
I'm getting caught up on some classics. Currently it's Quiet American. It was actually a Brit in a bar in Vietnam that reminded me do read this which has interesting layers. I did read Absolution while there which is a fairly recent historical fiction set just prior to American involvment in the war.
I'm accepting nominations for other classics.
I finally got demon copperhead last month. Excellent.
Other than that, it's mostly first reads from amazon because they're free and electronic. My library takes months for kindle book new releases, so I'm usually way behind here.
Fathermothergod, interesting, worthwhile Babel, pretty good. I don't like supernatural, but it was an interesting spin on your normal historical fiction. Same goes for 9th house. I rolled my eyes at all the supernatural shit. Why does this keep ending up on my recommendations? But I liked the reality part. Of Women and Salt, very good, very close to me having grown up surrounded by Cuban refugees/immigrants. My spanish teacher a few years running fought and was pow in bay of pigs, so I liked hearing even more background beyond him inappropriately telling 9th grade me his urine was red because they gave him hepatitis! 57 bus. How tf did I miss this news when it happened? I was living in the states at the time, so I should have known. I even searched cep history to find it and could not. Almost Surely Dead, meh. Again with the supernatural! My algorithm is fucked
Post by basilosaurus on Feb 20, 2024 2:37:28 GMT -5
FTR I have liked Anthony Doerr's books which do have supernatural. So maybe that's why. I'm not entirely opposed if anyone is offering classical suggestions.
Also on recent list was When the World Goes Quiet. WW1, Bruges. I've been to Bruges, so it was great to read about the history I didn't know while I was there. But that was juxtaposed with watching all creatures great and small which is ww2. So I kept getting confused. My own fault. Not the book's. Kind of not great writing, though.
My hold is finally available for Heaven and Earth Grocery Store so I’m looking forward to that next.
Haven’t read it yet but watching The Hate U Give on a flight and will also pick that up when I’m at the library.
A pleasant surprise was my first reads pick, Mayluna. It’s similar-ish to Daisy Jones and the Six. Faux celebrity stories are a genre I enjoy I’ve realized.
I gave up on Iron Flame more than halfway through. I just don't like it enough to read the remaining 250 pages.
I read Kristin Hannah's new book The Women in a day while my kids had the flu this weekend. I really enjoyed it.
Finishing up The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry on audio and I love it. I can't believe this is the same author as Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I also enjoyed that but its just so so different. A.J. Fikry almost reels like a T.J. Klune story.
Wrapped up The Berry Pickers. It was fine. I enjoyed one half of the story more than the other so that made it drag a little.
Started Tom Lake last night. I’m feeling skeptical about this one because of all the accolades, but so far it’s interesting enough. I’m just glad it’s not 700 pages like stupid Demon Copperhead.
Tom Lake was so overrated, IMO. I finished it, but didn't enjoy it.
Post by mcppalmbeach on Feb 20, 2024 16:29:17 GMT -5
I just finished the invisible hour, the new Alice Hoffman book. It was ok. I always want to read her books and then I feel like they’re mostly ok. This was the second time travel book I have read lately and they usually are not my thing so that’s probably why.
I have the Covenant of Water that I am trying to get into. It’s a huge book so it’s intimidating to pick up: I also just grabbed before we were innocent from the library hold and that will probably be a quick palate cleanser read/