I've had a bad streak. I DNF Harlem Shuffle and Tom Lake. The former never hooked me and the latter I couldnt get into from the start.
I'm reading Yellowface right now and I am so into it but the narrator I HAAATE (I think everyone is supposed to hate them?) I've never had such a love hate relationship with a book.
I've had a bad streak. I DNF Harlem Shuffle and Tom Lake. The former never hooked me and the latter I couldnt get into from the start.
Tom Lake jumps STRAIGHT into this long, convoluted story with zero context. I didn't hate it, but repeatedly asked myself, "What is the point of this?"
I just started The Paper Palace and have been scandalised/horrified multiple times in rapid succession. Jesus Christ, I hope it lets up on the casual shocking stuff.
Post by gerberdaisy on Mar 19, 2024 8:45:16 GMT -5
I could really use recommendations for a cozy mystery series. I like to listen to them when I do chores. Last year I listened to all of the Agatha Raisin books, just finished the Irish mysteries series (Murder in an Irish... books), have read all of the Thursday Murder Club book and probably some others. I've started the Hammish Macbeth books, but they aren't my favorite.
I've had a bad streak. I DNF Harlem Shuffle and Tom Lake. The former never hooked me and the latter I couldnt get into from the start.
Tom Lake jumps STRAIGHT into this long, convoluted story with zero context. I didn't hate it, but repeatedly asked myself, "What is the point of this?"
I just started The Paper Palace and have been scandalised/horrified multiple times in rapid succession. Jesus Christ, I hope it lets up on the casual shocking stuff.
I just finished this. I have to say I wanted to just quit so many times but hate read it because I felt like it should get better. It...wasn't getting better.
Post by Jalapeñomel on Mar 19, 2024 12:58:11 GMT -5
I finished Darius the Great Is Not Okay
It was ok...I liked learning about Persian culture, but it was a little heavy handed. I tried An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, but I found that boring and DNF.
I'm almost done with the Berry Pickers, and I'm so angry at everything, but maybe that's the point.
I could really use recommendations for a cozy mystery series. I like to listen to them when I do chores. Last year I listened to all of the Agatha Raisin books, just finished the Irish mysteries series (Murder in an Irish... books), have read all of the Thursday Murder Club book and probably some others. I've started the Hammish Macbeth books, but they aren't my favorite.
I prefer those set in England/Ireland/Scotland.
Have you read A Most Agreeable Murder? The audiobook is particularly great.
(And I LOVE Penelope Keith reading Agatha Raisin! It's our go-to road trip audio.)
I read As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh and it was so beautiful and heartbreaking.
Goodreads blurb: Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.
Fourth Wing - 4* Iron Flame - 4* Just the Nicest Couple - 2.5* (I hated her writing style, probably would have been higher rated if the sentence structure wasn't so choppy) The Perfect Marriage - 3*
I have either The Teacher or The Housemaid up next, trying to decide on which one...
I could really use recommendations for a cozy mystery series. I like to listen to them when I do chores. Last year I listened to all of the Agatha Raisin books, just finished the Irish mysteries series (Murder in an Irish... books), have read all of the Thursday Murder Club book and probably some others. I've started the Hammish Macbeth books, but they aren't my favorite.
I prefer those set in England/Ireland/Scotland.
Have you read A Most Agreeable Murder? The audiobook is particularly great.
(And I LOVE Penelope Keith reading Agatha Raisin! It's our go-to road trip audio.)
I haven't, I'll look it up.
And yes, Penelope Keith is great! I wish she narrated other books. It was so disappointing when I would get to books with a different narrator.
NewGirlNic , do yourself a favor and skip Demon Copperhead.
What?? I think Demon Copperhead is one of the all-time great American novels. It's so good! Beautifully written, compelling characters, important social commentary. This book has it all! Five stars
Post by gerberdaisy on Mar 19, 2024 14:54:39 GMT -5
Besides my hunt for a new series, I've read in the last month (hope this isn't a repeat):
The whole ACOTAR series, except for Frost and something. Liked the series, but after binge listening to the whole thing in a few days, not sure if I want to go back and listen to the novella.
First Lie Wins - really liked, perfect level of Thriller for me The Resort - enjoyable, made me want to go to a Thai island. Also a good level of thriller The Retreat - ok, I didn't realize this was a series and didn't read The Sanitorium, and don't have a desire to. Everyone on this Train is a suspect. - I liked it, but took me a really long time to get through. I think I liked the first book better.
Also read about 10 other rom-coms and cozy mysteries, but while enjoyable none are really worth mentioning.
Fourth Wing - 4* Iron Flame - 4* Just the Nicest Couple - 2.5* (I hated her writing style, probably would have been higher rated if the sentence structure wasn't so choppy) The Perfect Marriage - 3*
I have either The Teacher or The Housemaid up next, trying to decide on which one...
Do The Housemaid. The Teacher was just ok and the epilogue kind of ruined it for good for me.
Fourth Wing - 4* Iron Flame - 4* Just the Nicest Couple - 2.5* (I hated her writing style, probably would have been higher rated if the sentence structure wasn't so choppy) The Perfect Marriage - 3*
I have either The Teacher or The Housemaid up next, trying to decide on which one...
I really enjoyed the Housemaid series. Go in knowing it's totally off-the-wall with lots of plot holes, but I could not put it down!
Just started Children of Time for my work book club. The premise already has me hooked, and I expect to like it as much as Project Hail Mary and I’m less than 100 pages in lol
oh come back to update if it's as good! I loved Project Hail Mary it's prob one of my all time favorite books I couldn't put it down.
I'm currently reading Miracle Creek and really liking it. I had been in such a slump but this is getting me out! For some reason I thought it was a Hallmark type romance book but kept hearing about it so decided to try it out. Anyways it is not at all Hallmark or romance (so far anyways) and Im really liking it!
I'm listening to Stanley Tucci Taste and it's ok. I do audiobooks as like my background while doing stuff around the house and it fits for that.
NewGirlNic , do yourself a favor and skip Demon Copperhead.
What?? I think Demon Copperhead is one of the all-time great American novels. It's so good! Beautifully written, compelling characters, important social commentary. This book has it all! Five stars
Ok I’m hoping someone(s) else has read Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I’m about 80% done and it’s good, a bit navel gazy for me, but the main problem I’m having is I feel like the characters and the writing are at odds with the actual timeline in the book. If I didn’t have the years at the top of each chapter I’d bet my life these people were living in the 50s. I don’t know if this is purposeful or not but it’s really affecting my ability to enjoy the story.
I’m also mid The Wishing Game. I’m having a hard time getting into it which is making me sad bc it got such good reviews here. I’m just not invested at all.
Ok I’m hoping someone(s) else has read Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I’m about 80% done and it’s good, a bit navel gazy for me, but the main problem I’m having is I feel like the characters and the writing are at odds with the actual timeline in the book. If I didn’t have the years at the top of each chapter I’d bet my life these people were living in the 50s. I don’t know if this is purposeful or not but it’s really affecting my ability to enjoy the story.
I’m also mid The Wishing Game. I’m having a hard time getting into it which is making me sad bc it got such good reviews here. I’m just not invested at all.
A bunch of us read it last year. I loved the book, and it didn’t feel old fashioned to me.
Jalapeñomel I just can’t wrap my head around William getting in trouble for having a woman in his dorm room after hours or the concept of “married dorms” in the early/mid 80s. I went to a Catholic college 10 years later and nobody cared at all we even had coed dorms.
Also and this is me being anecdotal but I don’t know a single Italian (man or woman) that would be OK with serving a guest a TV dinner, especially the first time they came over. But that’s me being ridiculous 🤣
I just finished The Women for my book club. I really liked it. I agree it wasn't perfect, but it was a great book to talk about. I think it was the longest and best discussion we've had. (Fairly new club)
I just started Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson and I think I'm going to love it. Frank is an eccentric 9 year old. LOL I've never heard of the writer before. I also checked out the sequel to The Maid, The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. I loved Molly the maid so I hope this book is a good follow up.
We're doing a little family book club so we're all going to read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. We're doing the YA version so it will go a little faster, but these books are carrying me into April!
Ok I’m hoping someone(s) else has read Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I’m about 80% done and it’s good, a bit navel gazy for me, but the main problem I’m having is I feel like the characters and the writing are at odds with the actual timeline in the book. Ilibrary!
t have the years at the top of each chapter I’d bet my life these people were living in the 50s. I don’t know if this is purposeful or not but it’s really affecting my ability to enjoy the story.
I’m also mid The Wishing Game. I’m having a hard time getting into it which is making me sad bc it got such good reviews here. I’m just not invested at all.
I hated this book. Timelines was one of its many problems (Hello! September 11th?!) LOL I also read that people were so annoyed because the areas in Chicago they were supposed to be running through searching were nowhere near each other, but I don't know anything about Chicago.
Jalapeñomel I just can’t wrap my head around William getting in trouble for having a woman in his dorm room after hours or the concept of “married dorms” in the early/mid 80s. I went to a Catholic college 10 years later and nobody cared at all we even had coed dorms.
Also and this is me being anecdotal but I don’t know a single Italian (man or woman) that would be OK with serving a guest a TV dinner, especially the first time they came over. But that’s me being ridiculous 🤣
Everything about this "big Italian family" was off. Awful book! LOL