April Reading Thread 📕 📚

[wildrice]

Apr 3, 2024 9:44:51 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

I'm currently slogging through the Bee Sting. I know a lot of people here loved it, but I don't. It is soooo long, and it's not interesting enough to keep me into it. I've already renewed it once and still have about 150 pages to go. I feel like I can't relate to any of the characters in it.

This is how I feel about the Bee Sting too! I don't hate it but it's not a page turner for me, either. Unfortunately it was one of the two books I recently purchased (I usually just get them from the library!) so I feel like I should keep reading since I spent money on it. But my Kindle says I'm only 20% of the way through and have another 10 hours of reading to do, so we'll see.

[Jalapeñomel]

Apr 10, 2024 11:38:50 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Apr 3, 2024 9:44:51 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

I'm currently slogging through the Bee Sting. I know a lot of people here loved it, but I don't. It is soooo long, and it's not interesting enough to keep me into it. I've already renewed it once and still have about 150 pages to go. I feel like I can't relate to any of the characters in it.

This is how I feel about the Bee Sting too! I don't hate it but it's not a page turner for me, either. Unfortunately it was one of the two books I recently purchased (I usually just get them from the library!) so I feel like I should keep reading since I spent money on it. But my Kindle says I'm only 20% of the way through and have another 10 hours of reading to do, so we'll see.

I LOVED the Bee Sting, easily one of my favorite books I read this year. But it did take a bit for me to get into it, and it's super long. 

[lilac05]

I’m finishing Worth Fighting For by John Pavlovitz.

5 stars. Highly recommend for people who grew up Christian and still want to (or do!) believe, but don’t want to be grouped in with the hate-spewing American Christianity that we hear so much of today. Also for people who are TIRED of everything politically, but know we cannot give up now.

[wildrice]

Apr 10, 2024 11:40:56 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Apr 10, 2024 11:38:50 GMT -5 wildrice said:

This is how I feel about the Bee Sting too! I don't hate it but it's not a page turner for me, either. Unfortunately it was one of the two books I recently purchased (I usually just get them from the library!) so I feel like I should keep reading since I spent money on it. But my Kindle says I'm only 20% of the way through and have another 10 hours of reading to do, so we'll see.

I LOVED the Bee Sting, easily one of my favorite books I read this year. But it did take a bit for me to get into it, and it's super long. 

That gives me hope! I fully expected to like it, which may be part of the problem since sometimes that means I hold things to a higher standard. I'll keep reading!

[toepick]

Apr 10, 2024 10:12:58 GMT -5 tennisgal said:

Anyone having issues with the Libby app on their kindle? I got a notification April 1st saying something about Libby no longer being supported? IDK if it is because my kindle is old and I can't update to the newest version of Libby - or if it's an overall Libby/Kindle thing? I can replaced my kindle but might need to look at something else if kindle and libby are no longer compatible. I also feel like some people were having issue with one of the library apps not working on the paperwhites?

How old is your Kindle? There isn't an issue with most Kindles and Libby, but it isn't an app. The Libby app sends books to your Kindle.

[fiddles]

The Whispers I rated 4 stars. Definitely kept me reading to figure out the "whodunnit."

The Marlow Murder Club is along the same lines of Thursday Murder Club. It was a fun read and I'm reading the 2nd in the series now.

[Jalapeñomel]

Apr 10, 2024 11:44:19 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Apr 10, 2024 11:40:56 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I LOVED the Bee Sting, easily one of my favorite books I read this year. But it did take a bit for me to get into it, and it's super long. 

That gives me hope! I fully expected to like it, which may be part of the problem since sometimes that means I hold things to a higher standard. I'll keep reading!

Well keep in mind that  I seem to veer from the norm around here, so you may still end up hating it. LOL

[dontlook]

Apr 8, 2024 19:38:46 GMT -5 dontlook said:

Finished Chain-Gang Allstars. I gave it 2 stars. It felt like it was trying to hard to make a point and forgot to make a decent storyline.

Halfway through A Short Walk Through A Wide World. It’s good so far.

Finished A Short Walk: 2 stars
That’s 3 terrible books in a row. I’m taking a break.

[RoxMonster]

How To Kill a Guy in 10 Ways: 4 stars
Definitely a page Turner for me and super entertaining. It’s a thriller with VERY dark humor and a lot of murder, in case that bothers you

[krystee]

The Stationery Shop of Tehran (just The Stationery Shop in the US, but I read the “of Tehran” edition, not sure if anything is different in text) is SO good. I don’t always have the patience for young, wildly all-consuming love, but the backdrop of the Iranian political turmoil and the immigrant experience in the US made it so much more interesting. I loved it!

[dcrunnergirl52]

Just finished Pachinko. 4.5 stars I was reading at the same time as we're watching Shogun and we're planning a summer trip to Japan, so it fit in with those things.

I'm now reading Code Name Sapphire. It's decent but I can't quite put my finger on why it also slightly annoys me. It's not the best WWII book that I've read.

[tennisgal]

Apr 10, 2024 12:48:41 GMT -5 toepick said:

Apr 10, 2024 10:12:58 GMT -5 tennisgal said:

Anyone having issues with the Libby app on their kindle? I got a notification April 1st saying something about Libby no longer being supported? IDK if it is because my kindle is old and I can't update to the newest version of Libby - or if it's an overall Libby/Kindle thing? I can replaced my kindle but might need to look at something else if kindle and libby are no longer compatible. I also feel like some people were having issue with one of the library apps not working on the paperwhites?

How old is your Kindle? There isn't an issue with most Kindles and Libby, but it isn't an app. The Libby app sends books to your Kindle.

It's 2017, so I think its just too old to update to the minimum operating system to support Libby..... oh well, time to shop for a new one I guess!

[underwaterrhymes]

I just finished Where He Cant’s Find You by Darcy Coates. This one was maybe a bit too long, but super creepy and I dug. 4*

[shinyhappy]

I’m a little more than halfway through Minka Kelly’s autobiography “Tell Me Everything,” and it is riveting. I knew she had a rough upbringing, but I had no idea how extreme it was. It is also very well written. I would recommend this to anyone-such an inspiring story of coming from nothing and fighting her way out to a better life.

[Jalapeñomel]

Has anyone read The Other Valley? I would've put money that the book was translated from another language (French), but I read that it was not. The word choice is...odd? I'm not sure how to describe it, but I do like it (even if its another book without proper punctuation!).

[wise_rita]

I'm reading Fourth Wing for my book club, and ditto PP who said they are slogging through a book. I am calculating how much I need to listen per day to get through it by the time we meet, and not a minute more. I cannot believe this is so popular and a NYT best seller.

MILD spoilers:

It's a teenage love triangle melodrama with occasional visits to an interesting dragon fantasy novel. It's juvenile and really boring as it's focusing almost exclusively on the love triangle and there's a comedically evil caricature of a villain. I'm convinced the main character is 20 instead of 14 for the sole purpose of her being overtly horny every other page (and the sex hasn't even started yet, but I know it will).

END spoilers.

Decent world building, and it has the potential to be actually interesting if it focuses on the right things, but it's so predicable and really not enjoyable to me. I would like a pep talk from one of the many fans of the book to keep going, please and thank you!

[gardengal]

Apr 12, 2024 7:32:05 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

I'm reading Fourth Wing for my book club, and ditto PP who said they are slogging through a book. I am calculating how much I need to listen per day to get through it by the time we meet, and not a minute more. I cannot believe this is so popular and a NYT best seller.

MILD spoilers:

It's a teenage love triangle melodrama with occasional visits to an interesting dragon fantasy novel. It's juvenile and really boring as it's focusing almost exclusively on the love triangle and there's a comedically evil caricature of a villain. I'm convinced the main character is 20 instead of 14 for the sole purpose of her being overtly horny every other page (and the sex hasn't even started yet, but I know it will).

END spoilers.

Decent world building, and it has the potential to be actually interesting if it focuses on the right things, but it's so predicable and really not enjoyable to me. I would like a pep talk from one of the many fans of the book to keep going, please and thank you!

If it makes you feel better, FMC *is* 20 not a child. 

I really liked it but maybe it’s not for you? I mean, I’m baffled as to why people enjoy Kristin Hannah’s books as I find them also predictable & formulaic & boring. I also think that if a book comes to you at the wrong point, there’s a chance you may not like it. Some of my fav books came to me when I needed that story (or escape).

it was a good escape for me & I enjoyed the story & characters but if you’re decently in it now & not enjoying, I’d probably just read a summary somewhere & read something you do like!

[wildrice]

Apr 11, 2024 8:27:15 GMT -5 tennisgal said:

Apr 10, 2024 12:48:41 GMT -5 toepick said:

How old is your Kindle? There isn't an issue with most Kindles and Libby, but it isn't an app. The Libby app sends books to your Kindle.

It's 2017, so I think its just too old to update to the minimum operating system to support Libby..... oh well, time to shop for a new one I guess!

Just download the app on your phone and then have books sent to your Kindle. I mean unless you want a new one, of course. But you don't need the libby app on your Kindle. I have literally never had the app on mine and 98% of the books I read are checked out on Libby.

[RoxMonster]

Just finished You’d Look Better as a Ghost - 3 ⭐️

Just starting Vacancy in Room 10 now that it’s released. It’s been on my TBR for awhile.

[lust2hart]

I just finished the audiobook of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. I'd give it 2/5 stars, although it may have gotten a higher rating if I had read instead of listened to it - it was VERY hard to keep all of the characters straight when I couldn't flip back to remind myself who the heck was who.

In general, I thought there were way too many characters and side stories. I appreciate that maybe that was intentional, trying to weave together the complicated dynamic of the townspeople. Even so, it was unwieldy. I also completely forgot that it opened as a mystery about the skeleton at the bottom of the well.

[Jalapeñomel]

Ok I tried The Wishing Game on audiobook, and it’s worse than reading it. I have no idea why people liked this book—-it’s boring and the writing is elementary. DNF

[sadie]

Still plugging along at The Covenant of Water. I'm down to 13 hours out of like 32 remaining...more than halfway! Lol.

[RoxMonster]

Just finished The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass - 4 stars. I really enjoyed it and I love when the setting is basically a character itself. Very atmospheric. I have enjoyed every book she's written.

[mcppalmbeach]

I’m reading what happened to kitty carr…I’m enjoying it.

[krystee]

Apr 12, 2024 7:21:46 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Has anyone read The Other Valley? I would've put money that the book was translated from another language (French), but I read that it was not. The word choice is...odd? I'm not sure how to describe it, but I do like it (even if its another book without proper punctuation!).

Huh, I would have guessed French translation too!

[underwaterrhymes]

I just finished Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig.

It was probably way too long, but it was super intense and held my interest throughout. (I kept having to take breaks because it was stressing me out lol). 4*

[lilac05]

I’m currently reading The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and someone else. I agree with the concept of the book, but a privileged boomer white male diminishing “microaggressions” on the grounds of them not ACTUALLY being aggressive because people often don’t INTEND for them to be hurtful is enough to make me want to throw my phone through the nearest window.

Thankfully I got it from the library, so I’m not out any money. But ugh…his basic premise is mostly something I can agree with, but his supporting arguments are so terrible it makes me want to scream.

[TR]

Apr 18, 2024 15:20:13 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Ok I tried The Wishing Game on audiobook, and it’s worse than reading it. I have no idea why people liked this book—-it’s boring and the writing is elementary. DNF

Aw I liked this one. It was definitely simple, but I found it sweet. Very Charlie & The Chocolate Factory-esq lol

[Jalapeñomel]

Apr 19, 2024 10:29:37 GMT -5 TR said:

Apr 18, 2024 15:20:13 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Ok I tried The Wishing Game on audiobook, and it’s worse than reading it. I have no idea why people liked this book—-it’s boring and the writing is elementary. DNF

Aw I liked this one. It was definitely simple, but I found it sweet. Very Charlie & The Chocolate Factory-esq lol

I'm so stuck on how inappropriate the relationship is between the teacher's aide and a student! lol

[dontlook]

Apr 19, 2024 10:29:37 GMT -5 TR said:

Apr 18, 2024 15:20:13 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Ok I tried The Wishing Game on audiobook, and it’s worse than reading it. I have no idea why people liked this book—-it’s boring and the writing is elementary. DNF

Aw I liked this one. It was definitely simple, but I found it sweet. Very Charlie & The Chocolate Factory-esq lol

I agree. It was very juvenile but I read it like Charlie or Matilda.