It's Friday! What are you reading? (5/12)

[ufcasey]

What books did you read this past week? What books are you currently reading? Thoughts on them?

QOTW:
What are you doing for your Mother/Grandmother/etc for Mother's Day? If you're a mom, have any plans for yourself?

[Vespasia]

I finished the Book of Strange New Things last night. It was really good if a bit disturbing. It's a about a missionary who goes to another planet to prosthelytize to the native inhabitants. Meanwhile his wife is back home on an Earth that is rapidly sinking into chaos. I wish there had been more story from the wife's prospective and would love it if the author would do a sequel that way.

QOTW: I'll call my mom, that's it.

[susiebw]

I read Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult earlier this week. I liked it a lot. I get the comparisons to a Lifetime Movie, but I think all her books are that way. This felt like something that could actually happen, it was interesting to me and I read it in just a few days.

I'm now reading The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Ann Rice (or whatever her pseudonym is for her porn books). I'm about 20% in, and so far it's a bit much. I'm into BDSM literary porn, but this one isn't sitting quite right with me. It's like Beauty is starting to come around to consent, but it certainly didn't start out that way. It doesn't seem to me that Beauty could leave if she wanted to. I see that as a key element of the BDSM world, and I don't care for the fact that this book is portraying it otherwise. Consensual sexual slavery is one thing, but this reads like straight up slavery.

QOTW: We're going to brunch with my parents and inlaws, and then it's supposed to be really nasty rainy out all day, so we'll probably just hang out at home. I'll probably get my mom a gift card for a pedicure and a plant.

[monkeyfeet]

I'm 80%finished with Homegoing. It's good, but with so many 5* ratings I'm curious how it will wrap up!

My thoughts are with those who are motherless and without children (if not by choice) this week! My husband and I have a ball to go to Sat night and my B/SIL are watching our kids over night. We won't make a big deal out of it since they weren't able to have kids. They are doing something the last hour of preschool today that I'm really looking forward too as one daughter tells me I can't look at one area of their class and the other was singing a sweet song this morning.

[sassypants]

I'm finishing up The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer. It's so bad. She clearly did next to no research before she wrote this one, and yet I cannot put it down for long.

I'll call my mom. That's about it.

[rainbowchip]

I'm still reading The Chosen. I cannot get into it at all. I can't figure out why the characters are doing what they are doing. Nothing makes sense to me.

QOTW: We (brothers and sister and our families) usually go to my parents' house for a meal. There's alcohol and general merriment.
We arr currently locking heads on what to eat. The brothers want chicken (fried chicken from the grocery store which I hate for a number of reasons) and the sisters want pizza.

[travella]

I am really close to finishing Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben. I am really enjoying this book. This is the second book of his that I've read and I'm going to add some more of his books to my to read list.

Qotw: I send cards and I'll call my mom. We have plans to go to Six Flags for mother's day as long as my son is feeling better. He is not feeling well this morning.

[ufcasey]

Read last week
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - non-fiction; 3 stars; I liked this more than The Last Lecture by Pausch but less than This is Water by Wallace
Filthy Beautiful Lies by Kendall Ryan - romance; 2.5 stars; book about a girl auctioning off her virginity but by the end of the book she is still a virgin. The plot isn't strong enough to bother reading the next installment.

Currently reading
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah Maas - fantasy romance; 86% done with the book, the first half was kind of slow to me but the second half is definitely picking up!
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury - fantasy/sci-fi/fiction; this is kind of like 18 short stories tied together by the literal body of an 'illustrated man'. I've read 4 so far and really like this surprisingly

QOTW
I will just call my mom (sent her a card/gift card in the mail too). My husband planned a stay-cation thing for the weekend which I am looking forward to: relaxing by a hotel pool and then drinking around the world at Epcot:drink:

[litskispeciality]

I got about 30% through "The Gunslinger". So far so good, but I had to find an illegal audio version (via youtube) and do immersion reading. I was a little lost, it's getting better.

Happy Mother's day to all the mom's on the thread! I hope you get a little time to read and relax.

[abs]

I finished A Court of Wings and Ruin this week and really enjoyed it. I started The Handmaid's Tale last night but I think it will be something I need to read not a night. I need to concentrate on it too much. My hold on The Hate U Give came in, too, so I will start this weekend.

QOTW: DD is going to MIL's this weekend. DH and I have plan to eat out, do some cleaning, and get ready for an upcoming Disney trip. I will call my mom on Mother's Day but we went out for lunch earlier in the week. I stopped getting her things a long time ago--she solely wants time and experiences.

[mrspez07]

I'm still reading the Bone Season and a reread ofAn Echo in the Bone. I started an audio book (which I don't do too many of) on The Summer that Melted Everything, it was weirdly not in My Library's system.

I'm having my parents over for dinner, the boys volunteered to cook Mac and cheese, hot dogs and peas. ;-) I also plan to go shopping by myself and/or work in the garden. My DH bought me a rain barrel for Mother's Day, but it was raining every night this week we couldn't get it set up.

[Nonny]

I finished All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, and I keep meaning to bump the book club thread on it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.   It was a heavy, but kind of amazing book.

I've since started Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (about 1/3 of the way through and it's good so far) and Stone Mattress: Nine Wicked Tales (through the first two "tales" except they are different characters in a related story, so they don't really stand alone, and I'm still not enjoying Atwood's writing style and phrasing).

QOTW: My mom is off doing the RV portion of her year, so I'll try to call her, but there is a decent chance she won't have good cell reception. I'm not a mom and no longer have any grandparents, so nothing to do there. My MIL is in town, and my H bought her an incredibly practical present (a Bissel spot cleaning machine) that we'll probably give to her tomorrow because she plans to leave on Sunday.

[sassypants]

May 12, 2017 13:56:17 GMT -5 Nonny said:

I finished All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, and I keep meaning to bump the book club thread on it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.   It was a heavy, but kind of amazing book.

I've since started Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (about 1/3 of the way through and it's good so far) and Stone Mattress: Nine Wicked Tales (through the first two "tales" except they are different characters in a related story, so they don't really stand alone, and I'm still not enjoying Atwood's writing style and phrasing).

QOTW: My mom is off doing the RV portion of her year, so I'll try to call her, but there is a decent chance she won't have good cell reception. I'm not a mom and no longer have any grandparents, so nothing to do there. My MIL is in town, and my H bought her an incredibly practical present (a Bissel spot cleaning machine) that we'll probably give to her tomorrow because she plans to leave on Sunday.

Spot Bot RULES if you have pets and carpet!! We got one as a wedding present and though our current parsonage is all hardwood floors, the new one will have one carpeted room and you just know that's where the cats will target.

[Nonny]

May 12, 2017 14:07:31 GMT -5 sassypants said:

May 12, 2017 13:56:17 GMT -5 Nonny said:

I finished All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, and I keep meaning to bump the book club thread on it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.   It was a heavy, but kind of amazing book.

I've since started Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (about 1/3 of the way through and it's good so far) and Stone Mattress: Nine Wicked Tales (through the first two "tales" except they are different characters in a related story, so they don't really stand alone, and I'm still not enjoying Atwood's writing style and phrasing).

QOTW: My mom is off doing the RV portion of her year, so I'll try to call her, but there is a decent chance she won't have good cell reception. I'm not a mom and no longer have any grandparents, so nothing to do there. My MIL is in town, and my H bought her an incredibly practical present (a Bissel spot cleaning machine) that we'll probably give to her tomorrow because she plans to leave on Sunday.

Spot Bot RULES if you have pets and carpet!! We got one as a wedding present and though our current parsonage is all hardwood floors, the new one will have one carpeted room and you just know that's where the cats will target.

Yeah, we have a Bissel ProHeat, and I think he got her the same thing.  The carpet in her rental house just got replaced a couple of months ago and she was expressing concern about her cats making messes on it, so he decided this would be a good gift.

[MrsAxilla]

Anasazi Boys by Neil Gaiman. The kindle version doesn't have page numbers and I hate that! I need a frame of reference.

QOTD: we sent all the moms cards with photos and kid art. We'll call, too. As for me, DH is in charge of plans, but I'll bet they include a double IPA (or two) in a beer garden. 

[AJL]

I finished so more quick, fluffy reads:

Hollie Porter Builds a Raft (sequel to Must Love Otters) by Eliza Gordon - 3/5*
Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl - 2/5*

I'm currently reading A Court of Wings and Ruin but I'm kind of lost. I may have to go back a re-read the second book. I don't remember a lot of what the author is referring so I feel like I'm missing a lot. 

I started reading the first book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (three book series.) It hasn't grabbed me like her Kate Daniels books have but I'm giving it a shot.  I'm also reading Josh Lanyon's All's Fair mystery/M-M romance series. She's one of the better M/M romance authors I've read.

QOTW:

What are you doing for your Mother/Grandmother/etc for Mother's Day? If you're a mom, have any plans for yourself?
  We're going to brunch with my parents, grandmother, aunt and uncle, my sister and her family. That's generally our tradition.  As for what I'm doing for myself - nothing, really. The following weekend I'm heading out of town for a little solo girl's trip (i.e. road trip and weekend stay all by myself!)  I did buy my mother's day present for myself today though.   I got this purse: www.coach.com/coach-dinky-in-glovetanned-leather/37296.html?dwvar_color=BPLCJ

[AJL]

May 12, 2017 9:24:59 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

I finished the Book of Strange New Things last night. It was really good if a bit disturbing. It's a about a missionary who goes to another planet to prosthelytize to the native inhabitants. Meanwhile his wife is back home on an Earth that is rapidly sinking into chaos. I wish there had been more story from the wife's prospective and would love it if the author would do a sequel that way.

QOTW: I'll call my mom, that's it.

Have you read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell? I think you'd enjoy it if you liked Book of Strange New Things.

[rootbeerfloat]

Still plugging along in the Mercy Thompson series. I finished Iron Kissed (#3), and now I'm on Bone Crossed (#4).

My mom and I are getting facials Saturday. For Sunday, I asked for a peaceful day (lol, right) and dinner out, so I don't have to clean the kitchen.

[dorothyinAus]

I finished Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue just before bed on Wednesday night.  It has been the best Gaslight mystery so far I think. I really enjoyed it, and I thought it was a bit different than the standard historical cozy. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for others but it definitely had a different feel than most other mysteries I've read.  I started The Murder of Roger Ackroyd the next day. It's slow going so far, I really as though it's begun in the middle of the story and I haven't gotten to the point where the reader get caught up yet.  But it's a classic Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot so I think it will will get better and start to move faster soon. At least I hope it will.

QOTW:  My mother does not celebrate Mother's Day, so I'm not doing anything for her, at her specific instruction -- not just because I'm a mean, horrible daughter.  My MIL is coming for dinner, and I'm making one of her favorite meals (Chicken & 40 Cloves, with roast root vegetables, homemade dinner rolls, and mocha cupcakes).  DH got her a book (Hemingway Didn't Say That) and we're taking her to see the Alice in Wonderland Ballet in September.

[cole]

I read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, which was just okay. I'll probably finish the series because I'm a weirdo who must know what happens but this first one wasn't the best start. I also finished Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, which was good. I had heard rave reviews and it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting, but still an interesting read.

I just started I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.

[dorothyinAus]

May 12, 2017 10:08:35 GMT -5 rainbowchip said:

I'm still reading The Chosen. I cannot get into it at all. I can't figure out why the characters are doing what they are doing. Nothing makes sense to me.

QOTW: We (brothers and sister and our families) usually go to my parents' house for a meal. There's alcohol and general merriment.
We arr currently locking heads on what to eat. The brothers want chicken (fried chicken from the grocery store which I hate for a number of reasons) and the sisters want pizza.

Why not do both and have an eclectic buffet?

[rainbowchip]

May 12, 2017 21:28:40 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

May 12, 2017 10:08:35 GMT -5 rainbowchip said:

I'm still reading The Chosen. I cannot get into it at all. I can't figure out why the characters are doing what they are doing. Nothing makes sense to me.

QOTW: We (brothers and sister and our families) usually go to my parents' house for a meal. There's alcohol and general merriment.
We arr currently locking heads on what to eat. The brothers want chicken (fried chicken from the grocery store which I hate for a number of reasons) and the sisters want pizza.

Why not do both and have an eclectic buffet?

I honestly thought about showing up with a pizza for my sister and me.

[ufcasey]

May 12, 2017 21:19:36 GMT -5 cole said:

I read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, which was just okay. I'll probably finish the series because I'm a weirdo who must know what happens but this first one wasn't the best start. I also finished Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, which was good. I had heard rave reviews and it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting, but still an interesting read.

I just started I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.

I am one of the few people who did not really care too much for the A Discovery of Witches series in general (I read all three though). Also I agree on Hillbilly Elegy.

[abs]

I started The Hate U Give last night and am almost done. Wow. That's all I can say about it.

[rainbowchip]

May 13, 2017 6:36:55 GMT -5 abs said:

I started The Hate U Give last night and am almost done. Wow. That's all I can say about it.

I'm doing this one next. My holds for The Hate U Give, The Summer That Melted Everything, and Born a Crime all came in at the same time so I was debating which to do first. I'm taking this as a sign.

[cole]

May 12, 2017 21:48:13 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

May 12, 2017 21:19:36 GMT -5 cole said:

I read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, which was just okay. I'll probably finish the series because I'm a weirdo who must know what happens but this first one wasn't the best start. I also finished Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, which was good. I had heard rave reviews and it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting, but still an interesting read.

I just started I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.

I am one of the few people who did not really care too much for the A Discovery of Witches series in general (I read all three though). Also I agree on Hillbilly Elegy.

Oo good to know! Book 1 to me felt like she threw everything that could possibly happen in without really developing any of the story lines. Do books 2 and 3 get significantly worse, or just stay in the same general "this isn't well done" style.. I'd like to keep my expectations reasonable after the Tearling

[ufcasey]

May 13, 2017 7:21:14 GMT -5 cole said:

May 12, 2017 21:48:13 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

I am one of the few people who did not really care too much for the A Discovery of Witches series in general (I read all three though). Also I agree on Hillbilly Elegy.

Oo good to know! Book 1 to me felt like she threw everything that could possibly happen in without really developing any of the story lines. Do books 2 and 3 get significantly worse, or just stay in the same general "this isn't well done" style.. I'd like to keep my expectations reasonable after the Tearling

The second book is more of the same to me - she just throws every historical figure in there for the heck of it instead. Then the third book I just found boring and the one sub-plot that I liked, just gets ignored pretty much. So basically more of the "this could be better" style. Just set in the past is pretty much the only difference between this book and the next two.

I'm still mad about the Tearling. Haha!

[rootbeerfloat]

May 13, 2017 7:21:14 GMT -5 cole said:

May 12, 2017 21:48:13 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

I am one of the few people who did not really care too much for the A Discovery of Witches series in general (I read all three though). Also I agree on Hillbilly Elegy.

Oo good to know! Book 1 to me felt like she threw everything that could possibly happen in without really developing any of the story lines. Do books 2 and 3 get significantly worse, or just stay in the same general "this isn't well done" style.. I'd like to keep my expectations reasonable after the Tearling

I liked A Discovery of Witches well enough, but it was the best of the series. The second was super boring, and the third was slightly better, but still boring.

[gibbinator]

À horrible star trek book. 90% of the books in these series are decent light reading and some of them are amazing. But some of them are also just awful. The plot in this one is so all over the place and the characters are like caricatures of themselves. I feel like I'm wading through mud getting through it.

[spedrunner]

This week I read:

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Murakami, Haruki
4/5 stars. I really really enjoyed this book!

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do
Knight, Sarah *
3/5 stars.
Loved the concept, a bit "meh" at times, nothing life shattering or worth learning

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bryson, Bill
4/5 stars.
I LOVED this book I actually felt as if I were hiking(did not like the subtle fat shaming however)

Wrong Beach Island (Meg Daniels, #3)
Kelly, Jane
2/5 stars. It was fine. Written about LBI, nj, shore town. The author is from there. Very cool that it mentioned towns, street,s restaurants in the area. Pretty cheesy mystery read however

CURRENTLY READING

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
McDougall, Christopher

I Let You Go
Mackintosh, Clare

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

This week I gave up on:

Mile Markers (written by lance armstrongs ex wife)
Furiously Happy: made me furiously irrtated

QOTD: I am not a mother but I spent the day spoiling my mom We had breakfast her favorites for breakfast. Went to yoga, went to see "Snatched", then ended with a walk and a BBQ