It's Friday! (12/22)

[ufcasey]

What have you read this week? What are you currently reading?

QOTW:
With the year almost over, what was the best part of this year for you (something good that happened, something fun you did, etc)?

[rainbowchip]

This week I read all of the Throne of Glass novellas. They gave the back story on Celeana and Sam. It really didn't help me understand their love at all though.

ETA: I started reading The Language of Thorns last night but didn't get too far into it. I should finish it tomorrow. Then I get to start Artemis!

QOTW: We went to Disney World this spring. It is by far my favorite vacation and I am planning to go back in 2019.

[monkeyfeet]

I finished Born a Crime.

We did a huge trip this summer to Niagara Falls, across Canada to Maine where my in-laws have a house. It had been 10 years since we had been up there and I forgot how gorgeous it is!!! A close second would be escaping to Charleston for 2 nights sans kids! I think I could do monthly trips away from them. Too bad m, or maybe good for my mental health, we don’t live close to grandparents...

[litskispeciality]

I finished Eleanor and Park, it was pretty good, picks up at the end.

I started The 19th Wife. I wish I had more time, I think it's going to be good. Too lazy to use Google, if anyone has read this book, is the lost boys perspective a true story or fiction based on real life accounts?

QOTW: I finally went to Prince Edward Island this year and did all things Anne of Green Gables. I got to "meet" Anne at the house and I was star struck, like a 5 year old at Disney star struck. I think it made the long drive to the island and the park worth it for my husband. I also got Thanksgiving and will have Christmas with my husband on the day of, that's so super rare I have to treasure it.

Have a happy holiday everyone!

[hurricanedrunk]

I'm reading Sleeping Beauties by Steven and Owen King. Can't wait to have more time to read this weekend. I finished listening to Gone With the Wind earlier this week which I enjoyed but it was sooo long I lost interest towards the end. Now I'm listening to As you Wish by Cary Elwes and I like it.

QOTW - Highlights of the year include travel with friends to Puerto Rico, college friend reunion and running the Chicago marathon.

[labbie]

I started and finished Red Bird Christmas by Fannie Flagg and it was just what I was looking for- an easy, holiday-themed read. It was a very sweet story.

This year has so many great memories, but my favorite part is that our 1.5 year old pup came home for GOOD in June after months and months of in-out of hospital and medical drama related to a birth defect he has when we adopted. He's been able to be "Just a dog" since July and it's been SO much fun. 

[rootbeerfloat]

I finished Young Jane Young earlier this week. Now I'm reading Hunting Ground, second in the Alpha and Omega series.

The best part of 2017 was getting our dog. Second was a family trip to Portland (OR).

[charlatti]

I have three going: The Changeling by Victor Lavalle, which is really, really good; a reread of The Handmaid’sTale; and Lincoln in the Bardo, which I kind of hate but want to finish anyway. The experimental style just is not working for me.

Best part of the year: Hmm. This has not been my favorite year. Biking around Mackinac Island was probably the best thing.

[abs]

I’m still reading Little Fires Everywhere. It’s been a busy week!

QOTW: I don’t even know. I guess the Halloween party at Disneyland? It’s been a crappy year.

[travella]

I am reading Glass Houses by Louise Penny. I'm enjoying it, but you can't go wrong with Louise Penny.


QOTW: I cannot think of anything that stands out for me personally, but my kids have had a pretty amazing year. The best experience for them was probably going on United's Fantasy Flight to the North Pole.

[minzy]

This week I finished The Greatest Story Ever Told - So Far Why Are We Here? by Lawrence M. Krauss. Particle physics is apparently not my strength, and even with multiple college physics courses, I didn't understand about 80% it. I'm now partway through my 50th (woohoo!) book on the year, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

QOTW: Despite what I'd consider the nauseating political climate, it was a good year for my little family in many ways. One highlight was getting to experience the solar eclipse with my daughters and sister, and helping my sister throw a really fun party for it.

[ufcasey]

I think this week was the best reading week I have had so far this year, each book I finished was 4 stars or above. That almost never happens!

Read:
Married by Morning (#4 in series) by Lisa Kleypas - historical romance; 4 stars; the third book in this series is still my favorite so far, but this was very amusing
Beartown by Fredrik Backman - fiction; 4.5 stars; this was really overwhelming at first because there's a bajillion characters in it and they each have their own narrative point of view, but it's worth sticking it out. It felt SO honest.
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - historical fiction; 4.5 stars; this book has the weirdest combination of funny conversations, heartbreaking realities, absurd actions, and an interesting look at how one's failures in life can end up being be the best things to ever happen to you.

Currently Reading:
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson - non-fiction; this is still kind of over my head but still interesting
Haunted Blade (#6 in series) by J.C. Daniels - eh, nothing special so far
Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - romance; this author really is one of my favorite new finds this year

QOTW:
Going on a cruise with just me and my sister - we've never done a sister vacation before and it was fabulous!

[mrspez07]

Finished The Next Always by Nora Roberts and finished listening to Nurtureshock by Po Bronson
I’m currently reading Sourdough by Robin sloan, liking it so far.


I think my favorite event was our spring break trip to the central coast of CA. We managed to do both wine tasting and kid-friendly activities. Overall I have really enjoyed the age my boys are at. They are fun on vacation and growing so much as little people, it’s been fun to watch.

[ssmjlm]

Finished:
Lucy Kinkaid #11- pretty good 3*
Natural Born Charmer (which I think ufcasey recommended in another thread)- really good 4*
License to Date - not bad, book bub freebie. More of a novella. 3*

About to start The Last Mrs. Parrish

QOTW-we just got back from Disney and it was the best trip. E was amazing and loved the whole week. She’s already asking to go back.

[dorothyinAus]

I finished Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love and began Mistletoe and Murder. This is the first time in a quite a while that I'll be reading a Christmas book at Christmas.

QOTW:  Ohh, this is a tough question. I think one of the best things was taking my mother-in-law to see two plays at the Pop-Up Globe theater. She's a Shakespeare teacher and would not have gone if we did not take her. But it was such a pleasure to be able to give her an experience like that. It was really very special to take her to a live performance rather than her settling for a filmed version. She tends to sacrifice her happiness for others and it was fantastic to let her be indulged for once (or twice).

[dorothyinAus]

Dec 22, 2017 11:09:31 GMT -5 litskispeciality said:

I finished Eleanor and Park, it was pretty good, picks up at the end.

I started The 19th Wife. I wish I had more time, I think it's going to be good. Too lazy to use Google, if anyone has read this book, is the lost boys perspective a true story or fiction based on real life accounts?

QOTW: I finally went to Prince Edward Island this year and did all things Anne of Green Gables. I got to "meet" Anne at the house and I was star struck, like a 5 year old at Disney star struck. I think it made the long drive to the island and the park worth it for my husband. I also got Thanksgiving and will have Christmas with my husband on the day of, that's so super rare I have to treasure it.

Have a happy holiday everyone!

We actually booked our very first cruise in 1998 because we read an article in the Saturday Evening Post about the Anne experience on PEI. The cruise we went on then did not stop at PEI, but once we got there, Charlottetown became one of our favorite ports. It's definitely worth it.

While you were there, did you try the PEI potatoes? There is something different about them. (I hear the mussels are excellent as well, but I don't care for mussels, so I can't say about them.)

[sassypants]

I finished As You Wish earlier this week and decided to finish up my reread of Voyager in the lull between books. I also got an Amazon gift card for my birthday that I'm going to use to replace my battery-sucking kindle. I'm going to wait until after Christmas in the hopes that the price falls again for Boxing Day.

QOTW: I had the most amazing birthday dinner party yesterday evening. There were 14 people there including myself and DH, and my very dear friend from Boston surprised me by showing up, too! It was probably the second best birthday ever (DH proposing ranks #1). Also, adopting my sweet kitten, Samhain, was a blessing. She brought life into my (still) grieving heart after unexpectedly losing one of my beloved cats and then she helped my heart again when my very senior cat passed away.

[dorothyinAus]

Dec 23, 2017 0:33:51 GMT -5 sassypants said:

I finished As You Wish earlier this week and decided to finish up my reread of Voyager in the lull between books. I also got an Amazon gift card for my birthday that I'm going to use to replace my battery-sucking kindle. I'm going to wait until after Christmas in the hopes that the price falls again for Boxing Day.

QOTW: I had the most amazing birthday dinner party yesterday evening. There were 14 people there including myself and DH, and my very dear friend from Boston surprised me by showing up, too! It was probably the second best birthday ever (DH proposing ranks #1). Also, adopting my sweet kitten, Samhain, was a blessing. She brought life into my (still) grieving heart after unexpectedly losing one of my beloved cats and then she helped my heart again when my very senior cat passed away.

I got As You Wish for my birthday but haven't cracked it yet. How was it? I love the movie and the book (both are excellent, but in different ways) and I am looking forward to reading about it from a first-hand view, but I have heard it's not as good as readers had hoped.

[sassypants]

Dec 23, 2017 4:10:08 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

Dec 23, 2017 0:33:51 GMT -5 sassypants said:

I finished As You Wish earlier this week and decided to finish up my reread of Voyager in the lull between books. I also got an Amazon gift card for my birthday that I'm going to use to replace my battery-sucking kindle. I'm going to wait until after Christmas in the hopes that the price falls again for Boxing Day.

QOTW: I had the most amazing birthday dinner party yesterday evening. There were 14 people there including myself and DH, and my very dear friend from Boston surprised me by showing up, too! It was probably the second best birthday ever (DH proposing ranks #1). Also, adopting my sweet kitten, Samhain, was a blessing. She brought life into my (still) grieving heart after unexpectedly losing one of my beloved cats and then she helped my heart again when my very senior cat passed away.

I got As You Wish for my birthday but haven't cracked it yet. How was it? I love the movie and the book (both are excellent, but in different ways) and I am looking forward to reading about it from a first-hand view, but I have heard it's not as good as readers had hoped.

It's enjoyable. Not the greatest writing (lots of hyperbole), but he clearly had a good time both making the film and then sharing his memories of that process. I learned interesting tidbits, too. I wish there'd been more memories from Fred Savage, though. He's not really featured in the book much at all.

[AJL]

I finished reading The Gilded Hour (one of my favorite books!) I've started reading continuation of the TV show Home Fires. The show was cancelled on ITV and the screen writer concluded the series in novel form called Keep the Home Fires Burning. I was so sad when they show was cancelled but I appreciate the follow through of the screenwriter.

QOTW:
  I can't pinpoint a single best part of the year. It was a good year overall. No major ups or downs and honestly, that's how I like things.

[Nonny]

I finally finished The Yiddish Policeman's Union (did not like!) and I read the first three volumes of Y: The Last Man (which is decent, but no where good as Saga).  Now I'm working my way through Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Raven Cycle #3).

QOTW:  We took a trip down to Oregon and made it to the band of totality for the eclipse, which was absolutely amazing to see.