The last Friday of 2017! (12/29)

[ufcasey]

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

QOTW:
New Year's resolutions - do you make them? Elaborate if you feel like it (suggestions for resolutions, a resolution you are proud you kept, why you don't bother with them, etc.)

[monkeyfeet]

I’m about 70% finished with The Fiery Cross but am starting Hillbilly Elegy for my irl book club. It had a ridiculous hold on ebooks so I’m hoping to make a dent while traveling in the car this weekend!

QOTW: not really, and at the same time if I had to choose something, I’d like to be more present with my family...I had my knee scopes a few weeks ago and am dying to return to my workouts!!!

[rainbowchip]

I'm reading Artemis and loving it. I have about 2 chapters left.

QOTW: 3 years ago I made a resolution to lose weight and ended up losing 25lbs. I need to do that again x2 or x3.
I always have my read 52 books goal as well.

[ally]

This week I finished After You and Immortal in Death, both were good.  I do like the JD Robb series a lot.  I started The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch at DHs suggestion.  It was not what I was expecting, but at about 30% into the book I am being drawn in more.  

QOTW: I like resolutions.  Annually, I choose an exercise goal - usually 1,000 minutes/month (I will be just short this year).  I also choose a reading goal - I picked 35 this year, but have read 41, I might choose 40 for 2018.

A few years ago a resolution was to pick 10 cookbooks and cook 3 new recipes from each.  This year, instead of continuing Blue Apron, DH and I found a fun looking recipe in a cookbook or blog with an interesting ingredient or technique and made it together.  I need to come up with a fun resolution for this year - two days to think about it!

[rootbeerfloat]

I finished The Inexplicable Logic of My Life and The Nightingale this week. I'm frantically trying to complete my annual challenge.

I don't make resolutions.

[mrspez07]

I just finished Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
The ending felt a little off to me, but otherwise I liked it.

I try to make some broad new year resolutions, as my birthday is also in Jan. I haven’t been great about them, although the one from a few years ago stuck better than most, and that was to improve and define my style. I got ont Pinterest for the first time for it and marked a bunch of styles/clothes I liked. It helped focus me towards clothes I wanted.

[Vespasia]

I'm reading A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. It's the third book in the Pillars of the Earth trilogy so I feel obligated to read it. Too early to tell if I like it.

QOTW: I don't really make resolutions. In 2018 I just want to survive my last year of grad school.

[ssmjlm]

Finished:
The Last Mrs. Parrish - it was ok. The twist got lost in bad editing and poor little rich girl whining.
Before I Knew (The Cabot #1) - I have enjoyed other Jamie Beck books, but this one didn’t do it for me. Too much background and not even main story.

Currently reading - Make Them Pay which is the most recent Lucy Kinkaid book.

QOTW- I make resolutions that aren’t really resolutions. Things like take more time for me, etc. This year I would like to find a good work mentor.

[brewco]

The Last Mrs. Parrish- I gave it a much higher rating than it deserved on my goodreads, only because I didn't put it down once I started.
I also read a Stephanie Plum book, 21, I think which was enjoyable for the busy holiday time.

Currently reading The Glass Castle. Just started, so too early to say how I like it.

QOTW: No resolutions for me.

[hurricanedrunk]

Finished
Sleeping Beauties - loved it, felt like classic King.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (audio)- smooth storytelling with interesting characters

Started The Girl who took an Eye for an Eye and Brave New World. I am enjoying both so far even thought I'm not far in either.

QOTW- I make fitness goals each year and a separate goal set of household/finance/misc stuff. I wouldn't really consider them resolutions though, that word has such a ban connotation.

[Nonny]

Saga, Vol. 8 came out on the 27th, so I dropped everything and read that.  I'm also 2/3 of the way through Blue Lily, Lily Blue, which I expect to finish this weekend, just in time to give me 71 books for the year (11 graphic novels, 9 Levar Burton Reads Podcasts, and 51 actual books and audiobooks).

QOTW:  I don't do New Years Resolutions, I don't think they are helpful for me.  I have been doing monthly goals in my writing journal though (and usually only meeting 50% of them) and in the past I've done the 101 Things in 1001 Days project, but my last (4th) attempt at that ended in October and I haven't done a new list.

[Nonny]

Dec 29, 2017 14:37:02 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

I just finished Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
The ending felt a little off to me, but otherwise I liked it.

That's because it has a HUGE plot hole.  

[charlatti]

I am reading Antarctica by Gabrielle Walker, which is fantastic. It’s sort of an all-encompassing look at the continent, but it’s so well written and fascinating. I have a thing for reading about Antarctica when it’s really cold, and it’s certainly cold enough here at the moment. I’ve been trying to get something going in fiction without much success. I’ve maybe settled on a reread of The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig.

I’m not good at resolutions. I don’t think I’ve ever successfully made and kept one.

[sassypants]

I'm about halfway through The Daughters of Witching Hill. It's a fictional retelling of the Pendle Hill Witches and subsequent witch trials of 1612. It's pretty good but sometimes feels like it spins its wheels.

QOTW: I don't generally do resolutions.

[minzy]

This week I read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, I'd say 4 stars.  I also read The Water Will Come - Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World by Jeff Goodell, 5 stars.  It's sobering, especially for places near sea level, but I've always been of the sense that knowledge is power.  It definitely got me thinking and I now know the elevation of my house.

QOTW: I don't really do resolutions, but I set goals.  I did these this year, and hope to for next year, too:   

If possible, maintain weight/work out more days than not/run at least two half marathons.  
Read at least 50 books.
Volunteer (at something, at least twice a month) & donate more money than the year before.

Happy New Year, everybody!

[ufcasey]

I hope everyone has a great New Year's weekend and may 2018 be a great year for you all!

Read:
Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - romance; 3.5 stars; a runaway bride story that isn't about the bride. I liked!
Haunted Blade (#6 in series) by J.C. Daniels - PNR/UF; 2 stars; I won't be continuing with this series, only the first two books are worth reading, it went downhill after that
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson - non-fiction; 3 stars; even astrophysics for dummies isn't dumbed down enough for me
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah - non-fiction; 4 stars; see book club discussion!
Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield - romance; 3.5 stars; probably the only romance book I will ever like that uses the term 'daddy', this one surprised me

Currently Reading:
Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn - historical romance; too soon to say much
The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain - historical fiction; too soon to say much

QOTW:
In past years I have successfully made resolutions to read more books outside of my preferred genre (this year), read more books in general (last year), and take more photos (last two years in a row). Next year I think I will go with the 'be healthy/exercise' resolution and go back to taking more photos and making photo albums (I'm behind by three yearly albums and several vacations albums and a baby book for my three year old, whoops).

[ufcasey]

Dec 29, 2017 13:48:07 GMT -5 ally said:

This week I finished After You and Immortal in Death, both were good.  I do like the JD Robb series a lot.  I started The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch at DHs suggestion.  It was not what I was expecting, but at about 30% into the book I am being drawn in more.  

QOTW: I like resolutions.  Annually, I choose an exercise goal - usually 1,000 minutes/month (I will be just short this year).  I also choose a reading goal - I picked 35 this year, but have read 41, I might choose 40 for 2018.

A few years ago a resolution was to pick 10 cookbooks and cook 3 new recipes from each.  This year, instead of continuing Blue Apron, DH and I found a fun looking recipe in a cookbook or blog with an interesting ingredient or technique and made it together.  I need to come up with a fun resolution for this year - two days to think about it!

I really liked that book. The subsequent ones weren't as good, but the first book reads enough as a standalone. I'm interested to see what your feelings are on it once you've finished it.

[mrspez07]

Dec 29, 2017 17:43:54 GMT -5 Nonny said:

Dec 29, 2017 14:37:02 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

I just finished Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
The ending felt a little off to me, but otherwise I liked it.

That's because it has a HUGE plot hole.  

Want to start a new thread to discuss (with spoilers) or do it onPM? I’m thinking I know what it is, but would be interested in discussing the whole book further.

[Nonny]

Dec 29, 2017 23:52:22 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

Dec 29, 2017 17:43:54 GMT -5 Nonny said:

That's because it has a HUGE plot hole.  

Want to start a new thread to discuss (with spoilers) or do it onPM? I’m thinking I know what it is, but would be interested in discussing the whole book further.

Here is the old thread with all of my ranting, and the plot hole spoiler. 🙂 pandce.proboards.com/thread/541155/whered-bernadette-get

It's been ~18 months since I read it, and beyond that it had a plot hole and that it pissed me off, I don't know if I remember enough about it to discuss it very well.

[travella]

I'm reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I'm almost 50% of the way through it. I have been enjoying it so far.

QOTW: I usually set some kind of goal or reevaluate my current goals around the new year. I've met quite a few of my goals, some have taken more than a year to accomplish though. For example, no longer drinking caffeine took many many years.

[abs]

I just finished Little Fires Everywhere. I liked it much better than her previous book! I feel like a lot of people have read this...would anyone be interested in a discussion about it?

QOTW: I usually use the New Year as a reset. This year it's more of a general try to control my stress. Ways I plan on doing that: Eat a bit less, try to say more no, don't feel guilty if there is something I can't do, and get back to the gym. It flooded during Harvey and my workout routine has been off ever since.

[MrsAxilla]

I finally finished What Happened. I'm glad I read it, but I wanted that off my plate in 2017. I also finished Timebound by Rysa Walker and started the second book, Time's Edge. It's a fun series.

QOTD: I don't do resolutions.