It's Friday! (1/12)

[ufcasey]

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

Reminder: If you haven't already, please go vote for the Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, and Historical Fiction books we will be reading for our book club discussions this year. Voting ends today. I'll put up the next several categories on Monday and Wednesday

Vote: Fiction book for Book Club
Vote: Historical Fiction book for Book Club
Vote: Mystery/Thriller book for Book Club

QOTW:
If you had to play one sport, that appears in the Summer or Winter Olympics, for the rest of your life - what would it be?

[travella]

I am reading Killers of the Flower Moon. The beginning was pretty rough; the author bounces around too much and it doesn't flow. I was worried the entire book would have the flow problem, but thankfully the flow improved.

QOTW: Bobsledding

[litskispeciality]

I'm still picking away at The 19th Wife. This week was busy and I had to read a book for work so I lost a lot of "fun" reading time.

QOTW: Gymnastics. I wish I could be that flexible, strong and do the flips.

[krystee]

I am reading Winter Storm by Elon Hilderbrand. It's okay. I like her other books better.

I would probably pick swimming. I love being in the water!

[oliviapope]

I'm reading This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel. I feel it will be one that will make me cry.

If I had to pick a sport it would be gymnastics all day. I love it.

[ufcasey]

Read:
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon - historical fiction/romance; 4 stars; a Catholic priest and Jewish girl, who grew up together, now fall in love during WWII in Italy during the Nazi invasion. I really liked it.
Fearless by Lauren Gillian - contemporary romance; 4 stars; I generally do not like motorcycle club books, but this one had quite a bit of plot to it and was everything that our book club read 'All the Ugly and Wonderful Things' was not. It's got a large age gap and the couple meet when the woman was just a child, but it's not pervy like that book. Thankfully.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney - mystery/thriller; 3.5 stars; despite the title and despite knowing there would be a twist in this book, I still did not see that particular twist coming, at all. The only reason why I didn't give it 4 was because it did get slow at points.
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder - non-fiction; 5 stars; this is short but terrifying with it's 'lessons' that feels more like foreshadowing of what is to come with our current government administration.

Currently Reading:
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - fiction; almost half-way through, this seems to be more of a character study kind of thing where there's not a whole of action to the plot, but it's still really engrossing. At least to me anyways.
My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne - historical romance; just started
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - historical fiction; set in 1910 to 1989, following one family from Korea to Japan. I'm up to 1932 right now and so far so good.

QOTW:
Swimming - I live in Florida but I am kind of terrible at swimming (I won't drown, but I am not winning any races either) so it would be nice to be better at it. Especially since our new house has a pool.

[monkeyfeet]

90% finished with The Fiery Cross. Hope to have something new to say next week!

Good question!! I'd watch gymnastics forever, but since I have bad knees, probably rowing or biking? Definitely something from summer though!

[sassypants]

I'm reading The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory. I don't know if it's just me but I feel like her recent characters have been rather one dimensional.

QOTW: If actual physical condition and skill were not an issue, definitely figure skating. I've wanted to be a figure skater since I was a little kid.

[snshne322]

I'm having a slow start to 2018. I'm meh on books these days. I've put down quite a few.

I'm reading The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. I think I would really, really like this book if I started reading before 10PM. As it is I'm giving it 1-2% a night and it's not enough to sink in. I'm going to keep the wifi turned off on my kindle and finish it because I waited FOREVER for this hold.

I'm doing a relisten of The Raven King. I always hesitate to recommend these books to IRL people. I love them SO, SO much. I could give 1000 reasons, but I can never really articulate it. I also would probably oversell it and I don't think I could take it if the person I recommended it to didn't like it. I only feel that way about a few series and this is one. So I just horde all the warm gooey-ness I feel about this book to myself.

[rootbeerfloat]

I read When Dimple Met Rishi this week. It's a silly YA romance, but the characters are diverse, which I appreciate.

I'm not athletic at all, but rowing or kayaking.

[Vespasia]

I finished a Column of Fire earlier this week. I honestly skimmed about half of it just to get it over with. I liked a few parts but really didn't care about most of the subplots or characters. It was so predictable and poorly developed. I feel like I am hate reading Follett's newer stuff and need to just stop. 

Last night I started the Secret Place by Tana French. It's good so far and I think I will find the characters more interesting than her previous book. 

QOTW: I am the least athletic and coordinated person ever but I always wished I could ice skate. 

[spedrunner]

Happy Friday.

Recently finished :

Beauty Sick: how the cultural obsession with appearance hurts girls and women (3.5 stars)

Cyberstorm by Matthew Mather. (4stars)

Broken glass by vc Andrews. (3 stars)

The Shining. (3.5 stars) my first Stephen king nov l!!! It was so longggggg Not sure if he's my thing! Then I watched the movie

Currently reading

Truly madly guilty.

Qotd

Man I love watching. Not sure so much about participating in the things I love to watch. Hmmmm maybe gymnastics?

[rainbowchip]

I finished Prom and Prejudice this morning. It was a cute modernization of Pride and Prejudice. It was perfect but I didn't hate it.

I'm currently reading Tower of Dawn and I'm actually enjoying it. I don't have to force myself to pick it up.

QOTW: I love love love the Olympics. I like summer more than winter because I hate cold (and yes, I live in Wisconsin). But I love all the sports!

That being said, I am not very athletic so I'd probably pick archery or curling.

[Nonny]

I finished Born a Crime (and I'm kicking myself for not listening to it as an audiobook).  I also read the 4th installment of Y: The Last Man (meh) and Numbers #1 (double meh).

I should be reading The Sympathizer for my book club at the end of the month, but I needed to start a new book right at bedtime list night and a satire about the Vietnam war just wasn't going to work for bedtime reading, so I started Joe Hill's The Fireman instead (not sure that people bursting into flames is much better... but it requires significantly less brain power).


QOTW: For sheer joy, I'd love to do canoe slalom (aka whitewater slalom).  I used to go whitewater rafting in college and it was so much fun, but being in a controlled environment without rocks or scummy water seems even better.

For zombie apocalypse practicality, I'd pick the winter Olympics biathlon, because being able to effectively cross country ski away from things and effectively target shoot at them seems like a useful skill.  LOL!

[jentervention]

Finished The Racketeer by John Grisham, A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.

Currently reading Hidden by Catherine McKenzie and really enjoying it.

[mrspez07]

Jan 12, 2018 12:35:58 GMT -5 oliviapope said:

I'm reading This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel. I feel it will be one that will make me cry.

If I had to pick a sport it would be gymnastics all day. I love it.

It will

[mrspez07]

This week I finished The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly, 3*. Quick read. And I also finished My Grandmothe Told Me to Tell You Shes Sorry. 5*, really good on audio.

I’m currently listening to Who Thought This Was a Good Idea by Alyssa Mastramonaco. I like it, she’s the same age I am so there’s a lot of relatable backstory.
Reading The Martian by Andy Weir.so far it’s good


I’d probably want to do shooting or pole vaulting.
I enjoy watching diving, trampoline and speed skating but I get motion sick easily and am afraid of heights and doing any of those does not sound like fun.

[ally]

Jan 12, 2018 17:43:12 GMT -5 Nonny said:

For zombie apocalypse practicality, I'd pick the winter Olympics biathlon, because being able to effectively cross country ski away from things and effectively target shoot at them seems like a useful skill.  LOL!

I love this answer!  


This week I finished Wonder, which I really liked. I expect to finish Rapture in Death today, 4th in the JD Robb series, quick, fun mystery.



QOTW: Like others, I LOVE the Olympics! While I enjoy the sports part, the stories about athletes/teams/countries just make me so happy (well, and sometimes sad).  I rowed for one year in college, so I would probably choose that.

[abs]

Jan 12, 2018 13:08:52 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - historical fiction; set in 1910 to 1989, following one family from Korea to Japan. I'm up to 1932 right now and so far so good.

QOTW:
Swimming - I live in Florida but I am kind of terrible at swimming (I won't drown, but I am not winning any races either) so it would be nice to be better at it. Especially since our new house has a pool.

I am reading Pachinko as well, too! I agree with you..so far I like it but I am not very far along.

Earlier this week I finished Summer Sisters. It was a re-read but it's been atleast 10-15 years. I still liked it but not as much as the first time.

QOTW: I love the Olympics!  For watching purposes I would be happy with a constant gymnastics/swimming/ice skating loop. For playing purposes I would say soccer. I never played it as a kid but my daughter is very into it and it's SO fun. I love practicing with her.

[charlatti]

I’m reading Alone: Lost Overboard in the Indian Ocean. It’s not particularly well crafted but I’m fascinated by the survival aspect. He’s been swimming/floating/treading water for 13 hours and I’m only halfway through — how is that even physically possible? (I think the practicalities are explained later.) Also still slowly rereading The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig — literary comfort food, IMO.

QOTW: My favorites are the same as pretty much everyone else: swimming, skating, gymnastics. To participate, I think I’d go with swimming.

[charlatti]

Jan 12, 2018 13:43:30 GMT -5 snshne322 said:

I'm reading The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. I think I would really, really like this book if I started reading before 10PM. As it is I'm giving it 1-2% a night and it's not enough to sink in. I'm going to keep the wifi turned off on my kindle and finish it because I waited FOREVER for this hold.

It’s a very dense book. I loved it but it definitely requires attention. 

[jmliongrrrl]

I finished listening to Hillary Clinton's What Happened, amazing on audio! You really can hear how she feels and I enjoy her wit and sensibility. If only...
I finished The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 3.5 stars, a well researched novel. (I'm looking forward to seeing all the animals in the movie).
I also finished Second Chance Pass, the 5th book in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. This series is so comforting and fluffy. It is chick lit at it's finest.

QOTW: I loved dance and twirling as a kiddo so maybe rhythmic gymnastics?

[pinotgrig]

Homer and Langley 1* Historical fiction based on the real-life Collyer brothers who were hoarders in their deceased parents 5th Ave brownstone. It has the potential to be so fascinating, but I didn’t care for it.

Before the Fall 3*

I read this one last week but loved it so much I wanted to mention it here - Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. A collection of essays/social commentary/memoir about feminism that was SO well done. I’m still thinking about it; it was powerful. 5*, obvs.

QOTW - I’ve always been enthralled by the gymnasts. I can’t even do a cartwheel, so it would be cool to be able to have their skills.

[minzy]

I finished The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, 4.5 stars, it was great! Beartown by Fredrik Backman, 4.5 stars. I tore through Love & Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen, a YA novel, 4 stars.

This week I’ve started several - Citizen Science by Caren Cooper; Antarctica by Gabrielle Walker per a couple of recs here, and I’m reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, too.

Olympic sport to do for the rest of my life... Maybe curling? Doesn’t seem it would be as hard on the body as you age as some of the others? Lol 😛

[booknerd]

I'm rereading Little Women and about to start The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley. They are number 2 and 3 for the year. I'm trying to do better. The past two years have been very stressful and I read much less than I normally do.

QOTW: Probably gymnastics.

[AJL]

I'm slowly starting this new year toward my reading goal. I had such a huge push to finish out 2017 that I've kind of had a hard time finding something to read.  That being said...

The Scot Beds His Wife (Victorian Rebels #5) by Kerrigan Byrne - 3.5/5*  It's a fun one in her Victorian Rebels series. I like the way she writes the heroines and Samantha/Alison is probably my favorite of all of them in the series so far. 

Rumor Has It (Animal Magnetism #4) by Jill Shalvis - 2.5/5*  This one was OK. I don't love her characters very much. The men are too super macho and lack depth. The women are all curvaceous and sweet on the outside/vixens in bed types.  There are 7 books in this series but I think I'm done with it. 

Smile by Raina Telgemeier - 4/5* I loved this book! Complete disclosure, this was the book DD chose for our novel to read at bedtime (but I'm totally counting it! lol!)  I've not gotten into graphic novels, but we both enjoyed this one.  We're now reading the GN version of book 1 in the Babysitters Club (one of my favorite series as a kid). Telgemeier also illustrated those versions, too. 

Currently Reading:
The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel - this is part of a book study that's being facilitated through my kids' school.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - I've been putting off this book for a while now. I don't want to finish their story and while I know there is at least another book to come, I feel like we're getting too close to the end. So I've been savoring it. I've also got this one on audio book. 

QOTW: I always wanted to be a gymnast.