Friday 3/22

[ufcasey]

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

QOTW:
Would you rather live in a large house an hour away from the nearest stores/your job or live in a studio apartment but be within walking distance of everything?

[dontlook]

I read An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen: 3 stars. The book had a decent build up but just fell flat at the end. Once I was done I realize the premise was so dumb. 3 stars is probably too generous.

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory: 2 stars maybe. That’s also probably generous. I can’t remember if the Wedding Date was this bad but if it was I regret defending it. This book was pretty bad. The book was dragging on and then just ended. The repetition was horrible and the premise was dumb. I will not be reading the 3rd book. This one was too painful.

QOTW: I would rather live close to everything.

[meowmaps]

I've been in a reading rut sort of recently but this past week I finished What the Eyes Don't See and it was excellent!

I'm in the middle of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. I'm enjoying it so far.

QOTW: Definitely walking distance.

[ssmjlm]

I'm still reading Beartown. Everyone keeps telling me it gets better, but I'm not there yet. The game has happened, the after party has happened, they're back at school and nothing has happened.

I feel like I have to finish it now because one of the attorneys at work asked me what I read and when I said I was currently reading Beartown he goes "oh I pictured you as a beach read kind of person."

QOTW: In theory I would love to be walkable to everything, but there are day that being away from people is preferable, lol.

[litskispeciality]

Happy Friday! Thank you again for all of the advice, MUCH better reading week.

Finished The Husband's Secret (it's dark, but good ending!) and made some progress on The Wedding Date (nice fluffy read, awesome for reading on your phone on breaks or before bed).

QOTW: In theory closer to everything, but I like having a house, and want more space away from people when I'm not at work.

[rainbowchip]

I'm still reading Chasing the Dragon by T.K. Leigh. I read another series by her so fast last year I thought this would be the same. Not so much. The plot is really similar to the plot of the other series I read and this book has so much unimportant filler. She definitely was stretching it out for a sequel.

QOTW: big house hands down. I'm pretty good at planning a once a week grocery/supply run right now and I'm not that far away from stores. A big house would likely have lots of storage space so you could stock up on a bunch of stuff.

[monkeyfeet]

I’m going to finish The Tuscan Child today. Light easy read. I’m excited to start the sequels to Molokai next!!

QOTW: walking distance hands down!!

[wesleycrusher]

Finished:
4- Becoming by Michelle Obama
3- Everything Is Possible: Finding the Faith and Courage to Follow Your Dreams by Jen Bricker (audio)
2.5- Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History—without the Fairy-Tale Endings by Linda Rodríguez McRobbie
4- Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever by Geoff Edgers
3- Feed by Mira Grant (audio)

Currently Reading:
The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House by Ben Rhodes (audio)
Tainted Life by Marc Almond

QOTW: I already live in a tiny house in the city and can walk to everything, so I'd stay put.

[wildrice]

I finished "Nine Perfect Strangers" by Liane Moriarty. It was ok, not my favorite of hers but a fairly quick read.

I'm now reading "Less" by Andrew Sean Greer. It apparently won a Pulitzer prize? I'm reading it for my IRL book club, and I'm struggling to really get into it. I don't think I like the writing style (too much style, not enough story) and it's feeling like a slow start. I'm already about 30% of the way through so I feel like this is a bad sign. My book club is March 31st so I guess I'll have to finish it by then regardless.

QOTW: Definitely walkable. I have a 1000 square foot (ish) apartment on a downtown city block, and I love being close to so much. I'm going to see Fleetwood Mac on Sunday and the concert is literally on the next block. We are 2 adults and a cat, we don't need the space anyway - 95% of our time is spent in the living room/kitchen as it is, so if we had to sleep there it wouldn't really change much! I think a studio would be hard, but we could make it work if it means being able to be close to the action!

[meowmaps]

Mar 22, 2019 11:47:46 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I finished "Nine Perfect Strangers" by Liane Moriarty. It was ok, not my favorite of hers but a fairly quick read.

I'm now reading "Less" by Andrew Sean Greer. It apparently won a Pulitzer prize? I'm reading it for my IRL book club, and I'm struggling to really get into it. I don't think I like the writing style (too much style, not enough story) and it's feeling like a slow start. I'm already about 30% of the way through so I feel like this is a bad sign. My book club is March 31st so I guess I'll have to finish it by then regardless.

QOTW: Definitely walkable. I have a 1000 square foot (ish) apartment on a downtown city block, and I love being close to so much. I'm going to see Fleetwood Mac on Sunday and the concert is literally on the next block. We are 2 adults and a cat, we don't need the space anyway - 95% of our time is spent in the living room/kitchen as it is, so if we had to sleep there it wouldn't really change much! I think a studio would be hard, but we could make it work if it means being able to be close to the action!

I read Less a couple books back and it was just OK for me.  It's a short book but it took me a bit to get through it because I didn't feel connected to it at all.  And I agree about the writing style.    

[msmerymac]

I finished The World As It IS by Ben Rhodes (audio) and My Antonia by Willa Cather.

Currently reading Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden (audio) and A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride.

QOTW: walkable. It was a major consideration in my current house, which happens to be in the suburbs for a few reasons, and isn't huge (1400 sq ft), but is walkable to the commuter train and a lot of shops and restaurants, plus a farmer's market, grocery co-op, and 1920s movie theater. Would I want a bigger house? Maybe someday. But I don't want to leave this neighborhood. If I were younger and/or single I would 100% be down for an efficiency apartment in an even more urban area. This is quite the opposite of my parents, who wanted an acre of land and a big old farmhouse.

[travella]

I am still very slowly making my way through The Wych Elm by Tana French.  So far the book has been good; it has just been a very slow read.

QOTW: I would prefer the big house an hour from anything.  I've lived in both situations and to me large cities are too exhausting.   

[pinotgrig]

Work has been so crazy and I had the flu last week so I’m behind on life in general right now. 🤣 So, just two books for me last week -

It ended badly: 13 of the worst breakups in history - 4* A really interesting look at some historical breakups that were beyond belief almost. From Nero to Oscar Wilde, this book had it all.

The keeper of lost things - 2* I loved the premise of this book but there was too much going on and it was just ok.

I’ve been reading Henry VIII: The King and His Court for five million years and am in between audbiook holds.

QOTW - Big house away. I WFH and feel like a studio would feel stifling to work and live in.

[krystee]

I finished Queenie (3.5 stars) and just started A Man Called Ove. I can already tell Ove is going to go from a tad boring to heartbreaking and heartwarming. Some of the phrasing is wonderful.

If I were by myself, I’d pick the studio for sure. With my husband and kids, it would have to be the house. I hated living an hour from things, but four people in a studio with two introverted parents would be a nightmare.

[mrspez07]

I’m reading Force of Nature by Jane Harper and Listening to Educated. Both are very good. The narrator for Educated is the same as the one for The Great Alone, which is an interesting similarity in many ways.

I’m pretty evenly split on the QOTW. I think I could easily be happy living in either, by myself for sure. Studio would be tough with more than 1 person. Lived in college for 3 years in a studio the size of my master bedroom now and liked it, but it was just me.

[spedrunner]

It has been a few weeks since I posted:

Read:

 The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib - 4/5 stars

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee - 3/5 stars

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover - 3/5 stars

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair - 4/5 stars

All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth

All Your Perfect by Colleen Hoover - 4/5 stars

Currently Reading:

Verity by Colleen Hoover

QOTD:  No doubt in my mind I would hose the apartment within walking distance of everything!

[sassypants]

I've finished The Countess and am back into The Invention of Murder. It's so dense and long I feel like I've been reading it forever!

QOTW: Definitely walkable. I've got enough trouble getting anywhere on time!

[wildrice]

Mar 22, 2019 12:40:51 GMT -5 meowmaps said:

Mar 22, 2019 11:47:46 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I finished "Nine Perfect Strangers" by Liane Moriarty. It was ok, not my favorite of hers but a fairly quick read.

I'm now reading "Less" by Andrew Sean Greer. It apparently won a Pulitzer prize? I'm reading it for my IRL book club, and I'm struggling to really get into it. I don't think I like the writing style (too much style, not enough story) and it's feeling like a slow start. I'm already about 30% of the way through so I feel like this is a bad sign. My book club is March 31st so I guess I'll have to finish it by then regardless.

QOTW: Definitely walkable. I have a 1000 square foot (ish) apartment on a downtown city block, and I love being close to so much. I'm going to see Fleetwood Mac on Sunday and the concert is literally on the next block. We are 2 adults and a cat, we don't need the space anyway - 95% of our time is spent in the living room/kitchen as it is, so if we had to sleep there it wouldn't really change much! I think a studio would be hard, but we could make it work if it means being able to be close to the action!

I read Less a couple books back and it was just OK for me.  It's a short book but it took me a bit to get through it because I didn't feel connected to it at all.  And I agree about the writing style.    

Interesting. I wonder what my book club will think of it! I'm glad I'm not alone on my lukewarm feelings toward it.

[aurora]

I finished Educated this week. I'm amazed at her writing - how easy she made it to read such difficult material.

I'm listening to The Long Way Home by Louise Penny but having a hard time focusing. I think it's more me than the book.

I just started reading A Map of Salt and Stars. I don't think I've ever read a book set in Syria before, and I've heard good things about it so I'm looking forward to it.

QOTW does the studio have a fenced yard? Because I don't care about big, but OMG if I had to put on clothes and shoes the 27 times a day my curious dog wants to go outside and sniff things I would go bonkers.

[staceymcgill]

I finished Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty. It was a reread from several years ago and all I remembered was that it was about triplets but I remember loving it. This time around it was just ok. Not sure why I loved it so much the first time.

I’m currently reading The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter.

QOTW - I’d pick the big house.

[Vespasia]

I started A Gathering of Shadows on Friday and I am enjoying it so far. Need to make time to read today because I only have 9 days left on the hold and another book waiting.

QOTW: Walkable, no question.

[tacokick]

Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady This is one of those memoirs where the author does not come off the way they clearly think they will.

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram I really enjoyed this.


The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda not my favorite of hers.

Currently: Nobody Cares by Anne T. Donahue

QOTW: the apartment for sure! I wish we could walk to more in our neighborhood. We are in the city but not downtown. Some places have opened up recently but nothing I get use out of (a coffee shop and a children’s book store)

[Nonny]

I'm all out of sync with the updates and what I've finished when.  LOL!

I finished What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, which I loved; I want the title story and the one about making babies out of found objects to be made into episodes of Black Mirror or the new Twilight Zone, and I want Wild to be turned into a full book.  I also just finished The Puzzle of the Happy Hooligan (it's a mystery from the '40s, and it wasn't not my style) last night, and started on Nine Perfect Strangers.


QOTW:  I guess the large house, because sharing walls is my own personal hell.  But honestly I don't want either, because an hour long commute to anything is also a nightmare.  That's why we live in a moderately sized house that's about 15-30 minutes away from things. 

[Gato]

I finished Salvation City. Very good, and nothing like The Friend, which Sigrid Nunez published last year (and I loved). I’m just starting a small memoir, About Alice by Calvin Trillin.

QOTW: small apartment in the city, no question. I am a city person who lived in the suburbs for 5 years and will never make that mistake again. Plus I dislike big houses.

[estrellita]

I'm about halfway done with Before She Knew Him and it's pretty good so far. I also just started listening to the 2nd Harry Potter book. Last week was super crazy so I didn't get much time to read!

If I had to pick, probably the apartment. Only because I hate being so far from everything. I need to be within reasonable driving distance to a Target 😂