Friday (7/12) - Reading recap

[ufcasey]

What did you read this week? Anything good?

QOTW:

If you could win a free three day all expenses paid vacation anywhere in the world, but ONLY you could go no friends/family allowed to go with you, where would you pick to go for this solo trip?

[abs]

I’m reading Recursion right now. Super good in a creepy kind of way.

QOTW: A secluded beach in the Caribbean sounds amazing.

[sarahswim]

This week I read:
Us Against You-Fredrik Bachman
All The Bright Places-Jennifer Niven

I really liked both of them-both made me think even though both have an aura of sadness around them.

A three day trip to a cabin or B&B sounds heavenly. I’m not outdoorsy at all, so it would be fantastic to be secluded with nothing to do but sit by the fire and read, watch TV, eat whatever I want, with no one around to judge or make me feel guilty!

[charlatti]

I finished Wanderers by Chuck Wendig — apocalyptic sci-fi plus social/political commentary. Surprisingly fast read considering it’s 780 pages. It isn’t perfect but definitely a good read.

Now reading Less by Andrew Sean Greer or The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele. I started both and am not yet excited about either.

QOTW: A lovely oceanfront beach cottage, pretty much anywhere warm. An Atlantic coast island would be nice, but I would love the Caribbean or Hawaii. I want to bring my dog, though!

[litskispeciality]

My reading is so behind. I chipped a bit at The Miseducation of Cameron Post again. I need to change books and start something I'm really into.

QOTW: Probably a beach resort or nice condo/townhouse. Somewhere quiet enough to read and sleep.

[rainbowchip]

I'm reading Home Front by Kristin Hannah. I have basically been crying through the whole thing. I'm hoping for a happy ending.

QOTW: I'd probably do Disney. I'm not good at navigating places on my own especially ones that I don't know. I've been to Disney and would use Disney transportation so I wouldn't have to worry about getting around.

[wildrice]

I just finished the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last night. I liked it a lot.

I started reading Pachenko (I may have spelled that wrong) but I'm like, 1 chapter in.

QOTW: I'd pick Spain and Portugal (two places but they are close geographically!). They are high on my list of places I'd like to visit, but my H has no interest since he has been to both and his parents even lived in Spain for a while when he was in college. So, an all expenses paid trip would be a great excuse to go somewhere without him. There are so many places we both want to go, together, that if he doesn't get on board with a Spain/Portugal trip I am not sure if I'll ever go.

[dontlook]

Jul 12, 2019 11:13:05 GMT -5 charlatti said:

I finished Wanderers by Chuck Wendig — apocalyptic sci-fi plus social/political commentary. Surprisingly fast read considering it’s 780 pages. It isn’t perfect but definitely a good read.

Now reading Less by Andrew Sean Greer or The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele. I started both and am not yet excited about either.

QOTW: A lovely oceanfront beach cottage, pretty much anywhere warm. An Atlantic coast island would be nice, but I would love the Caribbean or Hawaii. I want to bring my dog, though!

I read about 5 pages of Less and quit. I’ve never quit a book so quickly.

I read My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan. I got the recommendation from someone here. It was pretty good. 3/4 stars.

I’m still chipping away the first Harry Potter book with DD. We got the whole book set and I’m looking forward to reading all of them.

QOTW: I would go to a tropical island. I just want warm weather, great pools and beach, endless drinks and food and a nice shady spot for reading. I would be in heaven.

[travella]

I'm 30% of the way through The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald.

QOTW: I would go to a spa resort on a remote tropical island.

[meowmaps]

I finished The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. It was illuminating, interesting, and sad. History has lumped them together as prostitutes (really, only one officially worked in the sex trade) but they all lived really hard lives. The world was unsympathetic to them because of their working-class backgrounds and because they were women.

Now I'm reading Miracle Creek. I'm liking it so far.

QOTW: I don't really desire to travel alone but I would love an entire day in my house to myself where I can watch garbage TV, read, and cuddle with my cats. That said, a few days on the beach under a big umbrella with a pile of books and bottomless mimosas sounds like heaven.

[minzy]

It’s been a few weeks, but I have finished a few recently:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. Her family tried to eat only food from within their county for a year (much of which they grew/harvested themselves). I really enjoyed this one. It’s helped challenge my thinking and made me work even harder at eating locally grown food (which is convenient timing since it’s July and there’s local food everywhere!). I liked this way more than The Lacuna or The Poisonwood Bible, two of her others I’ve read, but I am a fan of nonfiction so I guess it makes sense.

The BFG by Roald Dahl. My older daughter’s teacher read it to their class and she wanted me to read it too, so we did, and then watched the movie. It’s about a big friendly giant who befriends a little girl.

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne. I wish I could say I loved this one since I chose it based on recs here, but it was not my favorite. However, I did fly through it very quickly, so I appreciated it for that!

I’m currently reading Sustainability Made Simple - Small Changes For Big Impact by Rosaly Byrd and Lauren DeMates. I’ve given myself enough of a crash course on a lot of this stuff that most of it is a review at this point, but I’ve yet to get to the part individuals can do and I’m looking forward to that section.

QOTW: I think if I had three days alone I’d want to be somewhere in a little wooded cabin with some good books and food and nearby running trails.

[secretlyevil]

I finished a book I was listening to for work/career - Design Thinking by Tim Brown, oh was it bad and dated. I wanted to puncture my ear drums. But now when the BL president asks me I can honestly say I read it.

I started listening to Good Omens. It's a bit hard to follow but I am enjoying it. I am late to the party on Neil Gaiman.

I am making my way through Intuitive Eating. 

Overall I do not have a very interesting reading report for the week. 

QOTW: Hmm... A spa in the middle of Italy.

[krystee]

I read Beartown, which was really good, and started Three Women, The Cactus, and The Art if Hearing Heartbeats. All seem promising, but I made the most progress with The Cactus so I’ll read that first.

QOTW
My answer would have been London, but then I got to do a solo London trip! It was amazing, but since I’ve done it, I’d pick somewhere else. I have a slight anxiety with directions and being able to connect to people when I’m alone, so I don’t think I’d do an exotic international destination alone. I’m thinking NYC. I’d love to do the museums, a bunch of Broadway plays, some good restaurants, etc.

[Vespasia]

I just started one of the later Outlander books. I don't even remember the name. Everytime I watch a season of the show I decide to give the books another shot and end up disappointed. I think the last one I liked was Drums of Autumn and that was back in college. I will try to skim through it and finish.

QOTW: I was going to say Barcelona or Lisbon but not for the same reason as wildrice. 😉 They seem like places I could just wander around and eat all the food quite happily.

[wildrice]

Jul 12, 2019 20:35:44 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

I just started one of the later Outlander books. I don't even remember the name. Everytime I watch a season of the show I decide to give the books another shot and end up disappointed. I think the last one I liked was Drums of Autumn and that was back in college. I will try to skim through it and finish.

QOTW: I was going to say Barcelona or Lisbon but not for the same reason as wildrice. 😉 They seem like places I could just wander around and eat all the food quite happily.

Ha, well that's the main stuff I'd want to do! Let me know if you ever want to do a girls trip 😁

[mrspez07]

I’m reading The Death of Mrs Westaway and enjoying the little bits I’m getting in before bed, not much time to read this week!

I gave up on Circe.

QOTW: a cabin/house with a great view. I’d be ok on the plains, in the mountains or overlooking a beach/ocean. Just sitting out on a porch reading or enjoying the views.

[sassypants]

I finally finished The Princes in the Tower. It was good but it just took ages. I also finished Elevation by Stephen King. It wasn't very long but it was really touching. I started The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes. I had also just started The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs but then three library eholds came back to back in and I had to put it aside for those.

QOTW: I'd go to Paris. DH isn't interested in France and I'd dearly love to go.

[rainbowchip]

dontlook how old is you DD? I've been thinking of starting HP with my kids. They are 7 and 9. What is your plan for reading the books? Plow through them? Read one a year? I worry my kids are too young for Deathly Hallows.

[dontlook]

Jul 16, 2019 9:24:04 GMT -5 rainbowchip said:

dontlook how old is you DD? I've been thinking of starting HP with my kids. They are 7 and 9. What is your plan for reading the books? Plow through them? Read one a year? I worry my kids are too young for Deathly Hallows.

DD is 8. We watch 2 or 3 of the movies but she got scared so we stopped. I’m guessing we will get through 2 books and then I’ll read ahead of her to see if I think it will be too scary. She wants to read them herself so it’s taking a LONG time to even get through the first book.

[Nonny]

I'm being a snail reader right now, and I keep picking of new things.  I'm super behind on my yearly goal, and I'm behind on starting my book club for a 1.5 weeks from now.

The Sandman Vol. 7 - I keep opening this on Hoopla and then not reading it.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania - It's an oversized paperback that I keep toting places and then not reading in favor of screwing around online on my phone. I'm like, one chapter in.

Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life - a library hardback that came in at an inopportune time; I'm greater than halfway through I think.

To the Bright Edge of the World - I started reading this for one of my book clubs, only to have the book club moved to September (I think). It's not bad.  I'm about 1/4 of the way through.

QOTW:  There are actually people who want to come with me to basically every place I want to go, so I pick a spa someplace nearby where I can basically just eat food and get massaged for three days straight.  At least two massages per day (morning and evening).  Pedicure.  Place to swim.  King bed that I can starfish in the middle of while watching Netflix. 

[Gato]

I finished Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Very cool and creepy; you can tell that George Saunders was one of his mentors.

I am now reading Memories of the Future by Siri Husvedt.

QOTW: I’d go somewhere new that my husband and daughters have no interest in visiting. Hmm, I think Helsinki or Oslo.