Happy Friday! (5/13)

[ufcasey]

What have you read this week? Any reviews/ratings/recommendations?

QOTW:
If you had a million dollars to give away to charity, what would you pick? (you can only pick one thing)

[dearprudence]

Finished the Family Chao and Dread Nation. I enjoyed them both and would recommend.

I jumped from Dread Nation to the sequel, Deathless Divide. Can't decide if I like it more or less. My library hold on To Kill a Kingdom came in, which I was looking forward to, I've been less impressed by the writing, but the story is starting to pick up so I'm reserving judgment.

If you had a million dollars to give away to charity, what would you pick? (you can only pick one thing) Right now it'd be something related to reproductive protection/justice. Under that umbrella I'd try to divide it between the organizations in trigger-law states.

[ufcasey]

This week I've read:
The Favor by Suzanne Wright - 3.5 stars; I've read 14 other books by this author, but this was my first contemporary romance book by her. I liked it!

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka - 4.5 stars; a really interesting character study type of novel that has several narrators - a serial killer, his mother, the twin sister of his wife, and a homicide detective. Highly recommend!


QOTW:
Right now, I would choose any woman's rights/education/reproductive health type organization. Prior to the recent nonsense, my pick would have been funding for the welfare of foster children.

[travella]

I finished The Inheritance Games and am now reading Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber.

Qotw: That is a difficult question there are so many worthy causes. I'll need to think about this later when I'm feeling better and am thinking more clearly.

[tacokick]

I could not get into the Family Chao!


We Do What We Do in the Dark by Michelle Hart (not bad but slight)

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (good idea but ended up messy)

Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver (very good!)

Rx by Rachel Lindsay

Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson (bad)

In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson (bad)

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave (not good!)

The Shadow House by Anna Downes (good idea but a mess all along)


QOTW:

Books Through Bars!

www.booksthroughbars.org

[meowmaps]

I read Vladimir and was surprised by how much I liked it. I mean, not my favorite book of the year but certainly thought-provoking.

I finished The Unsinkable Greta James today. Like Daisy Jones there was just too much music. I don’t particularly care how it feels to strum a guitar or whatever. All that stuff, about 50% of the book, was very blah. The characters and story were fine but not exciting enough to make up for the music stuff.

Reading Black Cake next.

QOTW: Animal causes always pop up in my mind first then conservation. I also really respect the work that the Equal Justice Initiative does.

[charlatti]

I just finished Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li, which was good — a heist story, but literary fiction. Not sure what to start next, since nothing I have on my shelf is really calling my name.

QOTW: There’s just too much right now.. I can’t narrow down the one thing that most needs all my (imaginary) money.

[Vespasia]

Earlier this week I finished Elektra by Jennifer Saint. I thought it was well written but I struggled a bit with the story. I think this had everything to do with the source material and little to do with the author.

Then I very quickly read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I enjoyed it very much. Part of it was simply that it was a engaging, quick read when I had a lot going on otherwise.

QOTW: This is hard because there are several things I care about a lot but perhaps something related to refugee and IDP health.