Friday July 14th Reading

[Vespasia]

Happy Friday! What have you been reading this week?


QOTW: Do you speak more than one language? If so, which languages and how/when did you learn?

[charlatti]

I’m lounging at the beach for one more day, so getting some good reading time in! Currently reading 28 Summers, because a beach book at the beach seemed appropriate.

QOTW: Nope. I took French in high school and college but didn’t stick with it to know much more than a few stray words now.

[tacokick]

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins (fun)

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter (a little tedious)

How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson (bad)

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie (sad)

QOTW: I took French in middle school/high school. I’m pretty good at reading and understanding it when spoken. We watch a good amount of French tv. My accent and grammar is bad so I avoid speaking it!

[aurora]

I just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and am reading A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. Both are entertaining by not terribly deep.

QOTW: I took French in high school but can't do more than read the basics at this point.

[travella]

I'm currently reading Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape by Ben MacIntyre

Qotw: No, I took many years of Spanish and lived in Spain for a while, but the language didn't stick.

[Vespasia]

I finished Fourth Wing yesterday. I enjoyed it a lot but there were a few things that kept it from being a 5 star read. I'm not sure if I would have noticed them as much if it hadn't been so highly praised by many people. I will definitely read the next book when it comes out though.

QOTW: I took French, Spanish and Latin in school. Like others, I can figure out basics of Spanish and French if they're written but I am not good at understanding spoken communication. I've done both on Duolingo ahead of trips but can't seem to stick with either.

[estrellita]

I finished Crown of Midnight, the 2nd book in the Throne of Glass series. It was good and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes! I'm taking a break from the series and started Romantic Comedy. It's about a writer for basically an SNL knock off. I had to laugh because a couple of the characters are clearly based on Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansen 😂

QOTW: I took Spanish from 7th grade through my first semester of college. I started Duolingo so I've been trying to relearn what I've lost and learn some new things. I could probably get by in a Spanish speaking country, but far from holding a full conversation!

[dearprudence]

I finished The Candid Life of Meena Dave and The Romance Recipe. I enjoyed the first more than the second.

I started reading Tripping Arcadia, which is a nice break from all the jerky rich people books I've been reading because it's about a woman who poisons a family of jerky rich people.

I started listening to Summer Guests, about a death that occurs at a fancy hotel and how it affects 4 people who were there at the time.


QOTW: Do you speak more than one language? If so, which languages and how/when did you learn? I'm Jewish so I can read Hebrew and know some basics. I can count in Korean from taking karate as a child. I'm semi-fluent in French from high school and usage (I read books in French, travel to France) but my grammar is terrible. I worked in enough restaurants to pick up "restaurant words" in Spanish (food, "I need", please, thank you etc). I taught myself German before I studied for a summer in Austria. Basically I know a handful of languages other than English non-fluently, but enough to get by when necessary.

[sju]

Finished The Unhoneymooners. Considering the genre, it was 3* so ok.  I’ve been on my summer reading slump again. I started Atomic Habits and the Girl on The Train to see if I get back to reading.

QOTW: Yes, I am fluent in Spanish (1st) and English (learned at school and when I moved to the States).  I also took 3 years of French (one in HS and 2 in college).  I can read it and get a basic understanding but I can’t really understand spoken French. I can say a few very basic phrases. I can understand a bit more spoken Italian.

[Gato]

inished Birnam Wood and it left me a bit cold. I kept thinking, why would the evil character be quite so evil? It was a bit unsubtle. But the plot did race along, and it was funny in parts.

Now I’m reading The Marriage Portait by Maggie O’Farrell. So far it’s okay; I’m not loving it as much as Hamnet.

QOTW: I really only know English but can form basic sentences in past, present, or future in French. I took five years of French as a kid and spent a summer as an exchange student in France. I was fairly fluent back then. I also took a year of Spanish in college but cannot follow a real conversation at all, and never could.