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batya
Making the WWW better, one post at a time.
PeaNut 59,094
December 2002
Posts: 31,850
Layouts: 24
Loc: up on my high horse
 |  Posted: 10/7/2012 6:03:43 PM
Non-Fiction for me this week, but they were all pretty good, IMO:
First was Running With the Kenyans. The author dabbled in running and was curious, what was the secret of the Kenyans? How did they come in first in so many varied running events? So he picked up his family and moved from England to Kenya. He lived amongst the vast number of athletes there and tried to discover what made them tick while running with them. Good read. Alluded to Born to Run which I haven't yet read.
Next was Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans, also very good. It talked about how the nation changed over the years, politically how there has been a call for it to be more Christian and how this lead to a lack of acceptance and bigotry against nonbelievers. It talked about the founding fathers, American history, politics, evolution, the move toward anti-intellectualism, "happy holidays" as hostility, et al. Sad how athiests and agnostics are so excluded, closeted and marginalized in our society.
I just finished Jeffrey Toobin's newest, The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court It explores the individual justices, their backgrounds, politics and relationships with the president and each other as well as the President's relationship with the Roberts Court as a whole. Such a good read. I encourage anyone interested in the Supreme Court as it currently looks as well as the current administration to take a look at this one. More current that the Nine which I haven't yet read (oops).
You're up! |
OK. Newbie. This is how it works. If your post consists of 80% sanity, 10% stupidity and 10% all kinds of crazy, we immediately focus on the 20% b/c it discredits the 80%.
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powderhorngreen
PeaNut
PeaNut 333,171
August 2007
Posts: 399
Layouts: 3
Loc: In my world and loving it.
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 6:25:24 PM
Read The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. It is the story of a pilot in a post-apocalyptic world and his desire for human contact after his dog dies. That is a bit too simplistic of a summary but I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone. There are no vampires, no gore, no depressive medical descriptions, just a great character driven story that makes you ask "what if". I highly recommend this one.
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Donna in GA
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 60,695
January 2003
Posts: 8,064
Layouts: 2
| Posted: 10/7/2012 6:26:13 PM
I am reading The Appothecary's Daughter. I am only a few chapters in but it is really good so far.
Last week I read The Proposal by Mary Balogh. It is the first book in a new series by her. If you like books set in Regency England you should like this. |
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creativeflmom
PeaNut
PeaNut 557,180
June 2012
Posts: 65
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 10/7/2012 6:28:43 PM
I am currently reading "The Illiad" for a class. I have to finish it and write a paper on it in 2 weeks yikes! I dont know if it is because it is required reading and I am stressing about finishing it and writing the paper but it is not enjoyable for me.
When I take breaks from reading that book and am not reading my other textbooks I just started "Hitlerland" by Andrew Nagorski. It is American Eyewitness accounts of the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany. So far very interesting. |
| The pea who used to be CreativeMommy2Two | |
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Carey Ayn
why
PeaNut 41,258
June 2002
Posts: 17,555
Layouts: 321
Loc: Minnesota
| Posted: 10/7/2012 6:42:34 PM
I read The Round House by Louise Erdrich. EXCELLENT.
It was newly released to pretty widespread critical acclaim. Some are calling it a Native American To Kill a Mockingbird and there are definitely some similarities, but it has a different mood and direction and a bit more morally ambiguous.
Louise Erdrich is such an amazing storyteller. I hope some of you read this so I have someone to talk to about it. |
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Mystie
Dancing to the end of love.
PeaNut 8,446
December 2000
Posts: 11,800
Layouts: 173
Loc: Newport News, VA
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 6:52:41 PM
I read Crossing the Borders of Time by Leslie Maitland, about her mother who was a Jewish refugee and the Frenchman she fell in love with and then had to leave forever when her family escaped occupied France in 1942. I enjoyed reading about elements of the Holocaust story I hadn't encountered before--this family moved from Germany to France and then had to leave France and there were many daily life details about life under the Nazis that I had not heard about before. And obviously they had far more resources than the typical Jewish family trying to evade Hitler, so that made their story very different. However the love story that frames the book is a little overwrought, as told from the daughter's perspective. Seemed like a real lack of boundaries between the daughter/author and her mother...the mother told her stories from the time she was a child about her lover and their romance, and then the daughter took it upon herself to try to reunite them in old age.
Then I read How It All Began by Penelope Lively. It was a fun, fast read about how one event ripples through people's lives. In this case, it starts with an elderly woman falling and breaking her hip when she is mugged. The results of that change the lives of people who don't even know her. It's also a British book, and I love reading those. Lots of cups of tea!
I also read The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe, who wrote The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (which I have not read.) This book was about a young woman who has lost her mother and sister on the Titanic and who turns to spiritualism to try to connect with them. It took a while to get going, but I did finally get sucked in. It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it.
And I read Refuge in Hell by Daniel Silver, about the Jewish hospital in Berlin, which miraculously was left open through the end of the war, with about 800 survivors among the patients and staff. It was a tiny bit dry, but I still found it very interesting. Many of the survivors were half-Jewish or even less, and the author talked about how the Nazis classified these people. Again, it was a facet of Holocaust history I had not heard about before.
I got a lot read this week--my DH was gone for part of the time and I left the TV off and just read in the evenings. Now that the weather is finally getting cool, it's perfect for reading in bed, my favorite kind of reading!  |
Janelle
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kma
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 1,443
September 1999
Posts: 2,260
Layouts: 9
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 6:57:46 PM
I just started reading The Dovekeepers. Can't comment yet as I'm only on about page 10. |
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BrinaG
PeaFixture
PeaNut 205,553
May 2005
Posts: 3,491
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 7:00:35 PM
I am plodding through Promises I Can Keep which explores the question of why so many women in poorer communities in the USA choose to have children early and prior to marriage. It is interesting, but I find myself wanting to shake these girls, so I can only read a bit at a time.
On suggestion from last weeks' thread I read The Woman Who Wasn't There which amazed and saddened me. I was surprised that I hadn't heard this story before. And also, The Glass Room a story set in Czechoslovakia starting just after World War I when I young couple, he is Jewish, she is a Gentile, build a modern home. The story follows the family, but also the house, which they abandon when he realizes early the future that Hitler promises. I enjoyed it, but felt the last few chapters were just kind of stuffed together.
Finally, I read Where'd You Go, Bernadette which I found fun. | |
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MommyofTriplets
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 141,375
April 2004
Posts: 2,696
Layouts: 57
Loc: NE Ohio
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 7:16:13 PM
I read The Light Between Oceans - that was a good read! Definitely recommend it - the story of a young couple living on a lighthouse island after WWI when a boat washes ashore with a body and a baby inside. Very good story.
I started Gold about two Olympic-caliber speed cyclists dealing with competing against each other and dealing with the illness of one cyclist's daughter. I thought it would be really good, but I could not get into it and I pretty much hated one of the main characters, so I took it back to the library without finishing it. I've decided to try to stop slogging through books that I don't like, so this is a big step for me. 
I'm going to start The Red House by Mark Haddon tonight.
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PhotohappyCdn
Coffee Lovin' Cdn Pea
PeaNut 87,297
May 2003
Posts: 5,548
Layouts: 2
Loc: GTA, Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 10/7/2012 7:17:49 PM
I read Lee Child's newest Jack Reacher novel "A Wanted Man." I swear each novel is better than the last and they are all good even though he does have some brutal elements in it, but I know when to skim that section. The story is worth it.
I also read my first e-book! It was "Creative Chaos" by Kate Lynch. I liked it and thought it was good for a self published novel. I loved reading it on my IPad. My IPad won't replace a physical book for me but it is handy when I can only get the book in Digital format.
I am currently reading "Trust your Eyes" by Linwood Barclay. I have been waiting not-so-patiently for this book to come available at my library. I was at an author event a couple of weeks ago and was lucky enough to hear this author read a chapter of this book! This is a must read but then I feel that way about all the books by this author!
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Kelly
Two Peas is like Hotel California(by the Eagles) - You can check out any time you like but you can NEVER leave!
CDN = Canadian
Buckethead OCT 29, 2003
Pea Addict JAN 19, 2004
Stuck on Peas DEC 23, 2004
Pea Fixture DEC 30, 2005
Ancestral Pea MAY 11, 2007
Ancient Ancestor of Pea APR 18, 2008
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tallydale
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 278,734
October 2006
Posts: 2,729
Layouts: 24
Loc: texas
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 7:23:14 PM
I just started THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS. I'm pretty early in the story, but I like it so far. |
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SMayer
PeaAddict
PeaNut 432,055
July 2009
Posts: 1,524
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 7:23:43 PM
On audio I finished A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett. I liked this book. Of course in typical KF style there were lots of characters, several plots and everything was inter-related.
On kindle I finished The Tea Olive Bird Watching Society by Augusta Trobaugh. I should've ditched this one. I actually did several times but kept coming back to it thinking it had to get better. I was left thinking, Why did I waste my time?
I am currently reading "The Illiad" for a class.
I'm so sorry for you. I tried to read this when I was on my classics kick. I just.could.not.do.it. | |
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Maite
There is no secret ingredient
PeaNut 50,756
October 2002
Posts: 24,883
Layouts: 418
Loc: NC
| Posted: 10/7/2012 7:25:02 PM
This week I read The Last Cowgirl by Jana Richman. It really reminded me of the peas at times. The story is set in Utah and many characters are Mormons, although most are lapsed (I didn't know that was called jackmormon?). The book started slow, and the names of the main characters are a bit strange: she is Dickie and he is Stumpy. In spite of the strange names, once I got into it I though it was really good. I think I may have a crush on Stumpy  |
Maite
A miracle is something that seems impossible but happens anyway.
my blog | |
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**cindyupnorth**
Tony is MY hoochie!
PeaNut 3,902
April 2000
Posts: 24,280
Layouts: 9
Loc: MN
| Posted: 10/7/2012 7:27:01 PM
LOVE Louise Erdrich, local auther. Have read several of her books, but not that one. |
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Carey Ayn
why
PeaNut 41,258
June 2002
Posts: 17,555
Layouts: 321
Loc: Minnesota
| Posted: 10/7/2012 7:42:04 PM
Cindy, it just came out. You have to read it. You won't be disappointed.
I took a two day class at the Minnesota Humanities Center from her sister about three years ago (co-owner of her bookstore).
It was really good. |
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Peabay
Happy now?
PeaNut 156,993
July 2004
Posts: 44,690
Layouts: 13
Loc: Connecticut
| Posted: 10/7/2012 7:52:51 PM
I read a lot this week. I finished The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D." and really disliked it. Then I read Heading Into Wonderful , which I liked. It was like reading a film noir movie.
Now I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed - about her solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. It's terrific. I love it. |
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cjp
PeaAddict
PeaNut 12,909
March 2001
Posts: 1,052
Layouts: 0
Loc: iowa
| Posted: 10/7/2012 8:07:22 PM
I am almost finished with Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer. It is odd and quirky. But I am really enjoying it. Our book club will be discussing it and I am excited to hear what other people thought of it. |
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Linda-H
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 364,338
February 2008
Posts: 2,160
Layouts: 1
| Posted: 10/7/2012 8:15:10 PM
I finished April and Oliver by Tess Callahan. It was good, not great.
I finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which I really liked. I never cried so much reading a book before. But it also made me laugh out loud several times. Great book.
I read What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, which I really liked. It is about a woman that has a head injury and forgets the last ten years of her life. It gave me some things to think about. | |
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NativeNewYorker
black eyed pea with soul!
PeaNut 15,878
May 2001
Posts: 24,968
Layouts: 70
Loc: LI, NY
 | Posted: 10/7/2012 8:19:09 PM
I'm reading Fifth Born by Zelda Lockhart
a short synopsis...
When Odessa Blackburn is three years old, she sees her grandmother for the last time, and so begins her story as the fifth born of eight children in a troubled family. Molested by her father, Odessa is also the sole witness to a murder he commits. Her mother guards both secrets and joins her husband in ostracizing their fifth born from the rest of her siblings. |
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Peal
Hello, is this thing on?
PeaNut 60,761
January 2003
Posts: 8,492
Layouts: 28
Loc: Who's asking?
| Posted: 10/7/2012 8:23:41 PM
I read the last two books in the Hunger Games trilogy. I honestly don't understand how such an un-self aware character as Katniss managed to get such a following. A quarter of the way into book three I wanted to slap her around and was rooting for her death. I think Collins should have ended book 1 differently and stopped the story there. |
Christina
You can't argue with popularity. Well, you could, but you'd be wrong.
My Blog
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kms66
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 184,535
January 2005
Posts: 2,570
Layouts: 182
Loc: in the southwest
| Posted: 10/7/2012 9:41:30 PM
I read Treachery in Death by JD Robb. I love the whole Death series!
Now I'm reading Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman. It's pretty good too.
Next up will be Mudbound since the digital library loan came up. Then I hope to read The Woman Who Wasn't There. Very excited to read that!!! |
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RobbyKay
PeaNut
PeaNut 268,573
July 2006
Posts: 387
Layouts: 79
Loc: Portland, OR
| Posted: 10/7/2012 9:46:07 PM
Hi Peas Who Read!
In honor of Banned Books Week, I picked up D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover. It's a little slow going, but I'm about 50 pages in and it's starting to get good.
I picked up Sylvia Day's Reflected in You, book 2 in her Crossfire series. It's enjoyable. The series is from the "If You like 50 Shades then you'll like this..." list, but it's much better written. |
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kckckc
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 19,061
July 2001
Posts: 2,535
Layouts: 0
Loc: MO
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:11:33 AM
I finished three books this week.
12.21 by Dustin Thomason. This one is a medical thriller - similar to Michael Crichton's books. A new, incurable prion disease (similar to mad cow) is spreading across the country as the calendar approaches 12/21/12 (the end of the Mayan calendar). I thought the first 3/4 of the book was good, but it wrapped up too fast and too pat.
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I thought this was good, but not great. Rowling has a way with words and I enjoyed reading this one, but I would guess that in six months I won't remember a thing about it.
The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom. A very short book - I read it in one evening. It was okay - a little too preachy for me. |
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catholicone
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 141,445
April 2004
Posts: 2,778
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:40:01 AM
I've been reading bits of What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. Liking it a lot. It's a bit heady so I'm taking it one article at a time.
Listening to Murder in the Clouds by Agatha Christie in the car. It's a nice, cozy mystery to keep me entertained on the way to pick the kids up from school. 16 passengers on a small jet and one is murdered mid-flight, but the passengers and crew aren't aware of the murder until the plane lands.
Listening to How Did You Get This Number by Soane Crosley in the house while I pick up. It's just ok. Her first one, I Was Told There Would Be Cake was a lot funnier.
I went to Dollar Tree last Thursday and picked up The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott. Looks like it will be pretty good. | |
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alisatj
PeaFixture
PeaNut 129,041
February 2004
Posts: 3,654
Layouts: 62
Loc: MD
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:54:53 AM
I finished Come Home by Lisa Scottoline. I was not impressed. The writing style was not very good and the story/plot wrapped up in a clumsy way.
Now I've started JK Rowling's new book for book club. I'm not that excited by it so far. I'd rather be reading something else in my stack  . | |
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S_cR_aP_Booker
PeaAddict
PeaNut 400,592
November 2008
Posts: 1,310
Layouts: 0
Loc: Mississippi
 | Posted: 10/8/2012 11:03:18 AM
I am very proud to say that I finally finished Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman It took me month to read it and I am so not used to that, lol. It was an interesting read and I am glad that I read it, but I definitely do not want to read like that anytime soon
I am now reading the second in the Smokey Barrett series by Cody McFayden called The Face of Death. It is a gritty psychological thriller. I am about halfway through it and I can barely put it down | |
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SillyRabbit
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 104,457
September 2003
Posts: 2,819
Layouts: 12
Loc: Where The Grass Is Blue
| Posted: 10/8/2012 12:29:13 PM
After a break from reading for several months (The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant kinda did this animal lover in), I have resumed reading again. This past week I read:
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children...not at all what I thought it would be, but it interested me enough that I will read the sequels.
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum...heartwrenching WWII story. Very good read.
I am currently reading Nefertiti by Michelle Moran...what an interesting character. In this portrayal of Nefertiti, she actually reminds me a lot of Anne Boleyn as far as her personality and ambitious intentions. Quite a fun read.
Next up is Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution also by Michelle Moran.
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Cindy 
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guzismom
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 31,617
March 2002
Posts: 9,350
Layouts: 59
Loc: southern new mexico
| Posted: 10/8/2012 12:57:01 PM
I finished Cemetery Girl by David Bell in one day. I had high hopes for this being an interesting book but honestly all I came away with was being mad at the father in the story. Not recommended.
I just started The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. Being Jesuit educated, I am really looking forward to delving into this book. I've completed the first chapter and while some of the grammar is driving me crazy, the style of the book supports it (very conversational) and I find the author humorous and interesting so I will continue.
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Marilyn (now in New Mexico!!)
SCUBA diving and SCRAPPING Mom of two
Canon 5DMkII, 24-70 2.8L; 70-200 2.8L IS, 50 1.4;
my blog | |
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catholicone
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 141,445
April 2004
Posts: 2,778
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 10/8/2012 12:59:22 PM
Oh! Adding The Jesuit Guide to my to-read list. I'm no longer Catholic but I have a fondess for the Jesuits. | |
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maryannscraps
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 75,215
March 2003
Posts: 6,396
Layouts: 2
Loc: massachusetts
| Posted: 10/8/2012 1:05:48 PM
I finished Cemetery Girl by David Bell in one day. I had high hopes for this being an interesting book but honestly all I came away with was being mad at the father in the story. Not recommended.
I just gave my copy to the Friends of the Library book sale, and was tempted to attach a sticky note saying exactly the same thing.
Nothing grabbed me this week. I had some crappy mysteries that I knew I wouldn't like after a chapter, so I didn't finish any of the three.
I did watch a swedish movie based on a Jo Nesbo book -- Headhunter. It's in Swedish and subtitled. Really good thriller/mystery (it was from Netflix.) | |
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Brandie775
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 123,009
January 2004
Posts: 2,167
Layouts: 6
Loc: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 10/8/2012 1:08:02 PM
I am almost finished with Tell the Wolves I'm Home. I have really enjoyed it even though it is not the type of book I usually read. Very curious how it will end.
I finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which I really liked. I never cried so much reading a book before. But it also made me laugh out loud several times. Great book
I loved this book! I cried like no body's business after reading this one. | |
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Fotogrl
PeaNut
PeaNut 94,804
July 2003
Posts: 343
Layouts: 0
Loc: Kentucky
| Posted: 10/8/2012 2:20:03 PM
Just finished reading Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith and enjoyed it very much. I've just started the second in the series, The Secret Speech - hopefully it will be just as good.
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sues
"Surrounded by thugs."
PeaNut 16,228
June 2001
Posts: 32,424
Layouts: 71
Loc: SW Chicago suburbs
| Posted: 10/8/2012 2:26:23 PM
Missed this thread last week. I was reading The Strain by Chuck Hogan and Somebody del Toro. I tried to finish it. I really did. But it was gross and not scary and I found that I wasn't caring about anyone or anything in it. I cut my losses at the halfway point and moved on.
Now I'm reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson and I'm enjoying it. There's so much more to her than the funny person who writes the blog. It's interesting and funny and sometimes heartbreaking.
My purse book last week was Undead and Uneasy by Mary Janice Davidson. I hated it it. Seriously- it was worthless. I don't have a high bar for my purse books. They are always light so I can pick them up and put them down easily. But this book- blecch. I should have stopped reading, but I felt like giving up on two in the same week was too much. LOL I'm really surprised this author is so successful. This is a whole series and I can't figure out why anyone would read more than one. They're shallow and silly (in a bad way) and very disjointed. Awful, awful book.
This week my purse book is First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones. I'm not loving it. I'm not far into it though - so I'll give it a few more chapters. | |
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Mimima
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
PeaNut 41,779
July 2002
Posts: 32,592
Layouts: 58
Loc: The Left Coast
| Posted: 10/8/2012 4:50:42 PM
I took much longer than I usually do to read the second Maisie Dobbs, Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear. My interest in the clothing and history of the period does not outweigh my uninterest in the character of Maisie, so I suspect I won't read the rest of the series.
Then I read a graphic novel, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, about a girl in Iran during and just after the 1979 revolution. My youngest son will be reading it for English, and we had it around, so I picked it up.
Scrapbooker - Sharon Kay Penman is one of my favorite authors, and I'm re-reading her Devil's Brood. I re-read the previous one in the series a month ago, and am enjoying this re-read. |
~Mimi
"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." - Louisa May Alcott | |
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Mystie
Dancing to the end of love.
PeaNut 8,446
December 2000
Posts: 11,800
Layouts: 173
Loc: Newport News, VA
| Posted: 10/8/2012 5:33:00 PM
My interest in the clothing and history of the period does not outweigh my uninterest in the character of Maisie, so I suspect I won't read the rest of the series.
Ha! I'm so glad to hear you say this! I read four or five of those darn books, and reading about Maisie is like watching paint dry. It bugged me for ages because that series SHOULD have been exactly what I liked, but it certainly wasn't. |
Janelle
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Inkerbelle
BucketHead
PeaNut 188,256
January 2005
Posts: 575
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern New Jersey
| Posted: 10/8/2012 5:34:13 PM
I read The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe last week and enjoyed it. It was on my summer reading list but just got around to now. It's about an estrangled daughter who comes home to spend the summer with her dying mother.
Right now I'm reading Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio and I love it! Its about a newspaper reporter with a troubled life researching a story that occurred decades before during a May snowstorm. This is my first book by Sarah Jio and I am enjoying her writing style so much that I'll read her other two books next, The Violets of March and The Bungalow. | |
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NativeNewYorker
black eyed pea with soul!
PeaNut 15,878
May 2001
Posts: 24,968
Layouts: 70
Loc: LI, NY
| Posted: 10/8/2012 5:41:35 PM
I read Fifth Born by Zelda Lockhart in one night. I just started Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle.
Synopsis
Hannah is an eigth grader. Her parents are glamorous Hollywood royalty, and sometimes she feels like the ugly duckling in a family of swans. After her mother's tragic death, Hannah's grief is compounded by her desperate need to live up to her mother's image. She tries to control her weight through bulimia, and her devastated father is too distracted to notice. |
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Mimima
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
PeaNut 41,779
July 2002
Posts: 32,592
Layouts: 58
Loc: The Left Coast
| Posted: 10/8/2012 5:45:15 PM
My interest in the clothing and history of the period does not outweigh my uninterest in the character of Maisie, so I suspect I won't read the rest of the series.
Ha! I'm so glad to hear you say this! I read four or five of those darn books, and reading about Maisie is like watching paint dry. It bugged me for ages because that series SHOULD have been exactly what I liked, but it certainly wasn't.
I agree wholeheartedly. I am kind of mystified because I know a lot of people who LOVE Maisie Dobbs Thank you for completing me once again |
~Mimi
"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." - Louisa May Alcott | |
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AthenainCA
Right Pea on the Left Coast
PeaNut 230,510
November 2005
Posts: 18,306
Layouts: 10
Loc: SoCal
 | Posted: 10/8/2012 6:30:30 PM
I recently finished The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. It was nothing special. Stereotypical characters, predictable story (young women in the South uncovering past family secrets), and fluff. Writing wasn't terrible. Quick read.
I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's Blink today. I gave it a three out of five stars. Parts were very interesting and in other parts it just lost my interest. I think this book suffered from hype for me. I'd heard that it was just AMAZING!!! and well, eh, it didn't really live up to all that for me. Glad I read it though.
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is up next.
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NanaKate
My Grandkids Are Cuter Than Yours! ;)
PeaNut 135,321
March 2004
Posts: 9,744
Layouts: 0
Loc: Baytown, TX
| Posted: 10/8/2012 6:42:25 PM
I read Defending Jacob by William Landay. I enjoyed it in the beginning but did not like the twists and turns at the end. I hated the ending. Just my two cents... |
Kathie
"Write it on your heart that those you love are the greatest gifts of all." | |
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guzismom
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 31,617
March 2002
Posts: 9,350
Layouts: 59
Loc: southern new mexico
| Posted: 10/8/2012 6:50:44 PM
I've had a hard time finding Defending Jacob locally and am now on the waiting list at the library for it. Perhaps I will order it on Amazon.
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Marilyn (now in New Mexico!!)
SCUBA diving and SCRAPPING Mom of two
Canon 5DMkII, 24-70 2.8L; 70-200 2.8L IS, 50 1.4;
my blog | |
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readsomething
Got Samoas?
PeaNut 70,391
February 2003
Posts: 7,678
Layouts: 1
Loc: Norfolk VA
| Posted: 10/8/2012 7:30:25 PM
I"m reading "The Suspicious Mr. Whicher," thanks to a Pea who recommended it here. It has the distinction of being the first ACTUAL book (not an eBook) that I've read in months and months. I've been addicted to my Kindle.
I told DH last night that the Kindle has spoiled me, that holding a real book is toooooooo haaaaaaard (whining, while reading in bed). But I got the book used on Amazon, and it was really cheap. 
I'm really, really liking it. It's as if the writer sat down and said, "Now. How can I make the perfect book for readsomething?" And she did!
I was on a "cozy" kick for a while, then read a lot of short fiction (finally subbed to The New Yorker again).
My next, I hope, will be "The Woman Who Wasn't There." Anyone have this book available to lend on Nook or Kindle??? |
Heather
Finally Four of Us
Regional vice president of the National Sarcasm Society (Like We Need Your Support)
Senior Executive Vice President, Dunder-Mifflin Paper Co., Scranton PA
"Every time I use a coupon, Satan gets another one of his toenails pulled out."
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shari1121
PeaNut
PeaNut 533,725
December 2011
Posts: 126
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 10/8/2012 7:36:14 PM
I just finished Gone Girl. I thought it was a good read. Just started The Help, which I want to finish before I watch the movie. | |
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A Complicated Lady
BucketHead
PeaNut 438,379
September 2009
Posts: 921
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 10/8/2012 8:48:07 PM
I started The Woman Who Wasn't There because of another thread here. So far it's interesting. I've been working all weekend and haven't had a chance to get back to it. Maybe later this week.
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***Dana***
Well it's hard to figure out, what she's all about
But she's woman through and through
She's a complicated lady
So color my baby moody blue
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journey fan
"Rome! By all means, Rome."
PeaNut 308,186
April 2007
Posts: 11,530
Layouts: 0
Loc: California Coast
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:00:15 PM
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is up next.
As a fellow baseball fan, I'm interested in your review when you're done, Athena.
My next, I hope, will be "The Woman Who Wasn't There." Anyone have this book available to lend on Nook or Kindle???
Heather, I think I read on this or the other thread that the Kindle version isn't lendable. It's also $12.99 at Amazon AND not at my e-library. I've totally struck out 'cuz I'm not paying $12.99 (tho' Kiki says it's worth it, LOL!). |
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my3freaks
BucketHead
PeaNut 121,868
January 2004
Posts: 615
Layouts: 0
Loc: Red Sox Nation- in Denver!
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:10:30 PM
I finished Hour Game by David Balducci and Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning. They were both pretty good. Last night I started Divergent by Veronica Roth. I was just gonna read a couple of pages, and ended up reading 80 before I made myself go to sleep because it was after 2 am. I've only got 3 books left to read to meet the goal I set on Goodreads at the beginning of the year.  Next up will either be A Discovery of Witches or Faefever.
Melanie | |
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AthenainCA
Right Pea on the Left Coast
PeaNut 230,510
November 2005
Posts: 18,306
Layouts: 10
Loc: SoCal
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:14:44 PM
As a fellow baseball fan, I'm interested in your review when you're done, Athena.
Absolutely! |
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Mystie
Dancing to the end of love.
PeaNut 8,446
December 2000
Posts: 11,800
Layouts: 173
Loc: Newport News, VA
| Posted: 10/8/2012 9:21:48 PM
I am kind of mystified because I know a lot of people who LOVE Maisie Dobbs
The first book I read, I thought she seemed a lot like Nancy Drew--just too perfect and too in control. A Mary Sue, if you will.
The author has certainly tried to throw conflict into the character's life, but it just does not resonate at all. She is SO boring! |
Janelle
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Maizie
* Happy Camper *
PeaNut 223,117
September 2005
Posts: 16,351
Layouts: 22
Loc: Heffalump Hollow
| Posted: 10/8/2012 11:27:25 PM
Started Life of Pi for book club...it's not really doing it for me |
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rugrtmom
PeaAddict
PeaNut 18,589
July 2001
Posts: 1,856
Layouts: 116
Loc: CA
| Posted: 10/9/2012 12:02:59 AM
I finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver which I think was recommended by someone on here. I'm not running out to buy the next one--maybe I'll get it at the library instead?
Right now I'm reading The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (Book 3 in the Heroes of Olympus series) which is going pretty well. DS can't wait to get his hands on the book, but it's over 500 pages long so I told him it won't be really soon. |
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