| |
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: 1/13/2013 6:55:18 PM
Hi peas. Two books for me this week.
First, Jacob Tomsky's Heads in Beds. It was about the hotel industry and his experiences in it, first as a valet, then front desk, then management in different towns. He stumbled into hospitality and was loud and clear that if you tip you get better service. Yes, if you TIP everyone, they give you BETTER SERVICE. It was very fast paced, readable. But nothing special.
Then, Elie Wiesel's latest, Open Heart which was very short and contemplative about his life, his work, his blessings. What made him so reflective was his health scare which he thought was a stomach ailment and turned out to be a potentially fatal heart problem.
Let's hear yours. |
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%.
| |
|
|
Peabay
Happy now?
PeaNut 156,993
July 2004
Posts: 44,686
Layouts: 13
Loc: Connecticut
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 7:01:27 PM
Finished Justin Cronin's The Passage and really liked it. A real page turner - although our puppy had a slight case of diarrhea this week and having to get up and walk him at about 3 am after reading that book during the day was creepy!
Also finished American Dervish which was on many "best of 2012" lists. It started off slow, but I ended up really enjoying it. Gave me such insight into the day to day life of Muslim American families.
Just started Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Book Store for book club. So far it's okay. |
|
|
kms66
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 184,535
January 2005
Posts: 2,570
Layouts: 182
Loc: in the southwest
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:09:50 PM
I read On the Island. It was pretty good. Not a favorite though. Now I'm reading The Fault in our Stars. Like it so far but I'm not far into it. |
|
|
tamhugh
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 12,875
March 2001
Posts: 7,890
Layouts: 11
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 7:14:21 PM
I am reading Beloved, by Toni Morrison at work on my lunch break and when I have study hall duty.
At home, I am reading Bruce, the Springsteen biography. A friend gave it to me for Christmas and I am enjoying it so far. | |
|
RobbyKay
PeaNut
PeaNut 268,573
July 2006
Posts: 387
Layouts: 79
Loc: Portland, OR
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 7:15:27 PM
Hi Peas Who Read!
I read two this week. First up was Lisa Kleypas' Rainshadow Road. It was on the Kirkus Best of 2012 list. I liked it, it was a sweet romance. I don't know what makes it list worthy,but it was certainly enjoyable.
Then I picked up up Sarah Jio's Blackberry Winter. If you like Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key, then Blackberry Winter is right up your alley. It was a good read, and I'm looking forward to
Jio's next book. |
|
|
SMG in AZ
Je suis desole
PeaNut 38,879
May 2002
Posts: 5,611
Layouts: 36
Loc: Phoenix area
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 7:18:22 PM
First, Jacob Tomsky's Heads in Beds. It was about the hotel industry and his experiences in it, first as a valet, then front desk, then management in different towns. He stumbled into hospitality and was loud and clear that if you tip you get better service. Yes, if you TIP everyone, they give you BETTER SERVICE. It was very fast paced, readable. But nothing special.
Thx for sharing-I thought about picking up the book after seeing the author on a talk show, but I was so unimpressed with his TV appearance, I had 2nd thoughts. So I read the amazon reviews and it reinforced the thought I had that the book was kinda average. So your comments seem to support my perceptions of the book. |
|
|
dwisker
Squillen's Best Bud
PeaNut 297,159
February 2007
Posts: 6,944
Layouts: 20
Loc: Montrose, NY
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:20:48 PM
Finally finished Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck. I liked it, but wanted to love it.
Just started The Night Circus and I'm only about 30-40 pages into it. Can't really tell you much right now.
And my Goodreads "to read" list is up to 171 books.....I don't think I will live long enough to read them all! Or if I do, I'll be half senile and forget what I've read. |
Deb Wisker
My Blog
Canon 60D
Canon 50D
Canon Rebel XT (retired)
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC
Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3VC
Canon 50mm f/1.8
Canon 85mm f/1.8
Canon Speedlite 580 EX
Lightroom 3
PSE 8 | |
|
|
freecharlie
Is the pool open yet?
PeaNut 109,127
September 2003
Posts: 19,274
Layouts: 4
Loc: Colorado
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 7:21:19 PM
I finished Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. I really liked it and would recommend it to every one. The interesting chance encounters were really cool to see.
I am currently reading The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Cristie. I'm reading it because it is a category on one of the challenges on goodreads "You have the right to remain silent." It isn't bad, but it isn't great either. |
| Tribbey: I believe, as long as Justice Dreifort is intolerant toward gays, lesbians, blacks, unions, women, poor people, and the first, fourth, fifth, and ninth amendments, I will remain intolerant toward him! [to Ainsley] Nice meeting you | |
|
|
finaledition
BucketHead
PeaNut 409,397
January 2009
Posts: 932
Layouts: 58
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 7:22:40 PM
I read Flat Out Love by Jessica Park. I would probably not put it in the romance category, it was more about a freshman college student living with a somewhat dysfunctional family. I liked the story, but I loved the main character if that makes sense. She was smart and witty and very likable. It was about $3.19 for the Kindle, but if you have a Prime membership, you can borrow it for free.
Next up, I'm going back to a good old fashion book with real pages. I'm starting What Alice Forgot. | |
|
bobbie01
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 25,270
November 2001
Posts: 6,300
Layouts: 41
Loc: Delaware
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:29:57 PM
I am reading Hare with the Golden Eyes and so far I really like it.
|
Barb
Spee
CC always welcome Canon 7D,85 1.2, 17-55 2.8,100mm,30 1.4,Speedlite 580EXII
 | |
|
|
scrapperjen1
All I want is PEAce on earth and a cute purse
PeaNut 86,352
May 2003
Posts: 12,026
Layouts: 539
Loc: Northern Illinois
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:36:50 PM
I am reading The Lifeboat. I am only about 30 pages in but it's been interesting so far |
|
|
TXMary
That's my island!
PeaNut 174,226
October 2004
Posts: 7,395
Layouts: 0
Loc: Central Texas/Port Aransas
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:39:22 PM
I am reading 11-22-63. I'm not very far in, but I was hooked from the first sentence. |
|
|
journey fan
"Rome! By all means, Rome."
PeaNut 308,186
April 2007
Posts: 11,530
Layouts: 0
Loc: California Coast
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:46:26 PM
During my reading time, I've been sucked into all the CHA and Project Life blogs and reading those instead of a book 
In the car, I'm listening to The Monster of Florence about the hunt for a serial killer in Tuscany that went on for decades. It's written by a mystery writer with the help of an Italian reporter and later in the book apparently, even THEY become the accused.
This book is gruesome, sad, terrifying, interesting, appalling, and gut-wrenching. I'm really enjoy the descriptions of Florence and surrounding towns, the Italian history, social commentary, etc. |
|
|
Peabay
Happy now?
PeaNut 156,993
July 2004
Posts: 44,686
Layouts: 13
Loc: Connecticut
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:46:48 PM
At home, I am reading Bruce, the Springsteen biography. A friend gave it to me for Christmas and I am enjoying it so far
 |
|
|
JamieBohBamie
AncestralPea
PeaNut 145,959
May 2004
Posts: 4,781
Layouts: 125
Loc: NYC
| Posted: 1/13/2013 7:47:25 PM
I'm currently reading Looking For Alaska by John Green and I'm enjoying it, but it's a difficult read. I find this author to be so charming and the characters so compelling, but the subject matter is a tough one for me. As a warning, this book is not largely about, but still revolves around suicide. Had I known this before, I'm not sure I would have read it because it's a very sensitive subject for me. Regardless, it's a book that I can definitely relate to and because of that I think I regard it higher.
Next up are two books I grabbed at B&N today:
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
and
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
I am always changing up what I read, from zombies to mystery to literature to memoirs. |
|
|
GamGam
PeaNut
PeaNut 552,272
April 2012
Posts: 129
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 8:05:30 PM
My book reading really took a hit during the holidays, but I've read The Midwife of Hope river this week, and really liked it. I used to live in upper East TN, so the setting was appealing to me. It is a story of love and friendship and integrity, and I found it to be inspiring.
| |
|
tallydale
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 278,734
October 2006
Posts: 2,729
Layouts: 24
Loc: texas
| Posted: 1/13/2013 8:06:02 PM
I just finished KILLING LINCOLN. I thought it was very well done. I was afraid it would be boring and I also thought I knew all the details about Lincoln's death, but apparently there was much more going on than I realized.
dwisker--I have 199 on my 'to-be-read' list and I don't think I will live long enought to read them either! I decided maybe I need to read the highest rated books first. LOL |
|
|
Grandma Neenie
PeaNut
PeaNut 398,140
November 2008
Posts: 168
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/13/2013 8:09:17 PM
I just finished Stories I Only Tell My Friends, by Rob Lowe. I really liked it. I got restless near the end and was ready to be finished with it, but I think it's just because he went into a lot of detail about every little thing. I would recommend it though, especially if you're a fan of Rob Lowe. I just started liking him on Parks and Recreation, and didn't really pay much attention to him before that. After reading this book, I am just amazed at his ambition at such a young age, and he was fearless in achieving his goals. I have a whole new respect for him now after knowing how hard he worked and how determined he was.
Now I'm reading Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. Another book I wouldn't have picked up if not for the Peas! I'm about 40 pages in and really liking it.
Thank you, Batya for doing this every week. I have always been a bookworm, but now I'm a bookworm with a long list thanks to the Peas! |
Peace.
It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.
It means to be in the midst of those things and still
be calm in your heart. | |
|
|
dynalady
My soul is fed with needle and thread
PeaNut 25,620
December 2001
Posts: 20,151
Layouts: 49
Loc: Sweet Home Chicago
| Posted: 1/13/2013 8:09:45 PM
Pretty big reading week for me since I spent most of it with the flu and there wasn't much else to do.
The Plain Old Man . A Sarah Kelling/Max Bittesohn mystery by Charlotte MacLeod.
Fonduing Fathers . The latest in the White House chef mysteries by Julie Hyze.
Mischief in Maggody . An Arly Hanks mystery by Joan Hess. An old favorite.
Curses! , #5 in the Gideon Oliver series by Aaron Elkins.
Next? Haven't decided yet. So many choices! |
   
"I contend we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." Stephen Roberts
| |
|
|
zoeybug
BucketHead
PeaNut 425,771
June 2009
Posts: 686
Layouts: 7
Loc: Dallas
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 8:24:20 PM
I read Emily Giffin's latest Where We Belong and a Kindle $1.99book The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarity . I liked Giffen's book but it was very predictable and pretty light which was what I needed after reading Defending Jacob last week. I loved The Center of Everythong and its a fast read. Up next is A Friend of the Family , another $1.99 find. | |
|
*Erin
triathlon pea
PeaNut 80,864
April 2003
Posts: 10,470
Layouts: 13
Loc: Gone to chemo with BethAnne
| Posted: 1/13/2013 8:35:46 PM
I read Dreams of Eli by Van Heerling this week and it was ok. It ended up being very different from what the book description led me to think it would be, and then I hated the ending. Lame and unbelieveable.
As a nice contrast, I started reading Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron and I'm loving it. It's a great story set in Rwanda during the buildup to genocide in the 80's and 90's. The main character is an athlete with a shot at a spot on the Rwandan Olympic track team, but because he's Tutsi his experience/existence is extremely hard and dangerous. It's the kind of book that is so absorbing that I find that I'm reading until the wee hours with no problem (that is, until I try to wake up in the morning  ).
I'm going to finish Running the Rift in the next couple of days, and after that I haven't decided what to read next. Either The Passage or A Discovery of Witches. |
|
|
Linda-H
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 364,338
February 2008
Posts: 2,160
Layouts: 1
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 8:36:24 PM
I just finished Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, which I really enjoyed.
I read Flat Out Love by Jessica Park. I would probably not put it in the romance category, it was more about a freshman college student living with a somewhat dysfunctional family.
Finaledition- I also read this book this week. I really liked it. I loved Celeste and Matt. I liked Julie but thought she was a little too forward in her approach to the family, although that is just what they needed. Good read.
Wild
Flat Out Love | |
|
cjp
PeaAddict
PeaNut 12,909
March 2001
Posts: 1,052
Layouts: 0
Loc: iowa
| Posted: 1/13/2013 8:53:17 PM
I finished The Night Circus for my book club and I loved it. In fact everyone in the group really enjoyed it.
Then I read two quick mysteries. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. This was good by creepy. 4th of July by James Patterson, I'm slowly but surely making my way through this series.
I have just started The Princess Bride and I love it. It has sucked me in from the start. |
| mother of four great reasons to scrapbook! | |
|
|
sues
"Surrounded by thugs."
PeaNut 16,228
June 2001
Posts: 32,422
Layouts: 71
Loc: SW Chicago suburbs
| Posted: 1/13/2013 8:55:47 PM
I'm reading "Saving Fish From Drowning" by Amy Tan. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I like the way she writes though and I'm willing to keep going.
Also "The Weird Sisters" which I'm enjoying even though there's something about it that makes me feel like she's trying too hard. Something about the Shakespeare gimmick...but the personalities of the sisters too. We've seen them all before. We know the dynamic. I hope it turns into something unique.
Lastly, I downloaded "Mile 81" by Stephen King on my Ipad and it's creeping me out. (Surprise! LOL) I haven't had a lot of time to get into it yet though. I love everything he writes, so I'm sure I'll like this too. | |
|
Inkerbelle
BucketHead
PeaNut 188,256
January 2005
Posts: 575
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern New Jersey
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:10:56 PM
I recently read all three of Sarah Jio's books and like them. I'm still reading FALL OF GIANTS and enjoying it. |
|
|
SMayer
PeaAddict
PeaNut 432,055
July 2009
Posts: 1,524
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:14:27 PM
On audio I "read" Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. This was very informative. I didn't realize that JWB had coordinated a whole series of events to cripple the US Government. In fact there was a lot I didn't know, even after visiting the Ford Theater museum.
On Kindle I finished Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. I really enjoyed this one. I'm a day hiker and have considered backpacking, but after reading her about her journey I don't know if I could do it.
I must be on a non-fiction kick (six in a row), because I'm currently reading Following Atticus by Tom Ryan. I have to stop and read my reading group book, which I read in 2011, so hopefully I can skim it and get back to Atticus. | |
|
merlot1024
PeaAddict
PeaNut 55,742
November 2002
Posts: 1,585
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:19:43 PM
Still working on The Light Between Oceans. I didn't read too much this week.
Next up is The Univited Guests and Zeitoun. Both are for book club but one is on my nook and one is a paperback. I will read the nook book while I'm on the elliptical and the paperback the rest of the time. Hopefully I can get some serious reading done this week.
| |
|
SueSume
AncestralPea
PeaNut 262,757
May 2006
Posts: 4,596
Layouts: 5
Loc: Big Bottom Valley
 | Posted: 1/13/2013 9:36:49 PM
I have just started The Princess Bride and I love it. It has sucked me in from the start.
Oh I LOVED that book . There are a *few* things different than the movie...
I, too, just listened to Mile 81 by Stephen King. Just the right amount of scary/eww.
Am now reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich and I am loving it. I'm only 61 pages in but it's hard to put down.
Also reading The Singing of the Dead (I've BEEN reading it for a week now and not making a lot of progress. Then I got distracted by the Round House and am making no progress at all) It's a good story it's just that life keeps getting in the way...
I also have The Winter of the World going but reading it seems a little *flat* after listening to Fall of Giants. I very much enjoyed the narration so I might send WOTW back and get it on CD...
I have The Dog Stars by Peter Heller on CD to listen to later this week
Thank you SO MUCH to Batya and "All The Peas Who Read" for the wonderful recommendations. My reading life has become much *richer* thanks to all of you. Many more *hits*, fewer *misses*! |
Sue Who? SueASume, SueSume, who cares?
Reality is made up of words.-Ferdinando Buscema
Words are hard.-Hannah Kelly
NSBR: "We're like a big damn disfunctional family. We'll beat the crap out of each other, and it's ok, but dammit, if an outsider turns on one of ours, we circle the wagons." -Free~Bird
Used with permission & with 9% royality fee paid annually. Starting next year. Honest | |
|
|
smokeynspike
Peain' on the Wasatch Front
PeaNut 169,644
September 2004
Posts: 8,411
Layouts: 11
Loc: Utah
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:43:52 PM
I am currently reading The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts. It is the final book in her Inn Boonsboro trilogy.
I also read Endlessly by Kiersten White this week. It was the final book in the Paranormalcy trilogy.
Melissa | |
|
chktrk
Al Ask A Pea
PeaNut 50,177
September 2002
Posts: 8,942
Layouts: 21
Loc: Alaska
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:46:02 PM
My reading for pleasure has come to an end as classes start for me on Tuesday and I need to read the first 45 pages of Policy Studies for Educational Leaders by then. I am also reading The Ethics of School Administration for my Thursday night class.
I have 11/22/63 about halfway done and hope to finish it this week. |
|
|
angievp
Ideay pues?
PeaNut 143,106
April 2004
Posts: 6,644
Layouts: 36
Loc: Miami
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:48:18 PM
I read Power Exchange by AJ Rose...a very well-written gay bdsm e-book.
Not much else. Work was ROUGH this week.
| |
|
Carey Ayn
why
PeaNut 41,258
June 2002
Posts: 17,555
Layouts: 321
Loc: Minnesota
| Posted: 1/13/2013 9:52:30 PM
I finished 11/22/63 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took me a couple of days to pick up a new book because I didn't want to let this one go. That is rare or me.
It will likely be close to the top reads for 2013 for me.
Now I'm reading The Raven Boys. YA book.
, |
|
|
BrinaG
PeaFixture
PeaNut 205,553
May 2005
Posts: 3,491
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/13/2013 11:18:16 PM
I finished The Night Circus which I enjoyed. I have started [BB]The End of Your Life Book Club[/B] which is interested so far. | |
|
Momof1sweet-lil-lad
& the Velcro dog
PeaNut 133,429
February 2004
Posts: 9,102
Layouts: 0
Loc: With my Shadow
| Posted: 1/14/2013 1:36:15 AM
I finished a Sandra Kring book. The Life of Bright Ideas...at least that is what I think it was named.
Next on the Kindle is The Night Circus.
|
The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has its limits. ~Albert Einstein | |
|
|
Tommygirl
PeaFixture
PeaNut 79,850
April 2003
Posts: 3,190
Layouts: 0
Loc: Right here!
| Posted: 1/14/2013 6:00:00 AM
Thoroughly enjoyed Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. It was quirky, smart, and was just plain enjoyable. It is written similar in style to the Guernsey Potato Society book. If you find skipping from character to characters perspectives difficult you may not enjoy it, but I really liked it!
In fact I liked it so much I read Maria Semple's first book This One Is Mine . Unfortunately this one was just okay for me. SHe did tie things up nicely at the end, but I just didn't enjoy the main characters as much.
Then I read When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I also really enjoyed this book although it was much more serious in tone than the previous 2 books I mentioned. I thnk it is currently a $3.99 book on Amazon -it's well worth the $3.99.
| |
|
CountryPeaGirl
Young Country Pea
PeaNut 203,705
May 2005
Posts: 6,512
Layouts: 163
Loc: OHIO
| |
littlefish
Peain' in the Pool
PeaNut 78,065
March 2003
Posts: 16,352
Layouts: 139
Loc: Sunshine State
| Posted: 1/14/2013 6:14:10 AM
I'm still working on Listening is an Act of Love, a collection of recorded interviews conducted by Storycorps. I'm really enjoying the short peeks into the lives and histories of other people. I'm about halfway through.
I'm currently reading Looking For Alaska by John Green and I'm enjoying it, but it's a difficult read. I find this author to be so charming and the characters so compelling, but the subject matter is a tough one for me. As a warning, this book is not largely about, but still revolves around suicide. Had I known this before, I'm not sure I would have read it because it's a very sensitive subject for me. Regardless, it's a book that I can definitely relate to and because of that I think I regard it higher.
This one is pretty heavy, I agree. I did enjoy it though. I like some of John Green's other works better, like An Abundance of Katherines. |
|
|
disneybride
PeaNut
PeaNut 94,036
July 2003
Posts: 491
Layouts: 15
Loc: South Carolina
| Posted: 1/14/2013 6:58:14 AM
I finished "The Fault in the Stars" and LOVED it. Wow. I started it at the new year and then work and life got in the way but I picked it back up this weekend and couldn't put it down. Now I'm having a hard time finding something else to read. | |
|
maryannscraps
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 75,215
March 2003
Posts: 6,396
Layouts: 2
Loc: massachusetts
| Posted: 1/14/2013 7:45:23 AM
Finally finished The Legend of Broken by Caleb Carr. I slogged through this book for weeks, and the end was just awful! I have to wonder about his state of mind writing this book -- The Alienist is one of my favorite books but this was dreadful. Little peeks at his brilliance, but very well hidden.
Now I'm in Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I'm enjoying it so much -- she's a master of creepy writing. I've changed my mind about these characters 4 or 5 times in the first 100 pages. I've read and loved all her other books, so I figured I'd like this one. Although that line of thought didn't work with Caleb Carr. LOL.
Next up is Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova. DH started it and likes it. | |
|
Mystie
Dancing to the end of love.
PeaNut 8,446
December 2000
Posts: 11,800
Layouts: 173
Loc: Newport News, VA
| Posted: 1/14/2013 7:45:50 AM
I read The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap, which Batya recommended a couple of weeks ago. It was a really fun, quick read, about the joys and pitfalls of running a bookstore in a small town.
Then I read a few I just didn't enjoy:
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. I know this is an acclaimed book, but apart from some beautifully written passages, it really left me cold.
An Available Man by Hilma Wolitzer. This was a novel about a widower reluctantly trying to put his loss behind him and find love again. I thought this was going to be Anne Tyler-esque, but it just didn't have her charm.
And A Case for Solomon. This was a non-fiction book about a kidnapping 100 years ago and the court battle over the boy. It's an interesting story, but it just wasn't well-told.
Right now I'm reading The Last Jews in Berlin, another non-fiction book about a few Jewish people who somehow managed to survive in Berlin in the last years of the war. So far it's quite good. |
Janelle
| |
|
|
scrappindzny
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 315,763
May 2007
Posts: 2,016
Layouts: 3
| Posted: 1/14/2013 8:19:00 AM
I finished two books. One I had going-on for a good while. Another was just a piece of mindless fluff that I thorougly enjoyed.
1st-up was a book by Molly Ringwald. When it Happens to You: A Novel in Stories. It was OK. It was a quick read. Each chapter was supposed to be a short story that could stand-alone, but fit together into a novel. Some of the stories were just kind of her reaching into social issues that sort of felt like she was trying too hard. I don't know. I can't say that I loved it, but I can't say that I hated it, either.
2nd-up was Arranged by Cathering McKenzie. This is full chick-lit fluff about a girl who seeks out an expensive 'dating services' specializing in arranged marriages...and the fallout. I loved it. It was just what I needed. Mindless enjoyable reading. I liked it so much that I bought her latest and am enjoying it now.
My current book on my kindle is Forgotten, also by Catherine McKenzie. The protagonist takes a month-long trip to Africa, which due to illness/earthquake turned into a longer trip. Back in the USA - she is presumed dead. She returns home to find her apartment rented, her bank accounts are closed, and her life has gone on without her. Pretty interesting premise. I'm only 15% in. I'm really liking it so far. |
Leslie
~ "It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends and 12 weeks for the rest of the world. Give it 12 weeks. Don't quit." ~
 | |
|
|
WingNut
Best Cat Evahhh!
PeaNut 18,741
July 2001
Posts: 13,115
Layouts: 200
Loc: Maryland
| Posted: 1/14/2013 8:48:21 AM
Last week I finished the book "The Last Noel" by Michael Malone. It was a free book on the weekly Nook blog a few weeks ago. The premise of the story follows two people who meet at the age of 7 on Christmas Eve. She is the daughter of a rich white southern family. He is the grandson of the life long black housekeeper/maid, who comes to spend time with his grandmother over Christmas. Her birthday is Christmas Eve and his birthday is Christmas Day. The book begins when he climbs into her bedroom late on Christmas Eve. The book is set in the early to mid 60's. Each chapter starts and ends on the time around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with 2 or more years passing between chapters.
It may be a little early in the year to proclaim this, but I think this may be the best book I'll read all year. I was completely entralled with these characters and their lives as it was followed, chapter by chapter. I was so moved by the final chapter that I think I sobbed from start to finish. After I finished reading, I just sat in my chair absorbing what I had just experienced. I may have found that rare book that I will go out and buy to have on my shelf (I read a library copy on my Nook). |
Joy
"And a Christian who constantly complains, fails to be a good Christian: they become Mr. or Mrs. Whiner, no?" - Pope Francis"
Into the Thicklebit- My new favorite blog/webcomic!
 | |
|
|
kckckc
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 19,061
July 2001
Posts: 2,535
Layouts: 0
Loc: MO
| Posted: 1/14/2013 8:50:57 AM
I was sick last week, so I did a lot of reading. I finished 6 books!
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. I think this is the latest Oprah book club choice. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different member of the family - it was almost like each chapter was a short story that stood on its own. It made for a somewhat disjointed story, but overall I enjoyed it.
The Voluntourist: A Six Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem by Ken Budd. After Ken Budd's father suddenly dies, he begins to question his own life and the fact that he will never have children (his wife doesn't want children). Budd embarks on a series of volunteer trips. While on these trips he comes to grip with what the meaning of his life is going to be without children. An interesting look at voluntourism - what it actually means to those who are helped, how it changes the person volunteering. The tales of Budd's father that he shares often seem to have nothing to do with the rest of the story and are surprisingly untouching.
On the Island by Tracey Garvis. I'm obviously in the minority, but I didn't like this one at all. An interesting premise - a student and his considerably older tutor are stranded on a desert island for years and develop a love relationship. The characters are never developed, the story both predictable and unbelievable, the ending too pat. I found myself rolling my eyes throughout the book. It felt like a Nicholas Sparks novel written by a much less talented author.
New Tricks by David Rosenfelt. Part of a mystery series recommended by a Pea. I am thoroughly enjoying the series and will be sorry when I am caught up to the latest in the series and have to wait for the next installment.
You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel. Another blog to book. Short and easy to read, but it was nothing I hadn't read in other places many times before.
One For the Books by Joe Queenan. The author has been a columnist for various magazines and newspapers. This was a series of essays about books, reading, and readers. Parts of this book I really enjoyed and other parts I didn't. Many times I felt like the author was trying to be funny and I just didn't get it or maybe he was being serious and I just didn't get it  |
|
|
Cutesuzyq
BucketHead
PeaNut 96,863
July 2003
Posts: 856
Layouts: 6
Loc: Lost in the Land of Confusion..
| Posted: 1/14/2013 8:58:21 AM
Finished: Past Forward - Vols. 2-4 by Chautona Havig. Loved them all and couldn't put them down. If you want love and romance without the explicit sex & language these are for you.
Reading: Ready or Not by Chautona Havig and 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine.
Oh and my Goodreads to-read list is currently at 344. Thanks to ready posts about all the great books everyone is reading  I need to get busy ready faster. |
Suzanne
Wife, Mom, Book Lover, Crafter, and Red belt in Mixed Martial Arts
"Wear fabulous underwear even if you are the only to see them"
Nikon D80
AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR
50mm F/1.8
My Blog: Day to Day | |
|
|
S_cR_aP_Booker
PeaAddict
PeaNut 400,592
November 2008
Posts: 1,310
Layouts: 0
Loc: Mississippi
| Posted: 1/14/2013 9:37:42 AM
I did not finish any books this week, just too much going on.
And my Goodreads "to read" list is up to 171 books.....I don't think I will live long enough to read them all! Or if I do, I'll be half senile and forget what I've read.
LOL!!! My To-Read list is up to almost 1200 books on Goodreads and really don't think I will ever live long enough to read them all. I usually add 10-20 each week with this thread and the suggestions I get from other sources. I will never complain that I can not find anything to read ever again  | |
|
cynthibee
BucketHead
PeaNut 84,268
May 2003
Posts: 938
Layouts: 15
| Posted: 1/14/2013 10:02:17 AM
I finished The Rebel Wife by Taylor Polites, Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith, and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.
The Rebel WIfe had pretty good reviews, but I found it to be just ok. I didn't really like the main character, and found some of the situations to be a little hard to believe. It was interesting to see the workings of the social dynamics of the time. Definitely not a good time period to be a single or widowed lady.
I really enjoyed Fair and Tender Ladies. The story is told entirely through letters written by Ivy Rowe throughout her life to family and friends. A goodreads reviewer described it well, "The character development is excellent and the realistic life experiences from dire poverty to the new coal towns where there was so much hope, and then so much loss. Ivy is a character you'll grown to love, laugh with and cry for. The novel takes you through her life." The book starts when she is twelve and living on a little farm in Sugar Fork, West Virginia. It was just a very good read.
I also read Olive Kitteridge and enjoyed this one as well. Each chapter is about a different character in the same Maine town, but they all are loosely connected by the title character Olive. For me, it is rare to see a book that can portray several different seasons of life using such a clear voice.
I just started Fall of Giants (I'm about 100 pages in) and so far, so good.
| |
|
guzismom
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 31,617
March 2002
Posts: 9,350
Layouts: 59
Loc: southern new mexico
| Posted: 1/14/2013 10:26:31 AM
I'm almost finished with In the Shadow of the Banyan and am absolutely loving it.
Next up is Bring Up the Bodieswhich, because of the subject matter, I am sure to enjoy.
|
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 | |
|
|
petesmom
Tragically Flip
PeaNut 141,872
April 2004
Posts: 6,149
Layouts: 0
Loc: midwest
| Posted: 1/14/2013 10:29:23 AM
In the car, I'm listening to The Monster of Florence about the hunt for a serial killer in Tuscany that went on for decades. It's written by a mystery writer with the help of an Italian reporter and later in the book apparently, even THEY become the accused.
Journeyfan - that one sounds great! Next go find Beautiful Ruins - also great! I keep wondering when I'm going to get off my Italian kick. Not anytime soon, I guess. 
This week I read The Middlesteins and could not put it down. Very good. Now I'm reading
Wild
by Cheryl Strayed. I don't like her. At all. At least, not yet. I'm only on day 3 of her hike so perhaps I'll begin liking her. Right now - ugh. | |
|
lisabb
PeaAddict
PeaNut 526,561
November 2011
Posts: 1,207
Layouts: 0
Loc: Bonnie Scotland
| Posted: 1/14/2013 10:30:43 AM
I finished (and really enjoyed) 'Shatter the Bones' by Stuart MacBride. It's one of a series of detective novels set in Aberdeen and full of dark humour.
I'm now reading 'Maine' by Courtney Sullivan. Too early to decide what I think of it as only about 25 or so pages in. |
|
|
cdrake
PeaAddict
PeaNut 170,741
October 2004
Posts: 1,378
Layouts: 6
Loc: Missouri
| Posted: 1/14/2013 10:32:20 AM
I read three this week.
I had noticed a lot of hype about Between Shades of Gray so I gave in and read it. It was good but I'm not willing to say great. I did enjoy a different perspective about that time period.
Next I read Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood. It is the first in the Buchanon series. I had read another one in this series before I realized it was a series. Again it was a good book.
Finally I read a book that my Aunt had send over in a stack. It was nothing I would have picked out on my but it was ok. The Stormy Petrel Mary Stewart. A quick non-violent mystery. |
Caroline
http://myblogthingcaroline.blogspot.com/ | |
|
|
