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Post by Oweena on Apr 14, 2020 8:19:06 GMT -5
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Winner of the 2019 Booker Prize (shared with Margaret Atwood)
Tells the stories of several women whose lives are tenuously linked. The links between them aren't always immediately obvious and the plot is more telling their histories as oppossed to telling a specific story. Many of the characters are queer, almost all are black British women. It covers more than a hundred years, and not in chronological order.
While that description doesn't really sell the book, I liked it and can recommend.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 16, 2020 5:48:50 GMT -5
25. Die Me a River, Denise Swanson. I love this series, because Skye’s job parallels what I do in Australia. It is interesting to read her troubles and triumphs in small town USA, and compare them with small town Australia. This story wasn’t as far fetched as the previous one, and did keep me guessing till the end. 26. A Pattern for Murder, Ann Yost. I think I’m going to like this series. The Finnish-American community depicted appear to live somewhere near Lillian Jackson Braun’s Jim Qwilleran, in a remote, cold place on the edge of the Great Lakes. The story is a little different, and the characters likeable. I did identify the murderor, or at least suspect who it was, a few chapters before the end of the book, but that didn’t really spoil the story.
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Post by HalcyonDaze on Apr 16, 2020 5:51:27 GMT -5
29. The House of Birds and Butterflies - Cressida McLaughlin
Sort of meh chick lit. Even though it was light I felt bogged down at times reading it but can't really pinpoint why. The setting, a nature reserve in Suffolk, was lovely and well written. But the people were a bit bland. Won't bother with the author again.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 16, 2020 13:08:55 GMT -5
AGAIN a book with an insects-teaser title that probably has no insects in it. sob.
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Post by HalcyonDaze on Apr 16, 2020 16:50:08 GMT -5
AGAIN a book with an insects-teaser title that probably has no insects in it. sob. There were two mentions of a swallowtail butterfly. Plenty of birds.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 16, 2020 18:55:53 GMT -5
19) Sue Burke, Interference
The second half of the duology that began with "Semiosis." I don't usually continue with the rest of a series immediately because I usually like to vary my reading more, but I had to find out how she was going to end this one. Interesting stuff.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 17, 2020 23:30:01 GMT -5
I finished "Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies" today, by J.B. West with Mary Lynn Kotz. He was the chief usher from about 1943 to 1969. It's mostly a lot of fluff with tedious detail about the furnishings and renovations, but there's lots of intersting parts too.
He made a point of not criticizing any of the First Ladies and it was clear that he got along well with all of them except maybe Eleanor Roosevelt, and to a lesser extend Lady Byrd Johnson, but he admired both of them. It seems like he and Jacqueline Kennedy were friends, like he was really fond of her.
He spoke a fair bit about the first 2 presidents, but very little about Eisenhower, Kennedy, or Johnson. I think it was mostly because the first 2 were dead by the time he published, but also probably because he liked them a lot and had nice things to say. That didn't seem to be so much the case for the others - especially Johnson, who came across as an asshole.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 18, 2020 6:07:41 GMT -5
27. The Green Mill Murder, Kerry Greenwood. The audiobook which I started while still doing long road trips out of town, and finished while decluttering the garage. One of the best in the series, and one that would make a brilliant movie, contrasting a Melbourne nightclub with the Australian alps. Interesting plot with lots of action and the usual colourful characters and atmosphere.
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Post by mei on Apr 19, 2020 3:32:02 GMT -5
Finished book 8 yesterday. A book club read, though we won't be having the regular meeting anytime soon.
'Vertel het iemand' (Tell someone) by Rachida Lamrabet is a story about a young Moroccan man drafted to fight for the French in the first world war. It mostly talks from the first person, sharing how he was brought up and what led to him being in France. There's relatively little about the war itself. And it's mixed with his father's story, a Frenchmen who didn't know he had a son.
It's an interesting book because it talks about a part of the world at a time I don't know anything about (Morocco at the time of French colonization). The writing was mixed, it took some time to get into it (gets better once the perspective shifts from the father to the son).
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Post by sophie on Apr 19, 2020 22:42:39 GMT -5
Finally finished a novel. I have been too busy or too tired to read much lately but I finally had a good bath (complete with bubble bath!) early enough that I could finish a book I started weeks ago. ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ by Celeste Ng is good.. surprisingly good. Much deeper than a chick-lit novel. The main character is a single parent, an artist, and moves around a great deal seeking inspiration for her photography. Her daughter is of an age where friends and stability are becoming important. They end up renting a place in Shaker Heights and become untwined with the owners of their house. Many secrets, many stories beautifully entwined.
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Post by lillielangtry on Apr 20, 2020 1:50:59 GMT -5
#22 Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (audiobook) I had not read this before, but I had listened to a radio play and I quickly remembered who the murderer was. Nevertheless, it was a good enough read.
#23 Camille de Peretti, Wir werden zusammen alt (translated from the French by Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel) I don't think this is available in English. It's a novel set in a residential home for older people and each chapter looks into one of the rooms. It's formally very interesting. At first I thought the plot might not go anywhere at all, but actually it does because the various stories intertwine. I enjoyed it more than I thought it would, although some parts are sad (perhaps inevitable in a book in which almost all characters are coming to the end of their lives) and the ending is a bit crazy. Also frankly pleased because this has been sitting on my shelf for a while.
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Post by sprite on Apr 20, 2020 5:17:14 GMT -5
The Testaments, Margaret Atwood.
I listened to the BBCs audiobook of this while working outside, which I think I am going to do more of.
It's definitely one of her 'novel telling the story of some people dealing with an issue' as opposed to one of her 'analysis of a particular issue via a novel'. If I were really cynical, I'd say it was a great way for her to boost her retirement income--but why not take opportunities?
I enjoyed the story, and think it did a good job of describing how different people cope within what might look like black/white situations. I was slightly surprised by one of the main characters, but I think the secret was believeable.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 20, 2020 12:09:49 GMT -5
Mr. Flood's Last Resort, by Jess Kidd.
I think the author is talented and has a great imagination, but is still coming into her own. Maybe. Hopefully. Because I thought the book had amazing potential, but was also flawed.
It was a very enjoyable read - the main character grew up reading The Lives of the Saints and she sees saints all the time. They hang around, talk to her, annoy her, etc. The other main character is an old hoarder with a sad and mysterious past plus a terrible temper. Excellent peripheral characters, entertaining magic realism, and a really good story, but weak plot based on people trying to solve the rather unconvincing mystery in simplistic, unrealistic ways.
I'll certainly give the author's other books a chance, but I hope she develops and improves.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 20, 2020 12:34:24 GMT -5
sprite, thank you for reminding me that I have a still-unread copy of "The Testaments" that I'd put on my Kindle with the idea that I'd be reading it while traveling this spring. Ha! Sure, traveling.
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Post by lillielangtry on Apr 20, 2020 13:42:08 GMT -5
ooh, read The Testaments, it really is great fun! Do I think it's as defining a work of literature as The Handmaid's Tale? No. But is it an absorbing novel? Definitely!
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Post by HalcyonDaze on Apr 20, 2020 17:00:16 GMT -5
Yes my take was that The Testaments read as really good YA while The Handmaid's Tale was more in depth.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 20, 2020 23:34:55 GMT -5
Oops, I just went in to update Goodreads only to find both the website and the app are glitching, due to too many people logging on. This is the first time that has ever happened to me.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 21, 2020 20:25:53 GMT -5
Daughter of Heaven: A Memoir with Earthly Recipes by Leslie Li. Grand daughter of the first elected VP of China, under Chiang Kai Shek, this is a memoir that starts out trying to focus on food to show the connections and disconnects between the various members of her family. It's got some interesting insights into Chinese families and a bit of interesting history, but it's disjointed and disorganized. I think she wants the reader to by sympathetic to her father in the long run, but she never gets anything across about him that's positive or even forgiveable - he's just an asshole from what she writes, even if he has reasons for being unhappy.
Apparently she's an author of a couple biographies (of her family members) that are supposed to be well written. This felt more like leftovers.
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Post by Oweena on Apr 21, 2020 21:44:31 GMT -5
Mr. Flood's Last Resort, by Jess Kidd. I think the author is talented and has a great imagination, but is still coming into her own. Maybe. Hopefully. Because I thought the book had amazing potential, but was also flawed. It was a very enjoyable read - the main character grew up reading The Lives of the Saints and she sees saints all the time. They hang around, talk to her, annoy her, etc. The other main character is an old hoarder with a sad and mysterious past plus a terrible temper. Excellent peripheral characters, entertaining magic realism, and a really good story, but weak plot based on people trying to solve the rather unconvincing mystery in simplistic, unrealistic ways. I'll certainly give the author's other books a chance, but I hope she develops and improves. Himself by Jess Kidd was one of my top fiction reads of 2019. Loved the characters.
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Post by Oweena on Apr 21, 2020 21:48:41 GMT -5
Perfect Little World by Kevin WIlson.
I got this one because I recently read and liked his Nothing to See Here about the kids who catch on fire.
This one centers on an unwed teen mother recruited to take part in a 10 year study with 9 other couples to raise their kids communally from birth through age 10. FOr the first 5 years the children aren't told which adults are their bio parents.
The main character Izzy is well-written as are most of the other characters. It's a solid read, enjoyable and definitely has a different plot device.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 22, 2020 12:01:15 GMT -5
Himself by Jess Kidd was one of my top fiction reads of 2019. Loved the characters. I will definitely look for it - I really did enjoy "Mr. Flood" a lot - it's just that it felt like it could have been absolutely wonderful, but fell slightly short of that. Fantastic characters, though. I just finished a quick reread of David Sedaris' "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls". It's good, but I don't think it's among his best, which is probably why I've only read it once before. His best ones I've reread about 4 times each.
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Post by sprite on Apr 22, 2020 15:30:08 GMT -5
Mr. Flood's Last Resort, by Jess Kidd. I think the author is talented and has a great imagination, but is still coming into her own. Maybe. Hopefully. Because I thought the book had amazing potential, but was also flawed. It was a very enjoyable read - the main character grew up reading The Lives of the Saints and she sees saints all the time. They hang around, talk to her, annoy her, etc. The other main character is an old hoarder with a sad and mysterious past plus a terrible temper. Excellent peripheral characters, entertaining magic realism, and a really good story, but weak plot based on people trying to solve the rather unconvincing mystery in simplistic, unrealistic ways. I'll certainly give the author's other books a chance, but I hope she develops and improves. Himself by Jess Kidd was one of my top fiction reads of 2019. Loved the characters. I looked for Mr Flood, but found books 2 and 3 in the Himself series, I think. so far, so good, but rather wordy. Lovely words, but wordy.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 22, 2020 16:23:07 GMT -5
sprite, Mr. Flood's Last Resort was published as "The Hoarder" in Britain, so you might have it.
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Post by Oweena on Apr 22, 2020 21:44:49 GMT -5
Himself by Jess Kidd was one of my top fiction reads of 2019. Loved the characters. I looked for Mr Flood, but found books 2 and 3 in the Himself series, I think. so far, so good, but rather wordy. Lovely words, but wordy. Himself isn't part of a series--is it? I thought it was a standalone book.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 23, 2020 1:45:46 GMT -5
I looked for Mr Flood, but found books 2 and 3 in the Himself series, I think. so far, so good, but rather wordy. Lovely words, but wordy. Himself isn't part of a series--is it? I thought it was a standalone book. From what I can tell, I don't think it's a series but they may all have similar themes? Anyway, I bet sprite does have "The Hoarder (aka Mr. Flood's Last Resort)" and "Things in Jars" because those are the only other books Jess Kidd has written besides "Himself"!
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Post by sprite on Apr 23, 2020 3:48:05 GMT -5
sprite, Mr. Flood's Last Resort was published as "The Hoarder" in Britain, so you might have it. Ah! And I've just checked, they aren't actually in a series.
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Post by sprite on Apr 23, 2020 3:49:37 GMT -5
Things in jars is what I'm reading, and it has helped that I read Flights by Olga (Long name I can't remember), as there's a bit of technical overlap.
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Post by Oweena on Apr 23, 2020 8:24:59 GMT -5
sprite, Mr. Flood's Last Resort was published as "The Hoarder" in Britain, so you might have it. Ah! And I've just checked, they aren't actually in a series. I was confused! #stayathomebrain
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Post by fishface on Apr 24, 2020 10:17:35 GMT -5
I've been reading a bit due to the lockdown and funny work hours and lack of sleep.
1. Mostly a March read but I read First: Sandra Day O'connor by Evan Thomas. Finished that beginning of April.
2. Then went on to read Notorious RBG - Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
3. My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
Theme clearly being US Supreme Court Justices. I read them in 'order' I suppose. All really interesting books but for different reasons.
First was a clear A-Z type read. It was from O'Connors early life right up to her departure from the bench and recognition of dementia. You got a very clear feel for her, good and bad imo.
Notorious RBG was on the face of it a bit quirkier with the approach of each chapter titled with a Notorious B.I.G song title but again provided an easy but enlightening read.
Both the first two struck me with similarities as to how both operated in a mans world and how they had also gotten offside with supporters at times. It was a heck of a lot easier to read Notorious RBG because the authors didnt repeatedly delve into case law stuffs. But then again, that's what made 'first' so interesting.
And finally My Beloved World. Again, someone who clearly learned to operate in two (or more) different worlds. This one was appealing because it WASN'T about why Sotomayor made x decision or y call. Instead it focused on her pre-judge life, purposefully ending the main conponent of her story at that point. As an autobiography there was that extra layer of feeling I think so you really heard her speaking about growing up in New York as the child of parents from Puerto Rico and the way her culture and heritage was so important for her backstory. She touched on a few times, and recognised how affirmative action was a very positive thing for her, especially referring to identifying opportunities for children to get to the finish line when they don't even know the race is being run.
Anyway, I would highly recommend all of them for a wee insight into the female US Supreme Court Justices.
I wouldnt mind reading something on Elana Kagan too at some point.
Now I'm reading a mystery/thriller as I wanted something different.
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Post by Oweena on Apr 25, 2020 10:48:55 GMT -5
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
I didn't know who she was before this book but apparently she's had a huge following for years starting off as a Christian mommy blogger morphing into a wife who writes books about getting her marriage back on track after her husband repeatedly cheats on her and now writing about her divorce and subsequesnt marriage to a woman and how they all now co parent and she's finally found herself and she will no longer let anyone tell her how to live her life and she's free of society's constraints and since she's centered herself she's gonna burn the planet down at age forty-four.
So it's apparent this book is not for me. End of "review".
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