Union County Library discussion
What I'm Reading Now
I just finished Circe by Madeline Miller and next I plan to read Shadow of Night which is book two in Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy. I also plan to listen to The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow via OverDrive!
I’m currently reading The Three-Body Problem. So far I’m loving it! So far it’s strange and exciting, exactly what I want in my sci fi. I’m also doing a slow read of Middlemarch and just started I Am Not Your Slave, which I’ve heard is good but I’m afraid it’s going to be a tough read due to the content.
Update! I just finished reading House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. What a roller coaster ride that was!
A patron recently recommended Uprooted by Naomi Novik so I think I will pick up that one next. But then, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune has also been calling my name....
So many books and so little time!
Do you just want a list? Or do you want reviews / reactions?
Mod
Hi, BC! It is completely up to you. Whether you would like to simply leave a list or incorporate some commentary/thoughts as well, we are excited to hear about what you have been reading!
My latest read is "The London House". I'm only 80 pages in, and I'm hooked! I anticipate a great story.
Mod
The London House sounds great! We'll have to add it to our TBR list.
My latest reads are Wait for God to Notice, The Sentence, Passing, A Kind of Paradise, A Gentleman in Moscow. . .am listening to Cherry Blossoms today, and would have to say The Lincoln Highway is one of the best books I've read in 2022 so far. . .about to start Project Hail Mary with Book Buddies group. . .great reading happening here!
I'm currently reading:Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien (book 8 in the Noodle Shop Mystery series) - this cozy mystery series is so good!
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (absolutely loved Circe)
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal (just started a family book club with my mom, aunt, and cousin and they chose this as the first read)
TBR:
After I finish the Vivien Chien book, I will start Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower (book 3 in the Magic Garden Mystery series).
I also plan to read The Turnout by Megan Abbott after I finish the Miller book
I’m listening to Slashing through the Snow and reading World Ender by Nick Nikolov for fun and Agile Instructional Design by Megan Torrance for professional purposes.
I’m currently reading: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada, How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. My TBR: Entirely too long to list, plus whatever a kid runs into me at school and says, “You have GOT to read this!�
Mod
What did you think of The Sentence? Have you read any other Louise Erdrich?
I just finished Only Birds Above but I didn't love it.I just started Sea of Tranquility so hopefully Emily St. John Mandel can get me out of my reading rut!
Stephanie wrote: "I'm currently reading:Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien (book 8 in the Noodle Shop Mystery series) - this cozy mystery series is so good!
The Song of Achilles b..."
I enjoyed Circe as well! You'll have to let me know if I should pick up The Song of Achilles.
I’m reading Leviathan Wakes, the first book in the expanse series. I’m really enjoying the space opera and plan to continue with the next books.I’m also reading Assassin’s Apprentice and I’ve found another long series I will continue with! Really happy with both reads.
Mod
Mod
I’m also reading Assassin’s Apprentice and I’ve fou..."
Those both sound great! It's always exciting to find a good series.
Stones For Ibarra � Harriet Doerr � 3.5***
An American couple arrive in the remote mountain village of Ibarra, Mexico to reopen the copper mine his grandfather abandoned some fifty years previously. Clash of cultures. Very atmospheric. I loved the depictions of festivals and traditions. Several subplots involve the residents of the town, their lives, loves, disappointments and joys.
My full review HERE
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Out Stealing Horses � Per Petterson � 3.5***
Petterson has crafted an atmospheric, character-driven story of one man’s looking back on his coming-of-age summer when he was almost 15 and living with his father in a remote cabin on a river in eastern Norway, just on the border with Sweden. The story moves back and forth between the present day and the summer of 1948. As Trond matures he comes to realize that adventure isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, and there can be a very real human toll to giving in to desire and youthful exuberance.
My full review HERE
Rachel To the Rescue � Elinor Lipman � 3.5**** (rounded up)
Rachel Klein, unceremoniously fired from her job in the White House Office of Records Management (WHORM), as a result of a drunken tweet voicing her frustrations, gets hit by a speeding SUV on her way out of the Executive Office Building. Turns out the driver is a “close friend of the President� � let the fun begin! A delightfully fast read, a joy of a rom-com.
My full review HERE
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Stowaway � Karen Hesse � 4****
In the summer of 1768 Captain James Cook set sail on H.M.S. Endeavor for a major expedition to explore the possibility of a new continent. One of the people aboard was Nicholas Young, age 11. Hesse uses the imagined journal kept by Nick to tell the story of this voyage. It's a great adventure, and a believable coming-of-age story. Nick is bright, enthusiastic, hard-working and observant.
My full review HERE
Currently reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines by Cate Lineberry. The Reversal by Michael Connelly is next on my TBR list.
The Wedding Date � Jasmine Guillory � 3.5***
What a fun, fast romantic read. I loved that Alexa and Drew are professionals with time-consuming careers. Their path to Happily Ever After is complicated by their geographic distance, their own personal issues, and a few missteps common to many new relationships. But they approach all these obstacles as adults, which I found very refreshing!
My full review HERE
Mod
Save Me the Plums � Ruth Reichl � 4****
Subtitle: My Gourmet Memoir. Reichl has written before about her time as a food critic and about her mother, here she tackles the years she spent as editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. I love her writing. It is nothing short of delicious. She is open, honest and insightful. She writes about not just what happened but how she felt about what was happening. And, as usual, she really excels when writing about food. I may have gained 10 pounds just reading it!
My full review HERE
Currently reading We Could Be Heroes and The Great Zoo of China. The latter has not instilled me with hope.Also reading through The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1 series with a friend.
Christina wrote: "I’m reading Leviathan Wakes, the first book in the expanse series. I’m really enjoying the space opera and plan to continue with the next books.I’m also reading Assassin’s Apprentice and I’ve fou..."
Loved Leviathan Wakes, five stars. But I fell off the series with the third book.
Betsy wrote: "Eric, I’m looking forward to your thoughts on Sea of Tranquility. I loved Station Eleven."Station Eleven it is not. It has much more in common with The Glass Hotel, for better and worse. Her endings always win me over, but I wasn't like it until a little bit past the midway point.
Once Upon a Time in Rio � Francisco Azevedo � 4****
This is a delightful multi-generational saga of love, adventure, joy, disappointment, fear, prosperity and all those ingredients that make up the delicious dish we know as family. It begins when Jose Custodio and Maria Romana marry in Lisbon in 1908 and follows the Custodios, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren through the decades and into the 21st century. It reminded me at times of the Spanish telenovelas my grandmother loved to listen to on the radio. Weddings, births, funerals, fights and making up. Such drama! Such love! I was engaged and interested from beginning to end.
My full review HERE
Finished Michael Connelly’s excellent book The Reversal which had both Mickey Haller from the Lincoln Lawyer and Harry Bosch. Starting The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.
Mod
Starting The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett."
We have a big Michael Connelly fan on our staff. He's a great writer!
Writers & Lovers � Lily King � 3.5*** rounded up
Casey Peabody is a struggling writer, reeling over the sudden death of her mother some six month before the novel begins, burdened by crushing student debt and maxed-out credit cards, and recently having broken up with her boyfriend; she is adrift and somewhat depressed. I really liked this book. I loved how Casey looked at the people and events in her life, and that, despite all her difficulties, she has a strong sense of her own self, and stands up for herself against bullying co-workers. The supporting cast, was just that, supporting. And I was happy to cheer for her at the end.
My full review HERE
Malice In the Highlands � Graham Thomas � 3***
This is a police-procedural mystery with a likeable lead character. There are plenty of suspects, and a mishmash of clues and subplots to keep things interesting. I did not solve the case ahead of Powell and was happy to be surprised by how things turned out. A thoroughly satisfying mystery, and I would read more of this series.
My full review HERE
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett was excellent. Started Point Taken by Ben Rehder. The Blanco County mystery series is a nice Texas based series with humor reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen. Finishing up Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich as well.
Ruthless Rival came out today by LJ Shen. I am listening to the audio because...Joe Arden /swoon
Send For Me � Lauren Fox � 3***
This is an historical fiction work set both in 1930s Germany and in contemporary Wisconsin, that tells the one family’s story. There were parts of the novel I really liked, when I was completely engaged and caught up in the story. But there were other parts that just fell flat for me. I think this is my fault; I am just so over the dual timeline in historical fiction.
My full review HERE
I'm currently reading:- Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly (first in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series)
- Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
- Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson (book 5 in the Gaslight Mysteries series)
Reading The Cookbook Club (Harbison), The Presidency of Donald J Trump (Zelizer) and Kistler’s You Can Draw in 30 Minutes. Human Kind (Aronson) and Sunflower Sisters (Kelly) are next on the TBR pile.
L.A. Weather � María Amparo Escandón � 3.5*** Rounded up
This is a funny, engaging, endearing novel that looks at a year in the life of one affluent Mexican-American family. It starts with a near tragedy and the characters (and reader) hardly have time to recover from that event when yet another crisis looms, and before long everyone in the family is spinning and bouncing from issue to issue, like balls in an out-of-balance pinball machine. The winds, drought and fires add more tension to the family’s internal strife, and ultimately help them focus on the things they CAN change, rather that what they have no control over. They still make bad decisions, and there is no HEA ending, but I was completely invested in these characters by the end, and I want more!
My full review HERE
The Power Of One � Bryce Courtenay � 4****
A challenge to travel the world combined with a challenge to read a book that “made-me-cry� brought this one to my attention, and am I ever glad it did! I’m not the writer Courtenay is, so can’t really do justice to the plot of this coming-of-age story. But the writing grabbed me from page one and I was sorry to see it end. I was cheering for Peekay throughout. And while I’m no fan of boxing, I even enjoyed the lessons on strategy and technique.
My full review HERE
Reading The Investigator by John Sandford and The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. Both are excellent.
Tooth And Claw � Jo Walton � 4****
What a fun romp of a story! It’s a typical regency (or Victorian) romance, but all the characters are dragons. I was captured from the first page and enthralled and entertained throughout.
My full review HERE
What We Keep � Elizabeth Berg � 4****
Do we ever really know our parents? Would we still love them if we did? Could we forgive them their mistakes? Berg writes family relationships so very well. All the ways in which we rely on and trust one another, show our love and loyalty, and hurt or betray one another. There are always two (or more) sides to any story, and it takes a mature person to wait to pass judgment until all parts are known. My heart broke for all the family members, and my loyalties shifted as I learned more.
My full review HERE
Eat Cake � Jeanne Ray � 4****
Ruth Hopson likes to bake cakes. She finds comfort in comforting others, and lately everyone � including Ruth � needs some comfort. I have loved every book I’ve read by Jeanne Ray, and this one is no exception. Her writing reminds me of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg. Her characters experience everyday life, with all its joys, crises, heartaches and triumphs.
My full review HERE
Devil’s Peak � Deon Meyer � 4****
Book #1 in the Inspector Benny Geissel mystery series, starring the South African detective. Benny is such a flawed character and watching him try to make sense of his life and keep away from the bottle while he tracks the serial killer had me backtracking and re-reading sections to try to make sense of what was happening. Meyer does a great job of adding layers to an already complicated plot. And the final chapters are a wild ride!
LINK to my full review
Elizabeth Blackwell: Girl Doctor � Joanne Landers Henry � 3.5***
This is part of a series for middle-school readers about the “Childhood of Famous Americans.� This fictionalized biography focuses on Elizabeth Blackwell’s childhood in England and the United States, the incidents that piqued her interest in healing, and her constant goal to become a doctor and practice medicine. It is both entertaining and informative.
LINK to my full review
The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel � Renee Nault / Margaret Atwood � 5
I’ve read and reviewed Margaret Atwood’s novel previously, so will confine this review to the graphic novel adaptation. Nault’s interpretation of Atwood’s novel is marvelous. Her imagery is even more vivid and memorable than some of the same scenes as described in the original novel. I do not recommend that you skip Atwood’s novel, but this is a great introduction.
LINK to my full review
The House of Broken Angels � Luis Alberto Urrea � 3.5***
A large Mexican-American family plans a get-together for the patriarch’s birthday. I have read two of Urrea’s novels previously and am a fan of his writing. He peoples the work with a wide variety of characters and balances tender scenes against highly comic ones or anxiety-producing tragic occurrences. I do wish I had had a family tree handy, however.
LINK to my full review
Circe � Madeline Miller � 5
In this marvelous work of literary fiction, Miller, tells us the story of Circe, daughter of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, and possibly best known for turning Odysseus’s men into swine. I studied the classics in high school so was familiar with the basic story line, and some of the family connections, but Miller gives me so much more detail and really fleshes out these characters. Miller’s writing wove a spell that completely enthralled me. I was so beguiled that a part of me wished the novel itself were immortal, and that I could keep reading forever.
LINK to my full review
Young Jane Young � Gabrielle Zevin � 4****
The novel is divided into five sections, each narrated by a different character: Rachel, Jane, Ruby, Embeth and Aviva. The basic plot is that a young woman gets a job interning with a congressman, and then begins an affair with him. Can you forgive yourself your youthful mistakes? Can you recover from such a public humiliation? Will you make further bad decisions to compound the problem? Or will you be able to put it behind you and go forward with grace and dignity and courage? Will the public let you? This is a wonderful exploration of the ways in which women deal with such personal disasters.
LINK to my full review
Olga Dies Dreaming � Xochitl Gonzalez � 3***
I really wanted to like this. I’d heard the author in a virtual event and felt her enthusiasm for the story and for her characters. I liked that her focus was on two successful siblings and their rise to those positions, and on the issues of living up to expectations (our own and those of our parents and community). But I never warmed up to the characters, even though I like how Gonzalez portrayed the siblings� relationship.
LINK to my full review
Union County Library
Books mentioned in this topic
American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures (other topics)Princess of Blood (other topics)
Don't Trust Fish (other topics)
Great Big Beautiful Life (other topics)
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
S.K. Waters (other topics)Amanda Cassidy (other topics)
Emily St. John Mandel (other topics)
I am listening to The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain (via OverDrive) and A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (via RBD.) I like to mix it up a bit and might also be reading the new Lisa Kleypas book, Chasing Cassandra ;)
Sheri