November 2021 - What are we reading?
kathy_t
2 years ago
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msmeow
2 years agowoodnymph2_gw
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What are we reading -- Feb 2021 Edition
Comments (94)Bunny, thanks for sharing your thoughts about The Four Winds. It’s been sitting on my kindle as a library loan for over a week but I’m torn as to whether I want to read it. The historical background interests me, and I love reading books that teach me about something I didn’t previously know. I think Hannah’s books are written to have broad appeal, and as a result, not necessarily be well written. I read The Nightingale and though I enjoyed it, I think I gave it a 3 star rating as I had to suspend belief for certain things that happened. Same with The Great Alone. I was incredibly disappointed with how that one ended, among other things. I have also had the same experience with the Amazon First Reads selections - many are poorly written yet get rave reviews. One book that people constantly rave about is The Tattooist of Auschwitz, another book that was written to appeal to the masses. I felt it read like a screenplay, and some parts were downright unbelievable, even though it was based on a real life story. To me, it was awful (I later found out the author was actually a screenwriter - now it made sense!) I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction, and have read many better books than Nightingale and Tattooist,, but these books are much more popular. I haven’t decided whether I will end up reading The Four Winds. I have three other hardback library books to get through and two others from the library waiting to be checked out on my kindle. I may let it go back unread since I have enough to keep me occupied for now. Had these others not suddenly become available in the meantime, I probably would have read it for sure. But I did wonder if the reviews on Goodreads were a lot of hype so thanks for the honest review!...See MoreWhat are we reading? March 2021 Edition
Comments (107)I also loved A Town Like Alice. It’s the only novel by Shute that I have read and have been meaning to try some others so with your recommendation, Bunny, I will look for Trustee in the Toolroom. I have been taking my time reading Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. It’s a coming of age story of a girl growing up in the Appalachian foothills in Ohio but it’s full of dark, depressing events so I have been reading in small bits. I went on a college visit this weekend with my son who is graduating. It was a long road trip which ironically took me right through the area in which Betty is set. It was very stressful drive, especially when crossing the mountains, as it was pouring rain the whole time. I downloaded Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlin to listen as I drove. It was perfect for the drive with an interesting story, albeit somewhat predictable. It held my interest and kept my mind totally preoccupied, making the weather/driving much less stressful. While I did enjoy it, it would make a good beach read but it’s not a book that I would go out of my way to recommend to friends. I’d give it 3.5 to 4 stars for its genre, which I suppose is a mystery of sorts. Edited to add, I just checked on Libby for Trustee in the Toolroom. My library has the audio version but not the kindle copy. I actually have a 4 hour road trip again tomorrow (going to get my first vaccine dose 2 hrs from home!). I’ll give the audio version a try but may look for a readable copy also (some books I prefer in print or kindle)....See MoreWhat are we reading? July 2021 Edition
Comments (148)I am so glad that I found this thread! I have always loved books - started when I was very young. While other kids would say that they wanted to be doctors/lawyers/firemen/etc., I would say that I was going to be an author. The elementary school I attended participated in a young author’s conference each year. One story written by a student would be slected - and turned into a book - and then submited to the conference. The student would be invited to a weekend conference where all the books were on display, there were various workshops, plus a published author would attend (gave thoughts and there was a Q&A session). I was selected to represent my school in 2nd, 4th and 5th grade. Attending this conference is one of my most cherished memories from elementary school. About three years after I graduated from law school, I made a New Year’s resolution to read one book every month. For MANY years, I kept (or exceeded) my goal. Unfortunately, life happened, and my reading became less and less. I have started back up - and I absolutely LOVE reading all of these comments with suggested titles! For the last several months, I have been reading only classic books. Some of them have been new to me, and some of them have been ones that I was assigned to read back in high school/college, but didn’t really take the time to enjoy. I currently am sruck at home with COVID - over the last few weeks I’ve read Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Les Miserables, and a few Kurt Vonnegut books. My current book: I’m sure that some of you have the same expression on your face right now that my SO did last night when he saw this on the couch!...See MoreWhat are we reading? Sept 2021 Edition
Comments (104)Finished The Girl with the Louding Voice. About a 14 year-old girl in Nigeria, a tiny twig of a girl refusing to curl up and die in the face of unspeakable horrors. What a dynamite of a book! Heartbreaking at times yet so uplifiting and inspiring. The powerful, piercing, raw language is a fitting voice for the main character — her unbreakable spirit, her searing but unschooled mind, her naive but resourceful ways. I think the story is a believable one, and unfortunately even a common one. I shared an apartment with a Nigerian roommate in grad school. This was 35 years ago and she was from Lagos. Though we are not close friends, I got to know her well and have kept in touch with her. I believe the values and norms of the society described in the book are — unfortunately — accurate ane prevalent even now. The treatment of hired help in the book rang true too. I grew up in India though I’ve lived all my adult life in the US. The dynamics of the wealthy and the working class in the book is, I’m ashamed to say, prevalent in India too, though it’s changing. Finally, the power of education to lift lives out of poverty and oppression can never be as real to others as someone gripped by unspeakable desperation. I come from a relatively privileged background and can’t pretend to understand the life of someone like Odunni in the book, but it was education that allowed me an escape from the vise of patriarchy. Feminism is not a fancy notion, a notion many struggling women around the world don’t even know about. It’s simply a woman’s rejection of her lot in life and her fight to survive. It’s as simple and real as that. The book lays it bare in the most unadorned way. I teared up occasionally. My heart swelled with thrill and pride for the little girl at other times. I laughed out loud at her cheeky little obervations. She will stay with me for a long, long time. salon, faftris, 4kids, thanks for the recommendation. This book is an unforgettable experience. Loved it. 4.5 stars....See Moremsmeow
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