Currently Reading Week of 5/8

[nikkiARNGwife]

What's the last book you finished?
What are you reading right now?
What's on your TBR?


What's the last book you finished?

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford - Middle grade fantasy and I really enjoyed it.

The Returned by Jason Mott - this has been on my TBR since I watched the French TV series inspired by the book a couple of years ago..since then there have been 2 American series "inspired" by it but after reading the book the tv versions are VERY different. It was a good read though I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

The Lightening Thief (read with my kids and they loved it)

Fallen Beauty by Erika Roebuck I had some issues with this...unlikeable characters but the writing style was good..I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion I'd been meaning to read this for a while b/c the main character has Aspergers. It was just okay though...there were a few laugh out loud moments and the love story was okay but I found the main character a little too much like Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory and I think he's a caricature of most Aspies. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte I've read Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre countless times but for some reason had never picked this one up. Honestly it just wasn't as good as her sisters' novels for me. Good but not great.

Grange House by Sarah Blake Beautiful writing which creates an excellent Victorian Era atmosphere..the characters were interesting, to plot needed some work. 3 out of 5 stars.

Hush by Donna Jo Napoli YA historical fiction set during the time of the Vikings about an Irish Princess who is taken prisoner and sold as a slave. I thought it was very good.

I finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell on Audible. FYI this is being made into a miniseries on BBC..which hopefully will come to BBC America too. It was good...I don't think it was for everyone but I enjoyed it. It's like an alternate history/magical realism kind of story set in 19th century England where Magic was real and an integral part of British history.

What are you reading right now?

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

On Audible - Moby Dick by Hermen Melville

The Thickety by J.A. White

and with the kids - The Witches by Roald Dahl

What's on your TBR?

On Audible - The Martian by Andy Weir

and I think I'm going to finally pick up the All Soul's Trilogy starting with
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

 

[Libby Pritchett]

Recently read:

Wife Number Seven by Melissa Brown - Not the type of story I usually choose for myself, but I read it on the recommendation of a friend. It was a quick, easy, and very enjoyable read.

Reading now -

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and I am fully engrossed. It's set during WWII, and I'm a sucker for anything in that era. Just a wonderful story.

Up next -

I just got Still Alice from the library, so I'll read that one as soon as I finish The Nightingale.

 

[Kjersti]

I finished Paper Tows which I really liked. My daughter showed me the movie trailer but I had to cover the screen because it was showing what I hadn't read yet!! She loves all of the actors so we'll be seeing the movie.

I loved, loved, loved The Ulitmate Gift and called every family member when I was done reading it telling them they had to buy it. My mom read it in two hours and and recommended it to her friends.

I really liked The Museum of Literary Souls . Super quick read...I need more like these!

I didn't care for The Paper Magician . I loved the beginning and the end. Hated when she was trapped in his heart - made me a bit queezy. I kept telling myself...don't faint. The blood will be over soon! LOL

The Baker's Daughter was an absolute fave. I didn't want it end! I finished it on my lunch break at work and cried my eyes out at the end.

I'm currently reading:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry . I'm right smack dab in the middle.

I don't know what I'm going to pick up next. Every time you guys post a book you've read I put it on my Amazon Wish List! In fact I just added all of Nikki and Libby's!!

 

[Misty Cato]

What's the last book you finished?

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - eh



The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce - Took me quite awhile to get into this one, but by the end I loved it.



The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill - Pretty good. Might read this one to my son over the summer.



All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - Loved it. Not sure why it's taken me so long to get to this one.



What are you reading right now?

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch



What's on your TBR?

The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker

 

[lingovise]

recently read :

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - really liked it, though the author totally blows the ending IMO. 4 stars, could've been a 5


Timebound by Rysa Walker - loads of fun to read ... 4 stars


A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley - liked it ... 4 stars


13 Curses by Michelle Harrison - bleh ... 2 stars


Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe by Scott Gustafson - read this one with my 9 year old son. we both really enjoyed it!
the illustrations are absolutely fantastic and not to be missed! 5 stars


Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian - a eye opening glimpse into a part of world history I knew very little about. liked it ... 4 stars


currently reading :

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton


Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen [am probably the last person on the planet to read this one]

 

[lingovise]

I didn't care for The Paper Magician . I loved the beginning and the end. Hated when she was trapped in his heart - made me a bit queezy. I kept telling myself...don't faint. The blood will be over soon! LOL

This. I too really enjoyed the first third of this book, but I thought all the heart imagery was written with SUCH a heavy hand and I felt that so much of it was completely unnecessary. Bleh. it completely put me off the rest of the series.

 

[Libby Pritchett]

Loni, if you liked Timebound, you need to check out the novella that follows (Time's Echo) and the next novel (Time's Edge). I think Time's Edge was my favorite of the 3.

Also, I LOVED Water for Elephants!

 

[Libby Pritchett]

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and I am fully engrossed. It's set during WWII, and I'm a sucker for anything in that era. Just a wonderful story.

I finished this over the weekend, and I have to say that I have a MASSIVE book hangover from this. It was seriously one of the most beautiful stories ever. I'd go as far as to say it would make it to my top 10 favorite books of all time list.

I don't even want to start another book yet. I'm still living in this world. Sigh. So beautiful.

 

[caliten]

I recently finished reading The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern and loved it. There were times when I had to put the book down to allow my brain time to wander through the vivid scenes she painted, and other times when I was so engrossed that the house would have had to have been on fire for me to notice anything outside of those pages. I rarely reead books, but this one is on my "read again" list. Like Life of Pi, I think it'll only get better.

I just started reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, at the recommendation of a good friend who also happens to be a high school English teacher. The book's a little strange so far.

My friend also recommended The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, so that's in the pile.