What is everyone reading for April?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I’m about a third into Tom Lake. This will be a DNF for me. I just don’t find the story or the characters interesting.

Yes! Everyone loved it but I couldn't get into it at all.

Agree, another NOPE for Tom Lake. I simply did not care about the story. Also what grown children want to hear about their parent’s past?

I have always wanted to learn everything about my family - including their pasts. Perhaps you aren't curious, perhaps you are shallow, or perhaps you are 12.

Wow. Way to take a lovely thread and turn it ugly

[Anonymous]

Seriously. Book people can be so judgmental.

Someone not enjoying a book doesn't affect you personally. No need to get into it with them.

Similarly, the people who reply that they disliked a book when someone says they are enjoying it need to take a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Friendly neighborhood ARC reviewer here with the books I read that have release dates this month...

Funny Story by Emily Henry - (out tomorrow, 4/23) I was slow to warm to Emily Henry, as I thought her early books used the miscommunication trope without purpose, but she gets better and better. This most recent book is my favorite of all. Woman moves to be with her partner, just to have him drop her for his childhood best friend. She's a librarian and can't afford to live alone and becomes roommates with the childhood best friend's ex. The predictable happens, but it's an entertaining story.

A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge - (out tomorrow) Sequel to a book about a Franco-American in Paris post-WW2. She's living with a grandfather and his partner, both of whom were French Resistance. The main character goes to a public demonstration at the Cordon Bleu with her neighbor (Julia Child!) and they witness a poisoning. I remember the first book as being entertaining and this one was as well. Julia Child is not a main character, but appears regularly.

What Cannot Be Said by CS Harris - (already out) The 19th book in a series about an aristocrat/veteran of the peninsular war fighting crime in London. There's a larger story about what will happen to Napoleon after Waterloo happening at the same time as the main character investigates a murder that seems like a copy cat of one that happened years ago. Kept me guessing until the end.

The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacor - (already out) A woman establishes a gambling club for women during the regency period. The man who was courting her proposed to her cousin instead, then was killed in a shipwreck. He shows up alive, the cousin has already married, and the main character wants nothing to do with him. Turns out he got involved with the A bit of a second chance romance. Different and fun.

I devoured Funny Story. Loved it so so much. I'm in the same camp as the PP re: Emily Henry. I DNF Beach Read but the rest of her books I've liked more and more with each new one that comes out.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. I read it based on a DCUM recommendation. It's a quick, engaging read; four stars.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Two books by Sophie Kinsella.
She is a British author who writes romcoms set in or around London.

The first book was called "Can You Keep A Secret". It was about a young woman who sits on a plane and freaks out when the plane hits turbulence. She ends up confessing lots of stuff to a nearby plane passenger. The next day when she arrives at work she discovers that the fellow plane passenger is actually the CEO and founder of the company she works for.

The next book was called "I owe you one". A woman is in a coffee shop and the guy at the table next to hers asks her to watch his laptop for a few minutes while he takes a phone call outside. The ceiling happens to cave in from a water leak while the guy is outside . She saves his laptop. They strike up a relationship.

I liked both books. They were both fun. I thought the characters and the story were well developed.

I picked up those particular books because I have read a few other books by the same author and always enjoy her books.

I downloaded the books from my library Libby / Overdrive website.

I am the same poster who read "Can You Keep A Secret" and "I Owe You One" earlier this month. I read two more books also by Sophie Kinsella this month.
I read "Twenties Girl" And I just finished listening to "Wedding Night".
Twenties Girl was about a young woman who is haunted by the ghost of her great aunt.
Wedding Night was about a woman who breaks up with her boyfriend of 4 years, then happens to run into a guy with whom she had a teenage summer romance 15 years earlier. They impulsively decide to get married even though they had not seen each other in 15 years. The bride's sister pulls all kinds of stunts to prevent them from consummating the marriage so that it can be annulled.
I enjoyed them both. There was this one part in Wedding night that I literally laughed out loud about.

I picked up Sophie Kinsella based your recommendation and am really enjoying it. Thank you!

Oh how cool! Which one did you start with?

Can You Keep a Secret, it was hilarious. I read Surprise Me too. I am looking forward to Wedding Night next when I need a Sophie-pick me up. I’m trying to pace myself but she is very readable and enjoyable!

That sounds great! -- (I am the person who read 4 books by Sophie Kinsella this month.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. I read it based on a DCUM recommendation. It's a quick, engaging read; four stars.

I read The Berry Pickers a month or two ago. I mentioned it here on DCUM book club. I liked it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sophie Kinsella has been dealing with a glioblastoma for a year or so, just revealed.

The Women - not a Hannah fan but I'm a librarian so must read.
Station Eleven
North Woods (may be in my top 5 of all time)
East of Eden (more of a slog than I thought)
Anne Lamott's new book of essays
Go As a River

Another person posted about Sophie Kinsella and her cancer on here as well recently.
Here is the thread about it:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1199635.page


It seems that she has many fans here on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Started "French braid" by Anne Tyler.
Really great saga about a family thru the generations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly neighborhood ARC reviewer here with the books I read that have release dates this month...

Funny Story by Emily Henry - (out tomorrow, 4/23) I was slow to warm to Emily Henry, as I thought her early books used the miscommunication trope without purpose, but she gets better and better. This most recent book is my favorite of all. Woman moves to be with her partner, just to have him drop her for his childhood best friend. She's a librarian and can't afford to live alone and becomes roommates with the childhood best friend's ex. The predictable happens, but it's an entertaining story.

A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge - (out tomorrow) Sequel to a book about a Franco-American in Paris post-WW2. She's living with a grandfather and his partner, both of whom were French Resistance. The main character goes to a public demonstration at the Cordon Bleu with her neighbor (Julia Child!) and they witness a poisoning. I remember the first book as being entertaining and this one was as well. Julia Child is not a main character, but appears regularly.

What Cannot Be Said by CS Harris - (already out) The 19th book in a series about an aristocrat/veteran of the peninsular war fighting crime in London. There's a larger story about what will happen to Napoleon after Waterloo happening at the same time as the main character investigates a murder that seems like a copy cat of one that happened years ago. Kept me guessing until the end.

The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacor - (already out) A woman establishes a gambling club for women during the regency period. The man who was courting her proposed to her cousin instead, then was killed in a shipwreck. He shows up alive, the cousin has already married, and the main character wants nothing to do with him. Turns out he got involved with the A bit of a second chance romance. Different and fun.

I devoured Funny Story. Loved it so so much. I'm in the same camp as the PP re: Emily Henry. I DNF Beach Read but the rest of her books I've liked more and more with each new one that comes out.

I really loved Emily Henry's first book, and have hated every one since. I don't know if I've just aged out? (I'm over 50). The one right after the first is a friends to lovers story, and the friend of the main character GETS A VASECTOMY because he knows his friend doesn't want children and he wants to do that for her (even though they have no romantic relationship at the time of the vasectomy. It is a TERRIBLE plot point. The most recent was about a group of college friends getting together for a wedding and I just thought they were the most vacuous group of people and I sound like a stick in the mud but there was just too much drug use. So I've not been eager to give her another go - but she is a darling of the romance world (the books I hated are highly rated on Goodreads and may have even won best romance). How would you say this new one compares?

I'm jsut about to start Mastering the Art of French Murder (PP is about to read the sequel). I have fingers crossed it is good, though it is a May book at this point!