What are you reading for September?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just read Yellowface, by R.F. Kuang. Eh. It was fine. I decided to read it after reading The Plot last month as it is a similar story of plagiarism, though The Plot does not have the racial dynamic; I wanted to compare and contrast. It probably suffered from that as the two books hit many of the same narrative beats. In between I read Trust, by Herman Diaz, not realizing that it too is a story about who owns a narrative. Trust was definitely the most ambitious of the three, and I liked it the most, but it is an odd book in that it makes a fairly deliberate narrative choice to be less interesting for the first full half. So, it took a while to pay off for sure.

I really enjoyed The Plot - though the people I know who read lots of mysteries seemed less into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finished Tom Lake this week, it was good. I am from a farming family and got nostalgic and guilt about not carrying on my family farm, though.

I grew up and bought a new farm 3 states away, and have sworn not to make my kids feel an obligation to keep it going. We are going to sell it when we retire and travel the world for months at a time, then get a small place near our grown kids.

I honestly cried a few times from the guilt. Our family farm has been with us for 4 generations but I can’t make a living there. I love it so much, but there is no future in it.

Meh. Books forum. Take the farm story to therapy.

I have not read the book Tom Lake but I assume it is about a farm. I enjoyed your heartfelt share about how your personal life experiences relate to the book. Thank you for sharing your perspective PP.

Same! This is what literature is about!

+3. It was PP’s comments about farming that even got me remotely interested in reading it.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. It includes several major themes but somehow still felt like nothing was happening during much of the book. I read this in book form.

For audiobooks I've been listening to Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale and Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I've gotten the farthest with Cassandra but it's been a bit of a slog. I haven't been able to get into Anxious People and my Libby loan time is probably going to expire before I finish it, which rarely happens.

This morning I started Saturday Night at the Lakeside Club by J. Ryan Stradal.

[Anonymous]

I am the OP - just finished Stephanie Bishop's "The Anniversary." I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Bishop writes beautifully, and manages to pull off the stream-of-consciousness thing pretty well. However, the ending and the overall character arc of the narrator really didn't make sense or match up with the character's motivations throughout the novel. Also the novel was billed (in the reviews I read) as a mystery/whodunit, but it's really more like a portrait of a marriage in dire straits and a psychological examination of the narrator's inner mindset... the actual mystery almost feels like an afterthought. But overall I liked Bishop's writing style and would definitely read more books by her.

Now started on "What Could Be Saved," by Liese O'Halloran Schwartz.

[Anonymous]

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Avoided it bc of the hype but really enjoying it.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark. Very good legal thriller that takes place in southern VA. I am currently reading Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea.

[Anonymous]

I wasn’t going to read Going Zero because the reviews had some red flags for my personal preferences, but then it was the Audible Deal of the Day, so I got it. I just started. I like it more than I expected, the author seems to have a good eye for character detail. The author clearly has no experience with actual classified operations or the IC, lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Avoided it bc of the hype but really enjoying it.

I read it before hearing the hype, and absolutely enjoyed it!

[Anonymous]

I just started My Murder and am already enthralled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started My Murder and am already enthralled.

I loved this book! I found it so inventive and clever, but also really moving. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

[Anonymous]

So far this month I’ve read Trust, Tom Lake, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.


Each one better than the next. I’m on a roll. What should I read next?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Lady Tan’s Circle of Women and started The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Have listened to all of Jane Harper's books on Libby-loved them all! Narrator is fab!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finished Tom Lake this week, it was good. I am from a farming family and got nostalgic and guilt about not carrying on my family farm, though.

I grew up and bought a new farm 3 states away, and have sworn not to make my kids feel an obligation to keep it going. We are going to sell it when we retire and travel the world for months at a time, then get a small place near our grown kids.

I honestly cried a few times from the guilt. Our family farm has been with us for 4 generations but I can’t make a living there. I love it so much, but there is no future in it.

I loved Tom Lake so much, and your comment brought tears to my eyes! I wish you the best of luck whatever happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far this month I’ve read Trust, Tom Lake, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.


Each one better than the next. I’m on a roll. What should I read next?

Great choices! How about Banyan Moon (multigenerational immigrant saga) or This Time Tomorrow from Emma Straub?

[Anonymous]

I just started In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecilia Ahern, I'm 60 pages in. So far, it's OK, but I'm hoping I'll be able to get into it a bit more. There's good potential so we'll see.