January Book Log - open to all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (wrote All The Light We Cannot See). I'd give it a 8/10. The storylines are pretty complex, but satisfying, minus one. I could read an entire novella about the one character we end with.

I read CCL last year and absolutely loved it. Curious which storyline you didn’t like? My least favorite was the one about the siege of Constantinople. It was so drawn out. The one that takes place in the future was my favorite too.

[Anonymous]

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 6/10 - fun but pretty flimsy and predictable - confused about how it made the Washington Post top 10 - if you want something not too challenging for an airline ride

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 6/10 - fun but pretty flimsy and predictable - confused about how it made the Washington Post top 10 - if you want something not too challenging for an airline ride

I think Washington Post top 10 is not a mark of genius it's a mark of popularity. Right?

[Anonymous]

I'm reading Somebody's Daughter, Memorial Drive, Black Not, and The Giver. Probably in that order. That'll likely finish out the month, but I've got a few books on hold at the library just in case

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 6/10 - fun but pretty flimsy and predictable - confused about how it made the Washington Post top 10 - if you want something not too challenging for an airline ride

I think Washington Post top 10 is not a mark of genius it's a mark of popularity. Right?

She just said it’s not too challenging and good for an airplane. The Washington Post is probably to say it’s not completely fluff which rarely makes those lists. Your point seems kind of snarky.

[Anonymous]

January reads so far:

Dying of Politeness, a memoir by Geena Davis. 7/10
The It Girl, a novel by Ruth Ware. 6/10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 6/10 - fun but pretty flimsy and predictable - confused about how it made the Washington Post top 10 - if you want something not too challenging for an airline ride

I think Washington Post top 10 is not a mark of genius it's a mark of popularity. Right?

She just said it’s not too challenging and good for an airplane. The Washington Post is probably to say it’s not completely fluff which rarely makes those lists. Your point seems kind of snarky.

Not snarky towards PP but to WP, definitely. I hate the Washington Post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (wrote All The Light We Cannot See). I'd give it a 8/10. The storylines are pretty complex, but satisfying, minus one. I could read an entire novella about the one character we end with.

I read CCL last year and absolutely loved it. Curious which storyline you didn’t like? My least favorite was the one about the siege of Constantinople. It was so drawn out. The one that takes place in the future was my favorite too.

I should have written my comment more clearly- I didn't dislike any of the storylines, but I agree the siege of Constantinople was a bit drawn out. I didn't like that the future storyline just kind of wrapped up in a neat bow and you didn't get any action for that character beyond her leaving and then being settled. (I'm being vague in case anyone else is going to read the book). I could read an entire story about Konstance, her grandmother, mom, dad, and her.

[Anonymous]

I just finished "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarity. It was pretty good. Brief synopsis is that a woman bonks her head during spin class and afterward can't remember the last 10 years of her life. She tells the paramedics that she is 14 weeks pregnant with her first child while they are putting her in the ambulance. Later she finds out that she actually has 3 kids and is separated from her husband. The majority of the book was her getting to know her kids and trying to figure out why she is separated from her husband, whom she loved very much 10 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarity. It was pretty good. Brief synopsis is that a woman bonks her head during spin class and afterward can't remember the last 10 years of her life. She tells the paramedics that she is 14 weeks pregnant with her first child while they are putting her in the ambulance. Later she finds out that she actually has 3 kids and is separated from her husband. The majority of the book was her getting to know her kids and trying to figure out why she is separated from her husband, whom she loved very much 10 years ago.

Thanks for this description, I love amnesia stories and will find myself a copy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarity. It was pretty good. Brief synopsis is that a woman bonks her head during spin class and afterward can't remember the last 10 years of her life. She tells the paramedics that she is 14 weeks pregnant with her first child while they are putting her in the ambulance. Later she finds out that she actually has 3 kids and is separated from her husband. The majority of the book was her getting to know her kids and trying to figure out why she is separated from her husband, whom she loved very much 10 years ago.

This was the book that introduced me into Liane Moriarity, and after reading nearly all her others, it remains my favorite!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:January reads so far:

Dying of Politeness, a memoir by Geena Davis. 7/10
The It Girl, a novel by Ruth Ware. 6/10

I hated the It Girl. It seemed like nothing happened but constant agonizing over and over from the main character.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarity. It was pretty good. Brief synopsis is that a woman bonks her head during spin class and afterward can't remember the last 10 years of her life. She tells the paramedics that she is 14 weeks pregnant with her first child while they are putting her in the ambulance. Later she finds out that she actually has 3 kids and is separated from her husband. The majority of the book was her getting to know her kids and trying to figure out why she is separated from her husband, whom she loved very much 10 years ago.

I really liked this book; I love amnesia books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:January reads so far:

Dying of Politeness, a memoir by Geena Davis. 7/10
The It Girl, a novel by Ruth Ware. 6/10

I hated the It Girl. It seemed like nothing happened but constant agonizing over and over from the main character.

New poster here. I find it interesting you say that about a Ruth Ware book. About six months ago I read "The Woman in Cabin 10" by Ruth Ware and I thought the same thing about that book. It seemed like it was 300 pages of the main character saying her head hurt. However, another book I read by Ruth Ware that I enjoyed was "The Death of Mrs. Westaway." Those are the only two books I have read by Ruth Ware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarity. It was pretty good. Brief synopsis is that a woman bonks her head during spin class and afterward can't remember the last 10 years of her life. She tells the paramedics that she is 14 weeks pregnant with her first child while they are putting her in the ambulance. Later she finds out that she actually has 3 kids and is separated from her husband. The majority of the book was her getting to know her kids and trying to figure out why she is separated from her husband, whom she loved very much 10 years ago.

This was the book that introduced me into Liane Moriarity, and after reading nearly all her others, it remains my favorite!

I am the poster who just finished "What Alice Forgot". This is the only book I have read by this author. Although . . . I started to read "Three Wishes" , which was also written by Liane Moriarity. But I started reading that during the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was taking the "stay home" thing very seriously. Restaurants were closed, schools were closed, churches were closed, etc. That book started out with three triplet sisters getting together at a restaurant to celebrate their birthday. It just messed with my head so much that they took it for granted to be able to get together at a restaurant! I only got about 20 pages in before i had to set it aside. Now that the pandemic "stay home" thing has eased up, maybe I can be brave enough to go back to that book.