It is October, what are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished “James” by Percival Everett. I liked it a lot— except I thought the pace sped up a little too wildly at the end. I wanted to sit a little more with some of the happenings at the end of the book and then the plot really sped up and then it was over (trying to be vague here)! Overall, very good, and a cool twist on a classic. But I wanted more.

Trying to decide what to read next.

This is next on my list, and I picked up Huck Finn to read first. I couldn't get through Huck Finn at all! I feel like it didn't age well and I was having to force myself to read it so I DNF.

I actually read a plot summary of Huck Finn before reading “James” and wondered if I should have just read the book itself. Guess not! It was helpful having a rough idea of the original story.

[Anonymous]

I’m about 20% through The Bee Sting and wondering if I should continue because it is getting a little too stressful. Has anyone read this? I don’t like feeling actual dread when I read a book, and it’s not horror or a thriller at all.

[Anonymous]

I'm listening to the audiobook of The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan via library loan on Libby. I'm only at 30% but enjoying it so far. Some of the Goodread's reviews mention that it reads like a textbook or gets preachy, so I'm curious to see if I have the same opinion as I get farther along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m about 20% through The Bee Sting and wondering if I should continue because it is getting a little too stressful. Has anyone read this? I don’t like feeling actual dread when I read a book, and it’s not horror or a thriller at all.

I read it several months ago. It was too long and too dark/stressful. I only skimmed the last 1/3 or so.

[Anonymous]

I finished "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m about 20% through The Bee Sting and wondering if I should continue because it is getting a little too stressful. Has anyone read this? I don’t like feeling actual dread when I read a book, and it’s not horror or a thriller at all.

I could not have hated a book more. And not because I thought it was stressful or too dark, it was because I thought it was too damn dull. I love a weighty tome and I was so excited to read it since it was on so many best of lists and I thought it was drivel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. I liked it, especially since it was different than some of her other books that seem have a similar premise. It was fun that it took place in DC (1950s) and per usual woman centered. There are a ton of characters and she goes in depth into each. It's part mystery, keeps you guessing why what happened in Chapter 1 happened until the end. She pulls it all together nicely. I might read again because I bet I missed some details along the way.

I didn't love this one. The parts with the house talking were super weird and unnecessary. I also didn't like the jumps back and forth in time.

The choice of characters and stories seemed like the author as had taken a bunch of characters that were cut from other books or from writing workshops and cobbled them together. It felt like clips from the cutting room floor that were reworked and didn't fully gel, yet also tied up too nicely at the end. Meh. It was okay.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Women by Kristin Hannah and really enjoyed it. Not fine literature, but I enjoyed getting more perspective of an era that was before my time. I'm not sure how it would resonate with someone who personally remembers the Vietnam era.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Women by Kristin Hannah and really enjoyed it. Not fine literature, but I enjoyed getting more perspective of an era that was before my time. I'm not sure how it would resonate with someone who personally remembers the Vietnam era.

I really enjoyed this book – and so did the majority of my peers who are ladies in their 40s who admittedly don’t know a lot about that period in time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow because one of the streaming services announced they're making an adaption.

It's LONG, but it's wonderful. I'm probably 200 pages from the end and am getting twitchy because I can't pick it up again until this evening.

The first part has the events of Pride and Prejudice reframed from Mary's POV. From there, there's a two year time jump. It's sad, but beautiful.

I'm a Janeite and hate most of the books I've read that are inspired by her work. This one is great.

I really liked it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m about 20% through The Bee Sting and wondering if I should continue because it is getting a little too stressful. Has anyone read this? I don’t like feeling actual dread when I read a book, and it’s not horror or a thriller at all.

I read it several months ago. It was too long and too dark/stressful. I only skimmed the last 1/3 or so.

Thanks, I think this may be a DNF for me. Maybe I’ll come back to it when I have a different mind set and can read it over a longer course of time vs. trying to finish the whole thing before my Libby loan expires!

[Anonymous]

I just started listening to Project Hail Mary and am loving it. The audible is so well done and the story is really compelling. I'm not usually a sci-fi fan but this one has me hooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got back from a trip and read 2 books: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver) and A Fever in the Heartland (non fiction - Timothy Egan). Both were fabulous! I usually read a bit lighter fare, but they were super timely, readable, and meaningful. The parallels between the political milieu of the early 1920s (Egan book) and today were eerie!

Next in my queue is the latest by Liane Moriarty (Here One Moment) - she wrote Big Little Lies.

What did you think of Here One Moment. I saw it on the lucky day shelf and grabbed it.

PP here. I am about 2/3 through this book and I want to say I am LOVING it. Please get yourself on the waitlist! It's a fun read.

[Anonymous]

If we're allowing for audiobooks, I'm listening to Entrances and Exits written/read by Michael Richards.

I'm about 1/3 in and 99% of it, so far, has been pre-Seinfeld and there has been no mention yet of his racial speil.

The subject has been primarily his coming into acting and his pursuits as an actor. It's an enjoyable listen. We'll see how he deals with the headier stuff ahead.

[Anonymous]

I finished An Elderly Woman Is Up To No Good and did I ever love that little book! Thank you to the PPs who recommended it.

Now I am reading Annie Bot, about a sentient s** robot who is figuring out who she is and what she wants. It's really good! I'm about 40% through and really enjoying it, though parts are sad and stressful. I'm rooting for Annie. I found Annie Bot from a NY Times book review, I believe. I often don't like the books they recommend but this one is doing it for me.