December - what are you reading this month?

[Anonymous]

I'm reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I'm really liking it. It's about a failing author who steals this amazing plot idea that a student of his told him. He finds out the student has died and creates a best-seller novel around the stolen plot. But then he starts getting blackmail-type communication from someone who knows he stole this completely unique plot. I'm about 3/4 through and looking forward to finishing it today.

I'm also reading Amy Tan's journal of bird watching in her backyard, complete with her own bird drawings. I'm enjoying it a few pages at a time. It's very calming during this busy season and has me re-interested in my own backyard birds.

[Anonymous]

The Women. Difficult to read yet amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I'm really liking it. It's about a failing author who steals this amazing plot idea that a student of his told him. He finds out the student has died and creates a best-seller novel around the stolen plot. But then he starts getting blackmail-type communication from someone who knows he stole this completely unique plot. I'm about 3/4 through and looking forward to finishing it today.

I'm also reading Amy Tan's journal of bird watching in her backyard, complete with her own bird drawings. I'm enjoying it a few pages at a time. It's very calming during this busy season and has me re-interested in my own backyard birds.

I really enjoyed The Plot!

[Anonymous]

Listening to The Good Lord Bird. Also amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Color of Water. I've really enjoyed some of McBride's fiction and am excited to learn more about his childhood and upbringing. I just started it last night so no opinions yet!

Great book! I read it a long time ago and then re-read it when my middle schooler had it as his summer reading assignment.

I read Holes when my MSer had it assigned. I hated it Another assignment was The Golden Chalice about a boy in ancient Egypt. I loved it. We should have a new thread on "rabid readers who steal their kids books and read them in a day to see what they are about"

So far I think that way I have read Animal Farm and A Long Walk to Water - both worth reading IMO .

Somehow I didn't read Animal Farm as a child but did with my kid. I read everything they are assigned if I'm not familiar. It's so fun! I wish they were assigned more books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I'm really liking it. It's about a failing author who steals this amazing plot idea that a student of his told him. He finds out the student has died and creates a best-seller novel around the stolen plot. But then he starts getting blackmail-type communication from someone who knows he stole this completely unique plot. I'm about 3/4 through and looking forward to finishing it today.

I'm also reading Amy Tan's journal of bird watching in her backyard, complete with her own bird drawings. I'm enjoying it a few pages at a time. It's very calming during this busy season and has me re-interested in my own backyard birds.

I really enjoyed The Plot!

I liked The Plot, except that when revealed the plot itself didn’t seem so innovative or worth all the hype. What am I missing?

I also enjoyed the Amy Tan Backyard Bird Chronicles and agree with what the OP says.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a little different than her usual as each chapter tells the story of a different boarding house resident during the time of the Korean War, but well researched as always.

I also enjoyed The Guncle by Steven Rowley. Makes me wish I had a gay uncle, too!

Also just finished Absolution by Alice McDermott. Felt a bit incomplete.

Lastly, I thought The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor was just ok though I like that it was based on a true story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I'm really liking it. It's about a failing author who steals this amazing plot idea that a student of his told him. He finds out the student has died and creates a best-seller novel around the stolen plot. But then he starts getting blackmail-type communication from someone who knows he stole this completely unique plot. I'm about 3/4 through and looking forward to finishing it today.

I'm also reading Amy Tan's journal of bird watching in her backyard, complete with her own bird drawings. I'm enjoying it a few pages at a time. It's very calming during this busy season and has me re-interested in my own backyard birds.

I really enjoyed The Plot!

I liked The Plot, except that when revealed the plot itself didn’t seem so innovative or worth all the hype. What am I missing?

I also enjoyed the Amy Tan Backyard Bird Chronicles and agree with what the OP says.

I agree. I just finished it and about half way through I was like - wait, that's going to be this amazing plot? And I also knew the big twist in his personal life way ahead of time. But in the end, I think the author pulls it off ok. You have to accept a few things without over-analyzing, but I think that's true of most suspense novels, and this one was better than most, IMO>

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a little different than her usual as each chapter tells the story of a different boarding house resident during the time of the Korean War, but well researched as always.

I also enjoyed The Guncle by Steven Rowley. Makes me wish I had a gay uncle, too!

Also just finished Absolution by Alice McDermott. Felt a bit incomplete.

Lastly, I thought The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor was just ok though I like that it was based on a true story.

Guncle was such a charming book. I was really disappointed by the next Steven Rowley book I read - The Celebrants. It really fell flat for me. I may read The Guncle's sequel but the reviews make me think I might not love it the way I loved the first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a little different than her usual as each chapter tells the story of a different boarding house resident during the time of the Korean War, but well researched as always.

I also enjoyed The Guncle by Steven Rowley. Makes me wish I had a gay uncle, too!

Also just finished Absolution by Alice McDermott. Felt a bit incomplete.

Lastly, I thought The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor was just ok though I like that it was based on a true story.

Guncle was such a charming book. I was really disappointed by the next Steven Rowley book I read - The Celebrants. It really fell flat for me. I may read The Guncle's sequel but the reviews make me think I might not love it the way I loved the first.

The Guncle sequel was not as good as the Celebrants, and certainly not as the first Guncle.

[Anonymous]

I just finished "Just haven't met you yet" by Sophie Cousens. It is a rom-com set in England. It was about a woman who works for a website. She has an ongoing interview thing going on with her job where she interviews couples about how they met. Then she meets a guy and her boss wants her to be on the website about how they met. She barely knows the guy and her boss is breathing down her neck about it, and wanting her to promote certain products during the interview.
I thought it was a fun book. Downloaded it from my library website.

[Anonymous]

I'm determined to get thru the unread stack on my bedside table. First up: The Luminaries. I'm only 40 pages in (only 800 to go!) but already swept up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm determined to get thru the unread stack on my bedside table. First up: The Luminaries. I'm only 40 pages in (only 800 to go!) but already swept up.

which one?

[Anonymous]

Finishes The Marriage Portrait. Loved it. Best I’ve read in a while.

Now reading Gone Tonight, by Sarah Pekkanen. Another rec from the Real Simple book list of the year. It’s a POV-switching thriller about a mother and daughter; the daughter is trying to find out what mom is keeping from her, about her shady past. It’s a decent quick beach read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I'm really liking it. It's about a failing author who steals this amazing plot idea that a student of his told him. He finds out the student has died and creates a best-seller novel around the stolen plot. But then he starts getting blackmail-type communication from someone who knows he stole this completely unique plot. I'm about 3/4 through and looking forward to finishing it today.

I'm also reading Amy Tan's journal of bird watching in her backyard, complete with her own bird drawings. I'm enjoying it a few pages at a time. It's very calming during this busy season and has me re-interested in my own backyard birds.

Ironically, this one sounds like it ripped off the plot of Yellowface! (Kuang) Unless it is very meta and that's part of the plot itself!