What are you reading for December?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I admit I was expecting to like it more based on reviews. To me it seemed like a tamer version of Deacon King Kong (his previous book).

Yeah, just because it’s on Oprah’s book club picks, does not make it a good read.

While I agree with your sentiment that just because a book is on Oprah’s (or Jenna’s or Reece’s) list, it doesn’t mean a book is a good read or that everyone will love it, I was going by the NYT, WaPo, NPR etc. reviews. WaPo had it as one of the top 10 books of the year. It was good/fine, but not great in my opinion. I don’t regret reading it. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.

I never like their top 10 books of the year! Luckily I liked Demon Copperhead before it won the Pulitzer or I would have thought it wasn't for me

Of the WaPo's selections for 2023 - I literally never heard of any of them but Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, and I am not interested in reading it. I thought the color of water was just OK.

My top books of 2023 are Fourth Wing and Five Star Weekend but no one who writes for WaPo or NYT would admit to reading and liking those haha. Too low brow for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I admit I was expecting to like it more based on reviews. To me it seemed like a tamer version of Deacon King Kong (his previous book).

I got it out of the library for my husband. He thought it was just ok. I think he's read almost all of James Baldwin's books.

McBRIDE SORRY!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finished The Nest.

Currently 1/5 through Middlesex.

Bought The Mists of Avalon and was really looking forward to reading it. Then happened upon the information that the author was a horrific child sex abuser and also that she supported her partner abusing and molesting many children including things like tryimg to adopt kids he wanted to abuse. Will return the book. I'm feeling completely disturbed by this.

That’s really disturbing! I could never get into her books when I was younger so I never heard of this but just the Wikipedia overview is shocking. Anyway, if you’re looking for Arthurian retellings that don’t creep you out every time you think about the author, I really like Mary Stewart’s trilogy.

[Anonymous]

I'm reading I have some questions for you by Rebecca Makkai. I like it, and was a bit surprised because I didn't really enjoy her previous book. I think the unfolding mystery aspect of it makes it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. I loved it and want to read more from her, if anyone has specific recommendations. I'll probably start with The Night Watchman.

I loved The Round House!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going Infinite by Michael Lewis
Sam Bankman-Fried is interesting among other things.

What's crazy is how long ago Michael Lewis was on to SBF and what he was doing. He kept that book a secret but I've thought forever he must be looking into that scheme.

[Anonymous]

Currently listening to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I had a run of some bad books (My Murder - pretty good until the end, The Last Applicant - good at first and then stupid twisted and weird, and Becoming Mrs. Abbott - pretty much bad the whole time) so I wanted something "safe" and had enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy as entertaining books (I can't say they're great literature and that's ok).

This one is good, very similar to The Hunger Games books - quick and easy to read/listen to. One gripe that I have from listening versus reading (I read the other three) is that the names of the characters are often ridiculously long, so to hear the narrator going back and forth between Coriolanus and Sejanus (never mind Clemensia, Vipsania, and Lysistrata!) is a lot, but I love Santino Fontana so I can let it go.

[Anonymous]

Reading Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories.

Hard to stomach some of the content, even as a non-Jew. But it is informative.

Just finished Murder in Old Bombay. It was ok.

[Anonymous]

Just finished Birnam Wood (read) and North Woods (listened).

I liked Birnam Wood until the end. North Woods was okay. It felt like separate stories that were loosely connected and I don’t think it worked that well. Might have worked better (for me) if I read it.

[Anonymous]

I started reading James McBride books again and it's been really fun. I've been read Deacon King Kong, the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and the Good Lord Bird

All are great reads

[Anonymous]

I'm reading the newest Thursday Murder Club book, The Last Devil to Die. I love the characters and the humor and don't care about the mystery part at all! But I still enjoy them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Birnam Wood (read) and North Woods (listened).

I liked Birnam Wood until the end. North Woods was okay. It felt like separate stories that were loosely connected and I don’t think it worked that well. Might have worked better (for me) if I read it.

North Woods doesn't work when you read it either . . . I liked the end of Birnam Wood though. Agree with everyone that said they liked My Murder until the end. That was definitely the most irritating ending of 2023.

[Anonymous]

I’m reading The Good Lord Bird - my first book by James McBride. I’m liking the writing style right away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I admit I was expecting to like it more based on reviews. To me it seemed like a tamer version of Deacon King Kong (his previous book).

Yeah, just because it’s on Oprah’s book club picks, does not make it a good read.

While I agree with your sentiment that just because a book is on Oprah’s (or Jenna’s or Reece’s) list, it doesn’t mean a book is a good read or that everyone will love it, I was going by the NYT, WaPo, NPR etc. reviews. WaPo had it as one of the top 10 books of the year. It was good/fine, but not great in my opinion. I don’t regret reading it. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.

I never like their top 10 books of the year! Luckily I liked Demon Copperhead before it won the Pulitzer or I would have thought it wasn't for me

Of the WaPo's selections for 2023 - I literally never heard of any of them but Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, and I am not interested in reading it. I thought the color of water was just OK.

My top books of 2023 are Fourth Wing and Five Star Weekend but no one who writes for WaPo or NYT would admit to reading and liking those haha. Too low brow for them.

I really enjoyed Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. I thought Fourth Wing was an ok read but very formulaic, and Five Star Weekend was a typical Elin Hildebrand book but not one of her standouts.

[Anonymous]

The woman in the library almost 100 pages in and I'm about to give up on this one. Anyone read this? Thinking it's not going to get good....