Anonymous wrote:I’m reading When We Had Wings by Lawhon and a few others. Really enjoying it. I also loved Frozen River and Code Name Helene.

I just finished The Story She Left Behind, which was good. I also read Martyr. Really weird book, but the writing was lovely in some places.

I thought The Story She Left Behind was better than The Secret Book of Flora Lea. I was pleasantly surprised.

I think I need to re-read Martyr. I don't think I was in the right mind frame for it and therefore it didn't captivate me as much as it might now.

I'm reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill - a review said it's the socialist pride and prejudice.

Anonymous wrote:Just finished The Tell by Amy Griffin. I didn’t realize she was the G9 business ventures founder and is friends with Reese and GP. The memoir was interesting especially with the use of MDMA, but I still find it a little bit lacking.

So happy to find someone who I agree with re: The Tell. It was good, interesting like you said, but just not that special. Perhaps I went into it with too high of expectations given the hype around it. It's almost like the wall the author describes putting up to protect herself from her childhood trauma still exists in her writing. Her daughter told her didn't really know her mom and I feel like after reading a memoir detailing such a horrific series of events, I still don't know the author.

I got Say You'll Remember Me on the lucky day shelf at MCPL. I love Abby Jimenez books.

I’m reading When We Had Wings by Lawhon and a few others. Really enjoying it. I also loved Frozen River and Code Name Helene.

I just finished The Story She Left Behind, which was good. I also read Martyr. Really weird book, but the writing was lovely in some places.

Anonymous wrote:Great Gatsby on audio, read by Jake Gyllenhaal

Every bit as good as I remember from high school 30+ years ago.

I read it once every four years or so (same book I had in high school); it’s a great read every time.

Reading: Matthew Desmond’s Poverty, by America

Listening to: Marie Arana’s Latinoland

On the bookshelf: Twelfth Night

Also reading James. I got to the "surprise" part, and the writing is good, but I'm not understanding the hype about it. I haven't finished yet, though, so maybe it will all come together.

I'm rereading A Prayer for Owen Meany. It's so dense and long, but I am completely immersed in the story.

I read it long enough ago that I forget the details of the ending. All I can remember is that it's epic in some way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon. I'm only about 1/2 way through it, but I'm really liking the story telling.

Great book! I also didn’t know until after I finished it that Martha Ballard was a real woman and the author used her diaries in crafting the story.

A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is nonfiction about Martha Ballard and is fantastic. Probably my favorite nonfiction book ever.

I thought Frozen River was a fun, easy read, but I had to suspend my belief a bit. A Midwife's Tale was fantastic.

Great Gatsby on audio, read by Jake Gyllenhaal

Every bit as good as I remember from high school 30+ years ago.

Just finished The Tell by Amy Griffin. I didn’t realize she was the G9 business ventures founder and is friends with Reese and GP. The memoir was interesting especially with the use of MDMA, but I still find it a little bit lacking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon. I'm only about 1/2 way through it, but I'm really liking the story telling.

Great book! I also didn’t know until after I finished it that Martha Ballard was a real woman and the author used her diaries in crafting the story.

A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is nonfiction about Martha Ballard and is fantastic. Probably my favorite nonfiction book ever.

Anonymous wrote:The Nix by Nathan Hill. It's so good!

I loved this one, and also loved Wellness by him.

I just finished The Berry Pickers. It was really good!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wrapping up The Tempest and The House in the Cerulean Sea; enjoying both! Starting Shogun next (I liked the series, and heard the book was great). I also started listening to an audio book of Peter Pan with DD, who lost interest…but I’m enjoying the narrator (he really brings out the humor in the book!), so am planning to finish it this month.

The Tempest as in Shakespeare?

The House in the Cerulean Sea and the sequel Somewhere Beyond the Sea are both on my read soon shelf, glad you liked it!

I recommend the house in the cerulean sea to you

I really enjoyed the audio book, if you’re cool with character voices (I am!).