Off-Topic Summer Reading

[ardnas]

Recently finished The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman and enjoyed it. Easy read with gardening tips in between each chapter.

Started The Power by Naomi Alderman. Have had this since it came out but now that Amazon Prime has made it into a series, I want to read it before I watch. So far it is intriguing, a feminist revenge fantasy?, only 1/4 through - women suddenly have the power to shoot lightning out of their hands.

[Cleda]

I finished "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins (Prequel to the Hunger Games). Not quite what I expected, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Thought it would be less Hunger Game-ish (not sure why?) but I did like it.

I'm on to "The Maid's Diary" (Loreth Anne White). Not sure where I got the recommendation. Both are due back to the library 6/29, so I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm already halfway through this book. (Kinda grabbed me in the beginning)

I got sucked into the XM Car radio podcast "What to Read Next" which I continued in the house on the App when I got home. I'm sure you have all heard of the site, but I found the podcast very interesting. Her latest was "Reading for Pleasure Not productivity". Could have been me. I have spent the last 30 years reading mostly productivity books, self help books, exercise books, training books, diet books. I have finally left that behind and decided I can now read for pleasure and as I've stated before boy am I enjoying it!!! She is the Modern Mrs. Darcy and needless to say, I now have a list a mile long of books to read!!! (posting the website for any - like me - late bloomers on the list)!!

Anyway, her website is: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/what-should-i-read-next/

On track to reach my reading goal for 2023.
YAY me.
Cleda

[Cleda]

The Maid's Diary

Obviously (for me) fast moving and held my interest! I did enjoy it.
now I'm ahead of my Goodreads schedule. Like the cushion.
Onward!

Cleda

[txhsmom]

This is another great site for reading recommendations, probably my favorite with lots of reading lists and challenges: https://bookgirlsguide.com/

Carol

[summer breeze]

Originally Posted by txhsmom

This is another great site for reading recommendations, probably my favorite with lots of reading lists and challenges: https://bookgirlsguide.com/

Carol

Oh that site looks good. Thanks for posting.

[red1013]

Originally Posted by Cleda

The Maid's Diary

Obviously (for me) fast moving and held my interest! I did enjoy it.
now I'm ahead of my Goodreads schedule. Like the cushion.
Onward!

Cleda

I love Loreth Anne White!

[red1013]

I've had The Ferryman by Justin Cronin on hold for weeks from the library and I just got the email that it's available. I'm very excited for this one!

[Laura S.]

I finished The Bone Houses, zombies in a historical fantasy setting. I have never gotten into a zombie book or watched a zombie movie or TV show, so I still can't believe I read it. But it was such an incredibly well-written book. I highly recommend it.

I also read The Lost English Girl, a good WWII novel. Julia Kelly is one of my favorite authors these days.

Now I'm reading Regretting You by Colleen Hoover and Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin.

[Cleda]

Originally Posted by txhsmom

This is another great site for reading recommendations, probably my favorite with lots of reading lists and challenges: https://bookgirlsguide.com/

Carol

Thanks for this recommendation!

Lori: I may look at more books by Loreth Anne White!

I am always in awe of those that can read more than one book at a time. I have never been able to do that. EVER.

I finished "A Train To Moscow" by Elena Gorokhova

I liked the last couple of chapters. But the lead in was sort of meh. I felt like it could have been so much more. Still glad I read it though.

And I often wonder if the book before it (that was so fast paced for me) influenced my feelings of this one. I know that it depends on where I'm at in life, what I read before, etc.

I have 2 books on hold at the library. But I am bummed as the one is the second in a series and I have not read the first one. I can't read out of order, so I'll swing by the library, pick up the one and tell them to put the other back on the shelf.

That's it. Ahead of goal for 2023 books read. YAY me.
Cleda

[toaster]

Originally Posted by Cleda

I am always in awe of those that can read more than one book at a time. I have never been able to do that. EVER.

Cleda, that used to be the case for me too - but I also never used to read ahead in books.

For me, I'm almost always reading just one fiction book at a time, my "main" book. But as I started reading more non-fiction, I got into the habit of having various non-fiction books in progress. For example, right now, in addition to the novel On the Couch (well, I finished that last night), I'm reading a book about the history of Key West and another about trauma survivors in yoga.

I also hate to read books in a series out of order, but I just made that mistake too! I'd been reading David Baldacci's 6-book King and Maxwell series. Awhile back, I got the 6th book from a used book sale and read about 30 pages before I realized that I never read Book 5. Well, somehow I thought I got to Book 5 in the interim, and so last week I picked up Book 6 again, this time getting about 3/4 through before realizing that I still had not read Book 5! This time I finished it. I don't think I missed too much, and since I like the series, I'm kind of glad to have one more book to go back and read.