📖January Reading!📖

[cdnfroggy]

I finally finished my book club book - The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier, translated by Daniel Becker - and oof was that a waste of time. I would have dnf'd it if wasn't for my book club. It's a literary "thriller" that is almost 500 pages long, written in long, stream of consciousness sentences. (The first sentence is almost 300 words long). The thriller aspect wasn't anything groundbreaking and took wayyyyy to long to get to (The whole book takes place in about a 24hr period). Also - the ending left a few things unanswered and that doesn't always bother me, but after slogging through it, it made me mad. 1 star, would not recommend.

I'm going to start Before the Coffee Gets Cold - seems like a good read for the deep freeze we have going on here at the moment.

[kittyriot]

I just finished Hidden Potential by Adam Grant, I liked the first half better than the second half. He used some examples I felt were dated and a tad over-used. Still a 4 star.

Starting Banyan Moon.....

[Pizzaslut]

Jan 15, 2024 8:14:30 GMT -6 klw said:

I just finished Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore. Gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. One of the main characters is so relatable in having issues with her H, raising 3 children and dealing with her father who has dementia.

This was the first physical book that I have read in a long time. Found myself flipping back to reread a few passages. I realized how much I missed it so I see more library visits in my future.

I really liked that one.

[Pizzaslut]

I have so many books available to me right now plus some ARCs that I want to finish before they are released.

ETA: I was going to read The Drowning Woman but it’s due in 2 days and I’m not sure I’ll finish. So it’s either The Vacation, The Girl Who Disappeared or The Fury.


ETA2: Annnnnnnnd Ruthless Vows just became available. 🤯

[Pizzaslut]

I don’t know if I mentioned that I finished Midnight. I gave 4 stars. I liked it more than Breathless. The setting in the Antarctic was fun.

I also just finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I gave it 4.5, rounded up to 5. I would’ve given it 5 but it dragged on a little bit at the end.

[nelzie]

Jan 15, 2024 17:08:03 GMT -6 Pizzaslut said:

I don’t know if I mentioned that I finished Midnight. I gave 4 stars. I liked it more than Breathless. The setting in the Antarctic was fun.

I also just finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I gave it 4.5, rounded up to 5. I would’ve given it 5 but it dragged on a little bit at the end.

I loved Breathless but the reviews for Midnight weren't great so I took it off my list. Maybe I'll have to give it a chance.

[cnf]

I finished Ruthless Vows. It's fast paced start to finish and I enjoyed it more than the first.

I'm starting Strictly For Now for my night time fluff. I need a daytime read now.

[bearfootzcontinued]

I finally finished Happiness Falls. There were some thought-provoking moments, but I struggled with the rambling writing style, which makes me a hypocrite given my tendency to ramble.

The Covenant of Water is due back on Kindle in a few days so I'm hoping I have a slow day at work and can sneak in some reading.

[Pizzaslut]

Jan 16, 2024 9:54:32 GMT -6 bearfootzcontinued said:

I finally finished Happiness Falls. There were some thought-provoking moments, but I struggled with the rambling writing style, which makes me a hypocrite given my tendency to ramble.

The Covenant of Water is due back on Kindle in a few days so I'm hoping I have a slow day at work and can sneak in some reading.

Happiness Falls was just okay to me. I also thought it rambled on too much.

[thatgolfb]

I finished John Stamos’s memoir yesterday and I really enjoyed it.

[thatgolfb]

Jan 15, 2024 6:23:35 GMT -6 angelashly said:

I finished fool me once. I didn’t see the end coming so I’ll consider that a win. I’ll give it 4 stars

I am almost finished with The Match so maybe this will be my next one.

[dc2london]

I finally finished Kids Run the Show and my gosh, it was a slog. I kept waiting for any kind of twist or point of intrugue. And then 50 pages of Truman Show syndrome babble.
Do not recommend.

[kittyriot]

Jan 16, 2024 11:40:28 GMT -6 thatgolfb said:

I finished John Stamos’s memoir yesterday and I really enjoyed it.

So did I. I found it exceptionally sweet and endearing. Sure he’s privileged so walking that tight rope of kind or cocky was interesting. In the end I found myself really liking him.

[caer]

I finished We Were Once a Family and I thought it was a terrific read. I thought it would be more of a true crime book (it’s about the couple who drove their adopted children off a cliff) but it was mostly focused on the foster system. It taught me a lot.

I also read The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella and I liked it more than her previous few. It was was a solid 3.5 stars for me.

I’m reading City Under One Roof now. The sequel comes out soon and it’s been on my list for awhile so I thought I should get to it. I like it so far - the setting is cool (small Alaska town) and plot is holding my interest.

[dc2london]

I am only 30 pages into Interesting Facts About Space and OMG I love this main character so much already

[sudsy]

Jan 16, 2024 15:36:20 GMT -6 dc2london said:

I am only 30 pages into Interesting Facts About Space and OMG I love this main character so much already

I have this on my TBR! Update when you reach the end.

[wedding]

I read 2 books in a series by Charlie Donlea- Some Choose Darkness and The Suicide House. I really liked them both. I gave them 4 stars because the author must have mentioned the name of the main characters favorite beer a thousand times. It was odd.

[imapenguin]

I started Fever in the Heartland (the KKK plot to take over America and the woman who stopped them) while I was cleaning today and I wish I could say it was unbelievable, but it’s horrifying and easier than I wish it were to wrap my mind around. I’m eager to get to the part where they are stopped.

[yellowwallpaper]

I’ve finished a few books recently

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland - 4*.
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton - 4*
The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert - 3.5*
Leaping Beauty and Other Animal Fairy Tales by Gregory Maguire - 3*

Currently listening to Good Omens. I had read this a few years ago on my kindle and didn’t love it, but the audio with a full cast is great so far. I’m also reading Quiet by Susan Cain for a reading challenge, it’s just ok.

[yellowwallpaper]

Last week, two different students asked if our media center had Icebreaker. I heard more students mention it today. Apparently a lot of the seventh grade girls are reading it. I had to explain to them that it’s not appropriate for a middle school library 😂

[byjove]

Jan 17, 2024 12:51:57 GMT -6 yellowwallpaper said:

Last week, two different students asked if our media center had Icebreaker. I heard more students mention it today. Apparently a lot of the seventh grade girls are reading it. I had to explain to them that it’s not appropriate for a middle school library 😂

While I enjoyed it a lot, it is definitely not MS appropriate!! Eeek.

[yellowwallpaper]

Jan 17, 2024 12:52:48 GMT -6 byjove said:

Jan 17, 2024 12:51:57 GMT -6 yellowwallpaper said:

Last week, two different students asked if our media center had Icebreaker. I heard more students mention it today. Apparently a lot of the seventh grade girls are reading it. I had to explain to them that it’s not appropriate for a middle school library 😂

While I enjoyed it a lot, it is definitely not MS appropriate!! Eeek.

I haven’t read it but I’ve seen TikTok videos

[melohdy]

I finished You by Caroline Kepnes this morning. The Netflix show stayed pretty true to the overall story. I may continue on with the series. I gave it 4 stars on GR but it was more like 3.5. It did keep me engaged.

For the Kindle First Reads, I downloaded The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz and Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar

[willow]

Jan 17, 2024 12:39:24 GMT -6 imapenguin said:

I started Fever in the Heartland (the KKK plot to take over America and the woman who stopped them) while I was cleaning today and I wish I could say it was unbelievable, but it’s horrifying and easier than I wish it were to wrap my mind around. I’m eager to get to the part where they are stopped.

Sorry to disappoint but it takes probably 60-70% of the book before you get to the "stopping them" part. 

[willow]

I finished Murder at an Irish Christmas last night. A bit late for the season but it came off my holds so I said why not. 4 stars and enjoyable as usual.

[melohdy]

Jan 17, 2024 14:07:11 GMT -6 willow said:

I finished Murder at an Irish Christmas last night. A bit late for the season but it came off my holds so I said why not. 4 stars and enjoyable as usual.

I read the first one this summer and really enjoyed it. The 2nd one always has a really long hold line at the library and I can't figure out why - I go through a cycle where I put it on hold and then it comes up months later when I am in the middle of something else. I considered jumping around, but it seems like there are a few storylines that continue on through and I want to have the context.

[willow]

Jan 17, 2024 14:17:04 GMT -6 melohdy said:

Jan 17, 2024 14:07:11 GMT -6 willow said:

I finished Murder at an Irish Christmas last night. A bit late for the season but it came off my holds so I said why not. 4 stars and enjoyable as usual.

I read the first one this summer and really enjoyed it. The 2nd one always has a really long hold line at the library and I can't figure out why - I go through a cycle where I put it on hold and then it comes up months later when I am in the middle of something else. I considered jumping around, but it seems like there are a few storylines that continue on through and I want to have the context.

I have been reading in order as well and some seem to have holds and others don't, it is weird. Like now I'm starting the Bookshop one, which is correct in order after the Christmas one. The Christmas one took a few weeks for me to get and Bookshop was available right away. Very odd. 

I think you could probably get away with reading out of order if you didn't care about the ongoing O'Sullivan Six storylines. So it just depends how important it is that you don't spoil those more background plots. 

[starrynight]

Jan 17, 2024 12:51:57 GMT -6 yellowwallpaper said:

Last week, two different students asked if our media center had Icebreaker. I heard more students mention it today. Apparently a lot of the seventh grade girls are reading it. I had to explain to them that it’s not appropriate for a middle school library 😂

OMG! Definitely not, but i saw maybe on peloton mom book club that someone was asking if it was OK for their daughter. At the time I was reading it and it made me wonder what id do if my kid asks in a few years for something similar. I think in like 6th & 7th I definitely ended up reading some stuff that I probably should not have read at that age though. Now with ebooks, not sure I'll even know.

[yellowwallpaper]

Jan 17, 2024 14:27:53 GMT -6 starrynight said:

Jan 17, 2024 12:51:57 GMT -6 yellowwallpaper said:

Last week, two different students asked if our media center had Icebreaker. I heard more students mention it today. Apparently a lot of the seventh grade girls are reading it. I had to explain to them that it’s not appropriate for a middle school library 😂

OMG! Definitely not, but i saw maybe on peloton mom book club that someone was asking if it was OK for their daughter. At the time I was reading it and it made me wonder what id do if my kid asks in a few years for something similar. I think in like 6th & 7th I definitely ended up reading some stuff that I probably should not have read at that age though. Now with ebooks, not sure I'll even know.

I definitely read things I shouldn’t have at that age. I’m not shocked they’re reading it but that they thought the middle school library would have it 🤣

[cnf]

Jan 17, 2024 12:51:57 GMT -6 yellowwallpaper said:

Last week, two different students asked if our media center had Icebreaker. I heard more students mention it today. Apparently a lot of the seventh grade girls are reading it. I had to explain to them that it’s not appropriate for a middle school library 😂

Aren't the main characters in that only in like high school? Might be why they're connecting with it?