I‘ve read most of Mary Roach‘s books — she‘s one of the few non-fiction writers that I tend to gravitate toward. But I thought this one was really just so-so. It wasn‘t exactly what I‘d expected. It seemed like she got off-topic a little and I found my mind wandering while listening. But she does know her stuff. Her books are well- researched and she‘s not afraid to get in there and touch, smell, taste.....whatever it takes.

Despite my rants about the audiobook reader in my previous post, I really enjoyed this book. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next and the characters were borderline shady enough for me to not know whether they were good guys or bad guys (main character included).

I‘m enjoying the tagged book, but the audiobook reader is driving me nuts. Her inflections for male voices are awful and they all sound like they‘re talking in slow motion.
Has anyone ever given up on an audiobook because the reader was so bad? 🙄

Between a pick and so-so with this. Not my favorite of Larson‘s, but still interesting and educational. I listened to the abridged audio, so that may have affected my opinion.

If you like stories of dysfunctional families, this may be for you. The family secrets teaser initially drew me in, but then it just got kind of weird. The ending was also a letdown. Lisa Tucker has been hit or miss for me in the past. This wasn‘t my favorite.

I just finally watched the last episode of season 3 and bawled like a baby.

Although probably not my favorite Gilly MacMillan novel, this one was decent and kind of creepy/evil. Is the Nanny who she says she is, or is she not? Several unlikeable main characters and the ending was a bit far fetched, but the story did keep me guessing.

#librarything #earlyreviewers

I was sorely disappointed in the previous book (#4) in the Millennium series. To me, it felt nothing like Stieg Larsson‘s original three, and at that time I swore I was done with the series. But I had a change of heart because I really did miss the characters of Salander & Blomkvist, and so decided to give this one (#5) a try. I was pleasantly surprised. This one was much better than the last.

Really enjoyed this one. Told from the point of view of a pre-teen, the earth‘s rotation one day unexpectedly slows down, affecting all sorts of things you wouldn‘t necessarily think about. All the while, young Julia is coming of age and dealing with all the things that pre-teens deal with — changing friendships & loyalties, crushes & first loves, & shifting dynamics at home. But it was the beautiful writing that really pulled me into this one.

Rainy day ☔️ = reading day 📚

I decided to snag an LT t-shirt on clearance. It arrived today! Woot!
#LibraryThing

Another great read by Lisa Genova. I can never decide which is my favorite because I love them all. This one centers on Huntington‘s Disease, which I really knew very little about. Genova is great at creating novels about neurological conditions and how they affect family dynamics.

What can I say that hasn‘t already been said about this book? I‘m ashamed to admit that I really didn‘t know that much about Michelle prior to reading this. Though she‘s always presented herself as very polished, yet down-to-earth and very personable, I had virtually no knowledge of her background or education. This was very well written and yet easy to read.
And oh ... I so miss the Obamas being in the White House.

This really was just so-so for me. I‘ve not read any others in the Tess Monaghan series (this is #2), but I have read at least one other Laura Lippman that I enjoyed. But this one just struck me as very mediocre. Somewhat choppy at times, I thought maybe I was listening to the abridged version, but no.

I‘m falling somewhere between pick and so-so on this one. This story is, as stated by the author in the interview at the end of the book, tragically sad, and that is exactly the overwhelming feeling I got when reading this. Not my favorite of Bohjalian‘s, but certainly worth a read.

A story about three biological half-siblings, each given up after birth, who find each other as teens. I enjoyed this and felt it offered a fresh perspective on subjects such as teen pregnancy, adoption, and family. Would make a great discussion book for teens or adults.

After Mia loses her job and suffers a breakup with her long-term boyfriend, she decides that traveling with a humanitarian group around the world to “make a difference” is just what she needs to figure her life out.

I thought this book fell into the “just okay” category. There wasn‘t really anything new or refreshing about this story. It‘s basically been done before and was overly predictable. I doubt that it will stick with me very long.

This is Prince Charming, the llama (really!).
I live near a park with a small zoo and I see him often when I do my #audiowalk early in the morning.

I was so looking forward to this book and was excited when it popped up on Hoopla. The premise was good: a guy wakes up having dreamed about 108 world predictions which ultimately all come true. He begins releasing them anonymously through a website and then of course everyone wants to know who he is.
But I was ultimately really disappointed in this one. Flat characters, non-fluid story line, and very mediocre writing overall.

Sorry for those who‘ve already seen this, but did you hear about the “reading kid” at Wimbledon? 😳🥰

https://7news.com.au/sport/tennis/the-wimbledon-photo-that-sent-fans-crazy-durin...

I think I may be the only one who‘s never read or seen the movie adaptation of The Secret Garden, but I can no longer say that now. This book is certainly dated (published in 1911), and somewhat predictable, but it also portrays beautifully the magic that can be seen through a child‘s eyes.

I‘ve always liked Joshilyn Jackson‘s novels. In this one, she ventures out of her typical realm of southern, crazy, dysfunctionalness and tries her hand at more of a suspenseful thriller. I think it worked, for the most part, and I enjoyed this one.

😂😂😂
Truth!

Another #littlefreelibrary
This one was just recently built by one of my book club members and her husband. It‘s adorable. Even lights up at night!

Show me an open book and I‘ll show you a cat who has to lay on it.

#catsoflitsy

Seen on tonight‘s #audiowalk

Started a new book on audio while picking these beauties this morning!

I‘m giving this a “pick.”
I think.
It was unsettling, with a fair amount of twists and turns. At the end I was left scratching my head, trying to figure out what I just read. 🤷‍♀️. I may have to refer to the written version (vs. audio) to get a better grip on things. This is for book club, which is fortunate, because I think a discussion is definitely in order for this one!

Too hot to motivate myself tonight, but did manage a short #audiowalk last night with the dog. 🐕. This is at the park near my house.

Vacationing in Tennessee and came across two Little Free Libraries in downtown Knoxville. 📚❤️

#littlefreelibrary

All caught up with the Cormoran Strike series! This one seemed mildly lengthy and a little more confusing near the end with all the many subplots coming together quickly, but I still enjoyed it. Really liking the sexual tension between Cormoran and Robin, even though he is a bit of a jerk when it comes to his female conquests. After reading these all back-to-back, now I feel kind of lost not having another one lined up in the queue.

Tonight‘s #audiowalk , cut shorter than I would‘ve liked due to mosquito attack. (Another reason I hate rain ☔️)

I‘m not sure how to put into words all of the feelings that this book, and this series, evokes in me. This fourth (and last) tome is a monster in length and took me nearly a full two months to get through, but was so worth it. If, like me, you were unsure or unsettled about books 2 and 3 in the series, you need to persevere through to the end of this one. It pulls them all together beautifully. Ending this series is so bittersweet for me.

Back-to-back-to-back........I‘m on a Cormoran Strike run! The more I get into this series, the more I like it. This one had the added (anonymous) perspective of the killer interspersed, which I thought added some more intrigue. Kept me guessing until the end!
..............And now on to book #4!

This is the #littlefreelibrary that‘s at the park near my house. I walk by with my dog frequently, but this evening was the first time I actually remembered to bring books with me to drop off. 😊

Spied a #littlefreelibrary on my walk tonight! (Or Book Nook, in this case.).
Just so happens I had a couple books in my car I could drop off. 😉

Tonight‘s #audiowalk .

The more I read of this series, the more I‘m pulled in. I think I liked this one better than the first. Off I go, to start #3!

Finally started this series. Read the first book, then had to immediately watch the TV adaptation. (The book was better.)
I liked the book, but didn‘t love it. Thought there was almost too much excessive detail. Started kind of slow, but the characters grew on me. Initially reminded me a lot of Kate Atkinson‘s Jackson Brodie series, though not as quirky.
But I‘m a sucker once I start a series. Already into The Silkworm!

Anyone else watched this movie? I read the book several years ago, but couldn‘t remember much about it. Which became obvious, because the movie, esp. the ending, really took me by surprise. Very dark and disturbing, but good.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone else here use #PaperBackSwap ? I‘ve been using it for years now, mostly to trade audiobooks. I know it‘s not for everyone, but if you add a book to your wishlist early (like prior to its release date), you‘ll have a pretty good chance of getting a copy shortly after it comes out.

This book wasn‘t exactly what I expected, but it was fun and quirky. And different enough to make it unique. I can see why it‘s captured the hearts of lots of readers. 😊

There is something unsettling about Ruth Ware‘s books....not in a straightforward way, but kind of beneath the surface. I think some of it has to do with the audiobook narrator, Imogen Church, who seems to narrate all of Ware‘s books. She has a certain eerie, disturbing quality to her voice that‘s hard to pinpoint. At any rate, I enjoyed this one!

A fictional, and humorous, account of Noah and the Ark. I had mixed feelings about this one. I liked the exploration into the finer details and practicalities of the story: how to gather the animals, how to arrange them on the ark so that they wouldn‘t kill each other (or Noah & his family), how to feed them, how to dispose of the waste, etc. But the flow of the story seemed inconsistent. Sometimes too many details and at other times not enough.

FYI.....some good new audiobook additions on Hoopla within the last week or so!

I honestly feel like I didn‘t read the same book as everyone else, since most all other reviewers seemed to love or at least like this one. I remember when I read Deliverance Dane that it was decent, although could‘ve been so much more. This one just really disappointed me. The writing was choppy and confusing, the main character not very likable, & the ending a combination of too unrealistic and abrupt.
Am I the only one who thought this??

Straddling the pick and so-so on this one. I always love the controversial subject matter that Picoult writes about, but I felt that this one missed the mark on engaging the reader emotionally, esp. considering the subject matter (life support). I think this was primarily because the characters, pretty much all of them, were not very likable. But I did learn a lot about wolves and wolf behavior!

I love Augusten Burroughs. That is all.

Usually I have to have music to keep me going at the gym (vs. an audiobook), but today Augusten Burroughs did the trick!

I was hoping for spring weather for the weekend, but no.....cold enough for at least one more fire. Got my fire, my wine, my book, and my dog (not pictured, but lying right next to me).