What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? Please share! We’d love to know.
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Let’s see… I finished up a reread of Buckeye by Patrick Ryan for a book group. Really excellent fiction. Someone complained to me some time ago that there aren’t that many “normal books” getting published anymore, that everything’s “weird.” Well, Buckeye is definitely an old-fashioned, everyman, small-town book. It’s exceptionally well-done & I highly recommend it. After that was Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez for our discussion here, which is now open (as of about 5 minutes ago).
Currently reading The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick for our 1000 Books Before You Die Side Read (and anyone’s welcome to join us at any time, if you’re interested). After that, I’d like to get to Annelise Ryan’s Working Stiff. She’s the author of the Monster Hunter series (we discussed her Beast of the North Woods not that long ago). Working Stiff is the first volume in a different series she wrote featuring Mattie Winston (which is up to 12 entries!). Annelise will be here starting March 11 for a Q&A. And then it’s on to The Seven O’Clock Club by Amelia Ireland for our online book discussion here.
In audiobook, I paused my 20-volume space opera series to read Lily King’s Writers & Lovers. If you’ve read Heart the Lover, you know there’s a gap of maybe 20 years in the middle of the novel. Well, that’s because she wrote that middle section first, in Writers & Lovers, and Heart the Lover serves as both a prequel and a sequel. We’re talking to Lily now, and interestingly, she didn’t plan it that way. She just started writing and suddenly realized the character was the same character, just at a different point in her life. That really surprised me. Anyway, almost done with that, then I’m back to the space opera.
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I’m into Creation Lake and am enjoying the discussion about our very early ancestors, those who lived in the caves of France. My college minor in anthropology is excited. The plot is emerging but so far is secondary for holding my interest. **
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I finished “This Book Made Me Think of You” by Libby Page & enjoyed it, liked the book recommendations & effect they had on Tilly, really liked Alfie and the bookstore aspect, but parts were predictable and a bit unrealistic. Now I’m reading “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levy, slower paced than most of the books I read.
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I’m in mystery mode this week and on audio I have returned to a popular series with the publication of the 26th in CJ Box’s Joe Pickett: The Crossroads. I’m also reading an arc of Missing by EA Jackson which has been compared to Tana French’s popular series featuring a female detective.
A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls was a fascinating read for me. Early days of publishing and the problems Margaret Anderson had with the content in her magazine. It was also a who’s who of famous (and infamous) literary characters both in the US and in France where she spent most of her midlife years. It was great!
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I am reading this book - I am enjoying it.
THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN LETTERS by Izzy Boom
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I LOVED Libby Page’s book - THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU!!
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I finished The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, it was just for my own enjoyment. For one of my bookclubs I read Artifice by Sharon Cameron. Both books were good. I received my copy of Happy Land yesterday in the mail. I have started it and will read it quickly so I can join the bookclub. I like it a lot so I know it will be a fast read!
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I’m reading ‘Ashland’ by Dan Simon, and the writing is absolutely beautiful! Then ‘Kindred’ by Octavia Butler for my neighborhood book group.
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I finished The Violin Maker’s Secret and Project Hail Mary! Both great novels. I just started The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. I hope to finish it this weekend to get into some more bookclub reads.
Also, how does everyone get their book to pop-up in “Books Mentioned in this Topic?”
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@Supertalya it’s kind of hit-or-miss - the algorithm isn’t perfect. There are things that help, though. I think it usually picks it up if you type in “[title] by [author] - e.g., Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. It may also help to link the book back to its summary page on BookBrowse.com. Or maybe it’s the italics? I see Creation Lake with no author above, but the cover is showing up. Or maybe it’s because it’s a featured book on BookBrowse?
Hahaha, in short, I obviously have no clue.
I finished The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee my book club meeting this week. I was kind of ho hum before I started it because it is another WWII book, which my book club seems to be infatuated with, but I ended up learning some about the building of the atomic bomb so that redeemed it. I’m now reading The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and listening to The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The Jungle is 17+ hours so I’ll be at it for quite awhile!
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Wondering: How is a book linked back to its summary page on BookBrowse?
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Hi @Lana_Maskus - Great question!
Go to bookbrowse.com and search for your book. Click the cover, so you’re looking at the book’s main page. Then, copy the URL. Come back here & highlight the book’s title in your post (either while you’re creating it or you can go back in & edit it), & click the link icon (between the Tt and “). Paste the URL into the box & click Save.
It sounds more complicated than it is. 
I gave Heartwood by Amity Gaige a close reading in prep for book club and found so much more depth in the characters this time around. When I first read it, I was all about finding the missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail and read right past a lot of good stuff. I highly recommend this exciting and heartfelt book.
Now I’m reading The Seven O’clock Club by Amelia Ireland for next month’s book discussion here at Book Browse.
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Thanks for this @kim.kovacs I too was wondering how to make the link. It is super simple now that I know to start on the book page.
I just finished The Violin Maker’s Secret by Evie Wood. It is a beautiful and heartwarming read. The book is currently discussed on Book Browse online Book Club. Even if you don’t plan to read the book I highly recommend reading the members comments because they highlight the delightful fantasy of the book.
Tomorrow I plan to review my notes on The Man In the High Castle by Philip Dick for the 1000 Books to Read Before You Die book club discussion on March 1.
Then I want to read A Crown of Stars by Shana Abe. It is another book currently discussed on Book Browse online Book Club.
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I just started ‘John’ by Niall Williams. John the apostle isn’t a topic I would normally choose but I’m putting my trust in Williams as I’ve loved his more recent books.
I finished ‘Seascraper’ by Benjamin Wood. My favorite read of the year so far. Beautiful, evocative writing of the place and protagonist.
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Currently reading: A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen
Last week I finished Frostlines by Neil Shea; it was okay.
I think in the acknowledgements he wrote something to the effect that not all his material made it into the book, so makes one wonder how it’s decided on what is kept and what is left out. (Oh to be the one to have input on stuff like that!)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Our book club is reading oldies but goodies that we never read as kids. So enjoyable.
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