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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I started an ARC of Jo Piazza’s The Parisian Heist that is scheduled to be released in July. It is a dual timeline historical fiction/mystery that focuses on Johanna (“Jo”) Van Gogh, sister-in-law of Vincent Van Gogh. The contemporary story is set in 1996 with three art students in Paris. (Another instance of an author choosing this timeframe in order to avoid the imposition of smartphones and web searches.) The mystery element definitely propel the stories forward. I’m about 75% through.
I’ve had another historical fiction that centers on Jo Van Gogh on my TBR - The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar, published in 2022. I’m wondering if it will stand up to this forthcoming book by Piazza. All in all, it is good to know that Jo Van Gogh’s importance and contributions to the art world and women’s rights is continuing to be pushed forward.
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FINISHED:
There is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone deserves its recent Pulitzer Prize for the journalistic excellence with which the author followed five families experiencing housing insecurity despite working (sometimes multiple jobs). They live so close to the edge financially that anything can throw them out of the system of support that they may be drawing short term as a result of illness or other reasons. While a difficult (sad) read it becomes abundantly clear that the process is the largest contributor to the suffering of many of these individuals. There is always someone who will try to take advantage.
John of John by Douglas Stuart is like a chilly embrace from a remote Scottish island. Stuart has created the most amazing characters and placed them in situations where they can’t get away with much without the entire community knowing about it. Surprisingly there are undiscovered secrets that mark lives and defy the strong, conservative Church’s dominance. I loved every moment of this one.
Elegy in Blue by Mark Helprin is a curmudgeonly driven comedy—sort of. I have enjoyed many of Helprin’s prior books but this one didn’t really work for me. I think literary humor is very dependent on personal taste and I didn’t sync with what was going on here.
NOW READING:
Angel Down by Daniel Krause. As I have stated previously I didn’t get along with the print version of this one so I picked it up as an audiobook. I’m so sorry but anyone who read this one in print missed out on a real audio experience. The reader is so incredibly talented that this is like listening to a radio play. I am loving every minute of the book and of my early morning walks as I listen. I will hate to see it end. I’m just shy of halfway and for those of you who have read it I have just met the angel. It just keeps getting better.
Suder by Percival Everett is another notch in my effort to read Everett’s backlist. In this story of a baseball player, Craig Suder, who because of a slump is placed on injured reserve and must figure out what is missing in his life. I just started this one and it is fast paced and relatively short so I will learn soon if he finds a solution.
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I read The Secret Life of Sunflowers for my book club. To me it was a thinly veiled romance in one storyline and the art story was the second storyline. I found it interesting but not very meaty. I know other people have loved it.
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I appreciate your thoughts, Anne!
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I listened on audio to Code Named Verity while getting the house cleaned and packing for my visit for my grandson’s graduation. Very informative YA book about Nazi occupation and spies. I would someday like to read the ebook.
I finished and enjoyed When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore, our current online book club discussion. Today my 17th granddaughter and I have planned a delightful shopping day so I will answer the questions when I am available.
I am currently reading The Family Man regarding the information of the Murdaugh murders and current news regarding the mistrial. The past two days I reviewed the ask the author questions and answers with James Lasdun. I really benefited from the discussion between the members and the author.
(I apologize for any typos but I need to get ready for today’s adventure)
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I’m reading Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel and loving it! I previously read two intense books in a row (A Guardian and a Thief and Midnight, At the War) and needed something lighter and Frankel’s novel fits that perfectly. But not too light!
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I read Brownstone by Samuel Teer last week and really enjoyed it. As a Spanish teacher, I really liked how they showed two cultures with respect and intrigue. It deserved the Michael Printz award for YA Literature.
Now, I am reading The Original by Nell Stevens and it is going hot and cold for me. The parts about art are fascinating and I enjoy the mystery but it seems to take a while to make some of its points.
Next in the stack, since I am a social masochist, is Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li, which is a memoir about a woman who has two kids die from suicide. It is going to be a tough read for me.
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I struggle with audiobooks but the idea of this in that format intrigues me. I may try to make my piece with the medium.
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I wish you luck @Anthony_Conty I’ve already said it but this audio is soooo well done and of course it masks the unusual format of the book.
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Things in Nature hold appeal for me because it has been so highly regarded but I’ve been slow to go all in because of the subject matter. I has been described beautifully by others so I’m sure it will be worth it.
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Am reading The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler. It is about Gustav Mahler’s trip across the Atlantic as he suspects he doesn’t have long to live. It’s about music, life, death and love. Translated from German. It’s fabulous.
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The Only One Left by Riley Sager. My granddaughter had the book in her To Be Read pile and thought I might like it. It’s a mystery and so far pretty good!
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Last week, I finished When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore for discussion here on the Community Forum.
Then I moved on to Whistler by Ann Patchett for review. It’s another wonderful novel by this author about family relationships, sure to be a huge hit. I flew through it in two days.
Finally, I finished A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines for our 1000 Books Before You Die Side Read. WOW. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and I’m very much looking forward to discussing it when the conversation opens on June 1. (BTW, this is an ongoing group that will probably be reading one book a month for as long as BookBrowse continues to host a Community Forum. Anyone is welcome to join us at any time.)
In audiobook format, I finished The Little Red Chairs (excellent) and started The Ascent of Rum Doodle, both of which are also for the 1000 Books project.
Next up: Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn. He’ll be visiting for a Q&A starting June 1. Then it’ll be A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (two of my favorite authors) for discussion in early June.
Not sure what audiobook I’ll tackle next. Seriously considering Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. He’s my all-time favorite author, this is one of his novels that I’ve never read, and I’m kind of in the mood for some Victorian writing. But I’ve also got the new full-cast Harry Potter queued up.
Quick plug: We’re looking at starting an extended read of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. If you’ve ever wanted to tackle this one (and it’s an amazing work of historical fiction) now’s your chance. Between breaking it into chunks so it’s less intimidating and having the support of other like-minded readers, it’s a great opportunity to see why many consider this one of the best books every written.
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I am reading Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan.
SO GOOD!!
Have anyone read this author?
I had finished John of John I think last week. I left a review under the new book review section, under reader reviews, if you’d like to get my opinion on that one.
This week I’ve been reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. After a somewhat sluggish advancement to the storyline, it’s really picking up and the inevitable happened but still a secret left to tell so I’m liking this clip to the finish. (overall, her Migrations was a better read to me)
And then, for my next month’s book club, we are reading The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. We are trying to include a few selections this year that recall defining eras in our country’s history, what with it being our 250th anniversary. This was published in 2020 and alternates between a 1987 classroom in Louisiana that finds identity and the relevance of storytelling, and the 1875 plantation slaves they are researching, who were sold away and try to find each other.
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I just picked up The Last Movement last week. It may be a few weeks before I get to it and am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Just finished the book “The Names” for my book club, It led to a most interesting discussion period. I find often the books the group is not so crazy about brings about the most thoughtful discussion. Next month’s choice is “The Mail Man. Has anyone read it?
On my Kindle, I am attempting “Yesterday”. I listened to it on a long road trip earlier this month and I came away not really understanding the author’s intent. So Im giving it another chance, perhaps by reading the words on the page I can get a better feel for this unique book.
For Book Browse, I am almost finished with “When No One Else Will” for online discussion. So far its a book that grabs you and doesn’t let you go. I find myself taking time out of my daily chores to read another chapter.
@kim.kovacs @Holly_Batsell @Anne_Glasgow I finished Nayler’s Mountain in the Sea and really liked it. Without divulging any spoilers, the book is earth-based sci-fi which incorporates octopuses, AI, and cross-species communication into the story. It took me awhile to get into the story because individuals and their respective storylines were introduced successively, the connections only becoming obvious as the book progressed. However, I was hooked by the middle. I found it a thought-provoking book because beyond the discussions of science and technology, there were ethical dilemmas which made me think!
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In need of some light entertainment, I am reading Stevenson’s Everyone in the Bank is a Thief this week. I also just treated myself and purchased the physical copy of Jose Andrés’ new cookbook/book Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard. Can’t wait to page through it with page markers in hand.
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