Off-Topic Winter Reading 2015 -2016 - Page 10

PhyllisG · 12-31-15, 03:52 PM

I am reading Nightingale right now. Before I read 3 Shetland series mysteries by Ann Cleeve. Have the next 3 reserved at my library. Thank you for posting the list of Irish writers. She is the only one I tried so far and enjoyed her books...especially 1 and 3.
Will say more about the Nightingale when I am further into it.

Judy W. · 12-31-15, 05:57 PM

Staggerford by Jon Hassler. Another excellent book! Gentle, funny, tragic, hopeful and understated.

isebelleg44 · 12-31-15, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhyllisG

Will say more about the Nightingale when I am further into it.

Please share your thoughts...I found this book haunting. I couldn't stop thinking about it, after I finished.

BunnyHop · 12-31-15, 06:58 PM

I finished Mistborn and like it well enough to have checked out copies of the next few in the series just to make sure I don't have to wait for the next ones.

Good world building, good characters, great magic system.

(But 'The Emperor's Soul' is my favorite Brandon Sanderson so far. I've already read it twice. Haven't yet read much else by him except these two, yet.)

Somewhere along the line I picked up Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens. On many levels this is just a rather dumb romance novel. (The main characters are destined for each other, see the title as to why that knowledge isn't a spoiler, and yet she resists him over and over in all sorts of dumb ways for a bunch of dumb reasons. His courtship style is beyond heavy handed and just annoying.)

The world and the magic system she's created deserve better stories if this first in the series is any indication. For all of my irritation with the heavy handed writing style, I've also already got the second in the series. (Heart Mate) Want to see if things get better, mostly because I love a good new world.

difit · 01-01-16, 10:07 AM

Happy New Year everybody!!! Here are a few January new releases. Happy reading!

5th
If I Didn't Know Better (Callaways, book 9) - Barbara Freethy
One Foot in the Grove (Olive Grove Mystery, book 1) - Kelly Lane
Death of A Bad Apple (Food Festival Mystery, book 3) - Penny Pike
Unleashed (Swindle Mystery, book 7) - Gordon Korman
To Helvetica and Back (Helvetica and Back, book 1) - Paige Shelton
A Wee Dose of Death (ScotShop Mystery, book 2) - Fran Stewart
A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder (Ghost Hunter Mystery, book 10) -Victoria Laurie
Sweet Pepper Hero (Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade, book 4) - J J Cook
Daisies for Innocence (Enchanted Garden Mystery, book 1) - Bailey Cattrell
Copy Cap Murder (Hat Shop Mystery, book 4) - Jenn McKinlay
Sliced Vegetarian (Daisy Arthur Mystery, book 2) - Liesa Malik
Karma's a Killer (Downward Dog Mystery, book 3) - Tracy Weber
Dying to Tell (Gumshoe Ghost Mystery, book 3) - Tj O'Connor
The View from Prince Street (Alexandria, book 1) - Mary Ellen Taylor
Thin Ice (Men of Valor, book 2) – Irene Hannon
Mordern Day Miracles (non-fiction)- Emily Liebert
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard – Susan Meissner

12th
Scandalous Behavior (Stone Barrington, book 36) - Stuart Woods
The Girls She Left Behind (Lizzie Snow Mystery, book 2) - Sarah Graves
The Bitter Season (Kovac / Liska, book 6) - Tami Hoag
Surrender My Love (The Bradens: Peaceful Harbor, MD, book 2) - Melissa Foster
Aced (Driven, book 8) – K. Bromberg

19th
Blue - Danielle Steel
Downward Facing Death - Michelle Kelly
Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz
The Winter Girl - Matt Marinovich
A Raging Dawn (Fatal Insomnia, book 2) - C J Lyons
Known (Bone Secrets, book 5) - Kendra Elliot

26th
Rustler's Moon (Ransom Canyon, book 3) - Jodi Thomas
The Spring at Moss Hill (Swift River Valley, book 7) - Carla Neggers
Stiff Competition (Mattie Winston, book 7) - Annelise Ryan
Into the Fury (Boss, book 1) - Kat Martin
The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen Trilogy, book 1) – Alison Goodman
Bands of Mourning - (Mistborn, book 6) - Brandon Sanderson

Laura S. · 01-01-16, 11:43 AM

Thanks as always for the book list. Just to let you know, the title of Emily Liebert's book is Facebook Fairytales: Modern-Day Miracles to Inspire the Human Spirit. I like her books, so I looked it up.

sherry7899 · 01-01-16, 04:00 PM

I am reading a very heartwarming, nicely written book called "A Street Cat Named Bob" which is about a London street musician who finds an injured cat. The cat "adopts" him, and the book is about their experience busking in London. The writing style is casual and descriptive. I am really enjoying it. I know there isn't a sad ending since there are two more books after this one. I put them on my Amazon wish list. Any books that combine music, cats and London I know I'll like

The author is James Bowen.

I finished the book "The Far End Of Happy" which certainly was not happy at all. It is a very drawn out book told over twelve hours of a day where a woman's soon to be ex-husband barricades himself and threatens to commit suicide. There are also flashbacks to their dating/early marriage. I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not. I'm glad it was a library loan. I did finish it since I wanted to know the outcome.

Sissy B · 01-01-16, 10:51 PM

I've read some holiday short stories:

The Blonde Before Christmas (A Barb Jackson Short Story) - Anna Snow
Santa 365 (A Chet & Bernie Mystery eShort Story) - Spencer Quinn
Christmas Al Dente (A Southern Pasta Shop Mystery Holiday Short Story) - Jennifer L. Hart

DeepSeaSue · 01-03-16, 05:46 PM

I devoured The Nightingale this weekend. WOW. What a powerful and moving story. I literally sobbed my way through pages of this book.

I kind of feel sorry for the next book I read because it will pale in comparison.

PhyllisG · 01-03-16, 06:24 PM

I just finished The Nightingale also. Two days flat. Could not put it down. First I was so frustrated with Isabelle I didn't think I would continue reading but then I got so into the story. The horror of those years is even worse than what we are living with today. Made you really think what you would do Isabelle or Vianne?
There are not many still living from that time and it makes you afraid that it will be forgotten. Very moving book that will haunt you and make you cry for the sheer inhumanity of that time.
I have met and worked with survivors of the camps and their stories will make you cry but their resilience will so impress. I visited Dachau many years ago and I will never forget that visit. You could still feel the pain. It will never go away.

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12-31-15, 03:52 PM
PhyllisG Join Date: May 2005 Location: Woodstock NY	I am reading Nightingale right now. Before I read 3 Shetland series mysteries by Ann Cleeve. Have the next 3 reserved at my library. Thank you for posting the list of Irish writers. She is the only one I tried so far and enjoyed her books...especially 1 and 3. Will say more about the Nightingale when I am further into it.

12-31-15, 05:57 PM
Judy W. Join Date: Sep 2006	Staggerford by Jon Hassler. Another excellent book! Gentle, funny, tragic, hopeful and understated. __________________ In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. Judy

12-31-15, 06:58 PM
BunnyHop Join Date: Nov 2008	I finished Mistborn and like it well enough to have checked out copies of the next few in the series just to make sure I don't have to wait for the next ones. Good world building, good characters, great magic system. (But 'The Emperor's Soul' is my favorite Brandon Sanderson so far. I've already read it twice. Haven't yet read much else by him except these two, yet.) Somewhere along the line I picked up Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens. On many levels this is just a rather dumb romance novel. (The main characters are destined for each other, see the title as to why that knowledge isn't a spoiler, and yet she resists him over and over in all sorts of dumb ways for a bunch of dumb reasons. His courtship style is beyond heavy handed and just annoying.) The world and the magic system she's created deserve better stories if this first in the series is any indication. For all of my irritation with the heavy handed writing style, I've also already got the second in the series. (Heart Mate) Want to see if things get better, mostly because I love a good new world. __________________ Anna

01-01-16, 10:07 AM
difit Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Home of Buddy Holly	New Releases January Happy New Year everybody!!! Here are a few January new releases. Happy reading! 5th If I Didn't Know Better (Callaways, book 9) - Barbara Freethy One Foot in the Grove (Olive Grove Mystery, book 1) - Kelly Lane Death of A Bad Apple (Food Festival Mystery, book 3) - Penny Pike Unleashed (Swindle Mystery, book 7) - Gordon Korman To Helvetica and Back (Helvetica and Back, book 1) - Paige Shelton A Wee Dose of Death (ScotShop Mystery, book 2) - Fran Stewart A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder (Ghost Hunter Mystery, book 10) -Victoria Laurie Sweet Pepper Hero (Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade, book 4) - J J Cook Daisies for Innocence (Enchanted Garden Mystery, book 1) - Bailey Cattrell Copy Cap Murder (Hat Shop Mystery, book 4) - Jenn McKinlay Sliced Vegetarian (Daisy Arthur Mystery, book 2) - Liesa Malik Karma's a Killer (Downward Dog Mystery, book 3) - Tracy Weber Dying to Tell (Gumshoe Ghost Mystery, book 3) - Tj O'Connor The View from Prince Street (Alexandria, book 1) - Mary Ellen Taylor Thin Ice (Men of Valor, book 2) – Irene Hannon Mordern Day Miracles (non-fiction)- Emily Liebert Stars Over Sunset Boulevard – Susan Meissner 12th Scandalous Behavior (Stone Barrington, book 36) - Stuart Woods The Girls She Left Behind (Lizzie Snow Mystery, book 2) - Sarah Graves The Bitter Season (Kovac / Liska, book 6) - Tami Hoag Surrender My Love (The Bradens: Peaceful Harbor, MD, book 2) - Melissa Foster Aced (Driven, book 8) – K. Bromberg 19th Blue - Danielle Steel Downward Facing Death - Michelle Kelly Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz The Winter Girl - Matt Marinovich A Raging Dawn (Fatal Insomnia, book 2) - C J Lyons Known (Bone Secrets, book 5) - Kendra Elliot 26th Rustler's Moon (Ransom Canyon, book 3) - Jodi Thomas The Spring at Moss Hill (Swift River Valley, book 7) - Carla Neggers Stiff Competition (Mattie Winston, book 7) - Annelise Ryan Into the Fury (Boss, book 1) - Kat Martin The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen Trilogy, book 1) – Alison Goodman Bands of Mourning - (Mistborn, book 6) - Brandon Sanderson

01-01-16, 11:43 AM
Laura S. VF Supporter Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Raleigh, NC	Thanks as always for the book list. Just to let you know, the title of Emily Liebert's book is Facebook Fairytales: Modern-Day Miracles to Inspire the Human Spirit. I like her books, so I looked it up. __________________ Laura Laura's Workout Mantras: Something is better than nothing The best workout is the one you will DO

01-01-16, 04:00 PM
sherry7899 Join Date: Jun 2003	I am reading a very heartwarming, nicely written book called "A Street Cat Named Bob" which is about a London street musician who finds an injured cat. The cat "adopts" him, and the book is about their experience busking in London. The writing style is casual and descriptive. I am really enjoying it. I know there isn't a sad ending since there are two more books after this one. I put them on my Amazon wish list. Any books that combine music, cats and London I know I'll like The author is James Bowen. I finished the book "The Far End Of Happy" which certainly was not happy at all. It is a very drawn out book told over twelve hours of a day where a woman's soon to be ex-husband barricades himself and threatens to commit suicide. There are also flashbacks to their dating/early marriage. I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not. I'm glad it was a library loan. I did finish it since I wanted to know the outcome. __________________ "Say you are tired and you will be. Believe you are strong and you are." (Sean O'Malley) The cat in my avatar is my sweetheart named Bonkers

01-01-16, 10:51 PM
Sissy B Join Date: Oct 2002	I've read some holiday short stories: The Blonde Before Christmas (A Barb Jackson Short Story) - Anna Snow Santa 365 (A Chet & Bernie Mystery eShort Story) - Spencer Quinn Christmas Al Dente (A Southern Pasta Shop Mystery Holiday Short Story) - Jennifer L. Hart

01-03-16, 05:46 PM
DeepSeaSue Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada	I devoured The Nightingale this weekend. WOW. What a powerful and moving story. I literally sobbed my way through pages of this book. I kind of feel sorry for the next book I read because it will pale in comparison.

01-03-16, 06:24 PM
PhyllisG Join Date: May 2005 Location: Woodstock NY	I just finished The Nightingale also. Two days flat. Could not put it down. First I was so frustrated with Isabelle I didn't think I would continue reading but then I got so into the story. The horror of those years is even worse than what we are living with today. Made you really think what you would do Isabelle or Vianne? There are not many still living from that time and it makes you afraid that it will be forgotten. Very moving book that will haunt you and make you cry for the sheer inhumanity of that time. I have met and worked with survivors of the camps and their stories will make you cry but their resilience will so impress. I visited Dachau many years ago and I will never forget that visit. You could still feel the pain. It will never go away.