.:.Book Bodega.:. discussion

Share your thoughts on what you read this summer.

I finally have Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH on reserve at the library. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Water for Elephants - I'm not sure if this one counts because I started it on April 13 and got to chapter 11 before it had to go back to the library. I got it back yesterday and could not put it down. Since I hadn't read half the book when I started again I'm counting it as a summer read. here's what I thought.

Wow! This story was so well written that the charecters, even the animals, came to life. It took me through the full range of emotions. And the ending left me crying and nodding my head that all was right with the world.

Water for Elephants is such an amazing book. You'd never know it from its very bad movie adaptation.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien - A wonderful children's story that far outshines the movie based on it. I'm not sure what I would have gained from this book if I had read it as a child, but in reading it as an adult I'm filled with hope. My summer reading is off to a great start!

Dr. Daddy's Perfect Christmas by Jules Bennett - While this one was set at Christmas time there was very little actual Christmas in it. However, it is an above average read for a Harlequin Romance.

Love Always, Kate by D. Nichole King - Kate is 17 years old and has been battling recurrent leukemia since she was 11. She's now faced with the choice to continue fighting or making the most of the time she has left. The story was very well written and very painful for me. I don't usually deal with teenage angst well, but I felt close enough to the characters that I was more understanding. Though sometimes I had to take it in chapter size doses and then walk away for awhile. Glad I read it.

Kai, glad you like Mrs. Frisby! I'm reading Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It's not your average zombie novel. :-)

sounds interesting Mia

F My Life - I assumed this would be a lot like America's Funniest Home Videos and give me a laugh, but for the most part it was mean people doing and saying mean things to each other. Wasn't worth the time I gave it. (Not so good moments in summer reading! )

Friends to the End, A Teaspoon of Courage, The Meaning of Life, all by Bradley Trevor Greive - Three small books all on their respective themes and matched to pictures of animals (the Meaning of Life pictured objects too). My favorite was Friends to the End. the theme was spot on the the pics. I found the Meaning of Life to be unfocused. overall great quick reads with longer times spent looking at the pics.

Hope Triumphs ALL by Emily Yatsko Sandusky - I picked this story because it's about a four time ALL (leukemia) survivor. It is an open and honest look into the world of a young life filed with illness, and the belief that while things are dark now they will get better. it was something I needed to read at this point in my life. It didn't make me emotional, it just left me feeling "yes, it is what it is".

Okay, Kai - is it the blue stuff they gave you that is giving you superhuman reading powers? ;-)

Handling the Undead turned out to be pretty good. It was more about what would happen if suddenly the recently-dead came back to life, but as they are (at various levels of decomposition), and about letting go. I've now read all of Lindqvist's books, so I'm looking for something else to read...hmmm...

Mia - Handling the Undead sounds interesting. Have you read Steven King's Pet Semetery? The themes seem distantly similar.

I'm not sure if it's the blue stuff or the fact that I'm still off of work with strict orders from the hubby not to do any house work. he says that right now my job is to heal myself, and that actually goes better with a book in my hand. Monday 6/15 is my last day of chemo. Yay!

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden - As a fangirl of the movie I really enjoyed reading Elwes' commentary on the making of the film, quotables from others involved with making the film and the touching references to those who worked on the film and have passed away.

I want to read As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. Glad you liked it.

It is a bit like Pet Sematary! As a matter of fact THANK YOU! I'm going to re-read that and compare it! :-) Haven't read it in years.

I love the idea of heal thyself with book in hand! And YAY for June 15th!!

4 more days!! This is great news, Kai!

Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke - A well edited cozy mystery that kept my attention throughout the story. I figured out who done it long before Hannah Swensen did and I love when that happens. So I finished this one with a smile on my face.

Good thing we aren't doing a "book challenge." Kai already has us beat! :-) Starting Pet Sematary re-read. And then need to find something else to grab my attention. I have the second Miss Peregrine book, but I haven't been able to get into it. I may want to try more Colm Toibin books. Hmmm...

A Taste Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle - An enjoyable paranormal cozy mystery. Sometimes the story tended to drift a little and for some reason, every so often, one word was missing from a sentence. I knew who done it in the opening chapters before the murder was actually committed, but i didn't figure out how they did it. So the story held my attention.

I'm hoping to be back to work by the middle of next month. I'll definitely slow down then!

I love that you're getting so much rest/reading! But I know that returning to work will feel more "normal," so I guess I'm happy about that too. :-)

A Street Cat Named Bob and How He Saved My Life by James Bowen - This one is very touching. James Bowen found his second chance and ran with it. I love cats and can easily see how Bob became such an indelible part of James' life. I cheered them on and wish them success and happiness

To Die Fur by Dixie Lyle - This is the 2nd book in m the series. Unlike the 1st book the paranormal mystery and the real on world mystery did not mesh so to me it seemed that time spent with o e mystery was mucking up the other mystery. I do like the characters so I'm sticking around to read the 3rd book.

I finished my second read of Pet Sematary. It strikes me again how much Stephen King pads his books with pages and pages of (boring) internal dialogue for his main characters. Interesting re-read, though...Now I'm moving on to re-attempt My Brilliant Friend I think it'll be good, but I just wasn't in the mood for it when I first started it.

My library is doing a summer reading basket raffle. To get a raffle entry you have to sign out five books at one visit. I've gotten two entries already and Monday I'll get my third, but I'm starting to feel a bit of performance pressure.

Marked Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle - in my opinion this one is much better than the 2nd book in the series. The story opens with the murder of a minor established character. Though this one is a lot more focused than the 2nd book Foxtrot has to work her way through a believable number of red herrings and then watch her boyfriend get eaten by a giant rainbow spirit snake. Don't you hate it when that happens? I'm enjoying the characters more and more, but would like to see more interaction with established characters.

Woof at the Door by Laura morrigan - Book 1 of the Call of the Wilde cozy mystery series. This series was recommended to me by a stranger I was standing next to in the paperback mystery shelves of the library. The stories feature Grace Wilde, an ex veterinarian, who can telepathically talk to animals. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the characters and the premise. The mystery was good. I solved it early, but the plot had me doubting myself.

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes - A very emotionally intense read. It took me five days to read because I had to keep distancing myself. The characters were well written and very much alive. I'm definitely going to read more of this author.

Okay - - just finished this; intense memoir written by a colleague of mine about growing up in Iran, several family traumas, and how she and her family worked through them.

I'm now starting I Am the Messenger: because I really liked The Book Thief. I was about to start: The Children's Crusade but I couldn't get into the first chapter. So I'll save that for next...

I also couldn't quite get into My Brilliant Friend, so I moved it down on my list. Gotta be in the mood for some stuff, so I figure I'll wait. Usually, I eventually come around! :-) It took me three attempts and a year before I finally read The Book Thief and loved it! :-)

Kai wrote: "Me Before You by JoJo Moyes - A very emotionally intense read. It took me five days to read because I had to keep distancing myself. The characters were well written and very much alive. I'm defini..."

I think I'll get that from the library and check it out! :-)

@Mia I thought it was an amazing read, but the subject matter is very intense. I hope it's a good read for you. (I'm glad you're gonna give it a try.)

A Tiger's Tale by Laura Morrigan - Book 2 in the Call of the Wilde cozy mystery series. Another good mystery. I like this author's writing style, but there is one thing she does that drives me nuts. several times in a story Grace, who can telepathically talk to animals, will promise an animal something. That's the last you hear about it. You're left to assume the promise has been kept. Other than that, if you're into cozies i recommend this series.

If you're going to promise an animal something telepathically, I want to know that you delivered! :-). I just finished I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. I really liked it!! I like the author's style and he brings you through a mystery, the resolution of which will please some and annoy others. It's listed as YA, which I hadn't realized. And for me it didn't really have as much of a YA feel...felt more general to me. Anyway, would love to discuss if anyone else has read it!

Darn straight. We treat animals and children bad enough. I need to know those promises are being kept! Mia I'm requesting your book from the library. Happy Independence Day to everyone celebrating.

The Big Kitty by Claire Donally - I really like how Shadow is written. This was an enjoyable mystery, easily solved with a very predictable ending. I think the characters are good and I'm looking forward to the character growth in future books.

The Wanderer by Robyn Carr - A thoroughly satisfying read. The characters are so real I felt like I could call Gina to have a chat. The emotions were spot on too. I loved the way the families were involved and reacted to each other. The mystery is very downplayed and I'll be honest, I didn't see this one coming until 3/4 of the way through. I am certain I am going to be spending more time at Thunder Point.

Kai wrote: "Me Before You by JoJo Moyes - A very emotionally intense read. It took me five days to read because I had to keep distancing myself. The characters were well written and very much alive. I'm defini..."

I'm about a quarter of the way through it and I'm really liking it! :-) Can hardly put it down. I like the way the characters are written, too...will report back after I've finished! :-) Glad you're going to read I Am the Messenger!

Okay, Kai -- just finished Me Before You. Even though I saw what was coming miles away, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. Okay -- let's see what I want to tackle next...

Turn off Mind by Alice LaPlante - The writing style was difficult to follow at first, but once I caught on it became an engrossing read. I'd like to say that the ending was predictable, but I was just a little off in my assumptions. I also have to admit that I enjoyed how imperfect LaPlante's characters were. This is a rare book for me in that it actually left me feeling angry.

Mia, I am the messenger is in at the library and I will pick it up on Saturday. Though my reading frenzy may cool off a little as I'm going back to work half days on Monday. Yay!

Kai wrote: "Mia, I am the messenger is in at the library and I will pick it up on Saturday. Though my reading frenzy may cool off a little as I'm going back to work half days on Monday. Yay!"

Boo! We love your reading frenzy! ;-) I'm reading Every Day by David Levithan now:

It's a YA book, pretty engaging and interesting premise -- narrated by a person who wakes up in a different person's body each day. I got it from that link I posted on FB about people's favorite underrated books. I really did pack my summer reading list full.

Okay - off to relax and read more!

**UPDATE - I finished Every Day. Hmmm. Interesting concept, but 1. it ended up feeling like the typical YA love story and 2. it came across as very preachy-PC. The character inhabits various bodies and the author uses this as an opportunity to embrace all genders, sexual orientations, etc, but he really came across as overly preachy to me. Also, there's an episode of body-shaming that I didn't appreciate. Not sure if I'd recommend it or not. Nope - not recommending, but curious to hear if anyone else has read it.

looking for one of those books that grab you and sucks you into another world. Anyone have any suggestions? Not into the vampire and futuristic stuff.

Joanne, Me Before You and Turn off Mind were both very engrossing in my opinion.

Michelle Obama: A Life by Peter Slevin - I finished this book with a stronger conviction that Michelle Obama is an intelligent, strong woman with beauty inside and out. I wished there were more pictures and at times I felt the focus of the book shifted to heavily from Michelle to Barack.

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly - What can I say, I'm a sucker for kittens in a cozy. The first book in Sofie Kelly's Magical Cats Mysteries was mostly character set up. The mystery was good. I'd made my guess about half way through and I was correct. I like that a bit of side excitement was thrown in as well. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Cat Nap by Claire Donally - Definitely better than the 1st book in the series. Again, I really like the way Shadow is written and it is the biggest draw for me. The mystery made sense and the loan sharks were almost a comic relief in a scary way. I ended this one feeling relief, which is not the norm for me with a cozy. Cozy and cat lovers I'd give this series a chance.

Joanne wrote: "looking for one of those books that grab you and sucks you into another world. Anyone have any suggestions? Not into the vampire and futuristic stuff."

Okay, I've heard good things about Little, Big by John Crowley -- sounds like it does draw the reader into a different world. But some of the reviews are mixed. I'm thinking of trying it after I finish The Children's Crusade (Ann Packer). I also really liked The Shadow of the Wind -- really drew me in and made me read the author's other books, but it turns out that The Shadow of the Wind (in my opinion) was his best. Let me know what you choose!!

LOL - Kai and her kitty cats! :-)

The Liar by Nora Roberts - Classic Roberts. I just fall in love with the picture she draws. I'm also a goner for a guy that loves the child first. This one was more predictable than suspenseful, but still a very enjoyable read.