The County Library discussion

It's almost time! The spring session of Reader's Choice will start on January 3rd. I know many of you do eBooks and digital audiobooks if you want to get a head start!

Reader's Choice Nominees:
All Her Little Secrets
At Summer's End
Blown to Hell: America's Deadly Betrayal of the Marshall Islanders
The Collector's Daughter
Comfort Me with Apples
Dead Silence
A Flicker in the Dark
The Hacienda
If You Ask Me
The Last Chance Library
Light from Uncommon Stars
Look What You Made Me Do
Mango, Mambo, and Murder
No Cure for Being Human: And Other Truths I Need to Hear
Nowhere for Very Long
The Patron Saint of Second Chances
The Siren of Sussex
Stolen Earth
The Stolen Lady
They Can't Take Your Name

Can't wait to hear what you think!

Score. I was able to immediately borrow a few and all but one is on audio.

Oooo, exciting.

Over the last couple of weeks, I listened to Mango, Mambo, Murder and enjoyed that one (4 stars), and listened to Nowhere for Very Long and liked the local interest (4 stars). Others I have listened to or read, but being on the selection committee, I don’t want to say what I thought about others until we get a few weeks in. I’m interested to see what you all think about some of the ones I pushed for.
In the last cycle, I pushed Down Range, and I was happy to see that many readers enjoyed that one - yay!

I can get through more if they're on audiobook; I found only two that weren't this time. My interests are primarily fantasy and sci fi, then nonfiction and mystery and thriller and horror, then drama and romance last. I put about five on hold to start.

Audrey wrote: "I can get through more if they're on audiobook; I found only two that weren't this time. My interests are primarily fantasy and sci fi, then nonfiction and mystery and thriller and horror, then dra..."
Light from Uncommon Stars should be at the top of your list! It's really both scifi and fantasy.
Stolen Earth is a space opera: the blurb for it is 'Firefly meets The Expanse."

For all audiobook fans, we have tons of digital audiobook copies of Comfort Me with Apples and it's just over 2 hours long. I don't want to give any spoilers but this one is a doozy. Either you'll love it or you'll want to throw your phone across the room. I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts!

I've seen such mixed reviews for Light from Uncommon Stars, but it may be worth a shot. And I love Firefly but dislike the Expanse, though I suspect that's more of a marketing gimmick.

I love Firefly, too. I liked the Expanse at first and then it got weird and boring. It was a good while back that I stopped watching it but my memory is that it seemed like they forgot where they were going and ended up some place else that didn't make sense.

So excited! I was hoping to find this early, but somehow missed it till today.

I love the enthusiasm! Remember, if you can't make it into the branch, you can always vote online: https://www.slcolibrary.org/we-recomm...

I love being able to vote online but every once in a while I can't remember if I've done it or not and have to decide if it's better to accidentally vote twice or accidentally miss one.

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "I love being able to vote online but every once in a while I can't remember if I've done it or not and have to decide if it's better to accidentally vote twice or accidentally miss one."

I do it when I I update it here on GoodReads. If I haven't changed the book to read here I know I haven't voted for it.

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "I love being able to vote online but every once in a while I can't remember if I've done it or not and have to decide if it's better to accidentally vote twice or accidentally miss one."

Same. Last time I think I waited until the end and voted all at once. I think I will start marking the pamphlet.

I try to do that too, Patty, but sometimes I do one and get distracted...
I couldn't find a pamphlet at Hunter today. It was very sad.

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "I try to do that too, Patty, but sometimes I do one and get distracted...
I couldn't find a pamphlet at Hunter today. It was very sad."

I never get distracted so I don't understand. Squirrel!
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Oh, hmmm. That's the first time I've ever been distracted of course. ;)

You can print out the pamphlet at the link: https://www.slcolibrary.org/we-recomm...

I forgot there was a pamphlet! (I live in Arizona now.) I used to mark them off in the pamphlet.

LOL

I was hoping there was a printable one. I just hadn't gone looking yet.

Patty wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "I try to do that too, Patty, but sometimes I do one and get distracted...
I couldn't find a pamphlet at Hunter today. It was very sad."

I never get distracted so I don..."

I tell people I have a memory like a steel sieve.

I was at Hunter Saturday and there wasn't a display yet, but I figured it was because it was still the 31st. If I don't see one this Saturday, I'll probably print it. I like having them handy; they're pretty.

My memory was so sharp in college; now it's gone. It's sad.

Debbie wrote: "Patty wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "I try to do that too, Patty, but sometimes I do one and get distracted...
I couldn't find a pamphlet at Hunter today. It was very sad."

I never get distr..."

Ditto on the steel sieve - one of my assistants told me my mind was like that. I thought it was so funny (and true!) that this is what I’ve been telling others since!

Just finished "The Last Chance Library". Light reading. I liked it. I can definitely relate to the idea that libraries that are close by are better. Since moving from Utah my closest library is quite a bit further. Between that and going digital I rarely visit, but I love being in libraries and going through the book shelves, sitting in the chairs and pouring over the magazines etc.

Comfort Me with Apples.....what the heck did I just read? I have absolutely no idea how to rate it, so I guess it gets a nice neutral 3 stars?
Really I want to rate it with the gif of Nathan Filion as Mal Reynolds looking thoroughly confused because that's EXACTLY what I feel right now.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Comfort Me with Apples.....what the heck did I just read? I have absolutely no idea how to rate it, so I guess it gets a nice neutral 3 stars?
Really I want to rate it with the gif of Nathan Filion..."

That’s exactly it with “Comfort Me with Apples,”. What the heck! I read it and liked it…but should I have liked it??? I think I gave it 4 stars, but I think most will either say they really liked it or really hated it. I’d love others to give their reactions to it here, too. I might have to re-read it myself. Oh, it’s available on audio, so I’ll listen to it this time around - quick listen - just over 2 hours.

I have it checked out, so I'll listen when I finish my current book.

No Cure for Being Human was fine. a little less my thing and felt a little.... lacking depth? especially considering the subject. I don't know. it was fine. if it's the kind of thing you like you'll probably really enjoy it.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5

Blown to Hell was really interesting (if infuriating) but it was a little harder to follow on audio (and some of the narrator's pronunciations made me crazy).

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell - 4

Reading Nowhere for Very Long and laughing at the idea of choosing Salt Lake City because rent is so cheap! unsure what year this was but ....

Oh it was Obama's reelection so ... end of 2012, beginning of '13?

By that point we'd bought a house because it was so much less than rent, lol!

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Comfort Me with Apples.....what the heck did I just read? I have absolutely no idea how to rate it, so I guess it gets a nice neutral 3 stars?
Really I want to rate it with the gif of Nathan Filion..."

I've just barely started. So far it is reminding me of the Stepford Wives. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

Oh Patty, just wait! lol

Finished Nowhere for Very Long and....idk it just didn't really work for me. Something about her tone and attitude was just.... off-putting? But I can't figure out why. Three stars because it was fine.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples- read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3

Darin wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Comfort Me with Apples.....what the heck did I just read? I have absolutely no idea how to rate it, so I guess it gets a nice neutral 3 stars?
Really I want to rate it w..."

Finished. It was short! I don't know whether to hop in the shower to wash the ick off or praise it for its uniqueness and creativity!

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Oh Patty, just wait! lol

Finished Nowhere for Very Long and....idk it just didn't really work for me. Something about her tone and attitude was just.... off-putting? But I can't figure out why. Th..."

Finished. Definitely still has Stepford in it, but if I tried to add another genre I might give it away! Though I'm not sure I would figure it out even without doing that.

Patron Saint of Second Chances was funny and sweet. I really enjoyed it.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3
Patron Saint of Second Chances - 4.5

Oh forgot to say - Nowhere for Very Long needs a trigger warning for suicide attempt. I'm not usually big on trigger warnings but I kinda wish I'd known that going in... I maybe wouldn't have read it for a while.

The Stolen Lady was really good.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3
Patron Saint of Second Chances - 4.5
The Stolen Lady - 5

Mango, Mambo, and Murder wasn't bad. Probably 3.5 stars, rounding up for Goodreads and voting since you can't do halves. The idea that she is a food anthropologist is way cool but felt sadly underdeveloped.
Also a LOT of Spanish, which makes sense and is kinda cool but for those of us who studied German for four years and then took ASL and Japanese....well, more context clues would have been helpful in places. And it complicated the audiobook experience lol.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3
Patron Saint of Second Chances - 4.5
The Stolen Lady - 5
Mango, Mambo, and Murder - 3.5

I just started the Hacienda. It has only a little Spanish, though my brain keeps trying to translate it into Spanish for some reason.

Ugh Look What You Made Me Do. That's several hours I'll never get back.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3
Patron Saint of Second Chances - 4.5
The Stolen Lady - 5
Mango, Mambo, and Murder - 3.5
Look What You Made Me Do - 1

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Ugh Look What You Made Me Do. That's several hours I'll never get back.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3

Hi Britt - I haven’t read Look What You Made Me Do, yet, but I know that a couple members of our selection committee rated it at 4 and 4.5. Without giving any spoilers, what was it that you didn’t like about it? Just curious, thanks!

Based on the reviews it's polarized lol. I couldn't suspend disbelief far enough and I didn't like any of the characters. The shifting perspective and times was hard to follow especially on audio. And the twists and turns ultimately....fell flat?

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Based on the reviews it's polarized lol. I couldn't suspend disbelief far enough and I didn't like any of the characters. The shifting perspective and times was hard to follow especially on audio. ..."

Thanks, Britt - good to know! I’ll see what I think when I get the audio - thanks!

It's possible that I am going to be very much in the minority on that one.

I'm halfway through Light from Uncommon Stars and wow is there a lot going on with this one.

Finished Light from Uncommon Stars. There's a LOT going on but not in a bad way. Somehow it all works.

Running list-
Comfort Me with Apples - read
No Cure for Being Human - 3.5
Blown to Hell- 4
Nowhere for Very Long - 3
Patron Saint of Second Chances - 4.5
The Stolen Lady - 5
Mango, Mambo, and Murder - 3.5
Look What You Made Me Do - 1
Light from Uncommon Stars - 4

I just finished . I really liked it. 4 - 4.5 stars.

I liked Dead Silence. Wish we could rate half stars because it started to drag a bit for me so it doesn't quite rich a 4.

I like the running list idea.

All Her Little Secrets - 3
Comfort Me with Apples - 4
Dead Silence - 3
The Last Chance Library - 4

Currently reading:

Read:
The Hacienda – 3
Comfort Me With Apples – 4?
All Her Little Secrets – 3.5
A Flicker in the Dark – 3.75
Look What You Made Me Do – 3
The Patron Saint of Second Chances – 3
Dead Silence – 4
They Can't Take Your Name – 2.5
Light from Uncommon Stars – 3
The Stolen Lady – 3
Stolen Earth – 3
The Last Chance Library – 3
No Cure for Being Human – 4
The Collector's Daughter – 3.5
Blown to Hell – 4
Nowhere for Very Long – DNF (~2 stars)

Interested:
(Done)

Maybe if time:
At Summer's End
If You Ask Me
Mango, Mambo, and Murder
The Siren of Sussex

Here is my list so far:
All Her Little Secrets - 4
At Summer's End - 3
Blown to Hell - 5
Comfort Me with Apples - 4
A Flicker in the Dark - 3
The Hacienda - 4
Light from Uncommon Stars - 3
Mango, Mambo, and Murder - 4
No Cure for Being Human - 4
The Patron Saint of Second Chances - 3
The Stolen Lady - 4
They Can't Take Your Name - 5

Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts about these.

Comfort Me with Apples was odd. But it was well done, so I think I liked it. The audio narrator was great.

Audrey wrote: "Comfort Me with Apples was odd. But it was well done, so I think I liked it. The audio narrator was great."

Audrey, I think you’re right - odd, but well done. Certainly not mainstream fiction!

Wow, you all have read so many. I haven't read ANY from this list yet.

Elizabeth wrote: "Wow, you all have read so many. I haven't read ANY from this list yet."

Still lots of time to read! This goes until the end of April. You can do it!

Struggling with how to rate The Hacienda. I disliked Rebecca enough that I'm not sure I can be objective about any book that reminds me of it, lol. The Hacienda was more interesting than Rebecca, if nothing else.