Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for May 2024 were.

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

I read My Father’s List, by Laura Carney and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

Cathy wrote: "I read My Father’s List, by Laura Carney and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng."

I read this one back in 2022. I gave it a good rating. 3/5
Our Missing HeartsCeleste Ng

Did you enjoy the books you read, Cathy ?

That's an interesting mix of books, Cathy. Nice reading.

I was slowed down from finishing books in May. One book had to be returned to the library before I finished (I'm waiting for it's return) and I forgot my ereader when I visited family, so that book had to wait for my return. I did manage to start a lot of books, but not many finishes. LOL!

The books I did finish were:
Tigana (3-star) - I enjoyed the story and the writing. The book was a bit too long, though. The story seemed to not move forward for many pages at a time. The characters were real and interesting, so it was nice spending time with them in these pages; just they didn't do much. Overall, though, the story was interesting and fun.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Painting Party: Acrylic Painting for Beginners (4-star) - a fun book of projects that the author taught at "Sip & Paint" sessions. These are painting lessons given in pubs. Painting and wine....what could go wrong?! LOL!
The book features about 10 cute, colourful painting projects with detailed instructions and lots of pictures. There's information on the tools, paints, etc required. A well written book. I found a couple of projects that I would like to adapt and paint on flowerpots.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hello everyone! For the month of May, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Twelfth Ring by Sam Clarke. My review can be found here. So much like with My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life, this is one of those "Kid goes to live with estranged parent" kind of stories. But unlike My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life, this one was a lot more enjoyable.

I think part of that has to do with the fact that the book is willing to dedicate quite a bit of time to developing the relationship between Noah and his father Magnus and just allowing them to interact and get to know one another better while still providing some interesting conflict between them. Even when looking at Magnus and Noah on an individual level, they're still interesting characters all on their own, particularly in the execution of their individual character arcs. Also, this book can be quite hilarious at times, which is a nice touch. However, this book is not without its flaws. For example, I found the pacing to be a tad bit rushed and the Russian bad guys were super boring and underdeveloped.

Despite its flaws, I did enjoy this book enough to want to check out the sequel, The Templar Sword.

Rating: B-

Next was Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. Go here for my full thoughts on it. Basically, this is about a kid named Alcatraz Smedry who discovers that he comes from a family whose superpowers (or Talents) appear to be flaws on the surface and has to assist his grandpa in getting back some powerful sands from the evil librarians to avoid a game over.

Much like Jumper, this was one of those books that I found out about via KrimsonRouge's The Book Was Better series and I'm happy to say that this was yet another winner. If you're looking for great books to read or just a great YouTube channel in general, please check out KrimsonRouge.

Anyway, where this book really shines is the humor. Despite this being a middle grade novel, I was genuinely shocked by how laugh out loud funny it really was. What I think helps is the fact that there's a clear indication that a lot of thought was put into the more humorous moments and the fact that the moments themselves are snappy and have no desire to overstay their welcome. Another standout element was the worldbuilding, particularly the Talents and Lens system, which showcase a lot of creativity and cleverness. So in the version I read, there were illustrations and while the illustrations themselves aren't bad, I feel that the basic and straightforward style of the illustrations do not at all mesh with the quirky and out there tone the book is clearly striving for and the contrast doesn't seem to serve a purpose.

Rating: A

The third one I read in May was A Man and His Cat Volume Two by Umi Sakurai. I go into more detail about my feelings on it here. So this entry basically explores the impact Fukumaru and Kanda-san have had on each other so far.

I loved this entry. It's just as wonderful and just as wholesome as the first, but it really does a good job at keeping things fresh and expanding upon elements introduced in the first. For example, there is a surprising amount of character development for Kanda-san and his wife, which not only gives the reader a much better idea as to who they are and the life they had together, but also makes certain moments from the previous entry hit even harder. Like, damn!

Rating: A+

For my final May book, I read Stirring the Storm by Ali Sparkes. Review here. I mentioned this in the actual review, but before Feather and Fang was released in 2016, this book was the original finale to The Shapeshifter series.

With that said, while this is by far the weakest entry in the series, that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. One of this book's greatest strengths is its solid character development and interactions. I love how it's able to not only able to provide satisfying conclusions to previously established character arcs, but also provide some interesting and much needed character development to major characters that have been stagnant since entry one, such as Spook, who has to work together with Dax (who Spook hasn't really cared for all that much up until this entry) in order to solve various problems.

That being said, there is a reason why I said this is the weakest entry by far. So despite the fact that Dax finally gets another new form, the book doesn't really explore it all that much, which is a huge disappointment because, on top of being a new form, it's also the last new form he is able to receive. Also, the reveal of the mystery behind Dax's parents and the true nature of COLAs like Dax was just very underwhelming and not very creative. It was very much a "Wait. That's it?" kind of thing, especially considering that there were at least four entries worth of build up to this. Also, when it comes to the fate of Dax's mentor, it tries to subvert a cliche with another cliche and it just doesn't work.

Rating: B

Overall, I would says that May was a pretty solid month for me.

Here are my May reads.

My ratings are
0/5 How did this get published?
1/5- Painful
2/5 did not meet expectations
3/ 5 is good.
4/5 above my expectations.
5/5 very well done, exceptional

I reviewed all of these books during the month in depth. So I'll be brief.

I didn't have any books below a 3/5 rating. So all in all a very nice reading month.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Fiction
Published 2023
Rate: 3/5- Good
McBride does have great writing talent. However, I found this 400 page novel to move at a very slow meandering pace. The main issue for me was that there were way to many unnecessary digressions and tangents. There are some memorable characters like Dodo and Monkey pants. I think if the book was edited down to 300 pages it would have been a 4 or 5 star read for me.


The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell
Non fiction
Published 2021
Rated: 5/5 Very well done.
Audio- Read by author
What makes this audio exceptional is that it adds actual audio clips from the Generals, historians, Tokyo rose, Ronald Regan who narrated war films, London Blitz survivors, BBC broadcasts, bomber pilots as well as victims of the firebombing of Japan. There is also a bit of music and special effects. If you are deciding between the audio and the eBook, the audio is the way to go. This is a compelling story of the US Bombardiers of World War II. This was the small Air Force group which advocated precision aerial bombing as a means to win a war with limited civilian casualties. Though the technology was lacking at that time. That was contrasted with the theory of any means necessary to quickly end the war which included napalm firebombing and the atomic bomb. To that end, the books focus is on two men, General, Haywood Hansell and General, Curtis LeMay who have very different ideas on how a war should should be prosecuted. I learned a great deal from the book. Gladwell certainly gives you much to think about. In our madness for war does morality and ethics have a role?

Table for Two by Amor Towles
Fiction- Short Stories
Published 2024
Rate: 4/5 Exceeded expectations

This book comes in at around 460 pages. There are six short stores that take place in NY. Then there is a novella that takes place in California. I really enjoyed the short stories. The novella was just okay. I found it a bit hard to follow. Amor Twoles is a wonderful writer. He is not the type of novelist that pumps out a book every year. You can tell by the quality of the writing each sentence, each word is carefully chosen. He is a writer that I would read whatever he publishes.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Fiction
Rate: 3/5
Published 2009 - Translated to English from Japanese
The protagonist in the short novel is twenty five year old Takako. She is jilted by her boyfriend. Depressed she quits her job and moves above her uncles used book store. Takako is not a reader and has no interest in books. She spends most of her time sleeping. Slowly, she realizes that reading is the path out of her depression. Then the story changes focus to her Aunt who returns to the uncle after abruptly leaving five years prior. I found this section underwhelming. This is a quiet simple read and not plot driven.

Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain by Andrew McCarthy
Non Fiction
Published: 2023
Rate: 3/5
Audio- Read by author and son
The narration is done by Andrew McCarthy. His son Sam provides his own voice. Though that is mostly one liners along the way. Being an actor, it's no surprise the Andrew does a very good job. I found his voice soothing. This travel memoir takes the reader/listener 500 miles across Spain's Camino de Santiago. Andrew did the walk 25 years ago. He is now 61. The walk is an arduous one. I listened to the book while I did my daily 4 mile walk. It's a quiet book with not a lot of action. Still, I enjoyed the company. Though I probably would have enjoyed it less if I also wasn't walking while listening.
Here he is on The View discussing the book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyYK9...

Finders Keepers by Stephen King
Fiction
Rate: 5/5
Published: 2015
This is book two in a trilogy following detective Bill Hodges. The novel begins with the murder of author John Rothstein. Rothstein hasn't published any books in a number of years. However, he has kept writing and continuing the story of one of his famous characters. These notebooks along with money Rothstein kept in a safe go missing after his murder. Since this is a thriller, I'll leave the plot at that. For me, it had echoes of his brilliant Misery as it explores the sometimes crazy relationship or effect an author can have with his readers. Stephen King is a master at keeping the reader at the edge of their seat and turning the pages.

Holly by Stephen King
Fiction
Published 2023
Rate: 4/5
Holly is a detective and I think first appeared in the trilogy starting with Mr. Mercedes. Her character has grown since that book where she was smart but painfully shy and now has come into her own. I do recommend you read the Mr. Mercedes trilogy to get a feel for the character. I've read the first two in the trilogy. Though you can certainly follow the plot without reading the other two, I think you will missing out on her development as well as other characters and references to past events.
In this novel she now runs the Finders Keepers detective agency. She gets a call to help find a missing girl. Her partner, Pete, has Covid so she is on her own. She soon realizes this may be a case of a serial killer. I did think the book maybe could have been a bit edited down a tad. Minor quibble as this is a solid read.

Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut’s Guide to Achieving the Impossible by Mike Massimino
Non Fiction
Published 2023
Rate: 3/5
the book is part autobiography, part inspirational tale, and part self-help book
Massimino was an NASA astronaut. He now is a professor at Columbia University in NY. He doesn't shy away from the mistakes he has made along the way in life. That, in itself, is a one of the valuable lesson he shares with the reader.
I think this book would appeal to high school or college grads.
He gives helpful tips that have helped him in his career. For example, One in a Million Is Not Zero: The odds are against you. Do it anyway. He learned this lesson after NASA turned him down three times before accepting him into the astronaut program!
I did enjoy the book. However, I would recommend his other book
over this one. I gave Spaceman a top 5/5 rating.

Cathy wrote: "I read My Father’s List, by Laura Carney and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng."

Thanks for sharing the titles you read last month, Cathy.

Petra wrote: "I was slowed down from finishing books in May. One book had to be returned to the library before I finished (I'm waiting for it's return) and I forgot my ereader when I visited family, so that book..."

It's a pity that the length of the novel, with seemingly unnecessary scenes marred the book. The premise is intriguing, as we often claim our home fairly early in relationships. (Or is that just me?)

I have a friend who has enjoyed Paint & Sip sessions at her local bar. There is a separate room, where the painters imbibe while creating a piece, which is based on the work the leader has selected. She's pleased with the results and has met some folks with whom she now takes nature walks.

There paintings seem more realistic in depicting than the ones on the cover of your book, however. I suppose this means there are a variety of "studios" available, depending on what you want. At least in a city, that is.

Thanks for sharing about both books, Petra.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of May, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Twelfth Ring by Sam Clarke. My review can be found here. So much like with My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Lif..."

Thanks for the reviews, short & longer, Hailey. It helps me see what it is that bugs you but still allows you to like it. And leads you to want to read further into those which have more installments. Neat.

Additionally, it's neat to learn what scenes charm you. :-)

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my May reads.

My ratings are
0/5 How did this get published?
1/5- Painful
2/5 did not meet expectations
3/ 5 is good.
4/5 above my expectations.
5/5 very well done, exceptional

I rev..."

It looks as though May was a darned good month, Alias. Nothing under 3 but a couple over & beyond that. I'm happy for you. Thanks for sharing those thoughts with us, as well as touching upon the action.

Petra wrote: Painting Party: Acrylic Painting for Beginners (4-star) - a fun book of projects that the author taught at "Sip & Paint" sessions. These are painting lessons given in pubs. Painting and wine....what could go wrong?! LOL!
The book features about 10 cute, colourful painting projects with detailed instructions and lots of pictures. There's information on the tools, paints, etc required. A well written book. I found a couple of projects that I would like to adapt and paint on flower pots..."

That's a wonderful idea to paint flower pots.

I so wish I could draw. I'm tempted. Of course I've purchased how to books. But that is as far as I've gotten.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of May, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Twelfth Ring by Sam Clarke. My review can be found here. So much like with My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Lif..."

I enjoyed reading your reviews, Hailey. You has a stellar reading month !

Happy June readers! I haven't much time to read in May because I've been busy and it's almost our Graduation that day. So, I've just only read 2 books that time but our Graduation day is finally over and I'm going to go to Senior Highschool soon. So, this June I'm going to read as many books as I can so I'll enjoy my summer vacation!

But, I'd love to hear you guys what you read this May so I could discover more new books this June. I would love to hear your reviews and maybe I could add them to my TBR list:)

Alias Reader wrote: "I so wish I could draw. I'm tempted. Of course I've purchased how to books. But that is as far as I've gotten.
..."

Alias, with Painting Party: Acrylic Painting for Beginners, one doesn't need to know how to draw. She encourages a free, loose style and her designs are easy to follow.

madrano wrote: "There paintings seem more realistic in depicting than the ones on the cover of your book, however. I suppose this means there are a variety of "studios" available, depending on what you want. At least in a city, that is.
."

I agree that these designs are not realistic. That gave me the idea to paint on flowerpots, which are more whimsical.
I've never been to a real-life paint & sip. I think it would be a lot of fun.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my May reads.

My ratings are
0/5 How did this get published?
1/5- Painful
2/5 did not meet expectations
3/ 5 is good.
4/5 above my expectations.
5/5 very well done, exceptional

..."


Your rating system is similar to mine, Alias. I find a 3-star book a good read, too.

You've had a wonderful month of good books and a great mix, too.

Only a couple for me ...


Kindergarten at 60: A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand by Dian Seidel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes by Nick Hunt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Patricia wrote:

" I'm going to go to Senior Highschool soon.."

John, nice reviews!

I'm particularly interested in Outlandish. Unfortunately, my library doens't have a copy but I'll keep my eyes open for one.

Petra wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my May reads.

My ratings are
0/5 How did this get published?
1/5- Painful
2/5 did not meet expectations
3/ 5 is good.
4/5 above my expectations.
5/5 very well done..."

I find a three-star book a good read while I'm reading it, just nothing memorable.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my May reads.

My ratings are
0/5 How did this get published?
1/5- Painful
2/5 did not meet expectations
3/ 5 is good.
4/5 above my expectations.
5/5 very well done, exceptional

I rev..."

Thank you for your reviews, Alias. I enjoyed reading all of them. (Your reviews, I haven't read the books.)

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. This is the second book I've read by this author, and I am in love with his writing. He tells beautiful and tragic stories that usually focus on one or two characters. The first book I read of his was The Garden of Evening Mists and I like it a bit better than The Gift of Rain, though both are five star books for me. I'm anxiously awaiting my turn to read The House of Doors, his Booker longlisted third novel. The two I've read are definite five-star reads for me. His writing is lyrical and poetic, his stories are good and ring true, and the stories are set in Malaya (Malaysia) a country I love very much.

I read A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George and it was a good mystery, but it suffered, I think because Barbara wasn't Lynley's partner yet. For those of us who read "Inspector Lynley" mysteries, Barbara is an essential, but I still rated it a five. If this is your first one in this series, you won't miss Barbara.

Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor was another good mystery. Set in post-WWI in London, only the occasional mention of an automobile made me realize it wasn't Victorian. I give it a four or five.

The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell I was sure I was going to love this multigenerational novel set in Zambia, but it was over-long, and the author tried to cover too many topics, everything, really. She sacrificed character for plot, and she threw in a few instances of magical realism just because she could. It detracted from her overall story, if there was a story. The ending was problematic for me because it seemed like the author just sort of gave up. I gave it a two.

I'm halfway through The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel. It's long, too, almost 900 pages, but it's as wonderfully written as the previous two books in the trilogy. From about the 30% point to the 50% point, I kind of lost interest because I'm not as interested in wars as some people are. But that's me, not the book. I'm sure it'll pick up for me once Jane delivers her son and then dies and Henry turns against Cromwell for the Anne of Cleves marriage. For me, this has been the weakest book of the trilogy, but I'm sure I'll still rate it a five.

Patricia wrote: "Happy June readers! I haven't much time to read in May because I've been busy and it's almost our Graduation that day. So, I've just only read 2 books that time but our Graduation day is finally ov..."

Congratulations on your graduation, Patricia! Enjoy this summer before high school requirements/reading begin. Have fun with your books!

Petra wrote: "Painting Party: Acrylic Painting for Beginners, one doesn't need to know how to draw. She encourages a free, loose style and her designs are easy to follow...."

This reminds me of the joy my Mother-in-Law had when the senior citizens at her home painted wooden birdhouses. They were free style and they relished the time spent together. The staff hung them around the premises, which was also a plus, encouraging them to walk around the grounds.

John wrote: "Only a couple for me ...


Kindergarten at 60: A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand by Dian Seidel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

John, thanks for your honest reviews of both books. When i see House Hunters: International episodes, i often wonder how the teaching positions the clients end. It must be quite a challenge. Your review gave a bit of insight on that.

Outlandish appeals to me more, particularly since i am a cold weather traveler. Still, i think the Hungarian sections sounds most appealing to me.

Thank you for sharing your opinions.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. This is the second book I've read by this author, and I am in love with his writing. He tells beautiful and tragic stories that us..."

Thanks for sharing about the books you've been reading, Kiki. You are right at the stage in the Mantel that would most appeal to me, Anne of Cleves fascinates me. Hers was a good story, imo.

My star ratings are the Goodreads ratings: 1 star - I didn't like it; 2 stars - it was OK etc.


Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson - Four stars

A comedy-crime set in Australia. The narrative is peppered with references to different novels, the conventions of detective fiction and Ronald Knox's 10 commandments of crime novels. The plot was engaging and amusing until the amateur detective revealed whodunnit. The crime was too convoluted in my opinion and I was not convinced that he could have worked it all out from the clues he had.

The Stranger Times - C.K. McDonnell - Four stars

A comedy-paranormal about a weekly newspaper reporting paranormal experiences. Some of the reporters believe in the paranormal, others don’t, but they all find out the hard way that some of what they report is true. The strongest parts of this book were the characters and the banter between them. The plot was OK but a bit predictable, because this played for laughs (although there were some dark aspects) and the emphasis is on the characters and the banter between them..

Grave Expectations - Alice Bell- Three Stars (2.5 really)

Another comedy-paranormal: Claire is a medium, who really can talk to ghosts. She goes to an old mansion to hold a seance, but comes across a murder victim and has to solve the murder. This should be easy because all Claire has to do is ask the victim, but it isn’t that straight- forward. The plot got really bogged down in the middle section, while Ms Bell explained a few things, e.g. how ghosts work in her world. While this was going on, the four characters investigating the crime bumbled around ineffectively. However, there was just enough humour in it to keep me reading. The problems with it were pretty typical for debut novels, based on the ones I’ve read, so I’ll be looking out for the next in the series.

How to Say Babylon - Safiya Sinclair - 2 stars

Warning: This is Ms Sinclair’s memoir of being brought up by an abusive father and there are graphic accounts of the abuse she suffered.

This was a difficult book to read. I gave it two stars because I don’t think it achieved what Ms Sinclair wanted. I did not understand some of her choices, although she appeared to want the reader to understand. I wonder if she had healed enough to write it. I hope writing it was cathartic for her.

The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul - Three stars

I’ve seen some episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race and was curious about his past. This book was about his childhood determination to be famous and how he achieved it. I enjoyed it, although it was fairly superficial.

madrano wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. This is the second book I've read by this author, and I am in love with his writin..."

Anne hasn't entered yet, but it can't be too long. Jane is now expecting a child, and we all know how that will go after his birth.

What I found a little tiresome was Mantel's extended writing about Henry's troubles with the Scots and the French. I don't expect her to leave it out since it is part of English history, but Mantel did tend to go off on tangents in this section, even though she writes beautifully. I will be very glad with Anne enters the picture.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote:Thank you for your reviews, Alias. I enjoyed reading all of them. (Your reviews, I haven't read the books.
."

Thanks, Kiki !

Alias Reader wrote: "Patricia wrote:

" I'm going to go to Senior high school soon.."

"

Thank you so much for your support guys! I really appreciate it and time flies so fast. Though I'm gonna miss my classmates and teachers. I'm so excited about my journey ahead and I hope I'm gonna read a lot of this book this June:)

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: " This is the second book I've read by this author, and I am in love with his writing. He tells beautiful and tragic stories that us..."

Except for one book that didn't meet expectations you had a really good reading month, Kiki.

madrano wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Happy June readers! I haven't much time to read in May because I've been busy and it's almost our Graduation that day. So, I've just only read 2 books that time but our Graduation ..."

Thank You! I really gonna enjoy my summer goals for my reading and I hope it's going to be a nice month for me. I already have plans for my books to read this month so I hope it is in my plans:>

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: This is the second book I've read by this author, and I am in love..."

Kiki, for some reason GoodReads won't let me edit my post. So I am just writing a new one.

I wanted to add that since I am a person who has BBP (Big Book Phobia) I am continually amazed at the tomes you tackle. Well done !

Petra wrote:

"Alias, with Painting Party: Acrylic Painting for Beginners, one doesn't need to know how to draw. She encourages a free, loose style and her designs are easy to follow.
."

Good to know. However, I would like to sketch/draw. My current read, The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan draws the birds she writes about in her journal. She is a beginner and quite good to my eye. She mentions John Muir Laws two books.

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journalingby John Muir Laws
And
The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds by John Muir Laws
(Amazon had this on sale the other day for $5. for the Kindle edition. I see it's now $18. So it might be one that they put on sale every once in awhile. I'm guessing since Tan mentions it, Amazon saw a sudden uptick in interest. )

John wrote: "Only a couple for me ...

Kindergarten at 60: A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand by Dian Seidel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good review, John. I think I will check this one out further. Thanks for the title !

KeenReader wrote: "My star ratings are the Goodreads ratings: 1 star - I didn't like it; 2 stars - it was OK etc.


Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson - F..."

I've seen, Everyone in my family has killed someone on many lists. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for sharing your reads.

Petra wrote: "John, nice reviews!

I'm particularly interested in Outlandish. Unfortunately, my library doens't have a copy but I'll keep my eyes open for one."

I bought a Kindle copy. Perhaps you could suggest it for purchase at your library?

I read several in May, but most of them were barely good enough to finish.


The Girls We Sent Away
by
Meagan Church
3 Stars

This is sad, since it was based on actual history, but I was disappointed in this one. I guess reading that it had "dark secrets", I was expecting something a lot more "dark".
~~~~~~~~~~~

No Place for the Weak: A True Story of Deviance, Torture and Social Cleansing
by
Ryan Green
3 Stars

This was the first time I have read an Austrailian true crime book. For me, the description of the book was a lot worse than the actual accounts of the story. I was expecting it to be more gruesome than it was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
by
Elle Cosimano
3 Stars

This one started out with great promise, but let me down about half way into it. The humor in the first part of the book was absolutely hilarious. But the rest of the book felt like a bad attempt at the humor in the Stephanie Plum series. I really doubt I'll pick up the next one in this series.
~~~~~~~~~~

Hell House
by
Richard Matheson
3 Stars

For someone like Stephen King to say this is the scariest haunted house novel ever written (granted it was back in the 70's), I was really disappointed in this one. I kept waiting for something crazy scary to happen. I'm not sure if I'm immune to horror books or what, since I watch a lot of horror movies, but I have yet to find a book that actually scares me.
~~~~~~~~~~~

I Am Ozzy
by
Ozzy Osbourne
5 Stars

I had been wanting to read this one and finally picked it up after seeing a couple of episodes of Ozzy & Jack's World Detour. I absolutely loved it! I looked into the audiobook with hopes that Ozzy was the one narrating it, but he wasn't. It's probably a good thing, though, because I probably would have wet myself more than a few times hearing him actually tell the stories instead of reading them in my head. The book is written exactly how Ozzy talks and he holds nothing back. The man really does have 9 lives like a cat. It's a miracle he is still alive.

Alias Reader wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: This is the second book I've read by this author, and I am in love..."

Kiki, for some reason GoodReads won't let me edit my post. So I am just writin..."

Oh, thank you, Alias. I like books with more than 500 pages.

I did have a really good reading month in May.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I read several in May, but most of them were barely good enough to finish.
..."

Sorry to hear this wasn't a great reading month for you, Kim. I'm glad to see you did have one 5 star with Ozzie.

Awhile back I almost put a library hold on Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. However, after reading the 1 star reviews I took a pass.

I hope June is a better month for you, Kim.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I read several in May, but most of them were barely good enough to finish.


The Girls We Sent Away
by
Meagan Church
..."

Sorry to hear you had a mostly mediocre reading month, Kim. If you're looking for some great horror, I highly recommend The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates and Werewolf Skin by R.L Stine.

John wrote: "Petra wrote: "John, nice reviews!

I'm particularly interested in Outlandish. Unfortunately, my library doens't have a copy but I'll keep my eyes open for one."

I bought a Kindle copy. Perhaps you could suggest it for purchase at your library?
..."

John, I put in a request already to purchase the book, so there is a chance that the library will have it one day soon.

KeenReader wrote: "My star ratings are the Goodreads ratings: 1 star - I didn't like it; 2 stars - it was OK etc. ..."

Neat mix of reading, KeenReader. I haven't enjoyed the mystery/paranormal novels i've read but hadn't tried any with a comic touch. It seems i should give that a whirl. Thanks for that idea.

And thanks for sharing your May titles with us. We like seeing the direction others here are taking in their reading, as they often give us ideas.

deb

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "What I found a little tiresome was Mantel's extended writing about Henry's troubles with the Scots and the French...."

Thanks for the reply, Kiki. It must be a bit of a quandry for historical novel writers to determine how much history is needed to tell their story. Perhaps in this case Mantel just got carried away...or her research was eye-opening to her, that she felt compelled to share it. Again, it's probably one of their challenges.

I hope once Anne enters, the book improves for you.

Alias Reader wrote: "Good to know. However, I would like to sketch/draw. My current read, The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan draws the birds she writes about in her journal. She is a beginner and quite good to my eye. She mentions John Muir Laws two books. ..."

Thanks to you (and Tan) for sharing the name John Muir Laws. I'm unfamiliar with his name/work but from what i see, his bird book looks very good.

My dear friend, whose daughter's wedding we attended in late May, is an artist (& writer, etc.). Over the last year her work has dramatically improved and she credits two thing, the most important, Alias, You & I should be doing, but probably are not--PRACTICE. Her apartment is strung with her work, a sort of chronicle of said practice. Each time i see a new development, i am impressed. Then, she surprises me again.

The other thing which she credits is believing in yourself. She said she had no idea that she would ever try many of the forms she's tried. Indeed, her latest development was because her ex-husband asked her to create a mixed-media depiction of a scene he couldn't get out of his head. It took her months because she'd never mixed tools previously. I've never seen her more alive as she talked about it, then showed her awesome creation.

Clearly, i just need to stop saying "i want to..." and do it! It's her belief that anyone can develop the drawing technique. Maybe so.

ANYway, just wanted to share.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I read several in May, but most of them were barely good enough to finish....This was the first time I have read an Austrailian true crime book. For me, the description of the book was a lot worse than the actual accounts of the story. I was expecting it to be more gruesome than it was
..."

Kim, your comment is so interesting, given many of the GR reviews seem to still be haunted by it. I suppose it has to do with what one knows or has been exposed to in books. No Place for the Weak: A True Story of Deviance, Torture and Social Cleansing--Ryan Green This sounds frightening but also a way to get into the work in uncovering the killings.

Thanks for sharing your titles & comments about them. I hope June is even better.

madrano wrote: "Over the last year her work has dramatically improved and she credits two thing, the most important, Alias, You & I should be doing, but probably are not--PRACTICE. .."

I first need to start ! lol. I buy the How To books and there it ends.

I agree with your friend. As with most things in life, I think anyone can develop basic drawing skills with practice.

Since returning from our brief vacation, i've been very slow in writing down what i've read. Part of this is because several were dense with material and, for me, tough to put into words. It may be the GR link is all i'll share when i add these to my Challenge list. ANYway, i wrote up the first two on this page--https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... I will put the message number in front of each title.

MSG 130--Fi: A Memoir of My Son--Alexandra Fuller. One cannot imagine losing a child but the unexpected nature of this death seems to have compounded the loss, as well as the exploration of her entire life.

MSG 133--What Stars are Made of: The Life of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin--Donovan Moore. This is the first biography of the ground breaking discovery of Payne-Gaposchkin's work. There was plenty of superfluous prose but he was good at sharing the science.

The Body on the Beach--Simon Brett. Two older women, one new to the seaside town, investigate a murder. I have mixed feelings for the mysteries of Brett. This one disappointed me, as i felt the women just weren't as interesting as i expected. I suspect, as the series develops, we will learn more about them, particularly the one who was vague about her past. Still, i wasn't hooked enough to follow up.

The Ministry of TimeKaliane Bradley is a curious novel. While ostensibly a time-travel book, it kinda isn't. Six people, near death, have been whisked into the present century (close enough to our era, it seems, but not), so, in essence, they are the time travelers. Coming from a span of over 200 years, the main character has been attached to one, an arctic explorer, to document how he adjusts to the changes, and other points. Like many novels, i felt this could have been edited better, fewer pages, without losing the interesting premise. I liked it overall.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers--Jesse Q. Sutanto was fairly lightweight but with a good murder. The deceased was a jerk, so no one seems sad he's died. Vera, who owns a dying tea shop, inserts herself into the mystery, meeting and investigating with her suspects. I want to say it's also a love story (or two) but it seems more a learning to love life story.

A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery--Lawrence Ingrassia. I'm linking to Barbara's review of this book. There was so much involved that this book blocked my own writing/review. Barbara has a deft hand at zeroing in on such books. Thank you to Barbara for this! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lost in Shangri-la: Escape from a Hidden World, A True Story--Mitchell Zuckoff. This is set in New Guinea, near the end of WWII. It was a story well-told, about a small incident in a Big War. He inserted plenty of material about more than the soldiers involved, including military gliders, the people of the small area where the "lost" took place and even a good history of Philippine Americans who wanted to join the war. While i liked this book, upon conclusion i found he wrote another book i think i would have liked more, Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II, set in Greenland. Next year.

Greek Lessons--Han Kang. This is a short novel but i had a problem getting into it. Once i did, things were fine. A Korean-born teacher is teaching a class about Ancient Greek to a class, which includes a woman who is presently unable to speak. As the teacher is going blind, we see the disadvantages for both as their relationship develops. Still, i'm not sure i liked it. This is my second Kang novel, The Vegetarian being the first. I liked it better.

WELL--lookit there! I actually manged to write more than a link for each. Ta Da!

madrano wrote: "Since returning from our brief vacation, i've been very slow in writing down what i've read. Part of this is because several were dense with material and, for me, tough to put into words. It may be..."

You certainly had a really nice reading month deb ! I've enjoyed reading your reviews here as well as when you mentioned them during the month. Well done !!