Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Halfway through the year! Use this thread to discuss books you've read or plan on reading in July!

A Cup of Friendship – Deborah Rodriguez – 3***
Also issued as “ The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul”. Sunny is a 38-year-old American who has found a “home” in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan, running The Coffee Shop. Sunny is often willfully blind to local customs, beliefs, traditions. Yes, the traditional treatment of women is appalling, but running headlong into the fray seemed not only naïve but extremely dangerous. That her business thrives is mostly due to the ex-pat community that she serves. I did really like the two Afghan women – Halajan and Yazmina – who work in the shop.
LINK to my full review

My aim for July is to focus on one challenge from each of my three groups.

PS: I want to read 12 books.
ATY: I am aiming to read 6
PAS: I hope to read 10.

If I achieve those goals, I will have left to read for each of those challenges:
PS: 16
ATY: 16
PAS: 14 carryover to August

On the Wrong Track – Steve Hockensmith – 3***
Book two in the “Holmes on the Range” series of mysteries set in the American Wild West, circa 1893. I really like this series. One of the best things about the series is Hockensmith’s way with words. In addition to the brothers, Hockensmith populates the books with an array of interesting and colorful side characters.
LINK to my full review

I'm currently reading With a Vengeance and Sunrise on the Reaping. Enjoying both and being amused that despite being on waiting lists for books published months apart that my holds came in one day apart.

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The Legend of the Bluebonnet – Tomie DePaola – 5*****
This is a lovely children’s story book that relates some of the Native American legends about the wildflower that is the Texas state flower – the Bluebonnet. It’s a wonderful lesson about family, community, sacrifice and selflessness. Beautiful illustrations, too.
LINK to my full review

Under the Big Top – Bruce Feiler – 3***
Subtitle: A Season With the Circus. Feiler is a writer who got a rare opportunity to spend a season with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus, as a clown. He detailed his experiences and the life of circus workers in this book. I found this quite interesting. Feiler didn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of life on the road, nor did he pull any punches when describing the personalities and activities of some of the workers. I was disappointed, however, that there were no photos.
LINK to my full review

Bury Your Dead – Louise Penny – 3***
Book # 6 in the Inspector Armand Gamache series of mysteries. This episode actually involves multiple mysteries, both current time frame and in the past. What I like about the series is the way Penny builds her characters, and their relationships to one another, over the course of the series. We get to know Gamache, his strengths and weaknesses, his joys and disappointments, over the various books, each episode giving the reader more insight into the man’s complex character.
LINK to my full review

I recently found an online activity called the PBS Books Readers Club Interactive Adventure with the Goosechase App. It’s a 3 week event with activities centered around PBS, the PBS TV show The Great American Recipe, libraries, cooking, and their book of the month selection Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I had not planned on reading this book but am really enjoying it and the interactive adventure. I see that many of my friends have either read it, are currently reading it or plan to read it! I can see why it’s so popular.

I’m also reading Shōgun V.1 for a long classics read in another GR group.

That's so fun, Pam!

Christmas With Anne and Other Holiday Stories – L M Montgomery– 3***
This is a collection of short stories set around the Christmas holidays. It begins with our lovely Anne Shirley and an early Christmas with Marila and Matthew, and the “puffy sleeves” fashion trend. Most of the other stories do not involve Anne, but they are all heart-warming and charming. And isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
LINK to my full review

So I'm stuck on Moby-Dick or, The Whale island. It seemed like such a good idea-- I was ahead, let's finally tackle this! UGH!! I've taken a break to read Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong since two libraries sent it to me at the same time, it was fate. Also trying to get through The Secret Life of a Cemetery: The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Père-Lachaise before next week's Paris trip.

The Sound and the Furry – Spencer Quinn – 3***
Book number six in the Chet & Bernie mystery series takes our intrepid duo East to the Louisiana bayous to search for a missing man. I just love this series. Chet (the dog who failed obedience training) narrates the adventures that he and his human, Bernie, have when they take on various cases as part of their business, the Little Detective Agency. Quinn gives us a fast-paced book, with sprinkles of humor to lessen the tension.
LINK to my full review

I'm reading 2 books, both long ones - Shōgun: Volume 1 and Same Bed Different Dreams. I think I have places to slot both of them but not sure where I will put Shōgun: Part Two, which I already know I will want to read! I've been focusing on reading IRL book club reads and GR group reads and they don't always fit neatly into my ATY challenge.

A Year In the World – Frances Mayes – 3.5*** (rounded up)
Subtitle: Journeys of a Passionate Traveler. Mayes recounts her many adventures traveling from her home base in Tuscany as she and her husband roam through the British Isles, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, France and other areas of Italy. Her passion for travel certainly comes through loud and clear! I particularly enjoyed the way she wrote about food. I could practically smell and taste the dishes, and I was constant hungry for “more.”
LINK to my full review

The Secret Life of a Cemetery: The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Père-Lachaise by Benoit Gallot

4*

It's a nice book. I read it on kindle and wish I did the physical book cause there are lots of photos which would be nice on colour. It's a quick read on the history of the cemetery by its curator. He spends a lot of time on nature, which I skimmed as I'm more interested in the history.

I would have read it eventually anyways as I love cemeteries-- but I would have gotten it for Christmas and read it then. Again--- pretty book with good illustrations, perfect Christmas gift. But I'm headed to Paris tomorrow and since it is the only time I plan to go back in my life, I'm breaking from our all fashion trip to do an afternoon at the cemetery. It's one of the great ones, I have to go! (although the book is also making me want to go to Montmartre Cemetery too. They have lots of cats there!)

Have a great time! I loved Pere-LaChaise. Montparnasse also has an interesting cemetery. Then there are the catacombs....

LeahS wrote: "Have a great time! I loved Pere-LaChaise. Montparnasse also has an interesting cemetery. Then there are the catacombs...."

And per this book, there's more cats in Montparnasse! But we're there to do fashion things, so I think sneaking away to see Pere-LaChaise is the most I can do. We are walking around Montparnasse to see some ateliers and shops (so excited for Dam Boutons!) so I kinda hope we get close enough to the cemetery I can act innocent and go "hey, this is cool, let's go in!" I've not travelled with this friend in 20 years, she's an innocent of my tricks!