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12/2: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo (university library ebook, 2021) - Lovely coming of age story about a Chinese American girl realizing she's gay in 1950s America. 4.5/5 stars
12/8: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing Reading, and Life by George Saunders (library audiobook, 2021) - I enjoyed this book a lot. It was like being in a writing workshop with a very skilled teacher. 4.5/5 stars
12/8: The Comeback by Lily Chu (library, 2022) - The most relatable character in a romance novel ever. I laughed so hard at this book. 5/5 stars
12/12: The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch (library ebook, 2022) - Terrible book about two terrible people. 2/5 stars
12/16: The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (library audiobook, 2021) - Such a sad read. I couldn't stop listening, though. 4.5/5 stars
12/17: Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee (book from my neighbor's Little Free Library, 2019) - A book about friendship and times of transition. I thought it was pretty okay. 3.5/5 stars
12/18: A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo (library ebook, 2022) - Coming-of-age queer story about a girl discovering her real truth. Sadly, this was a boring, boring book with entire page-long screeds about astronomy and art. Do not read this! 2/5 stars
12/25: Doomsday Book (Oxford Time Travel #1) by Connie Willis (library, 1992) - I read this book in 2013 and was recommending it to someone at book club (a person who likes time travel books) and the next thing I knew we were reading it for book club. In the past I "loved, loved, loved this book" (direct quote from NGS 2013) and this time I thought it was super slow to start, but by the end I was all in. Still pretty good. 4/5 stars
12/27: Lost in the Moment and Found (Wayward Children #8) by Seanan McGuire (audiobook narrated by Jesse Vilinksy, 2023) - The eighth book in this very solid series. Very tough listen. If you want to sob while you're walking the dog, this book might be a good choice for you. 4.5/5 stars
Average star total: 3.83
Did not finish:
Home by Marilynne Robinson - Look, this was just so boring. Maybe in another stage of life, I'd be content Glory just rambling about the house taking care of her elderly father with nothing happening, but I need a bit more action to keep me from falling asleep these days. DNF at 37%
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter - It was the sentence "Roxane had dark brown skin, cheekbones for days, and the kind of eyelashes that suburban moms tried to emulate with extensions" (location 94) that made me roll my eyes like I was thirteen and close the book. DNF at 2%.
Cheekbones for days...? Blargh. I'd have never let my highschool creative writers get away with that.
ReplyDeleteRight? I don't need that writing. So lazy.
DeleteThis is where workshopping would have so useful!
DeleteI've got to read The Comeback after seeing you rave about it twice now. (or was that another book by the same author?)
ReplyDeleteFunny how rereading a book for 10 years ago and you had a different mindset about it. We DO change, right?
The Comeback and The Stand-In by Lily Chu are both great books that I have raved about repeatedly. I just think Chu works for me!
DeleteCheekbones for days? What does that even mean? I think that Lily Chu book sounds like I'd like it. I need to get better about keeping a list of books I want to read. I think I'm basically the oppostie of you when it comes to reading - totally disorganized. Did I just create a New Year's resolution? Perhaps.
ReplyDeleteOh, ha. Well, I feel like my reading life is a disaster because people recommend books and then I totally forgot who recommended it! But I am organized about the Pop Sugar challenge and my list of top fantasy books by women authors. That's the only organization that exists. I hear about other people having a TBR and I just...don't have that.
DeleteThe Comeback is my next read (because of you :)!!
ReplyDeleteYay! I loved it so much!
DeleteI loved this one, too! I think it’s free on Prime in audio format
DeleteI read The Comeback because of you and really enjoyed it!!! (4.5/5 for me)
ReplyDeleteDid chapter four make you scream with laughter? I feel like that might be the most perfect chapter I've ever read in a romance novel.
DeleteI am adding The People We Keep to my hold list - I think Stephany loved it, too!
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to read, but very compelling. I listened to the audiobook, too, so that was nice.
DeleteYou read some good books! I had a very slow month of reading in December- well, until the last few days of the month where I went through a couple of my "book flood" books. I'm looking forward to getting back to a more normal reading schedule.
ReplyDeleteDecember was a really good month and January is starting off strong, too! I'm excited for the new year in reading.
DeleteI think that I would read a lot more fiction books if I could listen to them. Maybe that's what I need to add in my 2024. Audiobooks.
ReplyDeleteAudiobooks are a secret weapon! You can listen while you cook, fold laundry, walk the dog, exercise! I always feel like I can still be reading while I'm doing life chores I'd maybe rather not be doing.
DeleteThe People We Keep— my loan ran out before I could read it, but I am going to try again
ReplyDeleteYes! I thought the audiobook was pretty good, too. If you can get it on audio, I'd try that.
DeleteI never heard of The People We Keep and am putting it on my list now. I actually put the Stand In on hold due to you a few months ago and it must have lapsed! I need to add it again!
ReplyDeleteI think my love of Lily Chu has become my main personality trait these days. Read both books! They're so good!
DeleteThe People We Keep!!! Ahhh, I just adored that book so much.
ReplyDeleteWhat made that book so good? Honestly, sometimes I think people who write riveting character driven novels are magicians.
DeleteNot read a single one. But had a similiar experience with a DNF after reading like two pages or so. Man....
ReplyDeleteHey, I'd rather DNF early than spend hours with a book just to get frustrated with it!
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