Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Reading Time - March

It's time for another link-up with Steph and Jana. Click on over to see what others are reading.

I saw a post on a book club page that suggested seeing what books you've read that were published the same year you were born. I was curious ...

1971 was a good year (click to see why). Those who know me will understand how excited I was to see The Lorax was published the year I was born. Why? Because I am the Lorax! Proudly and unapologetically so.

OK ... since last month's reading post, I've been busy with home projects and spending time with my kids, but also have to make time to read. I fell off the reading wagon one too many times and don't want it to happen again anytime soon.

Homegoing
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi - I don't give many 5 stars. This was definitely 5 stars. A tale that starts with the lives of two sisters from Ghana, whose lives take very different paths - one as a slave, the other the wife of a slaver. Each chapter is then from the viewpoint of the next generation through the current era. Excellent read.

The Wife Between Us: A Novel
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanan - Truly don't know why I read this. Full of triggers and I was totally cheering for Vanessa to crush Nellie. Midway through, I don't know what I was reading and it took a chapter or two to realize the flip the authors did. 3.5 stars

I Am, I Am, I Am
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell - I think I misread the description and didn't realize it was about one person's close calls with death (17 of them, though not all were close calls ... more like what could have happened). After the first 3 or 4 chapters when I realized it was all things happening to the same person, I was wondering how accident-prone she really is and how can she still be alive? Also, I don't know Maggie O'Farrell, as in I haven't read any of her books so her memoir wasn't thrilling to read. But it was an interesting book. 3 stars.

The Great Alone
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - Oh, Alaska ... I will return. This book was freaking awesome, in that it reminded me so much of why I love it there. I know I wouldn't survive trying to homestead or live off the land, but so much of what she wrote about reminded me of places I visited, people I met, food I ate, etc. I guess back in the early 70s when the story started in AK, locals called the ferry the Tusty (I squealed when I read that) ... when I was taking that same ferry to Kodiak in the mid-90s, it was the Rusty Tusty. I guess time and weather is harsh up there, even on beloved ferry boats. I would say 4.5 stars on this one. I haven't read her other books but I have The Nightingale in my stack (see pic below).

Currently reading: I've Been Thinking, by Maria Shriver and Educated, by Tara Westover (both e-books from local library).

Meanwhile, my stack of books to read keeps growing.




Read any good books? Have you checked what popular books were published the year you were born?


19 comments:

  1. I've heard very good things about Homegoing, so that's great it was a five star read for you! My pile of books that I need to read is HUGE as well. haha

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. One of these days, that stack is going to topple over and bury me. Death by books.

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  2. Is The Great Alone historical fiction? I passed on her last book because I don't like HF but if this one isn't, I'd consider it.

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  3. girl, read the nightingale! ha. i loved it so much. i really liked the great alone, made me want to visit alaska for sure. i would not have survived at all, especially in that house with her father. heartbreaking. Homegoing is on my list! so is the wife between us.

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  4. I feel like I'm the only one who didn't read The Great Alone this month and I'm a bit sad about it haha It looks so good and I love Kristin Hannah! I'd recommend the Nightingale and Winter Garden by her :)

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  5. Homegoing was excellent!!

    Move The Nightengale to the top of your list! it's an excellent book!

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  6. It also took me a little while to fully comprehend the wife flip.

    Homegoing and The Great Alone were both truly excellent reads.

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  7. I just finished the Wife Between Us! I liked it but had to do a double take a few times to put it all together. The Great Alone looks really good! I’ll have to add that to my list!

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  8. I tried with Homegoing and gave up. I am hoping it was just a slow start or maybe I just wasn't in the mood for that type of book at the time.

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  9. I got confused by the twist in The Wife Between Us too and than I laughed because that had been my original guess before I started the book. :D Kristin Hannah's book is on my TBR and so is Homegoing. Homegoing is going to crush me so I keep putting off reading it.

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    1. I was totally confused by that twist! I thought I had missed a chapter or two or just hadn’t been paying attention. Wasn’t expecting it at all!

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  10. Homegoing is on my TBR. Even with all of the positive reviews, I still have no interest in The Wife Between Us. The Lorax! I loved that book, and that's such a cool tool. I'm going to have to see what was published in my birth year! That is quite the stack! Good luck!

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  11. The Handmaid's Tale was published the year I was born. I tried it for a challenge once but couldn't get into it.

    I'm not a huge Kristin Hannah fan so I likely won't try The Great Alone, but I can appreciate what it's about!

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  12. The Wife Between Us sounds interesting though I'm glad to know about the triggers. I'd never checked to see what came out the year I was born! This is a great idea! LOL The Bourne Idenity was number one. The Name of the Rose! Never read the book but loved the movie (possibly because I love Christian Slater) oh and Congo!

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  13. I'm very interested in The Great Alone. I've read two of her other books, Winter Garden and The Nightingale. I enjoyed both tremendously and both were very eye opening as well. I didn't know anything about the French resistance in WWII or the role women played. I hope you enjoy The Nightingale.

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  14. you HAVE to read the nightingale; it's one of my fav books!

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  15. I also enjoyed Homegoing. I did the audio version and kept the book handy to refer to the family chart. I looked up my birthday 1965 and Fox in Socks and The Mouse in the Motorcycle were both published that year. Happy Reading!! Pam :)

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    1. I would have been completely lost without the family chart at the beginning!

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  16. I want to read Homegoing and The Great Alone! We went to Alaska for work and it was an adventure. The work aspect was not very fun. The visiting was pretty breathtaking though! :) XO - Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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