June! What are you reading?

[Rowan]

I finished Long Gone last night. It was fine...didn't hate it but probably wouldn't recommend it either.

I have The Shining Girls in my bag to start today.

[Spudd]

I'm reading "The King's Last Song" which is a historical fiction about Cambodia, incorporating one story from the 1100's and one from the 1990's. It's pretty good. Reading it to get some "flavour" since we'll be stopping in Cambodia on our vacation this winter.

[Bugsy]

I'm already about halfway through "Hood" by Emma Donoghue. It's really quite good, though sad. It's about a (mostly)-closeted lesbian couple, of which one of the women has just died from a car accident as the book begins. The other woman is left trying to cope with feeling as if she's a widow but only being able to acknowledge the depths of their relationship with a few people.

And I was just able to renew "The Lonely Polygamist" on CD. The characters are becoming a bit more endearing to me, so that's a nice thing.

[Sílvia]

I finished The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes. It was terrible. Really, really weak plot. The so-called mystery was laughable. I only finished it because it was a very easy read and it made me laugh occasionally. But I really think the author should have made up her mind about writing a mystery OR a book about the protagonist's depression. Not both. It just drags and drags. Ugh. Note to self: if you don't like the first 50 pages of a book, there's a 99% chance you won't like the rest of it! Accept that. And you know what's funny? I finished the book at a café yesterday and immediately lost it. I didn't have it when I got home. Which would be perfectly fine if I hadn't lost a bookmark with Leo's picture in it along with the book. I have others, but I'd still like that one back. So today I'm gonna retrace my steps and see if I can find it. And I'm really glad I'd finished it. Can you imagine losing a 582-page book you don't even like when you're 10 pages from the end? That would have been infuriating.

Then I started Paper Towns by John Green. I've already read The Fault in Our Stars but I'm curious enough to read one more of his books. I wanna know what the big deal is with this guy.

[Bugsy]

Silvia, I hope you find the bookmark! And please let us know what you think of Paper Towns. I'd be willing to give that a go as well after reading The Fault in Our Stars.

On the bus this morning I finished "Hood." It was quite good, but I sort of felt like it lost steam as it progressed. The ending was simultaneously abrupt and satisfying, which is odd.

Not sure what I'll pick up next.

[mellenhead]

Sil did you like The Fault in Our Stars? Everyone seems to love it and I was just kinda ho hum about it. I don't think I've read any of his other books.

I finished Sleep Donation by Karen Russell. The book was good, interesting concept but the ending SUCKED. It was rushed and abrupt.

I have Bittersweet and Bellweather Rhapsody from the library but I'm not really feeling either of them. I need to look up some good summer reads I think.

[Bugsy]

I finished Sleep Donation by Karen Russell. The book was good, interesting concept but the ending SUCKED. It was rushed and abrupt.

Aw man, really? That is disappointing to hear. The concept has me totally intrigued.

[Sílvia]

Mellen, I liked Fault, but I didn't love it. First, I think a book about kids with cancer has a huge commercial appeal, and I can practically see The dollar signs in The author's eyes as He had The idea. Second, those kids were so pedantic, especially The boy. Which 16-year-old talks like that? But I did fins The plot compelling, and I totally wanted to know how it would end. I like Paper Towns better so far. The kids are smart, but not unbelievably so. Please excuse my phone. It thinks I'm typing in Portuguese.

Found my book and bookmark!

[Bugsy]

Ha! And with perfect timing, I just got notification that "Insurgent" is waiting for me. I'll hopefully start that over the weekend.

[Beverly]

I'm reading Serena by Ron Rash. It's pretty good so far, but you can tell that it's setting up for some bad (as in upsetting) stuff, and I'm not sure I'm in the mood for that. Ah, well ...

Blush, I ordered the new Joshua Ferris book the other day. I loved his first two, so I've been looking forward to this one. Now I'm just hoping I'm not disappointed!

[Rowan]

I gave up on Joshua Ferris about 100 pages in. I realized I was skimming g more than I was reading. I started Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston. Moving much faster than Ferris already.

[mellenhead]

I started and finished Bittersweet over the weekend. It was decent. Intersting story but the author just tried way to hard in places. Probably a good beach read.

I just started Astonish Me last night. It's decent so far.

[Beverly]

Finished reading Serena, and it was sort of meh ... I mean, it was all right, but it was very predictable after the first third or so, and kind of tiresome. Not sure what's up next.

[Sílvia]

I finished Paper Towns yesterday. It was ok. Again, as with Fault, I can see the appeal with teenagers. As for me, I suppose I'm too old to read John Green. I thought this one started out well, but the middle dragged and dragged, and the ending was anti-climactic and kind of silly. I still gave it 3 stars because I think the guy writes well and his characters are mostly interesting, but I don't care much for his plots.

Then I started Wild by Cheryl Strayed but only read the first page before I passed out. It was late. I'm thrilled to know both Bugsy and Annie have given it 5 stars!

[Bugsy]

Sil, that book was so so good. I absolutely loved it. Hope you do too!

Thanks for the review of Paper Towns also.

[Rowan]

Finished Remember Me Like This. I liked the beginning 100 pages of this and then it just fell off for me. Bummer.

I shipped all my library books back. I think I'm going to work on the book fair paperbacks that I buy for travel so that I don't have to move so much. I'm not traveling as much or as far anymore so I don't need such a stash. Not sure what's next...

[mellenhead]

I finished Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead. I wanted to like it more than I did. I did like it, I just found the latter half of the book somewhat unsatisfying.

I have Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch (loved his book The Dinner) waiting for me at the library so I'll probably start that next.

[Bugsy]

On my ride in this morning I finished "Insurgent." This series really isn't doing much for me, but I've reserved "Allegiant." I've read the first two, so might as well finish it up, right?

[Spudd]

I finally finished The Lonely Polygamist. Audiobooks take me a while to read because I only get to listen to them when I'm going for walks by myself, which is rare. Anyway, I enjoyed it well enough. It had some pretty funny parts.

I started "My Name is Mary Sutter" also on audiobook. So far I'm enjoying it, but I'm only like 40 minutes into it.

Paper book wise, I finished "The King's Last Song", and started "The Rice Mother" in my Asian themed reading. The King's Last Song was okay, but I wouldn't really recommend it. It was a little dull.

[Bugsy]

Spudd, I didn't know (or forgot) that you were listening to The Lonely Polygamist too. I'm just over halfway through it now. It took quite a while for it to grow on me, but I'm enjoying it now. It definitely has funny parts but also some really super sad parts. I hope I'll be able to renew it again at the end of next week, because I definitely won't be finished with it by then.