November! What are you reading?

[Rowan]

I'm loving Above by Isla Morley. I should finish this week.

[mellenhead]

I finished Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty - I thought it was good and very interesting. Gave me more to think about regarding my preference for a "green" burial.

I skim read Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer - Didn't like it. Felt predictable and trying too hard to be "YA".

I just finished The Troop by Nick Cutter. It actually gave me nightmares last night. It's about 5 boy scouts that get stranded on an island after a stranger with a bioengineered virus shows up.

[Bugsy]

Mellenhead, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes sounds interesting; I added it to my list.

I finished "Zen and the Art of Running" by Larry Shapiro. It was so-so but did give me a couple of new tools to get/stay mentally relaxed and motivated with running. It'll be useful in my race this weekend.

And I started "Three Wishes" by Liane Moriarty. So far so good; it's an easy read.

[Sílvia]

Blush, I couldn't get past page 150 on The Little Friend. I found it unbearably boring.

I finished The Seven Sisters. It was crap. The writing was juvenile and the plot was predictable. What didn't suck was her research on Brazil. Apart from some stereotypes, the book seemed well-planned in that aspect. At least she didn't make me roll my eyes when she talked about Brazil like some other foreign authors have done.

Then I started What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman. It was worse OMG, it was so bad. I read the first 100 pages then skipped to the last 10 to know how it ended.

Then I read Why be Happy when you could be normal? by Jeanette Winterson. It was well-written and funny at times, but overall I got a little bored. Sigh.

Then last night I started The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. I already liked 2 of her other novels, plus this is on the "best books of 2014" list on goodreads, plus Blush liked it, so I'm hopeful. I just want a good, decently-written story, it doesn't even haveto be memorable. Is that too much to ask?

[Rowan]

I loved Eleanor and Park!!!! Not to build your expectations. I love that author. She's one of my faves...

[mellenhead]

I just got a notice that The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel is on the hold shelf for me. I would read Ikea instructions if Mantel wrote them.

I liked Eleanor and Park too, Blush!

[Rowan]

I read One Kick by Chelsea Cain in one day yesterday. It was an easy read but I really loved it. I've read her serial killer series and always liked it but this was really good.

I have a new one from Chevy Stevens in my bag that I'll start today.

[Bugsy]

Just finished "Three Wishes," by Liane Moriarty. I liked it more than "The Husband's Secret"--much more realistic ending. It was a quick and easy read.

There are a couple books that I'm #1 on the hold list for, so those will be next.

[Bugsy]

I just started "Wool" by Hugh Howey. It's intriguing so far!

[Sílvia]

Finished The One Plus One. It's no Me Before You, but I really enjoyed it. It was much more predictable than the other books I read by her, though.

Now I don't know. I'm leaning towards In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming. I'd never heard of this author, anyone read her? Her latest was recommended to me by the interwebs, but since it's the latest in a series, I decided to check out the first one. And it seems like the whole universe is telling me to read Eleanor and Park, which makes me think I probably won't like it much because my expectations are too high. Sigh.

[mellenhead]

I didn't really like the Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel. I usually LOVE her writing but these short stories were weird and not in a good way.

I just started Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet last night. Good so far!

[Spudd]

I'm still working on the Post-Birthday World, but I have to say I'm really enjoying it. So good!

[Rowan]

Spudd, I liked the Post-Birthday World a lot but I found myself skimming the chapters on snooker though.

I'm halfway through The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. I like it well enough and will finish but it's annoying me a bit.

[mellenhead]

Finished Mermaids in Paradise. It was good. The story got a little bizarre by the end.

I'm almost done with The Walled City. It's YA - fast paced. Enjoying it so far.

[Rowan]

Finished Last Anniversary. Not my favorite Liane Moriarty but was fine. 3 stars.

I have something in my bag to start tonight but I can't for the life of me remember what it is. Our library is closed for reno through next week. Luckily I have back up book fair books.

[mellenhead]

Finished The Walled City. Really enjoyed it.

I think I'm going to start The Heart Does not Grow Back tonight. I need to hit the library too for a new audio book. How did it take me until now to try these?!

[Sílvia]

I read In the Bleak Midwinter, which was satisfying enough. I might read the next one in the series.

Then I read Eleanor & Park. I really enjoyed it. It was much better than I expected. I expected some pretentious dialog like in The Fault in Our Stars, but was pleasantly surprised not to find it. Eleanor and Park sounded real. I loved all the music talk. It helps that I was also 16 in 1986! I thought I'd feel too old and cynical reading this, but I didn't. I could relate to some of Park's mom's concerns, but I guess that's not surprising

Not sure what's next. Leaning towards The Paying Guests (is that it?) by Sarah Waters.

[Bugsy]

I finished "Wool" by Hugh Howey--or, more specifically, the "Omnibus" version, which is actually 5 individual books published together. I liked it! It kept me intrigued most of the time and was a different take on a dystopian future.

Then I downloaded "One Plus One" by Jojo Moyes but haven't started it just yet. That'll probably happen tonight.

[Rowan]

Finished Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Quick read. It was fine but again not my favorite.

[Spudd]

I finished "The Post-Birthday World". It started off really good, but it kind of trailed off towards the end and I wasn't too thrilled with the ending. I gave it 4 stars nonetheless, because I was really digging it most of the time.

Then I had a quick read of a freebie kindle book called "The Minimalist Budget". Didn't really learn anything new, but that's OK.

Now I just started "The Luminaries" by Eleanor someone... It's a 2013 book but she writes as though she were Jane Austen. It's a little odd. Anyway, I'm only a few pages in so it's too early to give any real impressions yet.