February! What are you reading?

[Rowan]

Finished The Returned by Jason Mott. I liked it but I found the writing/storyline confusing at times.

[Blush]

I basically just skimmed Nick Offerman's Paddle Your Own Canoe. I liked the sections where he expands on his opinions but the background of his artistic career path left me cold.

Now I have Nora Ephron's I Remember Nothing. I really enjoyed I Feel Bad About My Neck, and it's only 125 pages.

I have three novels after that.

[Sílvia]

Finished Defending Jacob. It was good, though as usual, I don't understand the hype. I liked the 2 twists at the end, they didn't make me roll my eyes.

Now on to 3 Brazilians and 1 Mario Vargas Llosa for a change of scenery.

[Anna]

Just finished Inferno by Dan Brown. It was a great suspense thriller. I like Dan Brown books.


I have a true crime I'm trying to finish but it is so damn boring.

[Beverly]

I'm nearing the end of Life after Life -- LOVE this book!

Don't know what's up next ... I really, really, really need to work on my thesis so I should probably take a break from pleasure reading.

[Anna]

Read two books

To Whom It May Concern story of a woman in and out of foster care. It was a good read although depressing.


Whisper My Secret story of a woman in the 30s who gets pregabant and married too young then has her kids taken away by her nasty ex MIL. I really enjoyed this even though the subject is depressing.

[Blush]

I finished the Nora Ephron memoir. I enjoyed it and the last bit was especially poignant knowing that she died shortly after.

Now I have "Someone else's love story" by Joshilyn Jackson.

[Rowan]

Finished Everything's Eventual a compilation of short stories by Stephen King. I just recently starting reading him again. Brings me back to my youth....

Next up is Sharp a Objects by Gillian Flynn.

[mellenhead]

Finally feel like I'm out of my reading slump. I started My Life as a White Trash Zombie last night. It's ridiculous and funny so far. I have Red Rising to start after that.

I have to say I'm DYING for my hold on The Martian by Andy Weir to come in at the library. I've read great reviews on this book for months now.

[mellenhead]

I finished My Life as a White Trash Zombie. I liked it - it was silly but fun. I need to see if it's a series or a stand alone.

I'm about 3/4 of the way into Red Rising and really enjoying it. I've been getting a little burnt out on the dystopian set books since so many sucked but this one is decent.

[Blush]

I finished Someone Else's Love Story and it started out strong but I couldn't get invested in what happened.

Now I have Kicking the Sky by Anthony de Sale.

On a steamy summer day in 1977, Emanuel Jaques was shining shoes in downtown Toronto. Surrounded by the strip clubs, bars and body rub parlors of Yonge Street, Emanuel was lured away from his friends by a man who promised some easy money. Four days later the boy's body was discovered. He had been brutally raped and murdered, and Toronto the Good would never be the same. The murder of the Shoeshine Boy had particularly tragic resonance for the city's Portuguese community. The loss of one of their own symbolized for many how far they were from realizing their immigrant dreams.
     Kicking the Sky is told from the perspective of one of these children, Antonio Rebelo, a character first introduced in Barnacle Love. Twelve-year-old Antonio prizes his life of freedom and adventure. He and his best friends, Manny and Ricky, spend their days on their bikes exploring the labyrinth of laneways that link their Portuguese neighborhood to the rest of the city. But as the details of Emanuel's death expose Toronto's seedier underbelly, the boys are pulled into an adult world of danger and cruelty, secrets and lies much closer to home.
     Kicking the Sky is a novel driven by dramatic events, taking hold of readers from its opening pages, intensifying its force towards an ending of huge emotional impact.

[Beverly]

I'm deep into research at the moment, but I'm mighty tempted to sneak in a novel. I have Gone Girl and Serena in a pile near my desk, and they're both more appealing than The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere.

[mellenhead]

Finished Red Rising. Really enjoyed it - the ending clearly set up for another book but didn't leave everything hanging.

I'm heading to the library to pick up The Martian tonight.

[Rowan]

I guess I haven't checked in for a bit. I did like Sharp Objects...may be my favorite from Gillian Flynn.

In the past week or so, I've read:

Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster **stars
The Last Days of California by Mary Miller ***stars
Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke ****stars
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton ****stars

Not sure what's next on the pile.

[Anna]

I read Inferno by Dan Brown...I think that was in Feb. Need something now

[Bugsy]

I recently started "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes and am really enjoying it so far (only a few chapters in, but it sucked me in from the beginning). It's for book club next month and is only a 2-week loan, so I'll have to read quickly.

[Spudd]

It's a quick read, Bugsy, you shouldn't have a problem. I really enjoyed it.

[Sílvia]

I'm reading that too, Bugsy! I agree, I was sucked right in!

I also read the 3 Brazilians. Loved 2, hated 1, but none of them have been translated into English.

[Blush]

I just finished Kicking the Sky. I am glad I read it, but parts were difficult to read. It was a bit disturbing.

[mellenhead]

I finished The Martian by Andy Weir. Its about an astronaut that gets left on Mars spduringna space mission because his crew thinks he is dead. It's a very science-y book but it's SO GOOD. One those good books you want to immediately read again. But I didn't cause it was due back at the library.

I'm starting either Strange Bodies or Hollow City next.