Talk Healthy

What are you reading?

I read Oh William by Elizabeth Strout. I got an unsolicited ARC of this so I felt obligated to read it. I don't get many things unsolicited - haha. It was fine. Very stream of consciousness similar to I am Lucy Barton.

Up next is Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty which has differing reviews. I generally like her stuff although HATED 5 Perfect Strangers - I did finish it but it was pretty much a hate read.

I've been somewhat curious about Elizabeth Strout in the past, but the words "stream of consciousness" make me wanna run in the opposite direction. She's probably not for me.

I finished The Death of Mrs. Westaway and was very unimpressed. It was my second and probably last Ruth Ware.

Now I'm 70% through a Brazilian by Vitor Martins. He writes gay rom-coms. I loved one of his earlier books, which has miraculously been translated into English, Here the Whole Time. It was sweet and funny . This new one, however, I'm finding a bit too sugary. It might be that I'm just bored with fiction in general. Am I broken??

Rowan wrote:I don't get many things unsolicited - haha.

You are most certainly not broken, Silvia! But maybe take a break from fiction and try some non-fiction for a while? Memoirs, biographies, social commentary...there's a whole huge world of non-fiction out there!

I've borrowed "A Man Called Ove," by Fredrick Backman, but haven't started it yet.

Eh... I read very little non-fiction (maybe 1 or 2 a year) and I'm not usually super excited to pick it up, but who knows? I might try one. I hope it's just a bad spell! I've read several 2 and 3-star books in a row!

Ok, I'm not broken! I thoroughly enjoyed the book I finished last night, Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. It was edge of your seat stuff, at least for me. But I wasn't a fan of the ending, as is the case for me with 95% of thrillers. Oh well. It was still a fun ride!

I finally bailed on finishing that non-fiction Black Swans book. It was SO BORING.

Now I'm reading "Good Luck with That" by Kristan Higgins. So far it's good.

Spudd, I discovered Kristan Higgins this year and I love her! I hope she's not too chick-lit-y for your taste, she's just perfect for mine. At least in her latest 5 or 6 books (previous ones are supposed to be fluffier). Good Luck With That was my first and one of the best, imo.

I started another thriller that was immediately gripping, The Last Flight by Julie Clark. Not terribly original premise, but I like the writing and the pace so far.

Finished "A Man Called Ove." It was decent. Heartwarming in many ways, if a bit trite in others. Anyone who knows a curmudgeonly man "of a certain age" would probably appreciate it.

I loved that one, Bugsy, and it's been passed around my whole family. Even my Dad read it!

I finished Friends Like These (detective story by Kimberly McGreight. It was fine.

Now I have Oona Out of Order and so far it's great.

Bugsy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:24 am Finished "A Man Called Ove." It was decent. Heartwarming in many ways, if a bit trite in others. Anyone who knows a curmudgeonly man "of a certain age" would probably appreciate it.

I haven't read the book but I saw the movie and it was a very nice movie.

Blush wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:03 am

Now I have Oona Out of Order and so far it's great.

Ooh, that sounds up my alley!

Blush - I loved Ooona! Did you finish yet?

I'm still working on Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney. It's good - I with i had more time with it.

I loved The Last Flight! It was totally addictive.

Then I started She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha. It's ok so far, but it was a bad sign last night when I picked it up and had no idea what was going on and had to go back several pages. We'll see. The beginning of the week is never a good time for me to start a book because I have very little time to read on those days and it's hard for me to connect to a story.

I finished Oona Out of Order. It was really good; the time travel wasn't too confusing.

Now I have We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker.

I liked Rock, Paper, Scissors. It was very twisty at the end...maybe too twisty but fine.

I also read Cackle by Rachel Harrison which was a cute, not scary, spooky story.

I'm reading Last Summer by Jennifer Weiner. I had gotten an egalley of it before it was published and never got around to it. I'm really liking it!

I'm trying to clear some of my netgalleys and improve my rating score so I can get more pre-published stuff. We'll see how I do with that. I have to read them on my phone so that is good and bad. I just recently got Jodi Picoult and Fiona Davis' new ones.

I finished "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," by Shirley Jackson. It's the selection for work's book club. This is supposed to be a classic, but I didn't care for it at all. Super underwhelming. Maybe I missed something?

She Wouldn't Change a Thing is really not working for me, plus I went to goodreads and read some reviews that said it goes too much into religion/predestination territory, so no, thanks.

I'm reading Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane and was sucked right in! I'm at about 40% and thoroughly enjoying it.

I love Mhairi McFarlane!

I finished We Begin At The End. Good story but very depressing.

Now I have a rom com called The Unhoneymooners, by Christina Lauren.

Blush, I loved Don't You Forget About Me, but was unimpressed with It's Not Me, It's You. Have you read any others? I gotta say her British references every other page make her books a bit tiring for me, even when I like them. Many things go right over my head, and that's annoying.