Talk Healthy

Starting the new year/new month!

I have a bunch of ARCs on my Kindle that I want to tackle. I started Laura Lippman's collection of short stories Seasonal Work last night - I think it's out next week. I don't usually love short story collections but I got this one randomly from a publisher so I feel special and want to review it.

I finished The Echo Chamber by John Boyne today, which Blush brought to my attention (thanks, Blush!). It's a satire mostly about how social media has been running our lives. I found it very funny, though some situations were a bit much. Definitely not for everyone.

Now I've started Anxious People, which is SUCH a beloved book, but so far I'm not feeling it. I'm only at 9%, though. Will give it a little more.

I really liked The Echo Chamber!

Now I have something more depressing: What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad.

Just an update on The Cove by Catherine Coulter. OMG, this book is so badly written. The author is a hack. But I don't want to give up on it either.

Finished The Awakening by Kate Chopin (book club selection). It was ok.

Started The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. So far so good, but I'm sure it will get kind of heavy. So I also started The Book of Mythicality by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal for some levity.

I made a very non difficult goal to read a book a month this year. When I started listening to podcasts I sort of quit reading. I have a pile of books on my nightstand.

I’m starting with Emptying the Pews: Stories of Leaving Church.

I finished The Cove. Would not recommend.

Started The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. It's pretty good so far, although it doesn't have enough chapter breaks for my liking. I like to finish my nightly reading at the end of a chapter but the chapters in this one are too long so I don't have time.

I gave up on Anxious People. Not for me. It's the second book by this guy I've started and couldn't get into.

I'm reading Timeline by Michael Crichton. Fun so far, though the part I am now is less so.

I finished What Strange Paradise. Heartbreaking all around, really.

Now I have The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

Sílvia wrote: ↑Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:31 pm I'm reading Timeline by Michael Crichton. Fun so far, though the part I am now is less so.

Good old Michael Crichton. I went through a big phase of his books when I was in university.

Which ones did you read (and like)?

I don't remember! I definitely read Jurassic Park, but I browsed through his bibliography and I can't really remember which ones I read anymore. I was thinking Congo and Prey sounded familiar, and maybe also Timeline. But it was so long ago.

They all sound like fun to me!

I finished The Midnight Library. 4 stars. I'm sure I would have rated it higher if I hadn't already read books with a similar theme.

Next up is Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

Finished Timeline on Friday. I loved the first half, the second one dragged and bored me a little. Still a good read, but not a great one.

Then I started The Andromeda Strain, also by Michael Crichton. It's his firs book and was released in 1969, I think. It's verrrry sci-fi-y, full of technical stuff and totally out of my comfort zone, but I'm enjoying it!

Jurassic Park was a really good book - I read it before there was a movie. Not sure if anyone reading it now would feel the same because of the movie (which was cool but the book was groundbreaking).

I finished These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall which was fine. I actually didn't enjoy the writing and I felt the author was really heavy handed in some of the descriptions. I also read The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell which was a really good 4 star read.

Not sure what's next. My pile is BIG.

Rowan wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 2:58 pm Jurassic Park was a really good book - I read it before there was a movie. Not sure if anyone reading it now would feel the same because of the movie (which was cool but the book was groundbreaking).

I saw the movie back when it was released in the 90s, with the rest of mankind. I'm curious to read the book! I don't remember much about the movie, and people on goodreads are saying the book is so much better.

Sílvia wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 4:39 pm

Rowan wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 2:58 pm Jurassic Park was a really good book - I read it before there was a movie. Not sure if anyone reading it now would feel the same because of the movie (which was cool but the book was groundbreaking).

I saw the movie back when it was released in the 90s, with the rest of mankind. I'm curious to read the book! I don't remember much about the movie, and people on goodreads are saying the book is so much better.

I went on a date to that movie, in high school, with a guy who's now a bigwig at one of the big 5 banks. He was very good at soccer and was fussy about his hair. Holy flashback!

Haha! You're so young. I was finishing college!