November

[Sílvia]

Could not get into Billy Summers, or into several other books I tried after it. Then I settled on a Freida McFadden. The sequel to The Housemaid, The Housemaid's Secret. Her books are so trashy they're fun. You know, like those old trashy horror movies. Except they're thrillers. They're good for getting out of a reading slump. Now I'm reading a chick lit, The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, and loving it. I can't believe I'd never heard of this author.

[Blush]

I finished I'm Glad My Mom is Dead. I sure appreciate my own mom after that doozy.

Now I'm about halfway through Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

[Sílvia]

Do you like Our Missing Hearts, Blush? I started it, but couldn't get into it. Might have read 30 pages? I don't remember.

I loved The Good Part. Will definitely read others by her.

Started The Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift. It's post-apocalyptic and I love it so far. Only 30 pages in or so, though. I had also never heard of it. What else am I missing???

[Rowan]

Reading is sloooow for me.

I'm on The Next Thing You Know by Jessica Strawser which is really good about a death doula.

Next up is Babel by RF Kuang - I loved Yellowface and I bought a ticket to see her this coming week. She's a grad student at Yale - how she can do that and write best selling novels is baffling to me. I have Sanatorium for buddy book club at the end of the month. I'm trying to be more planner-y on the books I tackle but at the same time I have to be in the mood for certain things.

[Rowan]

Sylvia - that sounds really good and right up my alley.

Blush - I read that book too and had no idea who she was and also thought the title was cringe-y until I read it. Really really sad.

[Blush]

I didn't know who she was, either, Rowan.

I found Our Missing Hearts compelling. Not enjoyable, but plausible dystopia. Oof.

Now I have This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub.

[Spudd]

I'm reading "Book Lovers", I forget who it's by. It's about a literary agent, rom-com. The setup is cute but the writing is a bit ham-handed, so I'm not sure if I'll like it. I'm only a little ways in so far.

[Sílvia]

Finished Last One at the Party. Really enjoyed it! I could have used fewer mentions of assorted bodily fuids, and at first the protagonist was so stupid I wanted to shake her, but still, it was very gripping and I'm glad I found it. Not sure what's next.

Spudd, I hated that book, but the whole world seems to love it, so don't mind me.

Both I'm Glad my Mom Died and This Time Tomorrow have been on my radar for a while.

[Blush]

This Time Tomorrow was pretty good, though not the best time travel book I have read.

Then I read A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls, #2) by Hank Green. Pretty good, not my usual genre.

Now I have Pieces of Blue by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

[Spudd]

Silvia, I'm honestly finding it very cheesy and like a cheap romance novel. But it's an easy read and is entertaining enough, so I'll stick with it.

Blush, have you read Replay by Ken Grimwood? or Time and Again by Jack Finney? Both I would recommend.

My library has no ebooks by Bethany Clift.

[Sílvia]

Blush, have you read Replay by Ken Grimwood? or Time and Again by Jack Finney? Both I would recommend.

Those 2 are on my list!

Also, check out Amazon. Both Bethany Clift's books are a dollar each on kindle here.

I read Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam. Omg, the writing was so unbelievable pretentious. And the plot was ... I'm not sure what the author was going for. I'm still glad I read it because I'd been curious about it, though. I'm also curious to see the netflix movie because there's no way it's NOT going to be better than this drivel.

Now I'm reading People Like Her by... forgot the author's name. I'm enjoying it so far.

[Sílvia]

Just bought Replay for 2 dollars. I need to join cheap e-books compulsive buyers anonymous or something

[Spudd]

I bought her new one for 99 cents on Amazon but the one you liked was 7.99 and that was too rich for my blood.

[Sílvia]

Ugh, that is too much. It's now 4 dollars here.

[Blush]

Spudd, I will put those on my list!

I finished Pieces of Blue. Meh.

No I have Happy Go Lucky by David Sedaris.

[Sílvia]

Finished People Like Her. I was completely engrossed. It's been marketed as suspense, which is probably why it has a relatively low rating on goodreads (3.37 when I looked.) To me it was much more of a drama, with just a little suspense thrown in at the end. It was much more about the life of a woman who makes a living as an "instamom". I was kind of fascinated by all the lies and illusion.

Now I'm reading The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver. It's speculative fiction about a future in which the US is no longer the richest country in the world. I've been curious about this book for a long time, but had been afraid to read it because so many people say it's filled with economics lessons and draggy. And I know Lionel Shriver can be verbose. But so far (24%) I'm interested. I have skimmed a paragraph or 3 here and there when things get too technical, because who other than economists would want to read about that in a novel?!