My last 5 star read is THE RIVER IS WAITING by Wally Lamb. This book continues to haunt me and is going to be a tough act to follow.
I'm saving THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher for a rainy day. I don't really know why I'm saving it because I bought a copy eagerly anticipating reading it and expecting it's one I'll love and want to keep. But I continue to hoard it and as of late feel like I want to save it for a time I'm not busy and/or not being distracted by a gluttony of new releases. I picture myself reading it under a blanket when the air turns crisp - again no idea WHY I have this in my head haha. Maybe I just love the idea of having it to look forward to??
I'd gift to all of you THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton because it's a life changing story. Since reading it many years ago, It still comes to my mind often. I'd gift it because we all have faced or will face adversity and Hinton's story is one of the most inspiring stories of holding onto hope, having resilience, and not giving up that I've ever read. Plus, it's a testament to the power of our imaginations. I think you'd treasure this book like I do:)
Last week I mentioned that I was reading JUST A LITTLE DINNER by Cecile Tlili - translated from the French by Katherine Gregor. I ended up finishing it in 2 sittings and loved it! It's very much a mood book - set in Paris on a hot and sticky August evening. It's about a little dinner party between 4 friends that ends up being anything but. There's simmering tension, ulterior motives, marriage and friendship drama interspersed with small talk that's maybe not so small after all. At 155 pages the author packed a great story, razor sharp dialogue and layered characterization into a small package. This is very slice of life, be a fly on the wall while a story plays out type of storytelling--there is minimal plot and this is most definitely literary. I initially gave this 4.75 stars when I finished but I have no criticisms so maybe this really is my last 5 star read?:)
My most recent 5 star read was Donna Tarttās The Secret History which I just read for the first time and was like an erudite fever dream and I loved it and itās staying with me. Having never read The Goldfinch, do I go there next?
I donāt know that I have a particular book I am saving for vacation or a rainy day - I LOVE to buy books and do so far more quickly than I read them so that TBR pile is quite large.
I would give (and have many times) Cheryl Strayedās essay collection, Tiny Beautiful Things to everyone everywhere. My favorite quote being āAsk better questions, sweet pea. The fuck is your life. Answer it.ā
I just finished Wild Dark Shore, which didnāt quite work for me (3/5) and am now onto Isola. Like so many having a renaissance this summer, I also read Lonesome Dove for the first time last month and 10/5 recommend!
I was the opposite as you, I read The Goldfinch first and it blew me away so much that it ended up being my top book of the year last year. It's very different from The Secret History, but I say yes give it a try sometime:) Lonesome Dove is one of my someday I'll definitely read it tbr. I loved Tiny Beautiful Things, that would make a great gift
If hard pressed, The Secret History and Lonesome Dove have worked their way into my all-time Top 10 books. Sitting alongside Demon Copperhead, The Great Believers, A Little Life and The Heartās Invisible Furies, for context.
I think we might be reading twins! A LITTLE LIFE is my all time favorite read and THE HEART'S INVISIBLE FURIES AND DEMON would be in my top 10 all time favorites as well
LONESOME DOVE was my last five-star read :D I talked my husband into buddy reading with me and we read it throughout June into early July, perfect timing to best enjoy the story, I think. We just started watching the mini-series!
Hi. My last five star read was LADY TANāS CIRCLE OF WOMEN BY LISA SEE. It was excellent about a female doctor in the Ming Dynasty, which was the 1400s. I learned a lot.
I am currently reading WONDER DRUG: The SECRET HISTORY OF THALIDOMIDE IN AMERICA AND ITS HIDDEN VICTIMS by JENNIFER VANDERBES. I just read NO MORE TEARS: THE DARK SECRETS OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON by Gardiner Harris, which was very good but it made me angry about the things they lied about and covered up.
I would gift the book WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens. I love this book. I liked the mystery and the descriptive writing of nature in the marsh. It made me feel like I was there.
My favorite Netflix series I watched last week was Untamed. It is a murder mystery set and filmed in Yosemite National Park. It is only six episodes but I wanted more because it was so good.
Yosemite is beautiful. I love mysteries and thrillers that take place in the wilderness. That is my catnip trope. If you have any book recommendations, I would love to hear them.
One of my favorite wilderness thrillers is THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD by Michael Koryta and for nonfiction I loved THE COLD VANISH: SEEKING THE MISSING IN NORTH AMERICA'S WILDLANDS by Jon Billman- this one is so fascinating
I also just read NO MORE TEARS and it kinda wrecked me!! All of the dangerous medicines and products they got away with and the FDAās complacency in all of it! How was COVID the least-bad thing in the book??
My last 5 star read is an upcoming nonfiction release: Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror by Ashley Cullins. Itās a MUST for fans of the Scream franchise and releases August 19th. Ghost Face himself narrates!!
1. Last 5-star read is DIARY OF A VOID, Emi Yagi, tr. from Japanese by Lucy North & David Boyd - this was such a romp, funny, and trippy. About a woman in Japan who lies to her coworkers saying that she's pregnant to get out of menial office tasks.
2. Saving either SLANTING TOWARDS THE SEA by Lidija Hilje or THESE SUMMER STORMS by Sarah MacLean - I have a family vacation in RI coming up in a couple of weeks.
3. I would gift everyone FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS: TIME MANAGEMENT FOR MORTALS by Oliver Burkeman (I actually just did earlier this week!). This book changed my life in thinking about how I use and value my time, as well as the external forces trying to grab my time and attention. This book is the only productivity book you'll ever need!
4. Currently reading CULPABILITY by Bruce Holsinger (I'm obsessed!!!) and MEDICINE RIVER: A STORY OF SURVIVAL AND THE LEGACY OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS by Mary Annette Pember (a little heavy on the history side, but loving the memoir elements and the inter-generational trauma).
I loved Four Thousand Weeks too. It's one of those books that I plan on revisiting every year or so. I haven't read These Summer Storms but Slanting would be a great vacation read if you're in the mood for a love story while in RI:)
I recently finished FOX by Joyce Carol Oates and whew, it will stay with me. It's not for everyone but I could not put it down. I also just read GIOVANNI'S ROOM and really liked it. Baldwin's prose is just amazing.
I'm currently reading THE GHOSTWRITER (just started) and halfway through READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN.
Iāve had a number of 5 āļø in a row over the last week, but Iām going to pick my 6 šbecause itās my reading life š I will tell anyone who will listen to read THE CORRESPONDENT. It will be my best of the year. I cannot stop thinking about Sybil, aging, letter writing and secrets. Hit me in all the best ways.
Until I read The Correspondent, I would recommend SEARCH to friends. The story of group dynamics with some strong personalities of mostly people with good intentions crept into my heart and has stayed there for a couple of years.
Iām currently reading THE TRAP by Ava Glass to get me over a taste of a not for me book (I like this phrase for a over 400 page book I only read 45 pages of and could tell it wasnāt gripping me). I like a book from a spy series to get me over my hump.
yes to 6 star reads!! So glad you loved The Correspondent, I won't forget Sybil either. I might start using that phrase "not for me" instead of always saying I dnfed something
My last 5-star book is THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans.
The book I am saving is ISOLA by Allegra Goodman. I purchased it at a bookstore in New Mexico on a recent trip there.
The book I would give to everyone is PLAINSONG by Kent Haruf and hope they would read his other books too. I love his prose and his characters.
I am on vacation in Montana and reading FATHER OF THE RAIN by Lily King, and am really liking it so far. Kingās writing is strong and her fatherās problems are believable.
This is a great thread! My last 5āļø read was BITTER SWEET by Hattie Williams. It was so much better than expected and I loved it.
I would gift every woman I know TELL ME MORE by Kelly Corrigan. So much wisdom. I think itās time for a reread.
I kept saving JADED for a beach read and finished it this morning on the beach! It was worth the wait. Iāve also saved THE OLIGARCHS DAUGHTER and will start it this evening but wonāt finish it this trip.
Yesterday I finished WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LORI LOVELY which publishes 9/2. I canāt believe how much I enjoyed this hx fic based on a real actress from the 60s. Iāve really struggled to find hx fic Iāve enjoyed for a couple of years now and it was great!
Thanks LeAnne:) I'm going to look up Lori Lovely, I also don't tend to keep my eye on upcoming HF but that one sounds good. Have fun on your beach vacay, I hope The Oligarch's Daughter is a winner for you
It is but a very different story. Definitely less dramatic. The fact that itās based on a real person made it really interesting too. Fun to speculate. š
My last 5 star read is SHANTARAM BY GREGORY DAVID ROBERTS. Yay i did it!!! It took me 38 days. My current reads have been THE SLIP BY LUCAS SCHAEFER and THE LAST FLIGHT BY JULIE CLARK. I am half way through THE TELL BY AMY GRIFFIN and just got SO FAR GONE BY JESS WALTERS. I am saving A LITTLE LIFE for this winter. I need to put some distance between it and SHANTARAM. I gift SHANTARAM to everyone. U
My last five star read was BUG HOLLOW, it didnāt go where I expected but I still loved it (thanks for the rec!) Iām not currently saving any book, I have done that in the past but usually I just throw three in my suitcase and pick when I get there.
The gift question is hard! Some books I love I know some people wouldnāt, but I do love your answer! THE SUN DOES SHINE should be required reading for everyone.
My current read is EDUCATED Iām loving it and wish I could find the time to sit and finish it but this week was too busy, crossing my fingers for a slow weekend!
My last 5 star read was RUNNING WITH SHERMAN: THE DONKEY WITH THE HEART OF A HERO. This was my IRL book club pick and I just loved it! A Pennsylvania family rescues Sherman, the donkey, from a neglectful home. The rest is just heartwarming, exciting and so educational about everything from the state of PA and CO to donkeys, to the Amish people, etc. I loved this non-fiction pick. I live in Colorado so attending a burro race is now on my bucket list!
Thanks for sharing this, adding it to my tbr for when I want a heartwarming animal story. We have two sets of friends who rescued donkeys last year and I love hearing their stories
Hi everyone! Happy Friday. I'll be sharing my answers to the questions in a separate comment but wanted to pin them here for easier viewing.
What was your last 5 star read?
What book are you saving for a rainy day or vacation read?
If you could gift everyone here one book, what would it be and why?
What have you been reading lately?
My last 5 star read is THE RIVER IS WAITING by Wally Lamb. This book continues to haunt me and is going to be a tough act to follow.
I'm saving THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher for a rainy day. I don't really know why I'm saving it because I bought a copy eagerly anticipating reading it and expecting it's one I'll love and want to keep. But I continue to hoard it and as of late feel like I want to save it for a time I'm not busy and/or not being distracted by a gluttony of new releases. I picture myself reading it under a blanket when the air turns crisp - again no idea WHY I have this in my head haha. Maybe I just love the idea of having it to look forward to??
I'd gift to all of you THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton because it's a life changing story. Since reading it many years ago, It still comes to my mind often. I'd gift it because we all have faced or will face adversity and Hinton's story is one of the most inspiring stories of holding onto hope, having resilience, and not giving up that I've ever read. Plus, it's a testament to the power of our imaginations. I think you'd treasure this book like I do:)
Last week I mentioned that I was reading JUST A LITTLE DINNER by Cecile Tlili - translated from the French by Katherine Gregor. I ended up finishing it in 2 sittings and loved it! It's very much a mood book - set in Paris on a hot and sticky August evening. It's about a little dinner party between 4 friends that ends up being anything but. There's simmering tension, ulterior motives, marriage and friendship drama interspersed with small talk that's maybe not so small after all. At 155 pages the author packed a great story, razor sharp dialogue and layered characterization into a small package. This is very slice of life, be a fly on the wall while a story plays out type of storytelling--there is minimal plot and this is most definitely literary. I initially gave this 4.75 stars when I finished but I have no criticisms so maybe this really is my last 5 star read?:)
The Sun Does Shine is such a gift. Loved it.
The Shell Seekers has been on my all time favorites list for years!! I have read it twice and still love it. Hope you do too!
My most recent 5 star read was Donna Tarttās The Secret History which I just read for the first time and was like an erudite fever dream and I loved it and itās staying with me. Having never read The Goldfinch, do I go there next?
I donāt know that I have a particular book I am saving for vacation or a rainy day - I LOVE to buy books and do so far more quickly than I read them so that TBR pile is quite large.
I would give (and have many times) Cheryl Strayedās essay collection, Tiny Beautiful Things to everyone everywhere. My favorite quote being āAsk better questions, sweet pea. The fuck is your life. Answer it.ā
I just finished Wild Dark Shore, which didnāt quite work for me (3/5) and am now onto Isola. Like so many having a renaissance this summer, I also read Lonesome Dove for the first time last month and 10/5 recommend!
I was the opposite as you, I read The Goldfinch first and it blew me away so much that it ended up being my top book of the year last year. It's very different from The Secret History, but I say yes give it a try sometime:) Lonesome Dove is one of my someday I'll definitely read it tbr. I loved Tiny Beautiful Things, that would make a great gift
This is quite an endorsement for The Goldfinch!
If hard pressed, The Secret History and Lonesome Dove have worked their way into my all-time Top 10 books. Sitting alongside Demon Copperhead, The Great Believers, A Little Life and The Heartās Invisible Furies, for context.
I think we might be reading twins! A LITTLE LIFE is my all time favorite read and THE HEART'S INVISIBLE FURIES AND DEMON would be in my top 10 all time favorites as well
!!! and with that, I am heading to snag a copy of The Goldfinch!
I hope you like it!!
Lonesome Dove was so good! I was surprised how much I loved it!
Same!
LONESOME DOVE was my last five-star read :D I talked my husband into buddy reading with me and we read it throughout June into early July, perfect timing to best enjoy the story, I think. We just started watching the mini-series!
Lots of great books by everyone. I took notes!
My last 5 star read was THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS BY ANNIE HARTNETT. Such a sweet funny story.
Currently reading ATMOSPHERE BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID.
I'm adding many books to my tbr from today's thread too!
Hi. My last five star read was LADY TANāS CIRCLE OF WOMEN BY LISA SEE. It was excellent about a female doctor in the Ming Dynasty, which was the 1400s. I learned a lot.
I am currently reading WONDER DRUG: The SECRET HISTORY OF THALIDOMIDE IN AMERICA AND ITS HIDDEN VICTIMS by JENNIFER VANDERBES. I just read NO MORE TEARS: THE DARK SECRETS OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON by Gardiner Harris, which was very good but it made me angry about the things they lied about and covered up.
I would gift the book WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens. I love this book. I liked the mystery and the descriptive writing of nature in the marsh. It made me feel like I was there.
My favorite Netflix series I watched last week was Untamed. It is a murder mystery set and filmed in Yosemite National Park. It is only six episodes but I wanted more because it was so good.
We just finished watching Untamed this week and I loved it too! The Yosemite setting was stunning, I would love to visit there someday
Yosemite is beautiful. I love mysteries and thrillers that take place in the wilderness. That is my catnip trope. If you have any book recommendations, I would love to hear them.
One of my favorite wilderness thrillers is THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD by Michael Koryta and for nonfiction I loved THE COLD VANISH: SEEKING THE MISSING IN NORTH AMERICA'S WILDLANDS by Jon Billman- this one is so fascinating
Thank you for the recommendations. I will check out both of these!
Celine by Peter Heller! His others too, I think.
Ok. Thank you. I will check it out! I read The River and The Guide and loved them.
I know. I always thought the FDA looked out for the safety of products. I no longer think that.
I also just read NO MORE TEARS and it kinda wrecked me!! All of the dangerous medicines and products they got away with and the FDAās complacency in all of it! How was COVID the least-bad thing in the book??
My last 5 star read is an upcoming nonfiction release: Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror by Ashley Cullins. Itās a MUST for fans of the Scream franchise and releases August 19th. Ghost Face himself narrates!!
Yay for 5 stars on that memoir for you! I love your excitement for the Scream movies
I love my niche pop culture nonfiction.
š± OK, this is going on the list immediately!
How fun!
Oooooo I LOVE(D) Scream and am definitely adding this to the list!
I hope you find it as fun as I did.
Happy Friday!
1. Last 5-star read is DIARY OF A VOID, Emi Yagi, tr. from Japanese by Lucy North & David Boyd - this was such a romp, funny, and trippy. About a woman in Japan who lies to her coworkers saying that she's pregnant to get out of menial office tasks.
2. Saving either SLANTING TOWARDS THE SEA by Lidija Hilje or THESE SUMMER STORMS by Sarah MacLean - I have a family vacation in RI coming up in a couple of weeks.
3. I would gift everyone FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS: TIME MANAGEMENT FOR MORTALS by Oliver Burkeman (I actually just did earlier this week!). This book changed my life in thinking about how I use and value my time, as well as the external forces trying to grab my time and attention. This book is the only productivity book you'll ever need!
4. Currently reading CULPABILITY by Bruce Holsinger (I'm obsessed!!!) and MEDICINE RIVER: A STORY OF SURVIVAL AND THE LEGACY OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS by Mary Annette Pember (a little heavy on the history side, but loving the memoir elements and the inter-generational trauma).
I loved Four Thousand Weeks too. It's one of those books that I plan on revisiting every year or so. I haven't read These Summer Storms but Slanting would be a great vacation read if you're in the mood for a love story while in RI:)
Alright, Culpability is in my short stack and this may have moved it to the top!
I recently finished FOX by Joyce Carol Oates and whew, it will stay with me. It's not for everyone but I could not put it down. I also just read GIOVANNI'S ROOM and really liked it. Baldwin's prose is just amazing.
I'm currently reading THE GHOSTWRITER (just started) and halfway through READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN.
My last five-star read was LONESOME DOVE, which I finished early this month.
Vacation is behind me, but I very intentionally saved ATMOSPHERE and GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE for my best beach reading experience!
I would gift everyone THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD by Claire Lombardo, it's a favorite and one of my more universal recommendations.
I am currently reading Susan Choi's FLASHLIGHT and really loving it!
Flashlight is on my tbr! Glad you're loving it
Iāve had a number of 5 āļø in a row over the last week, but Iām going to pick my 6 šbecause itās my reading life š I will tell anyone who will listen to read THE CORRESPONDENT. It will be my best of the year. I cannot stop thinking about Sybil, aging, letter writing and secrets. Hit me in all the best ways.
Until I read The Correspondent, I would recommend SEARCH to friends. The story of group dynamics with some strong personalities of mostly people with good intentions crept into my heart and has stayed there for a couple of years.
Iām currently reading THE TRAP by Ava Glass to get me over a taste of a not for me book (I like this phrase for a over 400 page book I only read 45 pages of and could tell it wasnāt gripping me). I like a book from a spy series to get me over my hump.
These book conversations make my week!
yes to 6 star reads!! So glad you loved The Correspondent, I won't forget Sybil either. I might start using that phrase "not for me" instead of always saying I dnfed something
I like NFM - not for me. Iām going to add that to my log!
My last 5-star book is THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans.
The book I am saving is ISOLA by Allegra Goodman. I purchased it at a bookstore in New Mexico on a recent trip there.
The book I would give to everyone is PLAINSONG by Kent Haruf and hope they would read his other books too. I love his prose and his characters.
I am on vacation in Montana and reading FATHER OF THE RAIN by Lily King, and am really liking it so far. Kingās writing is strong and her fatherās problems are believable.
I'm adding Plainsong to my Libby to read list right now:) I hope you like Father of The Rain, Daley is a character I still think about
I loved Plainsong and Our Souls at Night. And Father of the Rain was 5āļø for me. I hope you love it!
I bet I would like Plainsong - I loved those other 2 you mentioned
This is a great thread! My last 5āļø read was BITTER SWEET by Hattie Williams. It was so much better than expected and I loved it.
I would gift every woman I know TELL ME MORE by Kelly Corrigan. So much wisdom. I think itās time for a reread.
I kept saving JADED for a beach read and finished it this morning on the beach! It was worth the wait. Iāve also saved THE OLIGARCHS DAUGHTER and will start it this evening but wonāt finish it this trip.
Yesterday I finished WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LORI LOVELY which publishes 9/2. I canāt believe how much I enjoyed this hx fic based on a real actress from the 60s. Iāve really struggled to find hx fic Iāve enjoyed for a couple of years now and it was great!
Thanks LeAnne:) I'm going to look up Lori Lovely, I also don't tend to keep my eye on upcoming HF but that one sounds good. Have fun on your beach vacay, I hope The Oligarch's Daughter is a winner for you
Iām curious about WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LORI LOVELY. The premise sounds similar to EVELYN HUGO?
It is but a very different story. Definitely less dramatic. The fact that itās based on a real person made it really interesting too. Fun to speculate. š
I have loved all of Kelly Corrigan's work, including TELL ME MORE. I should reread that too...I have it on my shelf.
Iāve loved all of hers too. Sheās fantastic.
My last 5 star read is SHANTARAM BY GREGORY DAVID ROBERTS. Yay i did it!!! It took me 38 days. My current reads have been THE SLIP BY LUCAS SCHAEFER and THE LAST FLIGHT BY JULIE CLARK. I am half way through THE TELL BY AMY GRIFFIN and just got SO FAR GONE BY JESS WALTERS. I am saving A LITTLE LIFE for this winter. I need to put some distance between it and SHANTARAM. I gift SHANTARAM to everyone. U
Congrats on finishing Shantaram, glad it ended up a 5 star read for you!
My last five star read was BUG HOLLOW, it didnāt go where I expected but I still loved it (thanks for the rec!) Iām not currently saving any book, I have done that in the past but usually I just throw three in my suitcase and pick when I get there.
The gift question is hard! Some books I love I know some people wouldnāt, but I do love your answer! THE SUN DOES SHINE should be required reading for everyone.
My current read is EDUCATED Iām loving it and wish I could find the time to sit and finish it but this week was too busy, crossing my fingers for a slow weekend!
Glad you loved Bug Hollow!
My last 5 star read was RUNNING WITH SHERMAN: THE DONKEY WITH THE HEART OF A HERO. This was my IRL book club pick and I just loved it! A Pennsylvania family rescues Sherman, the donkey, from a neglectful home. The rest is just heartwarming, exciting and so educational about everything from the state of PA and CO to donkeys, to the Amish people, etc. I loved this non-fiction pick. I live in Colorado so attending a burro race is now on my bucket list!
Thanks for sharing this, adding it to my tbr for when I want a heartwarming animal story. We have two sets of friends who rescued donkeys last year and I love hearing their stories
What was your last 5 star read?
WHAT KIND OF PARADISE, I loved it.
What have you been reading lately?
I'm currently reading WE'RE ALL GUILTY HERE by Karin Slaughter and so far is very gripping (and dark, obviously!)
I keep hearing such great things about What Kind of PAradise, glad you loved it. I have that Karen S, I never know just how dark her books will beš