OtterMommy

I finished The Fountains of Silence by Ruth Sepetys yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I've had it on my TBR bookshelf for years but I wasn't super excited to read it as I learned it was YA (nothing against YA, but it isn't my preferred genre). However, most of the book doesn't read like YA. In fact, the only part that does is when the characters are adults or, I should say, what not-yet-adults think adults are like. It's set in Franco's Spain, a period of time I know embarassingly little about, so it was good to learn something new. I'm not entirely sure what I will pick up as my next print book, but I'm working through The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner on my e-reader, which is fun. It's pretty soapy, but that's okay. I also started Taste by Stanley Tucci on audio.

I recently listened to The Mysterious Benedict Society with my son (over a series of many car rides!) and I think I may have been just too old for it. My son loved it, but I found it disturbing? Am I missing something with this one?

Adding one to the list here: Fiona Davis. It's not that there has been a slip in her quality--it's that she has become so forumulaic. All of her books center on an iconic New York City building and have a dual timeline from a woman in the 19th or early 20th century and a woman from the mid-20th century or present. I actually think she could continue in her framework and still do some creative things, but she doesn't. Her books have become too cookie-cutter for me.

I finished Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus last night and abso-freaking-loved it! It's only my 4th 5-star book of the year and it is a well-deserved 5 star book. Today, I'll start Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman. I'm reading it now only because my library hold just came in and I'm not super enthused, but that may be because I'm still coming down from my Lessons in Chemistry high. I've also got The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani going. It's...good. There are things about it that I like and think about it I like but am not entirely sure why they are in this book. I'm withholding judgment until the end, just in case it all comes together in the last pages.

Hello all. The conversation has veered off from celebrities to voting and judges. Let's move it back to the celebrity news. Thanks!

Yes, it normally airs on Christmas Night (I believe it airs on Christmas Eve in the UK?)

Naomi Judd has died While it doesn’t say it explicitly, it sounds like suicide.

I finished The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett, which was good but hard to explain. The best I can do is to say it isn't about what it is about. I do think if anyone wants to read this, they should read The Appeal first. The two books aren't related, but The Appeal is an easier entry into what Janice Hallett does in her books. Now I'm reading Razorblade Tears. The story is great, but I'm not sure I can stomach the violence.

I just finished The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb and really enjoyed it. It was a good, fast-paced heist-thriller with a very likable lead. Now starting The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett. I really enjoyed The Appeal, so I have high hopes for this one.

Hey all - It's time to move non-celebrity discussion over to the Small Talk thread. Discussion here should be about celebrity news. Thanks!

Okay, folks...let's direct the conversation back to the episode. If you would like to continue the discussion of surgical contraceptive options, please do so in the Small Talk thread. Thanks!

Here is where you can speculate about what will happen in future episodes and season. This a no spoiler zone. Any posts with actual spoilers will be removed.

Season Finale Air date; March 21, 2022