What Are We Currently Reading?

[GaT]

Glad to hear you liked it. I never saw the ending coming, which is always a good thing in a mystery.

[Darian]

Eighty pages into Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and it's just the kind of  fast, fun read I need before diving in to some darker, heavier books. And I've added a few books from this thread to my list! 

[Crs97]

Halfway through Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng and am really enjoying it. It's a very interesting portrayal of a family dealing with tragedy. I don't want to put it down.

[truthaboutluv]

So I finally started reading The Kind Worth Killing and I have to say it's definitely interesting and I am very curious to see where it's all going. I just finished the first part and while I figured out one twist, I didn't see the other one coming at all. And now that I know this second twist, I have a strong feeling about another twist that might be coming as well. I look forward to getting to the end and seeing if I'm right. 

[littlewonder]

My partner pointed out that I always read the same things: non-superhero comics,  and books about atheism and intersection feminism, so I asked friends who are more conservative/religious to give me book recommendations.  So there's some Ayn Rand on my bookshelf now along with a Donald Trump book about negotiation.  

 

I am starting to regret my decision.

[Crs97]

Wow, littlewonder, those are some interesting recommendations!

[Danny Franks]

The Providence of Fire by Brian Staveley. The follow up to the excellent The Emperor's Blades. It got great reviews. So far, I'm staggeringly disappointed. Two hundred pages in, and no discernible story exists yet. It's all set up, and one storyline in particular seems to be devolving into graphic descriptions of torture by some guys who swear a lot and threaten people. You know, to make it more 'adult'.

 

Right now, I'm not even sure I'm going to bother finishing it.

[Qoass]

Yikes, littlewonder, you'll be in my prayers!  Well, you would be if I weren't an atheist...

[MargeGunderson]

My partner pointed out that I always read the same things: non-superhero comics,  and books about atheism and intersection feminism, so I asked friends who are more conservative/religious to give me book recommendations.  So there's some Ayn Rand on my bookshelf now along with a Donald Trump book about negotiation.  

 

I am starting to regret my decision.

Back away slowly from the books and no one will get hurt.

[Rick Kitchen]

I've read a couple of Ayn Rand to see what the Libertarians are all drooling about.

[Pepper Mostly]

The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. I've been waiting for months! This man makes me laugh out loud!

[Qoass]

I just finished that!  I preferred his first book on England, but yes, it is laugh-worthy and I found myself nodding along with his tirades about thoughtless people.

[Athena]

Bryson has always been a bit of a grump in his writing, but in this last book, he is at this most curmudgeony which is funny for the reader.

[truthaboutluv]

So I finished The Kind Worth Killing and while it was fun and interesting read, to be honest, after the first surprise twist, everything else sort of became fairly predictable. 

I actually called Miranda and Brad planning their own murder of Ted while he was planning to kill Miranda with Lily. And I figured Lily would be the last one standing for one very simple and obvious reason - her POV was listed for every part of the book. So when I got to the end of Part II, I knew Brad would kill Miranda instead of her. The only twist I genuinely did not see coming, was Miranda being Faith. The ending was interesting since I guess we can assume they'll dig up the bodies?

So I don't know if I found it that much better than The Girl On The Train. Both were fairly quick, fast-paced reads with pretty predictable outcomes, IMO. 

[alias1]

My partner pointed out that I always read the same things: non-superhero comics,  and books about atheism and intersection feminism, so I asked friends who are more conservative/religious to give me book recommendations.  So there's some Ayn Rand on my bookshelf now along with a Donald Trump book about negotiation.  

 

I am starting to regret my decision.

You're a better person than I am to even attempt those (questionable) books.

Edited January 26, 2016 by SierraMist

[alias1]

So I finished The Kind Worth Killing and while it was fun and interesting read, to be honest, after the first surprise twist, everything else sort of became fairly predictable. 

I actually called Miranda and Brad planning their own murder of Ted while he was planning to kill Miranda with Lily. And I figured Lily would be the last one standing for one very simple and obvious reason - her POV was listed for every part of the book. So when I got to the end of Part II, I knew Brad would kill Miranda instead of her. The only twist I genuinely did not see coming, was Miranda being Faith. The ending was interesting since I guess we can assume they'll dig up the bodies?

So I don't know if I found it that much better than The Girl On The Train. Both were fairly quick, fast-paced reads with pretty predictable outcomes, IMO. 

I agree with a lot of what you said in your spoiler (the things that were not really a surprise).  I just found the book to be so very enjoyable to read.  But then I hated The Girl On The Train.  To me it was not only predictable, but depressing.  I wouldn't really compare them.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

My partner pointed out that I always read the same things: non-superhero comics,  and books about atheism and intersection feminism, so I asked friends who are more conservative/religious to give me book recommendations.  So there's some Ayn Rand on my bookshelf now along with a Donald Trump book about negotiation.  

 

I am starting to regret my decision.

 

I'm not sure which camp Rand is supposed to fall into, religious or conservative, but a thousand years ago when I was in college I tried to read Atlas Shrugged. Run away now, and you won't risk going into a coma.

[blackwing]

My college roommate was way into Ayn Rand, but I always wondered if he really believed in her philosophies or if it was just a pseudo-intellectual thing to make him look more intelligent and well read.  I've ridden the subway before and have seen guys reading her books, and I've always been skeptical as to whether they actually are reading them or if they are just hoping some beautiful young female will start a conversation because she notices they are reading her favourite book.

 

I am a new poster here.  My tastes in books tends to gravitate towards mysteries and historical fiction, with a sprinkling of what I loosely generalise as "men's adventure".  My favourite authors are Jeffrey Archer, James Rollins, and Ken Follett.  I've read everything written by John Jakes under his own name, but sadly, he must have retired, as he hasn't had a new book in ages.

 

I have recently discovered C.J. Box and Louise Penny.  Currently reading Penny's A Fatal Grace, her second book.  Next up will be Box's Winterkill, the third book in his Joe Pickett series.  I love both of these authors because their descriptions of the surroundings are so vivid.  I actually feel like I am in Wyoming when I read Box and in a small rural town outside of Montreal when I read Penny.

[Athena]

 

I'm not sure which camp Rand is supposed to fall into, religious or conservative, but a thousand years ago when I was in college I tried to read Atlas Shrugged. Run away now, and you won't risk going into a coma.

 

 

My college roommate was way into Ayn Rand, but I always wondered if he really believed in her philosophies or if it was just a pseudo-intellectual thing to make him look more intelligent and well read.  I've ridden the subway before and have seen guys reading her books, and I've always been skeptical as to whether they actually are reading them or if they are just hoping some beautiful young female will start a conversation because she notices they are reading her favourite book.

 

I am a new poster here.  My tastes in books tends to gravitate towards mysteries and historical fiction, with a sprinkling of what I loosely generalise as "men's adventure".  My favourite authors are Jeffrey Archer, James Rollins, and Ken Follett.  I've read everything written by John Jakes under his own name, but sadly, he must have retired, as he hasn't had a new book in ages.

 

I bought a used copy of Atlas, Shrugged some years ago to also see what the deal was. I saw the old 1930s movie and didn't like it. I still haven't worked the effort to read it. Rand had some inconsistent views, but she was definitely conservative and mostly anti-religion. She opposed altruism, supported individual rights (or egoism really) and believed in free-market economics. Interestingly, she supported the right to abortion as she become older.

 

Welcome blackwing!

[Jalyn]

My partner pointed out that I always read the same things: non-superhero comics,  and books about atheism and intersection feminism, so I asked friends who are more conservative/religious to give me book recommendations.  So there's some Ayn Rand on my bookshelf now along with a Donald Trump book about negotiation.  

 

I am starting to regret my decision.

Ask different conservatives. 

 

I actually enjoyed Atlas Shrugged, and have passed it on to others, but it's not particularly good story telling. The rest of Rand is uninspiring at best. It's definitely not where I would suggest someone start to get an idea of current conservative or libertarian thought.

 

There are several current fiction authors that present a fairly libertarian world view without being Ayn Rand. I've generally referred to John Ringo as the sci-fi Ayn Rand with actual story telling skills. The Troy Rising series is wonderful, although I don't believe that he has finished it. The later works of Dean Koontz show his religious viewpoint more clearly - if you want to try them, I'd go with the Odd Thomas series. I've heard Clancy generally referred to as Conservative (though more in the Neo-Con tradition) but I don't know that I've ever actually read his works and the movies don't go into it. Unfortunately, I can't think of any non-fiction conservative authors outside of the sci-fi/fantasy world. I'm sure they exist, but I don't usually go into reading an author concerned about their political views and tend to ignore it unless they hit me over the head.

 

If you are looking for non-fiction that does a good job of explaining the view point, I'd suggest Mark Levin's Liberty and Tyranny for mainstream conservatism. John Stossel has a few books out that go into the libertarian view point. If you want to go deep, Nozick's Anarchy, State and Utopia goes into philosophical reasons for a limited state - it's basically a response to Rawl's A Theory of Justice.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I have recently discovered C.J. Box and Louise Penny.  Currently reading Penny's A Fatal Grace, her second book.  Next up will be Box's Winterkill, the third book in his Joe Pickett series.  I love both of these authors because their descriptions of the surroundings are so vivid.  I actually feel like I am in Wyoming when I read Box and in a small rural town outside of Montreal when I read Penny.

 

If you like C.J. Box, may I also suggest Nevada Barr, who created Anna Pigeon, a park service ranger/amateur detective.

[blackwing]

Thanks, I will keep her in mind.  Have heard good things about her.

[SmithW6079]

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Written in 1935, it's about a fascist takeover in America after the 1936 presidential election. A populist politician is elected, promising to "save the nation from welfare cheats, rampant promiscuity, crime, and a liberal press."

Given the current crop of presidential candidates, it seems especially prescient.

Edited January 30, 2016 by SmithW6079

[alias1]

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Written in 1935, it's about a fascist takeover in America after the 1936 presidential election. A populist politician is elected, promising to "save the nation from welfare cheats, rampant promiscuity, crime, and a liberal press."

Given the current crop of presidential candidates, it seems especially prescient.

Well, that is scary!

[Wheels08]

I just finished A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. I thought it was a really great book that raised some interesting questions.

Now I think I'm going to start reading Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke it's the second book after Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman.

[Jenniferbug]

I've read quite a lot lately (well, since I have an infant and a preschooler, 3 books in a month feels like a lot).

I read The City & The City, as recommended by Haleth in the recommendations thread. I really enjoyed it! As Haleth said, it is definitely the most original concept I've read in a long time. There were times the book was a little puzzling since the world is so foreign seeming, but I really liked this one and would recommend it.

Then I finally got around to reading The Girl on the Train, which I know pretty much everyonhe else on the planet has already read. It was ok. Maybe I've just read too many mysteries, but I didn't find this one very suspenseful and had actually called the ending (complete with all twists) really early on. I kept reading mainly to see if I was right, since I thought a book with so much hype would have a some huge twist at the end. Still, it wasn't a bad read, just not as enjoyable as I had hoped and I didn't think it lived up to all the hype I've seen about it.

Now I'm about 70 pages into one of the new books in the Star Wars canon, Aftermath by Chuck Wendig. I never read the extended universe books years ago, but love Star Wars so when I saw this on the shelf at the library today I grabbed it on a whim. I'm liking the story so far and am interested in the canon of what happened post Return of the Jedi. The only thing bugging me is that the writing could have used much better editing. Example "She stood. Hands beyond her back. Staring down the long hallway." Why is that not one sentence? Maybe it's supposed to come off as stage direction, similar to a screen play but it just seems sloppy to me. It's a minor quibble though, but if this wasn't Star Wars I would probably put the book down and not finish it.

Next up is We Were Liars, which I've heard good things about and should be a quick read. I looked for A Kind Worth Killing but my small town library didn't seem to have it. I grabbed another book by the same author (Peter Swanson) instead, The Girl with the Clock Heart (or something like that- I'll remember the title better when I've read it).

[Haleth]

I read The City & The City, as recommended by Haleth in the recommendations thread. I really enjoyed it! As Haleth said, it is definitely the most original concept I've read in a long time. There were times the book was a little puzzling since the world is so foreign seeming, but I really liked this one and would recommend it.

 

Glad you liked it!  You may like some of China Mieville's other books:  Embassytown also has a strange and fascinating premise and Un Lun Dun is a charming fairy tale.  (I don't know if it's marketed as YA, but it reads young.)  I see he has a couple new books coming out this year.

[Rilla-my-Rilla]

This week has been reading books made into movies I guess. On Sunday, I finished Room so, during the week, I could go to a showing of the movie followed by a book and film discussion. During the week, I read The Revenant. Yesterday, I read Me before You. Now the next week or two, I'll probably be a slacker about getting some reading in.

[AuntiePam]

In the Quiet by Eliza Henry Jones

 

$1.99 on the Kindle.  I usually avoid books described as "uplifting" because "uplifting" usually means "sappy".  This one isn't -- there's honest emotion and characters who snap and bitch and sometimes fail each other.

 

It's from the point of view of a woman who recently died.  Over a period of several months, she watches her family deal with the loss, and reflects on her relationship with them and their relationships with each other.  The takeaway for me was part "don't waste a minute" and part "pay attention".

 

There's a bit of tension to the story as well -- we don't know until the end how she died, and why two of her kids feel some guilt about it.

 

Next up is Jesuits in North America in the 17th Century by Francis Parkman.  I recently read two novels on the subject, The Black Robe by Brian Moore (didn't like it) and The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (loved it), so it'll be fun to read what was probably some of their source material.

[alias1]

I read A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber, the 3rd in the Lady Darby series.  It's more romance than mystery, but I like the 1830's Scotland setting. 

 

Also finished Not In The Flesh, the 21st Inspector Wexford by Ruth Rendell.  I love this series so much I'm savoring the last few books. There are only 3 left.  I've never read her stand alone books.  I may try those when I'm done with the series.  

 

I'm in the middle of Uprooted by Naomi Novik.  It's a fantasy and not something I usually read.  I like it for a change, but I won't be rushing out to get more books in this genre.

 

And finally, I'm trying to read Fates and Furies by Lauren Goff.  So far the writing isn't really my style and the characters are unlikable.  It has such glowing reviews that I will try to finish it.  Does anyone have any experience with this book?

Edited January 31, 2016 by SierraMist

[AltLivia]

 

And finally, I'm trying to read Fates and Furies by Lauren Goff.  So far the writing isn't really my style and the characters are unlikable.  It has such glowing reviews that I will try to finish it.  Does anyone have any experience with this book?

Picked this one up from the library recently. I stopped reading when the male character (whose name I can't be bothered to remember because he's kind of loathsome) went to a writer's retreat. I can't take all of the "I was a golden child who could do no wrong, but now I'm aging! Gasp!" or "Look! This once enchanting person is actually a giant fail pile. Discuss!" And I love metaphor, but the flowery, pretentious language had me eye-rolling.

 

I'm reading The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and enjoying it. 

[Qoass]

I read Fates and Furies and thought it was well written which is not to say I liked it.  I am one of those people who prefers to read about people I would have lunch with however facile that may be.  Do carry on into the second part, though, because it's interesting to observe the events from the wife's point of view.

[Pepper Mostly]

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Written in 1935, it's about a fascist takeover in America after the 1936 presidential election. A populist politician is elected, promising to "save the nation from welfare cheats, rampant promiscuity, crime, and a liberal press."

Given the current crop of presidential candidates, it seems especially prescient.

I read this book for the first time over 40 years ago, and I have recommended it to anyone who will stand still long enough every since! Sinclair Lewis is a genius and I highly recommend his other books--Elmer Gantry, Babbitt, Arrowsmith, Main Street, Dodsworth. All excellent, and when one considers they were written almost a hundred years ago, a lot of what he observed about American life and habits still rings true today.

[SeanC]

I'm not sure which camp Rand is supposed to fall into, religious or conservative, but a thousand years ago when I was in college I tried to read Atlas Shrugged. Run away now, and you won't risk going into a coma.

Rand was a hardcore atheist, so it would definitely be "conservative".

Edited February 1, 2016 by SeanC

[jah1986]

I'm reading The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and enjoying it. 

I read that a while ago, in my opinion it's one of her best books. I think I loved this one and What Alice Forgot the most of all her books.

 

I also just finished reading Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I just loved it. What a quiet book but not boring at all.

[alias1]

Picked this one up from the library recently. I stopped reading when the male character (whose name I can't be bothered to remember because he's kind of loathsome) went to a writer's retreat. I can't take all of the "I was a golden child who could do no wrong, but now I'm aging! Gasp!" or "Look! This once enchanting person is actually a giant fail pile. Discuss!" And I love metaphor, but the flowery, pretentious language had me eye-rolling.

 

I'm reading The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and enjoying it. 

I really liked The Husband's Secret and, as someone else said, I think it's her best book. I was not a fan of Secrets and Lies.  Thanks for your take on Fates and Furies.  I find the language pretentious also.

 

 

I read Fates and Furies and thought it was well written which is not to say I liked it.  I am one of those people who prefers to read about people I would have lunch with however facile that may be.  Do carry on into the second part, though, because it's interesting to observe the events from the wife's point of view.

So many of the Amazon reviews said the same thing you did, that you must read the wife's point of view.  And I am just now starting that part.  Thanks for the encouragement.  I'll keep going.

Edited February 1, 2016 by SierraMist

[partofme]

I agree, I liked the Husband's Secret.  I also liked Big Little Lies and hated What Alice Forgot.

[Athena]

I agree, I liked the Husband's Secret.  I also liked Big Little Lies and hated What Alice Forgot.

 

This is good to know. I found What Alice Forgot OK. Not awful, but it didn't leave me wanting more from the author. I will have to try other things from Moriarty then.

[proserpina65]

I just finished Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller and really enjoyed it.  It's the second of her novels that I've read, and now I need to read her first two.  They're set in West Virginia coal country, and besides being great mysteries, they really show a sensitive yet realistic view of the devastation wrought by the coal companies and by their shutting down operations.

 

I'm just about to start Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Elvis Costello's reflection of his life, family and career.  I adore his music, and the book comes highly recommended, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Edited February 2, 2016 by proserpina65

[ulkis]

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold.  Science fiction, been hearing about it for years, hesitated because it's the first in a series and if I like it, I'll have to buy the others.  Mixed blessing.  Too early to say what it's about -- story starts on a planet other than Earth and there are conflicts.  Humans!  Can't take them anywhere!!

 

I first started reading the series two years ago after also hearing about it for years, and I liked the first couple of book but it really got going for me in "Brothers in Arms". Well, I also really liked "Barrayar" too but I didn't to that until later because I decided to read it in chronological publishing order.

 

I read her latest in the series "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen", and I quite liked it, but it's definitely very much a

can only read it if you read the others, book. I thought it was a nice post-script to the series.

[SeanC]

The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami:  This historical fiction is an imagined backstory for Estebanico, a Moroccan-born slave who was part of a Spanish expedition in Florida that saw all but four members perish; the three Spaniards all left their own accounts of the voyage.  Highly readable, though having finished it I wondered if Estebanico (or Mustafa, the name Lalami conjures for him) could have been given a bit more shading as a character.  Lalami uses his POV and the course of the voyage to offer what feel like very multifaceted takes on the Spaniards in the voyage (particularly how they become more like Mustafa's peers while in the wild for eight years, but on returning to Spanish civilization they gradually fall back into their old roles), but Mustafa kind of feels like a 21st century liberal as opposed to having attitudes, etc. more consistent with the backstory Lalami creates for him.  All the same, well worth reading.

[Deanie87]

My partner pointed out that I always read the same things: non-superhero comics,  and books about atheism and intersection feminism, so I asked friends who are more conservative/religious to give me book recommendations.  So there's some Ayn Rand on my bookshelf now along with a Donald Trump book about negotiation.  

 

I am starting to regret my decision.

 

You can try some of the novels by Marilynne Robinson, who is a writer and Christian, but not a Christian-writer, if that makes sense.  I recommended Gilead in this thread before.  Its a story told from the point of view of a minister who marries late and has a son.  The format is the books is really just advice and thoughts for his son, since he knows that he won't be there to see him grow up.   It isn't a quick or breezy read, as there isn't much dialogue and there are quite a few biblical references that went right over my head, but she is an extraordinary writer and I think its a very positive view of religion and the comfort that it can bring to people.   The novel takes place in the 40s or 50s, I think, but the main character also talks about his father who was an abolitionist and a zealot, so she sort of examines the less positive side of religion as well.  

 

I am not really a religious person at all (like I said, many of the references were not familiar to me), but I love this book and take every opportunity to recommend it!  She has written others, and two of them involve the same characters as Gilead, but that one is my favorite. Fun fact:  President Obama interviewed her about her writings and her take on religion and Christianity, and it was a really good interview.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Deanie87

[Athena]

You can try some of the novels by Marilynne Robinson, who is a writer and Christian, but not a Christian-writer, if that makes sense.  I recommended Gilead in this thread before.  Its a story told from the point of view of a minister who marries late and has a son.  The format is the books is really just advice and thoughts for his son, since he knows that he won't be there to see him grow up.   It isn't a quick or breezy read, as there isn't much dialogue and there are quite a bit of biblical references that went right over my head, but she is an extraordinary writer and I think it is a very positive view of religion and the comfort that it can bring to people.   The novel takes place in the 40s or 50s, I think, but the main character also talks about his father who was an abolitionist and a zealot, so she sort of examines the less negative side to religion as well.  

 

I am not really a religious person at all (like I said, many of the references were not familiar to me at all), but I love this book and it provides a nice ideal for how religion and spirituality should be.  

 

I am seconding this. I love Marilynne Robinson's writing. She is very literary, but very few writers capture people's inner dialogue, feelings, and internal life like she does. Gilead is the first in a series with characters who know each other. I have yet to read Lila, but that is mostly because I need to get into a certain mindset. The books are very introverted and introspective so her slow pace and pensive style are not for everyone.

[Deanie87]

I am seconding this. I love Marilynne Robinson's writing. She is very literary, but very few writers capture people's inner dialogue, feelings, and internal life like she does. Gilead is the first in a series with characters who know each other. I have yet to read Lila, but that is mostly because I need to get into a certain mindset. The books are very introverted and introspective so her slow pace and pensive style are not for everyone.

I know what you mean. These days I stick primarily with mysteries, but I swear I pick up a copy of Lila every 5th trip to the library in hopes that I will have the time to give it the focus and attention it really deserves. Maybe this summer, it will be a very ambitious beach read!

[alias1]

I read Fates and Furies and thought it was well written which is not to say I liked it.  I am one of those people who prefers to read about people I would have lunch with however facile that may be.  Do carry on into the second part, though, because it's interesting to observe the events from the wife's point of view.

I finished it, and boy, are you right about needing to read Part Two.  I don't think you can even rate this book unless you've read Part Two.  I'm kind of irritated at the reviews on amazon that rate the book even though they never finished it.  There should just be a rating of DNF (did not finish).  I would still only rate the entire book 3 stars because of the boring and pretentious first half.  The writing for Furies seems to me so much better than Fates that I wondered if there were actually two different people who wrote the book.  Amazing.

[Qoass]

Hah-- I'm even more annoyed by those people on Amazon who will review a DVD before it has even been released!  Sure, they saw the film already but they have absolutely no standing to comment on audio/visual quality, subtitles and extras.

 

ETA something on topic:  I'm reading The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin.  It's a true-life novel about Truman Capote, the author best known for the true life novel In Cold Blood.  It's pretty light lifting and I'm having fun reading with my fingers on Google Image to bring up photographs of the people in the story.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Qoass

[tenativelyyours]

I liked Swans of Fifth Avenue though ETA: I guess I did not understand what the book was actually about and so I am fixing this comment.

 

 

I just finished Richard Engel's new book And Then Hell Broke Loose.  I have a little crush on that hair of his and have always liked him when he was on Rachel Maddow either as a guest or as a field correspondent.  But I was really underwhelmed by this.  It reads more like a short handed history of the places he was reporting from as opposed to his own experiences.  There are some, but nowhere near enough.  And there are odd moments in the writing where he puts in some rather personal moments but as an almost after thought in terms of marriages and relationships.  And every so often a 'bought an apartment in ________, badly needed restoring' in the middle of talking about bombings and beheadings.  I did come to realize that he really comes from a place of rich peoples problems which crops up in some of his observations even as he lives in some rather primitive conditions. 

Edited February 6, 2016 by tenativelyyours

[Qoass]

 

I thought it focused a bit too much on Truman and Babe than I think it needed.  The other 'swans' seemed almost an afterthought and I so wanted to delve a bit more into them than just the gossip that they get.

 

I completely disagree!  This is a novel about a friendship and the rest of the swans were merely secondary characters in the story.  The afterward explains this and recommends a number of non-fiction sources that would give the reader more background on the rest.

[tenativelyyours]

Thanks.

Edited February 6, 2016 by tenativelyyours

[truthaboutluv]

So I started reading Silkworm, the follow-up to The Cuckoo's Calling. Yes, it took me forever to get through the latter and in the end I thought it was just okay, but I was willing to give the second one a try. I will start with the positive. I must say I find this one a much quicker and fast paced read than The Cuckoo's Calling. It's also far less wordy, which is a good thing. So that's the positive. Now for the not so positive. 

 

Another poster made the following comment in the Harry Potter series thread about Cormoran and the other characters and reading Silkworm so far, I absolutely agree. 

 

If there's one thing I find off-putting about Rowling's writing is that outside of the two main characters (Strike and Robin) she goes out of her way to make absolutely EVERY other character in the books as unlikeable and unpleasant.  I mean, every one of them.  Not to mention Strike and Robin constantly seem to be annoyed and judgmental about everyone they encounter and deal with.  It's a character trait I've noticed with Harry at times too and makes me wonder if that's how JK Rowling views many of the people she comes in contact with.  Annoying people who are often bitchy.

 

 

This is so accurate and it really is turning me off the book, especially since I have to say so far it's definitely been more Cormoran guilty of it than Robin who is not as present so far in the book. But my goodness, practically every character not Cormoran or Robin is pathetic, desperate, sad, a jerk, a try-hard, an asshole, etc. In just the first 20 chapters which is where I'm up to with the book, we've again been told how annoying and a tool Cormoran's sister's husband is, how even his sister is obnoxious, the divorcee she was clearly trying to set him up with is basically presented as desperate and pathetic, he pretty much is annoyed and slightly disdainful of the woman he hooks up with, the victim was a creepy and gross asshole and the ultimate that's really annoyed me, Robin's fiance is a desperate, money obsessed try-hard who is clearly threatened by her working with Strike and so of course there are issues in their relationship. 

 

I have said many times how not a fan I was of the pairings in Harry Potter and this just further cements to me that J.K. sucks at writing romance because she lacks ANY subtlety. It's so lazy and cheap to of course make the fiance an asshole and because of that, I stubbornly refuse to root for anything to happen between Strike and Robin. In my opinion Strike's a mess who probably needs therapy instead of a relationship and Robin doesn't particularly impress me much either. Her constant passive aggressive anger at something Strike says that she interprets in one way and rather than say how she feels or why she's upset, she just pouts or pulls a silent treatment is really off-putting. 

 

I am interested in the mystery and finding out who killed the writer but frankly I can do without that Robin and Strike nonsense or hell at this point, anything about their life that doesn't have to do with the case they're investigating. The final issue I have with this book and the previous one as well, is I feel like J.K. goes by the logic of throwing as many characters as possible to confuse the reader and therefore make the reveal of the killer shocking. Except all that does is annoy me because I'm spending half the time trying to remember who is who again and why they're in the story.