Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.
Surprisingly, the pace of my reading has picked up appreciably. As of my birthday - Tuesday, August 22nd - I have finished a total of four books and two sum-doku puzzle books. Granted, I still haven’t found the book that I was looking for originally, but Mareena has managed to locate at least two books that she thinks that I will enjoy reading. One book is actually a reread for me from just over four years ago, and the other has been on my TBR pile for almost six years.
I have the distinct impression that the book that I’ve been looking for will actually take ages for me to find. Mareena told me that she was certain that it was on the bookshelf just outside my bedroom door, but when she looked for it at the same time that she found the other two books, it wasn’t there. Oh well, I’ll keep searching.
I just found out that 'The Exorcist' will be starting its second season on Friday, September 29th at 9:00 P. M. I'm delighted to see that the show was renewed and want to know where it goes from here. As far as I know, the two main characters are now traveling exorcists and will be dealing with a case somewhere in Seattle, Washington.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: at the beginning of the month - on Wednesday, August 2nd - I'm happy to say that I finished one puzzle book that I have had in my collection for just over a decade. I have also just finished another puzzle book about eight days ago. I immediately started another sum-doku puzzle on Friday, August 18th. As of yesterday - Wednesday, August 23rd - I’ve finished a total of 12 puzzles.
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Shelter Me: A Novel by Juliette Fay, which I finished on Tuesday, August 22nd. I immediately started reading Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat on the same day! According to Goodreads - as of Thursday, August 24th - I've read 152 pages out of 288 or 53 percent of the story.
Since my copy of Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat actually has 272 pages in it, reading 152 pages means that I've read 56 percent of the story. So far, this book is really good!
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Juliette Fay - Shelter Me: A Novel
Length: 432 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 15 August 2017
Finished: 22 August 2017
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2015
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Juliette Fay is a new author for me.
Janie LaMarche has recently lost her husband Rob in a biking accident. In the four months since his death, she has been balanced on the edge of an overwhelmingly emotional crisis - teetering from heartwrenching grief to blazing anger from day to day. However, her mourning is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a contractor with a building order to add a porch onto her house. Bewildered by his sudden arrival, Janie slowly realizes that the porch was actually meant to be a surprise from her husband - now his final gift to her.
As a reluctant Janie allows the construction to begin, she steadfastly clings to the familiarity of her sorrow - mothering her two small children with a fierce protectiveness, avoiding well-meaning friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is continuously breached by a motley crew of unlikely interventionists, all determined to break through her steely shell of grief. The cast of loving intermediaries includes: Janie's chatty Aunt Jude, for whom a stiff slug of ipecac solves everything; her over-manicured, tremendously nosy neighbor Shelly, whose home visits are so regular Janie can almost set her watch by them; her muffin-bearing cousin Cormac, who considers baked goods to be downright therapeutic; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.
So, as the porch begins to take shape, Janie discovers that the unknown terrain of the future is better charted a day at a time. And that any potential potholes she may encounter along the way are best navigated with the help of others - even those who she never expected to call on, much less learn to love.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it resonated with me: the story was well-written, the characters were entirely believable, and the plot was very well-developed. I'm going to be putting this author's name right at the top of my wishlist and would certainly give this book an A+!
A+! - (96-100%)
Janie LaMarche has recently lost her husband Rob in a biking accident. In the four months since his death, she has been balanced on the edge of an overwhelmingly emotional crisis - teetering from heartwrenching grief to blazing anger from day to day. However, her mourning is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a contractor with a building order to add a porch onto her house. Bewildered by his sudden arrival, Janie slowly realizes that the porch was actually meant to be a surprise from her husband - now his final gift to her.
As a reluctant Janie allows the construction to begin, she steadfastly clings to the familiarity of her sorrow - mothering her two small children with a fierce protectiveness, avoiding well-meaning friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is continuously breached by a motley crew of unlikely interventionists, all determined to break through her steely shell of grief. The cast of loving intermediaries includes: Janie's chatty Aunt Jude, for whom a stiff slug of ipecac solves everything; her over-manicured, tremendously nosy neighbor Shelly, whose home visits are so regular Janie can almost set her watch by them; her muffin-bearing cousin Cormac, who considers baked goods to be downright therapeutic; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.
So, as the porch begins to take shape, Janie discovers that the unknown terrain of the future is better charted a day at a time. And that any potential potholes she may encounter along the way are best navigated with the help of others - even those who she never expected to call on, much less learn to love.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it resonated with me: the story was well-written, the characters were entirely believable, and the plot was very well-developed. I'm going to be putting this author's name right at the top of my wishlist and would certainly give this book an A+!
A+! - (96-100%)
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
Saturday, August 19, 2017
I’m Still Looking For the Original Book That Was a Reread!
Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.
I'm beginning to think that I am taking one step forward and two steps back as regards the pace of my reading. Having said that, I've read one book for the third time; a new book, and one that has been on my TBR pile for over two years. I actually also have at least four other books on my radar at the moment, but I can't seem to decide which one to read next.
Granted two of the books are rereads for me, but I think the oldest one is from about twenty years ago. So, that's almost like reading an entirely new book. I'm just in the process of locating at least one of these two books.
I just found out three days ago that 'The Exorcist' will be starting its second season on Friday, September 29th at 9:00 P. M. I'm delighted to see that the show was renewed and want to know where it goes from here. As far as I know, the two main characters are now traveling exorcists and will be dealing with a case somewhere in Seattle, Washington.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: at the beginning of the month - on Wednesday, August 2nd - I'm happy to say that I finished one puzzle book that I have had in my collection for just over a decade. I'm delighted to say also that as of Wednesday, August 16th, I finished another one of my sum-doku puzzle books; I immediately started a fresh puzzle book on Friday, August 18th!
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab, which I finished on Monday, August 14th. I immediately started reading Shelter Me: A Novel by Juliette Fay on Tuesday, August 15th! This book has also been on my TBR pile for just over two years and I'm a little bit surprised that it’s taken me so long to read it.
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
I'm beginning to think that I am taking one step forward and two steps back as regards the pace of my reading. Having said that, I've read one book for the third time; a new book, and one that has been on my TBR pile for over two years. I actually also have at least four other books on my radar at the moment, but I can't seem to decide which one to read next.
Granted two of the books are rereads for me, but I think the oldest one is from about twenty years ago. So, that's almost like reading an entirely new book. I'm just in the process of locating at least one of these two books.
I just found out three days ago that 'The Exorcist' will be starting its second season on Friday, September 29th at 9:00 P. M. I'm delighted to see that the show was renewed and want to know where it goes from here. As far as I know, the two main characters are now traveling exorcists and will be dealing with a case somewhere in Seattle, Washington.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: at the beginning of the month - on Wednesday, August 2nd - I'm happy to say that I finished one puzzle book that I have had in my collection for just over a decade. I'm delighted to say also that as of Wednesday, August 16th, I finished another one of my sum-doku puzzle books; I immediately started a fresh puzzle book on Friday, August 18th!
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab, which I finished on Monday, August 14th. I immediately started reading Shelter Me: A Novel by Juliette Fay on Tuesday, August 15th! This book has also been on my TBR pile for just over two years and I'm a little bit surprised that it’s taken me so long to read it.
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Well, It's About Time...
Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.
I'm beginning to think that I am taking one step forward and two steps back as regards the pace of my reading. Having said that, I've read one book for the third time; a new book, and one that has been on my TBR pile for over two years. I actually also have at least four other books on my radar at the moment, but I can't seem to decide which one to read.
Granted two of the books are rereads for me, but I think the oldest one is from about twenty years ago. So, that's almost like reading an entirely new book. I'm just in the process of locating at least one of these two books.
I just found out yesterday that 'The Exorcist' will be starting its second season on Friday, September 29th at 9:00 P. M. I'm delighted to see that the show was renewed and want to know where it goes from here. As far as I know, the two main characters are now traveling exorcists and will be dealing with a case somewhere in Seattle, Washington.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: at the beginning of the month - on Wednesday, August 2nd - I'm happy to say that I finished one puzzle book that I have had in my collection for just over a decade. I'm delighted to say also that as of Wednesday, August 16th, I'm just about finished with another one of my sumdoku puzzle books. This was a book that I had started around Thursday, July 20th! I want to start doing a completely fresh puzzle book in another couple of days or so.
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab, which I finished on Monday, August 14th. I immediately started reading Shelter Me: A Novel by Juliette Fay on Tuesday, August 15th! This book has also been on my TBR pile for just over two years and I'm not that far into the story yet.
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
I'm beginning to think that I am taking one step forward and two steps back as regards the pace of my reading. Having said that, I've read one book for the third time; a new book, and one that has been on my TBR pile for over two years. I actually also have at least four other books on my radar at the moment, but I can't seem to decide which one to read.
Granted two of the books are rereads for me, but I think the oldest one is from about twenty years ago. So, that's almost like reading an entirely new book. I'm just in the process of locating at least one of these two books.
I just found out yesterday that 'The Exorcist' will be starting its second season on Friday, September 29th at 9:00 P. M. I'm delighted to see that the show was renewed and want to know where it goes from here. As far as I know, the two main characters are now traveling exorcists and will be dealing with a case somewhere in Seattle, Washington.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: at the beginning of the month - on Wednesday, August 2nd - I'm happy to say that I finished one puzzle book that I have had in my collection for just over a decade. I'm delighted to say also that as of Wednesday, August 16th, I'm just about finished with another one of my sumdoku puzzle books. This was a book that I had started around Thursday, July 20th! I want to start doing a completely fresh puzzle book in another couple of days or so.
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab, which I finished on Monday, August 14th. I immediately started reading Shelter Me: A Novel by Juliette Fay on Tuesday, August 15th! This book has also been on my TBR pile for just over two years and I'm not that far into the story yet.
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
Monday, August 14, 2017
Anna Jarzab - All Unquiet Things: A Novel
Length: 341 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 10 August 2017
Finished: 14 August 2017
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2015
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Anna Jarzab is a new author for me.
Carly was a sweet girl with a wonderful personality. She was pretty and popular; vivacious and funny. She was as smart as a whip and knew everything about the privileged student body of the Brighton Day School. As much as he still loves her, it's disturbing for Neily to see how much his girlfriend has changed: she has begun running with a much faster crowd, and become extremely self-destructive.
When she suddenly dumps him for a notorious bad boy, Neily is devastated. Bewildered and angered by Carly's strange behavior, he steadfastly doesn't answer the phone whenever she calls. However, what initially seems like a typical teenage reaction to a difficult breakup, becomes tinged with sadness and regret after Carly is murdered. Neily is ultimately wracked with grief and guilt for his own stubbornness.
If he had answered the call she had made before she died, he may have been able to help her. Now, he can't get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind. Desperately hoping to assuage some of the guilt he feels about her death, Neily reluctantly teams up with Carly's cousin Audrey to find her killer. After all, it is the last thing they can do to honor her memory.
Audrey is dealing with her own regrets over her cousin's death. She was the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton's fast crowd in the first place, and she will have to live with the consequences of that decision on her conscience for the rest of her life. Because Audrey is convinced of two things about Carly's death: someone at Brighton is obviously a murderer, and the police have put the wrong person in jail. So, she turns to Neily for help in finding Carly's killer.
As Neily and Audrey begin to investigate their shared history with Carly, her dealings with Brighton's seedier elements come to light. For the amateur sleuths, these are shocking revelations that lead them to wonder if Carly actually knew something that could have gotten her killed. However, figuring out how Carly and her killer fit together into the twisted drama of Brighton's secretive world will force the reluctant allies to face some harsh truths about themselves and the girl they couldn't save.
To be perfectly honest, I found some of the pettiness between the characters to be slightly annoying. Having said that, I still enjoyed reading the book. I would give this book a definite A!
A! - (90-95%)
If he had answered the call she had made before she died, he may have been able to help her. Now, he can't get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind. Desperately hoping to assuage some of the guilt he feels about her death, Neily reluctantly teams up with Carly's cousin Audrey to find her killer. After all, it is the last thing they can do to honor her memory.
Audrey is dealing with her own regrets over her cousin's death. She was the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton's fast crowd in the first place, and she will have to live with the consequences of that decision on her conscience for the rest of her life. Because Audrey is convinced of two things about Carly's death: someone at Brighton is obviously a murderer, and the police have put the wrong person in jail. So, she turns to Neily for help in finding Carly's killer.
As Neily and Audrey begin to investigate their shared history with Carly, her dealings with Brighton's seedier elements come to light. For the amateur sleuths, these are shocking revelations that lead them to wonder if Carly actually knew something that could have gotten her killed. However, figuring out how Carly and her killer fit together into the twisted drama of Brighton's secretive world will force the reluctant allies to face some harsh truths about themselves and the girl they couldn't save.
To be perfectly honest, I found some of the pettiness between the characters to be slightly annoying. Having said that, I still enjoyed reading the book. I would give this book a definite A!
A! - (90-95%)
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
Saturday, August 12, 2017
I Was Looking For the Original Book That Was a Reread For me!
Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.
I'm beginning to think that I am taking one step forward and two steps back as regards the pace of my reading. Having said that, I've read one book for the third time; a new book, and am currently reading a book that has been on my TBR pile for just over two years. I actually also have at least four books on my radar at the moment, but I can't seem to choose which one to read.
Granted two of the books are rereads for me, but I think the oldest one is from about twenty years ago. So, that's almost like reading an entirely new book. I'm just in the process of locating at least one of these two books.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: I'm happy to say that I finally finished one of my sum-doku puzzle books ten days ago, on Wednesday, August 2nd! This was a book that I started on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 - just over ten years ago! I have also done 82 sum-doku puzzles in the book that I'm currently working through.
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close, which I finished on Wednesday, August 9th. I started reading All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab on Thursday, August 10th. It's been a relatively quick read for me so far.
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
I'm beginning to think that I am taking one step forward and two steps back as regards the pace of my reading. Having said that, I've read one book for the third time; a new book, and am currently reading a book that has been on my TBR pile for just over two years. I actually also have at least four books on my radar at the moment, but I can't seem to choose which one to read.
Granted two of the books are rereads for me, but I think the oldest one is from about twenty years ago. So, that's almost like reading an entirely new book. I'm just in the process of locating at least one of these two books.
I'm immersing myself in sum-doku and sudoku puzzles as well: I'm happy to say that I finally finished one of my sum-doku puzzle books ten days ago, on Wednesday, August 2nd! This was a book that I started on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 - just over ten years ago! I have also done 82 sum-doku puzzles in the book that I'm currently working through.
As regards my own reading, the most recent book that I've read was Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close, which I finished on Wednesday, August 9th. I started reading All Unquiet Things: A Novel by Anna Jarzab on Thursday, August 10th. It's been a relatively quick read for me so far.
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Jennifer Close - Girls in White Dresses
Length: 294 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 7 August 2017
Finished: 9 August 2017
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 7 August 2017
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Jennifer Close is a new author for me.
Isabella, Mary, and Lauren have been best friends for most of their lives. They had initially met in college and later discovered that they had quite a bit more in common with each other than they had expected. As their friendship has gone on through the years, they have watched as everyone else around them has gotten married, started families, and found success in their chosen careers. However, the three college friends have consistently noticed that they are 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' as they struggle through young adulthood together.
As the women gather together to celebrate the good fortune of bride after bride, they find themselves evaluating their own lives and hoping for more in the future. As regularly as clockwork, they get together to ooh and ahh over the most inane bridal gifts; spend time reminiscing about events they would much rather forget; and drink champagne toasts by the case. They collect party favors by the dozens; eat endless trays of hors d'oeuvre; and cheerfully wear the most garish pastel dresses ever designed.
Meanwhile, these women are grappling with some major issues within their own lives that seem to transcend all the congratulatory celebrations that they attend each week. Isabella is stuck working in a dead-end job, Mary is dating a really nice guy whose mother is a stubborn perfectionist, and Lauren is waitressing at a mid-town bar and wondering why she finds the sleazy bartender so attractive. Amid various booze-filled family holidays, on-the-job flirtations, hungover bridal showers, and disastrous ski vacations, the women share the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life with each other.
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't quite sure how enjoyable this book would actually be for me. Mareena's friend had initially recommended Jennifer Close as an author to me - after having read and thoroughly enjoyed this particular book for herself. Since our tastes in reading are usually so different, I filed Jennifer Close in my 'Eh...Maybe' category. Mareena put this book on our wishlist about three years ago, and it literally just became available to request approximately a month ago.
Since this book arrived at a moment when I was wondering what to read next, I started it immediately. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. The story was well-written and remarkably easy reading for me. I would definitely give this book an A+!
A+! - (96-100%)
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
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