Weekly Reader Book Update

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Apropos of absolutely nothing, I WANT this bathing suit. 

It's time for the (kind of, sort of) Weekly Reader Book Update, where I tell you what I've been reading and you tell me what you've enjoyed OR hated. I should maybe do it more often, but, um, I keep forgetting. Sorry about that. If you've read any of these, tell me if you agree with my review. Have a great book you've been unable to put down this week? Lay it on me. I've linked every book to Amazon, but I don't make money off of it or anything. Just as a help to you. (If it is a help. Which maybe it isn't.)

Shut up, already, Carmen.

First up: Not My Daughter: Barbara Delinsky. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about 4 teenage girls who make a pact to get pregnant and how their mothers, best friends, cope with the fallout.

House Rules: Jodi Picoult. This book was AMAZING. It dealt with a kid with Asperger's  who is accused of committing a terrible crime - and it was eerie to me, how parts of his spectrum stuff mirrored a few of my kids. I DEVOURED this book. I read it in two days, avoiding laundry (what else is new, sigh) and staying up way too late. I made my mom read it as well. The reviews on Amazon tanked it, but whatever.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Stieg Larsson. I know it's not popular to say, but I canNOT get into this book. I downloaded the sample and I've read it three times. Each time, my eyes glaze over and I find myself daydreaming. Regardless, I shall endeavor to carry on and try, try AGAIN!

I've read samples of the following:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (Simonson) - this book has potential, real potential if you believe the reviews, but the beginning is so, so slow that I'm having a hard time downloading the rest of the book.

Love Walked In (de los Santos) - I WANTED to like this book. The reviews said it is awesome, but I am not feeling it after the first two chapters. I think I'll try again, and it might be one of those books - light, romantic fluff - that you just have to read to appreciate.

Every Last One (Quindlen) I plan to purchase this one - a story of a mom wrapped up in her three kids.

Me and Mr. Darcy (Potter) - light, fictional and fun - I plan to purchase this one.

Book of a Thousand days (Hale) - this was so so, although Mackenzie read it and said it was great. It's the story of a girl and her servant walled into a tower for 7 years as a punishment for declining a suitor.

The Red Thread (Hood) - I can't wait to read this fictional tale of a woman who runs an adoption agency for Chinese babies.

Comments

[Beth]

I'd love a chance at the giveaways - count me in!
Also, I just read a great book by a local author -- Regina Brett. Its called "God Never Blinks" and is just short stories of faith, written by her and what she's learned as a young, unwed, Catholic mother, growing up in a large, ethnic family, but defying the odds, going to college (yeah Kent State, my alma mater!), getting her dream job as a writer, finding love at 40, then fighting breast cancer just when her life started to really roll. Very inspiring.

[Patty M.]

Guess what...I cannot get into any of the books by this person: Stieg Larsson...sometimes, I wonder if it is that my brain has turned to mush.. I loved House Rules....I work with many people with Aspergers and Jodi got it perfectly.

[A Simple Twist of Faith]

The Red Thread sounds very interesting...another great fictional book about China is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See...it is about a life long friendship between two girls in the 1800s and describes mu shu, a secret language Chinese women used to communicate with each other. I could not put this book down!

[Jennifer W.]

oh, Carmen, I tried The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo twice before it stuck -- and when I got into it, it became one of those "stay up all night and read" kind of books. I loved it!
Keep going. It is totally worth it!

[kyooty]

Love that bathing suit. I haven't read a "book" in a while.

[Jen]

Keep chugging along on Dragon Tattoo...I couldn't get into it at all either, and once I did, couldn't put it down.

And same thing with the second one--the Girl who played with Fire. Had a hard time starting it, but it was awesome!

[Michelle]

LOVE to read your book reviews, thank you for writing it all down for us! As for Love Walked In, I had a hard time with it as well. Honestly, I don't think I ever finished it. The author's follow-up, though, is now one of my favorite books. It's Come with Me, and de los Santos' writing is absolutely lyrical and real and wonderful in it. The story moves more quickly than its predecessor, too.
PS - you would look amazing in that suit. It seems to fit your style and fashion sense.

[Michelle]

Ah, DUH, the de los Santos book I was talking about is called Belong to Me. Sorry!

[Rox]

I second Michelle's comment ... "Love Walked In" is tedious at times, but it ends up being a nice story and lays the background for "Belong to Me" -- which stands on its own just as well and is a truly wonderful read. I will re-read it, and I don't do that much.

[Elizabeth]

I've been reading mysteries alot lately. Just finished "The Murderous Procession" by Ariana Franklin. Enjoyed it quite a bit. It's the 3rd in a series but can be read out of order. Set in Mediviel times (Henry 2nd) in England with a woman doctor as the main character.

[Maureen]

I absolutely loved "Every Last One." Truly one of the best books I have read in a long time. You will not be disappointed.

[Jenn E]

I loved "Love Walked In"! and also the sequel "Belong to Me."

Get past the first 2 chapters. It's worth it.

[Jessica]

I am definately going to check some of these books out at my library, which is recently rediscovered, *squeels*
I love it when people post their own reading list and reviews. As for the Jodi Picoult novel, I had to take a break from her because of the endings. The Pact was the last book I read of hers, which was an amazing book. I a few others of hers and after reading the book of the child with the broken bone syndrome, and then all of the drama that they went through only to have a fatal ending was tragic in itself.

[blackwhitedogs]

absolutely loved "sarah's key"

[Azul]

I love that suit! Vintage styled bathing suits are my favorite, and they are soooo hard to find.

I'm bookmarking that site for the next time I have some extra spending money.

[Issa]

I loved Every Last One. Just finished it. Wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. but I loved it.

[Jill]

Reading Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life by Steve Almond. I can't put it down.

[Kathy]

I haven't read any of the books on your list so can't comment there. But I recently read World Without End by Ken Follett. It was the sort-of sequel - set 200 hundred years later - to Pillars of the Earth. I loved it!

[elz]

The Dragon Tattoo goes super slow at first, and gets really good (though graphic) at the end. The same thing happened with the second book- slow at the beginning, but it picked up much quicker.

[Kait]

I couldn't get in to Love Waked In either. Just didn't do it for me.

For funny, though somewhat inappropriate, read Lamb by Chris Moore. It's hilarious!

[charmingbitch]

I didn't realize I was reading out of order so I can't comment on the Dragon Tattoo but OMG The Girl Who Played With Fire by the same author is AWESOME. I cannot.put.it.down.

[Michele D]

I read The Reliable Wife. Very interesting. Hard to recommend because it is unusual and unless you know the person and there book style, you just can't say "you must read this". I loved Dragon Tattoo. I admit to skimming the long parts about the family history and descriptions of the country side (yawn). But had to get Fire when I finished Tattoo.I finished Kim Harrison's (book 8 in the series)Black Magic Sanction and enjoyed it. I am currently reading Caught by Harlan Coben and then have Into The Wilderness based on your recommendation. I love Claire and Jamie, so had to give Wilderness a go.

[amie]

Since reading the Outlander & Wilderness series (pl?). I am hooked on series. I have been reading Alexander McCall Smith's series of No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I resisted them at first but now I am smitten. The main character Mma Ramotswe is fanatastic. The stories are set in Botswana, a place I know very little about so that makes it interesting too.They are not big crime mysteries but sort of everyday life kind of issues. Started Reliable Wife & couldn't get into it- must be me bc it is very popular. Started Committed-omg-really did not like it. I loved her last book, Eat Love Pray but Committed was just too neurotic for me. Btw for Janet Evanovich fans, have u heard there is a movie in the works?

[Bridget]

I had vowed to just not get a new swimsuit this year. But danggit...I love that one!

[Angela]

Keep at it with Stieg Larsson...The Girl Who Played With Fire is even better than The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - he is an awesome writer - I've already reserved book 3! I'm sad there will be only 3.