Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for January 2024 were. How did you start the year ?

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

January was a surprisingly great month for reading! I think it was all the cold weather. Even more surprisingly, there were no total duds in the mix.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is such a sweet story of friendship, loss, overcoming obstacles, and more. It's technically a middle-grade book, which I read for/with my kids' book club, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Written almost like a memoir, though fiction, this is set between the US and Kabul, Afghanistan. It follows the life of a young girl, forced out of her home by political changes to the government, and her return to the home she no longer knows as an adult.
I love Nadia Hashimi's poetic writing and story-telling style.


⭐⭐⭐
This wasn't my favorite - it's not quite Sci-Fi, but deals with time travel and a future where there are moon and satellite "countries" above earth. I would have enjoyed the story more if the characters had been developed more. It could have easily been twice as long, with more meat to the story.


⭐⭐⭐
This reads a little bit like a Robin Kimmerer non-fiction book, but felt a bit fluffier, for lack of a better word. It was somewhat light on the actual science of octopuses (*though I did learn it's "octopuses" not "octopi" so there's that).


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm a sucker for a beautifully written memoir. Korean-American Nicole Chung describes growing up in Oregon (adopted as an infant) and her life changes and tragedies during the pandemic.


⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the 4th book in the "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series. In these Japanese-translated stories, there's a cafe where one can go back in time. We follow the lives of all types of characters who go back in time and their reasons for travelling, despite the fact that they cannot change the past or future.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This has been my favorite of the year (so far). Set in Cyprus between the 1970s - current, this story toggles between two stories: one of a teenager in England and the other of her parents, one Turkish and one Greek, during the turmoil and civil unrest in Cyprus in the 70s.
My favorite parts are the chapters narrated by the family Fig Tree, which somehow weave everything together beautifully.


⭐⭐⭐
This one fell a little flat for me. It's a Japanese-translated dystopian novel about an unnamed Island and it's inhabitants, who deal with regular "disappearances". The Memory Police are out to enforce that the "disappeared" item gets destroyed and to hunt the few who somehow don't lose their memories.
I love the premise and idea, and enjoyed the writing and characters. I just wish there had been more actually happening, and more resolve in the end.

Lindsey wrote: "January was a surprisingly great month for reading! I think it was all the cold weather. Even more surprisingly, there were no total duds in the mix.

You really had a wonderful reading month, Lindsey ! Well done.

I'm sorry to see you didn't rate The Soul of an Octopus but I'm still going to keep it on my TBR list. You mentioned that it "This reads a little bit like a Robin Kimmerer non-fiction book". Which book was that? Braiding Sweetgrass If so, do you mean the style of writing?

Thanks. Again, congratulations on the nice start to 2024.

Here are the books I started 2024 with.


The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth by Dan Buettner
non fiction
Rate: 5/5 Excellent

Blue Zones are areas with lower rates of chronic diseases and a longer life expectancy. Not only do the people have longer life spans, but more importantly, they have longer health spans.
I this is the authors best book on the Blue Zones.

There is a really interesting section on Singapore. The newest Blue Zone ! It was engineered to be healthy unlike the other Blue Zones. Singaporeans now are the world’s longest disease free and have the longest life expectancy.

The book has lots of actionable tips. I think this is the authors best book so far on this topic.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Fiction
Rate: 1/5 - not for me

Let me be clear I am in the minority on this book. So take my review with the proverbial grain of salt.

The book takes place in England. The focus is on Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron & Ibrahim. They are pensioners who live in a retirement village. They have a club where they try to solve or perhaps just discuss old unsolved criminal cases. Suddenly there is a murder in the village so of course they jump at the chance to solve it. Good premise but poor execution, IMO. There are other murders and killers along the way that happen. But I found it all too convoluted and hard to follow. Honestly, by the halfway point I really didn't care who killed whom or why.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Non Fiction
Rate: 4/5 - exceeded my expectations

Cain explores the various traits associated with being an introvert or an extrovert . The U.S. views extroverts positively and introverts negatively. She explains why this is short sighted as introverts have a lot to offer.

I found the book thought provoking and I do recommend it.

Chemistry for Breakfast: The Amazing Science of Everyday Life by Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim
Non Fiction
Rate: 3/5 A good read

This is a very basic intro to chemistry. If you are like me and haven't thought about chemistry since your 7th grade class, this is for you. The tone of the book is lighthearted and fun. The author, who is a chemist, takes you through her day to show you how chemistry is relevant in your day to day activities.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for those that are looking for a very basic lighthearted intro to chemistry.


The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Fiction
Rate: 4/5 - Exceeded my expectations.

The novel is set in Ireland and revolves around the Barnes family. They have fallen on very hard times in the 2008 financial crisis. The story is told in sections which each family member giving their POV and revealing their own secrets and troubles. I thought the writing overall was very good.

My main complaint was the 150 page chunk that comes about a third of the way into the book where all punctations ceases when we hear from the wife/mother, Imelda. Her section is very interesting, but reading without punctuation was a chore for me. If not for this, it would have been a 5/5 star read.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are the books I started 2024 with.


[book:The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: ..."

I bailed on the Thursday Murder Club, despite the rave reviews.

John wrote:

"I bailed on the Thursday Murder Club, despite the rave reviews"

I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one, John. I thought I was just being a crank. :)

Alias - yes, Braiding Sweetgrass and also Gathering Moss. I found their styles of writing to be a bit similar. They both toggle effortlessly between scientific facts and personal anecdotes, and are both clearly passionate about nature/science/animals. I like how both authors make otherwise mundane topics (moss, octopuses) really interesting, and weave in their own personal narratives.

Lindsey wrote: "Alias - yes, Braiding Sweetgrass and also Gathering Moss. I found their styles of writing to be a bit similar. They both toggle effortlessly between scientific facts and personal anecdotes, and are..."

I'm passionate about those subjects, too. I should probably give Gathering Moss, Braiding Sweetgrass 2 Books Collection Set By Robin Wall Kimmerer a try. I do want to read An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us first, though.

Lindsey wrote: "January was a surprisingly great month for reading! I think it was all the cold weather. Even more surprisingly, there were no total duds in the mix. ..."

Lindsey, you've had a great beginning to the year!

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are the books I started 2024 with. ..."

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Rate: 1/5
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Non Fiction
Rate: 4/5

These two are on my TBR list. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed one of them.

I'm also going to check the library for Chemistry for Breakfast: The Amazing Science of Everyday Life by Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim. It sounds like fun.

I read three books in January:

The Gene: An Intimate History (non-fiction; 5-star) - I like this author's writing style. It's conversational and interesting. The author starts the topic with it's history and travels through the years telling of discoveries and implicatons.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis (non-fiction; 4-star) - another wonderful book. The author describes the wetlands, their flora and fauna and why they are so important to the World and need to be preserved.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Reading Claudius: A Memoir in Two Parts (non-fiction; 3-star) - an interesting enough memoir. Part 1 tells of her parents' history in Prague during WWII; Part 2 tells of her upbringing and research into the family's past. Interesting but I didn't feel a connection to her or her story.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

January is a good month for me. I enjoyed some of my books, as I only read 3 novels and 1 other book. I'm new here and I would love to share my readings with you guys. I'm happy to know what you guys read this January. It's so nice to meet new readers and learn about their favorite books!

So here are some of my readings!


Room to Dream
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- This one is my favorite book this month and also I enjoyed reading it:)

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
⭐⭐⭐
- This one is good but I don't think I will continue the next series

Landline
⭐
- It's my first book this month that I did not finish reading it.

Hello everyone! For the month of January, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr. For my full review, go here.

So basically, this book is about a basketball playing high school girl named Nancy who is trying to navigate her last year of high school and figure out her future while adjusting to her friend/crush Raina and her mom living with her and her dad. Despite having one really cheap moment and the basketball scenes not being very enjoyable due to an overreliance on context-free technical terms, this book was still a wonderful read. The characters are all quite well developed and enjoyable (including Nancy, Raina, and Nancy's dad), the serious and complex topics like racism and such are handled with a ton of grace and nuance, and the ending is satisfying while keeping in line with its grounded and down to earth tone. In other words, in spite of its flaws, I still seriously recommend this.

Rating: A-

Next was The Beast of Loughby Island by Matt Doyle. I wrote a whole review on it, which you can read here.

To make a long story short, a guy named Tom gets dumped on an island by the Atkins family who don't like who they view to be "resource abusers" and werewolf stuff happens. One thing to note is that this book is quite short. Like, only about one hundred and twenty-one pages short. For the most part, I think this book utilizes its short length really well. It's bursting out the seams with creativity (especially when it comes to its take on werewolves and how it does certain character arcs) and compelling characters like Dougie and the Atkins family, and it does a mind blowingly great job at keeping things moving and keeping the reader reading. That being said, it does have it shares of issues, including the vast majority of the islanders being ungodly stupid to the point of being frustrating, the method in which the Atkins family uses to try and achieve their goal of dealing with those they view as "resource abusers" making no sense, and certain words looking corrupted for some reason. Thankfully, these issues did not completely ruin the book for me and if you love werewolves, give it a go!

Rating: B

Another book I read was Stockholm Syndrome by Miranda MacLeod. I go more in-depth into what I thought about it here.

A miscommunication between a spy and a temp happens. Spy-jinks ensue. This is a book that started out really well, but really lost steam as it went on. Don't get me wrong. It has its strong points, like the adorable dynamic between Leigh the spy and Amanda the temp and how it manages to make the unbelievable premise feel believable and make tropes that I normally hate actually work. But, the ending is rather wishy-washy, it gets a gun-related fact about Sweden extremely wrong, and there are moments where the writing just got really, really lazy. It's not the worst I've read, I'll admit, but there's much better romance and spy books out there.

Rating: C+

The final book was The Exotic Shapeshifter by Tessa Charleigh. My full review can be read here.

A lot happens in this book, so it's kind of hard to pin down the plot and the blurb doesn't really help much either. But basically, it involves shapeshifters trying to find certain members of their family. You know what really shocks me? The fact that a book this awesome has barely been given any attention. No, seriously. This really blew me away. While I wish Chase and Angela (the main characters and narrators) would've been allowed to gain one new form and improve their combat skills, this is a book in which it's really clear that this was a story the author had been dying to tell all their life and just went hog wild when they got their chance. The characters were very likeable and very interesting and they even managed to pleasantly surprise me at times. Honestly, it was very hard not to get invested in them. Also, this book honestly has one of the best shapeshifting systems I've ever seen. Not only did it clearly have a lot of thought and effort put into it, but it's very much in line with the realistic tone of the book. Oh and if you ever want to know how to start a story, read this book because boy do those first two chapters nail it. I really cannot sing this book's praises enough and I'm really excited to read the next entry.

Rating: A

Overall, a very solid reading month for me and an awesome start to the year!

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of January, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr. For my full review, go here.

So basically, this book is about a basketb..."

Great going, Hailey!

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of January, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr. For my full review, go here.

So basically, this book is ..."

Thank you, Kiki!

Lindsey wrote:
post 7
"Alias - yes, Braiding Sweetgrass and also Gathering Moss. I found their styles of writing to be a bit similar. They both toggle effortlessly between scientific facts and personal anecdotes, and are..."

I know a few here have loved Braiding Sweetgrass. I really should put it on my TBR list. Thanks for the quick reply, Lindsey.

Petra wrote: "I read three books in January:
Post 10
Post 11

The Gene: An Intimate History (non-fiction; 5-star) - I like this author's writing style. It's conversational and interesting. The author starts the ..."

A nice month, Petra.

Just to clarify, I did not enjoy The Thursday Murder Club

I've been hesitant to read The Gene: An Intimate History. First, 600 pages is a lot. Also I don't know if it would so detailed that much would sail over my head.

Patricia wrote: "January is a good month for me. I enjoyed some of my books, as I only read 3 novels and 1 other book. I'm new here and I would love to share my readings with you guys. I'm happy to know what you gu..."

Glad you joined us, Patricia !

You had a nice month with only one that you didn't like.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of January, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr. For my full review, go here.

So basically, this book is about a basketb..."

All in all a solid month, Hailey. Well done.

Lindsey wrote: "January was a surprisingly great month for reading! I think it was all the cold weather. Even more surprisingly, there were no total duds in the mix. ..."

That speaks volumes in itself, Lindsey. What a great start to this reading year. I'm charmed every time you mention the fig tree in Elif Shafak novel. It seems such a graceful idea.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on what you've read here.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are the books I started 2024 with....[deb edited]...
Let me be clear I am in the minority on this book. So take my review with the proverbial grain of salt.: ..."

As i've mentioned elsewhere, i can see why the book failed you, Alias. However, it's great that it was the only clunker on your list. What a fruitful beginning to the year!

January was a good month for me. I got through 4 books, which is a lot more than I've been doing. Here's what I read:



The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
3.75 Stars (rounded up for GR)

This was a cute, fun read. The characters were likable and the story moved along well.

~~**~~**~~**


Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
3 Stars

I honestly don't know how this has a 4.12 star rating on Goodreads. The premise is good, but the book was just not that great. It's a VERY slow read and a lot of it dragged on and repeated itself. I was really hoping for more out of it, but it let me down.

~~**~~**~~**


Killer Nurse: The Harrowing True Story of One Woman's Murder Spree in an East Texas Town by John Foxjohn
5 Stars

I really enjoyed this one. It helped that I was familiar with the dialysis process. There were a couple of things that irked me, one was the repeating of details. But I guess that's understandable to help explain to those that don't understand the process.

~~**~~**~~**


Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry
5 Stars

Wow! Just wow! I don't think I've ever read a more heart wrenching book. It actually made me cry, which books don't usually do. The last 25% tore my heart apart. It makes you think about how you'd act in a situation like the events that happen in the book. The ending was not what I was expecting, especially the last chapter before the epilogue.

Lindsey wrote: "This is the 4th book in the "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series. In these Japanese-translated stories, there's a cafe where one can go back in time. We follow the lives of all types of characters who go back in time and their reasons for travelling, despite the fact that they cannot change the past or future."

I have the first one on my wishlist. It sounds like an interesting book. I've read a couple of light time travel books that I've enjoyed.
Oona Out of Order is one of my favorites.

Petra wrote: "I read three books in January: ..."

Petra, interesting reading month for you. I'm pleased to see you liked the PAnnie Proulx as i did. It was full of material i didn't know and led me to a better understanding of how significant they are to the planet. Previously, i just thought of bogs as good archeological findings. Ok, not exactly, but enough.

I'm glad you shared with us about these three.

Patricia wrote: "January is a good month for me. I enjoyed some of my books, as I only read 3 novels and 1 other book. I'm new here and I would love to share my readings with you guys. I'm happy to know what you gu..."

Patricia, thanks for sharing about the books you read this month. Unlike you, i finished reading Landline--Rainbow Rowell. You were smart to not finish. *sigh*

Alias Reader wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of January, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr. For my full review, go here.

So basically, this book is ..."

I agree, Alias. If a C+ is the worst book out of the bunch, I'm doing pretty good. Hoping February is a good reading month too.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of January, I read four books.

The first book I read was The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr. For my full review, go here...."

You have more patience than i would have, due to the basketball jargon. While i understand this would click for fans, what about other readers, there for a different aspect of the story? Good point made, Hailey.

I liked reading some of the details of complaint you had about each book. You make good points about many. I suppose you are looking at the books as an author might, one who learns and observes in this way. It's neat to witness from my vantage point.

Thank you for sharing the full reviews, Hailey. They are a pleasure to read.

Great reads Alias!

I have both Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest on my TBR and hope to read this year. Glad to see you enjoyed them!

Petra wrote: "I read three books in January:

Thanks for sharing Petra!
I've added The Gene: An Intimate History to my TBR :)

Patricia wrote: "January is a good month for me. I enjoyed some of my books, as I only read 3 novels and 1 other book. I'm new here and I would love to share my readings with you guys. I'm happy to know what you gu..."

Welcome Patricia! Thanks for sharing.
I've heard of Kelly Yang, though I haven't read one of hers (yet!)
She seems to have quite the fan base.

Lindsey wrote: "January was a surprisingly great month for reading! I think it was all the cold weather. Even more surprisingly, there were no total duds in the mix.

It looks you read The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. Correct me if I'm wrong. I also read The Memory Police, Lindsey, but it was in 2019. I liked it a good deal better than you did. In fact I gave it five stars which is something I do rarely. My review is on my blog at https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...

So I had a different perspective on this book. The Memory Police was important to me.

Alias Reader wrote: "I've been hesitant to read The Gene: An Intimate History. First, 600 pages is a lot. Also I don't know if it would so detailed that much would sail over my head...."

Alias, there's a lot of history in those 600 pages. The author goes right back to the first thoughts on heredity (noticing that children had some of the same characteristics as their parents and wondering why) to today's genetic research. It's taken step by step through the ages, so it's not overwhelming.
I found it built nicely on information given as the book went along.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "J
Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry
5 Stars

Wow! Just wow! ..."

This one sounds emotional. I've heard a few good comments on it and have it on my radar. Thanks for reminding me of it.

Lindsey wrote: "I've added The Gene: An Intimate History to my TBR :)"

My job is done then. LOL!
Seriously, though.....I do hope you enjoy the book. I enjoy this author's writing.

Here are mine - good a place as any to mention that this year might have several three-star reviews as I'm clearing my TBR of some titles I've had doubts about after adding ...

Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World by Mary Beard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases and the Mystery of Medicine by Brendan Reilly ⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Mighty and Their Fall by Ivy Compton-Burnett ⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love by Fran Hawthorne ⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

~*Kim*~ wrote:
post #22

Killer Nurse: The Harrowing True Story of One Woman's Murder Spree in an East Texas Town by John Foxjohn
5 Stars

I really enjoyed this one. It helped that I was familiar with the dialysis process. There were a couple of things that irked me, one was the repeating of details. But I guess that's understandable to help explain to those that don't understand the process..."

Congratulations on a great start to the year, Kim. Two five star reads. Nice !

I'm passing the nurse book title to a friend of mine. It sounds exactly like the type of book she would enjoy. Thanks!

Shomeret wrote:
post 31
It looks you read The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. Correct me if I'm wrong. I also read The Memory Police, Lindsey, but it was in 2019. I liked it a good deal better than you did. In fact I gave it five stars ..."

I chose the genre label Dystopian Science Fiction.

Excellent review, Shomeret !

I like that label. I think I would me more apt to read something with that label rather than magical realism, fantasy or Scfi.

Thank you for the Wiki link explaining the phrase that Japanese people say "Shikata ga nai" .

I hear a lot about stoicism as I've read a most of Ryan Holiday books and listen to his podcast. I've never heard it connected to the Japanese. It was very interesting to read the article. Thanks !

Re: The Gene: An Intimate History

Petra wrote:
post #32
"Alias, there's a lot of history in those 600 pages. The author goes right back to the first thoughts on heredity (noticing that children had some of the same characteristics as their parents and wondering why) to today's genetic research. It's taken step by step through the ages, so it's not overwhelming.
I found it built nicely on information given as the book went along.
.."

Thank you for the follow-up answer, Petra. That does sound like it is more accessible. I'll add it to the old TBR Mountain.

John wrote:
post-- #35
However, if you're not big on history featuring names and dates, I can highly recommend Beard's book on Pompeii to see how she's earned her reputation. She makes history "come alive" as the saying goes..."

However, if you're not big on history featuring names and dates, I can highly recommend Beard's book on Pompeii to see how she's earned her reputation. She makes history "come alive" as the saying goes.

Thank you for the mentioning this author, John. I first heard of her when her book SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome hit the bestseller lists.

I thought since I didn't have any background on this Roman history, I the book might be too confusing for me.

I did purchase a few Roman history type books last year when Amazon did the 2x points reward.

Since you gave her high marks, I'll check out The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard

Thanks !

~*Kim*~ wrote: "January was a good month for me. I got through 4 books, which is a lot more than I've been doing. Here's what I read:



The Unhoneymooners by..."

The Unhoneymooners sounds like one I'd like when looking for a lighter, fun read. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Kim.

Alias Reader wrote: "Patricia wrote: "January is a good month for me. I enjoyed some of my books, as I only read 3 novels and 1 other book. I'm new here and I would love to share my readings with you guys. I'm happy to..."

Yes! Thank you so much:)

So many interesting sounding books in this thread! Here are my reads from Jan 2024:

Homegoing (4 stars)
This was mostly a really good book--the first two-thirds was rich and nuanced, with interesting characters that felt like real people. In the last third, the characters' arcs seemed to serve primarily to illustrate predetermined concepts/scenarios. It also became clear how the story was going to end and, from that point on, the narrative just seemed contrived...like being herded down a path I'd already seen coming and didn't particularly want to go. An unfortunate ending to a very strong beginning, but overall still worth reading.

Rules of Civility (4 stars)
It's been described in several reviews as a fairy tale, which does it a disservice. To me, this book is about the different ways people try to get to where they want to be, and who they want to be, in life. Some make a beeline for what they want, some discover themselves along a circuitous route, some try to take shortcuts, and some cut all ties to reinvent themselves. The connecting thread: the interplay between individual agency and chance. I didn't feel a strong connection to the main character, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book, and would've given it 3.5 stars but for a particular passage that made the book for me and earned it the 4 stars.

Prophet Song (5 stars)
To realize one day that you no longer recognize the world you live in; to be confronted with impossible choices in the face of utter powerlessness; to hold on desperately to those you love and yet have them be ripped away; to understand that the hope you had been clinging to was really denial.... Prophet Song was, in a word, gut-wrenching. The writing style is unconventional but not impenetrable, and I found it well worth the extra focus/effort. This is the book that won't let me go--two weeks after having finished it, I'm still thinking about it, still re-reading my favorite passages and loving them more each time.

The Celebrants (2 stars)
I had hoped this would be the heartwarming and uplifting read I needed after Prophet Song. It had a great premise and I was even the target demographic, but it ended up being a disappointment. The biggest problem for me was the two female characters. They were such clumsy, bro-ish conceptions of women that I imagined the author thinking, "Gotta have one of those caring, nurturing, maternal types, which means the other one has to be the emotionally repressed career woman, amirite?" The rest of the characters were better, but not enough to save the book.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "January was a good month for me. I got through 4 books, which is a lot more than I've been doing. Here's what I read:



The Unhoneymooners by..."

I'm glad to hear you had a good reading month, Kim. I'll have to check out Saving Noah some time.

Alias Reader wrote: "Petra wrote: "I read three books in January:
Post 10
Post 11

The Gene: An Intimate History (non-fiction; 5-star) - I like this author's writing style. It's conversational and inter..."

I've been seeing The Thursday Murder Club a lot lately, including in my Goodreads recommendation feed, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't been curious about it.

If you don't mind me asking Alias, what in particular didn't work about it for you?

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are the books I started 2024 with.

I have The Thursday Murder Club, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, and The Bee Sting on my TBR list.

I started Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking a while ago but got busy and didn't finish it. I've been meaning to come back to it and am glad to hear you enjoyed it.

The Thursday Murder Club was recommended to me by a friend from work. Now I'm very curious to find out if I'll like it!

Petra wrote: "I read three books in January:

The Gene: An Intimate History (non-fiction; 5-star) - I like this author's writing style. It's conversational and interesting. The author starts the ..."

The Gene: An Intimate History sounds very interesting--I've added it to my TBR list. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Petra!

Joy wrote:
post 42
"So many interesting sounding books in this thread! Here are my reads from Jan 2024:
"

Joy, congratulations on a wonderful January. We seem to be on the same page when it comes to the books we are reading.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Homegoing (4 stars)
I read this author's other book, Transcendent Kingdom and loved it. I gave it 4/5 stars.


Rules of Civility by Amor Towles Rules of Civility (4 stars)
Rules of Civility was my least favorite Amor Towles. I gave it a 2/5

I also read his A Gentleman in Moscow
I thought it was good. However, it got a bit tedious. Maybe it should have been edited down. 3/5

However, Towles The Lincoln Highway was a solid 5/5 for me. I loved it.

Prophet Song (5 stars)
Even though I am so not a fan of "unconventional writing style" Your review convinced me to still give this one a chance.

The Celebrants (2 stars)
I totally agree. I was so disappointed because I really enjoyed the audio of his The Guncle. I still plan on reading his next one The Guncle Abroad when it is published in May of 2024

Thanks again for sharing your reviews.

Re: The Thursday Murder Club

Hailey wrote:
post #44
If you don't mind me asking Alias, what in particular didn't work about it for you?"

Here was my review.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Shomeret wrote: " I liked it a good deal better than you did. In fact I gave it five stars which is something I do rarely. My review is on my blog at https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...

So I had a different perspective on this book..."POST 31

It would be my suggestion that you read Shomeret's review. Soon after i read Memory Police, i read her review and found thoughts i hadn't considered as i read. This resulted in examining my ideas about the book again.

John wrote: "Here are mine - good a place as any to mention that this year might have several three-star reviews as I'm clearing my TBR of some titles I've had doubts about after adding ......"POST 35.

As always, John, i appreciate the way you review your books. When you find them worthwhile, you compliment them well. When they've failed you, the facts are stated and you urge the reader to decide. It's wise, as none of us read books with the same eyes/history/thoughts.

I am still particularly called to Mary Beard, thanks to you.