What are we reading Jan-June 2024

Please add books, comments and ratings if you would like to!

I've declared 2024 the YOBB (Year of Big Books) as I intend to get through some of the larger tomes that have been on my TBR shelves for a while. So far, I've read 14 of the 731 pages of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.

>2 LynnB: Great idea, Lynn!

In contrast, I will probably start 2024 with a short book, likely a graphic novel. I'm thinking A Man and His Cat, Vol. 8, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel).

I'm halfway through three books,
The Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice, a historical fiction about the free mixed-race French people in the 1840. The style is full of flourishes but it's really interesting.

Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates, recommended by LynnB. I had actually tried to start an Everyday Sexism initiative at work, based on Bates's initial idea, but it was too controversial. 10 years later this book comes out and it's more relevant than ever. Truly disturbing but Bates does an amazing job of pulling all the strings together.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake, a WWII novel set half in London, half in a sleepy Massachusetts town. The writing is very strong even if the story a bit slow to unfold.

>2 LynnB: You can join us here if you need a bit of support!
https://www.librarything.fr/ngroups/24196/2024-BIG-FAT-BOOK-CHALLENGE

Loved A Man and His Cat, Vol. 8 and immediately requested Volume 9 from the library. While I wait for it, I've started Les poisons de la couronne, by Maurice Druon.

>2 LynnB: looks interesting! But I can't post??

>7 LynnB: Are you talking about the BFB group? Did you formally join? I don't think you can post if you haven't joined.

I'm a little over half way thru Alexander Hamilton but have had to put it aside for library book deadlines and book club reads. I'm starting Pornography War: The Past, Present, and Future of America's Obscene Obsession by Kelsy Burke

Just started a hefty biography of Mal Evans, the Beatles' roadie: Living the Beatles Legend, by Kenneth Womack. It has holds on it at the library, so I might have to read it in two goes (for reasons of time, not for lack of interest).

Finished my current bus book, Les Poisons de la couronne, by Maurice Druon. Now I'm changing genres and languages with Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones.

I'm reading Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

Oops! In the process of reviewing and posting two books right now. I usually only post my Canadian reads here, but this is the other one!

Fayne / Ann-Marie MacDonald
3 stars

In the late 19th century, 12-year old Charlotte lives with her father at Fayne (in Scotland or England). Her mother died in childbirth and her brother died when she was young, as well (Charlotte does not remember her brother). Charlotte is extremely smart and her father hires a tutor for her (who is initially perturbed that he was brought to tutor a girl). She wants to attend university.

This did not turn out as I’d expected. It was very long and I’m rating it ok. There were parts I liked (more toward the beginning of the book), but whenever we switched perspectives, I felt like I was starting over (even though after the first couple of times, we were mostly going back and continuing from where the last switch left off), and wasn’t interested for the first bit (of every switch). It took time to get interested again, but just as that happened, we switched again.

So, the other perspective is Charlotte’s mother. I honestly didn’t find this nearly as interesting, overall, as Charlotte herself. Though, after a bit, I was interested (then… switch!). Clarissa (Charlotte’s aunt) was a piece of work, wow! I didn’t like her from the start. The end was a bit weird: Did Charlotte live to about 140 years old!?

I'm reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I've finished Sans feu ni lieu by Fred Vargas, one of my favourite French detective fiction writers.

I've also picked up the small book Histoires jamais entendues dans un sushi bar au Japon par Masayo Kokonoke, a series of short stories.
It's part of a travelling series called Histoires jamais entendues (insert typical location of a country here); so far there are 5 countries: Japan, Nepal, Ireland, Spain and Brazil. Several other countries are planned, including Canada. The books are written by authors from the country. My daughter and I were so delighted by the idea that we bought all 5 in the series in a floating barge bookstore in Paris - one of the most unique and lovely bookstores I've ever been in. I recommend it: https://www.penichelibrairie.com/

I'm reading The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes.

I've switched from fantasy to crime with Mystery Man, by Colin Bateman. A friend picked this up for me at a used bookstore in Toronto because it was on my to-read list and the library didn't have it.

I'm starting Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

I finished Maximum City Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist around 2005. Well-deserved: his writing and ability to bring the city to life is outstanding.

I'm reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Hankering for a re-read, so I pulled an Agatha Christie off the shelves: Easy to Kill (aka Murder Is Easy).

I've finished The Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice, a historical novel about Creole society in New Orleans, right after the Louisiana Purchase. Very interesting and, of course with Rice, high in colour and drama.

I've started A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George, my first book from this author. My dad loved it, and he doesn't read much, so I'm looking forward to it. It's a 700 page door stop so I'll have time to settle in!

I'm re-reading The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver for a book club.

I am about to re-read The Way the Crow Flies by one of my favourite authors, Ann-Marie MacDonald for a book club discussion.

What Strange Paradise / Omar El Akkad
4 stars

Amir is a 9-year old Syrian boy who survives a shipwreck. Everyone else to be seen has washed up on shore, dead. He is on an island, but doesn’t know where he is, nor does he understand the language. When two men see him and point and shout, Amir gets scared and runs. He runs into Vanna, 15-years old and though they are unable to communicate verbally, she hides him.

The story then shifts to “Before”, which brings us up to date on how Amir got where he is. We go back and forth between Amir’s before and “After”. Much of after is told from Vanna’s POV, but occasionally we switch to the POV of a colonial who is dead set on finding Amir, the little boy who ran away.

Given that it’s (primarily) from a 9-year old’s POV, it took a bit to figure out what was going on through much of the story. I am still not sure I understand the ending. But it was a “good” (powerful) story, even so.

>27 LibraryCin: I work with El Akkad's mom and got a signed copy (my little boasting moment!). Like you, I didn't so much enjoy it as I found it powerful and though-provoking.

I finished Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman. It was a good story. I enjoyed Dr. Delaware's psychoanalyses but the intrigue was plodding: I definitely was not sitting on the edge of my seat since I figured out the denouement fairly easily.

>28 Cecilturtle: Oh, that's pretty cool you work with his mom!

I planned on reducing my tbr pile but I bought three more books while I was out today so that's not about to happen right away.

I was invited to a book club this year so I'm reading for that. Right now it's Hag-Seed (my pick), Atwood's retelling of The Tempest and after that it's The Silent Patient which I'm not familiar with.

My friend and I are also reading through Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb series as it was recommended to him based on a book he's writing. We're both literature nerds so it's fun to read and compare. We've read through Gideon and Harrow, and I'm waiting for Nona the Ninth to arrive at the library. Not my favourite in terms of writing, but the discussions we've been having about what might be going on (especially in Harrow) have been fun. Science Fantasy I've heard it called, genre wise.

And the books I picked up recently are Annihilation (the movie was really neat so reading the book), No Longer Human (I saw a Junji Ito manga based on this but I'm not much of a manga reader), Slaughterhouse Five (because I haven't read it yet) and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman because I wanted another Murakami book.

Oh, and the previous book club book we read was The Personal Librarian. I got an audio copy and really enjoyed it. It's a fictionalized account of the life of Belle da Costa Greene, the librarian for the J. P. Morgan library in New York. I had no idea who she was at the start and found the politics and art scene in New York at the time to be interesting.

I'm starting the Canada Reads shortlist with The Future by Catherine Leroux

I finished Seeing Others by Canadian-American Michèle Lamont with the subtitle: How Recognition Works and How it Can Heal a Divided World.
I was a little disappointed that Lamont didn't draw more on the Canadian model - it's all very US focused. It tries to present various points of view and in doing so, muddles the main message. It's very narrow in scope but with wildly broad approach. In short, I didn't love it, but I agree that it's important to apply a sociology lens to modern problems and not just an economy one.

>30 WeeTurtle:

You have misspelled Tamsyn and therefore have created a dead link to her author page.

As usual, I'm doing very little reading, as I'm just too busy with everything (work, my dog and her sports and a big reno at my house). I did manage to finish
A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman, which I really enjoyed
and Not Dark Yet by Peter Robinson, which I liked, but it made me sad again that there will be no more Inspector Banks novels.

I'm reading Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune for Canada Reads

About to start my third Canada Reads books, Shut Up You're Pretty, a collection of short stories by Tea Mutonji.

I'm continuing my Canada Reads pentathlon with Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

Finishing up the Canada Reads finalists with Denison Avenue by Christina Wong, illustrated by Daniel Innes

>33 librorumamans: Fixed.

Last couple reads were pretty quick but slowing down now as Nona is less interesting than Muir's other two books and Replay is fairly dense, though interesting enough.

I'm really enjoying Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series. I finished the second one The Man Who Died Twice the other day and have already requested the 3rd on in the series from our local library. My workplace is very stressful right now and I'm also in the middle of a major kitchen/dining room renovation so these light, humorous reads are just perfect right now.

I'm reading Culloden: Battle & Aftermath by Paul O'Keefe

I'm finishing Suites inoubliables by French-writing Japanese Akira Miubayashi. It's a multilayered love story which weaves through 3 generations with a beautiful cello and a love of music that ties it all together. I really want to love it but I find the style stiff and descriptive: I don't feel connected to the characters at all. The plot and themes, however, are quite original.

I'm reading The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff.

I'm reading The Forgotten Garden by one of my favourite authors, Kate Morton

I've just started The Half-Life of Happiness by John Casey

Somewhere in France / Jennifer Robson
4 stars

Lady Elizabeth is in her early 20s(?) and has not had a real education, although she would have loved that. She is expected to marry, be a wife, and mother. When her brother’s friend, Robbie from university, visits, “Lilly” is swept away. But he is far below her “station”, and her mother sends him packing (with a lie Lilly doesn’t know about). Lilly thought they were getting along very nicely and was very disappointed Robbie left without a word.

WWI arrives, and Edward (Lilly’s brother) heads to war, and Lilly learns that Robbie is a doctor and has gone to France to perform surgeries on wounded soldiers at the front. Lilly wants so badly to help, but is forbidden by her mother. She finds a way to secretly learn to drive, and when things blow up with her parents, she leaves to live with her former tutor in London. From there, she manages to get a job driving an ambulance in France to help shuttle soldiers from when they were wounded to the makeshift hospitals.

This was also a romance, which is not usually my thing, but I got swept away in this one. I really liked it. I really liked both Lilly and Robbie. And it was interesting to learn about the women ambulance drivers in the war. The author’s father was a historian with an interest in the two world wars.

I'm re-reading...after more than a decade....Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald, one of my top three fiction books of all time.

FYI, the other two are The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley

My book club has put off our discussion of Fall on Your Knees, so I'm going to put it aside for a week or so. I'm reading The First Day of the Rest of My Life by Cathy Lamb

The Books section of Le Monde this week devotes two pages to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the cover article a review of a new translation of Emily of New Moon, and on page three another arguing that she is underrated as an adult author. I don't believe I ever read the Emily books.

Any comments?

>49 librorumamans: I read them, but it was so long ago, I don't really remember what I thought. I'll double check, but I think I read them before I was rating and writing reviews.

ETA: Yeah, read before I wrote reviews, so I just don't remember!

>49 librorumamans: I've never read them. I did read Anne of Green Gables decades ago.

I'm reading Anastasia: The Life of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth. I know that recent DNA evidence shows Anastasia is buried with her family, but I remain interested in the life and times of pretenders.

A Beautiful Truth / Colin McAdam
3.5 stars

Walt and Judy want children, but are unable to have any. When Walt sees a chimpanzee at a circus, he decides he will get one for his wife, in place of a child. They love Looee very much, like a son, but as with all wild animals, as he ages, he is too much to handle.

There is a chimpanzee sanctuary where people are studying the chimps’ behaviour. In the story, we alternate between Walt/Judy/Looee’s perspectives, and the perspectives of the people and chimps at the sanctuary.

I listened to the audio and at first, particularly when we switched to the sanctuary, I had some trouble initially figuring out what was going on. It was interesting to see things from the chimps’ perspectives at times, though. And heartbreaking. I also had trouble getting “into” the book at the start knowing Walt and Judy had done a terrible thing treating a wild animal as a child; There was no way it was going to end well for Looee. I felt like the book didn’t fully end, but it’s possible I missed something (audio), or maybe the author wanted “life” to just sort of continue on.

Really enjoying Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club mystery series. I just finished The Bullet That Missed.

I'm reading Talking to Canadians by Rick Mercer

March's selection for my book club was The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict. A piece of historical fiction, set in New York City in the early 1900s, that I found it somewhat interesting, but didn't enjoy the writing. The main character was rather unlikeable, everyone's speech seemed somewhat stilted, the story didn't seem to flow well, and the moral message about prejudice and bias against blacks in America was reiterated over and over until it lost its impact.

So I just finished American Psycho. Wow. One of the best books I've read I think, but it's not something I think I could ever casually recommend, much the same way one wouldn't casually recommend the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It's graphic and appalling in all ways, but also makes a very strong point that, in the world of Patrick Bateman, something is wrong.

I've seen the film a few times so I had an idea of what to expect, but not to the extent that was in the book.

>57 WeeTurtle: It's been on my list for years... now I'm curious!

I've been on vacation and finished two books:
B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton - a light detective fiction set in the 1980s, which makes for a fun blast from the past

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - a really touching and authentic account of grief, as the author copes with her husband's sudden passing while her daughter is struggling with a serious illness. It was not what I was expecting but I'm really glad I read it.

I'm starting The Postcard by Anne Berest

I'm about to start Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

I've finished a bunch of books over my vacation, but most recentlyThe Rebel's Apothecary by Jenny Sansouci which provides practical advice, research and recipes to support health. The author provides a super balanced view, including using these foods with a traditional Western treatment, and demonstrates how cannabis, CBD, and mushrooms help. I've started experimenting and it's been really rewarding.

I'm almost through Annihilation. It's much more internal and meandering than I thought it would be, for lack of a better word. I saw the film and am wondering if maybe it borrowed from the second book as well, since much of the action in the movie isn't present in the book. It's hinted at though, in ambiguous ways, like I think I can see where the film-makers got their idea. I think I'm going to keep going with the trilogy.

I'm starting The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet by Nell McShane Wulfhart

I'm reading Les Femmes qui Lisent sont Dangereuses by Laure Adler and Stefan Bollmann

I'm reading Dossier 64 by Jussi Alder-Olsen, a pretty terrifying thriller where a eugenicist forces abortions on "unworthy" women. Luckily a good dose of humour alleviates the tone.

I'm finding Changer : méthode by Édouard Louis a compelling read.

I'm reading Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada by Jane Philpott, after having heard her interviewed on CBC Radio.

I'm reading The Speed of Mercy by Christy Ann Conlin

I'm reading Followed by the Lark by Helen Humphreys.

Up and Down / Terry Fallis
4 stars

David used to work in Ottawa, but moved to Toronto to be closer to his dying mother, who has been mostly taken care of by his sister. His new job is with a PR firm and he is thrown into the fire immediately to help with a NASA campaign. Some love, some don’t, his idea of a “citizen astronaut” campaign. People can enter to randomly be selected to go up to space, as long as they can pass the training requirements. But the people at NASA who matter love the idea and it’s on. There will be one winner from the US and one from Canada. But someone (in the DC office of the PR firm) have specific ideas about who they think should win the “random” draw. And the random person in Canada? Definitely not what anyone expected!

This was fun! Fallis’ books are humourous and this was definitely that. And I loved L Percival, Canada’s winner. There were interesting “side” stories for both David and L Percival. The PR guy in DC was horrible! But, I suppose, for the humourous slant of the novel, it makes sense to have some over-the-top characters. I really should read more of Fallis’ books (I’ve already read the political ones with Angus, but no others -- yet.)

>70 LibraryCin: This one and The Best Laid Plans have been my favourite Fallis novels. I still have to read Operation Angus!

>71 rabbitprincess: I did look up his others yesterday and chose one more to add to the tbr... I am going to (at some point, anyway... hard to say when) give Poles Apart a try.

I'm reading Peacekeeper's Daughter: A Middle East Memoir by Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt

I'm on to Big Shadow by Marta Balcewicz

I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, a very well-written coming-of-age story largely inspired by the author's own youth.

I'm reading The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

I'm finishing 3 short stories featuring one of my favourite detectives, Adamsberg, in Coule la Seine by Fred Vargas.

Just finished Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell-our book club selection for this month, and really enjoyed it.

I've just started The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

I'm finishing Cover her face, a nice classic who-dunnit by PD James.

My goal this year is to read books from my own shelf, i'm trying not to go to the library or read e-books. I've accumulated so many books during the pandemic that I want to read, but they're coming in faster than I can read them. Hoping to make a nice dent in my collection (I tend to get rid of most of what I read afterwards). Saying that though, there are two upcoming community book sales that I "have" to go to. Sigh. Trying to get some of my larger books and classics done. Started off the year with Middlemarch and going from there. Mixing it up with some sci-fi and nonfiction (biography's and history). Happy reading everyone!

>81 MurphyJesus: I have twice had years where I decided to read what I had at home. I found some support on LT with groups Books of the Shelf (BOTS) and Read our own Tomes (ROOT). Don't know if they are still active, but you could check.

I declared 2024 the YOBB (Year of Big Books) because I noticed I was consistently skipping over the larger books on my shelves. I have now cleared everything over 500 pages and am trying to read those that have been around the longest. Finding lots of good stuff!

Enjoy wanting what you have.

>82 LynnB: I can confirm the ROOT group is still very active! I've read 26 off my shelves this year already.
There's also the 2024 Big Fat Books Challenge that's going on. It's definitely encouraged me to pick up my door stoppers.

I'm reading Trust by Hernan Diaz

I've enjoyed every one of Tara French's novels so far, and The Hunter was no exception.

I'm reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

I'm finishing Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nan, a really sweet series of vignettes of 75 year-old Henry and his wife, Emily.

I'm also reading Borden Chantry by Louis L'Amour. This is my first L'Amour which I picked up out of curiosity, and I'm loving the style!

I'm reading What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

I just finished The Forever Witness by Edward Humes-a true crime story about the use of genetic genealogy in solving a cold case double murder. A fascinating read.

I've enjoyed One Bone at at Time: Tales of an Adventurous Animal Chiropractor by Alison Seely, and How Canada Works: The People Who Make Our Nation Thrive by Peter Mansbridge, and The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok as well as Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. I'm now reading Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo

I'm struggling with reading this month, but I have a few on the go:
1. Rue Deschambault by Gabrielle Roy, which earned her her second Governor General's award
2.Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, which I really want to like because it's a fictionalized biography based on William Shakespeare's son but the airy-fairy-ness of the writing is irking me
3. The Brethrens by John Grisham which is another lawyer story; I'm waiting for it to become interesting.

I'm reading The Adversary by Michael Crummey

My book club's selection for May is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I'd already heard so many accolades about this book that I was actually a bit disappointed when I finally read it. It was funny and witty but somehow not quite what I expected. A good read nonetheless.

Also read a somewhat less than thrilling "thriller": What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

I'm reading History of the Rain by Niall Williams

I'm starting A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

I'm reading The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger for a book club. I first read it for another book club in 2010 and didn't like it much. Let's see what 14 years brings!

I'm reading Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table by Carol Anne Hilton

I'm reading Killjoy: Taking on a Macho Media Empire and Winning by Jo Cheetham

I'm reading The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

I'm really enjoying Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series. I just finished # 4 The Last Devil to Die.

I'm finishing Mrs Fletcher by Tom Perrotta, a humorous and candid look at modern sexual mores.
I've also started My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry - it looks like another one of those gas-lighting novels that function on half-truths being revealed to the reader until the grand finale. One of the main characters is a nine year-old that sounds like a five year-old which is both annoying and confusing.

I'm reading I (Athena) by Ruth DyckFehderau

I'm reading Chorus of Mushrooms by Hiromi Goto

I'm about 1/2 through To Track a Traitor: A Lane Winslow Mystery by Iona Whishaw. It's very good so far.

I'm reading Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life by Andrew Lawton

For an online group, To the Lighthouse, last read when I was 18; I wonder what sense I made of it then. Did I have any perception of how brilliant it is?

My book club's selection for this month is How a Woman Becomes a Lake, described on the jacket as a "literary thriller", and written by Marjorie Celona. I enjoyed it-suspenseful and great character depiction. Now I'm going to look for Celona's debut novel Y which was nominated for the Giller.

I'm reading I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy for a book club.

Just finished my grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry by Fredrik Backman. I wanted to love this book as much as I loved A Man Called Ove but I just couldn't. The main character, Elsa, was likeable but so implausibly precocious and the amount of the book that was devoted to the fairy tales was too much for me and I found myself skimming a bit.

That Night in the Library / Eva Jurczyk
3.5 stars

Seven people, mostly university students including some who work in the library/archives, sneak into the basement of said library on their last night before graduation (those working there will no longer be except for one). Davey has a ritual planned and invited the others to come. In fact, they are locked in the basement for the night; they cannot get out. And when the lights go out, one of them dies. The others try to figure out who did it, while keeping themselves safe.

I like the idea of the story, and I am a librarian, so I liked the library and archives references. But none of the characters were likable, in my opinion. Maybe it’s because they all (except one) took acid at the beginning of the night (part of the ritual) that made them not likable. The POV shifted between a few different characters and I do think that worked well for the reader to see different sides of what was happening. But I did get some of the characters (who were “related” in some way) continually mixed up – there was a dating couple, one was a professor; there was a childhood friend; and a fourth person in that mix somewhere, but I kept getting mixed up as to who was who in that group of four. Overall, though, I’m rating it “good”.

I finished Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin, the first of the Rebus series where we learn about Rebus's tortured past. There were some exaggerations which made the read a bit lopsided but otherwise an entertaining read. Did you know Rankin considered killing Rebus at the end of the novel? Where would we be today!

I'm starting Kilbrack by Jamie O'Neill