Book It List - sept

 Why read or watch insanely long book reviews? It’s just a way for “content creators” to make money and waste your precious time better spent reading actual books. In the spirit of my highly acclaimed lightning quick movie/Hemingway baby shoes reviews I bring you my Book It List. You get the title, author, a couple jabs and uppercuts and you’re out. Bam. Papa. 

Reread Ninth house and hell bent by Leigh bardugo in anticipation of release of third book dead beat. Still great. 

The other Bennet sister by Janice hadlow. Ever imagine a different life for Mary Bennet than that in pride and prejudice? Me neither.

Ripe by Sarah rose etter. Fear and self loathing in Silicon Valley. 

Love & other words by Christina Lauren. I guess neither Christina nor Lauren have cultural sensitivity since the Asian character says “chinks in our armor”.  

Choke point by Brad Thor. Another Scot harvath shoot ‘em up thriller. Bangkok dangerous minus nick cage, so no choke point.

The unknown by Riley sager. Better than azra.

Dead beat by Leigh bardugo. What a Tripp!

The girl with all the gifts by m.r. Carey. The kids are all bite.

The true true story of raja the gullible (and his mother) by Rabih alameddine. The life of a gay 63 year old Lebanese philosophy teacher…and his mom. Yup, that old trope.

Happy fall! Waiting for that first frost to kill off the mosquitoes!

Aug books

 

Whistler by Anne patchett. Daphne, I am your stepfather.

The girl with a thousand faces by sunyi dean.  Ghosts in Hong Kong? Aiya!

It could have been her by Lisa jewell. Next time take the dog to the rspca. And get that damn jeep off the lawn.

Theo of golden by Allen Levi. Hey I have a portrait of you. Let’s meet up.

Villa coco by Andrew Sean Greer. Mi scusi!

Land. History is written by the victors. Historical fiction is written by Maggie o’farrell.

The song of Achilles by Madeline miller. But I ain’t got no beef with hector!

Dolly all the time by Annabel Monaghan. How did you meet your husband? I fake dated him for money.

You did nothing wrong by cg drews. Haunted house Reno goes wrong.

Arthur: the dog who crossed a jungle to find a home by Mikael Lindnord: the adventure racer who stole a dog.

Is it fall yet?

  Happy July! Summer used to be my favorite season but I’m leaning towards any that doesn’t need nonstop hvac nor have my arch enemies mosquitoes and ticks. Conversely, I am the arch enemy of yellowjackets who always sting the heck out of me when I blindly stumble into their nest. I’m mostly ok with humidity and continuous sweating.

 After a five month break, next month I will resume listing books I’ve read mainly so I have a record. I still don’t believe in giving or taking anyone’s recommendations. For now here’s a couple I read in the past few days. 

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. A mommy influencer faces the reality of the fake life she portrays. Little wonder that booktoobers rate this so low. 

Lost lambs by Madeline cash. Entertaining story about a dysfunctional family if you can get past the useless intentional misspellings that add nothing to the story.

Quick reads

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young 

   James has a preternatural connection to her twin Johnny.  So when he dies she returns to their hometown to settle his affairs and ends up exploring their connection while trying to discover secrets that may have lead to his death.

   Worth borrowing from the library as long as you can overlook that Adrienne apparently has no idea how a truck with a topper works or anything about rifle ballistics forensics. 

Rental House by Weike Wang

   A mixed race couple (Chinese American woman and White man) navigate marriage and vacation with their in-laws. I was excited by the premise but ultimately disappointed by the depressing, flat and humorless book. I know dry humor but this is just dry. The best part was the inside cover synopsis, full of promise before the disappointment of reading the book.  Not worth borrowing from library.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger

    

Read books, not reviews

 Time spent reading book reviews is time spent not reading books. Other people’s opinion doesn’t matter including mine. Use your library and pick something out. Worst case if you don’t like the book you can return it and pick something else. 

Short month, big doings

Happy Groundhog Day! Please no more winter. I’ve shoveled enough ice and snow and rescued enough neighbors for the year. 

Happy Winter Olympics! Favorite events are short track speed skating for crazy wrecks and upsets and cross country skiing where skiers collapse after the finish. Watched more figure skating than I wanted which means greater than zero.

Happy Super Bowl! Time for homemade crockpot Thai red curry and usually the one sports event we watch each year unless Olympics.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Ever since I had a Russell stover marshmallow dark chocolate in my stocking this past Christmas I’ve been looking for an excuse to have another one. This is it! Does rs make a dark marshmallow shamrock? I have to wait for Easter?? Also tried a Russell stover Dubai Choco.

Happy year of the horse! Where’s my red envelope?

Oh yeah and books. May have read more but forgot to record them. Sorry.

1. Brideshead revisited by evelyn waugh. A classic. Most of the book is technically brideshead sandwiched with a little revisited.

2. The inheritance by robin hobb and Megan lindholm. Short stories by both who are the same person and neither one is the real name? Mind blown. 

3. The hard line by mark greaney. Gray man adventures continue along with my enjoyment.

4.  cold zero by brad thor and ward larson. Wait where is scot harvath? Feels like a tom Clancy book mixed with the grey movie w Liam neeson. Need mini airline bottles and duct tape.

Whew!

Happy 2026!

Happy New Year! 

Books I read in Jan when I wasn’t dealing with all the snow and ice. I’m ready for summer! Oh wait mosquitos and ticks.

1. Hamnet by Maggie o’farrell. A story of the plague loosely based on shakespeare’s son. Santa gave me this for Christmas. 

2. The October country by ray bradbury. A collection of unsettling short stories.

3.by a thread by Lucy score. After a plague book and creepy twilight zonish stories it’s time for a fun, sex laden romantic comedy 

4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck. My favorite character is Lee, aka Ching Chong.

5. First frost by Sarah Addison Allen. A magical family of women in a small NC town.

6. Takeaway by Angela hui. Growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural wales in the 1990’s. 

7. A peculiar peril by Jeff vandermeer. I’m almost done with this book but the back cover teaser may be the best written part of it.