Finished The Weight of a Piano. It started off promising; the prose in the first chapter was beautifully written. Unfortunately, little did I know, that was the best chapter of the book. Not horrible, but not one I’d recommend. I won the book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This afternoon, I finished listening to The Baker’s Secret, by Stephen Kiernan, a wonderfully written novel about how the inhabitants of a small French coastal village survive (or not) under the occupation of German soldiers during WWII. Each character finds his or her own way to submit or resist the occupation. The story takes its name from the main character, who uses ground straw in bread dough to make extra loaves of bread for the villagers, from rations meant strictly to make bread for the Germans. I’m glad I randomly downloaded this from my library as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’m halfway through If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim, a novel set in Korea during and after the Korean War. Not bad, but not terribly engrossing.

Roses, I really enjoyed Into the Beautiful North. Hope you continue to like it, too.

After 1.5 chapters, I decided I don't care for Hillbilly Elegy, so I'm not going to finish it. It does read like an essay, and I have enough of those to plow through at the moment.

I wanted to hear what J.D. Vance sounded like, so found some YouTubes of him. One was in support of Brett Kavanaugh, so I figured I was done with him.

Into the Beautiful North was a delight. The characters, and they are "characters", and writing pull you right in. The epilogue was pitch-perfect.

Next up is Tales of the City. Annie: Not all of us have read this book. Thanks for mentioning it.

Well, after I posted my 3 options for next, I got Where the Crawdads Sing and decided to start that. i am about 15% and liking it.

Sorry you did not like Hillbilly Elegy, Bunny. I thought it was quite amazing.

Definitely adding Shadow OF the Wind to my to be read list. thank you

Salonva, I'm sorry too. It may have been okay if I'd stuck with it, but I've been in a mood where I'm bailing on books that don't engage me right away, and the Kavanaugh opinion frankly put me off.

On the other hand, I'm expecting Shadow of the Wind to be ready for me at the library any day. It's "In Transit."

Bunny.. I didn't finish Hillbilly Elegy either. Just couldn't get into it. Thank you for mentioning Avery Corman's book. I downloaded his memoir about his neighborhood and am reading it now. Although I grew up in the Bronx in the 60's and 70's (a decade or two later than the author), it rings true to me and my childhood.

Add me in to the small group that didn’t really care for Hillbilly Elegy. I listened to the audio version. If you thought the regular book was not very engaging, trust me, the audio was most likely worse. The author narrated it himself, and had the worst monotone narration. While I think he did have some interesting points, for the most part, I did not find it to be all that enlightening, perhaps because I’ve already read enough about growing up in similar circumstances. There was one passage that really annoyed me (when he describes a scene with his study group at Yale).

czarinalex, you're welcome! I put free Kindle books into their own category. There have been a few dogs, some mehs, and some that were really quite good.

Others disagreed with me, but I found racial bias in Hillybilly Elegy that didn't sit well with me. If you want to read about a really tough childhood and kids who rose above it all, the Glass Castle was much better.

I'm in the 'eh' group for Hillbill Elegy I guess. I thought Rick Bragg's All Over But the Shoutin' was a much better book, and of course, Jeneatte Walls, The Glass Castle was fabulous. I LOVED The Library Book, and am anxious to hear what others thought of it. I'm just reading We are Water by Wally Lamb and really enjoying it.

Well I loved Hillbilly as well as all of Rick Bragg's books-All Over but the Shoutin' and Ava's man (not sure as I may have missed some but read several) AND Glass Castle , and Educated and so on. I guess this was all quite different to me, having grown up in the big apple. There is also a non fiction book someone recommended a while ago by Paul Theroux, Deep South which was wonderful as well. I guess I find the subject matter interesting.

I'm with Bestyears. All Over but the Shouting and Ava's man were much better than Hillbilly Elegy. Glass Castle was fabulous.

I love reading all the bits about books here, but I wish I had the computer power to compile a list of titles reviewed over the months. By the time I get to read some of the books, I can't remember if I ordered the book because I read about it here so I can't decide if should bring it up here or I'm being redundant. I borrow books from the library to read on my kindle and often have to wait months on hold. I am currently number 10 on one copy for The Lost Girls, ordered it in December. Number 2143 on 82 copies of Michelle Obama's Becoming. I'm a patient woman.

I do keep my own list of the books I think I'll like, but sometimes a book appeals to me one day and not on another.

Anyway, I just finished Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and loved it.

I just finished Where the Crawdads Sing. Somehow it really grabbed me and though I may have started it Thursday, I think I read more than half today and could not put it down until finished. So yes, I recommend it.

Sheesh, have you read A Gentleman in Moscow by Towles? I loved it so much.

Rules of Civility is our next book club read, looking forward to it. We also read A Gentleman in Moscow and I have to say it is one of my favorite books ever!

I just finished Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love by Dani Shapiro. Excellent book-for those who haven't read her work Dani Shapiro has written quite a few memoirs about her life and several novels which are also autobiographical. This book relates how she discovered that her father was not in fact her biological parent, and how the news affected her emotionally. It also delves into the business and impact on people's lives of using assisted reproductive technology. Very gripping story.

I'm still plowing through the JA Jance Joanna Brady series--curses (kidding) to the person here who recommended those because I'm totally hooked! It doesn't help that my library has almost all of them in collection as ebooks. So when I finish one on my Kindle I just toggle on over to the library website and in 30 seconds I've got another one ready to go. Enabling, library style ;)

I'm reading "Asymmetry", widely cited as a besk book of 2018. So far so good.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297339-asymmetry

Interesting mtnrd, as goodreads reviews don't have it rated that highly...I'll be interested to see what you think when you've finished it.

I too enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing and was sad when it ended. What a beautifully written book. Now I'm reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, my first Flavia de Luce novel. It is entertaining and a light read.

Lol, I just received three books I purchased to read to my great-grandson, he's, two. Snuggle Time prayers, it's so adorable. I like checking them out first. Illustrations are wonderful in it.

lol Yaya- reading is reading. I just started The Library Book this morning- it will be a race because it's kindle /library and I only have it for another 5 days. So far though it really seems good.

Adding The Library Book to my list and already had Where the Crawdads Sing and appreciate the mention. Thanks salonva and others for great recommendations this month. I finished America's Neighborhood Bats (Tuttle) and loved it. I'll be keeping it handy as a reference. I'm enjoying Juliet in August by Dianne Warren which was also mentioned here. The TBR pile is growing faster than I can read them, but hey, no pressure.

I finished The Devil's Highway. Was it well done? Yes. Do I think it was a beneficial read? Again, yes. Did I enjoy it? Not at all. I honestly did not remember the incident of the Yuma 14 when it happened and this book definitely made me think about the border policy but it is not a fun read. Next up will be Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. I am ready for some fiction.

For those who read The Glass Castle, did you also happen to see the movie? I've been meaning to watch it, but am also a little torn because I loved the book so very much, and am not sure I want my own mental images imposed upon by Hollywood's version.

I rarely see movies of books I have read, and that is because 1- I rarely go to movies and 2- if I see a movie based on a book I have read, I am generally quite disappointed.

I chose not to see it because I've had the same experience as lulu bella -the movies just never seem as rich.

We read the book and watched the movie in book group. While the movie was fair, it missed so much of what was in the book and couldn't capture the entire sense of what growing up in that family was like. The book was much better.

I am so out of it that I didn't even know there was a movie of The Glass Castle. I'll avoid it.

An exception to movie/book issue was A Man Called Ove...I enjoyed both equally. Same for The Godfather.

I just read "The Leavers" by Lisa Ko. It's a National Book Award finalist, a compelling story about a family with elements in China and the US about adoption, especially transracial adoption, what and who makes a family, immigration, etc. I thought it was very well written - I enjoyed it very much.

I was hooked by: "One morning, Deming Guo’s mother, an undocumented
Chinese immigrant named Polly, goes to her job at the nail salon and
never comes home."

Annie, I'm with you on movie/book with A Man Called Ove. I rented the movie right after reading the book and it warmed my heart. Another exception for me is Brooklyn. Read the book, rented the movie, read the book again. I liked them both, but the movie more.

I finished The Book Thief...5 stars. Only hold back for recommending it for book group would be the length.

Next up, not sure. I just got The Little Prince, Once Upon a River and Ordinary Grace from the library. So it'll be one of those for sure.

Finished Tales of the City. It was just okay. I can understand that some might have good memories of it from the time it was published.

About 65 pages into a book picked up blind at the library: Crazy by William Peter Blatty (of Exorcist fame). It's pretty bad. I think I will set it aside and move on to My Life in France by Julia Child.

Just finished my grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry by Fredrik Backman. First book of his that I have read and I enjoyed it and will be looking in library for some more of his books.

Thank you blfenton, running and others forThe Shadow of the Wind recommendation. Started it yesterday and am amazed and enthralled. It reads like 19th century novels — a sprawling and rich tapestry of characters, details, places and subplots that transports you. One of the best books I’ve read in recent times, like All the Light We Cannot See. Thank you!

Just finished The Library Book which I enjoyed much more than I expected (yes it's another book club read). I found it so interesting and engrossing. It is non -fiction and while I sure would not pass a quiz on all the facts and names, I don't think it is necessary to read it like a texttbook. It was definitely a surprisingly good read. I would rate it 4.5 stars.

I have so many on hold that I just don't know where to start. Another book club read which I am waiting for is The Girl With Seven Names. Anxiously awaiting my turn for The Shadow of the Wind.

Salonva, I'm just about to start The Library Book. I have heard similar reviews so I'm looking forward to it.

Yesterday I took advantage of a snow day to read The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg which I saw recommended here several times. Unfortunately, I didn't care too much for it - it was a little too sweet for me. I didn't really find the relationships or the behavior of the characters all that believable or well developed. I've read several books now with elderly characters that I appreciated much more. One in A Million Boy and A Man Called Ove are two that come to mind.

Had book club last night...all thumbs up on The Orphan Keeper. Next up for book club is Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. I'm looking forward to it as I've read a number of his articles in the NYer and they're good.

Being Mortal is a wonderful book. I think everyone and their family should read and then discuss it.

I'm about halfway through Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. I have always loved her books, especially The Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer. But I can't quite figure out what is bothering me about this book. She moves from a story in current time to one in the past, and while I am kind of tired of that particular plot device, that's not what I dislike. In fact, the way she deals with the past story is much more to my liking. There are things in the story based in the present that seem trite and stereotypical to me. I guess it's kind of a disappointment. But I'm not done with it, so maybe I'll change my mind.

Well, I am on a reading spree. After The Library Book which I thoroughly enjoyed- I read Less. This was the 2018 Pulitzer winner. I am up in the air about it- definitely didn't love it and had to really push myself to continue reading it. At parts I was really impressed with the writing but often I just had to plod along. I would give it between 2 and 3 starts. (obviously I am not the majority opinion).

next I think I will try Gentleman in Moscow which somehow I have not read. Looking forward to a great read!

I'm pretty sure someone here recommended My Sister, The Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I probably never would have picked it up, but for seeing it mentioned here; however, I just finished it and really enjoyed it. Quite different from most books I read, in a refreshing way (despite the subject matter suggested from the title). It was very compelling - I couldn't wait to get back to reading it. The way she handled the chapters was also interesting. I borrowed it from the library and surprised by the size...it's smaller (not the number of pages but the size of the pages) than most hardback books; the paper was nice and thick and made it easy to turn the pages - some books lately have driven me crazy because of the quality/style of the paper.

salonva, Gentleman in Moscow IS a great read. Somewhat slow to get into, but push through and it's worth it!!

eta: I looked back and it was Funkyart who recommended My Sister the Serial Killer. Thanks!

Yes, it was me who read it. I really enjoyed it as well. I liked the pace and the way she broke out the chapters. It wasn't the best book I'd read-- not even last year-- but I thoroughly enjoyed it and like you, was eager to get back to it each night!

On a side note, I gave both of my sisters a copy at Christmas-- which caused quite a laugh! "What are you trying to tell us, dear Funky?"

I finished An American Marriage. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I thought it picked up somewhere in the middle, so I did finish it. Next for book club is Eleanor Oliphant etc Hope I like it. It gets mixed reviews. I am waiting for my copy from the library so in the meantime I am reading Beneath a Scarlet Sky and enjoying that very much. It is rather long and I’m just getting started.

Ded, I too did not love An American Marriage. That book, as well as Less, and The Underground Railroad were overrated (obviously to me). Now, in my opinion, Eleanor Oliphant IS all that! Hope you find that too.

finished The Shadow of the Wind yesterday. I have to temper my praise somewhat. I liked it and it was like reading old novels of centuries past. Loved the images, characters. Barcelelona came alive in the words and descriptions. I didn’t much care for the plot which felt a little too convenient in several places. I still liked tia lot, but not as much as All the Light ... or A Gentleman in Moscow or even When Breath Becomes Air. I didn’t much care for An American Marriage. Eleanor was very enjoyable, but the resolution of the plot felt too neat.

Finished Julia Child's My Life in France. French cuisine is of no real interest to me and the descriptions of some of the recipes, while they would make many people's mouths salivate, made me go looking for my Moosewood cookbook. No, I'm not a vegetarian. That said, I did like reading her account of become a chef, author, and TV personality.

About 100 pages into The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. Thoroughly, totally enjoying it. 4kids mentioned that it was one of her favorite reads of last year. I think it will be one of my favorites of this year. Thank you, 4kids!

Salon va, I could not even finish a Underground Raikroad and I usually force myself to read our book club books. Less was odd but in the end I enjoyed it. What a character. Thanks for the encouragement re Eleanor O.

I have just read Bel Canto, it was on my bookshelf forever...I loved that book! Also finished Lost Girls and did enjoy it, I think it would make for some good discussions at my book club, also recommended The Orphan Keeper to my book club and they seemed to enjoy it very much ....got the original recommendation here. :-))

cran, another Bel Canto lover here.