 Icelandic cafe decor. These are color coordinated books that look cool, but the books have been cut away about 3 inches from the spine so that they can be displayed. The bookshelves don't need to be full sized this way, but the books are unreadable.
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Several friends want to know the book list plan for this year. I loved the 50 books recommended by 50 friends in 2018 that I want to do that again. So, here are the rules:
1. Only books I have not read, but if you recommend the first in a series that I have not finished you can opt to recommend the next book in the series. 2. Only one recommendation per person. 3. No duplicate authors. 4. Must be available from Audible or Learning Ally. 5. First 50 recommended are on the list. I am hoping to have a blog of reviews this year instead of just having them on Facebook. We will see if I can get my act together to make that happen.  Pont Neuf. Last book of the year left me flat. It's a war novel which purports to be from the perspective of a woman war correspondent and photographer, I didn't feel any of the emotion that a war classic coming of age during the gore of war story should have. The Hemingway story arc and the love triangle plot just did nothing for me. Not recommended.
 Media, Crime, and criminal Justice. Ray Surette. 2016. Media, Crime, & Criminal Justice. I’ve spent winter break reading a text book since I am taking over a new sociology class next term. I really can’t recommend it, but I’m stuck with it since I’m inheriting the class. I’m hoping to finish one last novel before the end of the year. I’m almost through Point Neuf. I’m not sure my plan for 2020, though. Thoughts?
*** Julie: I appreciate your reviews. Will be interested in your review of Point Neuf. I just finished it. A book that is on sale right now 2 for 1 @ Audible is Olive Kitteridge. I liked this book, mostly because I like Olive She reminds me of me as I age.....  The Christmas Pact. Vi Keeland. 2019. The Christmas Pact. A free holiday romance little novella, this is relatively inoffensive, as long as you don't focus on the overuse of toxic terms like, "Man up," and dozens of banal double entendres and corny sexualized comments, it isn't offensive and has some fun moments. Unless you are a hard core romance fan. skip it.
 My Lost Family. Danny Ben-Moshe. 2019. My Lost Family. This was an Audible original story, more of a podcast than a book actually. Normally, I want my books to be books instead of documentary podcasts, but if you ignore that and just accept what it is, it is a heartbreaking story about a parental kidnapping in the 50's. I got it for free, which added to the likability factor. For me, it struck a little too close to home in terms of my work, but for folks who don't work on international child abduction cases, I think you would find it enjoyable. Recommend.
 Find Another Dream. Maysoon Zayid. 2019. Find Another Dream. How did I get sucked into another memoir with no substance? These books all follow the same formula, with name-dropping and a perfunctory chapter about their mother, brother, or best friend. I just can't do any more of these. And I really wanted to like a book by a women of color with a disability who does stand-up comedy.
But there was just no way I could get into this. Not recommended.  The Secrets We Kept. A fictionalized version of a true spy story during the Cold War era, this book about literal literary espionage took me by surprise. After a slow start, I ended up really liking the narrative and the plot was complex, with layers of story about storytellers, readings, writers, liars, spies, and double agents. It is the story about the writing, printing, and publishing of Dr. Zhivago. Recommend.
Julie: I liked it to and then had to go snoop around on the web to read more about it. |
AuthorI'll read anything a friend recommends & I love telling people what I think about it. Every year, I read 50 books recommended by 50 different friends. Welcome to My 50 Bookish Friends Blog. SearchCategories
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