All Thing Books And Reading Thread 2020

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Mia6

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I'm rereading hard copy Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell. I think she's an underrated author.
She's also written The Good Sister and The Edge of the Sky, both very good.

I also have Home Before Dark by Riley Sager on my tablet and 2 hard copies 29 Seconds and Lies,
both by T.M. Logan, ready at the drive-up window at library.
 

Mamanyt1953

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I finally finished "Smoke and Shadows." For a drag-y read, on retrospection, I actually liked it. Now reading "Smoke and Mirrors," which is a much easier read for me...or I've finally gotten into the rhythm of the Tony Foster books. That could be it, as well.
 
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Mia6

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Doing another reread, Her, by Harriet Lane who also wrote Alys, Always. I wish she'd write more books.
 

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I finished "The Book" last night. I was surprised that it was mostly about her life and her connection to her paternal grandparents and aunts/uncles, and not so much about her one particular uncle, until quite near the end of the book. In fact, I thought it read more like a biography, and I was surprised there were no family pictures included.

Next up should be "If You Knew Her" by Emily Elgar, our August book club book, but I'm STILL waiting for the e-book from my library. It's saying a 2 week wait, but I'm sure it's been saying that for over a week now. :hmmm:
 

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Finished "Smoke and Mirrors," and am on to "Smoke and Ashes." Reading this trilogy reminds me of a guy I dated for a year or so, a LONG time ago! The first date, I wasn't sure I ever wanted to see him again. The second date, to my surprise, I enjoyed myself, and by the end of the third, I was having a BLAST! Unfortunately, this is just a trilogy, so I'll be "breaking up" with it soon!
 

artiemom

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Reading: Too Much and Never Enough----aka "The Book"....by Mary Trump.

It is a slow read for me. I have to keep re-reading paragraphs.
I never had to do that before... I think it is Covid~~staying home and in, more than usual. I just cannot concentrate.
Also, I never really read biographies, or non-fiction.

This is from a different perspective. Author is a psychologist; analyzing things, habits from a very different perspective.

So far, the behavior she is describing T to have is nothing of a surprise; however, it does show how dysfunctional his entire family was---beginning from the grandparents; the basis of his bullying, arrogance, lack of caring, deflection, and sociopathatic tendencies.
 

Mamanyt1953

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artiemom artiemom , that was my take, as well...There was nothing new about the actual behavior in the book, but the background was fascinating. Fred did a classic job of creating a psychopathic personality, almost as if he had in instruction manual. But at some point, that child became an adult, and is now responsible for his own actions. Others have had upbringings just as bad, and some much worse, and are wonderful, caring people.
 
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Mia6

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Reading: Too Much and Never Enough----aka "The Book"....by Mary Trump.

It is a slow read for me. I have to keep re-reading paragraphs.
I never had to do that before... I think it is Covid~~staying home and in, more than usual. I just cannot concentrate.
Also, I never really read biographies, or non-fiction.

This is from a different perspective. Author is a psychologist; analyzing things, habits from a very different perspective.

So far, the behavior she is describing T to have is nothing of a surprise; however, it does show how dysfunctional his entire family was---beginning from the grandparents; the basis of his bullying, arrogance, lack of caring, deflection, and sociopathic tendencies.
I had no interest in reading it but now I do. I have concentration probs as well while reading. Strange that I can read on
the deck fine if it's not too hot but inside is where I'm having probs.
 

artiemom

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Fred did a classic job of creating a psychopathic personality, almost as if he had in instruction manual. But at some point, that child became an adult, and is now responsible for his own actions. Others have had upbringings just as bad, and some much worse, and are wonderful, caring people.
Yes... But I wonder how/when those people finally realized the error of their ways---and their very poor unemotional upbringing. How they were brought to realization?

The problem is Donald never had to account for his bad behavior. He was rewarded for it, and saw how Freddy, when going against Fred~~ doing his own thing, was dealt with by his father.
His quest for love was turned into the negative behavior his father wanted. If he did not conform to Freds standards, he was just forgotten about.... and he desperately craved the attention, ie love.....

And it is sad that Donald never knew his grandfather died of the Spanish Flu. If he did, this current pandemic could have been handled so differently...

Interesting that now, Robert is in the hospital, desperately sick, and Donald is running to his side.
Donald never had a relationship of any kind with Robert. Wonder if it is all for show? An election year...publicity shot... making him look like a 'good brother', thus gaining votes...His image is most important to him... it is a jaded image....

One thing I have gotten out of the book, so far: Donald never does anything for anyone except for himself to look good. That is his personality. This is what he assumes love is...
 

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Just finished reading the novel "Where the Crawdads Sing".
(Possible spoiler space)







It seems that the author sort of put a twist at the end. I, and I'm guessing many others, from the beginning had made the assumption that Kya wasn't the killer. After all, traditionally in these types of novels it's a given that the protagonist who is accused of a crime will eventually be exonerated of said crime. This was the impression given throughout most of this novel. The not guilty verdict at Kya's trial only solidified this. However, at the end of the novel, after Kya's death when Tate found the necklace Kya had given Chase, the one that was missing from him when his body was found, it seemed possible that is was actually Kya that murdered Chase.
 

misty8723

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Reading: Too Much and Never Enough----aka "The Book"....by Mary Trump.

It is a slow read for me. I have to keep re-reading paragraphs.
I never had to do that before... I think it is Covid~~staying home and in, more than usual. I just cannot concentrate.
Also, I never really read biographies, or non-fiction.

This is from a different perspective. Author is a psychologist; analyzing things, habits from a very different perspective.

So far, the behavior she is describing T to have is nothing of a surprise; however, it does show how dysfunctional his entire family was---beginning from the grandparents; the basis of his bullying, arrogance, lack of caring, deflection, and sociopathatic tendencies.
We have the book but haven't read it. I've seen Mary Trump on some of the shows and everything she says is no surprise so I'm not sure how much I will learn from this book.
 

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Currently I'm reading a rather interesting freebie:
Spanish Influenza: The Story of the Epidemic That Swept America From the Newspaper Reports of 1918 by Ken Rossignol.
It's simply a collection of US newspaper articles from the time. People and governments back then had many of the experiences and reactions we're seeing right now with the coronavirus, from company and school closures to masks as well as social distancing to vaccines to protests. It was of course worse due to WWI and medical science and technology being more rudimentary.

One thing that was quite different was that (many) newspapers indicated the names and addresses of those who were ill or had died as well as the events they'd attended. Contact tracing was obviously taken seriously.
 

rubysmama

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Still waiting to borrow "If You Knew Her" by Emily Elgar, so I borrowed Worry by Canadian author Jessica Westhead and I'm really not sure what I think of it so far.
 

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Just finished reading the novel "Where the Crawdads Sing".
(Possible spoiler space)







It seems that the author sort of put a twist at the end. I, and I'm guessing many others, from the beginning had made the assumption that Kya wasn't the killer. After all, traditionally in these types of novels it's a given that the protagonist who is accused of a crime will eventually be exonerated of said crime. This was the impression given throughout most of this novel. The not guilty verdict at Kya's trial only solidified this. However, at the end of the novel, after Kya's death when Tate found the necklace Kya had given Chase, the one that was missing from him when his body was found, it seemed possible that is was actually Kya that murdered Chase.
Loved that book.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Interesting that now, Robert is in the hospital, desperately sick, and Donald is running to his side.
Donald never had a relationship of any kind with Robert. Wonder if it is all for show?
Probably. He made a quick visit, tweeted how much he loves his brother, and went golfing while Robert died.

SO...I've now "broken up" with the Tony Foster series and actually miss it! Smoke and Ashes was a lot of fun...if you can call a demon invasion fun, and parts of it were downright funny!

I'm now reading the Gethsemane Brown mystery series, the first one, "Murder in G Major." It is EXCELLENT! Clever, witty, and with an engaging mystery!
 
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