April 2018: What are we reading?

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April 2018: What are we reading?

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1LibraryCin
Avr 2, 2018, 10:16 pm

Starting a thread to post our reads for April!

2LibraryCin
Avr 2, 2018, 10:16 pm

Black Chuck / Regan McDonell
4 stars

Real’s best friend, Shaun, has died, and Rael feels responsible, though all he remembers is beating Shaun up that night; after that, he can’t remember. Shaun’s 16-year old girlfriend, Evie, is pregnant. As Real tries to come to grips with what happened, he and Evie become closer.

This started off kind of slow, but I liked both Rael and Evie and how they related to each other. I’m not sure how big or small the town was meant to be, but it had a small town feel, with the teenagers drinking, partying, and drugs being available.

4LynnB
Avr 10, 2018, 8:24 am

I'm reading LaRose by Louise Erdrich.

5rabbitprincess
Avr 10, 2018, 5:12 pm

On the bus I'm reading Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, collected by W.B. Yeats.

6LynnB
Avr 13, 2018, 4:21 pm

I'm reading Graffiti by Petrie Harbouri.

7rabbitprincess
Modifié : Avr 13, 2018, 5:51 pm

On a roll with K titles: today at lunch I finished The Krillitane Storm, a Doctor Who novel by Christophe Cooper, and on the bus I started reading Kenilworth, by Sir Walter Scott.

8LynnB
Avr 16, 2018, 7:42 am

I'm lifting my Jodi Picoult boycott and reading Plain Truth. I like her books....mostly....but got a bit tired of them.

9rabbitprincess
Avr 16, 2018, 6:17 pm

Reading The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, by Michael Barclay (and stopping every few chapters to binge on Hip songs).

10LynnB
Modifié : Avr 18, 2018, 12:13 pm

I'm re-reading All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews for a book club. Last read it in 2014.

11mdoris
Avr 18, 2018, 4:10 pm

>10 LynnB: Lynn, I loved that book when I read it.

12LibraryCin
Avr 18, 2018, 9:28 pm

The Unquiet Past / Kelley Armstrong
4 stars

This is one of 7 books in the “Secrets” series, all written by different authors. The premise behind the series, as a whole, is that, in 1964, an orphanage in Ontario has burnt down. The oldest kids are sent off on their own with only a small piece of info given to each of them about their past.

In this one, Tess is given only a phone number (but it’s out of service) and an address in a town in Quebec. The address leads to a large abandoned house. Tess has visions, and has never told anyone other than her very best friend about them. She gets an eerie feeling in this house. What happened here and what is Tess’ connection to the place?

I really liked this. I loved the super-creepy feeling at one point in the story. Wow, this author was very good with creating that creepy atmosphere! This is the second book I’ve read in this series, and I do plan to continue on.

14ted74ca
Avr 22, 2018, 1:22 pm

I tackled Elizabeth George's latest book (690 pages) this weekend, as I had a couple of extra days off work. This one is The Punishment She Deserves and I enjoyed it more than I had the last couple in this series.

15rabbitprincess
Avr 22, 2018, 3:58 pm

Starting yet another Big Finish audio drama: The First Doctor Adventures, Volume 1. The original Doctor Who theme tune is electrifying.

16ted74ca
Avr 23, 2018, 6:51 pm

More crime fiction reading (curiously comforting when I'm home in bed not feeling well). This one was The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves

17LibraryCin
Avr 23, 2018, 9:50 pm

Where I Belong: Small Town to Great Big Sea / Alan Doyle
5 stars

Alan Doyle grew up to become lead singer of Great Big Sea. He grew up in a small town, just outside St. John’s, Newfoundland with 3 siblings and a very musical family; in fact, they were known as “The Doyles from Petty Harbour” and everyone knew they were musical. The book is told as a series of stories, and include stories of his family and friends, music, religion (Catholic vs. Protestant), fishing, and more.

I listened to the audio, read by Alan himself. I loved it! The accent and the phrases, and he’s so funny! I laughed out loud many times (people on transit probably stealing odd glances toward me?)! Oh, what a great storyteller! Listening to the audio, he actually played a recording of a brief conversation with his mom, and when there were lyrics in the text of the book, he sang them. Sigh…

I had a roommate/best friend in my 20s who was from Newfoundland (in fact, from The Goulds, near Petty Harbour, where Alan went to high school) – the accent and phrases and funny stories all made me think of her. He’s only a few years older than me and my friend, so I recognized many things/places that she talked about, as well. Oh, I even remember her mentioning the high school band he was in – I think she showed me a yearbook photo of them with the FA on the drums (for First Attempt).

I really don’t think people would need the personal (or in my case, secondary) references to enjoy this, though. I highly recommend the audio!

18ted74ca
Avr 24, 2018, 2:53 pm

Finished a book by one of my favourite mystery writers: Elly Griffiths. This book is from her "Magic Men" series and is called The Blood Card.

19LynnB
Avr 24, 2018, 3:16 pm

I'm reading The Ballroom by Anna Hope.

20ted74ca
Avr 25, 2018, 4:49 pm

I don't often read "romance" novels, but when some war time history is thrown in and it's by a Canadian author...secretly I kind of liked this one. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

21LynnB
Avr 27, 2018, 7:40 am

I'm reading Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Pauline Dakin, a reporter for CBC Radio.

22LibraryCin
Avr 30, 2018, 11:13 pm

North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Counterculture Family, and How I Survived Both / Cea Sunrise Person
4 stars

It was the 1970s. Cea was born to a 15-year old mom at a time when her mom, grandparents, aunts, and uncle were leaving California for Alberta to live out in the wilderness. They lived primarily in a tipi during Cea’s first 5 years of life. After that, her mom, Michelle, found Karl, so they left Cea’s grandparents behind to head to BC to live in a cabin… at which time Karl mostly managed to steal things they needed (including sleeping arrangements). Michelle seemed to only be able to function when she had a man to take care of her and Cea. Oh, yeah. Also, the drugs… that includes Cea’s grandparents. And the nudity, and sex. No one cared about privacy.

Interesting story. Sure don’t agree with how they lived, and the poor girl had such a crazy life. I liked that she continued her story, though not in as much detail or in nearly as many chapters (the bulk of the book/story was her childhood), into her teen years (when she became a model) and adulthood and how she dealt with her “unusual” background. People compare her dysfunctional family life with Jeanette Walls and “The Glass Castle”. It’s been a few years since I read it, but the neglectful parents/adults sure fit the theme! Toward the end, I considered upping my rating, but decided to go with how I felt reading the majority of it.

23LynnB
Mai 2, 2018, 3:20 pm

I'm reading Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.

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