August Round Up and some Blather
Sep. 4th, 2018 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTime for the round up that no one really wants.
What I Read:
Buddha Bowls: 100 Nourishing One-Bowl Meals by Kelli Foster – this was a Netgalley title that caught my attention because my younger daughter loves to take Buddha bowls – a mix of veg, protein, and carbs – in her lunch to school. Thought it’d be a good way to get more ideas for her and was right.
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage – borrowed this from the library because it seemed to be all the rage in the blogosphere and on Goodreads. Turned out to be one of the most fucked up books I’ve read in a long time. Pardon my language, but honestly, there is no other way to describe this book. A young, psychotic child is trying to kill her mother so she can have her father all to herself. Seriously.
A Crafter Knits a Clue by Holly Quinn – another Netgalley title. I love cozy mysteries. They tend to be lighter than your usual police procedural or thriller, but still have that mystery aspect. This was only okay – not an awful book, but not the best either. I’m hoping that since the writing seemed to have leveled out and gotten smoother by the end that the next book will be better.
Reese by Lori Handeland – a Kindle freebie that I coerced Kaige into picking up as well. Judging by Kaige’s response to the rest of the books, it’s one of the better in the series. I really did like it, too. Gotta love it when a spunky woman puts a gun-for-hire in his place. Repeatedly.
The Glass Forest by Cynthia Swanson – a PageHabit book. A very interesting historical mystery set in 1960 for one POV and the time from WWII through 1960 in another. I was kind of disappointed in the family’s big secret, but overall the book was decent.
What Happened That Night by Sandra Block – yet another Netgalley title although an old one I never managed to review. This book was really hard to get through because it deals with a college student who is sexually assaulted one night at a party. She can’t remember any more than bits and pieces until someone she works with is caught watching a video of the assault. She vows revenge. As a woman and a mother of a college student, it was a tough read, but a good one, too, if you can get through her memories of the assault.
Lincoln’s Last Trial: The Murder Case that Propelled Him to the Presidency by Dan Abrams and David Fisher – library loan. Let me just get this out of the way – my husband and my 16-year-old love watching Live PD. Not going to lie, I watch it, too, because it’s great fodder for my fics. But the host, Dan Abrams, is a crackup so, when I discovered he had a book about Lincoln coming out, I had to get it from the library. Really interesting and informative book about both one of the US’ most prominent presidents as well as a look into how much the law has evolved since then.
Dr. Aoyama Perverted Therapist by Yuri Takayoshi – an e-manga borrowed via Kinde Unlimited. I – I’m ashamed I even read this. AT LEAST I DID NOT PAY FOR IT, OKAY?
When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica – ARC won from Goodreads. I was so excited to read this. I loved her book, The Good Girl, so winning this was a dream. It was an intense ride and the whole time you’re convinced the narrator is losing her mind. The twist at the end kind of pissed me off. On one hand you’re, “OMG WHAT?” But on the other, you’re, “OH GOD WHAT DID I JUST READ?” Despite that, It’s definitely worth the read.
Saddle Up by A M Arthur – yet another Netgalley title. Someone really needs to change my login information without me knowing because I still have three unread titles. Hahaha. It’s been some time since I’ve read any published m/m romance and I’m beginning to remember why I stopped. I loved Miles and Reyes (and yeah, that’s actually the dude’s first name) and their interactions with each other. Wes, Miles’ friend, annoyed the heck out of me so I was glad he wasn’t around much. But… both Miles and Reyes have secrets and while I understand why neither was willing to outright confess at the very beginning, once they trusted each other and started actually dating, WHY NOT THEN? Miles did eventually spit his out but Reyes waited until practically the end of the book. While his secret was bad, he was also 16 when it happened. You can’t hold your teenage self to your adult’s expectations. I just… communication people!
Coffin Road by Peter May – library e-loan and a buddy read for a mystery group I belong to. Ah, this book hit one of my push buttons as far as mysteries go. The main narrator washes up on the beach and has no memory of anything or anyone. I love amnesia stories because the way that the past has to be pieced together tickles my post-psych-major brain. Really fascinating story focusing on the decimation of the bee population.
What’s Next:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn – a print (gasp) book I ordered from PaperBackSwap. I read Gone Girl back when it first came out and liked everything but the end. So, when I saw they made a series out of this, I had to get it and read it, too. I don’t have any movie channels so I’m going to have to wait for Netflix to watch, but whatever. Only about 40 pages in so far and if SOMETHING doesn’t happen soon, it’s going to wind up on the ‘donate to the library box’.
Asking for Truffle Dorothy St. James – library print loan. I picked this up because she is the author of the month for the cozy mystery group I belong to on Goodreads. And yes, I collect groups like I collect books.
Dates from Hell by Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Lyndsay Sands, & Lori Handeland – an ebook I’ve had forever. I love Kim Harrison & Kelley Armstrong’s series (The Hollows and Women of the Otherworld respectively) so when I found a book with novellas in those worlds, I was excited. I’ve read some of Lyndsay Sands’ Argeneau series, but not all of them. I’d never read Lori Handeland until I read Reese.
Red Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus’ Crimes, Lifestyles, and Corruption by Ion Mihai Pacepa – print library loan. I um, kind of got on a kick researching books on Romanian history on both Goodreads and Amazon and discovered my library had a few of the ones I wanted to read. So yeah, now I have them.
Under a Red Sky: Memior of a Childhood in Communist Romania by Haya Leah Molnar – print library loan. See above. But also, I thought that a memoir would be a nice change.
What I Watched:
Shades of Blue. Season three - series finale was just a couple weeks ago and I’m both sad and relieved. Relieved because this already ridiculous show became more and more ridiculous every episode. But Warren. So I watched.
Chicago Fire – Season 2 – I only have three episodes left before I finish this season. I think season 2 of Vera is next on my Netflix queue.
Comrade Detective – only one season on Amazon Prime. I have to thank Kaige for this because it was the damn funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I love that they filmed on location in Romania, used Romanian actors and dialogue and then dubbed it in English. Made me think of all those Kung-Fu movies that were on TV when I was a kid.
Take Two – something my husband and I have been watching on TV. Such a funny show, I hope that it gets renewed for another season.
My Netflix queue is a mess and I’m not proud. I’ve had to stick with the DVDs because my kids are killing our data usage every month because they are streaming addicts. LOL But that’s okay though because it means I can watch things that aren’t available for streaming like Chicago Fire and American Gods. Like I said above, Vera, season 2, is next, then I get me a little Henry with The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I’m excited. After that is an anime called Somebody’s Dreamers because I’ve got to break it up a bit.
So, that has been my exciting month. I’ve smashed my Goodreads reading goal of 50 books. I’m at 60 now, I think, for the year. One of the blogs I follow is doing a thing for October that they’re calling OWNtober – where they only read books they only own. I’m going to try and do that for the rest of the year, without buying any new ones or borrowing from the library or Netgalley. So, guys? KEEP ME HONEST. I do have one book I bought that should be arriving soon, but I bought it two weeks ago. Along with a deck of tarot cards. The only wild card is PaperBackSwap. Things might come up on my wish list although I’m not holding my breath.
Andddd… y’all are bored now, huh? :D
What I Read:
Buddha Bowls: 100 Nourishing One-Bowl Meals by Kelli Foster – this was a Netgalley title that caught my attention because my younger daughter loves to take Buddha bowls – a mix of veg, protein, and carbs – in her lunch to school. Thought it’d be a good way to get more ideas for her and was right.
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage – borrowed this from the library because it seemed to be all the rage in the blogosphere and on Goodreads. Turned out to be one of the most fucked up books I’ve read in a long time. Pardon my language, but honestly, there is no other way to describe this book. A young, psychotic child is trying to kill her mother so she can have her father all to herself. Seriously.
A Crafter Knits a Clue by Holly Quinn – another Netgalley title. I love cozy mysteries. They tend to be lighter than your usual police procedural or thriller, but still have that mystery aspect. This was only okay – not an awful book, but not the best either. I’m hoping that since the writing seemed to have leveled out and gotten smoother by the end that the next book will be better.
Reese by Lori Handeland – a Kindle freebie that I coerced Kaige into picking up as well. Judging by Kaige’s response to the rest of the books, it’s one of the better in the series. I really did like it, too. Gotta love it when a spunky woman puts a gun-for-hire in his place. Repeatedly.
The Glass Forest by Cynthia Swanson – a PageHabit book. A very interesting historical mystery set in 1960 for one POV and the time from WWII through 1960 in another. I was kind of disappointed in the family’s big secret, but overall the book was decent.
What Happened That Night by Sandra Block – yet another Netgalley title although an old one I never managed to review. This book was really hard to get through because it deals with a college student who is sexually assaulted one night at a party. She can’t remember any more than bits and pieces until someone she works with is caught watching a video of the assault. She vows revenge. As a woman and a mother of a college student, it was a tough read, but a good one, too, if you can get through her memories of the assault.
Lincoln’s Last Trial: The Murder Case that Propelled Him to the Presidency by Dan Abrams and David Fisher – library loan. Let me just get this out of the way – my husband and my 16-year-old love watching Live PD. Not going to lie, I watch it, too, because it’s great fodder for my fics. But the host, Dan Abrams, is a crackup so, when I discovered he had a book about Lincoln coming out, I had to get it from the library. Really interesting and informative book about both one of the US’ most prominent presidents as well as a look into how much the law has evolved since then.
Dr. Aoyama Perverted Therapist by Yuri Takayoshi – an e-manga borrowed via Kinde Unlimited. I – I’m ashamed I even read this. AT LEAST I DID NOT PAY FOR IT, OKAY?
When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica – ARC won from Goodreads. I was so excited to read this. I loved her book, The Good Girl, so winning this was a dream. It was an intense ride and the whole time you’re convinced the narrator is losing her mind. The twist at the end kind of pissed me off. On one hand you’re, “OMG WHAT?” But on the other, you’re, “OH GOD WHAT DID I JUST READ?” Despite that, It’s definitely worth the read.
Saddle Up by A M Arthur – yet another Netgalley title. Someone really needs to change my login information without me knowing because I still have three unread titles. Hahaha. It’s been some time since I’ve read any published m/m romance and I’m beginning to remember why I stopped. I loved Miles and Reyes (and yeah, that’s actually the dude’s first name) and their interactions with each other. Wes, Miles’ friend, annoyed the heck out of me so I was glad he wasn’t around much. But… both Miles and Reyes have secrets and while I understand why neither was willing to outright confess at the very beginning, once they trusted each other and started actually dating, WHY NOT THEN? Miles did eventually spit his out but Reyes waited until practically the end of the book. While his secret was bad, he was also 16 when it happened. You can’t hold your teenage self to your adult’s expectations. I just… communication people!
Coffin Road by Peter May – library e-loan and a buddy read for a mystery group I belong to. Ah, this book hit one of my push buttons as far as mysteries go. The main narrator washes up on the beach and has no memory of anything or anyone. I love amnesia stories because the way that the past has to be pieced together tickles my post-psych-major brain. Really fascinating story focusing on the decimation of the bee population.
What’s Next:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn – a print (gasp) book I ordered from PaperBackSwap. I read Gone Girl back when it first came out and liked everything but the end. So, when I saw they made a series out of this, I had to get it and read it, too. I don’t have any movie channels so I’m going to have to wait for Netflix to watch, but whatever. Only about 40 pages in so far and if SOMETHING doesn’t happen soon, it’s going to wind up on the ‘donate to the library box’.
Asking for Truffle Dorothy St. James – library print loan. I picked this up because she is the author of the month for the cozy mystery group I belong to on Goodreads. And yes, I collect groups like I collect books.
Dates from Hell by Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Lyndsay Sands, & Lori Handeland – an ebook I’ve had forever. I love Kim Harrison & Kelley Armstrong’s series (The Hollows and Women of the Otherworld respectively) so when I found a book with novellas in those worlds, I was excited. I’ve read some of Lyndsay Sands’ Argeneau series, but not all of them. I’d never read Lori Handeland until I read Reese.
Red Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus’ Crimes, Lifestyles, and Corruption by Ion Mihai Pacepa – print library loan. I um, kind of got on a kick researching books on Romanian history on both Goodreads and Amazon and discovered my library had a few of the ones I wanted to read. So yeah, now I have them.
Under a Red Sky: Memior of a Childhood in Communist Romania by Haya Leah Molnar – print library loan. See above. But also, I thought that a memoir would be a nice change.
What I Watched:
Shades of Blue. Season three - series finale was just a couple weeks ago and I’m both sad and relieved. Relieved because this already ridiculous show became more and more ridiculous every episode. But Warren. So I watched.
Chicago Fire – Season 2 – I only have three episodes left before I finish this season. I think season 2 of Vera is next on my Netflix queue.
Comrade Detective – only one season on Amazon Prime. I have to thank Kaige for this because it was the damn funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I love that they filmed on location in Romania, used Romanian actors and dialogue and then dubbed it in English. Made me think of all those Kung-Fu movies that were on TV when I was a kid.
Take Two – something my husband and I have been watching on TV. Such a funny show, I hope that it gets renewed for another season.
My Netflix queue is a mess and I’m not proud. I’ve had to stick with the DVDs because my kids are killing our data usage every month because they are streaming addicts. LOL But that’s okay though because it means I can watch things that aren’t available for streaming like Chicago Fire and American Gods. Like I said above, Vera, season 2, is next, then I get me a little Henry with The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I’m excited. After that is an anime called Somebody’s Dreamers because I’ve got to break it up a bit.
So, that has been my exciting month. I’ve smashed my Goodreads reading goal of 50 books. I’m at 60 now, I think, for the year. One of the blogs I follow is doing a thing for October that they’re calling OWNtober – where they only read books they only own. I’m going to try and do that for the rest of the year, without buying any new ones or borrowing from the library or Netgalley. So, guys? KEEP ME HONEST. I do have one book I bought that should be arriving soon, but I bought it two weeks ago. Along with a deck of tarot cards. The only wild card is PaperBackSwap. Things might come up on my wish list although I’m not holding my breath.
Andddd… y’all are bored now, huh? :D
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 08:21 pm (UTC)And lookit all the accomplishment you had last month!!!
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 08:27 pm (UTC)Thanks! It's weird because I feel like I have less time but am getting more books read.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 08:44 pm (UTC)I wanted to read something quick and smutty this weekend, I really should have just gone to AO3 and not Amazon.
Your book is next! I swear!
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 09:02 pm (UTC)Why? Did you wind up with something not very good? But yeah, AO3 tends to have better stuff, depending on what you're looking for.
Hah! Take your time. It's yours now. :)
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 09:57 pm (UTC)Yeah, it was not my thing. Some of the things that would make me put a book down if they had been mentioned in the description we're not mentioned. They surprised me and made me angry. Then there was a weird bit that was mentioned once in the beginning, not again until the end, and was a big deal then and I couldn't figure out why it was there at all. There really is much better stuff by hobby writers.
And thanks for listening! *Headdesk*
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 10:15 pm (UTC)Ugh, I hate when that happens. I definitely agree that with certain things they need to be mentioned or at least hinted at enough that you know something bad or disagreeable is going to happen. And to mention something and then not bring it up again until the end is lame.
Dare I ask what you were reading?
Anytime! You listen to enough of my babbling!