This book was OK. Fairly predictable with no big surprises. Not a terrible read though.

This was a great bit of storytelling and I flew through this book. Even better that it was based on real events from the author‘s family. I highly recommend it.

A great vacation read. It has several twists I didn‘t see coming. Nothing earth-shattering but still enjoyable.

What a terribly depressing book. I kept reading thinking it might get better but it did not. Also I found the ending very unsatisfying. Not so much an ending as the author just decided to stop telling the story.

I enjoyed the sections on HH Holmes and think the book would've been much better had it all been about him. The chapters about the design and building got a little tedious and dry. I thought it would eventually all tie together but it never really did.

I liked this book but didn't love it like so many have. But it's a good summer read. The author's prose was beautiful.

This book was a quick read. I found some of the situations a little unbelievable (she is former special ops but ignores many of her instincts?) but the author kept me guessing about the identity of the killer until the end. I enjoyed this book and would definitely read the next book in the series.

#sundaysurvey
@alisonrose

1. A Man Called Ove
2. Science fiction or dystopia
3. Two dogs --Rosie, A Havanese, and Flash, a Corgi
4. Around 13,000

This was my first Ruth Rendell book. I enjoyed the first half but in the secobd half it lost its way a little bit. I found some of the characters annoying and a little unbelievable. I was also expecting there to be a big tie up at the end that showed how all the characters were connected but it didn't happen. The book just...ended. Very unsatisfying.

This book was OK. Kind of formulaic in the fact that you had an unreliable narrator who witnesses something horrible and no one believes her. Nothing ground breaking but an OK summer read. You have to suspend reality a bit to believe some of the things in the book.

Like Beartown, this book was often dark and depressing. But Backman is such a talented writer that I was drawn into the story and cared about what happened to the characters. He did insert moments of humor throughout though. I definitely recommend this book.

Count me as one who thought this book was so-so. Maybe a good beach read but nothing ground-breaking. The twists did not wow me or surprise me and I found the main character somewhat irritating at times.

A perfect afternoon for some reading on the patio.

This was a beautifully written book about teenagers caught in World War II, one in Germany and one in France. I was captivated by their intertwining stories. It was breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. A great read!

Almost done with this book. Such beautiful writing....

Mr. Hosseini is a gifted storyteller. But I thought this book suffered from a lack of focus. Too many characters with too many different stories. I felt this would have been a much stronger novel had he focused just on the original characters of Pari and Abdullah.

Meh. My least favorite book of his that I've ever read. I felt the plot was all over the place. Too many things going on. And I didn't really care about the characters. It was disappointing.

I had a lot of the same thoughts about this book as I did Pachinko. Very strong first 2/3rds of the book but it didn't end strong because it glossed over major events and tried to cover too much ground. It was an entertaining read however.

My load from today's visit to the library. Now just to decide which one to read first! Opinions?

1. Any!
2. Helping my dad on the farm
3. Speech-language pathologist
4. I really love what I do but if I had to chose another I would say full-time worship leader or book/travel blogger.
5. Definitely tea

#MANICMONDAY
@JoScho

I actually debated between rating this a pick and so-so. The book started out very strong and grabbed me from the start. But I think it suffered from trying to explore too many characters. Several of them could have been left out altogether and it would have made no difference. I would rather that she had narrowed her focus a bit and delved more into the big events in the story, several of which were mentioned and then dropped.

Pancakes with peanut butter, pecans, and strawberries
Mild
One long book
Night owl
Snow but I love both.

I started this book yesterday. So good.

Nothing brings me more joy than reading the Bible. #joyfulbookgiveaway

#MANICMONDAY. @JoScho
1. Any book set in a location that I'm not at.
2. Austria, St. John, USVI, Colorado
3. UK--I would love to do a tour of it all.
4. Either!
5. Ice cream

Wow. A psychological thriller that lives up to its billing. I never suspected the ending. Great characters, great writing (lots of beautiful imagery). Best book I've read so far this year. And maybe all of last year as well.

#gettingtoknowyou. @Tiffy_Reads
Orange
I love all the seasons
Historical fiction, mystery/suspense, Christian non-fiction
Reading, singing, playing the piano
Chocolate
Tea--hot and iced
Bookmarks, colored pencils to mark non-fiction

@FeastOfFiction

1. Oklahoma
2. Historical fiction, mystery/psychological thriller, literary fiction, Christian non-fiction
3. The Woman in the Window
4. Chocolate
5. Two dogs. Rosie-Havanese and Flash-Corgi
6. Why can't I find anyone who will pay me to travel and read? 😂😂

I read this book seven or eight years ago and it is still one of my all-time time favorites. I plan on re-reading it again this year.

#throwbackthursday. @MidnightBookGirl

This seems like a dumb question but how do I repost a picture that someone else has posted--like the questionnaires people post?

Snow day plus a new book? Don't mind if I do

Another great read from Jamie Ford. I love when writers take actual events and base characters and stories on them. He does this so well. His characters are well-written and relatable. I look forward to reading more of his work.

I just could not get into this book. I persevered until the husband starting doubting her. It was just too far fetched and I really didn't care what happened to the characters. Too bad I wasted my Kindle First pick on this.

Meh. Too much jumping around. And I found that I didn't really care for many of the characters. It would have been a better book if it had concentrated on Anna becoming a diver. I'm glad I just borrowed this from the library instead of buying it.

I had mixed feelings about this book. First the good: Mr. Backman is a very gifted storyteller. I am always drawn into his books. His characters are flawed but realistic and lovable. This story was no different. The cons: This book was very depressing for the most part. Not just the assault but many parts of it. This book also had quite a bit of rough language that many times was not necessary to tell the story or get the point across.

Friday night plans

This is not the book to read when you are in the mood for a fast paced novel. This book is more like a meandering walk through gardens where you stop to admire the beauty, then get distracted by another path that you start down and find more beautiful things. I did find it a little hard to get into (in fact I started it in the fall, stopped, and then came back to it during Christmas vacation. But it is a lovely charming book that I recommend.

This was a different type of book from John Grisham.--not really focused on a single case but more on a single character. Criminal defense lawyer Sebastion Rudd is a flawed yet humorous and likeable character. It will be interesting to see if Grisham brings him back in future books.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the chapters devoted to Rill, one of the children stolen from her parents and sent to an orphanage run by Georgia Tann (based on a real life person and events). But I felt the chapters set in the present day were a little contrived and didn't contribute much to the story. A solid vacation read though.