Literature What are you currently reading?

On my iPhone I am listening to an audiobook; To Sleep In A Sea of Stars. this book was recommended by a Reddit Post. The recommendation was for the audio book and the OP raved about how terrific the narrator was. Not only do I agree that the narrator is wonderful (I think the phrase the OP used was that they could even listen to her recite the phone book), the story is excellent. It's a SciFi, alien vs human war story with an interesting and IMHO unique twist.
The audio book is great for listening to when you can't read - like doing chores, or driving, or walking. My original plan was as a bed time story but it's too exciting to fall asleep to.

according to my library records I read this in 2022.... can't say I remember it

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
 
according to my library records I read this in 2022.... can't say I remember it

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
oh. yeah, you once told me that you don't have a good memory for books.
just in the first chapter - Kira, an exobiologist is on a survey mission on a planet. the accidentally is contaminated with an alien species that has a symbiotic relationship with her and gives her various super powers. Then the humans are invaded by an alien species and....
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Emma JC
.......On my iPhone I am listening to an audiobook; To Sleep In A Sea of Stars. this book was recommended by a Reddit Post. The recommendation was for the audio book and the OP raved about how terrific the narrator was. Not only do I agree that the narrator is wonderful (I think the phrase the OP used was that they could even listen to her recite the phone book), the story is excellent. It's a SciFi, alien vs human war story with an interesting and IMHO unique twist.
The audio book is great for listening to when you can't read - like doing chores, or driving, or walking. My original plan was as a bed time story but it's too exciting to fall asleep to.
I got the hardcopy version of this out of my library quite some time ago... and forgot much of the story, except about the interspecies war (which is a common theme in sci-fi). Maybe I skimmed it rather than actually read it...
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Emma JC
I started listening to the audio book on a recommendation from Reddit, which was more about the narration than the text. And after hearing from two of my VF buddies that it was at best forgettable I thought I would check...
From Wikipedia
The novel received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed towards Paolini's worldbuilding, plot, and pace. Kirkus Reviews called it "A fun, fast-paced epic that science fiction fans will gobble up."[8] The Nerd Daily awarded the novel an eight out of ten, stating it was "...a wild ride from the start to the end."[9]
The novel won the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.[10]

I also learned that there is a prequel, that the author is a popular YA author, and the author is hoping to sell it as a TV show.

I also just figured out that I read his first book, Eragon. It is a YA book. Eragon was a best seller, was the first book in a series of five, and adapted as a film, that got terrible reviews, then turned into a game. the author wrote Eragon when he was just 15.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Tom L. and Emma JC
I have discovered a new genre, romantic suspense! I picked up "Into the Fire" by Irene Hannon in the new books section. It features a fire investigator and ATF agent who become close when working a case. It was pretty good with arson and murder as well as the romance. This author has written a lot of books and has won awards so I may look for more to read. Fast read that held my interest.
 
  • Like
  • Informative
Reactions: Raven and Emma JC
Forgot to say that this romance, and I am assuming her others as well, is very "clean." There is no sex whatsoever only a couple of kisses, and there are some religious aspects.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Emma JC
I have discovered a new genre, romantic suspense! I picked up "Into the Fire" by Irene Hannon in the new books section. It features a fire investigator and ATF agent who become close when working a case. It was pretty good with arson and murder as well as the romance. This author has written a lot of books and has won awards so I may look for more to read. Fast read that held my interest.
I read something about this a while back. I may have even posted a little on it.
There is a whole category of romance novels where the romance is secondary.
I found a popular subgenera is the fantasy romance which is called Romantasy .

One series I really like is the Cleopatra Fox series. These are mystery romances. Not sure if they have gotten a cool name yet. This specific series is pretty chaste. The chemistry is apparent but it takes 3 novels for their first kiss. And then they don't even repeat the kiss for a few more novels.
 
This is a book I'd like to experience for the first time again--
The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune. Wonderfully fantastical, and heartwarming. I listened to it on audiobook, and am on hold for the book

I also liked Where the Crawdads sing. Kind of book I kept hoping for outcomes I didn't think would happen,, but they did!

This arrived last night and I am enjoying it very much and trying to read slowly to make it last....

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lou
I just finished "Sunset Beach" by Mary Kay Andrews. It takes place in St. Pete, FL and surrounding area and I recognized some of the locations. It is the second book I have read by this author and I do like her writing so will get more. This was the story of a couple of "cold case" mysteries, one of which was over 40 years old. The main character is Drue, a 36 year old woman who moves into an inherited beach cottage and goes to work for her father who is a big time personal attorney. She has been estranged from her father for many years and had lived with her mother on the East coast of Florida. Circumstances make it a must move for her and much to her dismay, her father has married her high school former best friend. She becomes obsessed with a case where the client feels she did not get justice and begins her own investigation. She also discovers something in her attic in her deceased mother's things that start her on a quest to solve a 40 year old disappearance. Good read, keeps you interested, and good twists.
 
  • Like
  • Informative
Reactions: PTree15 and Emma JC
I read on my phone so easy to do anywhere... :)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - so good and I have more from TJ on hold.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
I have that. on my Kindle - I should read that next. I'm almost done with To Sleep In a Sea of Stars. I'm actually tired of reading it now. Way too many battle scenes.
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: PTree15 and Emma JC
Read another Harlan Coben. This one was published in 2013. Can't say it is one of my favorites but still a good entertaining read. It is "Six Years" and is the story of Jake's obsessive love for Natalie who disappeared. So it is kind of a romance with lots of murder, mayhem, and twists and turns because it is Coben and that is what he does.
 
I got the audio book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, from Hoopla.

So far so good and I'm also enjoying the narrator.

in the book, One of the main characters is named Parnassus. This rung a bell and I did a bit of googling and found out there was a movie titled, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). I remember seeing the movie and enjoying it but not that much else.

And I just started The House in the Cerulean Sea. Parnassus is a pretty unusual name. Although Googling it gave me dozens of results from an investment company, a bookstore, a mountain, and a UCSF campus. But I was wondering if there was any connection between the book and the movie. Googling it didn't show any.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Emma JC
I got the audio book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, from Hoopla.

So far so good and I'm also enjoying the narrator.

in the book, One of the main characters is named Parnassus. This rung a bell and I did a bit of googling and found out there was a movie titled, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). I remember seeing the movie and enjoying it but not that much else.

And I just started The House in the Cerulean Sea. Parnassus is a pretty unusual name. Although Googling it gave me dozens of results from an investment company, a bookstore, a mountain, and a UCSF campus. But I was wondering if there was any connection between the book and the movie. Googling it didn't show any.

and I don't believe there is a connection...

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the brainchild of Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown, writing partners who met while shooting Life of Brian (1979) (1979).

I read TJ Klune's Wolfsong yesterday/today and I don't think I will read the rest of the series - although it was good and interesting it was too angsty for me to think of reading another 3 books, in the series, that are very long. So I read the summaries of the other books and that will do it for me.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: PTree15 and Lou