Pemmie3

@Pemmie3@mstdn.social

Likes dogs, books, history, art, nature, gardening, travel, baseball (Cincinnati Reds), politics, and animals. #uglydogs #reds #cincinnati #bookish

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

Pemmie3, to books

OK, here we go again! This is my thread of Books That I Read in 2023. My goal is to read at least 60 books this year. Here’s to a new year of great reading! 📚📕📖

Pemmie3,

I absolutely loved “The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern” by Rita Zoey Chin, the story of a young woman sent on a witchy quest to discover herself, her past, and her legacy. The story and the characters were beautiful, nuanced, and emotionally arresting. Although I read quite a lot, it’s not often that I come across a book that that I connect with so emotionally - I definitely felt the magic in this book. Highly recommended.

Pemmie3,

I really enjoyed “The Crossing Places” by Elly Griffiths, an absorbing, well-crafted mystery that includes missing girls, druids, multiple suspects, several sets of bones, history, archeology, and a barren, isolated landscape that actually becomes a character in the story. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Very good.

Pemmie3,

I enjoyed “Pandora” by Susan Stokes-Chapman, the winding story of the antiquities trade in 18th century London, a mysterious vase, and a young woman’s search for her past. Although set in 1799, it seems as though it might have been more comfortable in a slightly later time period, but overall it was engaging and enjoyable. Very good.

Pemmie3,

In honor of the start of the Iditarod next week, I read “Winterdance” by Gary Paulsen, a classic of the genre. This account of training for and running the Iditarod sled dog race through an achingly beautiful and deadly landscape is lovely, thrilling, hilarious, terrifying, and profound. The writer and musher Blair Braverman has cited Paulsen as an influence, and this book definitely shows why this sport can be so seductive. Excellent and highly recommended. #uglydogs

Pemmie3,

“Shrines of Gaiety” by the wonderful Kate Atkinson is a rich tapestry of interwoven stories and characters set in the glittering nightlife of 1920s London. Masterful and poignant, it is bit more linear than some of Atkinson’s other novels, but the characters are lively and complex and the connections between them are both subtle and clever. Very good.

Pemmie3,

“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin is the poignant, thoughtful, and heartbreaking story of friends that start a computer gaming company. The characters are deeply-written and the story is smart and well-crafted. However, as a non-gamer I can’t help thinking that I’m missing some context and references that would be apparent to readers who play online games. While the book was accessible and enjoyable for me, I suspect I am not the target audience for this one.

Pemmie3,

I really liked “Maame” by Jessica George, the heartwarming story of a twenty-something woman dealing with her fractured immigrant family and becoming herself. Maddie, the charming main character, is insecure and stressed out but resourceful. I thought the book had echoes of “Bridget Jones’ Diary” and I could definitely see this book being made into a movie as well. Very good.

Pemmie3,

I was disappointed by “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley, a mystery that started off well enough but then just got complicated and silly. Told from the first person perspective of multiple characters, their voices weren’t distinctive enough to make them different or interesting. It would have been better if it were written in the third person with an omniscient narrator - then maybe the plot would have held together a little more.

Pemmie3,

“Threadneedle” by Cari Thomas is a rather pedestrian fantasy story of a group of teenage witches in London. While the setup wants to make it a quirky magical teen adventure, the girls spend most of their time and magic having meetings and settling petty grievances. Where it should sparkle it’s just dull. There’s also an incomprehensible subplot about the main character’s murdered parents and cruel aunt that gets quickly wrapped up in a confusing grand finale. Not worth the hype.

Pemmie3,

“Free Food for Millionaires” by Min Jin Lee is a fascinating tapestry of first generation Korean immigrants in New York in the 1990s. Lee has a genius for complex characterization and the ability to convey the inner thoughts and motivations of multiple characters at the same time. Her characters are rich, complicated, interesting, and contradictory, and she effortlessly conveys the push-pull of traditional values and modern life, the sense of community, and the individualism of youth.

Pemmie3,

I really disliked “The Last Invitation” by Darby Kane, a rather dull “thriller” about a mysterious secret society and unexplained deaths. The main characters are boring and clueless, the plot is tedious, the villains are cartoonish, and the plot twists are telegraphed way too far in advance. Even the characters’ slightly-unusual names are annoying. I kept reading, hoping it would get better, but - alas - it did not. Don’t bother with this one.

Pemmie3,

I really liked “The House is on Fire” by Rachel Beanland, the story of a horrific theater fire that took place in Richmond, VA in 1811, as told through four characters involved in the fire and its aftermath. The novel uses the framework of actual historical people and events, and integrates issues of race, gender, and class into a very interesting and engaging story. Very well done historical fiction.

Pemmie3,

I loved “The Wanderers” by Chuck Wendig, an amazingly prescient apocalyptic pandemic saga that came out just before COVID. Wendig has a wonderful talent for turning a phrase and has a great ear for dialogue, creating smart, conflicted, memorable characters. Excellent. Although it may look daunting, at just under 800 pages, it reads very quickly - like binge-watching a really good TV series. In fact, this book would make a great series. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel.

Pemmie3,

I really enjoyed “Hounded” by Kevin Hearne, the story of a two thousand year old Druid and his wisecracking hound living in modern day Arizona and dealing with various gods, witches, and other magical beings, largely concealed from the human population. Clever, amusing, and totally addictive, I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and spending more time in this world.

Pemmie3,

I loved “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles, a 1950’s cross-country adventure. It touches on family, friendship, honor, ethics, adulthood, the meaning of stories, and the persistence of memory. Lovely and immersive, it evokes a simpler time, with lessons for our own. Excellent.

Pemmie3,

I really enjoyed “The Janus Stone” by Elly Griffiths, the further adventures of intrepid forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson. This time, a child’s bones turn up at a high class building site in Norwich. There are plenty of twists and turns, as well as complicated interpersonal relationships, and the landscape again becomes a character. Very good.

Pemmie3,

I loved “You Are Here” by Karin Lin-Greenberg, the story of five lives that intersect at a dying mall in upstate New York. The author is especially good at characterization and at noticing the small things that make up everyday life. I was really drawn into the lives of the characters and became invested in their stories. Very good - recommended.

Pemmie3,

I enjoyed “The Familiars” by Stacey Halls, which centers on the Pendle Witch Trials in Lancastershire, England in 1612. A plucky young woman tries to save the life of her midwife who is caught up in the hysteria. The novel touches on themes of misogyny, poverty, and anti-Catholic sentiment in 17th century rural England, and vividly recreates the hardships of the era. I especially liked this book because I had recently visited many of the sites mentioned in the story. Good historical fiction.

Pemmie3,

I have mixed feelings about “I Have Some Questions for You” by Rebecca Makkai, the story of a podcaster who returns to her boarding school after 20 years and takes another look at the death of a popular classmate. It’s very well-written and the mystery is very compelling, but the novel makes some confusing and contradictory points about popular culture that muddy the narrative. I also really disliked the conclusion, and by association, the main character. Overall, good but disappointing.

Pemmie3,

I really enjoyed “The London Séance Society” by Sarah Penner, the gripping story of a noted medium and a skeptical trainee who set out to solve mysterious murders that occur on All Hallows’ Eve in Victorian London. A thrilling, well-crafted mystery and appealing characters make this a quick, entertaining read. Very good.

Pemmie3,

I absolutely loved “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab, the story of a young woman who makes a deal for eternal life but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. I thought it was clever that although she could not leave a mark on the world herself, she could inspire others to do so, as a muse. Lovely, poignant, and haunting, it has a lot of interesting things to say about history, memory, the value of a life, love, art, creativity, and remembrance. Highly recommended.

Pemmie3,

“The Guest” by Emma Cline is the story of Alex, a call girl and grifter, navigating through the wealthy coastal communities of Long Island. Even though the main character is fairly unsympathetic, in that she consistently makes the wrong decisions, the novel is well-written and suspenseful. There is a lot of not-so-subtle social commentary on the lives of the “haves” and “have nots,” and the sense that none of the characters in the book is really happy. Thoughtful and well-crafted.

Pemmie3,

I really liked “Daughters of the Witching Hill” by Mary Sharratt, the story of the Pendle Witch Trials in Lancashire, England in 1612. The story is expertly told from the point of view of two of the accused witches, and highlights their view that they were practicing healings and blessings based on not only old (and outlawed) Roman Catholic rites, folk medicine, and herbalism, but also on their belief in spiritualism and folk magic. Really good and thoughtful historical fiction.

Pemmie3,

I enjoyed “Another Brooklyn” by Jacqueline Woodson, a coming of age story of girls in the 1970s. Written in snippets of memory like a tone poem, the author vividly evokes the hopes and insecurities of four young teens growing up in a changing urban environment. Lovely and poetic, it’s a valuable and worthwhile read.

Pemmie3,

“My Murder” by Katie Williams is a strange and compelling futuristic mystery novel in which the main character is a clone of a woman murdered by a serial killer. Unsettled by her new existence as a clone, she begins to dig into the circumstances of her murder. Fascinating, absorbing, and thought provoking. Recommended.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • megavids
  • thenastyranch
  • rosin
  • GTA5RPClips
  • osvaldo12
  • love
  • Youngstown
  • slotface
  • khanakhh
  • everett
  • kavyap
  • mdbf
  • DreamBathrooms
  • ngwrru68w68
  • provamag3
  • magazineikmin
  • InstantRegret
  • normalnudes
  • tacticalgear
  • cubers
  • ethstaker
  • modclub
  • cisconetworking
  • Durango
  • anitta
  • Leos
  • tester
  • JUstTest
  • All magazines
    •