Recent Reads

[@pastorytime2683]

I've been meaning to read The Women's Room for years, so great to hear that you enjoyed it so much! Siân xx

[@myreadinglife8816]

Its quite depressing but really compelling. It was great!

[@sterlingreads547]

I may be the only person on Booktube that really enjoyed Unsheltered 😆 but then again I’ve enjoyed all her books.

[@MargaretPinard]

Yes--I just listened to Kim's whole RANT--which was actually pretty entertaining! I haven't tried it yet :/

[@myreadinglife8816]

I do think it was pretty widely liked. I just couldn't lose myself in it and go with the story because things kept making me mad and kicking me out of the flow. I am not giving up on Kingsolver entirely.

[@brodiealexander4247]

A tip: watch movies at flixzone. I've been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.

[@hezekiahskyler9105]

@Brodie Alexander definitely, have been using flixzone for years myself =)

[@aldomelvin1991]

@Brodie Alexander definitely, I've been using Flixzone for months myself :)

[@RachelB.BookReferences]

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox sounds interesting - adding it to my long list of books to get around to. :)

[@myreadinglife8816]

Great! It is a really interesting book. We don't get enough elderly protagonists in fiction.

[@thegrimmreader3649]

Great wrap up as always! I loooooved "The Women's Room" when I read it a very long time ago as a teenager. I got such an interesting notion of what America must be like. (Was still in Germany and had never been to the States). I liked the Kingsolver when I read it, but didn't quite understand why so many people loved her books. To me it read like two different novels smooshed together.I liked the Mary Treat part of the book the best, because she is such a fascinating person. Would have gladly read a novel about her! I remember not quite understanding Willa but not disliking her as much as you and Kim did.

[@myreadinglife8816]

I am really glad I finally read The Women's Room. I can only imagine what you must have thought about America after reading that book!! I agree that a book about Mary Treat would be fascinating!

[@wordsofclover]

I've only read Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell so I definitely need to pick up The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox! Sounds really good.

[@myreadinglife8816]

I am more determined than ever to read O'Farrell's entire backlist.

[@RovingReader]

I LOVE Unsheltered so so SO much!!! 😂😂😂

[@myreadinglife8816]

I am glad someone did! LOL

[@Ihearbooks]

Agree with you about Unsheltered. Felt like Kingsolver really got lost in this one. I've been working on my NetGalley list which has languished. Did listen to No Time to Spare by Le Guin. It was so good, it made my week.

[@myreadinglife8816]

I loved No Time to Spare! Such a fabulous book.

[@CourtneyFerriter]

Complicated elderly characters? Sign me up! Will definitely look into The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. Yay vaccine #2! 🎉🎉

[@myreadinglife8816]

Yes! Esme Lennox is worth your time! Yay vaccine indeed!

[@MargaretPinard]

Esme Lennox sounds so fascinating!

[@myreadinglife8816]

It was very original in my opinion.

[@bethannebruninga-socolar]

What a bummer about the Yapa and Kingsolver books!

[@myreadinglife8816]

Two books with excellent premises that don't live up to their promise. :(

[@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH]

I feel seen. 🤣🤣🤣

[@myreadinglife8816]

Great minds think alike!

[@josmith5992]

I was so surprised when I saw Kim’s rant as I remember when this book came out so many people loved it and wasn’t it on the women’s prize list!? It’s a shame because like you Heidi, I usually love Barbara Kingsolver but I don’t think this one is for me!

[@myreadinglife8816]

I found it to be immensely frustrating! I think you are right, it was up for some prize or other.....

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Yep to everything you said about Unsheltered. I was especially annoyed by the historical plotline 'cause Mary Treat is super-interesting and deserves better.

[@myreadinglife8816]

I agree! I want a book about Mary Treat.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

@@myreadinglife8816 Yesss!!

[@anenthusiasticreader]

I’m glad The Women’s Room turned out to be so good. My biggest problem with Unsheltered is that so much of it was dialogue, boring dialogue, that could’ve been easily summarized and moved things along. I didn’t mind the historical storyline as much but the modern storyline was insufferable. And good to know about the Maggie O’Farrell novel. I will eventually work my way through her catalog.

[@myreadinglife8816]

Insufferable is a great way to describe Unsheltered!! And I want to read my way through O'Farrell's catalog as well. I LOVED I Am, I Am, I Am by her.

[@theredheadisreading2251]

That’s such a bummer that Unsheltered was a bust!! Essie Lennox and Lady Emily sound really good though!

[@myreadinglife8816]

Can't win 'em all! LOL I think the Lady Emily series would be up your alley.

[@AlwaysDoing]

Ooph, the Kingsolver 🤦🏻‍♀️ Booo problematic stuff not being acknowledged, that drives me up the wall.

[@myreadinglife8816]

It was so bad. If I hadn't paid full hardcover price I might have DNFed it.

[@deborajohnson5717]

I had my second vaccine last week. I ended up in bed for a couple days but then felt right as rain! You seemed to read some really interesting books. Boy, Kim really didn’t like Unsheltered! I am finishing up Red Comet and am quite enjoying it!

[@myreadinglife8816]

The more I hear about Red Comet, the more I want to read it. I have been reading a ton of interesting books. I don't feel too bad that they don't all work out. I'm just glad to get them off the TBR. Yay for being vaccinated.

[@BookChats]

Yay for good reading months, boo for what sounds like a truly terrible reading experience with the Kingsolver book. 🤞 Here's to hoping your Booktube Prize reads are good ones.

[@myreadinglife8816]

The best thing about the Kingsolver was the interaction with my buddy readers! So far, my BTP books have been great!

[@judybrown1624]

I really liked Esme Lennox too.

[@myreadinglife8816]

It was such a nice surprise!

[@audreyh7892]

I hate feeling lectured to when i am reading fiction. Even if i can tell we are on the same side politically.

[@myreadinglife8816]

Ugh! Me too! It is the worst.

[@seriela]

First! Yay, we're both done with vaccination! April's been a whopper of a reading month.

[@myreadinglife8816]

Yay for being done with vaccination! I read slightly less in April but they were mostly bigger books.

[@lauracorsi3309]

I've heard this about Unsheltered. I keep going to read it and then something else comes up. Maybe I will give it a permanent pass. What would you recommend to read by Barbara Kingsolver?

[@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH]

Poisonwood Bible for sure. 🤓

[@myreadinglife8816]

The Poisonwood Bible was good. I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle as well. That one is nonfiction. I also really enjoyed Flight Behavior.

[@hesterdunlop7948]

I watched Kim's delightful rant about Unsheltered and can see where you're both coming from with the preachy aspects . Too too much ... It could have been half the length ...I liked aspects of the book though, especially the sense of the New Jersey landscape and the way we saw how science was practiced in the 19th century, so much dedication to detail and cataloguing ... but the romantic element was unnecessary .... I thought Willa was clueless and unlikable but I have known quite a few people like that ...to be fair I prefer unlikable protagonists ..do you think it would have been more fiercely edited if it was a first novel ?

[@myreadinglife8816]

Hmmmm...interesting point! I think it might have been better edited as a first novel. I do think there is a trend of big name authors late in their careers writing bloated books. Stephen King for one.

[@BookishTexan]

Congrats on the vaccine! Sorry to hear about the Kingsolver book. Too much liberalling for “this liberal.”🤓

[@myreadinglife8816]

Fully vaccinated as of last Monday! Woot! I know, can you believe it was too liberal even for me? LOL

[@CookieR1272]

Congrats on the vaccine!

[@myreadinglife8816]

Fully vaccinated as of last Monday. Woot!