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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

What I’m Reading // March/April Edition

Reading Recap // via Stephanie Howell

Okay. So I sort of fell off the blogging about reading wagon. 🙂 But after a gentle reminder from some of y’all…I’ve decided to do a little update!

Thank heavens for Goodreads…or I wouldn’t remember any of this!

 

 

What I’ve read in the past few months:

1. The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick – Loved this one. I’ve seen lots of mixed reviews and I get that. It’s totally quirky. Wait…it bypasses typical Matthew Quick quirky and veers into weirdo land. But I loved it.

2. The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry- It was interesting but never fully sucked me in. Sort of Gone Girl-esque. Worth a read, and the setting (Tangiers) is really interesting.

3. Mad About the Boy (Bridget Jones) by Helen Fielding. NO. JUST NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO. It makes me mad just thinking about it. HORRIBLE.

4. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty- I adored this one. I am a new fan of Moriarty. Light and fluffy, but good.

5. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham- Disclosure…I LOVE Lauren Graham. So that might have given me some bias here, but I really liked this book. It’s no secret I’m a fan of good chick lit. This was adorable.

6. Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos- eh. and a little blah. That’s the best I’ve got. Super disappointed considering I’ve loved everything else by this auther. Maybe my expectations were too high?

7. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight- Really good. Sad and scary and pretty on point with things going on in the world today.

8. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty- Oh how I loved this one. Just a good read. Not deeply intellectual, but I needed a brain break. Loved loved.

9. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss- I kind of just kept waiting for something to happen/click and it never did. I really liked the characters, though…I’ve just heard so much about this that I expected something different I suppose.

10. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion- Awesome. Quirky, different, interesting, and funny as hell. Two thumbs up.

11. Joyland by Stephen King- Man…King just rocks. Another great book. A bit coming of age/retrospective, a bit mystery.

11. The Dinner by Herman Koch – I don’t really know what to say about this one. Highly entertaining and a quick read. But seriously messed up and disturbing.

 

What’s in my “To Read” pile:

1. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

2. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

3. Wonder by RJ Palacio

4. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

 

You can see my past recommendations HERE.

So what about you? What are you reading?

xoxo

S

Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing your reviews. I love that we seem to have similar reading interests and similar reactions to books. I need to add a couple of these to my list! Happy Monday to you!

  2. I’m currently reading ‘Me Before You’ and like it so far. It’s an easy read and so that is nice.
    I want to read John Grisham’s ‘Sycamore Row’ next but I think I need to read ‘Time to Kill’ first.
    Love your book rec’s…I often come back to your goodreads page and see what you have read.

  3. I just finished The Museum of Extraordinary Things–quirky and wonderful. I completely agree with your reviews of The Dinner, Reconstructing Amelia, and The Rosie Project. I think you might be my book soul mate. 🙂

  4. I have thought about reading “Mad About the Boy” but refuse to live in a world without Mark Darcy. I love Bridget Jones and will just go on thinking Bridget and Mark lived happily ever after.

  5. I had been locked into the 14th century since sometime around Christmas. Read all 19 books of the Matthew Bartholomew medieval doctor series and bought the 20th but it won’t be delivered for a while. So then I switched to the same author’s (Susanna Gregory) Restoration series. During the 300 or so years between the two series, England still hasn’t gotten their sewage problems fixed, but it is a fascinating time. Thomas Chaloner is the hero, a fictional member of an actual family. Gregory has written 10 books so far, which should hold me for a while.

  6. Oh how I loved Wonder! As a 5th and 6th grade librarian I try to encourage every kid to read it. When I did research about the book I read an article about R.J. Palacio’s inspiration for writing the book. She said in an NPR interview that she was in an ice cream parlor with her young children. They were sitting next to a young girl with a severe facial deformity & the author’s young son got scared and began to cry, so rather than embarrass the girl, she gathered up her children and fled. Looking back she wished she had handled it differently & she used those ideas when she wrote Wonder. I hope you enjoy it, I would love to know what you think!

  7. Recently read The Husband’s Secret. Currently in What Alice Forgot. The author’s style is great for me. Not too heavy at all. I think you will love Wonder. This is the book that did it for my son. He loves it and is ready to read it again. Gotta love a book that does that. Thanks for giving me more to add to my list.

  8. Thank you for sharing your reviews! Love to see what others think about books that I have already read, and excited to have new ones to add to my list. I am with you, Goodreads is awesome to keep track of what to read!

  9. Just read Wonder! Love it! Quick read! Now I am reading The Fault In Our Stars:)) So far so good:)

  10. I always love your book updates, especially since we seem to like a lot of the same books. I just finished Reconstructing Amelia, and as the mother of a teenage girl, I believe that the author nailed it. It is just so important to be present in your kids lives and know who their friends are. I also agree with your review of The Dinner. It’s so disturbing that I honestly have trouble recommending this one. Frog Music by Emma Donahue (the author of Room) is next up on my list. Happy reading, Stephanie!

  11. Thanks you! I was so happy to see this blog title! I just read The Husband’s Secret last week and really liked it. Can’t wait to try What Alice Forgot. I also read Always Something There to Remind Me – Beth Harbison and really liked it too. I have read Family Pictures – Jane Green and enjoyed it. The recommendations you have look great. I clicked the links and read more about the books and will add them to my book list. Thanks so much for this post! Now off to see what your readers are reading! Do you get your books from the library or buy them? Our local library doesn’t get in many new books, so I often buy books at Costco. Would love to have a great local library though! Thanks again for letting us know what you are reading! I think we have similar tastes, so you always give me great ideas.

  13. LOVED Me Before You. I still think about it…it broke my heart! I didn’t even know about Sycamore Row until today! I definitely need an ATTK refresher though!

  17. I am reading The Good Luck of Right Now. I like it but it is weird like you said. Next up is The House Girl.

  23. Thank you!!! I get all my books through the library here. We have an AWESOME interlibrary loan system here…I can get pretty much any book through one of the many Army Europe libraries!

  25. Thank you for the synopsis of books you have read. I love planning my next reads based on your experience. I just finished A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White and loved it. Could not put it down. If you haven’t read it, add it to your list!

  26. love your book posts!!!!
    I just finished: The Husband’s Secret and Museum of EXtraordinary Things.
    On my Nightstand: The Headmaster’s Wife, You Should Have Known, The Enchanted, Before you Know kindness, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, and MRs. Tom Thumb.
    I am going to add a few of yours to my list!
    THANK YOU!
    xoxo
    tara

  27. MY girls both read Wonder and LOVE LOVE LOVED it!
    I need to read that! Along with a few others that they have read for school and pleasure!
    tara

  28. I just finished True Devotion by Dee Henderson. I have read it before, but adore her books and hadn’t read this one for a while. Next up is Unspoken (also by Dee Henderson), and I am also in the middle of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine and Plan to be Flexible by Alicia Kazsuk (for my more educational books.) 🙂

  29. i’ll have to check a few of these out. I LOVED “the husband’s secret.” I seriously devoured it on a work trip whenever I had some downtime. I really like how she did the ending. since you liked that book, i’ll have to check out some of the others on your list. your past posts have also included some of my recent faves, so I’m thinking we have similar styles in books 🙂

  30. One Thousand Gifts (a dare to live fully right where you are) by Ann Voskamp. I’m only entering into the fourth chapter after a rough start, but man this is some really good food for the soul. I’m thoroughly enjoying it!

  35. I have that somewhere. I tried to read it and never did. I like Ann a lot but sometimes her language is too flowery for me if that makes sense. But I’ll give it another go! 🙂

  36. I absolutely refuse to read Mad About a Boy–how can it possibly work without Mark Darcy??? It cannot. Felt the same about Falling Together–love the author, but this one was a little flat. So glad you liked The Husband’s Secret, it is on my to read list as well as The Museum of Extraordinary Things. I really LOVE Alice Hoffman; I rencently read The Dovekeepers and it was great.
    Currently, I am reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs and am really liking it.

  37. We totally love the same books, it’s so fun seeing what you are reading! did you get my message on FB, on your reading thread? my sil just bought these 3 so thought I would pass on to you for your requests:
    The Storied Life of A.J. FIkry
    The universe versus Alex Woods
    The Winter People
    she always picks out great books from a local book store that gets them ahead and read and tell her what is good!
    tara

  38. I have read many of the books on your list. My sister gave me the Bridgett jones one for Christmas and I feel like I have to read it, but your review pretty much sums up everything I have heard about it.
    My recommendations- the Hypnotists Love story-another good one by Liane Moriarty. I liked the other two you just read better, but I find you can’t go wrong with this author.
    The Supremes at Earls All You Can Eat. It takes places in Indiana, but has a very southern feel to it. These characters are so well developed I swear I could hear each of them in my mind speaking their lines. LOVED this one.
    But I have to say you must must must move Wonder to the top of your to read list. It will forever make an imprint on your heart. You will immediately want to speak to anyone and everyone about this book. You will know that your daughters will read this book someday and wonder at what point in their life it will make the biggest impact.
    Happy reading…I’m on an audible kick lately and I must say I’ve fallen in love with listening to stories this way.

  39. I’m reading some older books right now. Currently Cormac McCarthy books: All the Pretty Horses, which I had a love/hate relationship with and now The Road – which I may have to stop reading because it’s really disturbing, but the writing is brilliant so I am conflicted. Going to check out your list!

  40. We definitely have the same taste in books! I love reading your reviews and your followers/friends recommendations. Have you read anything by Rainbow Rowell? I have read both “Eleanor and Park” and “Fangirl.” I loved them both. I think enjoyed “Fangirl” just a little bit more…Yes, they are YA fiction but so easy to relate to! I agree with the reviews on Wonder – you will love it!

  41. Stephanie, I’m reading Stephen King’s new book 11/22/63. I’m 200 pages into the 800+ page book, but so far, it is so good. I struggle to put it down. With two little kids, it’s been a long time since I’ve been so enthralled with a book. Thanks for your recent picks!

  42. Thanks for your update! I’ll be checking out the ones you liked! In the past couple weeks, I’ve read The Paris Wife, the Divergent series, Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Reconstruction Amelia, Evidence of Life and Safekeeping by Barbara Taylor Sissel.

  43. These are a few of my outstanding choices. I highly recommend them.
    Kline, Christina Baker “Orphan Train: A Novel *****+
    Kibler Julie “Calling Me Home” *****+
    Orringer, Julie “The Invisible Bridge.” *****+
    Richman, Alyson “The Lost Wife” *****+
    Turner, Nancy E. “These is my Words – The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine” *****+

  44. I’m really bummed about the about those Melissa de Los Santos and Helen Fielding books. I just grabbed the “Boy” book on cd at the library. Ugh. I have Dr Sleep waiting for me….and speaking of, I follow King on Twitter and I think someone must have hijacked his account because he tweeted something good about Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons and yuck. I guess it’s just good enough to not put down because I’m almost done though. Did you read Erica Bauermeisters books, School of Essential Ingredients and it’s sequel? They had a cooking class with the author here ( she’s a Seattle girl ) and I kick myself for not being grave enough to alone….and then I read The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O’Neal, which I did like also. Guess I’m on a cooking kick. Thanks for the ideas, everybody – my list has grown!

  53. I hated Mad About the Boy and loved a The Rosie Project 🙂
    I’ve just finished The Light Between Oceans by M L Steadman, it was wonderful! Very moving!

  54. I have read Wonder and it was great. If you like it, you might also enjoy Mockingbird and Out of My Mind.

  55. Hey steph! just wanted to come to your latest book post and leave a couple more books that my sil read that she’s passing to me that she said are good and I cannot remember if they are on your TO READ list already or if you read them already!
    the Book of You by Claire Kendall
    All the Light We cannot See by Anthony Doerr
    and THe Deepest SEcret by Carla Buckley (read this one and it was quick and easy but good)
    Orphan Train (I read and LOVED)
    Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty (same author as What Alice Forgot and Husband’s SEcret)
    you probably heard or read them all, but from one book loving girl to another, I know you would want to know about them just incase!!!
    keep sharing!!!
    tara