What is the last book you read, and your rating?

[Zora C Penter]

I just finished Final Notice by Van Fleisher. While I enjoyed the premise and the questions the book raises, the editing left enough to be desired that I could not justify giving it a 4/4. So, I settled on 2.5/4 (will be 3 on my review because we can't do halves).

[Joe Hadithi]

Who Told You You Were Naked? I give it 3 out of four stars.

[Lily Caramel]

The Rose of Sebastopol by Katherine McMahon = 3
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson = 4

Sorry I read too much to only put one

[TheMain_Jane]

I just read "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor. I was blown away by her prose and the imaginative plot. 5/5

[cplevansUSMC]

The silent wife by A.S.A. Harrison. It was fast paced, told in alternating voices. Little frustrations with both parties of the story but overall a good read.

[Redlegs]

Today I finished Fat Vampire by Adam Rex, which was a bit of light-hearted adolescent nonsense.

2 stars out of 5

[Pyperjo]

The last book I read was All the Bright Places. It was very well written and the plot was genius. However, it was absolutely heart wrenching! I would rate it a 5/5 to anyone who is looking for an adventure that ends abruptly.

[Itskai88]

Twisted Threads by Kaylin McFarren. It was a decent read and I rated it 3 out of 4

[Zora C Penter]

Just finished Reel Sisters and although I loved the premise and the friendship between the women in the novel, the number of grammatical errors detracted from my enjoyment. Ultimately, I will be giving it 3/4 in my review.

[rockandroll]

I read Pulitzer Prize winning author, Michael Chabon's newest novel, "Moonglow". It was released in 2016.

This is a part autobiographical/fictional story about Chabon's grandfather and his family told by his grandfather.

Chabon's quirky storytelling and wordplay are in full effect. Highlights include his grandfather's interest in NASA.

Although it dragged a bit with length, highly recommend with rating of 4/5

[rockandroll]

I read PEN/Faulkner winning author,TC Boyle's the "Terranauts".

It is a fictional account of the Biosphere 2 experiment. In the novel, 8 scientists are selected to live in an ecosphere for 2 years, and the story is narrated by three characters.

Although the science and character's motivations are intriguing, I felt the character's personalities were not distinct enough.

I still recommend this at 3/5

[rockandroll]

Elizabeth Ng''s novel, "Little Fires Everywhere", released in 2017, is a tremendous read that takes place in an affluent suburb of Cleveland and is about families from different backgrounds brought together.

There is interplay between all the characters, and is strongest and focuses the most on mother/daughter dynamics.

I really want to give this novel a 5, but a few turns in the plot didn't seem right to me.

Still very highly recommended at 4/5

[rockandroll]

Madelaine Miller's, New York Times best seller, "Circe" has everyone talking, and it's easy to see why.

Miller takes a relatively obscure Greek goddess from the Odyssey, and gives her full attention in this novel. She takes what is known from classical lit and weaves her own ideas into it.

This book is exciting and very funny.

I'm rating it a 5/5.

Cant't wait to read her Song of Achilles.

[Mindi]

Winning the War on Cancer by Sylvie Beljanski. It was a very interesting read. The review was posted yesterday, and I gave it 3 out of 4 stars.

[Redlegs]

Winner of the 1974 Booker Prize, The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer is something of a challenge to read because of its unusual style and structure.

Set in South Africa in the time when white rule was the established norm, this novel features Mehring, a rich industrialist (he is in the pig-iron business) who purchases a small farm in a rural area. Due to his business commitments, he visits the farm only on weekends, when he can, and relies on local black labour to keep the farm running most of the time.

Gordimer reveals Mehring's story, his background, his current situation in a non-linear piecemeal fashion, through stream of consciousness dialogue and internal thought patterns (not formally structured as such) and brief anecdotes about his former wife, his son and his mistress.

The situation on the farm seems to parallel, or is a metaphor for, the steady decline in Mehring's personal life and the nature of his key relationships. Despite his financial prosperity, he does not command full respect, even among his workers, despite his easy-going nature and his apparent generosity.

The Conservationist is not an easy read, but with concentration and some effort it is rewarding and full of insight into political and community structures in a South Africa still dominated by the policies of apartheid.

4 stars out of 5