Mary’s Comments (group member since Dec 27, 2017)

Mary’s comments from the CMLE Reading Challenge group.

I just loved this book! The whole thing is not letters, but there are letters mailed, telegrams sent and received, transcripts of video footage, and notes written by the main character who is mute.

Maximum Harm: The Tsarnaev Brothers, the FBI, and the Road to the Marathon Bombing This is not a great view from the main characters perspectives (the two brothers) but it is interesting to see how the other people around them interpreted Islam in an entirely different way from their bad visions.

The Bookshop on the Corner I didn't love this book, but I did really like the premise: a librarian loses her job (boo!) and buys a bus she can use as a mobile bookshop. The Scottish countryside sounds so nice here!

Ghost Radio I'm going to add this one in, because it is written by a man from Mexico, takes place partially in Mexico, and has lots of Mexican culture. But I want to explore this area a little further to find some other stories, so may add in another book later!

Island of the Mad I'm going to count this one, because I was impatiently waiting for it for a long time - though I did read it right after it was published! (I love this series, and have reread every book in it!)

I finally(!) read Will Grayson, Will Grayson and it was such a fun read!! Thank you to everyone who recommended it!

I just finished "Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I am One." by Ginger Zee. She's a meteorologist for ABC, and this is a really interesting look at how she has worked to handle issues with her mental illness in conjunction with a very visible, high-pressure career.

Neil Peart is trying to recover from losing his wife and only child by taking a road trip on his motorcycle. He talks about his trip, he writes letters, and he reads books.

I didn't like the main character, but I did like the road trip parts of the story.

This did not take place in MN; but the author lives here now; and the story of challenging home renovations is true no matter where you are!

I didn't enjoy this book, but it was well written, and definitely gave some insights into the life of an immigrant.

This was pretty fun, a look at a writer who lucks into into a great manuscript, passes it off as his own, and then has to deal with the consequences.

I want to visit Norway - but this book didn't really inspire me in that direction. I liked the parts where she talks about sled dog teams; the rest of it - her anxiety, her struggle to figure out life for herself - relatively dull.

Maria wrote: "Matilda

I just finished reading this book aloud to my daughter. I just love Roald Dahl's ability to make bizarre characters funny and lovable!"

I like this one!! I recently read the biography of Mara Wilson "Where Am I Now?" - the actress who played Matilda in the movie. It also was pretty funny!

Zoma wrote: "
In preparation for a Spring Break trip to the Utah National Parks, I picked up this book. It isn't a rolling-on-the-floor funny book, but rather a light-hearte..."

I like this!! Thanks for sharing it; this sounds like something I"d like, and I've added it to my TBR pile!

Annie wrote: "I finally got around to 84, Charing Cross Road and almost instantly added it to all-time favorites."

I love this book! And it's been a long time - I may need to reread it!

This is an interesting YA book; the main character wakes up as a different person every day. It is a unique strategy to help understand different kinds of motivations.

This was a really disturbing book. It's hard to believe one person could survive this kind of life, but a good lesson on resilience. It is kind of hard to follow story told by someone who is so confused about the world around him; but that does help to put you into his mind-frame, to the extent that's possible.

Linda wrote: "Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II: The teamwork of thousands of women who worked as codebreakers during World War II was an absolute neces..."
This one looks really interesting! I'm adding it to my TBR list! (I'm reading the Woman Who Smashed Codes right now, and it's really interesting too!)

Aileen wrote: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy last year (just book one) and I remember laughing out loud a few times and thinking how rare that was that..."

I loved this series! (And laughed out loud today when I read that Elon Musk's latest rocket had "Don't Panic" on it! Nerdy jokes are the best ones.)