Crossroads discussion

Travel
1. Sweden And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman 2 stars

2. Australia Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 4. 5 stars rounded up

3. United States (New Jersey and NYC) Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart 3.5 stars

4. Japan (Absolutely on Music) 4 stars

5. Canada (Vancouver Island). Home to Woefield 4 stars.

6. England. Jane Eyre 4 stars

7. Nigeria. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives 4 stars

8. Turkey. Dying out Loud 5 stars

9. Spain. Don Quixote 3 stars

10. Siam / Thailand. The English Governess... by Anna Leonowens 2 stars

11. Ireland In the Woods by Tana French

12. Demark (well, all around the world, so I chose where the author lives and is from). Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World by Bart Plantenga

13. Belgium - Villette by Charlotte Brontë

Time

PS this is the title I'm using for 2017 for my challenges everywhere on GR that it fits. It was my favourite synonym or appropriate definition for the term challenge :).

Karin wrote: "PS this is the title I'm using for 2017 for my challenges everywhere on GR that it fits. It was my favourite synonym or appropriate definition for the term challenge :)."

It is a good one!

Good one..

It brought a smile to my face.

Thanks :)!

1. Sweden

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman 2 stars

Perhaps I was expecting too much after reading stellar reviews, but this poignant novella about the journey through Alzheimer's, while it had breathtaking moments, was overall rather disappointing for me. It's and elderly man's struggle with holding on to his memories, and his family's working on trying to both help him and to say good-bye at the same time. Backman has worked to give much of this book the same confusion that someone taking this journey might feel, but I didn't always find that it worked well for me.

2. Australia

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 4. 5 stars rounded up

Madeline, Celeste and Jane, two of whom are already friends, and the third becomes one right at the beginning, are and crossroads in their lives. Throughout the story, as we read about them, we see clip from interviews from others; there is some kind of mystery that has happened, so this tale goes back to start six months prior to the night of this mysterious event.

This book is funny, poignant and deeper than it seems when you read Moriarty's writing. I wasn't sure I was going to like this, but liked it a great deal, was totally rooting for the three protagonists and will probably try another of Moriarty's books. I initially rounded it down to 4 stars, but then questioned why since I enjoyed it so much. There are small things, here and there, but not enough to take it down to 4.

Karin wrote: "2. Australia

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 4. 5 stars rounded up

Madeline, Celeste and Jane, two of whom are already friends, and the third becomes one right ..."

I too, had to have a good talk to myself.. Yes it WAS a 4 star for me too, not 3... I felt as if I could almost assign known names to most of these people...hehehe

3. United States (New Jersey and NYC)

Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart 3.5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up

Constance Kopp has been demoted to prison matron, since it's not quite clear if she can remain a deputy legally yet. The plot begins to thicken when she is called over to the hospital to translate for an ill prisoner who refuses to speak anything but German. However, it turns out he is a con man somehow faking or causing his symptoms, and he escapes from the hospital, leaving the Sheriff in a pickle since he could go to jail for losing a prisoner. This would also mean the end of employment for Constance and all other employees hired by Heath.

This one was a bit better than the first, so I have rounded up rather than down. There was less time spent on the other sisters and more time on the prison and detecting work Constance was involved with.

Karin wrote: "PS this is the title I'm using for 2017 for my challenges everywhere on GR that it fits. It was my favourite synonym or appropriate definition for the term challenge :)."

Love it:)

4. Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa by Haruki Murakami.

This book is not for everybody, and yet it is a valuable contribution to nonfiction. If you have any interest in classical music, music history and more, then this is a book for you. It hardly matters if you already know the pieces of music discussed in many parts of this book, because there is a website where you can listen to them to hear what is being discussed. But this is more than a discussion of music, it also brings up history. After all, Ozawa was an assistant conductor to Leonard Bernstein for 3 years and worked with others in music history. We also gain insights into Ozawa and his life, albeit not all in a neat, package of chronological tidiness.

If you are a fan of Murakami's novels (I can't say I am--I tried one and didn't care for it and haven't tried another), this is not the same sort of writing. Much of it is interviews with Ozawa, which have been transcribed. There are little interludes with lovely morsels of information, and there is an afterword by Ozawa.

5. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby

3.5 stars rounded up

Prudence has just been dumped over her sustainable growing and lifestyle while living in Brooklyn, NY. As she ponders how she is going to earn money above and beyond her monthly payment from a trust set up by her parents, she receives a letter telling her she has inherited a farm on Vancouver Island. Full of visions of having her own organic, sustainable farm, she sets off. Seth is a 21 year old recluse who has been holed up in his room writing blogs since the ripe old age of 14, Earl, a crusty septuagenarian, is ostensibly the farmhand and Sara is a precocious, organized 11 year old deeply committed to raising show chickens.

These are our 4 POVs, and my but this book can be laugh at loud funny at times. Although the sequel is actually better (I'm now reading it), this is still quite good. It loses points, however, for the foul language of Earl and Seth (probably not too much for many readers, but I figure once or twice per book is ample at the very most) and the middle, while not bad, is a wee bit saggy. Altogether, this is quite strong for Juby's first foray into writing novels for adults rather than y/a

6. England

Jane Eyre

7. Nigeria

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

india.!!!!!!!

Roopokar wrote: "india.!!!!!!!"

I've read book set in India, and am not sure if I'll make it there again in my reading this year or not. Perhaps, but there are countries I've never visited in my reading.

8. Turkey. Dying Out Loud: No Guilt in Life, No Fear in Death by Shawn Smucker 5 stars

9. Spain. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra3 stars

10. Siam / Thailand. The English Governess at the Siamese Court: The True Story Behind 'The King and I' by Anna Harriette Leonowens 2 stars

11. Ireland In the Woods by Tana French

12. Demark (well, all around the world, so I chose where the author lives and is from). Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World by Bart Plantenga

13. Belgium (since I am choosing where most of the book is set) Villette by Charlotte Brontë