Recent reads - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Off Topic

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Recent reads

Jane

Veteran

I have started to really enjoy my kindle and although I thought I would never settle into it, I think I have 'cracked' it (you said it would happen Suz!)

Recent reads I have enjoyed

Clean by Juno Dawson - heartbreaking story of an 17 year old's addiction with a positive end (just finished, a quickish read and shows having lots of money doesn't make you immune from hurt and pain)

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris - true story, beautifully told (I read this in almost 3 sessions and staying up super later one night to finish)

The French Exception Emanuel Macron, Adam Plowright - interesting to see how he has mapped out his career; and I stumbled upon his communications adviser Sibeth Nidaye, who has a great wardrobe!

This Child will be Great, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - I hadn't realised the connections between Liberia and the US and it is interesting to understand more

Off Topic

36 replies

Latest reply was from Laurie

Thistle

Veteran

I love reading on my Kindle app, though I tend to prefer to lighter and fluffier books

It's terrific, though, and I like that you can change the font size easily and its back lit.

Anonymous

I use mine to read magazines, and the odd book. The Heather Morris book sounds interesting - I like historical , WW stories.

AviaMariah

Veteran

Big reader here - Lisa I just finished two WWII (is that what you meant by WW?) books that were really good; The Book Thief and The Nightingale.

I prefer reading on my kindle but I joined Book of the Month club a few years ago so I also read a lot of actual books.

Diana

Veteran

I love my Kindle, and use it extensively to read ebooks, mostly from the library. It's great when traveling - you can bring a ton of books and still pack light! I have the Paperwhite and find the e-ink screen very pleasant to read on - much more so than my phone. I like that it works in all light conditions. When purchasing books for my personal library though, I still prefer to buy paper ones.

Some recent books I've enjoyed:

*The Idiot* by Elif Batuman. This is probably currently my favorite book. I feel like everyone has "their" coming of age novel, and this one might be mine. Partly this is because the narrator is a student at my alma mater, two years before I went there, and I relate to so much of what happens. It's also dryly witty and fantastically written.

*The Immortalists* by Chloe Benjamin. A great family saga with a hint of magical realism and a very clever premise.

*Eligible* by Curtis Sittenfeld. A modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I read the whole thing this past weekend and loved it.

Glory

Veteran

I am recently retired and planning to ramp up my reading! I love my kindle and use it pretty exclusively to read. Thanks for the great suggestions!

JAileen

Veteran

I’m reading Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien. Nonfiction. The pictures alone are worth it.

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Jane, I'm so glad you have adjusted to the Kindle! I figured you would! I am grateful to have mine for sure.

Your recent reads sound intriguing. Mr. Suz would be really interested in the Heather Morris -- I will look it up. And what a good thread.

Diana, I love Elif Batuman. I haven't read that book but will have to do so!

I recently finished Natalia Ginzburg's Family Lexicon. It was a fascinating look at life for an anti-fascist family in Mussolini's Italy. So then I read a book of her essays, The Little Virtues.

I do a lot of my "reading" via audio (through my library, mostly). Just finished a re-read of Muriel Spark's Loitering with Intent. My goodness, she's smart.

Sara L.

Veteran

Like Diana, I love my Kindle. I use it almost exclusively because it's so easy to download books from my library. I also recently read The Immortalists and really enjoyed it. Although I liked some of the individual stories better than others. Let's see, I read a lot so here's a short list of what I've read lately and enjoyed:

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - Two stories that take place during WWI and immediately after WWII.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton - Interesting look at Cuba.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - Long fantasy epic. It's a trilogy but the third book hasn't been published yet (I wouldn't have started it if I had realized that).

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - His newest. Interesting look at mental illness.

Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman - I haven't seen the movie but the book was not what I was expecting.

Anybody on Goodreads? I track what I read through it and like to look at other's reading lists.

Anonymous

Most recently I finished
A Maggie Sefton mystery
George Brescia’s Change your Clothes, Change Your Life- which was pretty good.
Tim Marshall’s Prisoners ofGeography - really interesting book on the 10 maps that explain the world.
Now I am reading 2 -
a book on the St Lawrence River and its history- great.
Anuscka Rees’ Curated Closet.
I go between books and kindle - I need both.

Dianna

Veteran

I love my kindle, it took me time to get used to it, but now I completely love it, it is so practical. Efbgen, how was Prisoners of Geography? I have just gotten it, and I will start it as soon as I finish the one I am Reading: "The Traveling Economist: using Economics to think about what makes us all different and the same". I finished "Geography of Genius" a couple of months ago, and I enjoyed it a lot. I guess you can see a "pattern" in my reading habits.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Ooh, I love book threads! I'm taking notes...

I read on my iPad sometimes, but I still prefer good old ink-and-paper books. I haven't exactly been tearing through books lately (I've been on some other projects), but some recent reads:

- I'm just finishing (after a hiatus and then picking it back up) "Truevine" by Beth Macy, and it's fascinating and heartbreaking, and still feels all too relevant. The true story of two brothers who were abducted from their home in the Jim Crow era south and made to perform for the circus for decades.

- I read James Comey's "A Higher Loyalty" and found it very compelling. He's an interesting person and I thought it was well-written and earnest.

- Linda Grant's "The Thoughtful Dresser" -- just wonderful for anyone interested in the meaning of clothing and style!

In my soon-to-read pile:
- "Deep into Yellowstone" by Rick Lamplugh - I met Rick and his wife in the desert this spring (they're originally from my hometown but moved out west years ago), and I can't wait to dig into his award-winning books on nature and wildlife.

- "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann (about the Osage murders and the origins of the FBI)

- "The Clothes on their Backs" by Linda Grant (I had to get it after reading the aforementioned LG book)

- "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- "Sing Unburied Sing" byt Jesmyn Ward
- "A Strangeness in my Mind" by Orhan Pamuk

RobinF

Veteran

I love to read on my iPad. I didn't think I would be a fan but it didn't take long to get used to it and I love the convenience. Does anyone else use Bookbub? I get a daily email of cheap ebooks and can buy them directly through the email. Sometimes they are cheap for a reason (if you know what I mean) but often they are really good books that are just on sale for a few days.

Sara L.

Veteran

RobinF - Yes, I use Bookbub too! If my reading list gets too long, I stop actually looking at the emails, but they're great for when I'm looking for something new.

Jane

Veteran

I am so pleased to have received so many suggestions and that we have been able to share recent good reads.

I have to say the one that really catches my eye is JAileen's suggestion, Wesley the Owl! A super name for an owl. I've downloaded the sample. I haven't read H is for Hawk, but I know friends have loved it and I am thinking it might be similar.

Anonymous

DIANA- daughter gave me “prisoners “ for Christmas as she knows I am a fan of cartography. I love it- explains a LOT of why the world is the way it is. Fascinating read. Btw- I read each section out of order based on curiosity of regions. Enjoy!

Btw I volunteer at a library book store- folks bring in their used books and we sell them to raise funds for kids programs. This store is stocked as good as B&N except you have to wait for current ones to show. But oh it is soooo dangerous volunteering there. Fellow volunteers take bets on how many books I will walk out with at the end of the day. Giggle

Dianna

Veteran

Efbgen, thank you very much! It sounds interesting, and like a book I will enjoy reading. I am a fan of maps and cartography too, and I like to read books about geography, travel, culture, and languages. I have just read your review about "The curated closet", and since I already have the book (electronic copy), and had not made time to read it before, but after reading your review I will make time to read it too, and Will be watching for your book recommendations from now on.

Jane, thanks so much for starting this thread.

Anonymous

Does anyone know what happened with The YLF book club? It looks like it hasn’t been active for a while. I have the book they started with because I de la F is one of my style icons.
Thank you JANE for starting this thread and to all of you who posted leads- woohoo! Let’s keep it going.
JANET- “thoughtful dresser “was a good read- others posted about it in response to my first book review about a month ago. Your picks will be added to my list.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think the book club just kind of petered out. It turned out not to be all that easy to have conversations about one book -- people wouldn't read at the same rate or the same time. But I may be mistaken.

Anonymous

I always find book conversations interesting here. It furthers my theory that Americans and Canadians read different things. Of course there is overlap in some genres and categories, but Canadians read Canadian books, and have a wealth of writers to choose from. I worked in the Canadian publishing industry for almost 20 years, and despite having access to almost everything, I still read primarily British and Canadian authors. A few Americans yes, but not as many as from other countries. Our industry is so well supported in terms of publicity and award programs that boost the profile of Canadian writers who would otherwise be unknown. I know lots of writers would disagree with my statement , but from a reader's perspective, I think it's great. Anyways, my latest read was Michael Ondaatje's Warlight. And you know who he is even though he's Canadian, right? Ha. Didn't like it and didn't finish it. I go hot and cold with his books, and because I am a library borrower exclusively now, I feel no regret or obligation to finish anything I've started.

Jane

Veteran

My mum, a vicarious member of YLF! chimes in to say that A gentleman in Moscow is very good and for those who might want to read about English football The Mixer, by Michael Cox. She raves about this but never watched or followed footie.

It is great to share good reads!

Aquamarine

Veteran

I love, love, love my Kindle. I tend to download library books, though, rather than purchase books for it. I am currently reading Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and highly recommend it.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I was looking for some good suggestions for beach/vacation reading and posted on Facebook and got such a variety of responses! Always interesting to see what people read. My tastes are pretty eclectic, so I appreciated all the suggestions, but I ended up buying a few books to take on vacation:

"How to Stop Time" by Matt Haig
"The Sex Lives of Cannibals" by J Maarten Troost
"The Mars Room" by Rachel Kushner

Of course, I always wait until the last moment to decide what to take, so I may end up subbing out one of the books I mentioned upthread. I generally like to read page turners on vacation, but I'm game for anything as long as it's good! I'm probably way overthinking the book thing, because the resort where we are going has a great little free book room where guests can leave books behind or pick up something new, and there is always something good in there!

JAileen

Veteran

I just finished Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen. The novel takes place in NYC. Since I live in the interior west, I don’t if it rings true or not, but it was very enjoyable, and I practically read it in one sitting.

Peri

Veteran

I love my Kindle and read from it exclusively. I do understand and adore the beauty of actual books, and miss seeing the covers, but my Kindle wins out for ease of use, lightness to hold, and the beyond brilliant fact that I can finish one book and start another a few minutes later without going to the store or the library. Adore. Most of my books I do get as digital library loans, and going to the real life library is just not convenient for me.

I don't go for real life books though. I don't want anything heavy or sad...my real life has enough of that currently and reading reality doesn't relax me at all. I want to be way off in some other world. I love fantasy and some YA. Based on everyone's recs so far, I may be alone with that here so I won't list titles unless there are other fans who want to know.

L'Abeille

Veteran

Bring on your favourites, Peri! I get more than enough people problems and drama at work. For reading, I prefer fantasy, sci-fi, and some historical stuff.

I just finished The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., which combines a bit of all these. It's by Neal Stephenson, one of my faves, plus a new-to-me author whose oeuvre I now get to explore.

I've had a Kindle for awhile, but haven't used it much lately. My usual sources for paper books are the library or the used book store, where I can flip through to rule out what is poorly written or just not for me.

It has been wonderful when I can buy an obscure or new book by a favourite author. But I can't check out library books, because Amazon demands more money than our public library is willing to pay. (Only the most populous Canadian province and the most rural one participate.)

M. Abeille got me a tablet for Christmas, so I can finally read library books on a handheld device bigger than a phone. Sadly it also makes it too easy to websurf or scroll social media when I could be reading. Hoping this thread will lure me back.

Peri

Veteran

Okay L'Abeille! We can be a book club of two, the escapers. Here are some I have loved:

The Raven Cycle (first one, The Raven Boys), Maggie Stiefvater
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom dualogy, Leigh Bardugo (it took me awhile to get into Six of Crows, but once I was about halfway through I was beyond hooked, and the second book is 5/5).
Anything Rick Riordan
A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy, V.E. Schwab
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, MaKenzie Lee (hilarious!)
Station Eleven, Emily St John Mandel

That's a start! I find most of my booklist from some YouTube channels I follow. I started out just searching for a lot, but the ones I've ended up following because I tend to like their recommendations are: Peruse Project, Books with Emily Fox, and A Clockwork Reader.

So Amazon charges you in Canada to borrow public library books? Ours go through Amazon, but no charge. I go through my county public library system website, place a digital hold, and then when it's my turn the link takes you to Amazon to do the download. Two week loan, just like a hard copy library book. Genius!

Diana

Veteran

Peri, I loved the Raven Cycle and Six of Crows!

Have you read The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer? The first book is Cinder. They’re retellings of fairy tales in a futuristic setting, and are really fun.

Peri

Veteran

Diana, yes! That almost made my list...I really liked them, not quite up to the love of the ones I listed, but very fun, and I thought each book was better than the one before. Well, maybe Cress was my favorite. I love such creative rethinking of stories we all take for granted.

I'm so eager for the Dreamer books from Maggie Stiefvater. More Ronan, yay!

Okay, our Fantasy Book Club is now 3 of us.

anne

Veteran

What a wonderful list. I've just been through and reserved lots of your suggestions from my local library. (16 reservations in total there! better stop for now) My reading has been a bit random this year, as unlike previous years, I haven't set myself up a reading challenge.

Ebfgen - what's the name of the book on the St Lawrence River? I'd like to check that out.

I'm a confirmed bookworm so love these threads. The book that transfixed me recently I wasn't going to mention here as I thought it was a niche interest, But I have since learnt it has one the 2018 Pulitizer price for biography so might be of more general interest.

I'm quite keen on children's literature and the Little House books (I never watched the TV show) were my favourite books from about 6-8 years. I have read every secondary source on them I can find - but I think this is the best. Great insight into the social, political and environmental factors at play in the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder

The book is Prarie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Caroline Fraser

I'm not really into fantasy, with a few exceptions, one being Lord of the Rings (though not on initial read) which I have just finished reading for the second time out loud (maybe 6th overall reread) because DD10 couldn't remember me reading it to all my daughters 5 years before. I got a bit obsessed with finding online discussions of each chapter.

12