Where Is Your Bookmark? (02/21/2017)

This morning I was able to start reading Terrie Farley Moran's Read to Death, a cozy mystery about a Florida book group, where one of the members could be a murderer.

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

In the parking lot of Read 'Em and Eat Café and Book Corner, I stood by the side of the sky blue van with oversized white letters advertising the "Gulf Coast Cab and Van" etched on the center door panel. I mentally counted the members of the Cool Reads/Warm Climate Book Club as they settled in. All six were present. My BFF and business partner, Bridgy Mayfield, was busily stowing thermoses of sweet tea and pastry boxes in the carrier right behind the driver.

Every Tuesday, Ambrosia from The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Teaser at which participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two or more sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from 10% of Read to Death:

Ophie gave a wide good-bye arm circle to the group, but when she opened the door, she stopped dead still. She stuck her head out the door, looked back at me and barked, "Sassy, get over here." 

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

Right from the start I am eager to go on a field trip with the Cool Reads/Warm Climate Book Club. I think it would be fun! My participation in an in-person book group was very short-lived, I am afraid. Some day, when my time is more my own, I might give it a try again.

The teaser instantly has me wondering what Ophie has seen--or found. I am looking forward to reading more!

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's  Top Ten Tuesday Ten Books I Loved Less/More Than I Thought I Would in the last three years. I ended up doing five of each: Five books I thought I would like more than I did and five I liked (and even loved in some cases!) more than I expected.

Books I thought I Would Like More Than I Did

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ~ I love stories about witches and magic, and was so excited to dive into this one. While I enjoyed parts of it, I was left feeling disappointed. I haven't read more in the series; not sure I want to.

2. Ripper by Isabel Allende ~ For years, I have heard wonderful things about Isabel Allende's writing, and when given the opportunity to read Ripper, I jumped at the chance. It was a change of pace for the author--maybe I should have stuck with her older work which had come recommended. I do plan to give her another try.

3. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin ~ I so wanted to love this book. There were some beautiful parts to it. In the end though, I came away feeling I'd missed something important. 

4. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving ~ A book I read after hearing how beloved it was--and ultimately being let down. It had its moments, but overall, I did not care for A Prayer for Owen Meany all that much. 

5. Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley ~ I adored Lena Coakley's Witchlanders and was excited to read this one by her. Not to mention it featured the Brontë siblings. I barely made it through this one, to be honest. 

Books I Liked More Than I Expected

1. The Good House by Ann Leary ~ I admit to being a bit weary of books that feature alcohol abuse by a main character. I absolutely loved The Good House, however. It was both intense and insightful.

2. Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb, Narrated by Susan Eriksen ~ I didn't like this book the first time I read it. I am not sure why I gave it another chance; maybe because people continued to recommend the series, because I got a copy as a gift, or because I am in a different place now than when I first read it, I decided to listen to the audio version and give it a another try. Although I cannot say I especially loved the book, I did like it the second time around and have since listened to the second book in the series and plan to continue with the series.

3. Paradise Drive by Rebecca Foust ~ I enjoy reading poetry from time to time (even though I often feel intimidated by it), and ended up reading this collection twice, back to back. Something I never do. I just loved this collection of inter-connected poems.

4. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell,  Narrated by Rebecca Lowman, Sunil Malhotra ~ Contemporary YA is not my go to genre; in fact, I tend to shy away from it. I kept hearing about Rainbow Rowell though, and decided to give this one a try. I ended up loving it--loving Eleanor and Park.

5. A Man Called Ove  by Fredrik Backman ~ Love, love, love! I went into this one a bit reluctantly. Even put off reading it. Came way feeling nothing but love.

What about you? What books did you like less than you thought would would? What books did you like more than you expected?

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© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.