COSMOPOLIS by Dom DeLillo and THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES by Roberto Bolano
I didn't really understand what the point of COSMOPOLIS was - if anyone does, please enlighten me

As for THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES, I really liked it but am not sure what it was about - again if anyone does, let me know what you think about that book

Recently finished La's Orchestra Saves the World (4 stars), The Pleasure of my Company (4 stars), and Um. . . Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean (3 stars). Now reading and very much enjoying The Day the Falls Stood Still.

I just finished re-reading God: A Biography by Jack Miles.

Denise wrote: "Since I posted on November 20th I have finished Closer to the Light, American Home Life, 1880-1930 A Social History of Spaces and Services, [book:The Yellow-Lighted Boo..."

I read The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop last January and loved it. It helped me keep my sanity during our horible ice storm then.

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy... wow interesting book light read heavy content. Guy goes nuts and becomes a necrophiliac.

Just finished reading The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it is a factual book it is written as a novel and is very easy to read

Just finished Anarcho Grow by T.A. Sedlak. It was a heck of a read, and I look forward to more books by him in the future. I think its going to be a popular title for 2010.

Finished The Poe Shadow A Novel by Matthew Pearl and thoroughly enjoyed it. Pearl beautifully recreates 19th century Baltimore and Paris using the style and prose of the time while keeping the book readable and enjoyable for modern readers. The story is based on known facts and mysteries surrounding the death of Edgar Poe and follows a young lawyer, Quentin Clark, who is determined to solve the puzzle and clear Poe name. It was a great page turner of a historical mystery and would be enjoyable for Poe fans and non-fans alike.

I finished A Shortcut in Time, time travel book, was good but couldn't agree with the ending, it wasn't logical with the rest of the story. Am now reading The Outlander by Gil Adamson. This is not Outlander that everyone else is reading but it is a good book.

Finished A Farther Shore Ireland's Long Road to Peace by Gerry Adams on the weekend and was not overly impressed by Adam's immense bias (I'm convinced the man lives in a bubble).

Also finished SAS Survival Handbook How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea by John 'Lofty' Wiseman. This was a very useful book and covers so many different things, I feel I'm ready for anything (as long as I keep the book on me anyway), it was clearly written and easy to understand and follow.

I just finished 2 books quite different but both very good
LIFE ASCENDING - about various evolution inventions from DNA to Consciousness - very good/interesting
THE JAMES DEANS by Reed Coleman - a mystery where the wrting and the story are 1st rate

Last night I read 84, Charing Cross Road. It only takes an hour or so to read. If you love books and you haven't read this you must. It is a wonderful little book.

I just finished Evenly Bodies by Rhys Bowen

This series of detective stories is set in modern Wales and features a detective constable named Evan Evans. There are three murders with no apparent connection other than they were commited with the same gun. The author works in modern issues such as terrorism and domestic abuse, but the story seemed formulaic and flat. The detective is an underling of an arrogant, older detective who puts down all of his ideas and spends his time trying to put Evans in his place. That particular conflict gets old very quickly. Evans comes across as a goodie-two-shoes with not much depth of character. Not my favorite book.

Since I posted on November 20th I have finished Closer to the Light, American Home Life, 1880-1930 A Social History of Spaces and Services, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, and For the Love of Family. I am currently reading Through a Glass, Deadly. Yep, I skip around a lot in what I read. My favorite of all of these has been The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. Not only was it a wonderful book to read I have pages of new to me books and authors to explore.

Suck it Up by Brian Meehl because my students are reading it for Battle of the Books. Clever word play and different from the usual vampire books. I like it! Quick read

I recently finished reading Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

When I put this book on my list, a friend commented that this was one story for which she liked the movie better than the book. I haven't seen the movie as yet, but I'm pretty sure she's right. The sections on Julia Child were very interesting, but the author came across as a self-absorbed whiner. If she was trying to poke fun at herself, it didn't come across that way. I'm a big fan of irreverence meant to create comedy, but hers didn't come across that way. The beginning of the book came across strong, but, as with her cooking, she seemed to be satisfied with just getting through it as she continued to tell her story. I lost interest in her personal quest and lost empathy for her struggles.

The project and the book showed great potential, which is what led me to read it in the first place, but it fell short of expectations.

Can't believe there hasn't been a posting in this thread since July. Well, let me start it up again. I just finished reading A Quilter's Holiday, a new book in the Elm Creek Quilts series. I thought this would just be a fluff story to get something out for the holidays. I could not have been more wrong. This book has a lot of backstory for many of the characters. The next book in the series could go any number of ways but A Quilter's Holiday was left with rather a cliffhanger and I think the next book will go back in time and tell us what happened to Sylvia's favorite cousin Elizabeth. (Or at least that is what I hope the next book will be about however there are several other story lines that could be developed--Anna and Jeremy or Sarah, Matt, and the twins...I guess I will have to wait, but I hope not for a full year. Oh shoot, I realize I have the title of the next book, it is to be called The Aloha Quilt and is to be released in April 2010. So I won't have to wait a year but it doesn't sound like it will be about long dead cousin Elizabeth. No matter, I'm sure it will be good. All the others have been.)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Both are teen novels I am reviewing for possible use in my 9th grade English class. Both are books I plan to add to my curriculum.
Hunger Games is well written, has a very good plot and lots of springboards for discussion
Chains is such a good book I would recommend it for adults as well.

Last night I finished The Time Traveler's Wife, so good and so sad.

I just finished Blood and Chocolate. I ate that book upin a second!

Ann wrote: "For the month of June I have read:
Lover Eternal by JR Ward
White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz
The third Circle by Amanda Quick
and I'm just about done with Gos..."

I agree. It was good but my two favorite books from Jodi Picoult are The Pact and My Sister's Keeper. Handle with Care didn't quite match up to these.

GUNS OF AUGUST by Barbara Tuchman
a little more detailed than I like but great history as always with Tuchman especially when she connects past events with future outcomes

Handle with Care by Jodie Picoult...not on par with Sister's Keeper

For the month of June I have read:
Lover Eternal by JR Ward
White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz
The third Circle by Amanda Quick
and I'm just about done with Gossamyr by Michele Hauf.

Bukowski http://thefourohfive.com/reviews/761

I just finished "100 Cupboards" by N.D Wilson last night. It is the first book of the series. I am now reading "Dandelion Fire" by N.D. Wilson. It is the second book of the series.

STONE'S FALL by Iain Pears
excellent book about England/finance/times from mid 1800s forward - interesting characters tied together well

I recently finished From Dawn to Decadence 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present and The Charmer. The latter was a response to the "weight" of the first but turned out to be rather intense.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

Lovely Bones

What did you think of it? I read a preview copy right before it came out.

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.silversistersmysteries.com

madison wrote: "Just finished Danial X by James Patterson!

"

Disturbing? Hmmm...What's it about? Sometimes disturbing can be a good read, but can be too disturbing as a movie.

I JUST STARTED "THE FIFTY-MINUTE HOUR"BY ROBERT LINDNER AND IT IS TRULY A DISTURBING BOOK AND I'M ONLY ON PAGE 13.

I've been a Lee Child fan since I saw him as a speaker at the Sisters in Crime/LA "No Crime Unpublished" conference a few years back. I'll be looking forward to reading Echo Burning. I read "Nothing to Lose" recently, but didn't like it as much as the others I've enjoyed. Still well written, but if it had been the first novel of his I read, it wouldn't have really grabbed me. However, since that wasn't the case,and I love his writing, I'll keep following the adventures of Jack Reacher.

Morgan St. James
www.silversistersmysteries.com

Tom wrote: "I just finished Echo Burning by Lee Child. This is the 5th Jack Reacher in the series and it certainly is the best one so far. The premise is not as preposterous or as far-fetched as a couple of th..."

I recently finished:

The Wonderful Demise of Benjamin Arnold Guppy by Gina Collia-Suzuki - dark comedy
The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry - Victorian mystery
Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly - Regency historical romance

I thought they were all very good, especially Gina Collia-Suzuki's book. Very funny.

*******

I just finished Echo Burning by Lee Child. This is the 5th Jack Reacher in the series and it certainly is the best one so far. The premise is not as preposterous or as far-fetched as a couple of the earlier ones. Child keeps getting better so it's rewarding to stick with the series.

I've recently finished "Red Lobster, White Trash & The Blue Lagoon: Joe Queenan's America", "The Wreck of the Batavia" by Simon Leys, "The Diary of a Nobody" and "When You Are Engulfed In Flames" by David Sedaris. I'm reading "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" now.

Camerandi wrote: "I just finished The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I loved it. It was hysterical. I haven't read a book this entertaining and fun in quite a while."

I saw the movie again recently and it made me want to re-read the books (despite the 2 shelves or unread books).

ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS by Peter Robinson
very good as usual with Robinson's books

I recently finished reading Blessings by Anna Quindlen and am currently reading Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin.

Well I finshed Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Worldby by Vicki Myron

Last night I finished The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Did not like it at first but did manage to enjoy it more later on. Great information on the history of the DR. But, I have no idea what the point was of this sad story. Any input from someone who has read the novel?

THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA by Michael Pollen

certainly points a new light on what we eat and how food gets to us

does anyone know how valid points are?
I loved the book and have already changed some eating habits/demands/wants

I just finished Plain Jane by Laurien Gardener and Restless Hearts by Marta Perry. Really ejoyed them both.

just finished MANHUNT: THE TWELVE DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLNS KILLER by Swanson

makes you feel like you are there from start to finish

I've just finished "A Night To Remember" by Walter Lord about the sinking of the Titanic. How remarkable that he was able to meet and interview so many of the survivors.

The Pick Up by Nadine Gordimer
Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie

1. Push
2. Let the Right One In

Gail wrote: "Jim wrote: "DON QUIXOTE read yrs ago but was better -meaning great- again"

Wow, Jim! What an awesome book- My goal is to finish reading the whole thing( not just parts) in Spanish this summer."

good luck - it takes a lot of time in English but the translation as always has the translator's take to either a significant or minor degree
to me the language difference with the translator's take can be reduced knowing the sociocultural climate when Cervantes wrote the book - I'm sure there is some appropriate book or doctoral thesis but I don't know of any plus of course that author's take always plays a part in how a different time is seen

Jim wrote: "DON QUIXOTE read yrs ago but was better -meaning great- again"

Wow, Jim! What an awesome book- My goal is to finish reading the whole thing( not just parts) in Spanish this summer.