What are you reading?

[Lesley]

Almost halfway through The Jungle set in Illinois. Very interesting reading.

[Laurel]

It seems like my recent reads have all been for states I have already visited! Very enjoyable, but no new states to take off my list. For example, A Dead Red Cadillac in California, Cool Blue Tomb Cape Cod area of Mass., Torch Ginger Hawaii, The Nomination Washington D.C.

[Lesley]

Currently listening to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

[Lesley]

Just started My Antonia.

[Suzanne]

Lesley wrote: "Just started My Antonia."

My Antonia is on my list, too!

[Jayme]

I am starting The Magnificent Ambersons which is my last book to read for our challenge. :)

[Lesley]

I've started The Turtle Warrior set in Wisconsin.

[Lesley]

Just starting Gone Girl for Missouri.

[Suzanne]

I'm currently out of the country, but will return to 1890's NYC in about a week. Classic novel by a famous female author. Any guesses?

[Ursula]

Suzanne wrote: "I'm currently out of the country, but will return to 1890's NYC in about a week. Classic novel by a famous female author. Any guesses?"

I'm going to say you're about to start The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton!

[Suzanne]

You're close, Ursula! I'll start Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, tomorrow!

[Lesley]

I'm currently reading my Montana read, The Divide.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm back in North Carolina with A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash.

[Lesley]

Jenny, I enjoyed that one when I read it last year.

I'm listening to The Red Badge of Courage for Virginia and reading the New Mexico set Ceremony.

[Lesley]

I expect to finish Plainsong, set in Colorado today. I have enjoyed it, with its rural setting.

[Lesley]

Now I'm on to The Lowland. A bit of a stretch as it's only partly set on Rhode Island...

[Louise]

I'm going to Texas :Heart of the Sunset must be the thing on this grey, cold autumn day :-)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm in New Jersey with American Pastoral by Philip Roth.

[Lesley]

I'm struggling with Deadwood for North Dakota.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm in Utah with Desert Solitaire.

[Stacey]

I'm reading Nemesis by Philip Roth. Back in New Jersey.

[Suzanne]

Lesley wrote: "I'm struggling with Deadwood for North Dakota."

Maybe that's because Deadwood is in South Dakota! Ha! Ha! It's too bad because the story of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane is an interesting one. My South Dakota pick is a book about Calamity Jane. Hopefully I will have a better experience. A great book for North Dakota is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. If you ever want to revisit the state, I'd recommend that one.

[Suzanne]

Stacey wrote: "I'm reading Nemesis by Philip Roth. Back in New Jersey."

This looks really interesting. What do you think of it so far, Stacey?

[Suzanne]

I'm in Alabama with Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles. This book is so much better than I anticipated!

[Stacey]

It was terrifying, Suzanne. But I find many of Roth's novels to be so - especially American Pastoral. Nemesis all about polio during the summer of '44 - the silent scourge that was so horrible and inexplicable - while such a destructive war with the enemy was in full swing overseas.

We think we live through difficult times now. But I can't imagine the sheer terror that reigned back then due to this horrible disease that seemingly at random, took so many lives and left so many more crippled, especially children.

[Lesley]

Yeh, it is quite funny Suzanne, as I couldn't find the towns mentioned in North Dakota in my atlas, then I realised I was in the wrong Dakota! And I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the States for a non-American! Anyway, I ended up quite liking Deadwood and have ordered the DVD from the library, so all good!

Now I am reading The Badlands Saloon: An Illustrated Novel which is set in North Dakota (I double-checked!) and am quite enjoying it too. I also hope to read Peace Like a River someday too. I have another Leif Enger on my bookshelf, So Brave, Young and Handsome. Have you read that one, Suzanne?

[Lesley]

Moving on to West Virginia with The Glass Castle. Quite good.

[Lesley]

Reading Revolutionary Road for Connecticut.

[Suzanne]

Lesley wrote: "Yeh, it is quite funny Suzanne, as I couldn't find the towns mentioned in North Dakota in my atlas, then I realised I was in the wrong Dakota! And I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the States ..."

I enjoyed So Brave, Young and Handsome, but in my opinion, Peace Like a River is Enger's best.

[Suzanne]

I've been stuck in Wisconsin with The Art of Fielding for several weeks now, through no fault of the book. It's very good, but for some reason my reading pace as slowed. I really hope I get back to my "normal" pace again. Taking a month to read a book means I don't get very many books read in a year!

[Suzanne]

In in Montana with Winter: Notes from Montana and loving it! I can't remember who recommended it to me, but THANK YOU!