What Are You Reading and Why? 2015 second half Showing 51-100 of 1,268

[Amanda (Mandy)]

I am currently reading 3 books at the same time. I am bouncing between them depending on my mood.

The Last Town--Serial killer challenge

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating--For the Buddy Read

The Magicians--Monthly Group Read

[Tejas Janet]

Debra wrote: "Love the Chet and Bernie series. Highly recommended!"

Oh good, glad to know this, Debra. Have been wanting to check this series out.

[Travis]

I too am in a McCammon. The Wolf's Hour. Basically ask yourself what if it was WW2 and James Bond was a werewolf sent to spy and infiltrate the Nazis

[Stephanie]

I second the Chet and Bernie series!! It is so cute!!

[Mariab]

I'm going to start Speak for the month's theme, beautiful covers

[Bella]

I'm reading Dexter Is Dead by Jeff Lindsay, because it's the last book. You know, you read a series about a serial killer and you know it's going to be grim. But the way the previous book ended was just truly, truly awful. (Ugh, but I just have to know how this all ends.)

[Debra]

Travis of NNY wrote: "I too am in a McCammon. The Wolf's Hour. Basically ask yourself what if it was WW2 and James Bond was a werewolf sent to spy and infiltrate the Nazis"

I thought this was a great story! Enjoy!

[Maggie Nambot (macarons & paperbacks)]

Roz wrote: "I finished Allegiant and gave it 2 stars. I've read some good YA books like Genesis and The Giver but this isn't one of them. Neither is the entire series..."

I felt very similar about Allegiant. I only trudged on because I wanted to finish what I started =P

[Maggie Nambot (macarons & paperbacks)]

I'm finishing up The Martian. I just joined this group yesterday and I saw that we read this book only two months ago! I wish I had joined before then, but oh well.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Welcome, Maggie! You can stop at The Martian thread and share your thoughts. We'll like to know how are you liking it!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Welcome Maggie!

As Sandra says, feel free to go investigate the thread from when it was a group read. We leave up and open all group and buddy read threads so you can always go back and read them, and add your own thoughts, when you get to the book.

Glad you found us now :)

[Stephanie]

Finished The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating for a buddy read. I quite enjoyed it and rated it 4 stars. It was a nice and easy read.
Next up is The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost his Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden.

[Lisa]

I finished Five Quarters of the Orange for the monthly challenge. I was a bit disappointed by this book. The main problem was that I just couldn't connect with any of the characters which took away a lot of the emotional impact of the story. I also thought it was choppy and disjointed at times. However, there were some lovely descriptions of food, the surroundings etc, and I enjoyed the World War Two setting so I ended up giving it 3 stars.

I am now starting The Edge of Dark which I am going to use for this month's group read theme as I think it has a simple but beautiful cover.

[Sarah]

@Bella - I read it a month or so ago thinking it was the last book. but there is actually another one planned for publication I think towards the end of the year.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished 5 to 1 last night. I borrowed the book from the library because I coveted the cover. I'll put my comments about it in the group themed read thread.

I'll be starting Blackberry Wine for the monthly challenge a little later on today.

[Maggie Nambot (macarons & paperbacks)]

Sandra wrote: "Welcome, Maggie! You can stop at The Martian thread and share your thoughts. We'll like to know how are you liking it!"

Rusalka wrote: "Welcome Maggie!

As Sandra says, feel free to go investigate the thread from when it was a group read. We leave up and open all group and buddy read threads so you can always go back and read them..."

Thank you both! I will definitely go and check that thread out :)

[Bella]

Sarah wrote: "@Bella - I read it a month or so ago thinking it was the last book. but there is actually another one planned for publication I think towards the end of the year."

Bummer, they actually said in the book that Dexter is Dead would be the last. I'm not sure I'm up for another one because by the end of it...

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Shattered this afternoon. This was one of the better books in the series. I really liked Granuile's POV, and Owen's. He had me laughing so much.

I'll be starting The Magicians on audiobook next. This will be my third book for the group themed read. That's got to be a new record for me.

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "I finished Shattered this afternoon. This was one of the better books in the series. I really liked Granuile's POV, and Owen's. He had me laughing so much..."

I started Tricked this afternoon. I finally got off of the hold list from my library and have it in ebook. I am getting to love the Norse Gods and the names of the planes via these books and the other series I read. I could never remember who they were before. Hel just showed up in the widow's body. Gross! I am glad I got to hear Oberon's voice, but I think I enjoy reading vs listening to this series.

[Thing Two]

Does anyone know what happened to the Around the World in 52 books group? I'm getting ready to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for my Czech Republic read, and the group is missing!!!

[Sarah]

Check out the announcement thread in the welcome section for info Thing Two. Short version is GR lost it. Hopefully will be restored this week.

[Thing Two]

Ah, thanks! I figured someone in this group would be in that one, too. :-)

[Bella]

I'm reading The Mercy of the Sky: The Story of a Tornado by Holly Bailey. It's about the huge EF5 tornadoes that hit Moore, Oklahoma. (200 and 300+ MPH winds, tornadoes over a mile wide) It's good, but sad. Just read the part where (view spoiler)[two children were sucked out of their mother's arms by the tornado, then the mother and grandmother were sucked out of the house. (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

Attention dog lovers!!! Stephanie I'm talking to you ;-), I just finished
It was very good, I think especially for those of you who love dogs, you will definitely appreciate this book even more :-)

[Stephanie]

Well what do ya know..it is already on my TBR shelf, lol! I went to add it then saw it was already on there! Haha! Im really excited now to read it since you recommended it Berit :)
Hmm..the partner though that is killed is named Stephanie though(I read that in the books bio thing on goodreads). Will have to put it on hold for my next go around to the library :-)

[Dem]

Just finished Shutter Island
This is my review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1318411787

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Thing Two wrote: "Does anyone know what happened to the Around the World in 52 books group? I'm getting ready to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for my Czech Republic read, and the group i..."

Update in the Announcements thread now :)

[Cherie]

Serial Killer allert: I found a series of books on Overdrive that were written by Stuart M. Kaminsky and narrated by Christopher Lee that I am enjoying. They are about a private detective in Hollywood, California. They are pretty short, but have been fun reads. There are 24 in the entire series about Toby Peters, but he wrote three other series and four CSI:New York volumes. Porfiry Rostnikov is a police inspector in Moscow - 16 books.
Abe Lieberman is a Jewish detective in Chicago - 10 books and Lew Fonesca is a process server in Sarasota, Florica - 6 books. I am currently listening to Murder on the Yellow Brick Road

[Tasha]

Berit wrote: "Attention dog lovers!!! Stephanie I'm talking to you ;-), I just finished
It was very good, I think especially for those of you who love dogs, you will definitely appr..."

I'm glad to hear it's good. I took it out from the library this year but returned it unread. I may have to check it out again. thanks!

[Mariab]

I'm in a trend for book made in to movies (I suppose a collateral effect from the Toppler.) I'm currently reading " The Boy Who Sneaks in my Window"... Is not convincing yet

[Stephanie]

Finished this morning. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this book. I don't normally like "educational" books but it had such a nice flow of story mixed in with all the gardening stuff that I didn't feel like I was reading something educational, if that makes sense :-)
I highly recommend this book if you need a light and funny read with just the right amount of learning :-)
I'm going to read to add to the series challenge.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I just finished Frost Burned and started Night Broken (Mercy Thompson) for the series challenge. This will kill off level two for me. :)

[Bella]

Reading Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee out of curiosity and because I loved TKAM. So far, entirely mediocre (and I'm being generous out of TKAM love). The pacing is awful, very tell-y versus showy...in bad need of an excellent editor.

[Stephanie]

I've been wanting to reread TKAM. I read it in HS and I remember not liking it more because it was forced upon me to read in school and I didn't really like school. I still maintained above a 3.0 even though I disliked it..I think I was just bored there, lol :)

[Cherie]

Bella wrote: "Reading Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee out of curiosity and because I loved TKAM. So far, entirely mediocre (and I'm being generous out of TKAM love). The pacing is a..."

You are the first one I have seen reading this, Bella. I just added it to my TBR list, but you make me less than anxious to get to it now. Too bad, I love TKAM so much too. As a writer, it has to be terribly hard to recapture what you were able to do once - a long, long time ago.

[Sarah]

@Bella and Cherie - also keep in mind she didn't want this book published so it may not be as good as it could have been - there must have been a reason she held it back.

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "@Bella and Cherie - also keep in mind she didn't want this book published so it may not be as good as it could have been - there must have been a reason she held it back."

I have been reading the reviews and comments on GR for the book. Most of the comments I am seeing is that they have regretted reading it. If she didn't want it published, why is it then? I am definately not going to pay $27 bucks for a book that I am going to be disappointed with. Oh, Barnes & Nobel has it marked down to $16.99 for the hardcopy, $17.99 for the paperback and $14.99 for the ebook.

[Cherie]

I finished Murder on the Yellow Brick Road and now I am trying to decide if I am going to add another series to my list, and move around my current level books. I am totally enjoying book #4 of the Iron Druid and want more, but two more Nero Wolfe books just became available to down-load AND Discworld is calling too. I need to kill something but nothing is calling to me.

My AtW challenge is back, and I have only read 3 of 12 books.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "If she didn't want it published, why is it then."

There's quite a bit of controversy about this. Some people believe that the publishers saw dollar signs and took advantage of Harper Lee. She is apparently blind and will sign anything put in front of her. Her sister was a staunch protector of her and her work, and maintained all along that Harper had no intention of publishing this book. When she died, there was nobody to be an advocate for Harper.

I have it on my wishlist, but at this point, I doubt I will ever read it.

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "Cherie wrote: "If she didn't want it published, why is it then."

There's quite a bit of controversy about this. Some people believe that the publishers saw dollar signs and took advantage of Harp..."

I do not think she is dead.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Harper Lee's sister (and her lawyer) is the one who died recently, Cherie.

I read a few months ago the same thing you are saying, Janice.

[Sandra, Moderator]

And so far I don't feel like reading it. It's not even in my TBR.

[Berit☀️✨]

Neither do I, all the reviews lead me to believe that it just taints TKAM,, From what I can tell it is very backwards thinking with a lot of racist undertones. I'm thinking it might be a disservice to all that this was ever publish, just my opinion ;-)

[Janice, Moderator]

Harper Lee isn't dead. There are various reports that she is cognitively impaired and legally blind. Her sister, who was a lawyer and her guardian (power of attorney), was the one who died. The publishers swooped in like vultures right after the sister died.

[Cherie]

Sorry, Janice. I misunderstood your remark about her sister. I understand now, if she is in the condition indicated. So sad!!

[Sarah]

And I saw something just yesterday where lawyers have claimed there is a third too.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I saw that too Sarah. I had heard the above about her sister when the sister died, and I thought, that's pretty sad. Then the second book was suddenly being published. Hmmm...

I can't say it is like I think it is, but it smells a bit fishy. But I don't like even the idea of people being taken advantage of.

[Lisa]

I agree Rusalka. I think there is something odd about the whole thing too.

I don't think I will read the second book now. The early reviews I have read have been pretty bad and with all these rumours circulating, it's putting me off big time. It's on my wishlist but I may well take it off.

[Janice, Moderator]

Harper wrote this book before she wrote TKAM. She refused to publish it all these years. She must have had a reason. Perhaps the early readers of the book are discovering why.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Can I just say though, this was great because it was released on a date. So it was one of those rare occasions we could have bought and read the book before you guys woke up. Usually it's the other way round.

You know, small things sometimes :)