What Are You Reading and Why? 2015 second half Showing 1-50 of 1,268

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm going to split this into a new thread since the other one is getter rather long.

Please tell us what you are reading and what was the reason you picked up the book.

[Janice, Moderator]

Copied Debra's message over:

Just started a Harlan Coben book The Stranger. Always enjoy his books... so many twists, turns, and surprises.

Finished another Merrily Watkins book. Excellent stuff!

Got to get finished with some library books before I can read Finders Keepers. Arrgh!

[Casceil]

Debra, which Merrily Watkins book?

[Cherie]

I am reading Roast Beef, Medium: The Business Adventures of Emma McChesney for the Food challenge and The Baker Street Translation & A Killing Frost for my Series Challenge.

[Roz]

I'm going to start The Book of Salt this weekend for the Dinner Bell Challenge and I downloaded Bitter in the Mouth for my Beautiful Cover choice. Turns out they're by the same author.

[Lilisa]

I am reading Arrow of God and The White Woman on the Green Bicycle.

[Debra]

Casceil wrote: "Debra, which Merrily Watkins book?"

The Smile of a Ghost which I think is #7 in the series. I can't say enough good things about this series.

[Sarah]

I have just finished Finders Keepers for the buddy read. And from one psycho to another now with You. Also starting China Mieville's new short story collection Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories in case i need a break from the other book.

[Mariab]

I m reading The Gargolye

[Tasha]

I really enjoyed The Gargoyle Mariab, I hope you do too!

[Lisa]

I finished Finders Keepers for a buddy read. I really enjoyed it but not quite as much as its predecessor Mr Mercedes so I gave it 4 stars.

I am also about 30% of the way through my reread of Outlander and I am enjoying it even more this time around :)

[Roz]

I got a notification that Allegiant was available so I'm reading it now. It's annoying but it's the last in the series and I just want it done. I sometimes find myself laughing when I know I'm not supposed to. Can't help it.

[Stephanie]

I'm reading . I really like this series but this book is taking me a bit to read as I've been a little burnt out on reading this last week.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Euphoria for the group themed read and will start Hunted for my series killer challenge. I'll be happy when this series is finished. Just two books to go.

I'm still working on Salem's Lot.

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "I finished Euphoria for the group themed read and will start Hunted for my series killer challenge. I'll be happy when this series is finished. Just two books to go..."

I have had Tricked on hold from my library for some time, but Trapped became available on audio, so I listened to it last night and today. Finally got to listen to Oberon. :0)

[Janice, Moderator]

I had to chuckle over Oberon's opinion of human mating habits. :) Did you enjoy his voice?

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Salem's Lot last night. What a great vampire story. How did I not read it years ago?

I'm moving on to The Forgotten Highlander: My Incredible Story Of Survival During The War In The Far East, which I'll start tonight.

[Sarah]

I'll have to move it up my list then Janice. I thought for years it would be about Witches from the title name but then saw it on a list of must read vampire books list.

[Janice, Moderator]

Salem is short for Jerusalem, so not connected to the Salem witches. I'd recommend that you read it before you read Wolves of the Calla because there is a major connection.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I finished The Miniaturist and gave it 4 stars. It was hard to decided between 3 and 4 stars, but if I consider the book in the magic realism genre, it's a 4 stars.

I just started The Forgotten Room. I received an email from the library saying this book was ready for pick up, after I was for near 2 months in the queue, but I don't even remember why I requested it... It's the 4th in a series I'm not even reading...
So far, the first chapter has been captivating.

[Lori Z]

I just finished A Killer Read which turned out to be a very dangerous book. It did some serious damage to my tbr shelf. At the beginning of every chapter there's a quote from another mystery, so every book I wasn't familiar with I'd look up on goodreads and ended up adding about 10 of them to my tbr list. Luckily, I had read a lot of them or already had them on my tbr pile, or it would have been a lot worse, lol, since there's like 40 chapters. Anyway, I loved the book, and recommend it to any cozy fan.

I've now started The Long Quiche Goodbye and can't decide if I'm using it for the monthly challenge or the serial challenge.

[Bella]

Lori Z wrote: "I just finished A Killer Read which turned out to be a very dangerous book. It did some serious damage to my tbr shelf. At the beginning of every chapter there's a quote from anothe..."

Yay, someone else who reads cozy mysteries. I read the Quiche book a while back, didn't hate it, but never felt like continuing the series.

[Roz]

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. At times it reads like a very bad B movie with the melodrama of a soap opera. I finished the whole thing, though, because I started it and didn't want to leave it undone.

[Mariab]

I finished The Gargoyle. I liked it very much.
Now I'm going to read Blood and Chocolate for the month's Challenge

[Cherie]

I spent the whole day listening to Douglas Adams' last book that I found in audio from my library. I have seen it on the for sale shelf at my library, but never thought about buying it. I bet it will be gone now that I want it. The Salmon of Doubt. I had read the first Dirk Gently book years ago, but never the 2nd when it was published in 1988. Sweet! One more book and another series eliminated.

[Stephanie]

Finished . It was another cute book in the Chet and Bernie series. A little boy goes missing and Chet and Bernie are on the case...of course there a few bumps along the way, but it wouldn't be a Chet and Bernie mystery without the bumps :)
Starting next for Rusalka's July challenge.

[Janice, Moderator]

I started The Forgotten Highlander: My Incredible Story Of Survival During The War In The Far East last night. It's the next on my list.

[KimeyDiann]

I finished The Return of the King over the long weekend. I'm so glad I finally read the LOTR series, it was really great! I'd like to watch the movies now. Are they worth watching after reading the books?

I started on the audio version of The Dirty Parts of the Bible this morning. I wanted something light and funny and so far this fits the bill! There was more than one LOL moment on my commute this morning!

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "I had to chuckle over Oberon's opinion of human mating habits. :) Did you enjoy his voice?"

It was not quite what I expected, but was okay. His comments are a crack-up though. I was so afraid that something was going to happen to his apprentice. I did not realize that the Druids had full body tattoos, nor that it was all done by hand. It is hard to know what is fantasy and what is real in his stories about the gods.

I am constantly amused by his present day references to TV shows and pop culture stuff mixed in.

I came across a reference to John Dee in the last Theodosia Throckmorton book. I had to look him up and then I remembered he was in the Nicholas Flammell books. He was a real person too.

Douglas Adams had a "Damit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a ..." comment in his Dirk Gently book I listened to yesterday.

[Lori Z]

Bella wrote: Yay, someone else who reads cozy mysteries. I read the Quiche book a while back, didn't hate it, but never felt like continuing the series.

Yes, I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries. I really like the variety of occupations and hobbies of the amateur sleuth in those books. They especially come in handy for topplers and challenges, as I can usually find one to match most criteria that our fearless leaders throw at us, lol.

I just had a look at your shelves and I'm thinking I'll be adding more to my tbr shelf. (I think I can hear it groan).

[Sarah]

I finished You for the Sai King Recommends group read. It bugged me so I'm pleased it's over. I started The Magicians yesterday for the group read.

[Lisa]

I started Five Quarters of the Orange yesterday for the monthly challenge.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Hunted yesterday. I'll start the final book (published anyway) Shattered later today. There's apparently another two books to be published. I'm not sure I'll read them. I'm getting tired of this series.

[Mariab]

I can understand Janice. Some series are streched too far...

[Kristie, Moderator]

I'm current with that series as well, Janice, and I'm not sure if I'll continue. I feel like longer series the story just goes on to much sometimes. I'm finishing up the last two available Mercy Thompson books right now and I'm not sure if I'll finish that series either. I enjoyed both series, though.

[Janice, Moderator]

I haven't started Mercy Thompson yet, but I do have the first book.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I've enjoyed it. It's good if you like paranormal stories.

[Lilisa]

I just finished The Girl on the Train - couldn't put it down - a fast-read and fast-paced thriller - wow!

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished The Forgotten Highlander: My Incredible Story Of Survival During The War In The Far East last night. It held a morbid fascination for me and I couldn't put it down.

I'm currently bookless at the moment! I haven't started my next audiobook (Shattered), and I have a book in transit from another library. I was hoping it would be here and I could start it. Maybe it will come in today.

[Janice, Moderator]

I started Shattered. There are a couple of new characters and I'm hoping they'll inject new life to the series.

I received an email from the library and 5 to 1 arrived so I popped by and picked it up. I'll start it tonight. I got it because of the group themed read. I love the cover!
.

[Cherie]

I started the Wild Snail book. I am enchanted but need to go to bed.

Hope the Iron Druid book is better, Janice. I am one hold away from getting #4. I want to see what I skipped after reading #5 last week.

[Janice, Moderator]

So far, it is. Atticus' arch druid is revived. He's hilarious. Plus there's a new dog, Arla, who is learning to speak. She has a soft voice unlike Oberon, and she's just sweet.

[KimeyDiann]

I finished The Dirty Parts of the Bible yesterday evening sitting in my car in my driveway. I wasn't sure I would like this book because religious books are often way too preachy. This one was not and was absolutely hilarious! I really have a hard time classifying this as "Christian fiction" at all. I definitely recommend it for a light read.

I have to share this part, it had me LOL'ing. The narrator of the audiobook really made it funnier.

(view spoiler)[ Regarding the word "Cicrumcision"

"Later, I asked my father what it meant. 'It's the removal of the foreskin of the penis,' he said.

It took me a minute to get over the shock of Father saying the word penis. 'Re- removing? As in, cut- cut- cutting off?'

'That's right. With a knife'

I looked down at my crotch. 'Did- did I have that done to me?'

He frowned. 'Of course. It's a sign that your body is consecrated to God, every member of it.'

The blood drained from my face. And from my injured member, too. From that day on, I was haunted by the ghost of my foreskin. What did it look like? Would girls like me better if I still had one? Did chopping it off stunt my growth? Was that why I still hadn't hit puberty?"
(hide spoiler)]

[Travis]

Aparently I felt Shattered was my favorite in the series according to my brief review Janice. Mostly due to the arch druid and another visit from Jesus.

[Janice, Moderator]

The arch druid is hilarious, isn't he? I have a very interesting visual of Atticus during his puberty, (view spoiler)[ following his knob into a room (hide spoiler)]. It fits right in with the theme of KimeyDiann's spoiler. LOL!

[Tejas Janet]

KimeyDiann wrote: "I finished The Dirty Parts of the Bible yesterday evening sitting in my car in my driveway. I wasn't sure I would like this book because religious books are often way too preachy. Th..."

How funny!! I also like enjoyed hearinv his perspective about this :)

[Tasha]

I started The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating with buddies here and am enjoying it so far. What an interesting story!

I'll be starting How To Be Both today.

[Debra]

Love the Chet and Bernie series. Highly recommended!

Just finished a great mystery/thriller called The Straw Men. Excellent debut novel. Now I'm hooked on a new series!

Currently reading Robert McCammon's The Border. I've only read a little bit and am already really hooked. You can never go wrong with McCammon.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I finished The Forgotten Room a very funny mystery. Compelling and quick read. First thing I read by Lincoln Child, but I probably try more.

I'm 25% into The Bean Trees which is my pick for the monthly challenge. So far enjoyable.

I just downloaded The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating and plan to start it right away to join the buddy read that's going on. Everybody seems to be having a great time there!

[Janice, Moderator]

Debra wrote: "Currently reading Robert McCammon's The Border. I've only read a little bit and am already really hooked. You can never go wrong with McCammon. .."

Agreed!