Where is your bookmark?

[Jem]

I've just started reading The Palace of Dreams by Ismail Kadaré. And wow, what a book it is so far! I've only just finished the first chapter and I'm already asking myself a lot of questions.

[Inge]

I have just finished The Cider House Rules by John Irving, and I really loved it. Now I'm reading Eksemplariske idioter (Eksemplary idiots) by Ermanno Cavazzoni.

[Anil]

I have just finished The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. I'm reading Middlemarch by George Eliot and Ulysess by James Joyce.

[Jem]

The Palace of Dreams blew my mind, now I'm onto The Siege. Not that much mind-blowing as of yet but that's because it's taken 65 pages for the actual siege part to start. I've been looking forward to reading this one as well.

[Andrew✌️]

I came back to fantasy and I've just finished The Shadow of the Torturer. I liked it and I think in future I will continue with the rest of the series.
Now I'm reading The Complete Moon Trilogy: The Moon Maid, The Moon Men & The Red Hawk, a sci-fi trilogy written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. According to many critics, this should be Burroughs's best book and best science fiction. Untill now, I liked, though for some elements it remember me John Carter di Marte

[Colleen]

Salem's Lot in honor of October, the spooky month.

[Travis]

Picked War and Peace back up again

[Jurgen]

I'm now reading A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.

[Andrew✌️]

I'm reading , a funny book by the couple Gaiman/Pratchett. I am curious to see the result of this alliance.

[Jessica]

Reading Cloud Atlas and struggling with this one. Any pointers on this one, book friends?

[Alana]

Can't help you Jessica, that's one of the very few I gave up on and only after ten pages at that!

[Colleen]

I really loved the style and content of The Picture of Dorian Gray

[Karena]

Jessica wrote: "Reading Cloud Atlas and struggling with this one. Any pointers on this one, book friends?"

I wish I could help you. I struggled with it as well. A lot of people loved it. I didn't hate, just was hard to get through for me. :(

[Travis]

Reading Ghost Story don't know if its considered a classic but if it is would make a great October read for this group

[Lohengrin]

Jem wrote: "The Palace of Dreams blew my mind, now I'm onto The Siege. Not that much mind-blowing as of yet but that's because it's taken 65 pages for the actual siege part to start. I've been looking forward ..."


The Palace of Dreams is one of Kadare's best. I've not read The Siege, but if you're into Kadare I really recommend The General of the Dead Army (about war in a somewhat detached, elegiac way; it's the book that first made him famous), and The Pyramid (a parable about totalitarian terror).

[Jurgen]

I'm reading a Dutch classic: De kellner en de levenden (The Waiter and the Living) by Simon Vestdijk.

[Holly]

Currently 200 pages into Middlemarch by George Eliot and really enjoying it! It's just going to take a while to read...

[Jessica]

It's official. I am giving up on Cloud Atlas. I am not meant to read it. I made it to the 2nd part of the book with the audio version. I found myself wanting to turn it off because I would rather listen to commercials on the radio. Then tried to read some of the book and that ended in me falling asleep. Not patient enough to keep trying. There are too many other books out there!

So now I am reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Ann Bronte. I am also searching for a D for my author challenge.

[Karena]

Jessica wrote: "It's official. I am giving up on Cloud Atlas. I am not meant to read it. I made it to the 2nd part of the book with the audio version. I found myself wanting to turn it off because I would rather l..."

Fyodor Dostoyevsky? Charles Dickens? Mark Z. Danielewski?Defoe, Daniel? Dashiell Hammett?D.H. LawrenceDaphne du Maurier?

:)

[Anil]

Dennis Cooper. He might be too heavy, though.

[Allison]

Colleen wrote: "Salem's Lot in honor of October, the spooky month."

I'm too scared to read that one lol. A friend of mine (who has loved anything w/ vampires for a good 30 years now, not a twilight groupie) read it when she was in her 20s and walked 6 blocks to throw it away in some dumpster because she "just didn't want it by her" anymore!


My bookmark is stuck in the pages of The Alchemist Its only 170 pages but I'm like...Blah.

[Allison]

War & peace, Middlemarch, John Irving....everyone's reading books out of my tbr list. I gotta get going!!!

[Colleen]

I wasn't too impressed with The Alchemist. I have to admit Salem's Lot freaked me out last night and I'm not yet done with it. Gotta get through tonight lol.

Holly - I'm going to start Rebecca - let me know what you think!

I think The Cider House Rules is also on my list.

[Holly]

Colleen wrote: "I wasn't too impressed with The Alchemist. I have to admit Salem's Lot freaked me out last night and I'm not yet done with it. Gotta get through tonight lol.

Holly - I'm going to start Rebecca - l..."

Colleen, Rebecca is a fabulous book! I reviewed it here

I'd be interested to see what you think of it!

[Jessica]

Karena wrote: "Jessica wrote: "It's official. I am giving up on Cloud Atlas. I am not meant to read it. I made it to the 2nd part of the book with the audio version. I found myself wanting to turn it off because ..."

I had been think of all of those! Thank you for mentioning Daphne du Maurier though. I have been wanting to read Rebecca for a while so this is the perfect opportunity! :)

[Andrew✌️]

I just finished Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch and I was very satisfied with the collaboration of these two great authors. Now I'm reading Shards of Honour, the first novel of the "Cycle of Vor" which, as I discovered, is composed of 19 books. For now, start with that, then we'll see.

[Travis]

The Republic of Thieves once again another great addition to this series

[Allison]

Finally finished with The Alchemist! Thank goodness. Now 20 pages in to

[Andrew✌️]

Yesterday I finished Shards of Honour, a good example of sci-fi. Now I'm reading a classical, Lord Jim, for me, the first book of Joseph Conrad.

[Colleen]

Andrew wrote: "Yesterday I finished Shards of Honour, a good example of sci-fi. Now I'm reading a classical, Lord Jim, for me, the first book of Joseph Conrad."

Post what you think of Lord Jim. It was on our local book club ballot (didn't win).

[Andrew✌️]

Colleen wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Yesterday I finished Shards of Honour, a good example of sci-fi. Now I'm reading a classical, Lord Jim, for me, the first book of Joseph Conrad."

Post wha..."

I started Lord Jim only a couple of day ago and I read the first five chapters. Till now the main fact it's not been defined and there is a description of situation by the narration of one of the characters. There is a large amount of facts and details, often not linked to the main, but useful for define characters. It's not boring, but in my case is the curiosity that push me to read. So, it's too early for pass or fail this book.

[Roderick]

Colleen wrote: "I wasn't too impressed with The Alchemist. I have to admit Salem's Lot freaked me out last night and I'm not yet done with it. Gotta get through tonight lol.

Holly - I'm go..."

I agree that The Alchemist wasn't so good. I just finished Toscanelli's Ray which for the serious literary buff was amazing. A Toni Morrison lyricism to it.

[Malcolm]

I'm currently reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Mary Barton', which is very good. Recently brushed away a tear following reading Margaret's grandfather tell of his trip to London and the death of her parents leaving her an orphan newborn babe.

[Andrew✌️]

I've finished Lord Jim, an interesting story, more in the second part in my opinion.
Now I'm reading The Last of the Mohicans, another classical, almost at the opposite part of the world

[Allison]

Malcolm wrote: "I'm currently reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Mary Barton', which is very good. Recently brushed away a tear following reading Margaret's grandfather tell of his trip to London and the death of her p..."

I loved that book! No one else I know has read it though. What a shame. Its too good not to be read more often.

[Allison]

Only half way through The Princes of Ireland but I couldn't take it anymore. I must be on a bad book run so I started reading The Help instead. Hopefully my lick will change.

[Allison]

Ha! Luck.

[Colleen]

Loved Rebecca, how could anyone not. I just made a goal to finish Anna Karenina by the end of the year.

[Malcolm]

Allie wrote: "Malcolm wrote: "I'm currently reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Mary Barton', which is very good. Recently brushed away a tear following reading Margaret's grandfather tell of his trip to London and th..."

Well perhaps you and I can exchange views once I've completed it :o)

[Andrew✌️]

I've finished The Last of the Mohicans and I must admit that I am always surprised from these classical novels. It's adventurous and fascinating and if you use your imagination it's a great voyage through the Nord America's forests.
Now I'm reading Neverwhere, an other type of novel, interesting and mysterious.

[Jurgen]

After Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, I'm now reading Saturday by Ian McEwan.

[Allison]

Malcolm wrote: "Allie wrote: "Malcolm wrote: "I'm currently reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Mary Barton', which is very good. Recently brushed away a tear following reading Margaret's grandfather tell of his trip to..."

You're gonna pressure me to reread it :) its been a loooonnngggg time. I remember it turning into a sweet love story. I think that was criticized when it first came out for switching genres!

[Allison]

Andrew wrote: "I've finished The Last of the Mohicans and I must admit that I am always surprised from these classical novels. It's adventurous and fascinating and if you use your imagination it's a ..."

I do remember liking that book but I loved the movie version with Daniel Day-Lewis :D heehee

[Malcolm]

Allie wrote: "Malcolm wrote: "Allie wrote: "Malcolm wrote: "I'm currently reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Mary Barton', which is very good. Recently brushed away a tear following reading Margaret's grandfather tel..."

I think it was criticized for being hard on the middle-class factory owners or something. Almost all novels of the period were 'romances' of one sort of another, so it certainly wouldn't have been for switching genres from social reform to triffling romance. Romance would be what the public expected and wanted.

[Allison]

Sorry, didn't mean it switched to a romantic genre, that was a completely separate thought. Rereading my post now, it does seem like that's what I meant. I had to look it up because I knew it was heavily criticized, just didn't remember for what. Found out the reason was for "the apparent switch in genres from a political view in the beginning chapters to a domestic one in the later chapters". Anyway, I'm just glad there's a new fan of Mary around :)

[Malcolm]

Allie wrote: "Sorry, didn't mean it switched to a romantic genre, that was a completely separate thought. Rereading my post now, it does seem like that's what I meant. I had to look it up because I knew it was h..."

That's the trouble with critics, they see what they want to see and not exactly what the author wrote.

Gaskell's been concentrating on domestic issues in the first 10 chapters which I have read so far. Her desciptions of the Manchester slums and the body count of starving and diseased loved ones is heartbreaking and probably understated, considering that Elizabeth Gaskell devoted her life to helping such people in her useful role of minister's wife (and daughter)and social commentator.

I can't see what the critics are harping on about. The descriptions of the Barton's domestic life and that of their friends and neighbours is not that life for them is a bed of roses.

Ok John Barton is a Chartist and there's been a bit of talk about his political views but it's nothing heavy. Even his march to London, was not much to write about and in the same chapter Margaret's grandfather takes over to tell of the time he and his inlaw went to London to bury their dead and bring back Margret.

[Allison]

Pooh. I don't remember who Margaret is. I told you its been a long time! Haha, a bed of roses...I doubt they ever said that :) but yes I do remember the situation being very, very sad. Maybe it is time for another reread.

[Andrew✌️]

Allie wrote: "Andrew wrote: "I've finished The Last of the Mohicans and I must admit that I am always surprised from these classical novels. It's adventurous and fascinating and if you use your imag..."

Yes, I saw that movie (3 or 4 times) and I surprise me the big differences between the two stories, apart the same characters.

[Allison]

Doesn't that always happen? They take a great book and give it a complete makeover. This time I'm not complaining though, I became a DDL fan because of it.

[Colleen]

I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love - not sure I would want to see this movie because of how deep the book is - may not be able to bring out the whole story very well.