What Are You Reading Showing 1,851-1,900 of 6,935

[[deleted user]]

Oh, and the festival looks like fun.

[Diane]

Burial Rites is the best book I've read so far this year and to think, I wasn't going to read it because of the story line. It sounded so grisly. This is a book that will haunt you for quite awhile.
I just finished Ruth Rendell's The Child's Child and what a disappointment. I normally enjoy her mysteries which are not so much about the who did its but about the why did they do it. This one was boring and I don't know why I bothered finishing it.

[[deleted user]]

Still reading Crypononicon. I've under 200 pages left, but I'm itching for the end at this stage.

[[deleted user]]

*Cryptonomicon

[Allan]

Sara, you certainly seem to have a busy schedule this weekend, but as always, I know you'll manage to squeeze in quality reading time!

Declan, I don't think I've ever read a 1000+ page book, so I can understand your wish to finish Cryptonomicon and move on to other things!

As for me, I'm reading City of Night by John Rechy, which was one of my purchases from The Strand in NYC. I was seen as a controversial novel but was a best seller apparently when it was released in the 60s. It's about the hustler scene across a number of cities in the US, and is pretty dark without being too graphic, and while I struggled for a while with some of the dialogue, I've warmed to the style of the author and find it very interesting from a social history point of view.

I'm also listening to 'A Kiss Before Dying' by Ira Levin, which I picked up for $4 on an Audible daily deal last week, and have to say that I'm finding it pretty gripping!

[Diane]

I read The Secret Keeper a while ago. It was pretty good.

[Sara]

I did get through a couple of chapters of Sabriel on the train this morning. It was too loud and busy to read while at the event unfortunately, but it was a good event with lots of good food and speakers. I'm quite enjoying Sabriel, which so far manages to be a unique take on what can be a times a formulaic genre (YA fantasy). I should easily get through another 100 pages or so during my pre-bed reading. Right now I'm enjoying a milk stout, watching a recorded baseball game (even though I already know my team won, and playing with my new phone...The new phone could be a distraction from reading...One of the things I'm doing though is making sure that Audible, my podcast app, and my e-book apps are up to date.

[Susan]

Diane, I love Ruth Rendell especially Inspector Wexford but I think age has caught up to her. Her last couple of books have been subpar but she is over 80 so I cut her some slack. Still an inferior Ruth Rendell is better than a lot of crap I read including my current book. It's yucky. Unfortunately, since I have to review it, I must finish it.

Allan, I can not believe you have not read a 1000 page book. Have you not read any Ken Follett (is it a 1000 pages or does it just seem that way?), Edward Rutherford or Diana Gabaldon? Actually I am now laughing picturing you read Gabaldon. It's the story of a war nurse in the 1940's stepping through some standing stones and ending up in the middle of a battle between the Scots and the English during the 1700's. She meets a handsome, virile young Scottish virgin (think Liam Neesen in Rob Roy). Eight books later (or more I lost track) the story continues in America. Think it's your cup of tea?

Jamie, I hope you go back to Rebecca sometime. One of my very favorite books ever. Still Kate Morton tells a good story.

[Allan]

I take my having not read 1000+ pages back-Rutherfurd's 'New York' (surprise surprise!) I still have Paris on my shelf as well to tackle. I might give Gabaldon a miss though! :-/ !!

[Trelawn]

I love Kate Morton too, I have read all her books. She's a great storyteller.

[Evie]

I LOVE Diana Gabaldon! I'm not normally one for getting hooked on a series, but Outlander is completely addictive :) I must try The Secret Keeper - I've read Morton's first two novels and really enjoyed them. I'm currently reading The Magician I had never heard of Maugham until recently when I watched 'The Painted Veil' a beautiful movie with Ed Norton and Naomi Watts. Sometimes the old ones are the best!

[Diane]

Jamie Lynn wrote: "I have Rebecca on hold I don't know if I feel like reading it. Not long ago I read Jane Eyre. This is another crazy lady burning a house down LOL! I know the stories themselves aren't identical but..."
I am one of those strange people who are not crazy about Jane Eyre. Too many coincidences. Now the The Eyre Affair is another story. I recommend you try that and go ahead with Rebecca.
@ Susan: Rebecca is one of my long time favorites also.

[Evie]

Jamie Lynn wrote: "Evie The Magician looks really good."
Yes, I'm enjoying his writing style so far - I'll let you know how I get on :) After reading The Night Circus, which I thought was more style over substance, I wanted to give this book a go.

[Barbara]

The discussion of 1000 page books is related to a thought I had this weekend. Suppose Goodreads had an easy way to calculate how many pages we'd read in a year in addition to how many books? It is a little too obsessive perhaps. Being a knitter, I will mention there are knitters who calculate how many miles of yarn they've knit in a year - I refuse to think that way as it makes my hair hurt.

[Sara]

@Barbara Goodreads does calculate how many pages you read! You can find out by going to: my books->stats->pages. I'm at 16,463 pages for the year, which puts me on track to read a lower number of pages than what I read last year (40,065)evn though I'll probably read more books. So far this year I've read a lot of short books mostly due to having focused on the really short ones back in January. I've also read more audiobooks which are listed as 0 pages. This year on average the books I read have been 250 pages long v. 313 pages for last year.

[Evie]

Emma wrote: "I'm currently reading The Rosie Project (I'm doing Love in the Time of Cholera as an audiobook and haven't had much time to listen yet). So far The Rosie Project is an e..."

Hi - sorry I know I'm jumping back in time here, but I just had to agree that character is SOOOOO Sheldon! Love in the time of Cholera is also one of my favourite books - enjoy :)

[Seraphina]

I wonder was the Rosie project written before or after the big bang theory's Sheldon. They are very similar

[Barbara]

Sara - I suspected Goodreads could calculate the number of pages read.

Teresa - as I said this makes my HAIR hurt:) and here's one way to calculate yarn mileage (not for me).
http://knitmeter.com/

[Susan]

Evie, I am addicted to the Outlander series. She was some kind of science professor at an university when she started writing. I have heard her speak three times and she is very good. I even went to Scotland to see the standing stones and stayed at the Culloden House where she stays. We were there for the reenactment of the Battle of Culloden. I have great pictures of me with the actors all dressed up in character.

Still, it is not a series I would recommend to Allan or, heaven forbid, Declan.

[[deleted user]]

Susan, I think you know me too well.

[Evie]

Susan wrote: "Evie, I am addicted to the Outlander series. She was some kind of science professor at an university when she started writing. I have heard her speak three times and she is very good. I even went t..."
I agree Susan, it has a certain kind of readership! I had to cut myself off at book 4 - they are highly addictive :) Lucky you - off to Scotland to see the standing stones!! I bet there was a small part of you that wondered... could it be possible ;) The reenactment must have been amazing too. I read somewhere that they are making a tv series in the States (I'm not sure where you're based) would love to see if it lives up to the books.

[Evie]

Jamie Lynn wrote: "The Secret Keeper was so good that I picked up 2 more of Kate Morton's books. She looks very young. What a talent."

I would have to say that The House At Riverton was my favourite - the Forgotten Garden kind of dragged for me. But I agree, she is a great talent.

[Diane]

I haven't read the Forgotten Garden yet but really liked the Secret Garden and The House at Riverton.

[Sara]

Book Riot Book Giveaway

I'm not sure whether it's just open to the U.S. or to folks in other countries as well. I wouldn't read every book in there, but they're a few that I would enjoy.

Including:

The Laramie Project and the Laramie Project: 10 Years After

The Lowland

and Dissident Gardens

[[deleted user]]

@ Sara. That's an interesting list. I'd like to read the Laramie Project so I'll enter (if I'm allowed). I notice that Barbara has read the others and rates them highly.

[Sara]

It also has 7 other books which I either know nothing about or don't want to read, however, I figure 10 books for free! You can't beat that

I highly recommend the The Laramie Project. The play was also made into a Film with several well know actors/actresses.

[[deleted user]]

I saw the other books when I entered. There might be one or two others I'd read, but I know people who'd like to take the others off my hands.

I can't understand how I never heard of the movie. I must be living under the proverbial rock.

[[deleted user]]

Oh, it's open worldwide, by the way.

[Sara]

Declan wrote: "Oh, it's open worldwide, by the way."

Excellent. Well over here the movie aired on HBO so it was never in the theaters. I have no idea if there was any worldwide distribution.

[[deleted user]]

I'll start tracking the movie down, Sara. I'm sure it's available somewhere.

[Susan]

So I've been reading that in England they are taking To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men off the required reading list. The Education Secretary only wants the UK books as required reading. I have always thought the best thing about books is they are really without borders and how we learn about each other. What is your perspective?

[Seraphina]

Just in general Theresa how did you find them? What are you thinking rating wise?

[[deleted user]]

@Susan. To Kill a Mocking Bird was one of the first books I fell in love with. It seems like such an awful shame that it's being removed.

@Theresa. I'm still dying to read the second book. I'll be interested to.hear more once you've thought about it a little more.

[[deleted user]]

That's a fair enough assessment, Theresa. I'll be reading TEoH soon enough, so I'll have more to add soon.

I love the news report, by the way.

[Trelawn]

I've been reading The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden for well over a week now and am only have way through. This is no reflection on the book, hols turned out not to be for reading. It is similar in style to the Hundred Year Old Man.... but this time the protaganist is a very intelligent and funny girl born in Soweto in the 1960s. Like Carl, Nombeko has a very eventful life and encounters all sorts of colourful characters and high profile figures. Really enjoying it so far.

[Paul]

Ive been reading an Irish written fantasy - Irenicin by Aidan Harte. I got so little reading done on holiday so about a quarter in. Interesting book so far

[John]

I've started The Cry of the Sloth on Audio. But not off to a good start. Not warming to the narration at all.

Also dithering around the start of a few books on Kindle, undecided about which one to full commit:
number9dream
The Luminaries
Chuck Klosterman on Film and Television: A Collection of Previously Published Essays
The Boy in the Suitcase

That's just a few. I've started way too many books on the Kindle recently.

[[deleted user]]

@Trelawn. A lot of members (including me) really liked the One-Hundre-Year-Old May... so let us know how you find this one.

@Paul. Is the book Irish in its content?

@John. I'd go with number9dream. I'm still blown away by how awesome Cloud Atlas was. I've added this one, anyway.

[Paul]

@Declan. Its not Irish in content at all. its a sort of Latin /pre Roman fantasy from what I can make so far

[Allan]

Theresa, you've done well, being a short story fan, to get through the two Stembridge books back to back. I absolutely loved both of them, but given conversation about them elsewhere, wonder if this is because I've such an interest in social and political history in Ireland. If you're interested, the Stembridge event from the Hay Festival in Kells last year is available via this link-it may give you a little context to the books.

https://www.hayfestival.com/p-6718-ge...

John-The Luminaries is the book that I've been so tempted to read but have been put off by its size. It'd be my choice from your list, although I have enjoyed some Chuck Klosterman in the past.

I finished 'Sucker's Portfolio' by Kurt Vonnegut this morning, which I got for $2 as an Audible daily deal. It featured 6 previously unpublished short stories (including one unfinished one) and an essay, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. That's the second Vonnegut that I've picked up cheaply off Audible, and given the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed a daily deal I bought last week, 'A Kiss Before Dying', I'll be making sure I check the Audible site every day for potential cheap acquisitions.

I'm currently reading-and struggling a little bit with the writing style at present-Dream of the Celt, while I've just started 'Christopher and his Kind', Christopher Isherwood's account of his time living in Berlin.

[[deleted user]]

Let me know how it goes anyway, Paul.

[[deleted user]]

@Allan. I'll be starting Dream of... tonight. I'm surprised that the writing style is causing hassle for so many.

[Paul]

I will Declan. Its a trilogy and ive the first two parts courtesy of the publisher's genorosity

[Allan]

Read and enjoyed, Theresa, unlike Tartt's first book, The Secret History, which I listened to on audiobook last month on the strength of The Goldfinch and hated. I know that I'm probably in the minority with that reaction though!

[Trelawn]

@ declan i'll keep you posted but so far so good.

[Trelawn]

@ jamie lynn you can't go wrong with kate morton. she writes a good story and because of the length you can immerse yourself in it for a fair while

[Ian]

Right now I am reading an anthology of excerpts from gothic novels edited by Peter Haining. The most intriguing is the section from "The Monk" by Matthew Lewis, though I could imagine needing a bath after reading that.

[[deleted user]]

Sounds kind of rough, Ian. Let us know if it's a worthwhile read, though.

[Seraphina]

I hope both trelawn and Paul enjoyed the holidays even if it wasn't reading friendly :)

[Cathleen]

My copy of Unspoken just arrived in the mail. It was at a very reasonable price, too--7.00 including the 3.99 shipping cost. I heard so many good things about it here, I ordered it because the library didn't have it.