What Are You Reading Showing 3,401-3,450 of 6,935

[Colleen]

I was wondering if I should read John Connolly's Charlie Parker series in order because I went to a second hand bookstore and found 5.6 and 12 for a dollar each so I grabbed them.I usually read books in a series in order but it might take me a while to find the others.My library doesn't have the first one either.

[Allan]

Colleen, I'm not sure if you're a Kindle / ebook person, but the first 4 books in the series are available in a bundle for $5.61 on Amazon.com, which seems to be a pretty good deal!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BMUV...

[Paul]

I would say read the first to set the scene but the rest can be muddled around

[Colleen]

Thank you Allan and Paul.I do have a kindle so I will check that out.

[Colleen]

Allan I check it out and it wasn't available so I bought Every Dead Thing for 1.99 and foundThe Wanderer in Unknown Realmsfor .99 so I'm happy.

[Susan]

Amazon's Daily Kindle special is Stoner, a book we all loved. If anyone is interested it would be a good time to pick it up.

[Paul]

I read the Wanderer in Unknown Realms a while back. Quite dark. Loved the Illustrations so i bought some artwork by the artist that we have on our sitting room walls

[Colleen]

It looks really good and for .99 I couldn't say no lol.Did he do the artwork for the cover ofThe Book of Lost Things? He seems to be very talented.

[Paul]

Its a woman and no it was a different artist bit similar style.

[Colleen]

If they look like the cover art of the novel they must be amazing.

[Paul]

They are very cool. Theres takes on famous books and poems like Alice in Wonderland , The Hobbit ,Pride and Prejudice and a few more

[Colleen]

They sound very cool.Can't wait to start The Book of Lost Things after finish Unspoken which I'm enjoying a lot.

[Paul]

Its well worth the read. Hes an odd writer in a good way

[Colleen]

That's why I like him so far.I'm also reading Blindnessfirst time reading this author and he has written one scary novel of what if.

[Paul]

I'll start Book of Lost Things in a couple of days . I'm looking forward to a reread

[Barbara]

Susan wrote: "Amazon's Daily Kindle special is Stoner, a book we all loved. If anyone is interested it would be a good time to pick it up."

Yes I posted this under Daily Deals. I first got it from the library but loved it so much, I bought a new copy.

[Susan]

Sorry, Barbara. I get confused as to which topic I should pick. We have such a wide variety.

[Donna]

Susan wrote: "I had forgotten I read this book and liked it. I will have to see the movie. Nicole Kidman looks great. That's what good plastic surgery looks like, Barry Manilow."

ROFL!!!!I saw Barry Manilow on Graham Norton and couldn't believe how bad he looked. You would think that people who were going to have plastic surgery and had all that money would do some research on the person wielding the knife!

[Donna]

Cathleen wrote: "Donna wrote: "I am reading Before I Go To Sleep. I saw the film on Wednesday evening. I enjoyed it but have a feeling I will like the book better. Nicole Kidman must have a portrait ..."

He is indeed, Cathleen. The film was good but I wish now I had read the book first. The plot twists are crucial in the book and I already know most of what is going to happen.

[Allan]

It always makes me laugh to hear older people decrying the youth of today, when I read books like the one I'm currently reading, In the Seventies: Adventures in the Counterculture-I always think that things were a lot wilder back in the day than they'd ever get now on reading these memoirs. Or maybe I've just led a sheltered existence...

Reading some of Susan's recollections of her youthful exploits though, I'm not so sure!

[[deleted user]]

Perhaps Allan, it's best not to know too much about Susan's exploits ;)

McKinty's The Cold Cold Ground was excellent. Next up is The Handmaid's Tale. For reasons that aren't clear it hasn't been possible to download the audio book version from my library, which I was so looking forward to :( so I'm reading it instead :)

[Susan]

Yes, the seventies were an interesting time. When I was in high school probably 1970 or 71, my mom took a group of us girls down to a convention in Berkeley for a club I was in. We were just a bunch of rubes from Willits, 3500 population. Anyway, they were having a big riot right across from the hotel. The police were throwing tear gas and these little girls were opening the windows to get a better look. One girl tear gassed herself by doing that. I remember we had to stay many hours until it was safe enough to leave. My poor mom. The things she did for me.

[Allan]

Susan, that sounds like the Berkeley that Miles describes in one of the chapters of his book. Btw, for a 'rube', you've got plenty of interesting life experience stories to tell. :)

[Trelawn]

I am a third of the way through Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid. This is my first foray into the Austen Project. So far it's very good. The integrity of the story and characters remain but in an updated setting. Mc Dermid shrewdly chooses the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as the milieu for the overly imaginative Cat Morland to encounter the Tilneys and the Thorpes. Very enjoyable so far.

[Susan]

If you are interested I can tell you about the time I visited the Oval Office when Nixon was president.

[Allan]

That's one that I've heard already, Susan! I particularly like the story you told about the naked gold painted guy on acid wrecking the bar you owned, or the tale of your first visit to Haight Ashbury while you were in town to see The Monkees... :)

[Cathleen]

I'm almost done with Man's Search for Meaning, and it's a book that I'll definitely need to re-read, not because it's difficult reading, but because it's profound and I'd like to mull over some of the key ideas.
I've wanted to read Harry Potter for years, and I've just started it a few days ago. I'm loving it :)

[Sara]

So after a crazy 3 weeks at work, I'm looking forward to a day where I don't leave the house or change out of my pajamas. I plan to devote a large chunk of time to reading (hopefully in front of a fire).

As I drove around yesterday doing election stuff, I managed to almost finish The Handmaid's Tale as an audiobook. I plan to finish that up using the e-book service Oyster. The same service will allow me to finish the last 4 stories in Kabu Kabu

Also on tap:
Some stories in Belfast Noir
A chunk of poetry from From Totems to Hip-Hop: A Multicultural Anthology of Poetry Across America
Dipping intoThe Stinging Fly Spring 2014
Making progress onSpin for my science fiction book group

[Sara]

I may also read Locke & Key, Volume 2: Head Games or start The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a 50 Year Search. It all depends on my mood :o).

[Paul]

Enjoy the chance to relax. I've started reading The Book of Lost Things but havent been feeling well so makimg slow progress

[Allan]

Sara, glad to see that you've finally got the chance to have a day off! I hope your reading goes to plan today. How do you find Oyster btw-is it worth the subscription charge for you, and do you think that it'll stop your never endibg book buying impulse? :)

I've just finished the audiobook of The Final Silence by Stuart Neville, which I thoroughly enjoyed, due to his meticulous depiction of contemporary Belfast. I might even buy a physical copy of the book at the Belfast Noir launch in a few weeks time if it's available, as no doubt Neville will be knocking about to sign it.

Next up on audio for me is Timbuktu by Paul Auster, which I picked up for $2.95 as the Audible Daily Deal today-that came in handy, as both my credits are gone for the month already! :)

[Allan]

I think it was because they were the editors, Cphe-I suppose they wanted to showcase other writers. I'll ask the question at the launch.

Re Belfast residence, Neville does live in the city, but I don't think that this was a requirement to be included anyway- I doubt that Lee Child's Belfast accent would be passable for example... :)

[Seraphina]

Trying to finish two reads at the mo before starting the monthly read. The first is Young Skins which is his first collection of short stories and I'm quite enjoying it even if his writing is coarse and unrefined. He could be talking about any rural village in Ireland.
The second is At the Mountains of Madness and Other Tales of Terror which I picked as a Halloween read, the subject matter is enjoyable but I'm finding his writing style quite grating...

[Susan]

Allan, correct me if I'm wrong (which I often am) but doesn't McKinty live in Australia now probably next door to Cphe?

I thought Child's inclusion was questionable but he is a die hard NYC fan. I thought that was why you let him slide by. :)

Allan, do you like the Lennon character? He just seemed not right to me.

[Sara]

Looking at a few anthologies in the Noir "series," it doesn't seem like the author living or growing up in the city/area of the anthology is a criteria for selection. There were definitely a couple of entries in Haiti Noir (the only other volume in the "series" I've read) that were from non-Haitian authors. Likewise D.C. Noir 2: The Classics(on my TBR shelf!) has a few pieces by writers not from D.C. That said, I think it's appropriate that most of the entries in a particular volume be from a person from that area.

[Sara]

I really enjoyed my re-read of A Handmaid's Tale and will discuss my reaction in the spoiler thread. I'll make one if it isn't open yet.


Kabu Kabu had some really good short stories, but other were only so-so. Once again I wish Goodreads had half stars (this would have been a 3.5 star read). It's hard to write an anthology where all the stories are of even quality. The biggest weakest of the so-so stories were that they felt like mythology/back-story for a couple of her novels (which I haven't read). I might like them more after reading her novels.

I enjoy how the author,Nnedi Okorafor weaves Nigerian culture into the science fiction and fantasy genres. I definitely appreciate her effort to do something different.

The title story "Kabu-Kabu" is the strongest piece by far. "Asunder" is one of the most beautiful love stories I've read anymore and serves as an an extended metaphor for the struggle couples can undergo to maintain their own individual identities. Several other stories, like "Palm Tree Bandit." are excellent feminist fairy tales.

[Susan]

Cphe wrote: "Susan, I think I wrote in one of my reviews that I wish Lennons fortunes would start to look up.

I'm not keen on Lennon as a character - I think McKinty writes these type of characters far better...."

I agree, Cphe. The ending just seemed so hopeless. It was just depressing to me.

[Susan]

I have not and will try that. Maybe I'll like that better. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Susan]

Cphe, you're getting as bad as Allan. I ordered Ratlines. Thanks for the tip.

[Susan]

I know the feeling. I used to love Elizabeth George. Then she killed a major character off and the books went into decline. Several of them were just drivel. I won't waste my time any more. I gave her a chance to come out her funk but I am not going to read 600 pages of garbage.

[Susan]

I couldn't agree more, Cphe.

[[deleted user]]

Just finished

Half way throught

[[deleted user]]

Emma wrote: "Welcome to the group Kazzy. Have you introduced yourself in the introductions folder."

No I didnt I will do today, Thank you for the Welcome also Emma

[Donna]

Gosh, the Secret Seven! That takes me back, Kazzy. I'm still amazed that Enid Blyton is still relatively unknown here in America.

I just finished Paula Spencer and have begun to reread The Handmaid's Tale.

[Mara]

BLOOD IN THE WATER by Anne Perry

[Allan]

Susan, re your question about Lennon, I don't particularly like him, but I still was rooting for him in this one.

Re Ratlines, I have a nice personalised signed first edition of that one that I bought at the official release, which consisted of Neville just hanging about No Alibis on a Saturday afternoon-he was too modest to do a reading or have anything formal apparently. It's a pretty good book, but I have to admit that I prefer his fiction set in NI.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Donna yes loved the books when I was a little girl and know reading them with my son and sister kids they loving the stories :-)

[Kevin]

I'm eager to tear into The Book of Lost Things that is sitting under a solid 7-8 book thick pile of Irish grammar, dictionaries and a chunky lit. theory anthology. I feel like that book's situation is a perfect reflection of my life at the moment.
To quote the teenage bracket which I am only just about out of, "I can't even".

[Sara]

I haven't been stopping to review every story in Belfast Noir as I read it, but I felt compelled to do so by Steve Cavanagh's The Grey.

Usually mystery and noir stories aren't know for the beauty of their prose (because beautiful prose would contrast too heavily with the overall tone of the story). Steve Cavanagh though makes it work.

I loved this passage.

“This was how it had to be. The city centre had to be for all religions, and so the ubiquitous, shinning, grey had quickly become the nascent colour. Whereas the the Ardoyne rejoced in the tricolours and every shade of green, so too the Shankill kept their houses and kerbs in the Union Jack, and each side of the divided city painted their gables and drenched themselves in the rich colours which formed their history, their protection, their identity, their, and they lived under the terrible weight that came with it. In Belfast, colour was joyful, territorial, and frightening. And so the heart of the city embraced a comforting blanket of grey.”

[Cathleen]

Sara wrote: "I haven't been stopping to review every story in Belfast Noir as I read it, but I felt compelled to do so by Steve Cavanagh's The Grey.

Usually mystery and noir stories aren't know..."

Thanks for posting that gem, Sara. I'm going to order Belfast Noir. It looks like it will be a great read.