What are you reading and why? May 2013.

[Kimberly]

I started talk about disturbing but Gemma is a wonderful character.

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "Cherie wrote: "I started reading Terry Pratchett's book The Long Earth. This is my L for the ABC Challenge. Liking it, so far. :)"

I do like Terry Pratchett's books. I've not read any for a litt..."

I have all 38 diskworld books on my SD card in my Nook, but only read about 5 or 6. Someday.....

[Cherie]

Anna wrote: "I finished Hide and Seek by Wilkie Collins. And as I expected I liked it very much! My review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

I keep seeing Wilkie Collins and Margaret Attwood titles come up. I am going to have to give them a try. Books added...

[Anna]

Cherie wrote: "I keep seeing Wilkie Collins and Margaret Attwood titles come up. I am going to have to give them a try. Books added... "

I've read only one novel by Margaret Atwood and it was good. I would like to read more of her books. Someday...

So far I've read 4 books by Wilkie Collins and I loved them. Especially No Name.

I hope you too will enjoy Atwood and Collins's books!!

[Kimberly]

I finished which was such a disturbing read but it was a 5 star read for me.
Now, I think I'm going to start I've never read any YA fiction set in Cape Town during the 1980s when the apartheid regime was happening so I'm a little nervous.

[Chrissie]

Kimberly, check out Cry, the Beloved Country. I thought it was excellent.

[Kimberly]

Chrissie wrote: "Kimberly, check out Cry, the Beloved Country. I thought it was excellent."

That's been on my tbr pile for ages. I found my copy of it last weekend.

[Chrissie]

Kimberly, it is good.

[Lisa]

I finished Instruments of Darkness which I read for the Alphabet challenge. I enjoyed it a lot and gave it 4 stars. My review is below:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I am now starting The End of Mr. Y . I don't really know what to expect with this so I am looking forward to seeing what it is like.

[Chrissie]

I just finished Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shange.It is a book of historical fiction about Black-American history and music, following seven generations of one family. I enjoyed it, and gave it three stars, but it tries to do too much. It is worth listening to, and I recommend the audiobook format over the written book since you get to hear the dialects and numerous songs incorporated into the story. The narrator is Robin Miles, and most of it she does excellently.

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I will now move on to
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
I have heard that this is the best book about the Shackleton story. The setting is Antarctica.

[Kimberly]

Lisa wrote: "I finished Instruments of Darkness which I read for the Alphabet challenge. I enjoyed it a lot and gave it 4 stars. My review is below:

http://www.goodr..."

Awesome review Lisa! The End of Mr. Y looks like an interesting read :)

[Lisa]

Kimberly wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I finished Instruments of Darkness which I read for the Alphabet challenge. I enjoyed it a lot and gave it 4 stars. My review is below:

htt..."

Thanks Kimberly! Hopefully you will enjoy it too when you get around to reading it. Let's hope The End of Mr. Y is as good.

[Kimberly]

Lisa wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I finished Instruments of Darkness which I read for the Alphabet challenge. I enjoyed it a lot and gave it 4 stars. My revi..."

I'm hoping to read it next month (If things go my way that is) :)

[Lisa]

Kimberly wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I finished Instruments of Darkness which I read for the Alphabet challenge. I enjoyed it a lot and gave it 4 s..."

Yay! Let me know what you think of it. :)

[Kim]

The Woman from Paris . . . cuz i've been wanting to for months now! :)

[Anna]

Finished & wrote review for Not Stupid: The Story of One Mother's Fight to Rescue the Lives of Her Children from Autism

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Kimberly]

Anna wrote: "Finished & wrote review for Not Stupid: The Story of One Mother's Fight to Rescue the Lives of Her Children from Autism

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

I'll have to check that one out Anna, my nephew has Asperger's and my niece has Autism.

[Anna]

Kimberly wrote: "I'll have to check that one out Anna, my nephew has Asperger's and my niece has Autism."

Have you read Temple Grandin's Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism? It's very interesting.

I soon will start reading George and Sam by Charlotte Moore you might want to check out that book too.

How old are your nephew and niece? If they are old enough maybe they would like Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom. It's awesome manga series and one of the main characters, L has autistic characteristics.

[Kimberly]

I think I have both of them on my tbr pile. As for the manga series my nephew is 15 and niece is 16 and they aren't manga readers :(

[Chrissie]

I finished The Grass is Singing set in Zimbabwe.

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now, since I so loved learning about the Mongols in Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, I have picked up Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu.

[Cherie]

Starting for my ABC Challenge. Have been waiting for this one to come up. I was on a "hiking" high after reading Cheryl Strayed's book .

[Anna]

Yesterday finished My Uncle Oswald didn't like it at all. Took me long time to finish because of my unwillingness to continue reading it.

Started George and Sam a very good book about mother raising 3 sons, only her youngest son doesn't have autism.

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome amazing book with cats' pictures and info about Asperger.
My review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Sarah]

I've just started reading Divergent for no other reason than I want to! Plus I needed something a little more light hearted after reading The Kite Runner.

[Janice, Moderator]

I started The Once and Future King on audiobook tonight. I was going to read it for my alphabet challenge but decided to read it now and something else for O.

[Chrissie]

I have completed "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing. (The button doesn't work!)

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Talk about exciting!

Will soon start Zeitoun because I want to try a book by the author Dave Eggers.

Both are non-fiction.

[Janice, Moderator]

I also started Mystic River for the Sai King Recommends group read. I think it's going to be a good read!

[Chrissie]

I started Zeitoun, having been told it was non-fiction. Is it?

Look at this: http://www.edrants.com/dave-eggers-na...

[Roz]

Janice wrote: "I started The Once and Future King on audiobook tonight. I was going to read it for my alphabet challenge but decided to read it now and something else for O."

I had that on my list for "O" too. I'm probably going to do something else too. It's really 4 books in one, isn't it? Because I remember reading the first, The Sword in the Stone years ago not realizing it was part of a bigger story.
Another big book to read. Seems I'm drawn to long ones.

[Roz]

Janice wrote: "I also started Mystic River for the Sai King Recommends group read. I think it's going to be a good read!"

I bought that one a few months ago. Let me know if you like it.

[Janice, Moderator]

The book, The Once and Future King is a compilation of the first 4 books in the series. There is a 5th as well. It is a long one alright - 33 hours on audiobook!

Have you read Mystic River yet, Roz? You should join us in the Stephen King Recommends group (run by our own Debra and Almeta). We are reading it for May and June.

[Jennifer]

Shannon wrote: "Am currently reading On the Road but so far am not "mad" about it. Am reading it for our in person book club. Last book before we break for summer."

Loathed that book. And had to read it AND a modern rewrite of it written from a lesbian point of view for a college lit class. It's possible the rewrite was ok-- but I couldn't separate it from the original in my mind enough to be able to stand it, either. So in my memory both suffer for the sins of the one.

[Jennifer]

AAAAAAAARGH! All I have to say is thank the universe that Burke published another installment of his Robicheaux series before I read the one I just finished, The Glass Rainbow , because this one ended with a cliffhanger!

[Roz]

Janice wrote: "The book, The Once and Future King is a compilation of the first 4 books in the series. There is a 5th as well. It is a long one alright - 33 hours on audiobook!

Have you read Mystic River yet, R..."

I haven't read it yet. I'll have to check out the Stephen King Recommends group.

[Kimberly]

I started and

[Pragya]

Kimberly wrote: "I started and "

I loved Under the Tuscan Sun, it was the first book that made me fall in love with Italy and I since then dream of settling down there. Hope you like it. :)

[Dem]

I just finished A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
: www.goodreads.com/review/show/617961505

[Chrissie]

After reading Zeitoun I need something lighter.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I will start English Creek by one of my favorite good old tried-and-true authors - Ivan Doig. This comes before "Dancing at the Rascal Fair", which I loved. They do not really have to be read in order.

[Almeta]

Finished Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. My Review of Squirrel Seeks

Starting No Rest for the Dead because a brother-and-sister editing team, Andrew and Lamia Gulli have arranged to donate all proceeds from No Rest for the Dead (excluding contributor expenses) to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

With contributions from:

David Baldacci (Introduction)

Jeff Abbott

Lori Armstrong

Sandra Brown

Thomas Cook

Jeffery Deaver

Diana Gabaldon

Tess Gerritsen

Andrew F. Gulli

Peter James

J.A. Jance

Faye Kellerman

Raymond Khoury

John Lescroart

Jeff Lindsay

Gayle Lynds

Philip Margolin

Alexander McCall Smith

Michael Palmer

T. Jefferson Parker

Matthew Pearl

Kathy Reichs

Marcus Sakey

Jonathan Santlofer

Lisa Scottoline

R.L. Stine

Marcia Talley(less)

[Roz]

Almeta wrote: "Finished Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary"

What did you think of it?

[Rachel]

reading The Lake of Dead Languages because I love the mystery/thriller genre

[Anna]

Dick Turpin: The Myth of the English Highwayman and my review's here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

and now I'm reading The Thief of Always YA horror.

[Lisa]

Anna wrote: "Dick Turpin: The Myth of the English Highwayman and my review's here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

and now I'm ..."

Dick Turpin: The Myth of the English Highwayman sounds pretty interesting. I have added it to my TBR.

[Almeta]

Roz wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Finished Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary"

What did you think of it?"

I liked it. David Sedaris has a talent for relating human behavior. I had the sense that, after a couple glasses of wine, he was telling me hilarious stories about his own family and friends. How ridiculous we all are in this big wide world of diversity.

No plot. No reason. Just stories.

[Anna]

I finished reading The Thief of Always it was wonderful book. I really liked it.

[Cherie]

Almeta wrote: "Roz wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Finished Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary"

What did you think of it?"

I liked it. David Sedaris has a talent for relating human behavior. I had the sense th..."

Ahhh, Almeta, maybe that is why I have not liked him before. Not enough drinking first! I read Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and hated it!

[Almeta]

Cherie wrote: "AAhhh, Almeta, maybe that is why I have not liked him before. Not enough drinking first! I read Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and hated it! ..."

Maybe his humor disguised in animal behavior is more palatable. ☻

[Cherie]

LOL! I don't know, but if I have the one I mentioned at home still, I could ship it to you just to get it out of my house!

[Kimberly]

I finished early this morning and gave it 3.5 stars.
Then I started last night and I'm not sure how I feel about it so far. It's only 200 pages so I might just stick it out and finish it this afternoon.

[Debra]

Almeta wrote: "Finished Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. My Review of Squirrel Seeks

Starting No Rest for the Dead because a brother-and-sister editing team, Andrew and Lamia Gulli have arranged to..."

Cool how the contributions are going towards research for the cancer I am in remission from, Lymphoma. Thanks for the blurb, sis!

[Cherie]

I started The Orchardist last night for my ABC challenge.

The feel, while reading, seems like floating above it all. Like floating on a cloud but being able to see everything. There is no sound, but I can "hear" what is being thought and said. I cannot explain it better than that.