The Jolly Good Reading Society discussion
What are you currently reading?
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Jen
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Oct 16, 2014 12:39AM
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I'm currently reading "Big Little Lies" by Laine Moriarty. It's part of a local Book Club. We read her first book "The Husband Secret" last year. Enjoying it so far (a little more than half way through).
I'm reading Charles_HRH guide to Great Britishness for review at the moment. It's a really quick read but you have to take it in small chunks. I'm probably reading something for university too but I'm not sure what yet XD
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Jen wrote: "I'm about halfway through The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. It's the first book I've read by this author and I'm really enjoying the format. The book is divided into 6 stories wh..."I read Cloud Atlas a few months ago and loved it so really want to read more of Mitchell's work.
I'm currently reading
by Marian Keyes and so far (I'm only 57 pages in) I'm enjoying it but it's a little less lighthearted than I was expecting so I'm looking forward to seeing where it's going =)
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I need to read The Woman Who Stole My Life soon too as I won it here on a Goodreads giveaway :)
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I've just started This House is Haunted by John Boyne, this will be the last of my Halloween reads.
I'm still working on NOS4A2. Taking this one slow. I probably won't finish it for another week or so. As it stands, I will probably be giving it 3 stars unless the ending is amazing, which I've heard it's not. Not really sure what's on the reading agenda thereafter.
I was away this week so have read very little but I'm just over halfway through The Woman Who Stole My Life and it's really good so far! Definitely not an upbeat contemporary but I really enjoy it =)
I've organised what I need to read throughout November for book clubs, university and review copies and there were 14 books on the list! I've managed to finish 3 of them already this month - I only had 100 pages of The Woman Who Stole My Life left and about half of The Humans by Matt Haig, both of which I finished yesterday on 1st; I read the entirety of Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway today (I really didn't enjoy that one, has anyone read it?) and now I'm reading Hamlet by William Shakespeare!It's going to be a tough reading month I think but I'd love to know if anyone's read any of these books that I have to read for university and what you think of them? =)
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe
Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
And then my non-university ones that I'm aiming to get to but aren't as urgent are:
Pyramid: A Novel by David Gibbins
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
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I've just acquired a collection of books by Ernest Hemingway so it will be interesting to compare opinions on his writing :)
Ok, been awhile since I checked in. I finished "Big Little Lies" from Liane Moriarty https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... I really enjoyed it. I liked it better than her other book "Husband Secret" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... although I really liked that one as well...just REALLY loved Big Little Lies. Then I read "A House in the Sky" by Amanda Lindhout https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... it's a memoir of how she was kidnapped by Muslin Extremists in Somalia for 15 months. Kinds of intense book, but it was well written. Now I'm reading "The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
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I've set NOS4A2 aside. It's just so anti-climactic. I think I was just burned out with it. I thought I was in a reading funk but turns out it was just that book.
Yesterday I picked up The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp and am already nearly half-way through it. I've been reading and listening to the audio book (which, by the way, is FANTASTIC!).
Yesterday I picked up The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp and am already nearly half-way through it. I've been reading and listening to the audio book (which, by the way, is FANTASTIC!).
Liz (Liz'sBookBuffet) wrote: "I've set NOS4A2 aside. It's just so anti-climactic. I think I was just burned out with it. I thought I was in a reading funk but turns out it was just that book.Yesterday I picked..."
I would love to know what you think of the Spectacular Now. Shailene Woodley stars in the film so I've wanted to see it but still need to read the book xD
Charlotte wrote: "I would love to know what you think of the Spectacular Now. Shailene Woodley stars in the film so I've wanted to see it but still need to read the book xD"
Well, I was one of those oblivious people who wasn't aware that it was a book first (I don't usually hang out in the YA contemporary scene), and I picked the movie up at the library because of Shailene Woodley. Every pun intended, I guess, the film is spectacular (almost on the same level as The Art of Getting By with Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts). I am finding that the book is equally as such. My initial comparison is they are both amazing in their own way. The book is more detailed but the movie takes the best parts and brings them to life.
Well, I was one of those oblivious people who wasn't aware that it was a book first (I don't usually hang out in the YA contemporary scene), and I picked the movie up at the library because of Shailene Woodley. Every pun intended, I guess, the film is spectacular (almost on the same level as The Art of Getting By with Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts). I am finding that the book is equally as such. My initial comparison is they are both amazing in their own way. The book is more detailed but the movie takes the best parts and brings them to life.
Liz (Liz'sBookBuffet) wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "I would love to know what you think of the Spectacular Now. Shailene Woodley stars in the film so I've wanted to see it but still need to read the book xD"Well, I was one of tho..."
Sounds great! I think it'll definitely be on my list =)
I finished The Spectacular Now on Thursday. My review is up. I gave it 3 stars. This is a good rating for me.
I started listening to the audiobook, again, of The Book Thief. I have just under 6 hours left. I should finish it up this week.
I also started reading Great by Sara Benincasa. It's a modern retelling of The Great Gatsby with an LGBT theme...or so I've heard. I'm only 10 pages in so I haven't formed any type of opinion yet, except that it's refreshing to read a YA book where the mom is the deadbeat parent and the dad is the caregiver, especially for a teenage girl. I hope this doesn't change.
I started listening to the audiobook, again, of The Book Thief. I have just under 6 hours left. I should finish it up this week.
I also started reading Great by Sara Benincasa. It's a modern retelling of The Great Gatsby with an LGBT theme...or so I've heard. I'm only 10 pages in so I haven't formed any type of opinion yet, except that it's refreshing to read a YA book where the mom is the deadbeat parent and the dad is the caregiver, especially for a teenage girl. I hope this doesn't change.
I haven't had much time to read the last few months but I'm halfway through Peter Jackson: A Film-Maker's Journey which is an amazing read, it's not as dry as I thought it would be and I'm really enjoying it! I've also just started A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. My edition has 'A Christmas Carol', 'The Chimes' and 'The Haunted Man' and I'm hoping that I'll get through the whole collection quite quickly as they are short novellas
I recently started reading the 2014 Hugo Award winning ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie. Chapter One was spectacular, but finding Chapter Two to be a bit confusing. I'm not sure if it's a flashback or what. I'm hoping Chapter Three will shed some light on the confusion and explain things better.
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I'm reading Jane Eyre for university. I'm reading The Rosie Effect in between as a break from all of the classics as well =)
Charlotte, are you enjoying The Rosie Effect? How does it compare to The Rosie Project?
I'm currently focusing my attention on The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. It's a fictionalization of one soldier's experiences in the Iraq war and how his actions shape him and affect him even after he's back home in Virginia. The writing is so poetic and wrenching. I'm glued to it when I read and it's incredibly difficult to put down. I'm buddy-reading this with my son for his English class. We've had some great discussions about how a soldier is always at war...even when he's not.
I'm currently focusing my attention on The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. It's a fictionalization of one soldier's experiences in the Iraq war and how his actions shape him and affect him even after he's back home in Virginia. The writing is so poetic and wrenching. I'm glued to it when I read and it's incredibly difficult to put down. I'm buddy-reading this with my son for his English class. We've had some great discussions about how a soldier is always at war...even when he's not.
Liz wrote: "Charlotte, are you enjoying The Rosie Effect? How does it compare to The Rosie Project?I'm currently focusing my attention on The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. It's a fictionaliza..."
That sounds like a really interesting read!
I'm enjoying The Rosie Effect but it's not what I'm in the mood for right now. I've been reading a lot of classics for university recently and I'm finding The Rosie Effect too easy when I go back to it so I'm reading it just when I'm in the mood for a contemporary. It's nothing against the book, I just want to read other things.
I actually started The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell for that reason and am really enjoying it so far!
I'm currently reading Like This, Forever by Sharon Bolton. I love this author and every book I have read of hers. This book is the same, I can't wait to pick it up in the evenings.
I'm reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness which is the second book in the All Souls trilogy. I loved the first book in the series last year so I'm enjoying this so far!I'm also reading Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I've had the trilogy on my shelf forever and I wanted a quicker fantasy read after reading Among Others by Jo Walton which I loved but was a slower read.
Saturday I picked up The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara from the library on a whim. I was curious because the cover was gorgeous and the inside jacket synopsis sounded intriguing. Imagine my surprise when I started reading it that night and the book was a complex, fictional memoir with footnotes, maps, references to made-up places, people, species...this is such an interesting book and I'm easily propelled forward while reading.
I'm also reading Sula by Toni Morrison which is an entirely different style of book. It's a beautiful feminist narrative about two childhood friends who grow into women and each take a different path in life: one the more traditional (i.e., marriage and family), and the other a life of outspoken independence. I'm over half-way through and while neither of the main characters, or even any of the secondary characters (really), are very likable, it is still a fabulously written novel. I'm hoping to finish it this week.
I'm also reading Sula by Toni Morrison which is an entirely different style of book. It's a beautiful feminist narrative about two childhood friends who grow into women and each take a different path in life: one the more traditional (i.e., marriage and family), and the other a life of outspoken independence. I'm over half-way through and while neither of the main characters, or even any of the secondary characters (really), are very likable, it is still a fabulously written novel. I'm hoping to finish it this week.
Liz wrote: "Saturday I picked up The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara from the library on a whim. I was curious because the cover was gorgeous and the inside jacket syno..."I've read Sula but it was for university so I felt a little rushed whilst reading it. Some of the characters just irritated me but the book raised some interesting topics.
I'm currently reading The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North and am loving it so far!
Charlotte wrote: "I've read Sula but it was for university so I felt a little rushed whilst reading it. Some of the characters just irritated me but the book raised some interesting topics."
I agree, Charlotte, that many of the characters are not likable. I've noticed this pattern with Morrison's characters. Even Nel, in Sula, who tends to take pride in being a "traditional gal," is still a weak person, which I loathe.
It sometimes bothers me that literature classes try to shove as much down your throat as possible, nearly avoiding the ability to savor a story. I've taken nearly two weeks to read Sula and I've had time to reflect on the words and the message. I hope my review will mirror this.
I also picked back up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I started this last month and was really enjoying it but put it down for Black History Month. I think I will just keep plugging away at it slowly but surely.
And finally (yes, there is another one), I started A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd. This is the third and final installment in The Madman's Daughter trilogy. It is a young adult gothic romance(?). Romance is present but it is not the main focus. This installment is loosely based on Frankenstein. It picks right up where book two left off and while I'm happy to be back in the story, I know this is it. I imagine I will take my time finishing this as well. I'm sad for the series to be ending.
I agree, Charlotte, that many of the characters are not likable. I've noticed this pattern with Morrison's characters. Even Nel, in Sula, who tends to take pride in being a "traditional gal," is still a weak person, which I loathe.
It sometimes bothers me that literature classes try to shove as much down your throat as possible, nearly avoiding the ability to savor a story. I've taken nearly two weeks to read Sula and I've had time to reflect on the words and the message. I hope my review will mirror this.
I also picked back up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I started this last month and was really enjoying it but put it down for Black History Month. I think I will just keep plugging away at it slowly but surely.
And finally (yes, there is another one), I started A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd. This is the third and final installment in The Madman's Daughter trilogy. It is a young adult gothic romance(?). Romance is present but it is not the main focus. This installment is loosely based on Frankenstein. It picks right up where book two left off and while I'm happy to be back in the story, I know this is it. I imagine I will take my time finishing this as well. I'm sad for the series to be ending.
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I wasn't sure what to read next. I always find it hard to choose something after a really good book. Anyway I've decided to read Houdini Heart by Ki Longfellow. I've wanted to read this for ages and so far I'm very impressed. The story is a bit of a mystery surrounding an author who is trying to write her last book after returning to the town of her childhood. There's a really creepy house and an even creepier atmosphere, so far it reminds me of Shirley Jackson :)
Jen wrote: "... Houdini Heart by Ki Longfellow...so far it reminds me of Shirley Jackson"
Sounds EXCELLENT, Jen! I will have to check it out. I love Shirley Jackson.
Sounds EXCELLENT, Jen! I will have to check it out. I love Shirley Jackson.
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I have a week off work and seeing as the weather is so cold and bleak, I intend to catch up on lots of reading and drinking tea :)
I'm about to finish Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. I have about 50 pages left. I'm hoping this can carry me through the week. I don't understand what everyone's fuss is, really. Maybe I'm just a seasoned horror fan but it's not really that bad. Kind of boring, actually, and the translation feels dry.
I've been horrendous with my reading recently....not really been reading at all over the last month but I'm finally getting back into it and carrying on with The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I'm loving it so far so hopefully this will get me back into the swing of things =)
(On my phone so I can't link the book.)
I started HOLY COW by David Duchovny this morning and am already 64 pages in. This book is hilarious and sadly honest so far. I'm sure to finish it today or tomorrow. A very quick read.
I started HOLY COW by David Duchovny this morning and am already 64 pages in. This book is hilarious and sadly honest so far. I'm sure to finish it today or tomorrow. A very quick read.
Liz wrote: "(On my phone so I can't link the book.)I started HOLY COW by David Duchovny this morning and am already 64 pages in. This book is hilarious and sadly honest so far. I'm sure to finish it today or..."
I read that one in March and really enjoyed it. I loved the honestly and writing style!
Charlotte wrote: "...I loved the...writing style!"
I agree. It's almost sickly, cutesy sweet in a raunchy, adult humor kind of way. It's written in a way that a younger generation can relate while the adults find it kind of poking fun at said younger generation.
I agree. It's almost sickly, cutesy sweet in a raunchy, adult humor kind of way. It's written in a way that a younger generation can relate while the adults find it kind of poking fun at said younger generation.
My reading pace is terrible at the moment but I'm getting back into reading now! I need to catch up on university books before exams but at the moment I'm loving Phoenix by S.F. Said. I actually met S.F. at an event I organised this week and he really made me enthusiastic about reading again! Brilliant fast-paced book so far =)
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I'm currently reading Ghostwritten by David Mitchell at the moment. I've finally got back into reading again and read on my commute every day so I've been flying through books. This one's brilliant so far...maybe even slightly better than Cloud Atlas (which I loved) but we'll see =)
I'm reading The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah for my Waterstones book club. Only 74 pages in but I'm enjoying it so far...not my usual genre at all!
I'm currently reading: For fun: The Price of Inequality by Joseph E Stanglitz
For Uni: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Audiobook: The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters
Dracula I've read before and is fantastically deep in terms of potential analysis (although I think the plot gets more and more disappointing). The other two are really interesting in their own ways!
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For fun: The Price of Inequality by Joseph E Stanglitz
For Uni: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Audiobook: The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters
Dracula I've rea..."
I really enjoyed Dracula but found the ending a bit too abrupt.
I'm currently reading The Invisible Library which is quite an interesting story with some great ideas and concepts. Depending on how it ends, it would make a good series.
Jen wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'm currently reading: For fun: The Price of Inequality by Joseph E Stanglitz
For Uni: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Audiobook: The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters
Dr..."
I definitely agree with you about the ending, such a lot of build up, such a lot learnt by the characters and then the end is bit jarring and easy. I keep reading it for various essays or courses and I think I appreciated it more now, but I'm getting towards the end and getting bored again!
What's The Invisible Library about?
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For fun: The Price of Inequality by Joseph E Stanglitz
For Uni: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Audiobook: The True and Splendid History of the Harristown ..."
It's a library that sends out its librarians to parallel worlds to collect rare books. It's full of weird and wonderful creatures, magic and even a touch of steampunk. I've just finished reading it and really enjoyed it. I'd definitely seek out any further books in the series.
Jen wrote: "Alice wrote: "Jen wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'm currently reading: For fun: The Price of Inequality by Joseph E Stanglitz
For Uni: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Audiobook: The True and Splendid History of t..."
It sounds really interesting, might give it a go!
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I'm also reading The Mysterious Affair at Castaway House by Stephanie Lam. This is a very interesting story set in 1924 and 1965. I'm just over the halfway point of the book and I'm totally engrossed in it :)
I've been in the mood for some newer science fiction authors, so I picked up The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Three at the library over the weekend. I've only read a few stories so far but have found one author, already, I'd really like to read more of. This collection is just a bunch of stories that don't really fit into any one subcategory of science fiction which is exactly what I'm looking for at this point.
Liz wrote: "I've been in the mood for some newer science fiction authors, so I picked up The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Three at the library over the weekend. I've only read a f..."I've been wanting to read more science fiction so maybe this should be something I look into!
Short story collections are always a great place to go when you want to check out new authors or give a new genre a spin. I've been refining what sub-genres of science fiction I like too and, again, short story collections are great for this. I hope you find something you like.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Record of a Spaceborn Few (other topics)The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (other topics)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (other topics)
The Good People (other topics)
The Good People (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Haruki Murakami (other topics)Megan Shepherd (other topics)
Hanya Yanagihara (other topics)
Hanya Yanagihara (other topics)
Toni Morrison (other topics)
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