What are you reading - June 2013

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

This month I'm planning to read The Last Whisper in the Dark, What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal , Tropic of Cancer, and Snow Crash. After know we shall see. What are you planning to read this month

[M.L.]

Just finished Inferno and starting The Day of the Triffids, then Mission to Paris, Infernal Devices, the 2d story in The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, and after that The House of the Spirits.

[JoBerlin]

Ok - here's my list for this month: Man in the Dark,Swimming Home,The Dud Avocado,The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.

[Pam]

THE ORCHADIST, HERE IF YOU NEED ME, SOLARIS, MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND

[Kathy]

Currently reading: Fiction - The Distant Hours (love it, very gothic); Nonfiction - The Aleppo Codex: The True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the International Pursuit of an Ancient Bible.

[Sonali]

I am reading Chimamanda Adichie's 'Half of a yellow sun'. I watch her TED talk again and again, it is so inspirational.

[Claire]

I'm readingKing Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table love it so far. I also just picked up a vintage version of 'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues' by Tom Robbins. Never read anything by him but have always been told i should check him out. Super pumped:--)

[Lisa]

Just finished The Examined Life.... Intriguing

[Rachel]

I'm currently reading Richard Wright's Black Boy, Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey, and Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories by Karen Russell.

[Kim]

Michael wrote: "This month I'm planning to read The Last Whisper in the Dark, What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal , Tropic of Cancer, and Snow Crash. After know we shall see. What are you planning to read t..."

No club books?

I'll be reading The Dud Avocado, Grifter's Game, Little, Big, Among Others and Suldrun's Garden.

I'm also going to read The Neverending Story if I can find a copy at my local secondhand store.

[Claire]

Rachel wrote: "I'm currently reading Richard Wright's Black Boy, Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey, and Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories by Karen Russell."

hows 'sometimes a great notion'?? i almost picked that up! I read 'Electric Koolaid Acid test' by Tom Wolfe as a kid, all about the Merry Pranksters and Ken Kesey and 'One flew over the Cuckoos Nest' but never checked any of his other stuff out. curious.

Claire

[Melissa Hoyle]

I'm reading Things Fall Apart, A Void, The Castle of Otranto, and Murder in the Dark: Short Fictions and Prose Poems. I read this month's book selection about two months ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

Kim wrote: "Michael wrote: "This month I'm planning to read The Last Whisper in the Dark, What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal , Tropic of Cancer, and Snow Crash. After know we shall see. What are you pl..."

Of course the book club books, but I thought people would know I planned to read them

[Franky]

Just finished Me Talk Pretty One Day and right now I'm reading Murder on the Orient Express and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After that, I'll read some of the other book club reads: Grifter's Game, The Dud Avocado.

[Lori]

I am reading Ragtime and then The Interestings.

[JoBerlin]

Oh Ragtime! One of my all-time-favs. I love Doctorow. Have you read "Homer&Langley"?

[Lynn]

Franky wrote: "Just finished Me Talk Pretty One Day and right now I'm reading Murder on the Orient Express and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After that, I'll read some of the other book club reads: Grifter'..."

Love, love, love Me Talk Pretty One Day! Funny, I just downloaded The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin and am contemplating Mark Twain's Autobiography.

[Franky]

Lynn, I thought Sedaris' humor would be right up my ally (sarcastic, cynical, etc), but I found him more and more annoying as the book went on, sort of like a stand up routine that runs out of steam. Glad you loved it though.

Huck Finn, one of my favorites!

[Lori]

This is my first Doctorow. It has been on my list forever. Now I have to add Homer & Langley. Thanks!

[Mish]

I'm currently reading The Dud Avocado, Not Your Ordinary Housewife: How the man I loved led me into a world I had never imaginedand The Children

Then I'm hoping to read this month Dirt, Whisky Charlie Foxtrot and The Yearning

[Philippa]

I'm currently reading State of Wonder, which I've found to be surprisingly accessible. I think because I've seen Bel Canto and Ann Patchett on so many "serious" literary/contemporary lists I was expecting it to be quite a serious, heavy read but it's not at all, it's just well written. I'm not following any group reads at all this year, unless it coincides with something I already have a copy of. I moved (again) at the end of last year and packed and unpacked boxes of books I haven't read yet, so this year I'm not buying books to try and combat my TBR!

[Anastasia]

I'm currently reading Diana: The Goddess Who Hunts Alone by Carlos Fuentes and a surreal book Cronopios and Famas by Julio Cortazar.
Planning to start reading The Dud Avocado.

[Leanne]

I am just about to start "One Hundred Years of Solitude", which I'm really looking forward to. I'm also reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and Through the Looking Glass".

[Sonali]

During this one month summer vacation I've happily read whatever has taken my fancy without worrying whether I was carrying on with the Insane Challenge.
1)Watchers of time : Charles Todd
2)The last Mughal : William Dalrymple
3)Spy - Hook : Len Deighton
4)Half of a yellow sun :Chimamanda Adichie
5)Murder on Washington Square :Victoria Thompson
6)The Snowman : Jo Nesbo
Vacation ends on the 15th of June and I hope to speed read one more book before that. After that nothing but exam papers correction.

[Candy]

I just started The Last Man by Mary Shelley, something I've wanted to read for long time, just never got around to. I'm going on vacation next week so I'll probably be reading a couple more.

[M.L.]

I'm reading The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene - his writing is so incredible - reminds me of David Mitchell - or should say David Mitchell reminds me of Graham Greene.

[Sonali]

Graham Greene is a classic writer. Because of his political views he was never awarded the Nobel prize. Every one of his books has something new for the reader. His writing style is spare, fundamental, non-effusive and poetical. There are few writers for whom I feel reverence, he is one.

[M.L.]

Completely agree. To me there are writers and then there is Graham Greene. He is what I would aspire to knowing I could never reach it.

[Nancy]

I just finished The Orphan Master's Son which was terrific. Currently reading Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders and The Warden and plan to finish Travels With My Aunt, And the Mountains Echoed and Beautiful Fools: The Last Affair of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald during June.

[M.L.]

Currently reading The Night of the Triffids, a sequel to The Day of the Triffids but by a different author.

[Clawdia]

currently reading Collapse by Jared diamond.

[Clawdia]

Sonali wrote: "Graham Greene is a classic writer. Because of his political views he was never awarded the Nobel prize. Every one of his books has something new for the reader. His writing style is spare, fundamen..."

could you please explain what his political views were?
I would like to know your argument as to why he is a good writer.

[Kanishk]

Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
1984 - George Orwell
The Story of my Experiments with Truth - M.K. Gandhi

[Fran]

This month: Distant Hours by Kate Morton; The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh; One thousand White Women by ; The Shoemaker's Wife by Adrianna Trigiani; Plain Song by Kent Haruf; Eventide by Kent Haruf; The Secret Daughter by Shilpii Gowda; The Namesake by Jhumpa Lapiri

[Fran]

Remembered the author of One Thousand White Women--
-Jim Fergus. Interesting title, eh?

[M.L.]

Currently reading And the Mountains Echoed.

[Ponyo]

Norwegian Wood

[Lori]

The Ashford Affair

[Leanne]

I am currently reading False Scent by Ngaio Marsh and Writing A Novel And Getting Published For Dummies

[Lori]

What kind of books do you write or want to write?

[M.L.]

Just finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Currently reading Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh.

[Fran]

Just started The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

[Pam]

Currently reading SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart. It is very good.

[Kathy]

Fran wrote: "Just started The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey"

I just finished The Snow Child and really liked it. Please let me know what you think of the ending.