What Are You Reading and Why? July 2013

[Janice, Moderator]

July is here! Tell us what you are reading and why you've chosen that book.

[Terri]

Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. I had read about half of it quite a while ago, and finally picked it back up and now working on finishing it. It is SOOO huge

[Samantha A]

Currently reading The Rats and am thoroughly creeped out!

[Janice, Moderator]

Terri wrote: "Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. I had read about half of it quite a while ago, and finally picked it back up and now working on finishing it. It is SOOO huge"

Is that part of his series starting with A Game of Thrones? I've always wanted to read that series. I started it with the audiobook but got lost in all the characters so decided to switch to a print edition. I just haven't gotten around to it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Samantha wrote: "Currently reading The Rats and am thoroughly creeped out!"

That sounds like a good companion read with the first story in Full Dark, No Stars.

I don't like rats. I live in Alberta which is rat free. During one of my visits at my sister's in Hawaii, I noticed something odd hanging down from my niece's hair. She had a pet rat snuggled in her long hair and what I saw hanging down was its tail. Creeped me right out.

[Samantha A]

Janice wrote: "Samantha wrote: "Currently reading The Rats and am thoroughly creeped out!"

That sounds like a good companion read with the first story in Full Dark, No Stars.

I don't like rats. I live in Alb..."

I don't mind rats, some can be rather cute, but after reading this book, I may steer clear of them for a while. ;)

[Esther]

I am listening to NOS4A2 and currently reading my I book : The Unconsoled.

[Lisa]

Janice wrote: "Terri wrote: "Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. I had read about half of it quite a while ago, and finally picked it back up and now working on finishing it. It is SOOO huge"

Is that part of ..."

Yes, A Storm of Swords is part of the same series as A Game of Thrones Janice, 'The Song of Ice and Fire' series. It is the third book. I have had GOT sitting on my shelf for ages and haven't gotten around to reading it yet either. I really want to start it though. I will pick it up soon, I will! ;)

[Almeta]

Finished Bel Canto.

Almeta's Review of Bel Canto

[[deleted user]]

I'm reading The Persian Expedition by the wonderfully named Xenophon - well he is wonderfully named for the alphabet. In translation, not the original Greek.

And I'm listening to The Age of Innocence, which is almost done. I'm trying to decide who the innocence refers to, and can't put my finger on it. Should be done by the time I get home from work tomorrow.

[Marnie]

Just started Outlander and Full Dark, No Stars- hoping one of these grabs my attention because I am having a hard time getting into a book lately.

[Lisa]

Marnie wrote: "Just started Outlander and Full Dark, No Stars- hoping one of these grabs my attention because I am having a hard time getting into a book lately."

Outlander is brilliant Marnie! I read it earlier this year and could not put it down. I wish I had read it sooner. I have the second book in the series, Dragonfly in Amber ready and waiting on my shelf and cannot wait to start it. I hope you enjoy it too! :)

[Jess :)]

Last night I started Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. So far the story is incredibly touching and the characters have been pulling on my heart strings.... I am really hoping for some sort of happy ending!

[Travis]

Helen wrote: "I'm reading The Persian Expedition by the wonderfully named Xenophon - well he is wonderfully named for the alphabet. In translation, not the original Greek.

And I'm listening to The Age of Innoce..."

In my classics book group we read this a while back and who is innocent? Its a highly debatable question with no clear conclusion as we all form our own opinion. New land was in many ways but its hard to argue for him being a cheater. May? Well finish the book and decide for yourself. Sorry I can't remember any other characters names or I could continue on

[Terri]

Janice wrote: "Terri wrote: "Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. I had read about half of it quite a while ago, and finally picked it back up and now working on finishing it. It is SOOO huge"

Is that part of ..."

Yes it is! And it is a GREAT read. Just a LOT of it. LOL

[Terri]

E :) wrote: "Last night I started Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. So far the story is incredibly touching and the characters have been pulling on my heart strings.... I am really hoping for some sort of ha..."

So you haven't seen the movie? It is heart warming

[AmyK]

Reading Full Dark, No Stars for our monthly group read, and about to start The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for my alphabet challenge.

[Jess :)]

Terri, not yet! I wanted to read the book first. :) Did you like the movie?

[Roz]

I finished 12.21 and started out liking it, thought it was worth a 4 but was disappointed in the last 25 pages. Just completely threw me off. I finally gave it 3 stars.
I was going to start reading The Almond Tree but my library let me know that my copy of Life After Life had arrived so I picked it up and I'm starting it tonight. It's my L book. Looking forward to it.

[Ann]

I'm reading for a year long alphabet challenge. Just finished for a group monthly read.

[Kimberly]

I'm starting today and I started and yesterday.

[Sarah]

I'm reading the short story group read Smoke and Mirrors and also Days of Blood & Starlight which is the second book in the series. It's a shame it's only briefly set in Prague otherwise I could have used it for the EU Challenge!

[Chrissie]

I can highly recommend Edmund Morris' trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt. I have just finished the last: Colonel Roosevelt
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I have begun and am immediately impressed with Susan Fromberg Schaeffer style of writing. I had read Anya and wanted to read another, so I chose Buffalo Afternoon, having heard that it was impressive and had won prizes. It is the writing and not the topic that draws me. So far I am very satisfied. I see the rice paddies before me.

Oh wow, now I am laughing my head off at the dialogs of a little Italian-American in NY gabbing with his friends. Hysterical. This seems also to be a coming-of-age story.

[Esther]

I am so happy to have finally started Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life - I am 100 pages in and I love it. If it carries on in the same way it's going to become a favourite.

Those 100 pages took me three days to read. July is going to be Middlemarch month!

[Jess :)]

Esta wrote: "I am so happy to have finally started Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life - I am 100 pages in and I love it. If it carries on in the same way it's going to become a favourite.

Those 100 pages..."

Awesome! Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life has been on my TBR list for a long time. I recently purchased a B&N Classics edition, so this one is in my near future.

[Almeta]

I read some short stories by Eudora Welty and was not impressed. Decided to give the Pulitzer Prize winning The Optimist's Daughter a try and still am not impressed. I think it just may be too outdated and over-the-top with "Hillbillies" to hold my interest.

My reading tastes are much too jaded for moralistic "Southern Life" character studies, interspersed with comic relief.

Starting World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War because Debra's yelling at me!☻

[Dem]

Just finished The Sea Change This is my review
www.goodreads.com/review/show/629169356

[Jennifer]

Finished Pegasus Descending and am jonesing already for his new release. Still reading The Dilemma which I've since discovered was Vincenzi's first book. Listening to Thin Is the New Happy. The Vincenzi is because I just finished her Spoils of Time trilogy and still wanted more of her stuff. The Frankel is because I wanted something light and short to balance the longer, heavier family sagas that Vincenzi writes.

[Anna]

I finished reading The Seeing . I wanted to read it because the boy on the cover looks like Harry Potter and summary sounded interesting. I was pleasantly surprised, the book was much better than I expected.
Here's my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Ann]

Still reading for my alphabet challenge by title and almost finished for a monthly selection in another group

[Mark]

I'm just starting 'cos I loved 'Fight Club'!

[Sarah]

Mark wrote: "I'm just starting 'cos I loved 'Fight Club'!"

I'm listening to Fight Club at the moment - I loved the film and so far it seems that the film held very true to the book. I will have to check Chuck's other books out.

[Kimberly]

Ann wrote: "Still reading for my alphabet challenge by title and almost finished for a monthly selection in another group"

I've been wanting to read The Forgotten Garden for years Ann, how is it?

[Kimberly]

Mark wrote: "I'm just starting 'cos I loved 'Fight Club'!"

Have you read his books Choke and Lullaby? Both are great very out there but that's typical for his writing.

[Ann]

Just finished for my alphabet challenge and am now reading the monthly group read. I'll be starting later today.

[Chrissie]

Ann, I thought The Grapes of Wrath was a superb depiction of life during the Depression. You will see that there are descriptive short chapters throughout the story. Some don't like them, but I really, really did.

[Lisa]

I finished Comanche Moon which I loved and rated 5 stars. Here is my review:

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

I will be starting Rivers of London tomorrow which I am reading for the July monthly challenge.

[Travis]

finished up Einstein: His Life and Universe and continuing with this same author starting Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Now back to Einstein. While perhaps not the most exciting man in history certainly a very interesting one. There was so much I didn't know like 99% of the whole book. I never knew he was a German born Jew, which living through both world wars along with the Nazi rise to power made for some interesting turns along his life. As Chrissie asked on the science. Yes there is science, but Isaacson does a good job and going back and forth with the science and personal life. I think he wrote it just so the science wouldn't overwhelm anyone. Most of the science concepts come along with examples to help us common folk picture these complex ideas. An interesting book going a lot deeper into the life than just some guy who invented E=MC^2

[Almeta]

James wrote: "I am currently reading "Story of O" because a friend recommended it."

James wrote: "I am currently reading "Story of O" because a friend recommended it."

Wow, that's an oldie. I think that you will find your read of Fifty Shades of Grey pretty tame in comparison. Is that why your friend recommended it?

Too bad you didn't join us in June for the Banned Books theme. Story of O sure qualifies!☻

[Janice, Moderator]

I started Jamaica Inn last night for the Grand European (Union) Tour.

[Chrissie]

Thank you, Travis. OK, the science seems to be written in an understandable manner. I will give it a go. How many stars did you give Einstein: His Life and Universe? Thank you for answering my question!

Good luck with Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. I think if you like this, you will surely like John Adams. I cannot remember if you have already read that...... They are very different characters though!

[Lisa]

Janice wrote: "I started Jamaica Inn last night for the Grand European (Union) Tour."

I hope you enjoy Jamaica Inn Janice. I read it last month for the alphabet challenge and really enjoyed it.

[Travis]

Chrissie wrote: "Thank you, Travis. OK, the science seems to be written in an understandable manner. I will give it a go. How many stars did you give Einstein: His Life and Universe? Thank you for answering my ques..."

This was the audio done by Edward Herrmann. I gave the book a 4. The private life stories can be enjoyed by all it is the science that will probably be the larger factor in how a person will rate this book I think. Although the science was kept pretty understandable I think the science portion could have been cut in half and no one would of complained. As for John Adams I have not read it and it has fell in the cracks of my tbr pile. Thanks for reminding me about it I'll bump it up in priority a bit.

[P]

I am reading "Vanishing Acts" by Jodi Picoult. I love books which tell more to our life than just telling a story, and this in particular inspired me because it's about love,memories,hope-things that i value in life.

often it's said you'll find if a book's worth reading from the first few pages. Being on the 5th page i would say it is. And the fact that i'm not able to put it down sure does reveal it's gonna be great :) I really felt happy to start reading this book & that's something i haven't felt for a long while now!

[Chrissie]

Travis, hmmmmm, so the science could have been cut in half...... Thanks for that info too.

John Adams should not be forgotten! God stuff. McCullough is always good.

[Janice, Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "Janice wrote: "I started Jamaica Inn last night for the Grand European (Union) Tour."

I hope you enjoy Jamaica Inn Janice. I read it last month for the alphabet challenge and really enjoyed it."

I'm enjoying it so far. I'm almost at the half way point where she's just met the vicar.

[Lisa]

Janice wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Janice wrote: "I started Jamaica Inn last night for the Grand European (Union) Tour."

I hope you enjoy Jamaica Inn Janice. I read it last month for the alphabet challenge and really e..."

Glad you are enjoying it so far Janice :) I liked the first half of the book but I thought the second half was even better so you have some good reading ahead of you.

[Chrissie]

I have dumped The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers after reading almost 200 of 900 some pages. This was not for me! My review explains why: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I have moved on to Strumpet City. It is set in Dublin during the Lockout of 1913, and it is historical fiction.

I have also finished Buffalo Afternoon. I recommend it to those of you interested in Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War!
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The audiobook narration was fantastic!

I will tomorrow begin the audiobook: The Guns of August, narrated by John Lee! :0)

[Marnie]

I am about half way through Outlander and have also started Forbidden.I remember this book kept coming up during the Toppler. I don't remember putting it on hold at the library but apparently I did- I must be meant to read it :)

[Lisa]

Marnie wrote: "I am about half way through Outlander and have also started Forbidden.I remember this book kept coming up during the Toppler. I don't remember putting it on hold at the library but apparently I did..."

Two great books you are reading there Marnie! I was one of the people who read 'Forbidden' during the toppler and I absolutely loved it! I don't think any book has ever made me cry as much as this did! I hope you enjoy it too!