Books on the Nightstand discussion
What are you Reading August 2013?
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Gail
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Aug 24, 2013 04:28PM
I, too, have had a bonanza of library ebooks this month. Life after Life, The Paris Wife (makes me want to revisit The Moveable Feast), The Burgess Boys, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Dinner (all unlikely characters to me), The Orphan Master's Son of which I am 1/2 way through and am loving, and have The Woman Upstairs waiting for me. These are all finds thanks to this site...thank you all!
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I love my library. I have gone from buying lots and lots of books on amazon to probably 70% borrowed.
I am finally reading Learning to Swim by Sara J Henry. And I am listening to The Boy who followed Ripley. This is the fourth Ripley book.
I finished The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsy Moore and Doc by Mary Doria Russell. I'm currently reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra and listening to Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.
This month I've read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock (loved it), Me Before You, The Husband's Secret, Simple Dreams (Linda Ronstadt memoir) and am now reading Night Film. Seems like I read something else but can't remember. Lol
I just finished The Secret History...this is one of those books that makes you hit your forehead and say "what took me so long to read this?" Really excellent! Not sure what's up next, I need to process The Secret History for a bit and then read something entirely different.
I am stuck right now. Not in the "I need suggestions" way but in the "I don't feel like reading" way. It's summertime and we're super busy and I know it will pass, but it's a strange feeling because usually it panics me (what if I never read again?!) and this time I'm kind of rolling with it. I am reading How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent but I am going to abandon it just less than halfway through (it's taken me a week to get this far) because it's not grabbing me at all and I just don't care. This surprises me because I loved the other two books I've read by Alvarez but maybe the timing isn't right for me with this one. Someday I'll try again.
I have James Salters' new novel to pick up from the library today. Maybe that will shake things up for me and get me back into the groove.
Kalen wrote: "I am stuck right now. Not in the "I need suggestions" way but in the "I don't feel like reading" way. It's summertime and we're super busy and I know it will pass, but it's a strange feeling becaus..."This happens to me occasionally too. When reading starts to feel like work, it's time to take a break and do other things.
Kalen wrote: "I am stuck right now. Not in the "I need suggestions" way but in the "I don't feel like reading" way. It's summertime and we're super busy and I know it will pass, but it's a strange feeling becaus..."I was so tired with our move and my head buzzing with 'To Do' lists that I couldn't read for a couple of weeks. Now I having suddenly got the urge and am dying to read a book but time is at a premium and now I have several academic articles people have asked me to read. sigh!
I just finished
Saturday night. Vastly different from my favorite book of all time
but still a satisfying read(listen) and very well narrated. What a joy to read as I wrote before,the master of historical fiction.
Kalen wrote: "I am stuck right now. Not in the "I need suggestions" way but in the "I don't feel like reading" way. It's summertime and we're super busy and I know it will pass, but it's a strange feeling because usually it panics me (what if I never read again?!) and this time I'm kind of rolling with it. "
I get like that sometimes! I usually back way off and go though a movie binge instead. If I try to read through "The Stuck" mode, I usually end up feeling ambivalent about whatever I'm reading which doesn't seem fair to either the author or myself. And sometimes it comes from the other direction: If I read a number of books in a row that are just "meh" that I get a little restless. In that case I take myself off of my reading schedule and go for a comfort read :-)
I get like that sometimes! I usually back way off and go though a movie binge instead. If I try to read through "The Stuck" mode, I usually end up feeling ambivalent about whatever I'm reading which doesn't seem fair to either the author or myself. And sometimes it comes from the other direction: If I read a number of books in a row that are just "meh" that I get a little restless. In that case I take myself off of my reading schedule and go for a comfort read :-)
I picked up West with the Night by Beryl Markham at my local book store. It is an excellent autobiography and all the more interesting because she was the first person to fly non stop from Europe to America. I am a pilot myself and always enjoy learning about an adventurous aviatrix. I highly recommend it!
Becky wrote: "started
been on my shelf for ages"
I too had this book on my shelf "for ages" before I read it earlier this year! I read it before BooktopiaWA and planned on giving it away in the Yankee Book Swap (I had purchased it at The Elliot Bay Book Store in Seattle and a little quirky story to go with it); but when I went to wrap it up, my DH saw it and stole it! Funnily enough, I hadn't thought I would like it, which is why it languished on my shelf after my initial enthusiasm for the bright new thing had passed er, ***four*** years ago! I ended up *really* liking it though and couldn't wait to see what DH thought of it! It looked to be right up his alley, with references to Mahler and Freud and stuff! In one of those confusing moments in any relationship though, he ended up feeling only "meh" about the whole thing. I Still don't understand how he couldn't marvel at the "meta-ness" of it all! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and I'm looking forward to seeing what you think! :-)
been on my shelf for ages"I too had this book on my shelf "for ages" before I read it earlier this year! I read it before BooktopiaWA and planned on giving it away in the Yankee Book Swap (I had purchased it at The Elliot Bay Book Store in Seattle and a little quirky story to go with it); but when I went to wrap it up, my DH saw it and stole it! Funnily enough, I hadn't thought I would like it, which is why it languished on my shelf after my initial enthusiasm for the bright new thing had passed er, ***four*** years ago! I ended up *really* liking it though and couldn't wait to see what DH thought of it! It looked to be right up his alley, with references to Mahler and Freud and stuff! In one of those confusing moments in any relationship though, he ended up feeling only "meh" about the whole thing. I Still don't understand how he couldn't marvel at the "meta-ness" of it all! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and I'm looking forward to seeing what you think! :-)
So I'm closing in on my goal of reading 40 books this Summer (Memorial Day - Labor Day) and I've managed to get a few more books down fro the stacks since I came back from vacation:
The Honourable Schoolboy (by John LeCarre)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (by Jeff Kinney)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (by Jeff Kinney)
Anya's Ghost (by Vera Brosgol)
Persepolis (by Marjane Satrapi)
Watchmen (by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons)
New Tricks (by David Rosenfelt; narrated by Grover Gardner)
Night Film (by Marisha Pessl)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (by Maria Semple)
Life After Life (by Kate Atkinson)
V for Vendetta (by Alan Moore & David Lloyd)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (by Neil Gaiman)
A Greyhound of a Girl (by Roddy Doyle)
I've got six days to read three more books! Right now, I've got Unwritten (by Mike Carey) and a couple of novellas lying around that should see me through! :-)
The Honourable Schoolboy (by John LeCarre)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (by Jeff Kinney)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (by Jeff Kinney)
Anya's Ghost (by Vera Brosgol)
Persepolis (by Marjane Satrapi)
Watchmen (by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons)
New Tricks (by David Rosenfelt; narrated by Grover Gardner)
Night Film (by Marisha Pessl)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (by Maria Semple)
Life After Life (by Kate Atkinson)
V for Vendetta (by Alan Moore & David Lloyd)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (by Neil Gaiman)
A Greyhound of a Girl (by Roddy Doyle)
I've got six days to read three more books! Right now, I've got Unwritten (by Mike Carey) and a couple of novellas lying around that should see me through! :-)
Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "So I'm closing in on my goal of reading 40 books this Summer (Memorial Day - Labor Day) and I've managed to get a few more books down fro the stacks since I came back from vacation: The Honourabl..."
That's why I don't do challenges. I don't want my reading choices influenced by time pressure or arbitrary constraints. Or maybe I'm just lazy...lol.
Janet wrote: "Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "That's why I don't do challenges. I don't want my reading choices influenced by time pressure or arbitrary constraints. Or maybe I'm just lazy...lol. "
Actually, this one is self-imposed! I wanted to dive into a few of the books that I've hoarded over the years as well as divert myself from spending so much time online!
In general, I've cut down on the number of challenges I participate in for exactly the reasons you mentioned above. I used to get into a panic every October when I realized "time was running out!" Now if I sign up for any, there's usually a lot of crossover (books that qualify for more than one challenge) :-)
Actually, this one is self-imposed! I wanted to dive into a few of the books that I've hoarded over the years as well as divert myself from spending so much time online!
In general, I've cut down on the number of challenges I participate in for exactly the reasons you mentioned above. I used to get into a panic every October when I realized "time was running out!" Now if I sign up for any, there's usually a lot of crossover (books that qualify for more than one challenge) :-)
Sarah wrote: "I just finished reading
and was utterly charmed. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel
."There is a wonderful movie of 84, Charing Cross Road starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft. I highly recommend it.
Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "Becky wrote: "started
been on my shelf for ages"I too had this book on my shelf "for ages" before I read it earlier this year! I read it before BooktopiaWA and..."
Thanks for the input-I am enjoying it very much so far....I loved the book
& it has a little bit of the feel of that book....Hope I continue to enjoy it!
I received an ARC of Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital and I've barely started it but it looks fascinating.
Finished The Last Banquet which I ordered from The Book Depository for The Readers Book Club whichI really enjoyed (2 weeks later I am still thinking about it) and am currently re reading Love in the Time of Cholera for one of my book groups. Next up The Aviator's Wife which is for my other book group and Booktopia Petoskey which I am very excited about attending!
Started the 1st Mortal instruments book last Friday and finished the 3rd book yesterday. Very good book series. I stopped today to catch up on other books. Started Austenland by Shannon Hale today and will be done tonight. Really good story, but I am a sucker for books that are Austen Genre (if that is even a term),
Cindy wrote: "Started the 1st Mortal instruments book last Friday and finished the 3rd book yesterday. Very good book series. I stopped today to catch up on other books. Started Austenland by Shannon Hale today ..."Sounds like you are preparing to go to the movies since both are in theaters now!
Finished A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. I really liked how the author gave us glimpses into the various characters' future (so and so, who in three years would...) while telling the story in the present.
I finished an advance copy of The Goldfinch Friday night and Ann is so right. I was totally blown away.
I am struggling thru The People in the Trees. It is very slow with only a few characters. Has anyone else read this?
Books mentioned in this topic
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (other topics)The Aviator's Wife (other topics)
The Last Banquet (other topics)
Love in the Time of Cholera (other topics)
The Light in the Ruins (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Geoff Dyer (other topics)Maria Semple (other topics)
Deborah Blum (other topics)
Jonathan Lethem (other topics)
Matthew Dicks (other topics)
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