Books on the Nightstand discussion
What Are You Reading September 2013
Just finished Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich. This was an early free ebook from Nook that I finally read. The Nook app seemed very slow and crashed frequently. Hard to search for names in this ebook. Gave it two stars, maybe 2 1/2.
Sorry, didn't finish the review. Rules of Deception just didn't make sense to me. Too many conflicts and overlap of people who all think their world view is correct. All characters flawed and I'm not sure who I was supposed to be rooting for!
I made my self-imposed Summer reading challenge of reading 40 books from Memorial Day through Labor Day! Since I last posted six days ago, I've read:
Unwritten (graphic novel by Mike Carey; illustrated by Peter Gross) - Tommy Taylor, son of a noted author who based a series of novels on his son, is confronted with the blurring of his fictional life and his real life. Bill Wallingham (author of the Fables series) describes The Unwritten as being squarely within the sub-genre of "FAL" - Fiction And Literary-based stories :-)
The Bunner Sisters (novella by Edith Wharton) - Two sisters keep a hat trimming shop in New York City. Both develop an affection for a local clockmaker and eventually one sister marries the German immigrant and leaves the other behind. The life the sisters lead, of near financial destitution, inelegant language and limited hopes, is a far cry from the rich milieu that usually serves as a setting for Wharton's stories.
I Love You, Beth Cooper (a humorous novel, perhaps YA, by Larry Doyle) - Denis Cooverman, head of the high school debating team, declares his love for the head of the cheerleading squad during his valedictory speech; and thus begins a night of dealing with the consequences! Perhaps this would have been a better read at the beginning of summer, rather than at the end; but nonetheless, a fast, fun and funny read!
Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1 by Mira Grant) - In the aftermath of pandemic infection of a necrotizing virus, non- traditional news services, i.e. super-blogging, emerges as a real-time source for what is happening in the world. A news-blogging team consisting of Georgia "George" Mason, her brother, Shaun, and Buffy Messonier are selected to cover the campaign trail of a presidential hopeful. There is a conspiracy afoot and lives are at stake... This is something of a modern classic in the zombie sub-genre with a nod to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I'm now onto The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards (by Kristopher Jansma) which is apparently about a struggling writer...
I'm also uploading Suspect (by Robert Crais; narrated by MacLeod Andrews) to start on Tuesday :-)
Unwritten (graphic novel by Mike Carey; illustrated by Peter Gross) - Tommy Taylor, son of a noted author who based a series of novels on his son, is confronted with the blurring of his fictional life and his real life. Bill Wallingham (author of the Fables series) describes The Unwritten as being squarely within the sub-genre of "FAL" - Fiction And Literary-based stories :-)
The Bunner Sisters (novella by Edith Wharton) - Two sisters keep a hat trimming shop in New York City. Both develop an affection for a local clockmaker and eventually one sister marries the German immigrant and leaves the other behind. The life the sisters lead, of near financial destitution, inelegant language and limited hopes, is a far cry from the rich milieu that usually serves as a setting for Wharton's stories.
I Love You, Beth Cooper (a humorous novel, perhaps YA, by Larry Doyle) - Denis Cooverman, head of the high school debating team, declares his love for the head of the cheerleading squad during his valedictory speech; and thus begins a night of dealing with the consequences! Perhaps this would have been a better read at the beginning of summer, rather than at the end; but nonetheless, a fast, fun and funny read!
Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1 by Mira Grant) - In the aftermath of pandemic infection of a necrotizing virus, non- traditional news services, i.e. super-blogging, emerges as a real-time source for what is happening in the world. A news-blogging team consisting of Georgia "George" Mason, her brother, Shaun, and Buffy Messonier are selected to cover the campaign trail of a presidential hopeful. There is a conspiracy afoot and lives are at stake... This is something of a modern classic in the zombie sub-genre with a nod to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I'm now onto The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards (by Kristopher Jansma) which is apparently about a struggling writer...
I'm also uploading Suspect (by Robert Crais; narrated by MacLeod Andrews) to start on Tuesday :-)
I seem to have broken through my August "I can't read" problem. Yesterday I read the new James Salter, All That Is, and started a Europa title (best title ever), Summertime, All the Cats are Bored.
My new editorial services firm has been up and running for several days now. I'm still reading--or at least gleaning useful information from--a great many how-to and reference works, mainly from Writer's Digest and the "for Dummies" series. I'm also peeking from time to time into The Cuckoo's Calling, which so far has been a pleasant blend of back-story, murder mystery, and humor. Next up: an ILL copy of the edited collection Bouillabaisse for Bibliophiles, after which I'm going to take a crack at the 50 or 60 unread titles on my own shelves. I'll probably start with James Wellard's The Memoirs of a Cross-Eyed Man and Doris O'Donnell's Front-Page Girl and then move on to the denser volumes, e.g. Clive James' Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts.
Becky I read the first two paragraphs of Ron Charles review of THE LITTLE BOOK and I am seriously considering reading it. What can I say?
didn't read the review, I am not a big reader of reviews because I find they tell too much of the story.....regardless of what he said, I am enjoying the book LOL
I just finished reading The Movement of Stars which I really enjoyed. I'm listening to The Son.
I just started reading Brewster I already love it and cannot put it down.
I am reading The Color Master
. Wow, these stories are so good. I thought I was reading poetry at times. I don't actually know much about poetry but I will be taking the Coursera poetry class soon.
I am finished
I Think I Love You which I found a bit slow in parts, but a good story of friendship. I have now started
The Baker's Daughter.
I had
in my pile of "To Read When I Feel Like It." My son recommended it to me out of the blue, so I started it yesterday. Bye, bye long weekend. Hello, couch potato!
I'm trying to make sure I've read a least one book by each of the Booktopia Petosky authors. So reading concurrently The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove and The Supremes at Earl's.... Previously read Russell and Heller. So Geye and Benjamin will be next up. Also reading The Manor by Mac Griswold for a change of pace.
I'm still sipping on
. It's such a good read that I don't want it to end and I've been nursing it for the past week.Happy reading all!
So many books to read, and life keeps getting in the way of my reading (you know, like my husband wanting me to be social and stuff). Plus, now it is football season, so Saturdays are not available for reading for a few months! This month I will really be pushing it to get all my challenge books in, plus my book club book, The Dinner.Oldest TBR (2011): The Girl in the Italian Bakery
Oldest TBR on my bookshelf: SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
Published in 2013: The Funeral Dress: A Novel (which also counts for reading one book by every Booktopia author)
Titles with Numbers 1 - 12: The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks (I know, you have to get to the subtitle to get to the number)
Random: Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
Booktopia 3:The Aviator's Wife,The Lighthouse Road, Life Among Giants, Songs of Willow Frost, and MAYBE The Sparrow (I did read Doc in July for book club, but I want to read this one so bad!)
Listening on Audible: Outtakes from a Marriage, Domestic Violets
Last night I finished off my summer reading with The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards (by Kristopher Jansma.) I think I liked it, but I'm not really sure what to make of it all! It probably won't be clear to me until I sit down to write a review of it and I hone in on the basics.
Today I've started Suspect (by Robert Crais; narrated by MacLeod Andrews.) The opening chapter is a scene wherein a military working dog survives an ambush, but her owner doesn't. The details are fudged a little, but the only reason I know is because I worked on a book about military working dogs and; the story is nonetheless poignant (meaning, yes, I cried a little!) Now I'm moving on to the set-up chapter wherein two LAPD officers are enjoying a quiet evening...
I'm also starting The Buccaneers (by Edith Wharton; completed by Elizabeth Mainwaring) later today. It was the last of Wharton's manuscripts and was completed years later by a Wharton scholar.I think I saw bits of the BBC film adaptation years ago, but not enough to be absolutely sure!
Today I've started Suspect (by Robert Crais; narrated by MacLeod Andrews.) The opening chapter is a scene wherein a military working dog survives an ambush, but her owner doesn't. The details are fudged a little, but the only reason I know is because I worked on a book about military working dogs and; the story is nonetheless poignant (meaning, yes, I cried a little!) Now I'm moving on to the set-up chapter wherein two LAPD officers are enjoying a quiet evening...
I'm also starting The Buccaneers (by Edith Wharton; completed by Elizabeth Mainwaring) later today. It was the last of Wharton's manuscripts and was completed years later by a Wharton scholar.I think I saw bits of the BBC film adaptation years ago, but not enough to be absolutely sure!
I'm in the middle of "The Telling Room" (nonfiction, about a cheesemaker in Spain, by Michael Paterniti) - - it's wonderful!! Plus, I'm almost finished with "The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D." by Nicole Bernier, and am about to begin "The Maid's Version" by Daniel Woodrell. I'm going to Morocco later this month; does anyone have any recommendations for fictional stories set in Morocco?? Thanks!!
Mod
Did you enjoy Unwritten?
Michael wrote: "Did you enjoy Unwritten?"
Yes! The promise of literary worlds to be explored, the powerful magic of words, the intrigue of what is going on with Tommy... all these things are so tantalizing! I can't wait to explore more Unwritten volumes! :-)
Yes! The promise of literary worlds to be explored, the powerful magic of words, the intrigue of what is going on with Tommy... all these things are so tantalizing! I can't wait to explore more Unwritten volumes! :-)
Just finished The Expats....great read....lots of twists and turns
My goodness, where did the summer go??Finished up The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat yesterday on audio, and I loved it. I believe I'll be listening to Eleanor & Park next.
I'm almost finished with The Dog Stars, which I haven't been able to devote as much time to as I'd like, but I'll finish up by this weekend at the latest. After that, I'm still hoping to read both Doc and The Funeral Dress: A Novel before Petoskey... we'll see how it goes!
Just finished The Daughters of Mars, and would recommend it highly. Not an easy read, and the ending throws a big twist. It's one of those "the-more-I-think-about-it-the-more-I-like-it" books. Now reading The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell. Again, a VERY worthwhile (and short) read. But it makes you think.
I have LOTS to read this month and I'm hoping I can get it all in. My book group is reading The Orphanmaster so I just picked that up. I'm also listening to The Shoemaker's Wife for my work lunch group. Aside from that there are a couple events that my local book store is hosting, one an online book group reading The Language of Flowers and the other is an author dinner reading The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs. Four books is VERY sporty for me so we'll see how I do. I'd also like to pick up A Clash of Kings but that may have to wait until October.
I listened to Pat Conroy read the audiobook of My Reading Life and am not sure if his narration helped or hurt. I totally understand and agree with his passion for reading although my tastes are much lighter. His preference for multi-syllabic words when simpler words would do is annoying at times. I've read many of the authors Conroy discussed but on a more surface level. I grew up in the south and also loved Gone with the Wind but don't understand how he and his mother could have such an idealized view of life before the Civil War. Did they forget the part where people owned slaves? In all, the book is worth reading and does inspire me to read more of the authors he devoured.
I just finished
and now I'm starting
.
and now I'm starting
.
I'm about 3/4 of the way through
by Brett McCracken.An excellent book on how Christians should have discernment with food, music, film, and alcohol. McCracken walks a fine line with this book but does it wonderfully and it's a must read for Christians who want to know how handle the aforementioned issues.
Marion
I'm half way through Life After Life (McCorkle)and I honestly debated calling in 'sick' yesterday to just stay home and read it. I really love all the characters. My September book club book is A Constellation of Vital Phenomena which I plan to start this weekend. Teaching a class this semester and it has seriously limited my pleasure reading the latter half of the summer!
Melissa, I read A Constellation of Vital Phenomena this summer and I loved it. It is one of the best books I've read in a long time!
I just finished listening to the audiobook of Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich. I still enjoy the Stephanie Plum books, especially the audiobooks. I understand why some people are tired of her shenanigans but I find them humorous. I'll continue to read them.
I just finished And the Mountains Echoed for my book club. A-may-zing! I think I'm going to pick up The Paris Wife next.
I'm continuing to work my through the Game of Thrones saga ... up to book 4 - A Feast of Crows ...
I just reading
today. It is the sequel to one of my all-time favorite novels,
.I know that sequels usually get unfairly judged to their predecessor...especially if it was great. I just hope Children of God comes close to The Sparrow and it's good to read as well.
Marion
Just finished listening to Flight Behavior and reading The Lighthouse Road. I'm now listening to Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen and reading The Funeral Dress: A Novel.
I recently finished
The Baker's Daughter. I found the storyline in Germany during WWII much more interesting than the contemporary story set in El Paso. I also finished
Bridge to Terabithia which I never read as a child. I found the relationship between Jess and Leslie so lovely and realistic.And now I am reading
Big Brother which I have only just started.
I'm reading & Sons but having a tough time getting into it--and I'm nearly halfway through. Finished Summertime, And All the Cats Are Bored over the weekend. Decent read but the title is better than the book. I don't read a lot of noir, so maybe someone who does would have enjoyed it more. (It's still getting 3 stars--it just didn't knock my socks off.)
I will post a picture of the cover on the Booktopia FB page. :)
Just finished (finally!)
! It was amazing as advertised, but a bit long! Great overall experience tho. Looking for my next read today! Happy reading all!!
Nancy wrote: "Just finished listening to Flight Behavior and reading The Lighthouse Road. I'm now listening to Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen and reading The Funeral Dress: A Novel."How did Lighthouse Road end up? I am having quite a hard time getting into it, about 11% through.
Nancy wrote: "Just finished listening to Flight Behavior and reading The Lighthouse Road. I'm now listening to Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen and reading The Funeral Dress: A Novel."Loved ".....Dairy Queen". Have "The Funeral Dress " on my to read list.
Judi wrote: ""The Funeral Dress " on my to read list...."It took me just a little bit to get into the book - then I couldn't believe it ended. I really ended up liking it alot!
I just finished Suspect (by Robert Crais; narrated by MacLeod Andrews.) It's the story of a military working dog in Afghanistan and a LAPD cop who lose their respective partners and end up together in the police K-9 corps. The opening scenes of Suspect definitely hook you and, the dog's point-of-view sections are novel in that they are not overly anthropomorphized; but the amount of narrative given over to Crais' research, and rather ham-fistedly at that, comes across less as exposition than as massive info dumps. The plot is rather straight-forward, with a made-for-TV-movie feel. The narrator was clear and expressive, but somewhat superficial in his delivery. This was a new-to-me author and new-to-me narrator and while both came highly recommended to me, I think I'll pass on either/both in the future.
I just started Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers (completed by Elizabeth Mainwaring.) It's about five girls of the nouveau riche set who end up going to Europe to marry impoverished noblemen. I may be wrong, as Wharton is very versatile, but I suspect that this is not a HEA Romance!
I'm now about to start Dog Tags (Andy Carpenter #8; by David Rosenfelt; narrated by Grover Gardner.) The author may have already jumped the shark on this series; but I we'll see if he recovers :-)
I just started Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers (completed by Elizabeth Mainwaring.) It's about five girls of the nouveau riche set who end up going to Europe to marry impoverished noblemen. I may be wrong, as Wharton is very versatile, but I suspect that this is not a HEA Romance!
I'm now about to start Dog Tags (Andy Carpenter #8; by David Rosenfelt; narrated by Grover Gardner.) The author may have already jumped the shark on this series; but I we'll see if he recovers :-)
Books on the Nightstand
Books mentioned in this topic
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (other topics)The Thorn Birds (other topics)
Year of Wonders (other topics)
Franny and Zooey (other topics)
His Excellency: George Washington (other topics)
More...
I'm listening to His Excellency: George Washington
I'm reading Life After Life by Jill McCorkle and Another Life: A Memoir of Other People