What Are You Reading: November 2013

[Sacramento Public Library]

What are you reading this month? A fantasy for our reading challenge, a hot new release, a favorite re-read, or...? Share with the group and help someone else find their next great read.

[Justin]

In addition to the reading challenge book, I am reading the second volume of Saga, a comic series by Brian K. Vaughan. It is bizarre, but I can't help but love it.

[Sarenna]

I'm slowly making my way through my TBR list. I'm currently reading A Long Way Down, which has been on my list for (literally) years.

[Chip]

I just finished 12 Years a Slave - Enhanced Edition by Sue Eakin, PhD. The Kindle version is only 99¢! As a child, Eakin found the book in a neighboring plantation's library and became obsessed with it. She made researching the details of Solomon Northup's story her life's work. There's an excellent introduction, lots of linked footnotes (which let you jump to the footnote on your Kindle and jump back to your place in the text), a chapter at the end of what is known about Northup's life after he returned to his family, and of course appendices, bibliographies, etc. It's also quite readable - I highly recommend it. I saw the movie last night, and it's terrific - but the book is better!

Last night I started reading Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen, which I found on the "Lucky Day" shelf at FAI. I've read (and laughed out loud through) many of his books. This one looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!

[Julie]

I am reading the Iron traitor right now

[Brendle]

I started out the month with The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson which was very, very dark but very, very good. After that I needed something bright and cheerful. So I picked up Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell which was an absolutely wonderful book about growing up and discovering who you are. Not quite as good as Eleanor & Park, (Rowell's second book) but few things could be!

[Julie]

I am also now reading The Outside by Laura Bickle. I adore this series with amish and vampires :)

[Angie]

Saga by Vaughn is awesome! The ending of the Vol 1 is hilarious. I can really relate to the characters as a parent, which is nice to see parents as action figures in a graphic novel. Eagerly awaiting Vol 2.

[Sarenna]

Finished in one sitting last night. Wow. What an amazing woman. Started yesterday. Very interesting.

And finally, began rereading . My two boys are begging to go see the movie, and I told them I'd take them, but ONLY if they read the book. I'm not above bribery. :) Besides, it was an amazing book. Warfare, aliens, video games, and a boy close to their own age... what's not to like? Right?

And I want my kids to realize that the book is almost always better than the movie.

[Justin]

I recently finished Mistborn... I'm still collecting my thoughts for a review, but I really liked it. I still maintain that there isn't much in the way of story, despite being over 600 pages long. It felt like part one of a series, rather than a self-enclosed story. But this is the first time I've been this immersed in a fantasy novel since reading Raymond E. Feist and Tad Williams as a teenager; the magic system and mythology are so interesting, I'd read another 600 pages of the same. I'm definitely sold for the next books.

I'm going to finish out the month reading an urban fantasy named Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, and finally getting around to Divergent by Veronica Roth.

[Brendle]

Justin wrote: "I recently finished Mistborn... I'm still collecting my thoughts for a review, but I really liked it. I still maintain that there isn't much in the way of story, despite being over 600 pages long. ..."

Just looked up Zoo City and am totally going to be reading that. Thanks for the mention!

[Angie]

Sarenna wrote: "...Warfare, aliens, video games, and a boy close to their own age... what's not to like?..."

I'd also add there is a fair amount of strategy involved in Ender just surviving complex social relationships. It totally taught me as a child to figure out the motivations behind my peers' actions.

[Angie]

I put down the Death's Apprentice within two paragraphs of reading and instead jumped into the life of crime with book two of the Junior Bender Mystery series, Little Elvises. The hook is that the PI is actually a thief who does detective work for other criminals. Funny, but watch the f-bombs, if cursing bothers you. And sex and drugs. And did I mention crime? Still, it was funny.

[Chip]

Finished Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen and was a little disappointed - I felt it wasn't up to his usual standard. Not bad, but not brilliant, either: 3 stars. Then I read Steve Hamilton's Let It Burn, the latest in his Alex McKnight series. While it was interesting to get some more of Alex's back story, the ending felt a bit contrived. It was okay, but again, I was a little disappointed, and again: 3 stars. I tried reading The Book Thief for the second time and had to give up for the second time. I don't think I'm going to be able to read this one. I find the narrator's voice just too annoying.

(I'm starting to wonder if I just need to take some time off from reading for a while. Am I getting jaded?)

So last night I decided to start Infrared by Nancy Huston. I'm only about 30 pages in, but - wow - I think I'm really going to like this book!

P.S. Posting this from Bajamar on Thanksgiving night. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!