What Are You Reading? 2016.1 Showing 701-750 of 1,869

[Sandra, Moderator]

I started yesterday Salt to the Sea. I only realized it was YA when I started it, but so far so good.
I'm also reading a middle grade ARC Once Was a Time.
I also requested Circling the Sun at the library since it's my book club pick for next month.

I hope I have a better reading month, because I was all March trying to finish two books, and it took for ever, not the book's fault, though.

[Joan]

reading The Murder Stone by Louise Penny, it is good...may be the best in the Inspector Gramache series that I've read. The family of main characters is perfectly detestable ...which is rather fun.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished The Orenda. I'll be digesting that one for a while. The only thing is that I think I may have enjoyed it more if I had read it in print format rather than audiobook. I thought two of the three narrators were not a good fit. Edoardo Ballerini was superb, as always. I would have been happy if he had voiced the entire book.

Next up on audiobook is Red Queen. I have to admit that it was the cover that first caught my attention. I'm reading it for geocache challenge and for a buddy read.

[Gavin]

I'm reading Ivanhoe

[Dem]

Finished The Secret by the Lake My review:

www.goodreads.com/review/show/1572146534

[Joan]

Gavin, I hope you are enjoying Ivanhoe. I listened to a Blackstone audio version that was excellent...a real swashbuckling adventure.

[Joan]

Any opinions about The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh? It was highly recommended by someone I work with.

[Janice, Moderator]

I haven't read it myself, but it has an average rating of 3.0 for my goodreads friends.

[Stephanie]

I just finished reading . This story is beautifully written. It is sad but there are funny moments as well. The funny being what the dog says in the story. It is told mostly from the dog's perspective and I quite enjoy books like that ;)
I rated it 4.5/5 mostly because it was a bit out of order for my orderly brain, haha!
If you are a dog obsessed person like me, you will probably like this book ;) I don't want to say too much about it because I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't read it :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Picked up The Savage Altar by Asa Larsson last night. Scandi crime in Trini heat it's a bit odd but off to San Fran tomorrow. will let you know how it goes.

[Janice, Moderator]

The Savage Altar looks good, Rusalka. Of course, I had to add it to my bulging wishlist.

[Lynda]

So I thought to kickstart myself back into reading something I'd pickup something light. I haven't really read much steampunk, but Soulless has been on my Wish List for a while. It seems like the perfect thing.

Also, my mom gave me the book The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, so I'll likely start in on that also.

[Janice, Moderator]

Lynda wrote: "So I thought to kickstart myself back into reading something I'd pickup something light. I haven't really read much steampunk, but Soulless has been on my Wish List for a while. It s..."

I find that reading something light can be a boost when in a reading slump. I hope you get the kickstart you're looking for Lynda.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I agree, Lynda. Take it easy. Hopefully you'll be totally recovered soon.

[Joan]

I can't recommend The Weight of The Blood..it is horrifying and based on a real case of sex trafficking in Missouri. This was not mentioned in the reviews on GR so I wonder if the reviewers thought it was just a sick fantasy novel.

[Dem]

Finished But You Did Not Come Back
My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1587640909

[[deleted user]]

Sandra wrote: "I started yesterday Salt to the Sea. I only realized it was YA when I started it, but so far so good.
I'm also reading a middle grade ARC Once Was a Time.
I also requsted Circling the Sun....."

I read Circling the Sun during 2015 and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too. :)

I am reading Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, for something a little lighter.

[Joan]

I take back what I said. The Weight of Blood is well written, the plot horrifying but the characters are compelling. I am angry at the reviewers who wrote the blurbs on the back and were either callous or irresponsible. It is not a "heartwarming coming of age story" that "will leave you breathless of more" as claimed by Amy Greene, Tracy Guzeman and Tracy Guzeman. I don't know whether those three authors are ignorant or heartless.

This is an enthralling book about the violence that can be hidden by a community and our ambivalence about domestic abuse and human trafficking.

[Cherie]

Lynda wrote: "So I thought to kickstart myself back into reading something I'd pickup something light. I haven't really read much steampunk, but Soulless has been on my Wish List for a while. It s..."

Hi Lynda,
We are going to do a buddy read of The Clockwork Scarab in April (starting on the 12th). It is steampunk too and will fit in the Geo Challenge.

[Dem]

Finished The Ballroom
My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1579822256

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Red Queen last night.

I will start Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on audiobook today.

[Lisa]

I finished When Christ and His Saints Slept for the geocaching challenge and a buddy read. I rated it 4 stars but my actual rating would be 4.5. It was really good! Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am now starting The Chimes

[Lilisa]

I'm halfway through The Mountain of Light and have a long way to go with Song of the Spirits - it's 704 pages...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Ripped through The Savage Altar in 4 hours of a 6 hour flight.

Now halfway through The Lollipop Shoes. Liking it, not loving it. Which is sad as Chocolat is one of my favourites. Again, we'll see how it ends.

[Cherie]

Rusalka wrote: "Ripped through The Savage Altar in 4 hours of a 6 hour flight.

Now halfway through The Lollipop Shoes. Liking it, not loving it. Which is sad as [book:Chocolat|47401..."

The 2nd book is totally different than the first one, huh? I did not like it at all at the beginning, but kept at it. You really have to divorce yourself from the first book and carry on.

[Cherie]

I am reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I have no idea where they got this title. The 4th chapter just about did me in last night. More than I ever wanted to know about amputating a leg damaged by a land mine but I like the characters and the text is well done and easy to read. The dialogue is very funny in places, given the subject matter.

[Joan]

would a steampunk fan please tell me what the term means to you; I looked at the definition in urban dictionary and a wiki but both explanations wete kinda musty.

[Janice, Moderator]

Steampunk is set in Victorian times with advanced technology (typically powered by steam) and often contains paranormal characters.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I don't really read steampunk, but when I google it some time ago to understand what it is, I found clarifying this definition: "What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner."

[Janice, Moderator]

That's a good way to describe it Sandra.

[Mariab]

Joan wrote: "would a steampunk fan please tell me what the term means to you; I looked at the definition in urban dictionary and a wiki but both explanations wete kinda musty."

I can be label as fan, but I would say is dystopian, inspired in Verne´s world

[Sarah]

I finished reading Shutter Island for the geocache challenge. I really liked it despite already knowing the general gist of the story from watching the film. I'll definitely read more books by this author. This was my first. I started Iron Kissed for a light read. Also trying to fill in this week with something short before starting a buddy read on the 6th.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Night Has a Thousand Eyes and if it wasn't for the fact that it was on my iPad, I would have thrown it across the room several times.

I may pick up Space where I left off and read more in it. I've been waiting for a book to come in at the library. It's been 14 days in shipment. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for just shy of a week. If it comes in today, I can swing by and pick it up right away. Otherwise it will sit at the library and they will only hold it for me for a week. I'll be back, but it will be tight.

I'm really getting annoyed with my library. The last time I did ILL, it was 14 days in shipment and the sending library was an hour's drive away.

[Carol]

Janice wrote: "I finished Night Has a Thousand Eyes and if it wasn't for the fact that it was on my iPad, I would have thrown it across the room several times.

I may pick up Space whe..."


please provide a hint or two of why I should delete Night has a Thousand Eyes from my TBR list, since your reaction already has me 95% of the way there, lol.

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "I finished Night Has a Thousand Eyes and if it wasn't for the fact that it was on my iPad, I would have thrown it across the room several times..."

Almeta is currently reading it. Maybe she will chime in too. :)

[Lisa]

I have put The Chimes on hold for the time being as I was struggling to get into it and was finding it a real chore to read.

I am now going to start The Wilding. I read another book by this author, As Meat Loves Salt, in January and absolutely loved it so I am really looking forward to this.

[Janice, Moderator]

Carol wrote: "please provide a hint or two of why I should delete Night has a Thousand Eyes from my TBR list, since your reaction already has me 95% of the way there, lol. ..."

The book is very melodramatic. I don't have a lot of patience for people who constantly over react to things and this book was full of them. There were some things that didn't seem reasonable to me and could easily have been edited out of the story to make it tighter.

Judging from the reviews, it has an average of 3.85 stars with the majority of them at 4 stars. So, I might be one of the few who didn't like the book. Debra saw something in it I didn't and gave it 5 stars.

I still want to read The Bride Wore Black, so I will give Woolrich another try.

[Janice, Moderator]

My real life book club is reading The Friends We Keep for our May meeting. My library hold came in today and I started reading it in the car wash. I don't know if I'm going to get through it. Chick lit is one of my least favourite genres. I'm way past raising kids, meal preparation, and shopping. Reading about it doesn't hold my interest, I'm afraid. I will take it with me. It will be a good travel book because it's light and easy to read.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I am currently reading Truthwitch and An Ember in the Ashes.

[Joan]

has anyone read "Headstrong 52 Women who changed science and the world"?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Thanks Cherie. I didn't and don't mind that it's different to the first book. I knew it had to be. But always hard when you're reading a follow on to a favourite. I am nearly done though so looking forward to the end and some hopeful comeuppance!

[Joan]

do you think the author of Chocolate planned a triology when she started?

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Thanks Cherie. I didn't and don't mind that it's different to the first book. I knew it had to be. But always hard when you're reading a follow on to a favourite. I am nearly done though so looking..."

The third book in the trilogy is more similar to the first book than the second.

Joan, it seemed like an afterthought, but I'm not sure.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on my road trip this morning. Then I started and finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle on the remainder of the trip. I quite enjoyed that odd little book.

A funny thing happened while I was listening to it. In the book, one of the characters said, "I smell smoke!" Just as he said it, I also smelled smoke. The whole time they discussed it, I could smell It. Some farmer must have lit brush on fire. That's what I call an interactive book.

A similar situation happened on a flight from London. The movie was "Titanic". Just as the ship started to tear apart in the movie, we hit turbulence. There were a lot of nervous people on that flight, me included. LOL!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Maybe in the future we'll have audio-smell-taste books. Who knows...

And "Titanic" is a really, really, really BAD selection for a movie on a plane! Who thought a movie about a real disaster and of those dimensions was a good idea??? There's always people feeling nervous about flying in a plane.

And talking about Titanic, I finished Salt to the Sea about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff at the end of WWII. I'm trying to write a review. I'll link it later if I success.
I also plan to start this weekend Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania a historical non fiction about the sinking of the Lusitania. I don't think I would board a boat in the next 20 years after reading about so many ship sinking...

[Joan]

Janice I wondered because some authors say once they start writing they feel the characters take control of the story development and some authors have said they start out with a detailed plan and stick to it.

[Gavin]

Reading Swan Song

[Janice, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: "Maybe in the future we'll have audio-smell-taste books. Who knows...

And "Titanic" is a really, really, really BAD selection for a movie on a plane! Who thought a movie about a real disaster and o..."

Haha! No kidding!

[Janice, Moderator]

Gavin wrote: "Reading Swan Song"

Enjoy!

[Lynda]

Well, I shelved Soulless, maybe the story line would prove out, but I couldn't get past the writing. After three days, and only being on page 30, I'm giving up. I'm going to take your suggestion, Cherie, and join the buddy read for The Clockwork Scarab.