What are you reading May 2014

[Gerald]

Our town has no train system only buses and there is no way in heck that I can read on a bus. Trains seem to be a little more book or headphone friendly.

[Esther]

Gerald wrote: "Our town has no train system only buses and there is no way in heck that I can read on a bus. Trains seem to be a little more book or headphone friendly."

I sympathise. I can't read on the bus or in the car. It is such a waste of time. I either snooze or listen to podcasts.

[Kalen]

Gerald wrote: "Linda I take it your going to be at Boulder for a Booktopia(I don't follow Booktopia at all . If Heller is at that event please ask him if the main character is named after Wallace Stegner . I am ..."

I wondered that, too, Gerald. Do you know the story of Stegner's death? He died in Santa Fe, after a car accident the night he'd spoken to the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association (our local booksellers org.) He loved the area and I'm sure that was a hat-tip to him.

[Denise]

I didn't know that, Kalen. How awful.

[Gerald]

I had never heard of him until Nancy Pearl mentioned his name and one book that he wrote, ANGLE OF REPOSE which I did read.

[[deleted user]]

Sadly, I ended up not loving The Quick , which was a huge bummer because I was looking forward to it for months. On the up side, I started Bittersweet last night and was sucked in pretty quick.

[Angie]

Shannon wrote: "Sadly, I ended up not loving The Quick, which was a huge bummer because I was looking forward to it for months..."

Shannon, I believe that's the concensus on The Quick. I had planned to read it, but after all my early-reader friends rated it 2 or 3 stars, I've marked it off my list. Sorry you were disappointed as well. Glad you're enjoying Bittersweet.

[Angie]

I'm currently reading for another group here at GR. It started out good, but hasn't gotten to the depth I would have liked. It's too simplistic as well. I should finish it today and rate it 3 stars, not bad, not good, OK, but wouldn't recommend to others.

[Denise]

Shannon, I wasn't crazy about Bittersweet. It was sort of meh for me. I finally finished A Fine Balance. What a fantastic book, despite being depressing and sad. I am taking a brief break from my India reading phase to read Tessa Hadley's A Clever Girl.

[Laura]

Emgee wrote: "Managed to sneak Helene Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road between the THREE other books I'm reading. Love the movie, love the book."

This book is a little gem -- I love recommending it. I agree -- both it and the movie are great. :)

[Laura]

I'm just about to start -- it's a novella, so that won't take long. I ended up skimming , the second novel with an unreliable narrator I've read recently. I found it a bit boring, repetitive, and unsettling. I just finished , which was good, but quite melancholy. I borrowed from my public library because I was intrigued by the format -- anyone else read it?

[Amy]

I'm reading The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan and enjoying it so far.

[[deleted user]]

Have some patience with this book and you'll be rewarded with an understanding of the full complexity of how WWI started in the summer of 1914.

There were dozens of ministers, ambassadors, and diplomats, not to mention rulers, who made each incremental decision and policy shift leading to the war, and at times it's hard to keep them all straight, especially when a Russian minister has a German or French sounding name, and vice versa.

Popular history and historical fiction blames Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany for the decision to go to war. That's a mistaken impression, which was bolstered by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which placed the blame at Germany's feet, and called for reparations. In truth, there was enough blame to go around. First, the Serbian assassins who killed Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, then Austro-Hungary's overreaching demand to Serbia, then Russia's opportunism, etc.

This book won't give you a whole history of the conduct of the war, just the background of international relations of the previous fifty years, and the events of 1914 and the cacophony of decisions that led to the war in those heady summer months.

Highly recommended for people who want to understand why.

[Bobbi]

Oh, I did not know he died - that's very sad news. I loved this book.

[Gerald]

Finished The Painterlast night. Basically a story of a successful artist with a death wish. If you made good money painting and lived in New Mexico would you constantly try to get yourself in deep trouble? The painter does. Sometimes sad,sometimes very scary this was not my cup of tea.

[Becky]

I just finished an ARC by Amy Bloom called Lucky Us: A Novel , it was OK, not great but good, 3 stars

& I just started A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

[Adore]

i'm reading . really great so far!

[Readnponder]

My pre-ordered copy of arrived yesterday and I immediately started reading it.
Also purchased in e-book form with my class action settlement credit. (Who do I thank for this? The Justice Department?)
Guess the last BOTN episode made an impact on me!

[Mary]

Becky wrote: "I just finished an ARC by Amy Bloom called Lucky Us: A Novel, it was OK, not great but good, 3 stars

& I just started A ..."</i>

<i>Becky wrote: "I just finished an ARC by [author:Amy Bloom called Lucky Us: A Novel, it was OK, not great but good, 3 stars

& I just started [book:A ..."
I really enjoyed A Constellation of Vital Phennomena. I had no idea what was going on in Russia during the 1990's. I loved the writing.

[Laura]

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is mind-blowingly good -- I read the ebook and felt like highlighting most of the book (quite rare for me -- and a sign of great writing.) The sad thing is that with what's going on in Ukraine right now it makes you wonder whether some of the horrors described in this book will be (are) happening again.

[Denise]

I loved The End of Your Life Book Club!
I have been meaning to read Constellation forever. I think I'll start it after a few more India books.

[Sue]

It completely blew my mind, too. I'm still thinking about it. It's in my top three best books of the year (or that I read this year) for sure.

Laura wrote: "A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is mind-blowingly good -- I read the ebook and felt like highlighting most of the book (quite rare for me -- and a sign of great writing.) The sad thing is that w..."

[Gayle]

Just finished "All the light we cannot see". Loved it! This is one of those books that I couldn't wait to get back to reading every night, and was sorry to have finished. Next up -- Museum of Extraordinary things.

[SarahK]

just read The Spinning Heart on Ann's recommendation and really loved it. Now reading The Night Circus - i'm enjoying it but just starting to get a little weary of its lushness (if that makes sense)

[Victoria]

I never know where to post these deals, so I'll just pick here! This kindle book is only $.99 for the next 12 hours - An Essential Deception . I own the print copy but haven't started it yet - now I own the kindle version too. You can also borrow it for free if you have Amazon Prime.

This appears to be really under the radar - 1 review on GR last I checked and only 6 reviews on Amazon. But all are 5 stars. Kirkus Reviews (where I first saw it) called it one of the best mysteries or thrillers of 2013.

Now that I have it on my more convenient Kindle, I may actually start it in May!

[Robert]

I challenged myself to read Wuthering Heights this month. Halfway through May, and I'm only 8 chapters in. Other books have caught my attention more, but I'll try pushing harder with WH to finish my challenge.

[Rhonda]

Loving Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier and Moonheart! Learning a lot from Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church and enjoying Tell the Wolves I'm Home when I need something light.

[Grace]

I am reading Second Glance by Jodi Pocoult amid a book hangover from Nineteen Minutes by the same author, so finding it more difficult to get into this one. But still the excellent writing demonstrative of the author.

[Miggsy]

OK, finished and impulsively bought a used copy of the next book, . Putting it aside to read for later because I'm currently immersed in Stephen King's on my e-reader.

[Dree]

Angie, I ended up giving it 4 stars, mostly for the historical research that went into it. It read like a YA novel to me--which is fine, but I wasn't expecting it, so I was annoyed but tried to get over it and just read :) I would recommend it to high school girls.

Angie wrote: "I'm currently reading for another group here at GR. It started out good, but hasn't gotten to the depth I would have liked. It's too simplistic as well. I shoul..."

[Dree]

I have started My Brilliant Friend (in English). I am still plodding in The Good Soldier, which I am finding very....whiney. I hate the narrator (maybe I am supposed to?). Waiting for something to happen. I am 25% done, and it feels like I have been reading it forever.

[Angie]

Dree wrote about Orphan Train : "It read like a YA novel to me... I would recommend it to high school girls.

Dree, I agree. I think it would make a good read for high school girls. It was the simplicity of the writing when I expected more that dropped my rating to 3 stars.

[Melissa Wiebe]

Currently focusing on and . Am going to start reading and .

[Pam]

Just finished The Martian. Really great debut novel, and fun for those of us who like SciFi and space. Starting on One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories. First few stories are amusing.

[Jen]

Just finished The Fault in Our Stars and I loved it! I'm not sure I'll see the movie in theaters, but the book was pretty good. I'm tempted to pick up some of his other work though I'm not sure where to start. Any suggestions?

Also, The Rosie Project just came in for me at the library so that's next!

[Linda]

Finished A Beautiful Truth on the plane then went to Jane Eyre. And, no, despite one friend telling me I had to, I've never read it before.

[Robin]

Finished The Painter by Pater Heller and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Both get high rating.

[Denise]

I'm reading a galley of WE ARE NOT OURSELVES. It is unbelievably good and will probably be the best debut I'll have read this year. It won't surprise me if it ends up being one of my top favorite books this year.

[Denise]

Jen, I liked Looking For Alaska by John Green, too. Have you read Rainbow Rowell yet? I can't wait to get my hands on her new one.

[Janet]

Denise wrote: "Jen, I liked Looking For Alaska by John Green, too. Have you read Rainbow Rowell yet? I can't wait to get my hands on her new one."

Denise,
Me too. I loved Eleanor and Park. Should I read Fangirl?

[Denise]

Janet, I loved Fangirl!!!

[Sue]

I liked Fangirl a bit better than Eleanor and Park, but thought they were both pretty great. Rebecca Lowman narrated both audiobooks and did a great job.

Janet wrote: "Denise wrote: "Jen, I liked Looking For Alaska by John Green, too. Have you read Rainbow Rowell yet? I can't wait to get my hands on her new one."

Denise,
Me too. I loved Eleanor and Park. Shou..."

[Melissa]

I just started listening to the audio book of Americanah. I am loving it so far.

[Janet]

Listening to the audio of Astonish Me

[Denise]

Astonish Me is so good.

[Sue]

I listened to the audiobook, too. The narrator is fantastic. She also narrated The Thing Around Your Neck, a collection of stories by the same author. Many of the themes and characters from that colleciton found their way into Americanah, but that doesn't make it any less fresh. She's an amazing writer.

Melissa wrote: "I just started listening to the audio book of Americanah. I am loving it so far."

[[deleted user]]

Denise wrote: "I'm reading a galley of WE ARE NOT OURSELVES. It is unbelievably good and will probably be the best debut I'll have read this year. It won't surprise me if it ends up being one of my top favorite ..."

My BEA mission is to GET THIS BOOK (okay, and maybe The Bone Clocks and Belzhar...but this book).

I just started Mrs. Hemingway , which is really beautiful and I'm finally reading The Good Lord Bird , too.

[Sue]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but I'm looking for a recommendation based on some recent reading. I'm halfway through All the Light We Cannot See, which I started immediately after reading Night, (my son was reading it in school and since I'd never read it, I thought I'd follow along.) My daughters are currently reading The Diary of Anne Frank, New Edition. Last week I listened to this month's New Yorker Fiction podcast featuring Joyce Carol Oates reading “The Shawl,” by Cynthia Ozick, a heart-wrenching holocaust story. Finally, I heard a piece on the radio the other day about a new documentary about the Roma who were killed during the holocaust called A People Uncounted.

I find myself needing to know more about how one man could have been responsible for such horror. It boggles the mind. And, it's terrifying in light of all that is going on in Syria, Africa, etc.

So, does anyone have a good Hitler biography to recommend? Is there one that's considered the best, or most accurate? I don't think there's anything that could make me 'understand,' but I feel compelled to know more.

[Bill]

I am reading The Steady Running of the Hour. I have about 75 pages left. From what I have seen, the reviews have been mixed. So far, I enjoy the book. The writing is well done. It seems like the two relationships - Ashley and Imogen, and Tristan and Mireille- are taking very similar paths. In the first relationship, the realities of the world seemed to overtake it, while in the later one they are doing it themselves. We shall see how the ending holds up. Since mountain climbing is a big part of the novel, I am also reading Into Thin Air, by John Krakauer.

[Victoria]

Sue, you may want to check out The History Book Club here on good reads. It is an amazing wealth of information on every conceivable history topic. I'm sure they must have a thread dedicated to Hitler with recommendations.