What are you reading?

[Robin]

Lara wrote: "I finished Gone Girl today! It was so good that I neglected the boxes stacked around me and read, instead. The author's construction of the different voices was particularly well done."

I loved that book and the movie should be out soon. I have trouble picturing Ben Affleck as the husband though.

[Robin]

Mrs.T wrote: "Finished Angela's Ashes. Now I'm reading White Oleander. It's a bit faster paced. It's another sad one though. After this I must read something funny!"

You MUST read The Rosie Project!

[Robin]

If I could, I would buy every woman I know a copy of The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Funny, sweet, rings true, leaves you HAPPY!

[Robin]

Marcus wrote: "I have been reading "Not in time" by Shawna Seed (Gaye Coburn's sister) I have stopped reading it because I want to take it with me to China on my students trip. I want to find a nice scenic view o..."

Hey Marcus! Happy summer to you! After you have read it, please remember that Faithiest is a book I want back. LOL

[Kelly]

I just finished Artful by David Peter. This is the second book I've read in the last year about the Artful Dodger from Dicken's Oliver Twist. I thoroughly enjoyed Dodger, a young adult novel by Terry Prachett, which combined elements of fantasy with this engaging character and seemed fully engaged in the Victorian world. Artful was also interesting, and also included fantasy, this time in the form of vampyres. David Peter's Artful sounds like Dickens--long, convoluted sentences, descriptive chapter titles, lots and lots of details, chapters with cliff hanger endings, all mimic and satirize Dicken's style. Great fun!

[Kelly]

I'm still craving mysteries, so instead of reading one of the book club books or one of the YA on my list, I decided to go with Cuckoo's Calling. I keep reading good things about JK Rowling's (as Robert Galbraith) newest mystery, so I thought I'd try the first. Starts out with nicely introduced characters.

[Mrs.T]

I enjoyed Bernadette quite a bit! I'm reading Gone Girl now. I too am struggling got get into it . . .

[Kathy]

Finished Purple Hibiscus which was very good if a little hard/sad. It is a story of a young Nigerian girl growing up in a prominent family with misguided, abusive father.

[Kathy]

But now reading Lost in Time by Shawna Seed, Gaye's sister. I am really into it...it gets going and I can't put it down!

[Kelly]

JK Rowling showed that she can write more than teen fantasy with The Cuckoo's Calling. The characters were interesting, and the mystery kept me turning the (digital) pages!

[Krystal]

I am only reading to Kya these days. LOL

[Kathy]

Hanging out with my dog, reading a thriller about a family held captive in an abandoned prison. Total fluff! Loving it!

[Kelly]

Just finished Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen. I loved the riding and horse aspect, but, boy, was the main character irritating! Not my favorite by Gruen. Now I think I'm going to start a few at once (not my typical MO)--Dubliners--100 years old this summer!; The Fellowship of the Rings--craving a little Tolkien; and. Moving Day, a thriller I got cheap on the advice of the Fussy Librarian. Oh, and I need to start Teach Like a Champion.

[Kelly]

Code Name Verity--a young adult historical fiction that I really enjoyed, and I think some kids will as well. Two intrepid young ladies caught up in flying and espionage during WWII. It keeps the reader on her feet, with clues to what's really going on, but the intricacy doesn't become apparent until very near the end. All this along with great historical details about the many ways that women were integral to the war effort in GB.

[Robin]

Just finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.
I adored this book! I need to buy a copy for every true book addict I know. This is obviously a must-read for every book club. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
From amazon: A New York Times Bestseller, a #1 Indie Next Pick, and a #1 LibraryReads Selection
“This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love--love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory.”

[Mrs.T]

I just Finished Good Grief. I enjoyed it overall, especially the second half. I just started a book I got at AP Lang training called A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story. The descriptions are beautiful. So important to remember what these places were like pre-extremist Muslim rule.

[Robin]

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, bu Gabrielle Zevin.
I adored this book! I need to buy a copy for ever true book addict I know.
This is obviously a must-read for every book club. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

[Kathy]

Finished our book club book, This Is Where I Leave You, which was sad and funny, good but not great. It should make a pretty good movie, though. Also reading a book about maps and The Outsiders since we are going to teach it this fall.

[Kelly]

Recently, I read and commented on Code Name Verity, YA historical fiction. Today we saw an exhibit at the science museum in Seattle called Spy: The Secret World of Espionage (which was excellent & informative), and was interested to see how much of the book matched up with the exhibit. Now I am even more enamored with this book, and can't wait to see if kids will also like it!

[Robin]

Just finished Sorta Like a Rock Start by Matthew Quick. If I were still working in the library, I would order tn copies of this book and then sit back and watch it be devoured. Such a great story about such a great kid and an the kind of ending that makes you stand up and cheer. Yeah, it's that good.

[Sam Morris]

I am currently reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. Today, I was allowed the opportunity to actually have a quiet area to read whilst waiting for a doctor, and I was surprised at how the story immediately puts the action right in front of the reader. I can already tell that this will be a very detailed and dark story with a charming side to it that will keep me hooked to the end.

[Becky]

Almost done with The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness. It's the third book in "The All Souls Trilogy". I really like it. Historical fiction meets Twilight written for adults. I'm probably not selling it properly, but I recommend it.

[Kelly]

Oh, Becky, I finished The Book of Life right before we went back to school--thank goodness, because I would have been up all night reading it even if my alarm said 5:30. I, too, really enjoyed the entire trilogy

[Kelly]

Finished The Lord of the Rings yesterday. Again. If my pile of books to read wasn't so high, I might just start over again :)

[Brooke]

Just finished Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and was challenged by his vivid analogies to think about elements of faith in a new way. His analogies are intriguing coming from an atheist background turned Christian after lots of talks with a close friend, J. R. Tolkien. His book is based off of radio talks Lewis was asked to do during WWII. Love knowing the historical background & seeing it influence some of his thoughts.