Fiction- What are you reading? Part 2 Showing 1,251-1,300 of 4,585

[Nancy from NJ]

Leslie - my slump appears to be over for now. I decided to conifers a family saga serial type book. This book is the second title in The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley. So far, so good.

[Leslie]

Glad to hear that Nancy :)

[Leslie]

I am listening to the audiobook of The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Apparently, it is thought that the character of Gloria was based upon Zelda - if so, she wasn't a very nice person!

[LauraT]

At the moment I'm listening - and really enkoying - for teh second time Phineas Finn, while reading Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - quite all right - and Il veleno dell'oleandro - still to decide!

[Nancy from NJ]

I expect to be reading The Storm Sister for some time since it is over 600 pages. But after a major book slump, I am happy to say that I am up to page 150. Hooray

[Kirsten]

I just started reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and am nearly finished listening to The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

[Nancy from NJ]

Good luck with Lonesome Dove. I have tried several times to read this book and never finished it. I might try again.

[Chrissie]

Now I have to try one of Theroux's books of fiction--The Mosquito Coast seems the most appropriate having just completed The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas.

[Chrissie]

I have been very impressed by Paul Theroux non-fiction books. I liked his writing, how he expressed himself. For this reason I wanted to try his fiction too. Well I was disappointed by The Mosquito Coast. So now I have to try another one to see if the last was merely an exception. I have begun The Lower River.

[Diane S ☔]

Will be starting Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

[Angela M]

Me too !

[Nancy from NJ]

Unsheltered by Madge Seinfeld which takes place during WW2

[Leslie]

I am reading England, Their England, a very funny book in which a WW1 Scottish vet, forced to leave home by his father's will, tries to understand the English in order to write a book commissioned by an old comrade in arms who happens to be a publisher. The author had me chuckling on the very first page :)

[Joan]

Chrissie wrote: "I have been very impressed by Paul Theroux non-fiction books. I liked his writing, how he expressed himself. For this reason I wanted to try his fiction too. Well I was disappointed b..."

Mosquito Coast defeated me, too. I ploughed through to the end and promptly forgot everything.

[Joan]

Kirsten wrote: "I just started reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and am nearly finished listening to The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger"

I really enjoyed Time Traveler’s Wife, but no one else in my book club liked it.
I found Her Fearful Symmetry , also by Audrey Niffenegger, very different and not my cup of tea.

[Chrissie]

I have begun another by Saul Bellow--Dangling Man.

[Chrissie]

Joan wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have been very impressed by Paul Theroux non-fiction books. I liked his writing, how he expressed himself. For this reason I wanted to try his fiction too. Well I w..."

I struggled through to the end of The Mosquito Coast too. Terrible. That Theroux can write such great books of non-fiction and then THAT, is mid boggling.

[Chrissie]

I am about to start The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I do not usually read mysteries. Isn't it good I try it? A classic one seems a good place to start, for me at least.

[Diane]

ACOFAS

[Dale]

just started this morning Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford. Been wanting to get this one for while.

[Chrissie]

Heather wrote: "ACOFAS"

What does that mean?

[Chrissie]

Now I am returning to W. Somerset Maugham. I will start The Narrow Corner.

[Pam]

Chrissie - ACOFAS is A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah Maas.

I’m almost done with the Hobbit. Then I have choices to make on want to start next. I have Austerlitz checked out on my Nook but want to start Don Quixote.

[Chrissie]

Pam wrote: "Chrissie - ACOFAS is A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah Maas.

I’m almost done with the Hobbit. Then I have choices to make on want to start next. I have Austerlitz checked out on my Nook but..."

Thanks. Links are appreciated. You gt them by clicking on the "add book/author" button at the top of the box where you write your message.

[Pam]

Chrissie- Most of the time I’m on the App (on my phone) so I can’t link books. If I’m on my computer, I link them. I only get on the computer usually to post for challenges or if I’m working on spreadsheets. I wish they would fix the App so it has more functionality! Truth be told, I should just stay off the App and get some work done. So, I think I will do that today!

[Chrissie]

Pam wrote: "Chrissie- Most of the time I’m on the App (on my phone) so I can’t link books. If I’m on my computer, I link them. I only get on the computer usually to post for challenges or if I’m working on spr..."

OK, now I totally understand. Thanks for explaining.

[Beth]

Yesterday I started Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which is a buddy read in one of my other groups, and a reread for me. I'm enjoying it so far.

[Jess]

I've just finished Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind this after a lot of bugging from my boyfriend (who loved it!).

I think it started off really well but he came across a bit to opinionated at times.

Full review here

I am also halfway through Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch and loving it! Who knew the Apocalypse could be so hilarious!

[Leslie]

Beth wrote: "Yesterday I started Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which is a buddy read in one of my other groups, and a reread for me. I'm enjoying it so far."

Such fun! Personally, I like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy better but they are both hugely enjoyable.

My library hold on Force of Nature has finally come in so I will be starting that tomorrow. I am also reading The Bell Jar which is on lots of "best of" lists - I must say that at ~40% in I am not loving it. However, I am not hating it either so I will continue...

[Marina]

Leslie, The Bell Jar is among my favorites - although admittedly, I read it as a young adult, and I'm not sure I'd appreciate it as much today.

I have abandoned The Mysteries of Udolpho, which is one of the most boring and uninteresting books I've ever read. Now I'm off to something completely different, Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason. I must confess I'm in a major reading slump, after having read more than 4,000 pages in August. So I need to choose my books carefully.

[Chrissie]

I have begun Love and Ruin--historical fiction about Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway's third wife. I have liked several of the other books by the author.

[Pam]

I'm halfway through 2 books - The Hired Man and The Intuitionist but I'm struggling to finish both of them!

I'm sorry to hear negative comments about The Mosquito Coast. I was planning on reading it. Any other suggestions for books set in Honduras?

[Petra]

I have begun The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. What an odd and interesting beginning!

I'm also about halfway through the audio of The World to Come. This is my first book by this author and I'm really enjoying the story & characters.

[Elizabeth A.G.]

Reading an interesting history, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham. Politics back in 1830's just as contentious as now. This book encourages me to begin a personal challenge to read Presidential biographies of all the Presidents! :-)

[Joan]

Good luck Elizabeth- that sounds like an interesting plan - I may copy your idea for my theme reading next year. Do you have a plan for choosing good over weak biographies?

[Nancy from NJ]

Elizabeth - our son in law id doing the very dame thing. He is now reading Truman by David McCullough

[Elizabeth A.G.]

Nancy from NJ wrote: "Elizabeth - our son in law id doing the very dame thing. He is now reading Truman by David McCullough"

That's great, Nancy -- I like David McCullough's writing. Is your son-in-law reading about the presidents in order?

Joan wrote: "Good luck Elizabeth- that sounds like an interesting plan - I may copy your idea for my theme reading next year. Do you have a plan for choosing good over weak biographies?"

Hi, Joan -- I would probably stick with the major authors of history biographies such as Walter Isaacson, David McCullough, Doris Kearns Goodwin, H.B. Brands, Jon Meachum, and Ron Chernow. Would have to check Goodreads, Amazon and Google for others. I'm sure some Presidents are more interesting than others and I found The American Presidents Series edited by Arthur Schlesinger that provides short (about 200 pages each) biographies if you don't want to get bogged down with a long tome of a less than interesting President! I prefer the more thorough biographies that describe the influence a president had on events and the nation. This challenge will have to wait until next year, though, as I have many catch-ups for this year. Happy reading.

[Nancy from NJ]

I don’t think Michael is reading them in order. The book he read before this was Hamilton.

[dely]

About US presidents, my son won a ticket to go to a speech hold by Obama in Amsterdam. He, and other influential people, will talk about leadership. My son is absolutely happy also because the ticket was very very expensive, something we could not afford.

[Chrissie]

Congrats, to your son, dely.

[dely]

Chrissie wrote: "Congrats, to your son, dely."

Thanks! There are so many interesting meetings and events where students can take part. I think such things wouldn't happen in an Italian university. Such things enrich students of political science. He has met also with Jens Stoltenberg, the General Secretary of NATO. But I don't think he can take a pic with Obama as he did with Stoltenberg!

[Diane S ☔]

That is wonderful, Dely. Obama is a very eloquent speaker.

Have started Deviation: A Novel by Luce D'Eramo and News of Our Loved Ones

[Pam]

dely wrote: "About US presidents, my son won a ticket to go to a speech hold by Obama in Amsterdam. He, and other influential people, will talk about leadership. My son is absolutely happy also because the tick..."

That's awesome Dely! Hope he enjoys it and learns something.

I haven't finished the books I've started but another hold came in so I'm also reading Spaceman of Bohemia by Czech author Jaroslav Kalfar. So far, it's good! I'm not sure how I feel about the giant spider in the story, though, since I hate spiders!

[Pam]

Petra wrote: "I'm also about halfway through the audio of The World to Come. This is my first book by this author..."

I have a book by that same author Dara Horn - All Other Nights. I haven't read any of her books either. They all seem to have a Jewish history focus. I'll be curious to hear how you like the book!

[Norton]

You might enjoy Garfield by Candice Millard

[Pam]

Norton wrote: "You might enjoy Garfield by Candice Millard"

I assume this is the book about Garfield that you are referring to - Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. It sounds good!

[Nancy from NJ]

Dara Horn lives near me and I’ve heard her speak. Yes she is one of several Jewish authors who write about Jewish experiences and values. Some of the others are Rachel Kaminsky, Rachel Kadish. Dani Shapiro, Dorit Rabinyan and the Queen of them all, Cynthia Ozick.

[Pam]

Thanks Nancy for the info about Dara Horn! That’s really interesting. I keep seeing her book on my book shelf and think I’m going to read it one of these days. It’s an unusual time frame/ experience for me to read about, which means I should probably read it!

[Petra]

Pam, I'm really enjoying The World to Come. The Jewish folktales are wonderful. I really like the story of babies waiting to be born.
The story is really rich and deep. There's a painting, a multitude of people connected to a painting and some written stories, starting of course with the artist & author. It appears to be a story of how these items survive and the choices made by the people that help these items survive. I haven't figured it out yet but it seems to be about choices.
The telling is really rich. I'm enjoying the listening experience.

[Pam]

Sounds really interesting Petra! Thanks for sharing.