What have you recently finished and loved

[Athira]

I just finished Icy Sparks and am having mixed feelings about this book. While I found it poignant and touching, I didn't like the writing style. I am not sure if its a general Southern style of writing, but I'll not generalize it for now. Otherwise, it was a different type of read. Pretty interesting, but I must admit I skimmed through the last 100 pages, because the type of writing was wearing me out. That was pretty much the same I did with In Cold Blood (which was also a good book, but boring writing).

[Denise]

Just finished Voyager. I can't believe the amount of trouble two people can get in to. Claire and Jamie should be nice to everyone they meet because they will for sure meet them again.

[Shelli]

Aths wrote: "I just finished Icy Sparks and am having mixed feelings about this book. While I found it poignant and touching, I didn't like the writing style. I am not sure if its a general Southern..."

I read it years ago...but what you are saying rings true...something about it bugged me...I did really like In Cold Blood though!

[Shelli]

Denise wrote: "Just finished Voyager. I can't believe the amount of trouble two people can get in to. Claire and Jamie should be nice to everyone they meet because they will for sure meet them again."

You might need to travel back to let them know! Even when they are nice to people...doesn't always work out...you'll see! Again...I would not have wanted to live back then!!!

[Athira]

Shelli wrote: "Aths wrote: "I just finished Icy Sparks and am having mixed feelings about this book. While I found it poignant and touching, I didn't like the writing style. I am not sure if its a gen..."

Oh yeah, I loved in Cold Blood a lot, even more than Icy Sparks. Except for the writing style, I thought In Cold Blood was brilliant. That's supposed to be the journalistic non-fiction style of writing.

[Athira]

I just finished Twenties Girl A Novel and absolutely recommend it! It was a brilliant book. I really loved her humor and enjoyed the book a lot! It also happens to be my first Kinsella, so I can't yet compare it with any other. But it is a very entertaining!

[Shelli]

I just finished The Hunger Games...It was excellent!!

[Catamorandi]

I just finished Get Real, a Dortmunder novel, by Donald E Westlake. It was extremely funny as are all of the Dortmunder mysteries.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Mr Macgreggor by Alan Titchmarsh

[Stuart]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

[Shelli]

Stuart wrote: "American Gods by Neil Gaiman."

Mine too...Stuart?

[Stuart]

Jo and Shelli it is one of those books that is as good as the hype. So many people raved about it I was dreading to find the emperor's new clothes, but no it really is good.

[Shelli]

Stuart wrote: "Jo and Shelli it is one of those books that is as good as the hype. So many people raved about it I was dreading to find the emperor's new clothes, but no it really is good."

Ok thanks!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I have just listened to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and boy was it brilliant - can't wait for the next one!

[Shelli]

I also just finished Catching Fire...loved it!

[Craig]

Await Your Reply: A Novel by Dan Chaon

[Athira]

I just finished Twisted and found it brilliant. It's been long since I read a really good suspense thriller. Jeffery Archer used to do that to me but once I read so many of his books, they started getting predictive. Most of the time, I hated it when an author exploits coincidence or unpredictably too much, that even the unpredictable becomes predictable. I didn't find either element harassed here and I am truly glad it was great reading the 376 pages.

[Jim]

I just finished The Masters of Solitude & started on the next book, Wintermind. Then I found out it is second in a trilogy & he never wrote the third book.

"Masters" has long been a favorite (1978) & ends well. I was excited to find another, but am hoping this one ends as well as the first. Really imaginative, excellent story.

[Shelli]

~♡кαтιє♡~ wrote: "finished Catching Fire today and i must say it was A.MA.ZING i loved it cant wait for te last one"

Me too!

[Shelli]

I finished Drums of Autumn today...#4 in Outlander...it was good...but not my favorite!

[Jim]

I just finished The Masters of Solitude & its sequel, Wintermind. Kaye & Godwin wrote these back in the late 70's, early 80's & a third book was planned, but Kaye says no publisher is interested after all this time. It's a shame. 'Masters' has long been a favorite (I got it when it first came out) & I just read 'Wintermind' for the first time, not knowing about it until recently.

They're SF adventure in a post apocalyptic world. A very interesting take on the subject. Not very likely, but world is crafted to explore a piece of humanity & works well. The hints of what happened to our world make it even more interesting for what they don't say.

Really good writers & a fantastic couple of books. They stand pretty well alone, but a third book would have been fantastic.

[Jessica~CoinOperatedJoy]

I just finished Posession. It was really quite good...even better the second time around.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I just finished listening to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - my download from Audible this month! Now listening to The book Thief again as I love the reader!

[Lavinia]

Recently finished some Tony O'Neill. Anybody check out his books and/or poetry? Edgy stuff, but pretty darn cool because he bases his stuff off his life as an addict and musician.

Soon I'll probably start on that Time Traveler's Wife book. I hear it's got some punk background in it? That's pretty badass!!

[Lavinia]

I'm currently reading some of the Casperian Books publisher authors, but once I finish those I will start the Time Traveler's Wife. Perhaps you and I can discuss it Jo, since I missed the Book Lovers' discussion when you guys read it earlier on.

[[deleted user]]

I just finished Blood Promise last night and loved it. There was a part in the book where it was totally mimicking Ink Exchange (which I didn't care for), but it got much better after that and I think the way the author used these obstacles to create a better story (instead of just making in the entire story like with Ink Exchange) helped in the overall appeal. I really liked that things didn't happen exactly as I had expected them to. I also like that, although there is obviously going to be another book, this one had it's own closure. I don't like it when an author ends the book abruptly just because they know there is going to be another one in the series... I mean hello, they are each their own book!!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long on audio, loved it!

[Jessica~CoinOperatedJoy]

Linda Grace wrote: "I just finished Blood Promise last night and loved it. There was a part in the book where it was totally mimicking Ink Exchange (which I didn't care for), but it got ..."

Whoa! I was going to purchase Blood Promise on my next visit to my bookstore! But I love Ink Exchange and it makes me feel a little turned off that the writer ripped off something from Ink Exchange as it's one of my fav books! Even though you seem to have liked it do you still recommend it? Or is this something I should just wait to purchase second hand?

I agree with you. I don't like it when writer finish each book with a cliff hanger. I like it when they end like the Harry Potters. Yes, there was more to the story but each book had a nice finish that made you feel that it was a complete story. Does that make sense? There are a lot of books that read like a soap opera where nothing is really resolved...just more questions and more added plot lines. This frustrates me to no end!

[[deleted user]]

I would still recommend it. I loved the story and how it all played out. I'm very glad I read it. I want to purchase the entire series, but haven't gotten around to it yet. The part I was speaking about was probably about 50 pages out of 500. I'm assuming you have read the other books in the series, and if so you should definitely read it.

[Jessica~CoinOperatedJoy]

Oh! Okay, great! I will purchase it! Yes, I have read all of Melissa Marr's books so perhaps I will like Blood Promise as well. Thanks for the tip!

[[deleted user]]

Sure. :) Let me know what you think after you finish it.

[Jessica~CoinOperatedJoy]

Linda Grace wrote: "Sure. :) Let me know what you think after you finish it."

Thanks! I will! :)

[Dean]

I just finished REAL Ultimate Power: The Official Ninja Book. It was great, I laughed on just about every page and I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good and funny light read.

[Shelli]

The Gargoyle....I loved it.

[[deleted user]]

Catching Fire!!! It was so good! I'm so intrigued by the direction this series is taking! :)

[Kathryn]

Some recent 5 star reads for me have been Pretty When She Dies A Vampire Novel, Ariel, and An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.

[Jim]

Ambrose Bierce is a wonderful author, isn't he? I have several of his books. One even has an SF story in it. Well, it's a horror story with an alien in it. I love his The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary. He has very biting wit.

[Lavinia]

ooooh, give me a quick blurb on the Pretty When She Dies A Vampire. that sounds mucho mucho interesting.

[Fiona (Titch)]

Just finished the delightful The Armada Boy - Kate Ellis.

[Lavinia]

Hey Jo, read Christopher Moore's Lamb?

Hard to get some parts if one's not religious, but plenty funny without getting all the references.

[Lavinia]

and I'll have to try out a Dirty Job : )

[Jim]

I liked "A Dirty Job". It was fun & weird. I think if you live in San Francisco, or knew the town really well, it might be even better.

[Lavinia]

then I will definitely have to check the book out Jim.

: )

[Jerrod]

finished and really liked this weekend... Through A Glass Darkly. I plan on picking up his second book as well, The Absence

[Sadie]

I just finished "My Cousin Rachel" over the weekend. It was good, but not as good as "Rebecca"

[Fiona (Titch)]

Just finished the audio of American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld.

[Jim]

I finished To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts on Sunday. I got 3 whole hours undisturbed & didn't stir as I finished the last 200 pages or so. Wow! It was non-stop action, one of those books I hated to put down.

It's a sword & sorcery fantasy with excellent politics & geography. The horses are really well done. It's nice to read an author who knows horses. They're so important in this kind of novel, but most writers have never been closer to them than a re-run of 'Black Beauty'. I get so tired of idiots writing them in as if they're cars with hooves.

[DJ]

Gotta say Audrey Niffeneggers new one "Her Fearful Symmetry"really grabbed my imagination!
And I was a bit concerned going into it in case it was a let down after "The Time Travellers Wife"!

[Jim]

I just found an interview posted today with Janny Wurts.
http://www.keepingthedoor.com/2009/10...

[Dean]

I just finished Dracula, great book. Now I just have to decide what to read next >_<