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What Are You Reading? - 2018
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Sandra, Moderator
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Apr 19, 2018 10:50AM
I agree, Margo. I am fine with trilogies, but if the series are longer, I start feeling lazy.
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True. Except I hate when you get a trilogy that could have been one or two books and they stretch it out to fulfill that trilogy. I think authors just over write to make money. I'd like to see an increase in stand alones to be honest
Pragya wrote: "Ah, it seems like a lot of us are together in our reading slump. For me, it's perhaps because I can't find something as good as The Mayor of Casterbridge which I recently finished.I ..."
Thanks Pragya and Lisa for good thoughts and good advise :-)
I think the root of my problem is an unprecedented amount of 5 star reads already this year. That's a lot for a book to live up to!
I think I will indeed have a netflix binge tonight and over the weekend. Also, I seem to be getting on well with Blue Monday - it's a quick read and it's fun (view spoiler)!
Travis sivarT wrote: "True. Except I hate when you get a trilogy that could have been one or two books and they stretch it out to fulfill that trilogy. I think authors just over write to make money. I'd like to see an i..."You are dead right Travis both about over writing and lack of good stand-alones.
I have begun to read Snow Crash; it was a rough start. This one promises to be a hard-to-read book, just like Neuromancer, I'm afraid
There is a buddy read for Snow Crash somewhere, Mariab. It might help you get through it. I gave up on it myself.
I hope Scourged has a good ending though.I've picked up The Daylight Gate for the ZZ for book between 1400-1800 as it's set in 1612. I've read two chapters and it super creepy feeling!
Just finished and enjoyed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2292398963
Rusalka wrote: "I hope Scourged has a good ending though.I've picked up The Daylight Gate for the ZZ for book between 1400-1800 as it's set in 1612. I've read two chapters and it super creepy fee..."
That sounds interesting Rus. I just requested it from my library ☺
I finally finished The First Man in Rome. Here is my short review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have put Caligula to one side for now. I enjoyed the opening chapters but I feel like I have over-indulged in books set in Ancient Rome recently and I'm in the mood for something completely different. With that in mind, I am going to read Call Me by Your Name instead. I've been interested in watching the film since it got nominated for several Oscars and I want to read the book first. I can also use it for the Zodiac challenge.
I seem to keep starting books and putting them aside for various reasons lately, then going back to finish them at different times. I think it's interfering with my enjoyment of reading them, so I'm going to try to get better about it. I finished Baby Teeth, so one down! I am going to start The Broken Girls next.
Apparently, my finishing books issue is focused on audios right now. I have 3 audios currently going (or on hold) at the moment:
We Were the Lucky Ones
The Whispering Room
Dragon Teeth
Pretty sure it happened something like this...started The Whispering Room for the zodiac challenge, then put it aside to read We Were the Lucky Ones for last month's challenge & monthly theme (which I didn't finish on time), then Dragon Teeth came in from the library (also for the zodiac) and I decided I should get to that first before it was due back. There were other audios mixed in there too, such as Frankenstein for the monthly read. It's starting to feel a little ADD around here. I'm going to try to not start any new audios until I finish these three.
Anyone else go through phases where you bounce around from book to book? I sometimes do this when I'm in a reading slump too and I just can't engage in a book.
That exactly was happening to me a couple of months ago, Kristie. That's why I've been sticking to only one book lately. I know at some point I will be reading more than one at a time, but right now I can't handle more, and this is working. Like you at some point for different reasons I had a bunch of books going on at the same time. When it became a burden I had to decide which books were going back to the TBR for the time being, and which ones I would finish. I then decided in which order I would read the ones I was going to finish. One at a time, not all at the same time. When I manage to finish, I tried to keep only one book going. It has to do with the little time I am having to read right now. That means that I don't touch a book for days if I have more than one going, and this definitively affects his much I get involved in the story. I am sure I'll be back to the bad habit when I have more time. :)
I think we all have spring fever. I finished One Fell Sweep. I think it was just what I needed to give me a boost. It was a bonus to discover it was set entirely in December (a couple of days before Christmas to New Years Eve), so it worked for my Zodiac challenge.
The other bonus was that I killed the series. I don't know if there will be more books in the series, but it's set up for continuance, so here's hoping. There is a 3.5 book being published for free on the authors' website, but it is being published in installments. It will be published as a full book once they've completed the online novelization. Sweep of the Blade
Back to The Dwarves.
I've decided that The Boy on the Bridge is a bit of a snoozefest, but I shall persevere with the audiobook.
Maybe that's partly it for me too, Sandra. I do have less time to read right now. So, where I'd normally have the time to finish a book before starting something else, I'm just not doing that lately. I have been pretty good about getting back to them and finishing them at least. This happened to me once before and I started a shelf for the "on hold" books to get them off my currently reading shelf and they've just been sitting there. I think once I catch up these books, I may slowly make my way through that shelf too and either read the books or move them to my tbr to start over later or mark them as dnf, if I find that I'm no longer interested.
Janice wrote: "I've decided that The Boy on the Bridge is a bit of a snoozefest, but I shall persevere with the audiobook."Good job not following my lead, Janice. lol I was in the minority and didn't care for the first book, so I have no interest in reading the second.
It's definitely not as good as the first book. I've noticed that others have made that comment in their reviews, so I'm not alone.
I finished Scourged. I enjoyed it white a lot. As much as I been wanting the series to end it's still a bitter Sweet feeling. I switched genres a lot and began The Kite Runner
I was glad to see that Scourged was the final book in the series too, Travis, and was ready for the series to end, but I've been procrastinating starting it.
Kristie wrote: "I was glad to see that Scourged was the final book in the series too, Travis, and was ready for the series to end, but I've been procrastinating starting it."You and me both!
Janice wrote: "I think we all have spring fever. I finished One Fell Sweep. I think it was just what I needed to give me a boost. It was a bonus to discover it was set entirely in December (a co..."
i am sorry to hear you aren't enjoying The Boy on the Bridge janice - i am very sorry seeing as i just collected my copy from the library lol
kristie, you have my complete sympathy. i was like that this week - couldn't settle on anything. finally picked up Blue Monday which if light enough to suite for an hour before bed. that, plus loads of netflix is how i plan to get though the phase!
I started Firestarter as it's been really sunny here and it was hurting my eyes using my kindle to read Altered Carbon outside. Firestarter is a real book so no reflection. I'm really enjoying it. I think it will help me out of my slump. I think Altered Carbon was the problem. I will still keep reading it though.
Just finished reading The Handgun Guide for Women: Shoot Straight, Shoot Safe, and Carry with Confidence by Tara Dixon Engel. I thought this was a very interesting book.... Link to my review for "The Handgun Guide for Women
JuliaOrlando wrote: "Just finished reading The Handgun Guide for Women: Shoot Straight, Shoot Safe, and Carry with Confidence by Tara Dixon Engel. I thought this was a very interesting..."I'd get this for my wife but somehow through the process of getting her pistol permit she has become the handgun expert. I've got her on the rifles and shotguns but she can give me a pistol schooling for sure. What's funny is her brother is a marine and he takes his wife shooting all the time and now his wife out shoots him as well
Janice wrote: "There is a buddy read for Snow Crash somewhere, Mariab. It might help you get through it. I gave up on it myself."Thanks, Janice, I'll definitely check it
Lisa wrote: "I've been interested in watching the film since it got nominated for several Oscars and I want to read the book first. ..."I was interested too... sadly is out of theaters now
Margo wrote: "i am sorry to hear you aren't enjoying The Boy on the Bridge janice - i am very sorry seeing as i just collected my copy from the library lol"It's getting better, Margo. There's a lot of explanatory meandering at first. I'm starting to get a feel for the characters so am enjoying it more.
Mariab wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I've been interested in watching the film since it got nominated for several Oscars and I want to read the book first. ..."I was interested too... sadly is out of theaters now"
It's gone from the cinema here too. It is out on DVD though so I might buy it if I like the book.
Margo wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "That sounds interesting Rus. I just requested it from my library ☺ "I haven't gotten much reading done this weekend due to life things, but this book ramped up from 10 when I wrote the above, to 100 in the space of 2 pages. Trigger warnings on this one. I mean, it was 1600 and something, life was not nice. And particularly not for a woman thought to be a witch. But jeez
I have read about some of the things that were done to people suspected of witch craft - I'd say 99% were women! I have ordered this one from the library - if it is vicarious cringe, I won't read it but if I feel I can learn something from it, I will stick with it. Warning much appreciated - I hate to stumble upon that sort of thing ;-)
Margo wrote: "I have read about some of the things that were done to people suspected of witch craft - I'd say 99% were women! I have ordered this one from the library - if it is vicarious cringe, I won't read..."
There is a very interesting book based only in documents (trials and such) -Danish I recall- with a theory about the witch hunting, and its associations with birth control issues.
I think it is this one:
Die Vernichtung Der Weisen Frauen: Beiträge Zur Theorie Und Geschichte Von Bevölkerung Und Kindheit
Travis sivarT wrote: "I finished Scourged. I enjoyed it white a lot. As much as I been wanting the series to end it's still a bitter Sweet feeling. I switched genres a lot and began The Kite Runner"
Whew - I'm glad to hear that you liked it after all, Travis. I am still hugging it to my chest, unopened. I hate things that I have really liked come to an end. I listened to a few of the short stories books to get myself prepared.
I started Year of Wonders for the zodiac challenge. I'll also use it for the group theme read if I finish in time.
Mariab wrote: "Margo wrote: "I have read about some of the things that were done to people suspected of witch craft - I'd say 99% were women! I have ordered this one from the library - if it is vicarious cringe..."
I am ashamed to admit that I only speak speak english with a smattering of irish and french. I admire all the multi language fluent people on GR !
Margo wrote: "I have read about some of the things that were done to people suspected of witch craft - I'd say 99% were women! I have ordered this one from the library - if it is vicarious cringe, I won't read..."
It's gotten better, and it wasn't badly handled, just a bit full on in the first 10 pages. I nearly missed the major bus interchange today as I was reading it so intently. I got annoyed at all the people moving, and then realised I needed to get off too otherwise I would have ended up in god knows where (Tuggeranong... it's a dark place).
Will let you know when I finish it.
Mariab wrote: "There is a very interesting book based only in documents (trials and such) -Danish I recall- with a theory about the witch hunting, and its associations with birth control issues."I still think this is the main thing with witches. It's a control thing. A woman showed she had intelligence, knowledge, resourcefulness, midwifery skills, ability to use herbs to control her body or help others, wit, slight abnormality, anything that meant she wasn't predictable or controllable, it was easier to brand and sometimes kill her as a witch.
Message for thousands of years, ladies, is to conform to gender stereotypes or be burnt at the stake. Now it's figuratively with social media, or the internet, or revenge porn, or whatever more than literally, but god it's still bloody depressing.
I started listening to Tiger Lily - just because. I thought I did not care about the story and the voice of the young narrator, but it has gotten more interesting, now that the boy, Pan has entered the scene. Tiger Lily's backstory and village life is just a little too strange.
Margo wrote: "Mariab wrote: "Margo wrote: "I have read about some of the things that were done to people suspected of witch craft - I'd say 99% were women! I have ordered this one from the library - if it is v..."
Sorry, I didn't wanted to make you feel bad about it... I have posted the link of the book only as info, in the hope it could be useful to find the English version
Rusalka wrote: "Mariab wrote: "There is a very interesting book based only in documents (trials and such) -Danish I recall- with a theory about the witch hunting, and its associations with birth control issues."..."
Yep. But this book shows the charges that were used for the trials (the official documents) and there, the the most recurrent crimes were those against births (birthcontrol, impotence, infertility, etc.)
The book contains also a theory about how the political class has its own rason (non religious) for the persecution, namely, to produce massive births to feed the military machinery
Mariab wrote: "The book contains also a theory about how the political class has its own rason (non religious) for the persecution, namely, to produce massive births to feed the military machinery "Oh... That's something I hadn't considered before... wow...
Just started reading A Requiem For Dead Flies... a creepy horror of course, with a title like that. Anyway, I've just finished chapter 1 and all the horror motifs are ready and waiting. Can't wait to see how things develop.I'd like to include it in the zodiac challenge. It's set on a farm, so fingers crossed that the protagonist drives a pickup (please please please!)
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, Annerlee!
If there's no pickup he's no farmer lol. I have known several who didn't own trucks but it always makes life more difficult
Annerlee wrote: "Just started reading A Requiem For Dead Flies... a creepy horror of course, with a title like that. Anyway, I've just finished chapter 1 and all the horror motifs are ready and wait..."Is this not black enough, or blue enough?
Is there a lake, pond or river near?
Is the grandmother not over 60?
There are many alternatives!
Mariab wrote: "Margo wrote: "Mariab wrote: "Margo wrote: "I have read about some of the things that were done to people suspected of witch craft - I'd say 99% were women! I have ordered this one from the librar..."
No worries Maria - I was thinking how lazy my language skills are ;-)
I finished An April Shroud. 2.5 to 3 star read - as I expected.I started listening to Half Bad and am already hooked! It is a very engaging story and cleverly written. So far it is not the usual YA read - not my favorite genre in the general run of things! It is darkly magical and look forward to seeing how the tale unravels.
I finished yesterday The Good People which I rated 3-3.5 stars. I think Kent's writing is beautiful, but the story was too long, it dragged, and it was repetitive at times. It fitted both the medical theme for the month and the illness task in the ZZ Challenge.I was trying to decide if I would read Year of Wonders or Alias Grace now. I decided that YoW was probably too similar to the one I just finished so I won't read it in a row, but later. I read a few pages of AG this morning, and although I liked what I read, I think I will go with something lighter and faster before it. So I will start Here on Earth today. Not sure what to expect really. It fits the "earth" in the title task in the ZZ Challenge, which is good because I still don't have any Capricorn book read. (I have 3 Taurus!)
There are some similarities between TGP and YoW I think Sandra. YoW also reminds be a bit of The Essex Serpent.
That was my guess. I still want to read it. I love Geraldine Brooks writing.
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