What Are You Reading? - 2018 Showing 1,401-1,450 of 2,032

[Samantha]

I'm nearly finished reading The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. It's an interesting setting and idea but my god, there is a lot of technical infor-dumping going on! It's taking me longer to finish than usual because I have to keep rereading paragraphs to make sure I understood all the techno-babble going on.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Welcome to YLTO, Samantha!

[Sandra, Moderator]

I just finished 22 Britannia Road for the monthly read and gave it 3 stars.
I am starting now A Good Marriage, which I checked out for the monthly challenge but doesn't work because of the page count. I am so tempted to read it that I will read it anyway and right now. :) It includes two novellas by Stephen King: "A good marriage" and "1922".

[Margo]

Janice wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Did you finish Follow You Home? Not my favorite genre, but I listened to this audiobook. (AmyK bought it and I had nothing else to listen to.) I knew the narrator fro..."

Ouch - I won't be reading The Children's Hour any time soon LOL

[Margo]

I was starting to get a bit stressed about level 3 of the annual challenge so I think I call it a day on level 2. I know it's a bit early to fold but I am a planner at heart and will drive myself crazy trying to fit them in which really defeats the purpose of Janices wonderful challenge! I am already looking forward to next years - no pressure there Janice he he

I am really enjoying the fantasy buddy reads and they are such long reads that it can be hard to other books around them!

My current read is The Burning Chambers - another chunkster! The first 25% was very heavy on the history and that made it a bit of a slog. Just when I was thinking of calling it a day the plot picked up and now I am pretty well hooked!

[Margo]

Samantha wrote: "I'm nearly finished reading The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. It's an interesting setting and idea but my god, there is a lot of technical infor-dumping going o..."

Hi Samantha! I sympathise with you on info-dumping in books. That was what was happening with The Burning Chambers. A summary of complex european history in 100 pages EEK!!!

[Kristie, Moderator]

I finished The Forbidden Door (great series), which killed off the series (again), and am planning to start Lethal White for our buddy read today.

[Janice, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "I was starting to get a bit stressed about level 3 of the annual challenge so I think I call it a day on level 2. I know it's a bit early to fold but I am a planner at heart and will drive myself c..."

When I started planning my October reads, I realized that it's highly unlikely that I will read 18 books to finish off Badge 3. But, I think I will try to read as many as I can because they will end up on my leftover stew challenge in 2019. Sheesh, I still haven't finished the geocache challenge from 2016. LOL!

I'm working on the 2019 challenge and having lots of fun with it. I stayed up quite late working on it last night. There are going to be a lot more than 81 tasks!

[Kristie, Moderator]

I’m hoping to at least complete badge 2 this year. I should be able to do it. I have four left and three of them planned.

That’s a lot of tasks! Can’t wait to see it.

[Lilisa]

I'm aiming to complete Badge 2. Every time I count I have a different number of books left to read - lol - but I think it's 7-1/2 books to go. P

[Dem]

Finished The Lost Daughter also known as The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/365027520

[Dem]

Finished The Lost Daughter also known as The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/365027520

[Roz]

I have 20 to go to finish Badge 3. That would mean almost 7 a month. I'm starting one now and have a few on my kindle that I own, but I realize I won't make it. Just add them to my leftovers. I'm with you, Janice. I still have a pile to read from the 2016 and 2017 challenges, and the series challenge too (wasn't that 2015). I could probably go back to the Rainbow challenge too if I wanted to.

[siriusedward]

Lethal White
A Death in Norfolk
The Iliad

[siriusedward]

Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "I was starting to get a bit stressed about level 3 of the annual challenge so I think I call it a day on level 2. I know it's a bit early to fold but I am a planner at heart and will ..."

Aha
* rubbing my hands
Great news ,Janice.
And good luck.

[Renee]

Clock Dance I love Anne Tyler. This book main char is so like my mother that I almost cried. It was like having her back for a visit.

[Margo]

Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "I was starting to get a bit stressed about level 3 of the annual challenge so I think I call it a day on level 2. I know it's a bit early to fold but I am a planner at heart and will ..."

Oh roll on 2019! I can hardly wait to see what you have in store for us :-D

My approach to challenges will be more lax next year. The YLTO challenge is enough for me. I have been gradually easing out of other groups I am involved in. I get too caught up and I want to read every book I see. The fun is in the gophering- I don't need to read 'em all!

Your left over stew is interesting but it is not for me. For me once the time limit has passed then that ship has sailed! Books get put back on the shelves they came from to be read in no particular order :-)

[Margo]

Did I mention that I am reading Lethal White? Think I get sidetracked from the purpose of this thread hehe

[Janice, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "Your left over stew is interesting but it is not for me. For me once the time limit has passed then that ship has sailed! Books get put back on the shelves they came from to be read in no particular order :-) "

I really need to rethink it for next year and drop the Geocache and About You left overs from it. Most of the left overs are for books I don't own anyway.

[Cherie]

I finished The Natural and Different Class, both for ZZ movie actors tasks. I really liked the Joanne Harris book, but the baseball book was not the same as the movie, which I love.

I am starting Lincoln in the Bardo and Birds Without Wings next - both for my ZZ challenge. I will be on vacation next week, so I don't know how much reading I will get done.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Follow You Home. I was a little disappointed in it. The ending was... well... pffft. It started with such promise.

I'll start The Border on audiobook tomorrow.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Lincoln in the Bardo is wonderful, Cherie. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Cherie]

Sandra - I can't say that I thrilled with it, really. I finished 98 pages tonight. I don't think I have read this author before. I will keep on.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Not a book for everyone's taste, I agree. We read it for my book club, and the opinions were all over the place.
It is also the first book I read by this author, but as far as I know this book is very different from the others. I actually think he mostly writes short stories. I think. I might be remembering it wrong.

[Jess]

I was lucky enough to pick Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch off my friend's bookshelf when I was stuck at her house with no phone access (long story). I am so glad that I did.

I am already a Gaiman fan but this has given me the kick to read some Pratchett.

I kept laughing out loud whilst my boyfriend, who has read a lot of Discworld, was shaking his head and muttering 'typical Pratchett'. Loved it!

I'm now making a start on The Phantom of the Opera

[Dem]

Finished and really enjoyed Then She Was Gone byLisa Jewell

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2538443780

[Margo]

Jess wrote: "I was lucky enough to pick Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch off my friend's bookshelf when I was stuck at her house with no phone access (long story)..."

I am part of the tiny minority that didn't love Agnnes Nutter. I love both authors on their own but together..... that just didn't seem to work for me.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Jess wrote: "I was lucky enough to pick Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch off my friend's bookshelf when I was stuck at her house with no phone access (long story)..."

Hah! Love it. It was the first story I read of both of theirs, and loved it. My partner is a long time Pratchett fan and had the same reaction to your boyfriend. His best friend just borrowed it from us, and as we have two copies, I made him borrow Lexx's copy just in case we break up before it's returned (unlikely but important considerations when lending out the favourite books)

[Cherie]

Sandra - Re George Saunders. Yes, I did read his book of short stories for last year's challenge. I did not write a review. Short stories are not my favorite genre. The title was what led me to it. It is my sister's birthday and my birth month, so I must have read it for my birthday task. Given that he is a short story writer, I can maybe understand the format of LitB. I was not prepared but I can adapt. :o)

[Sandra, Moderator]

Well, I hope it improves soon, Cherie.

[Peggy]

Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "I was starting to get a bit stressed about level 3 of the annual challenge so I think I call it a day on level 2. I know it's a bit early to fold but I am a planner at heart and will ..."

Teasing us already, Janice? I'm excited!

[Janice, Moderator]

Hehehe! There's only 2 months to go until I post it. I'm aiming for the beginning of December.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I can't wait, Janice!! I also can't believe we are already that far into another year.

[Dem]

Dem wrote: "Finished and enjoyed The Good Father by Noah Hawley

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2499789220"

[Sarah]

Just finished Good Behavior for the monthly challenge. Now on to Bag of Bones for the zodiac challenge.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Recently I have heard many readers complaining about the lack of quotation marks. Maybe is it a new trend???

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I remember reading a whole heap of complaints about Cloudstreet for the same reason. I was half way through the book when I read them, and I hadn't even noticed.

Funny how something can annoy the pants off someone, and someone else is completely oblivious :)

[Sandra, Moderator]

Yeah, I don't really get annoyed because of the lack of quotation marks. Although I love all kind of marks in writing. As far as it is not confusing, I go with it. But I think lately I have heard lot of people complaining about this, that is why I thought it might have become more frequent.

More "literary" sounds a likely explanation, Ryn.

[Sarah]

Margaret Atwood doesn't use quotation marks from what I recall. It's definitely been around for a while.

[Peggy]

I started Nights at the Circus. First impression after 20 pages: not so positive. I don't like the writing style that much, I find it unnecessarily complicated and a bit pretentious, and also overly lyrical and descriptive and confusing.

[Jess]

I am currently reading The Phantom of the Opera and have come to two realisations:

1) I like the musical for the music not the plot
2) I don't get on with the style of early genre fiction (based on a few turn of the century sci-fi/horror books that I have read recently)

[Kristie, Moderator]

I've read a book or two with out quotation marks and I don't care for it. One of the books I used didn't use quotes, but also didn't adjust paragraphs when someone talked, so you could go a couple of pages and still be in the same paragraph. It was so annoying. It was hard to keep track of where you were on the page because it all looked the same. I read somewhere that it was an intentional literary tactic, but I can't remember if there was any real reasoning behind it or if she just liked the style, but I remember thinking that I never wanted to read another book like that.

[Jess]

Kristie wrote: "I've read a book or two with out quotation marks and I don't care for it. One of the books I used didn't use quotes, but also didn't adjust paragraphs when someone talked, so you could go a couple ..."

Yes! I hate books without quotation marks. I read somewhere that authors do it to force readers to read their book more slowly which , in my opinion, is really obnoxious

[Sarah]

Peggy wrote: "I started Nights at the Circus. First impression after 20 pages: not so positive. I don't like the writing style that much, I find it unnecessarily complicated and a bit pretentious, ..."

That's a shame Peggy. I hope it picks up!

[Peggy]

I also don't like it when books don't stick to usual punctuation and paragraph rules.

[Margo]

Sarah wrote: "Margaret Atwood doesn't use quotation marks from what I recall. It's definitely been around for a while."

Ah sometimes it's good to be an audio fan! I was just about to comment that I'd never noticed it with Atwood LOL

[siriusedward]

Kathryn wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Recently I have heard many readers complaining about the lack of quotation marks. Maybe is it a new trend???"

No idea but it is somewhat annoying. Perhaps it is to make the novel mo..."

I think so too.
I don't find it annoying, though I do wonder about these things... a little omission of the marks and a combiningofwords...
all in the pursuit of being "literary"...
*sigh
Each to his own..

[siriusedward]

Rusalka wrote: "I remember reading a whole heap of complaints about Cloudstreet for the same reason. I was half way through the book when I read them, and I hadn't even noticed.

Funny how something..."

Oh.I have this on my TBR for ZZ.Looks to be very interesting.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Interesting, Jess! It definitely took me longer to read it, but I also enjoyed it less.

Margo, I love audiobooks too! It certainly is an added benefit. When I read the comment about Atwood, I thought I’d better make sure I only get her audiobooks. Lol

[Peggy]

Kathryn wrote: "Peggy wrote: "I started Nights at the Circus. First impression after 20 pages: not so positive. I don't like the writing style that much, I find it unnecessarily complicated and a bit..."

Too early to tell. It sounds good from the blurb, but then I read some reviews and now I'm not sure. I'll read one or two more chapters and then decide whether I'll continue or abandon.