What are you currently reading? Showing 51-100 of 2,082

[Mary]

Speaking of meth labs, has anyone here ever seen the movie Spun? It's pretty good.

[Reggia]

Syra said:

I read a lot of mysteries and true crime (love Ann Rule; she is such a nice lady). She actually working a hotline with Ted Bundy on the night shift and he would walk her to her car so she would be safe! How wierd is that?

Now that is creepy and bizarre!

[[deleted user]]

Luckily she was a retired police woman so I think she might have been able to take care of herself, but still. You never know the "real" of some of the ppl you meet.

[Nicole]

Never ever heard of the movie Spun , Mary.
Though there was a character on the TV show JAG who was said to have been shot in a raid on a meth lab in the East Mountains when he was a county sheriff's deputy.
I remember Ann Rule telling Bundy stories at one of the SWW conferences. She was so lucky she wasn't his "type." ...No, we can't really know some people's true selves!
I pushed myself to finish that Anne Perry book yesterday. It was underwhelming. I wonder if later books in the series are any better, but I'm not really eager to try one any time soon.

[Werner]

When I'm waiting for an interlibrary loan book (as I am now), I usually like to read in a short story or essay collection in the meantime. That way, when my ILL book comes in, I can just finish whatever short selection I'm on and put the collection aside temporarily, without having to interrupt a unified book-length work in mid-flow.

Right now, I'm reading S.O.S.: Chilling Tales of Adventures on the High Seas (Chronicle Books, 2001). I'm enjoying it well enough --though a lot of the selections are novel excerpts, which I skip over. If I'm going to read from a novel, to be fair to the author, I prefer to read the whole thing --this "excerpt" business is kind of like sitting down to a banana split someone made for you, and just scooping up some whipped cream with your finger. (And about equally unsatisfying! :-))

[Nicole]

I see what you mean about short story or essay collections to fill the waiting time, although I often find short stories unsatisfying. When I'm checking out library books, I like to devote my attention to them, as well.
I like that analogy for book excerpts!
I went from one extreme to another, and now I'm reading the extremely frothy Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination , which was recommended by a friend.

[[deleted user]]

Stephen King short stories (Stand By Me, The Race (not sure of that title), I really enjoyed.

Also Katherine Mansfield and I'll think of the others soon.

[Reggia]

I finally finished A Tale of Two Cities and now enjoying Lisa Samson's latest book Embrace Me.

[[deleted user]]

Still on Valerie Wolzein's series. Finished Star Spangled Murder and now on A Good Year For a Murder.

[Anita]

I'm reading Quietus by Vivian Schilling. It's very good so far, and has a spooky quality about it that I really like.

[Reggia]

I've got a few books open and it's anyone's guess which one I'll stick with and finish first. They are Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love written by Patrice Hannon in advice column style with quotes from Austen's novels, The Fall by Albert Camus and George Orwell's Animal Farm.

[Mary]

I'm reading Little Face by Sophie Hannah. The mystery/suspense side of it is quite intriguing but the actual characters are a little forced and there's more focus on the detectives' personal lives and interior monologues than I care about. This is the first in a series, which I discovered when I read the most recent in the series, The Wrong Mother (also published under the title The Point of Rescue). I'm going to read them all but it's a little disheartening to realize that the two detectives haven't made any progress whatsoever in their relationship between the first and last novels.

[Werner]

Yesterday, I finished reading my ILL book that I mentioned above, which was Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom, by Goodreads author Tim Byrd; it was this month's common read in the Pulp Fiction group here on Goodreads (the official group name is a lot longer, but I usually don't bother to look it up :-)). Written for kids and kids-at-heart, it's a good, clean adventure yarn inspired by some of the fiction of the old pulps, especially Lester Dent's Doc Savage series. Right now, I've started Water Witch by my Goodreads friend Deborah LeBlanc. It's supernatural fiction set in the bayous of Louisiana.

[Nicole]

I read your review of DWatFoD. It sounds like fun!
Congrats on finishing ToTS, Reggia. I look forward to your review of the Dear Jane Austen book.
I'm currently alternating between Harry Dresden #5 and the first of the Cassandra Palmer series; both urban fantasy.

[Nicole]

Decided to scrap Cassie Palmer--TMI!
Just started Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, on a friend's recommendation, and I'm hoping it will be entertaining.

[Werner]

Callista, what does TMI stand for? I'm lousy with abbreviations; sorry! :-)

[Nicole]

Sorry--Too Much Information. The book had constant info-dumps and some passages that were far too graphic for my taste.

[Werner]

Thanks, Callista! (I wouldn't appreciate those features, either.)

[Nicole]

Given your past comments, I don't think you'd care for the book. You should probably be leery of anything by Karen Chance.

[Werner]

Will do, Callista! Thanks for the tip.

[[deleted user]]

My husband did the Grinch story every year for our 2 kids when they were little so now he has it memorized. We watch all the Christmas movies and do Christmas jigsaw puzzles. Over the years I think we have collected about 20! We get a new one every year. Usually start after Thanksgiving but I think now we should move it up to Labor Day!

[Werner]

Syra, my wife is an avid fan of Christmas movies! We have 37 of them on tape (VHS or DVD), besides the ones we watch on TV in season. (She watches ours all through the year. :-))

[Nicole]

Oh my goodness! 37 Christmas movies!
I think I like one of the old versions of A Christmas Carol best (I think it's the Alastair Sim version)? (I have no interest in the new 3-D Jim Carrey-ised version.) My favourite Christmas TV special is A Charlie Brown Christmas.

[Werner]

Callista, Barb and I both agree that the Alastair Sim Christmas Carol is our favorite movie version of the Dickens classic, too. And we both absolutely love A Charlie Brown Christmas!

[[deleted user]]

I have too many favorites: White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Muppet Christmas, Christmas Story (laugh and laugh again). I like Charlie Brown too. So cute and Snoopy "is the bomb" as they say. Went to my first holiday party at Project Linus (I make blankets for them knitting and crocheting) and had such a good time. I miss them and turned in 8 blankets!!!

[Werner]

Syra, please tell us more about Project Linus! That's something I'm not familiar with.

[[deleted user]]

Project Linus makes blankets (knitted, crocheted, quilted, flannel with appliques and edging) for children mostly in the hospital, isolets, homeless, at cancer camps, anywhere there is a need. So far this year our little group (less that 40) have donated 2600 blankets. We call ourselves "blanketeers" and I'm so glad my passion/addiction is going to a good cause and not piling up in my bedroom any more. My relatives have way too many things as it is. Most of us older and meet at the Senior Citizen Center in a large room. We teach and work and laugh and tell life stories and cry when we lose one and rejoice when one comes back. I've never made friends so fast. My sister-in-law in Nebraska buys old jeans, washes them and cuts them up to make blankets for teenage boys. They are sooo cool with pockets and zippers. There is website with more basic info if you are interested. (Oh, named after Linus with his blanket in Charlie Brown.) I found out yesterday and met the woman who started our group 50 years ago with 3 people!

[Nicole]

Wow--you met the original Project Linus lady!

BTW, back to books: So far, I'm enjoying Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. Spooky but not over-the-top to this point, and I'm about 2/3 done. The author is doing justice to the characters and the original author's style. It was definitely time for a return to subtlety for me.

[Werner]

Syra, kudos to you and Project Linus; I think that's a great way to turn a hobby into a really constructive service project! I wouldn't be any good at it myself --I'm not adept at sewing (or any other operation with textiles), and haven't even bothered to try anything like that for years-- but you can definitely count me as part of your cheering section.

[[deleted user]]

Anyone into a bit of historical fiction, give Karen Maitland's 'Company of Liars' a go! Highly recommended!

[Werner]

Yesterday, I started reading All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt. I'd bought it last summer for my wife; once she got into it, she "couldn't put it down," and highly recommended it to me. It's a Regency romance by a Christian author, but it has an unusual twist; unlike most well-bred young ladies of that day, the heroine has a feisty streak --to the point of having learned very good sword skills. (And they come in handy on shipboard during the Napoleonic Wars. :-))

[Nicole]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll look at the blurb on that one, Dan. Werner--a Regency lady with sword skills?!--oooh! I may have to check that one out.

[Werner]

Callista, I'll review that book here on Goodreads whenever I finish it. :-) If you like the premise, you may also want to check out Madeline Robins' Point of Honour --which I haven't read, but have on my to-read shelf. It's set in an alternate Regency England where the Regent is Queen Caroline. Robins' heroine, Sarah Tolerance, was taught fencing skills by her ex-lover; now that he's jilted her, she's making a living as an "agent of inquiry" --i.e., a detective.

[[deleted user]]

I'm reading Milk and Honey by Faye Kellerman while finishing the Wolzein series. On treadmill I'm reading one by Edna Buchanan (reporter for Miami newspaper who did police beat). Very good. I'm on my second one by her.

[[deleted user]]

oh, and thanks Werner for you kind support. Some days my fingers need it!

[Nicole]

Thanks, Werner--I have such a thing for swordplay and derring-do ! :) And I like feisty heroines. One of my stories-in-progress (more like limbo right now) involves a girl with sword skills in an alternate history/fantasy world.

[Werner]

You're welcome, Syra; hang in there! And Callista, your story-in-limbo sounds good; if you do finish it, I hope I get a chance to read it. :-)

[Nicole]

Thanks, Werner. I hope someday you do! :)

[Reggia]

I finished Lisa Samson's Embrace Me and am now reading another book by her titled Quaker Summer.

I had to return Dear Jane Austen before finishing but will definitely check it out again as I was enjoying the read.

[Mary]

Restoration by Rose Tremain

[Nicole]

I realised I had forgotten about my copy of the complete stories of Winnie the Pooh (it got pushed back where I couldn't see it). I actually received it as a gift about ten years ago when I decided it was okay to more fully embrace my inner child again--partly due to a friend who, despite being a grownup with no children, felt no shame about dragging me into the children's section of a bookstore and making me read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, etc. I figured it was time to dust off the Silly Old Bear.

[Reggia]

I think I like your friend. I no longer have young children yet I have started collecting children's books.

Still reading Quaker Summer and lots of self-help/inspirational nonfiction such as Sarah Ban Breathnach's Moving On.

[Nicole]

While some of the classic children's books hold up well, there are definitely some wonderful new ones! Some are just so beautiful.
I'm currently reading Lynne Truss' rant against rudeness, Talk to the Hand.

[Reggia]

I've recently begun reading Silas Marner.

[Nicole]

Ooh, good luck with that. I hope you like George Eliot more than I did.
I currently have two books going that are feeling like kind of a slog, so I added two more to switch off with that I expect to be more fun. After the fun of Terry Pratchett, I'm in no mood to be too serious. So, currently, I have the following going:
Tolkien's The Silmarillion (I honestly don't think I will ever finish it.)
Timothy Zahn's Allegiance (I'm a Star Wars fan, but this one is trying my patience.)
"Amelia Peabody" mystery #16 (Since I'm playing catch-up, I have the luxury of reading of it where it comes in the chronology and not as one of the "lost journals" later on.)
"Harry Dresden" #6 (halfway through the series so far)

[Reggia]

LOL, thanks, I may need luck to focus but I really just need to start reading it earlier in the evening. I'm very interested in understanding how the theology/faith affects the antagonist, at least that is what is drawing me to the story.

Amelia Peabody, yay! I did enjoy those first few I read but wow, they number up to 16 now? I need to get back to that series again. And one of these days, I will get around to Terry Pratchett. Any recommendations for which of his titles to try first?

[Werner]

Reggia, I see you liked my review of Silas Marner; so if it turns out you don't like the book, I'll take the blame. :-) I really like Eliot, though.

Most Pratchett fans focus on his Discworld series; and my wife and I did like the series opener, The Colour of Magic, which I've reviewed here on Goodreads. But we started our reading acquaintance with him with his Bromeliad trilogy (Truckers, 1989; Diggers, 1989; and Wings, 1990; it's also published together in an omnibus volume), and that's actually what I'd recommend starting with.

[Reggia]

I hear you, Charly and Callista, on George Eliot. It took me a while getting through her long-winded Middlemarch but I was glad I did. :)

Yes, Werner, I was glad to see your review... without it, I may have taken the book back to the library where it was recently featured. Thanks for the Pratchett recommendations.

[[deleted user]]

Finished Key Witness by Friedman. Attorney/jury trial book, a little drawn out but I liked it.
Now reading book from my sister (she was a child's librarian for years, retired and now has a real 9-5 job which she loves) called A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (NY Times Bestseller). Sort of on the fantasy side for older teens but I'm enjoying it.
My worst book I can remember from school was The Oregon Trail. My sisters and I still moan about that one.

[Nicole]

Reggia, I think there are over 20 Amelia Peabody books now! Though I'm not sure how prominently Amelia herself figures in the latter books, as the stories are becoming increasingly focused on her son, Ramses. As for Pratchett, starting with The Colour of Magic is probably a good idea. There are a lot of things to choose from in the series, but I have been reading all of the ones involving the witches for now. Wyrd Sisters is a fun twist on Macbeth, Witches Abroad skewers fairy tales and travelogues, and Carpe Jugulum is witches vs. uppity vampires.
Syra, I keep hearing mixed reviews of Libba Bray. I'll be interested in your review.
I was too obedient in high school not to finish a book assigned for class. But when I was an alternate on the school quiz team, I refused to finish reading Heart of Darkness because I hated it so much.