What are You Reading October 2014?

[Erica]

Sue wrote: "I'd like to know about Kingdom of Ice, too. It's in my Audible wishlist, along with A Woman in the Polar Night and I'm not sure if I need to do both.

I hope you enjoy Station Eleve..."

I love novels set in extreme weather..not sure why...

[Linda]

Finished listening to The Painter and started listening to Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor: Book One I LOVE Jon Scieszka. I will never out grow his books.

[Stephanie]

Susanne wrote: "I'm listening to The Bone Clocks -- I'm 60% through. It's not a fast paced book, and at the begining of each section I have to get used to a new story. I'll finish it because I want..."

I am curious if your apathy for "The Bone Clocks" is because you are listening to it rather than reading it? It is such a complex tale, with characters who are introduced, then disappear, only to pop up hundreds of pages later (and several of the characters were imported from earlier Mitchell novels). I seldom use the "X-Ray" feature on my Kindle, but I found it useful with "The Bone Clocks" and I think that it deepened my appreciation for the architecture of this novel.

[Tomissa]

Just starting I'll Give You the Sun. I've heard so many recommendations, and was hand-sold this copy at my local bookstore.

Tomorrow, though, Station Eleven is being delivered. I'm obnoxiously excited as Susanne has loved this book.

[Victoria]

I though In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette was great. I recommended it a few months ago, especially for history or non-fiction fans.

[Linda]

Finished listening to Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor: Book One started listening to Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, World War II, and the Long Journey Home which my husband listened to a few weeks ago and really liked even though he's not a baseball fan. I am, so...

[Tina]

Pat wrote: "Victoria wrote: "I just finished this morning. Gave it three stars. I'm disappointed I didn't start Station Eleven over this."

You are generous. I wouldnt give it more than two sta..."
Was that bad? I have it on my to read list. I started instead and I am hooked.

[Nancy]

I don't think I've posted in a month and won't try to remember all I've read, just the most recent. Currently reading: MaddAddam, the final book of Margaret Atwood's trilogy about a future world nearly destroyed by genetic technology, climate change, and social inequality. As is often the case with a series, the details of the first two are hazy, and I'm looking for some online summaries to bring back a few details. That's my audiobook. In print, I'm reading Sarah Waters' The Paying Guests and just finished Serena by Ron Rash.

In honor of October and all things spooky, I decided to read several ghost stories. So far, I've only had time for one novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winter. I have a couple more from the library on my shelf, although at this point they will get read in November!

I also recently read Laura Lippman's mystery After I'm Gone and Karen Joy Fowler's We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Some of you may know the plot twist in that book, the revelation not too far in that the narrator's missing sister is a chimpanzee, and that her removal from the human family where she was raised for 5 years has left lasting scars. About a month ago, I read a nonfiction book about experiments raising chimps with humans to study their communications ability, and I just had to follow that with a fictional take on the same idea. While the chimps were the focus of the nonfiction account, the novel centers mainly on the humans. Even if one of the members is a bit "different," it's still very much a story about a family.

[Julie]

This month I've read two excellent novels that take place in Mississippi - before the Civil War The View from Delphi and after: The Healing by Jonathan Odell. Just began Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and, for Halloween, a poem and story by Edgar Allan Poe!!

[Susannah]

This month, I read Tell the Wolves I'm Home, which was a real disappointment. I've read several books this year with female narrators/lead characters who seem to blame themselves for everything not wonderful that happens in their lives and the lives of those around them, and this book was the worst of all of them in my opinion.

Then I read Mary Ann in Autumn. I love the Tales of the City novels, but this was the first time I read one and recognized what I perceived as Armistead Maupin's limitations as a writer . . . which sounds incredibly condescending. Yuck. At any rate, these books do seem to have a formula (introduction of disparate characters, mystery, weaving together of previously disparate characters), and I think this was the first time that it felt really labored to me.

After that was Oryx and Crake for my book club. It was entirely compelling. The only other Margaret Atwood book I've read is The Handmaid's Tale, which I liked very much, but this was very different.

Now I've started the audiobook of The Paying Guests. It was a little slow to start, but the writing is so rich that it's carrying me along. I have begun reading the book between times I am in the car listening to the audiobook. (Side note: I can't recommend Juliet Stevenson as a narrator highly enough. This is the second reading of hers I've listened to after Persuasion.)

[Robin]

Just finished on audio. Wish I had read it sooner. Sat on the TBR shelf too long. Gem!

[Janet]

Finally broke down and bought a copy of . It was going to take forever to get a library copy. Read the first 2 essays last night and this may just be the thing to break me out of my reading slump. Retirement would help too of course, but so far, not an option.

[Rita]

The Ocean at the End of the Lane Just finished

I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

[Diana]

Rita wrote: "The Ocean at the End of the LaneJust finished

I thoroughly enjoyed it!!"

So did I! It was rather charming, don't you think?

[Linda]

I started listening to Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, World War II, and the Long Journey Home