What Are You Reading Now? Showing 2,151-2,200 of 2,435

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished the first volume in the Book of the New Sun series


The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started something completely different


The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

[Sam]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I finished the first volume in the Book of the New Sun series


The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
Rating: 4 stars
Revi..."

I wish we were reading that as a monthly selection.

[Rora]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I finished the first volume in the Book of the New Sun series


The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
Rating: 4 stars

I remember reading that years ago. Book of the New Sun is a very good and complex series.

[Pharmacdon]

I finished reading Conclave by Robert Harris

[Darren]

I'm currently reading the 1000th book that I will review (I'm on 999 atm)

[Luffy Sempai]

@Darren You will be a milennial!

[Teri-K]

I'm working my way through The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I knew this would be problematic for me, as I just don't like gothic novels, they never work well for me but I'd hoped the mystery element would carry me through. It's not. sigh Though I will keep reading to see what if my guesses about the secrets are correct. I do like Marian as a character.

Fortunately I'm loving lots of other reading, including:
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
House of Light a book of poems by Mary Oliver
The Adventures of Ellery Queen, short stories by Ellery Queen
Madame, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart
Game Without Rules, short spy stories by Michael Gilbert

Those and others are keeping me entertained while I plod through TWIW. Normally I'd DNF it, but I guess I feel like I can finish it, just this once, and then know I did my best. lol

[Cynda]

You can do it Teri-K!

Today I am starting
From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne so I can continue my Jules Verne microstudy.
Also I am starting The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History by William K. Klingaman which describes the eruption of Mount Tambora and the results of the eruption. One reason I am reading: This is the summer and the reason Mary Shelley stayed inside and wrote Frankenstein.

[Kirsten]

I've been listening to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

[Luffy Sempai]

@Teri-k I loved a big part of The woman in white, but the last chapters seemed irritatingly interminable. This was the first stellar book in my life that I DNF'ed. Ever since, my expectations for classics have receded.

[Teri-K]

Luffy Sempai wrote: "@Teri-k I loved a big part of The woman in white, but the last chapters seemed irritatingly interminable. This was the first stellar book in my life that I DNF'ed. Ever since, my expectations for c..."

"irritatingly interminable" LOL Yes.

I've been trying to figure out why Gothics don't work for me. Perhaps it's because they rely so much on "atmosphere", and I get bored just reading about one atmosphere through the whole book. I want character development, plot movement, or even some sunshine and a nice walk in the park - not just endless worry, confusion, and creeping about in the dark. ha

[Kirsten]

@Teri-K

Maybe you don't like some of the seriously stupid behavior characters get up to in gothics. I love gothics, however,

[Teri-K]

Cynda wrote: "You can do it Teri-K!

Today I am starting
From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne so I can continue my Jules Verne microstudy. [bookcover:From the Earth to the Moon..."

Thanks for the encouragement! I will finish it, or it will finish me. lol

I've been wanting to read a new Verne. I've read 20,00 Leagues, Around the World, From Earth to the Moon and Journey to Center of Earth. I liked the first two better than the others. Any suggestions? I've wondered about Mysterious Island, my daughter loved that when she was a girl.

[Luffy Sempai]

@Teri-k 'I will finish it or it will finish me' took me by surprise. I know it is not original (heavens forbid, is it?) but I don't recall seeing it anywhere.

[Teri-K]

Luffy Sempai wrote: "@Teri-k 'I will finish it or it will finish me' took me by surprise. I know it is not original (heavens forbid, is it?) but I don't recall seeing it anywhere."

The phrase? It just popped into my head, but I may have heard it before somewhere. I'm in my late 60s, so there's a lot of water under that bridge, so to speak.

[Cynda]

Yes, Teri-K I have read those three books and Facing the Flag which describes high-tech military weapons and espionage. Good, not great. I am hoping for better writing when I read From the Earth to the Moon and All Around the Moon. And then even better when I reread Five Weeks in a Balloon which I read long ago in high school and remember enjoying. I am trying to save a better book for the last of the microstudy :)

[Franky]

Started up reading Lonesome Dove and our August read here for The Body in the Library and finishing up Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

[Teri-K]

Cynda wrote: "Yes, Teri-K I have read those three books and Facing the Flag which describes high-tech military weapons and espionage. Good, not great. I am hoping for better writing when I read [b..."

Then I'll try Five Weeks in a Balloon next. Thanks!

[Lynn, New School Classics]

Darren wrote: "I'm currently reading the 1000th book that I will review (I'm on 999 atm)"

Wow congratulations Darren!

[Ash says Free Palestine]

Call of the Wild by Jack London
...The dog dies at the end, doesn't it?
(I just have that FEELING, yknow lol)

[Cynda]

That sounds likely enough Ashley. What I do remember about The Call of the Wild is how gloriously the dog answers the call of the wild :) We have a cat whose mother must have died a bit early in her training of our cat. Out cat lived not-quite-tame all of her young life. She often intentionally stayed outside during coastal storms. Now she is very tame, staying curled near my elderly mother. The call of the wild is a glorious thing.

[Darren]

Lynn wrote: "Darren wrote: "I'm currently reading the 1000th book that I will review (I'm on 999 atm)"

Wow congratulations Darren!"

Thanks Lynn - I've now reached the "Big Thou'" - my reviews tend to be mostly for my own benefit to help me remember my reading experiences and can contain quite a lot of personal shorthand terms and are usually just general impressions rather than going into detail, but hopefully they're a bit useful to others too!

[Cynda]

Teri-K. I look forward to any thoughts you share about the Jules Verne!

[Luís]

I'm reading and finishing, at the same time, nós, os afogados by the danish writer Carsten Jensen.

[Kirsten]

Franky wrote: "Started up reading Lonesome Dove and our August read here for The Body in the Library and finishing up Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu."

I absolutely loved Lonesome Dove - and I wasn't expecting to!

[Alex]

I’m reading “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson.

[Cynda]

Alex, some time ago, I read "I am Legend." I enjoyed comparing the movie and story. Have you watched the movie?

[Cynda]

I am reading bit by bit Backteria and Other Improbable Tales also by Matheson. Some stories more a sketch, some better thought out.

[Rora]

Currently re-reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. (My favorite Dickens book) And just started reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

[Rora]

Cynda wrote: "Alex, some time ago, I read "I am Legend." I enjoyed comparing the movie and story. Have you watched the movie?"

I remember being really disappointed with the movie version. I think they changed too much of the storyline.

[Darren]

the first movie version "The Omega Man" also changed the plot a bit, but I thought it was quite good

Matheson also wrote the short story/screenplay for Spielberg's first movie "Duel"

[Cynda]

Rora, they did change much of the storyline. I know it was to format the movie within approx 2-hour format, but I really liked the more complex storyline of the book.

[Luffy Sempai]

Rora wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Alex, some time ago, I read "I am Legend." I enjoyed comparing the movie and story. Have you watched the movie?"

I remember being really disappointed with the movie version. I think ..."

I'm almost never disappointed with movie adaptations, because I never expect anything good especially when a movie is 'based' on a book.

Darren wrote: "the first movie version "The Omega Man" also changed the plot a bit, but I thought it was quite good

Matheson also wrote the short story/screenplay for Spielberg's first movie "Duel""

I did not know about Matheson writing Duel. What a great bit of knowledge. I think the world of Duel, but is it his first movie? I thought Sugarland Express was his first.

[Luffy Sempai]

Kirsten wrote: "Franky wrote: "Started up reading Lonesome Dove and our August read here for The Body in the Library and finishing up Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu."

I absolutely..."

I expect to love The Lonesome Dove, but still I'm afraid to begin reading in case I get disappointed.

[JenniferAustin]

Luffy Sempai wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "Franky wrote: "Started up reading Lonesome Dove and our August read here for The Body in the Library and finishing up Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu...
I expect to love The Lonesome Dove, but still I'm afraid to begin reading in case I get disappointed."

Luffy, I hope you enjoy it. It was a 5-star read for me.

[Luffy Sempai]

@Jennifer Austin Great! :)

[Luís]

I will start, even today, Maurice by E.M. Forster. I'm so excited!

[Kirsten]

Tales of the Dying Earth by Jack Vance

[Darren]

Luffy Sempai wrote: "I did not know about Matheson writing Duel. What a great bit of knowledge. I think the world of Duel, but is it his first movie? I thought Sugarland Express was his first"

Duel was originally a TV movie in 1971, SE was first "theatrical" movie in 1974

Duel was later released in cinemas
I have this rather splendid Swedish poster for it:

[Luffy Sempai]

@Darren Very good, Darren! Thanks for the dotting and the crossing.

[Wayne]

Well it seems like July is unofficially Richard Matheson month! I just read Hell House. Great Haunted Mansion story that has a setup that is almost identical to The Haunting of Hill House but has a totally different vibe.

As it happens, my next July book was A Head Full of Ghosts. The author packs in tons of allusions from other horror, ghost, demon possesion, and haunted-house fiction including naming some characters after those from Hell House. Of course, after finishing this and scratching my head at the ambiguous (but great) ending, I had to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Which is also a head-scratcher, but great. These 2 books are a great pairing.

Anyway, since I'm on a gothic streak, I've just started Jane Eyre as a head start on next month's group read.

[Teri-K]

I just finished Murder By The Book: Mysteries For Bibliophiles by Martin Edwards. It's a collection of short mystery stories from the 30s-70s that have a strong connection to books, libraries, etc. I really enjoyed most of them. This was a surprise find at my local used book store, from the British Library Crime Classics series.

[Luffy Sempai]

@Wayne Minton Hi Wayne, this is a surprise, but happy reading :)

[Luffy Sempai]

@Teri-K Writing short stories is an art. E.g. Kudos to Tolstoy to know when to stop writing.

[Wayne]

Luffy Sempai wrote: "@Wayne Minton Hi Wayne, this is a surprise, but happy reading :)"

Thanks Luffy. Cheers!

[Karen]

Wifedom by Anna Funder, The 99 Percent Economy by Paul S Adler (NF) and If It Bleeds by Stephen King (again)

[Steph]

I'm reading Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë. I've already read titles by the two other Brontë sisters, Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë (and loved them), and this is my first by Anne. I was curious to see what her writing style was like, and how it compares to her sisters'. So far I'm enjoying it.

[Anulekha]

I am halfway through Stardust by Neil Gaiman and just started with Miss Mole.

[Luís]

The Mansion by Faulkner.

[Teri-K]

Anulekha wrote: "I am halfway through Stardust by Neil Gaiman and just started with Miss Mole."

I didn't love Miss Mole, but it was interesting. I'd like to hear what you think of it as you read!