THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
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WHAT ARE YOU READING AND WHY!!
Received yesterday (Christmas Day) from # 1 son - I only have one son :-o)
Armada by John Stack. I can see a glass of wine and a comfortable chair in the garden later today - I've been told to gain more vitamin D - so if I drink in the sun all should be well . . .hic . . .
Rick wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Susie wrote: "Finished The Drop by, Michael Connelly it was worth the wait!Now listening to Divergent by, Veronica Roth narrated by, Emma Galvin sup..."
The Drop was great as always was so nice to have a book that was just Harry Bosch no mention of Haller!
I've been reading Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, astronaut Mark Kelly's memoir about his wife Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. It's tremendously moving and inspirational as I expected it to be.
I have just finished The Happy Hoofer, Celia Imrie's autobiography and I was pleasantly surprised. I don't usually like showbiz autobiographies, I have read a few that have been really boring. This is not ghost written. It is written exactly as she speaks and as she has had such a varied and interesting career, it makes for a very entertaining read.
I began reading this book while returning from the Christmas holiday a few hours ago because of my interest in the writer/public intellectual Susan Sontag.
I'm currently reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer, only because it's my book club's next selection. It's pretty easy reading but not very well written IMHO. I also got a Kobo Vox ereader for Christmas and have borrowed Two Dollar Bill by Stuart Woods from my public library.
Mod
I began reading this book while returning from the Christmas holiday a few hours ago because of my interest in the writer/public intell..."
curious what peeked your interest in Sontag- while certainly aware of her for years, have never read her writings or writings about her since her death. If I recall, her daughter has written a book about her..might be wrong on that one!
Diane wrote: "I am reading 
. Reading it for my book club, but I have been wanting to read it. So now I have the chance."Thats a delightful book hope you enjoy it!
I'm reading
because it was free from Amazon and I received a kindle for xmas. I'm just over halfway through and rather enjoying the suspense. An author I would find and read again.
Mod
Rick wrote: curious what peeked your interest in Sontag- while certainly aware of her for years, have never read her writings or writings about her since her death. If I recall, her daughter has written a book about her..might be wrong on that one! Hi Rick,
I first became aware of Susan Sontag via 'The New York Times' sometime in the early 1990s. I was intrigued to know that we Americans had a publicly acknowledged intellectual, given the anti-intellectual strains that are endemic in the U.S. body politic.
So, I made it a point to observe Sontag and take note of her commentaries whenever she appeared on TV or I heard her giving a radio interview. Suffice it to say, she intrigued me.
You may want to check out the following book, which was taken from Susan Sontag's diaries ---
BTW, Rick, Susan Sontag had only 1 child, a son, David Rieff (born 1952), who is a writer in his own right.
Mod
appreciate that KOMET!
I have seen her interviewed- and she impressed me as terribly self indulgent..although Didion and Mailer had her beat by a mile on self indulgence- actually Didion by a thousand miles.. just my impression
Hitchens was also very strong in his opinions- agreed with him on some- disagreed on others- but seemed to have far more authenticity in his writings
because I keep reading about what a great book it is. This is at least my third attempt, and am finally over halfway through (have had to start again each time as I couldn't remember anything) so will perservere and hope it's worth it
Besides the Susan Sontag book I cited earlier this week, I'm also reading the following book ---
by David Kirk Vaughan.As someone who has a deep-set fascination with early aviation/First World War aviation, I am loving this book. It's focused on 2 brothers, who were among the U.S. Army's first aviators. Both were trained at Mineola Field on Long Island and won their wings in the summer of 1917. Then both brothers were sent to the Midwest as flight instructors to train other pilots. At that time, the U.S. was scrambling desperately to build an air force that could be comparable to their European counterparts.
George Hughes (the oldest brother) was posted to France before the end of 1917 and later served in combat over the Western Front with an observation squadron. Subsequently, George was promoted to Captain and given command of his own squadron.
Gerard, the youngest brother, spent most of 1918 in Texas as a flight instructor. Eventually, he got to France but arrived there too late to see action. Both he and his brother later returned to the U.S. together in 1919. Subsequently, they were discharged from the Army and went into business together for many years.
Both brothers, as officers, had the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the senior officers and famous aviators (e.g. Billy Mitchell, the commander of the Air Service; Eddie Rickenbacker, the top U.S. ace of the war; and Quentin Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt's youngest son who became a fighter pilot in France) in the U.S. Army Air Service.
Gerard (who lived to be 101, passing away in 1996; he and the author worked very closely in the creation of this book) also provides some very eye-opening and fascinating commentary about the nature of aviation and a pilot's life & training during that era.
Mod
by [author:Dav..."Gary Cooper played Billy Mitchell in a very fine film
I just finished reading Esi Edugyan's Half-Blood Blues: A Novel, which won the Giller Prize this year. I loved how the novel blends history with romance and psychological intrigue... I knew very little about the subcultural jazz scene in Germany during World War Two. This novel brought the moment to life through rich, unforgettable characters. My full review can be read at my blog, www.the-reading-list.com
Reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Or more accurately, RE-reading it. It was required reading in a high school English class and I remember I enjoyed it very much. Also still listening to the audiobook Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire as well as a chapter or so a day in Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie. This book is slow-going because the print is so dreadfully tiny that I have to hook up my huge magnifying light to be able to comfortably see the words, even with my tri-focals, LOL!! Ah, the joys of middle age.
Fiona (Titch) wrote: "I am reading Freaks - Tess Gerritsen on my Kindle (just got for christmas) x"
Lucky thing! Santa was a bit of a cheap-skate with me this year (I wanted a kindle). My brother-in-law gave a 'kindling' to his (lovely) wife, made out of wood, with a bull-dog clip with which to attach her favourite 'pages' of her books (then he gave her the real thing).
Happy New Year and Happy Reading all!
Lucky thing! Santa was a bit of a cheap-skate with me this year (I wanted a kindle). My brother-in-law gave a 'kindling' to his (lovely) wife, made out of wood, with a bull-dog clip with which to attach her favourite 'pages' of her books (then he gave her the real thing).
Happy New Year and Happy Reading all!
Mod
Downloaded it free!
http://www.amazon.com/Seed-ebook/dp/B...
A new breed of dark fiction: the subtlety of Seed will haunt you, and the end will wickedly satisfy.
also reading
a hoot!!
Currently reading "Consumed" by Julia Crane. It's the last of her Keegan's Chronicles. I've been totally enamored with her trilogy. It's a YA paranormal romance depicting the coming of age of an elf-girl. Very creative and fun ... I didn't expect to like it but ended up loving it.
Currently reading Rot & Ruin. After reading Zombie, Ohio, I don't know what began to click inside my mind, but I've fallen in love with the whole zombie thing.
I am starting my new year and 50 Book Challenge with "The God Complex" by Chris Titus. 20% into the Kindle version and already REALLY enjoying it!
Hold on to your hats readers, Jane H Smith has done it again. Her first book Henley and the Book of Heroes was so full of substance and life learning values, I couldn’t put it down. When I read that she had written a second book, Star and the Book of Treasurers, (which is the title on the manuscript, but Facebook shows it as Star and the Book of Queens), and was offering a teaser chapter I jumped at it. The problem was, it was like putting a plate of warm cookies in front of a 4 year old and told to only look…Yeah right!I promptly wrote Jane and told her the tease was just too cruel and she sent me a manuscript. All I can say is wow.
I’m not going to give away her plot but will tell you what the manuscript has meant to me. As in Henley book of Heroes the story weaves around the temptations and battles we face and the choices we make that will determine our success of failure. Children enter books filled with adventure, intrigue, danger, and rewards (good or bad). One little hint, the title sort of gives away the reward if you make it through the traps set by the bad guys.
Jane’s characters enter a land of wonder for instruction. We all enter this land only we call it prayer or meditation. When finished, we feel refreshed and confident that we can handle the day, that is until the first zap hits and we are faced with a battle between the flesh and the spirit.
Star and the Book of Queens give us a good look at what happens when we make the right choice and the consequences of wrong choices.
If you like stories that entertain, have depth, and a message that will inform and uplift your daily life, don’t miss grabbing a copy of this as soon as it’s available. I’m sure Jane will be more than happy to reserve you an advance copy. Contact her in Facebook.
Starting out the new year with two books that I am liking greatly so far. Nightwoods by Charles Frazier on audiobook, and The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman in book form.
I just finished reading The Awakening by: Kate Chopin and oh my god what an annoying ending!! i thought the book was supposed to have a strong female lead but the ending proved that idea wrong! I am also reading Clockwork Prince by Cassie Clare... I don't see anyone else here reading teen books, but I think you should!
Erika wrote: "I just finished reading The Awakening by: Kate Chopin and oh my god what an annoying ending!! i thought the book was supposed to have a strong female lead but the ending proved that idea wrong! I..."
Erika, I'm a middle school language arts teacher, I'm always reading YA lit. Big Shusterman fan here.
Erika wrote: "I just finished reading The Awakening by: Kate Chopin and oh my god what an annoying ending!! i thought the book was supposed to have a strong female lead but the ending proved that idea wrong! I..."
I never liked the Awakening either.
I'm reading Five Dances With Death by Austin Briggs. It deals with why the Aztecs were defeated by the Spanish. It wasn't just horses and superior weaponry. The Spanish could have been easily outnumbered, but there were a great many native people in Mexico who hated their Aztec rulers. The central character of Five Dances With Death is one of them. This book brings us into the minds and hearts of the characters right away. I fell in love with it. It's the first book that I'm reading on my new Kindle.
I'm reading a few books, but most recently I started: Swirls: The Outsiders #1. It's YA science-fiction, and it's really very good. It was given to me by a fellow Indie author for review, and I'm really excited to read more!
Alexandra Lanc
Alexandra Lanc
Don't deride me for jumping on the bandwagon late but I'm reading Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Enjoying it but it took a while for me to get into it until Steig introduced Lisabeth, then I was hooked.
Just started
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini. I couldn't quite make up my mind what to read next and went with this one. I recently read the first book in this series and enjoyed it. Turns out this was a good choice as I'm really enjoying this book as well.
Started reading The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith on my Kindle and I love it! Have been waiting to get my hands on this book and thanks to my son, I now have it.
Hi. I am reading The End of Everything. I like the way the narrative is told from the perspective of a 13 year old girl. I am also reading American Salvage and Me & Emma although this one has not seemed to grab as the other two have.
I am reading Saving Clementine for review. About a woman who is contemplating suicide and going through the decision-making process of just how to proceed in that endeavor.
Joanne . . . I am reading Saving Clementine
I cannot seem to locate this novel on either goodreads or amazon. Do you have link so I can read more? It sounds interesting.
Oh wait, I think I found it, did you mean Losing Clementine: A Novel?
I just realized my book club meeting is next tuesday so I am now listening to The Things They Carried by, Tim O'Brien narrated by, Tom StechschulteAnd reading a review copy of Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints by, Sam Brower really interesting so far.
I'm reading The Pale King by David Foster Wallace, because it seems like the cool thing to do. At the moment I'm half way through and think it sucks, but that's not the author's fault. He hung himself before he could finish it, and his editor decided to publish a novel based on drafts and notes. It is clearly unfinished and would never have passed muster, even being written by Wallace. But I intend to choke the rest of it down.Michael E. Henderson
My most recent read was Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon. I particularly loved the way she used the plot devise of key "clues" being in a language (variants of Celtic) that only some characters understood and could thus control the translation/access of the information for the other characters who are nominally the dominant ones. Interesting all around. Here's my review.
Mod
tragic that he felt such despair
OK so I was given the twilight series as a birthday gift and thought that for the cost of the series and shipping the large (yes, hard cover) books I would of much preferred to use a B & N or Amazon card to purchase my preferred genre...they still sit in the shipping box 2 years later...I have read both De V & Angels & Demons...enjoyed very much however could not get into the Lost Symbol.
I have just started reading Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett and so far I am really enjoying it. Just fancied something different and a break from crime novels.
Mod
Read this- quite good- adventure- thrills and superb ink sketches of the "creatures" discovered- a terrific read and very informative to boot!
I'm now reading
by Isabel Allende. It's mainly set on the Caribbean island of Saint Domingue (Haiti) between 1770 and 1810. The heart of the novel is set during the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804). As someone who worked in the Caribbean in the late 1980s and made a brief stopover in Haiti a decade later, this book has a deep resonance for me. It's compelling stuff!
Mod
by Isabel Allende. It's mainly set on the Caribbean island of Saint Domingue (Haiti) between 1770 and 1810. The heart..."
KOMET- notice you are interested in Napoleonic Wars-curious what peaked your interest and if you have a recomendation for a good intro book on the subject- one that a neophyte like myself can enjoy and one that emphasizes characters as well as battles- thanks!
I have finally finished Time Bomb - Jonathan Kellerman and am about to start Cat Calls - Cynthia Leitich Smith
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THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
Books mentioned in this topic
Confessions on the 7:45 (other topics)Amity (other topics)
Truly, Devious (other topics)
We All Fall Down (other topics)
Get Even (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Monica Rodden (other topics)Lisa Unger (other topics)
Natalie D. Richards (other topics)
Maureen Johnson (other topics)
Gretchen McNeil (other topics)
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http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...
I love his writing. He wastes no words. His characters and scenes come to life within the opening pages, drawing you in.
'Wings clattered through branches. Tom Fleck stayed his
axe in mid-swing as two wood pigeons flung themselves
into the mist. He looked down at the dog as her throat
rumbled. She raised a paw, shot him a glance, then - ears
cocked - faced along the track. Metal clinked somewhere.
He whispered, 'Whisht now. Come away.'