WHAT ARE YOU READING AND WHY!! Showing 8,751-8,800 of 10,669

[Fiona (Titch)]

Just finished my 1st book of the year lol. Under Different Stars - Amy A. Bartol and now I am going to read Bishop Street - Rene D. Schultz.

[Barbara]

I'm reading The Lost Witness by Robert Ellis

[KOMET]

I'm now reading The Venetian Contract by Marina Fiorato. Thanks Mal.

[Barbara]

I finished Low Pressure by Sandra Brown. Bellamy's sister Susan was murdered 18 years ago. A teenage boy was convicted of the murder but Bellamy still has questions and writes a book to expunge the incident from her mind. When the book causes renewed interest in the case many people with something to hide get antsy and Bellamy is threatened. Bellamy and Dent Carter, Susan's boyfriend at the time of the murder, form an uneasy alliance to look into Susan's murder. They discover that witnesses lied, the police and prosecutor wanted to convict someone at any cost, someone is bent on revenge, and Susan wasn't the innocent her parents portrayed. For me the obligatory romance between Bellamy and Dent was an unnecessary distraction but I enjoyed the book and recommend it to mystery lovers.

[Fiona (Titch)]

I've sneaked in Soul-Mates Forever - Vicki Green and now going back to Bishop Street - Rene D. Schultz.

[Brenda]

I'm rereading Lolita. Having just watched the movie (seriously, could anyone other than James Mason have played Humbert Humbert credibly?), I wanted to see if my memory of Nabokov's writing was accurate. It was. What an awesome wordsmith. Also reading (finally) Jared Diamond's Collapse.

[Julie]

I am reading A Little Too Much

[[deleted user]]

I'm starting to read the first book of Game of Thrones. I am enjoying the series and so decided I was cheating myself by not reading the book, the original story. I did exactly the same with Lord of the Rings, and found that the books were much better, however I did enjoy the movie as well. I also found it interesting that for the most part, the director did stay reasonably close to the books, so I'm curious to see if the HBO series is staying close to the original book.

[Brinn]

Bryan Bender's "You are Not Forgotten" is a surprisingly good work. He has taken two real-life military members, one a WW II Marine fighter pilot--an MIA for over sixty years--, the other a serving Army officer to illustrate combat conditions in two very different wars (WW II and Iraq). The life threads of these two men are intertwined throughout the book and used to illustrate and explain the lengths the US military is going to research, locate, and bring home our fallen warriors.

Reading the book, I learned what it was like to attend Navy pre-War pilot training and gained a glimpse at what it was like to fly a F4U Corsair in the Pacific (my father flew Corsairs so this was quite personal). The Army officer is both a Ranger and an aviator. His experiences in the Iraqi war are detailed-- the reader can contrast the battlefield conditions and mind-sets of the two men.

About half the book compares the lives and wartime experiences of the protagonists. The last section has Captain George Eyster V, US Army, assigned to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) headquartered in Hawaii. Eyster is promptly sent on recovery efforts in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and, surprisingly, to Germany. As a former USAF pilot, I am oriented to aviation, airplanes and pilots. To me, MIAs denoted pilots-- and for Vietnam this is mostly correct. But not WW II-- most of our seventy-three thousand plus MIAs were not pilots nor were the bulk of the three thousand plus Korean War MIAs. Special Forces camps were overrun, soldiers and Marines scattered in fire-fights, sailors went down with their ships. And all these guys were lost in inconvenient places. Eyster and his compadres were routinely sent into some of the most inhospitable geography on the planet, where they often found dangerous conditions, plants, animals and people. My respect for JPAC personnel, already high, skyrocketed. This book shows over and over again just how difficult is their task.

For a non-fiction book written by a reporter, the narrative got into some surprisingly emotional situations. At times I had to put it down and take a few deep breaths.

My second novel, Chita Quest, to be released in March 2014, is a fictional version of a similar scenario-- a present day officer searching for a Vietnam MIA who happens to be his father. I can only hope that readers find my story as compelling as Bryan Bender made this one.

[Barbara]

I finished The Lost Witness by Robert Ellis. In this second book in the series LAPD detective Lena Gamble is on the outs for embarrassing her bosses but is assigned the case when the body of a young woman is found in a dumpster. Lena's investigation is made more difficult by police higher ups who interfere with her case and bug her home. Lena pushes on though, and bodies pile up amidst lots of twists and turns. For me the climax was too drawn out but I enjoyed the book.

[Lisa]

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller. I am reading it because a friend recommended and praised it highly and so far I am enjoying it too!

[Barbara]

I finished The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. To the joy of Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutski, Clovis Anderson - the author of their guidebook - visits the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Meanwhile the agency is involved with a couple of crises: Mr. Matekoni's apprentice is arrested for working on stolen cars; and the director of the Orphan Farm has her job threatened by a rich businessman. To add to the problems Mma Makutsi and her husband are unhappy with the contractor they've hired to build their home. As always Mma Ramotswe is gentle, wise, and humorous and Mma Makutski is hilariously outspoken. This book is an excellent addition to the series with scenes that are laugh out loud funny. 5 stars.

[Ken]

I'm about halfway through Invisible Monsters and Fight Club its not. It's not awful and its written in a disjointed haphazard way on purpose. That doesn't help. I liked Fight Club and have read some other of the author's work. Diary was OK, maybe OK+.

I started Silent Echo and set it aside about a third of the way through. There is barely a story there at all and what is there creeps along. Its a missing person's/murder mystery but most of it is the main character lamenting about his raw deal in life. One chapter takes us to a police station and we meet a detective. That's it, nothing else except more lamenting and a rehash of stuff from prior chapters. It was flat awful and I was glad to find I was not the only one to share the same dismal experience.

[Malina]

Just starting Joyland, I absolutely love SK!

[David]

Thanks for the comments on Seth Harwood sounds like the kind of books I like most. Just ordered Jake Wakes Up

[Stacie]

I am reading the third book in the Haunted Home Repair series by Juliet Blackwell. I am listening to Girl Who Played With Fire in my car and The Sherlock Letters on my iphone. In bed I'm reading Unveiling Mary Magdeline. I just read I Can Pee on This, Poetry By Cats which is hilarious and The Silence by Sarah Rayne a great suspense-ghost-mystery writer. I'm working my way through her books.

[Barbara]

I finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This book was considered an "instant classic" upon publication. It's about a Christian fundamentalist takeover of the United States. Women in this society have absolutely no freedom, are forbidden to read, and are assigned roles like housekeeper, cook, indoctrinator, etc. The "handmaids" are forced to bear children for the Commanders who are in charge of the government. A book with a political point of view for sure. 4 stars for me.

[Shannon]

Got finsh reading both Killing Floor & Black House i loved both. I am a big fan of Stephen King so i knew i would love it. And this is the first book i read by Lee Child but i loved it going have to read his other books.

Now i am starting on Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose i am really loving it so far i am on page 200 right now. I have read almost every book of this series and so far love them all.

When i get done reading that book here the next books i going read
The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane
Still Life by Louise Penny
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

[Barbara]

I'm reading The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon

[[deleted user]]

I'm currently reading False Accusations

[Barbara]

I finished Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda. One night two teen girls - Val and June - who live in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, ride a pool raft out into the nearby harbor. In the morning an unconscious Val is found near the shore and June is missing. However, this is not a mystery. It's a character study of the people living in this run-down Brooklyn neighborhood. There are shop owners, families, drunks, drug users, teens, psychics a teacher, an artist, some very damaged, some not....all rubbing shoulders. Pochoda does a masterful job developing the characters and evoking the ambience of this Red Hook neighborhood. I almost felt like I lived there myself. In the end we learn what happened out in the harbor on the night June went missing and the Red Hook residents get on with their lives. Good book. 4 stars.

[Evelyn]

I just finished The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It's told from the point of view of a girl who was murdered, and shows her family coping with her death, and her killer trying to elude capture. When I heard about it, I thought it would be depressing, but strangely, it actually is a little uplifting, as people learn to move on.

[Fiona (Titch)]

I thought I would pick up n read Alice in Wonderland: The Vampire Slayer - J.J. Maddox & Lewis Carroll.

[Barbara]

I finished Kinsey and Me: Stories by Sue Grafton. Part 1 is short stories about Sue Grafton's detective Kinsey Milhone, relating small detective cases. Part 2 is semi-autobiographical stories about a young woman, Kit, recalling incidents from her life with alcoholic parents. Grafton's voice shines here and we feel the pain of her youth and young womanhood.

[Fiona (Titch)]

I have just finished the wonderful Bishop Street - Rene D. Schultz

[Fiona (Titch)]

I have decided to read Faceless: A Mystery - Dawn Kopman Whidden.

[Barbara]

I finished Shallow Graves by Jeffery Deaver. John Pellam is in Cleary, New York to line up locations to film a movie. Some residents are excited and others want John and his partner Marty to go away. Harassment ensues and Marty is killed. The townsfolk expect John to leave but he stays to investigate Marty's death. The story has a rather mundane "secrets in a small town" theme but it has some interesting twists. Just an okay book.

[Shannon]

Got Done reading
The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane *LOVE IT*
Still Life by Louise Penny *Didnt care too much*
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult *LOVE IT*
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill *LOVE IT HE REMIND ME SO MUCH OF HIS FATHER.*

Now I got to start on
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

And Also going to read these too
Fatal Strike by Shannon McKenna
The Night Is Alive by Heather Graham

[Fiona (Titch)]

I have finished Faceless - Dawn Kopman Whidden and now about to pick up The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty.

[Barbara]

I finished Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino. Wealthy businessman Yoshitaka Mashiba tells his wife Ayane that he's divorcing her because she hasn't become pregnant within a year of their marriage. Meanwhile Yoshitaka has been having an affair with Ayane's apprentice. Yoshitaka is murdered with arsenic-laced coffee and the police suspect Ayane, but she has an ironclad alibi. Moreover, the police can't figure out how the arsenic got into the coffee. So the female detective on the team, Kaoru Utsumi, consults the physicist Yukawa, who's a whiz at solving difficult cases. Eventually the ingenious murder method and the killer are uncovered in a not quite satisfying ending. The book reads like a cozy but I would have liked the characters to be more fully developed.

[Patricia]

Okay, you asked, and I am reading all simultaneously.
Defending Jacob by William Landy - audio - because I read a good audio review
Infererno by Dan Brown - audio - because I've read all his books.
The Panther by Nelson DeMille - on audio - because I love John Corey
Killer Ambition by Maria Clark - because I watched the OJ trial
The Deal by Adam Gittlin - because I know he's coming out with The Deal: About Face soon.
And, I'm pouring through my editor's notes for my next book After the Fall for 1015.

[Barbara]

I finished Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum has two goals: bring in mobster "Uncle Sunny" for skipping out on bail and help Ranger find out who's killing elderly women. As usual Stephanie and her sidekick Lula are hilarious. Add in Grandma Mazur and Kevin the Giraffe and this is a great, fun mystery.

[Barbara]

I finished Movie Cat by Garrison Allen. Hollywood hotshots descend on Empty Creek, Arizona to film a Western but the unpopular director, C.D. Masterly, is soon murdered. Penelope Warren, amateur detective, and her cat Big Mike help the sheriff investigate while filming continues with a new director. Meanwhile there must be something in the air in Empty Creek because there are scads of romantic relationships with plenty of fun (not graphic) hijinks. Eventually the mystery is solved is a surprise twist. There were a lot of characters in the story and I had some trouble remembering who was who. All in all I'd recommend the book as an entertaining light mystery.

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB]

I am proud to say that I am now 175 pages into ..this is my 2014 project! Just 1157 more pages to go..I enjoy having a long book to read a few pages a night along with my regular books. I also have the 1934 almost 5 hr long French film version of the book which I shall watch once I actually finish the book!

[Barbara]

Rick wrote: "I am proud to say that I am now 175 pages into ..this is my 2014 project! Just 1157 more pages to go..I enjoy having a long book to read a few pages a night along..."

Keep us updated on how that's all going :)

[Malina]

I'm starting , I'm sure it will be a great read as his others are

[Brenda]

I just finished Typical Men, the Representation of Masculinity in Popular British Cinema and The Technique of Film Editing. Books on film noir, especially Brit movies, really interest me.

[Barbara]

I'm reading The Beast by Faye Kellerman

[Brinn]

I am reading A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke. I loved the Peter Mayle books about a Brit's view of living in France-- well written and written with a wry British sense of "humour." Stephen Clarke is billed as the anti-Mayle-- he's younger, hipper, and into some of the more earthy pleasures that Mayle isn't (or doesn't write about anyway!). Also very funny.

As we say in Texas, "Ah'm fixin'" to move to Panama in search of a less expensive, more exciting place to reside...both Mayle and Clarke make me question whether I should at least explore France as an option first (I know, most of France is expensive, but it seems their adventures would make the change worthwhile somehow...certainly the food and wine would...)

[Charles]

Here is my review of The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

The Snow Child

Believing in Miracles

The place is Alaska in the 1920s. A childless middle-aged couple, Jack & Mabel, are homesteaders who live in a log cabin in virtual isolation. It should be noted that the couple lost a child of their own ten years earlier, still born.

Jack and Mabel have settled into being mostly in their own company. The potato farm barely provides enough to live on and Mabel does not think much of herself. She has one attribute; she can bake. She bakes pies and sells them in town to supplement the intake from the farm. Jack is also a part time logger, selling lumber to bring what money he can into the house.

There is a built in sadness about the hardship of these two. But the story is not as somber as one would think. The couple now and then play in the now as when they were kids, throwing snowballs at each other. They build a snow child and dress her in a blue wool coat, scarf, and mittens. The next day she is gone.

Miss Ivey’s description of the landscape and atmosphere is vivid. There is a quiet stillness in the writing that is as pure as the snow mentioned on most of the nearly 400 pages of the novel.

“Bare of foliage, the snowy benches and ravines rose to the mountains like a weather-bleached backbone.”

The atmosphere is paralleled to the action of the characters. The physical description of everyday activities and the impact of the weather have dramatic interplay. Reading the novel, makes you feel the physical strain of the characters in beautifully described passages of snow and cold and everything associated with living in such conditions.

“Snow fell and gusted around her.” While hunting a moose, “It was wearying. Jack’s hands were cold and numb, and several times he nicked himself with the knife. The sun slithered through the trees, the air cooled, the dead animal stiffened, but they kept at it.”

Now and then, the mysterious child appears in the snow and occasionally visits with Jack and Mabel. After a time, they have her over for dinner.

A red fox also plays in the story. He is sort of a pet for Faina, the name Jack and Mable have given their snow child. Faina and the fox are observed by Jack & Mabel leaving footprints in the snow.

Is Faina imaginary or not? After Faina visits with the couple, she always leaves for the snow and cold outside. Faina appears and disappears. The couple goes about their business, planting potatoes, kneading bread dough. Faina is growing on the couple and vice versa. They do not want to frighten her away. Like a bird, she is easily frightened away by sudden movements and disappears.

Faina knows how to survive out in the cold. She is agile and quick walking up and snow covered slopes. And she picks wild berries for Jack and Mabel.

George and Esther and their son Garrett are the neighbors. They come in to help Jack and Mabel when Jack falls off a horse and suffers a back injury.

One day Faina leads Jack to a place in the mountains where spring never comes and the snow never melts. Faina leaves the homestead in the spring for these mountains with eternal snow. She wears a simple cotton slip in the cold and is not affected by it. She becomes ill when exposed to warmth for any long periods of time.

Miss Ivey never makes it clear whether or not the couple is imagining the child as sort of a replacement for their own child they lost years earlier. There are occurrences in the later chapters that cause one to add to the question is she real or not. I will not say what happens in the story that “complicates” trying to find an answer to that question and spoil it for those who have not read it yet, but I would have preferred if the story had not taken that twist.

The book is a miracle of what can happen when the imagination is so great that is creates something that cannot logically be explained.

This is done on purpose and is an ambiguity that one must not really pay much attention to. It is best just to be immersed in the story for the terrific fable it is.

[KOMET]

I'm halfway through reading In Bed with Gore Vidal by Tim Teeman, which offers some very revelatory insights on one of the great writers of the second half of the 20th century.

[Fiona (Titch)]

Just finished Private L.A. - James Patterson. Now I am going to try and read n finish From a Dead Sleep - John A. Daly.

[KOMET]

I'm deep into reading The Nuremberg Interviews by Leon Goldensohn, who, in his capacity as a U.S. Army psychiatrist, interviewed several of the key Nazi war criminals (e.g. Hermann Goering, Hans Frank, Walther Funk, and Joachim von Ribbentrop) during the first round of war crimes trials at Nuremberg in 1946.

I have a deep interest in the history of the Second World War, and so, when I became aware that there was such a book as this, I promptly bought it.

[Malina]

KOMET wrote: "I'm deep into reading The Nuremberg Interviews by Leon Goldensohn, who, in his capacity as a U.S. Army psychiatrist, interviewed several of the key Nazi war criminals..."

This sounds very interesting, I will out in on my TBR list!

[Fiona (Titch)]

Yesterday, I finished From a Dead Sleep - John A. Daly. Now I am reading Home Again, Home Again - Nadine Christian.

[Barbara]

I finished Cold Service by Robert B. Parker. Hawke is almost killed while protecting a bookie who is subsequently assassinated. After his convalescense Hawke is determined to destroy the local Ukranian mob that did the deed. So Hawke and Spenser cook up a plan. It's a thin plot but the pleasure of these books is not so much the story as it is in visiting with familiar characters. I like the clever patter among Hawke, Spenser and everyone else and always enjoy the scenes with Spenser and Susan at home, catering to the whims of their pooch Pearl. An enjoyable fast read.

[Kath]

Today I began and I think I will like it. Been in a real slump lately, haven't been able to stick with a book and I don't know if it's me or the books I've chosen. I think it has more to do with my state of mind and inability to concentrate over the last month or so. I'm stressed out and my mind has been unquiet. Ah, but this, too, shall pass.

[Jon R]

I'm reading (studying) Gershom Scholem's "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism" as a result of my research on Christian Gnosticism for my WIP "Murder on the Red Desert".

[Barbara]

I finished The Beast by Faye Kellerman. Elderly eccentric Hobart Penny is found bludgeoned and shot in the apartment he shares with a Bengal tiger. LAPD detective Peter Decker and his team find that Penny - who was not a nice guy - harbored more dangerous pets, including snakes, spiders and more. Suspects include Penny's family, call girls that visited him, and a wildlife refuge manager. Too much of the book is devoted to describing the ins and outs of keeping exotic animals: food, supplements, medications, treatment and so on. To me the plot was not riveting and the character interactions were relatively mundane. 3 stars.

[KOMET]

I'm reading (em português) the novel "Gabriela, Cravo e Canela" by Jorge Amado, one of my favorite writers.