What are you reading?

[Jo]

I'm curious as to what people are reading. Personally, I've started a lot of books, but the one I'm currently engaged in is Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel's Dart". I love the story, the descriptive attributes and the epic feel of it, as well as the strong female character whose point of view is the focus of the storytelling of this series. I'm reading all the Kushiel books in preparation for the June release of "Kushiel's Mercy".

So, what are you reading? No matter the genre, or subject matter.

[Stephan]

"Moby Dick"! Melville is this omnipresent, allegorical, hovering and celebratory presence over everyone in the story. He just looms. It FEELs epic!

[[deleted user]]

"The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins.

This book is unspeakably wonderful for me because it taps my top 3 hot buttons: A skilled wordsmith applying himself to a topic he loves; a truly intelligent and polite debate on a topic that is seldom intelligent or polite; and the argument for atheism.

This is a great read!

[Jo]

I've heard that it's a good book. I suppose I'll have to add it to the growing list of books I want to read.

[Eileen]

I'm reading "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein. Next up is "The Age of American Unreason" by Susan Jacoby and "Spook" by Mary Roach.

[[deleted user]]

Don't Get Too Comfortable by David Rakoff, and A Short History of Benin by Egharevba, which I wouldn't be reading if I weren't trying to read a book by an author from every country, but which is interesting and, following reading Dictionary of the Khazars, not as surreal as it might otherwise have been.

[Erin]

Hi, just joined the group, thought I'd chime in also...right now I'm finishing Smilla's Sense of Snow, then I'm going to read Watership Down. I'm also waiting for American Gods by Neil Gaiman from the library, so i'll start that as soon as i get it.

[Paul]

Well right now I'm reading Firestarter...by Stephen King. I love it!
Im a prospective horror writer myself.
Paul

[Katrina]

I'm in the middle of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. I realized that I personally had never read the book. I am in the middle of reading it outloud to my 3 month old son. I figure he will be a great excuse to read some good books.

[Michael]

Reading Germinal by Emile Zola, it's an older novel so the writing style has me putting the book down every now and then. I really enjoy it when I'm able to read it though.

I'm also reading F.X. Toole's collection of short stories about boxing entitled Rope Burns, which has Million Dollar Baby in it. Honestly I like the other stories more than that.

[Linda]

I just came across a local author, Mary Daheim, and started reading the Emma lord mysteries. I also met the author, Mary Daheim, at the Univ of WA bookstore. Very interesting lady. Has anyone read her books?

[Amber]

I am reading .

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.

I am really enjoying this book very much!

[Amber]

I just finished the above mentioned book. I am now reading , If I Stay by Gayle Forman. It has a very gripping start and I hope this can carry throughout this novel! I will keep you all posted!

[Isabelle]

I am finally reading The Stand by Stephen King and am loving it! It had been on my "to read" list for over a decade. I can't believe I waited that long, it is amazing!

[Jo]

I'm currently going thru a paranormal romance phase and reading Christine Feehan's "Dark Gold".

[Vicki]

I am reading London Lore by Steve Roud and still working on finishing up Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

[Beatrice]

I am reading "born under a million shadows" by Andrea Busfield.

[jennifer]

i'm reading love begins in winter: stories by simon van booy. at times i have grimaced at the over-profundity and other times i have almost hyperventilated at some of his details. kind of all over the map, but he's keeping me glued to the page. overall an enjoyable read, so far.

[[deleted user]]

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

[Tom]

When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro. Just finished "Never Let Me Go" and reading the rest of his books.

www.thepalisadesnovel.com

[Jo]

Currently, I'm reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky.

[Betsy]

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern. I'm reading this for a GR group read, but it was on my TBR list anyway. Very good.

[Amy]

I'm rereading the first 5 books in a mystery series I had almost forgotten I really like: the Peter Bowen Gabriel duPre mysteries. They're set in modern day Montana (well, now the first few are about 8 to 10 year old) but with lots of history behind them; Gabriel is a Metis, a person of mixed Native American and French blood, mostly. They were fur traders. I was looking at my mystery collection and noticed the books I had in this series and wondered if there were any more—lots! Mostly out of print, so ordered the rest through Amazon. So now I am about half way through the third book, will probably read three or four more and then take a break with some other books, and finally return to these.

[Laura]

I just finished "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" - fun, quick read. Enjoyed noting all of the local haunts as well as the artistic license with Seattle locations.

[Mary]

Hi Everyone! I just joined the group and thought I would chime in what I am reading. Currently I am reading "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry"

[Patricia]

Hello! Like Laura, I picked up "Where'd You Go, Bernadette," since so many folks are raving about how funny it is. I wasn't able to get into it though...I wonder if it's funnier if you're in the class it satirizes?

[Alexander]

Quiet - The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking, by Susan Cain.
As an extrovert, I have found it very insightful and accurate.

[Brian]

Hi everyone! I've been enjoying some popular fantasy recently - right now I'm on Brandon Sanderson, working on "The Way of Kings". Mistborn was great, rating for some others from the library.

Sadly, I can't think of any Northwest authors I read, but I did get to see Jim Butcher when he came by the UW. Very exciting!

[Deanna]

I've started reading Paty Jager's Spirit Trilogy, Spirit of the Lake. She also writes western romances for those who love westerns.

I'm also a romance author and just released Whispers at Ghost Point. These characters are brought back from my second book, No Turning Back, set in England 1778. I hope to take a peek.

Nice to hear from so many in the Pacific NW!

[Elizabeth]

Re reading Garth Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain". Love this book.

The author will be appearing in Everett,Wa. the first part of March.

[Beatrice]

I just finished "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and can't wait to find the next one in the boxes from our recent move.

[Amy]

Deb, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is really wonderful. I was lucky enough to meet the author and get a signed copy a couple of years ago when he was doing a promotional tour at a Seattle area Costco.

As for what I am currently reading, it's the latest Jim Butcher Harry Dresden novel, Cold Times

[Laura]

Patricia - I enjoyed "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" and I'm not in the same social circles as the characters. Maybe just a sense of humor thing? Hear the movie rights have been sold.
Deb - loved the Dune series
Just finished the 3rd Stieg Larrson book, Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, liked the whole series, but thought the 1st and 3rd books were the best. (lull in the middle?)

Just finished season 1 of Game of Thrones on DVD, so I'm now thinking I should read Song of Fire & Ice book, as the book is always better. But, 700+ pages of fantasy for the first book... doable for a contemporary lit fan? Figure I'll give it a try!

[Amy]

Deb, I haven't read the Language of Flowers. On the other hand I have (literally) bookcases full of unreads that are calling me!

My husband is the one who got me to read the Harry Dresden novels. I'm almost done with Cold Times. Usually he reads them first, but he was in the middle of two other books and told me I could read it first. Hard not to try to talk to him about the book! :)

[Elizabeth]

Just starting "Raven Stole the Moon" by Garth Stein.
You all probably know him from the great "The Art of Racing In The Rain." It is still on the best seller list.
Saw him a couple weeks ago at a presentation in Everett and he was so impressive and his reading from his book was sensational.
Love to hear what others think?

[Amy]

I'm currently finishing up the latest Patricia Briggs "Frost Burned". Got about 30 pages to go. Then I am going to back to reading some more Peter Bowen Gabriel DuPre mysteries. I had read the first 4 or 5 probably a good ten years ago, and a couple of months ago suddenly wondered are there more? Did a search on Amazon and found, yes, there were more! I bought all of them used, some of them are actually library copies. Nice to be a able to buy hardbacks for a couple of dollars!

[Betsy]

Trial By Circus by Wash Phillips, who lives in Redmond, WA, and Wally Lane. It's a comedic romp about two broke lawyers who must defend, separately, a pair of conjoined twins from a local circus, one of whom is accused of killing her boyfriend. The book, which is new, is set in Portland.

[Elizabeth]

Has everyone read The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin? Absolutely wonderful. One of the best I have read this year.

[Norma]

I'm reading and I like "The Burgess Boys" by Elizabeth Strout. Not as good as "Olive Kitteridge, however that one won the Pulitzer so it's really not a fair comparison. Next one up for my book club is "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" which won the 2012 National Book Award for non-fiction.

[Kirsten]

I'm reading for the Christmas season!

[Elizabeth]

Saw where Sarah Jio ( Blackberry Winter) went to Western up in Bellingham, Wa. Also read that Blackberry Winter is a song and sung by Hillary Kole and was the inspiration for Jio's book.

I bought the C.D. and the song is absolutely haunting. If you have not heard it try it on I-tunes or whatever place you find your music. Pandora did not have it the last time I checked.

Also from Western is Harley Tat "The Good Boy" about a rugby player.

Anyone else know more about all of this?

[Mad Russian]

Thought I'd chime in from the city of destiny (Tacoma, WA) to say that I'm reading Blaylock's latest, "The Aylesford Skull".

I just made my way through the other posts on this thread, and I have to say that I second Amy's endorsement of "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet."

[Kirsten]

I'm finishing . It's history and biography. It's written really well - I highly recommend it!

[T]

Howdy...for those who liked "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet", have you read the second book, "Songs of Willow Frost"? Not as strong as his first book in my opinion, but I did enjoy a few of the little details embedded in the story line....Like Jamie's favorite Chinatown bakery, the Mon Hei Bakery, gets a mention. Unfortunately, the bakery had to close due to that bad Christmas Eve fire in the floors above it.

And Elizabeth - I love Garth Stein books! The Art of Racing in the Rain, Raven Stole the Moon and How Evan Broke His Head - with my apologies if I'm mangling the titles, too lazy to verify them by looking them up...

Garth grew up north of Seattle...Shoreline/Innis Arden/somewhere around there I think.....(And I may be mangling that as well!)....

[Phe]

New York Dead
and i love it so far :)

[Amy]

The last Hollows book, Witch With No Name. Already got to one Big Revelation! I expect to finish this within a couple of days. (I know, some people will read it straight through, but I've got other things I'm doing too.)

[Phe]

i finished ny dead.. i now am reading the surgeon by tess g. its book one of rizzoli and isles tnt tv show

[Elizabeth]

Reading Philip Margolian. Love to hear some comments on his books

[Jill]

Currently reading

[Elizabeth]

Just finished a Philip Margolian! Wow! Now onto Lisa Unger Even more Wow!!