What are you reading right now? (SEE NEW THREAD) Showing 6,551-6,600 of 7,588

[Chrissie]

Although extremely popular in Europe, Jean Giono is less well-known in America. I really loved both The Horseman on the Roof and Blue Boy. The latter is a fictionalized autobiography of his youth, growing up in provincial France. The former takes place during the cholera epidemic in Europe. I have chosen to read Joy of Man's Desiring because the author's writing style before the war is said to be quite different, so I want to try this. Oh yes, he has also written The Man Who Planted Trees. Another five star book! Quite simply I do like this author. I certainly hope this one doesn't disappoint.

I just finished The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times. This was lots of fun to read!
Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Aoibhínn]

Yesterday I finished reading by John Steinbeck. It's an extremely short but nevertheless fantastic novel. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The ending is so incredibly moving that I cried while reading it. I truly can't recommend this novel enough. John Steinbeck is an excellent author (and one of my favourite writers)!

Today I've started reading by Jay Asher.

[[deleted user]]

Just started on Kindle: Emergency:Wife Lost and Found" by Carol Marinelli
And in paperback, "Three to Get Deadly" by Janet Evanovich

[Jennifer]

Still finishing The Dressmaker and enjoying it more than the speed with which I'm reading it would indicate. Also reading The White Monkey which is the fourth of nine volumes of Galsworthy's Forsyte Chronicles -- Galsworthy is probably my all-time favorite author. Between this and the Alcott, I've got the first part of the twentieth century pretty well cornered at the moment. Reading The Book Thief for a challenge and am not far enough into it yet to know what I think of it. Started Losing Mum and Pup which I've been meaning to read since Mom died in 2008 but Dad followed last year and I haven't been able to pick this up until now. Also reading Forever Liesl which is a feel-good memoir of making "The Sound of Music" and is proving to be a quick read. Last and so far least, Savannah: Or a Gift For Mr. Lincoln which I expected to grab me a lot more than it has. Just finished A Walk Among the Tombstones , Sand Sharks , and Rules of Civility within the last week or so. About R of C: stunning book. Edith Wharton meets F. Scott Fitzgerald.

[[deleted user]]

Just started "Dark Calling" by Cheryl McIntyre Certainly interesting so far

[Chrissie]

I do not like Joy of Man's Desiring. I have decided to not finish it. Just as The Man Who Planted Trees has a central theme focused upon nature, this does too, but it is just too imaginary for my tastes. Animals speak with people and such. The dialogs are perfunctory. You can tell it is the same author, but but is too fantastical for my tastes.

I have picked up The Polski Affair. It grabs you right away.

[Chrissie]

Having listened to Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall recently, I wanted to try another by Anna Funder. All That I Am: A Novel was even better. It is historical fiction about a group of German socialist activists between the two wars. Real people and real events. Fabulous writing. Exciting and moving.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I have started The Sandcastle Girls. Another book about the Armenian genocide, 1915-1916, during WW1. I am glad I read Armenian Golgotha first.

[Olivia]

I am reading and enjoying it very much.

[Tracey]

Chrissie wrote: "Now I have started The Sandcastle Girls..."

I absolutely loved Sandcastle Girls. (My review.) I'm planning on reading a lot more Chris Bohjalian.

I've been listening to Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South - and I'm curious about others' opinions. A group I used to be with loved it; I liked the miniseries when I saw it ages ago (but I don't remember anything of it, which means the book is pretty much new to me); and I'm hating the book. Or most of the characters, at least. (But Juliet Stevenson is a dream of a narrator.)

[Sarah]

I'm right in the middle of Suland. A great novel about the Dakota Nation. I whish there were more boks about these people from their accounts and in their words not from the "white" people, but I'll take what I can get for now. If anyone knows of any good books about differet Native American Nations, let me know.

[Chrissie]

Tracey wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Now I have started The Sandcastle Girls..."

I absolutely loved Sandcastle Girls. (My review.) I'm planning on reading a lot more Chris Bohjalian.

I've been listening to Elizabet..."

What are we twins? First of all I am listening to SG by Bohjalian. I loved Bohjalian's Skeletons at the Feast,I definitely recommend that. However, I am having trouble with the narration of "Sandcastle Girls". Cassandra Cambell and Alison Fraser do the narration. I know they are very popular narrators, but something is wrong. Do the author's words not fit these narrators? There is a flippancy that I find annoying. I hope I get use to these narrators. Is it that I am so distracted by the voice inflections that I cannot hear the author's words? I do not understand what is bothering me..... Help!

I also have "North and South" on my Ipod, just haven't had the time to start it yet! Gosh, I hope it doesn't disappoint. It is my last try a Victoriana.....

[Kimberly]

I'm listening to an audiobook (rare for me) I downloaded Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy from my library to my blackberry last night. I tried to read it back in high school and could get past page 100. I really enjoy the narrator for this one even though I'm still having trouble not tuning her out.

Now I'm going to start The Bachelor Farmers by Brenda Sorrels

[Chrissie]

Re: The Sandcastle Girls

Help!

Cassandra Cambell and Alison Fraser do the narration. I know they are very popular narrators, but I am having trouble with something. Do the author's words not fit these narrators? There is a flippancy that I find annoying. I hope I get use to these narrators. Is it that I am so distracted by the voice inflections that I cannot hear the author's words? I do not understand what is bothering me.....

Well, I have an idea what is bothering me. If this interests you, I explain what I have come to here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Tracey]

If they sound flippant, they don't fit ... there's a tone to the present-day sections of the book that that might work with, but for the rest - we're talking about horrors here. Ick.

Finally finished North and South, happily. I don't know what to do with the rating; that usually doesn't happen.

[[deleted user]]

I look forward to your review of North and South.

[Chrissie]

Tracey, I am so very happy you ended up enjoying North and South. Jeanette, recommended it to me :0) I am not going to smash you Jeanette if I do not like it. You didn't smash me when I liked a book you hated and read because of me!!!!!!

And Tracey, one cannot make generalizations. Some sentences can be light. This with intonation is very hard for me to explain and figure out. All I know is that sometimes it does not work for me in this book. Maybe part of the problem is that I live in Europe and have for a very long time. Maybe it is me that is weird. I know another person listened to the book and had no complaints. I am only speaking for myself.

And I mispelled Campbell, but fixed it.

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "Tracey, I am so very happy you ended up enjoying North and South. Jeanette, recommended it to me :0) I am not going to smash you Jeanette if I do not like it. You didn't smash me when I liked a boo..."

Well, that makes me feel safer! lol I look forward to your experience with Rules of Civility.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, yeah that too! I do not know what I am going to think. Cocktail talk is not my thing.

[[deleted user]]

It's not all cocktail talk. She lives in both worlds, the cocktail set, and the beer and a shot set.

[Chrissie]

I will not fit with either..... what have I gotten myself into? These type are the types of my parents' social groups. On the other hand, I have lived in NYC. That might save the book for me. And I like books that have good characterizations.

[[deleted user]]

This book does have good characterizations, definitely. I don't think you belong to the social groups of most of the books you read. I certainly don't, although I imagine it might be fun sometimes. RoC is a good story. It's worth giving it a chance.

[[deleted user]]

Have you read my review Chrissie?

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, there you are right. I certainly do not belong to the Armenians, but I am curious about them. I am not curious about posh cocktail drinkers or Victorian socialites or.....you know what I mean! We will see. It is good to try new stuff. If I hate it, I can return it.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, how did I miss that? In fact it makes me want to read it even more. I am a bit worried about those rules being listed at the end. Is that good? Katey sounds interesting, unless she is determined to become super successful. What is success?

[[deleted user]]

I think I looked through the rules, but I don't remember them being very integral to the story, except maybe to illuminate Tinker's character and/or motivations. I think you'll like Katey.

And, you can always return it!

[Lisa]

I think I'm going to read Liar & Spy. I need a short and easy book this week. Next Thursday I want to start reading The Casual Vacancy as soon as I get my hands on it.

I was going to stick to just my continuing ed book, my cookbooks, my current non-fiction book, The Emperor of All Maladies, because I don't have time to read much and can't read a whole novel in 6 days, but I think I can get through Liar & Spy. I've been wanting to read it. I loved When You Reach Me.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, so many love the book. I simply must give it a try.

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette, so many love the book. I simply must give it a try."

I don't know if this will be a 5-star read for you, Chrissie, but I think you will at least "like" it.

[Kimberly]

Jeannette wrote: "I look forward to your review of North and South."

I'm waiting to get that one from the library :)

[[deleted user]]

I look forward to your review, too, Kimberly. :)

[Aoibhínn]

I finished reading by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler earlier today. It's just an young adult romance but it's very entertaining and funny. I loved all the 1990's nostalgia!

Next I'm going to start reading a Stephanie Plum book: by Janet Evanovich.

[Lee, Mod Mama]

I started reading a bit of Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek. It's pretty interesting so far. He's one of those ultra-marathoners and he's also vegan. There are interesting recipes dispersed all throughout the autobiography.

[Raj]

I'm reading "The Hobbit". Read it before and thought i'd read it again. In early elementary The Hobbit was read to the class; What a classic!

[Chrissie]

Finished The Polski Affair
Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Starting: The Englishman's Daughter: A True Story of Love and Betrayal in World War I.

[[deleted user]]

Raj wrote: "I'm reading "The Hobbit". Read it before and thought i'd read it again. In early elementary The Hobbit was read to the class; What a classic!"

The Hobbit is a fun read, Raj. Are you looking forward to the movie?

[[deleted user]]

Chrissie wrote: "Finished The Polski Affair
Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Starting: The Englishman's Daughter: A True Story of Love and Betrayal in World War I."

Your current book sounds good, Chrissie.

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, I hope it is.

[[deleted user]]

I do, too!

[Tracey]

Raj wrote: "I'm reading "The Hobbit". Read it before and thought i'd read it again. In early elementary The Hobbit was read to the class; What a classic!"

Good timing - Bilbo's birthday is tomorrow! (Frodo's too, of course.)

[Raj]

Jeannette wrote: "Raj wrote: "I'm reading "The Hobbit". Read it before and thought i'd read it again. In early elementary The Hobbit was read to the class; What a classic!"

The Hobbit is a fun read, Raj. Are you l..."

Jeannette wrote: "Raj wrote: "I'm reading "The Hobbit". Read it before and thought i'd read it again. In early elementary The Hobbit was read to the class; What a classic!"

The Hobbit is a fun read, Raj. Are you l..."

Most prob Jeanette, i needed a fun read to pick me up from the "blackdog" depression.

[Raj]

Tracey wrote: "Raj wrote: "I'm reading "The Hobbit". Read it before and thought i'd read it again. In early elementary The Hobbit was read to the class; What a classic!"

Good timing - Bilbo's birthday is tomorro..."

My prob read LOTR next...

[[deleted user]]

Still reading, "Dark Calling" by Cheryl McIntyre. Its a lengthy book, but is so bizarre I can't put it down. It is so intriguing and spooky. I can never tell who the good guys and who the bad guys are.
Also just started " A Promise to Cherish" by LaVyrle Spencer

[Chrissie]

I finished the audiobook The Sandcastle Girls. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

My last try for Victorian lit will be North and South. The narration by Juliet Stevenson is perfect. When you start some audiobooks you know this immediately.

[[deleted user]]

Good luck, Chrissie!

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, Juliet Stevenson is excellent as a narrator! You notice this immediately. I have read two chapters and it is OK so far.

[[deleted user]]

I know her as an actress, and Kim has always enjoyed her as a narrator. I'm glad you are enjoying it. :)

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, am I suppose to be laughing at the romantic lines between Margaret and Mr. Henry Lenox? Or am I suppose to be swooning? Me, I am laughing!

[[deleted user]]

Poor Henry..... I don't remember him as being very swoon-inducing. ;->

[[deleted user]]

Just started "Carolina Moon" by Nora Roberts

[Chrissie]

Jeanette, a simple question. When people read this do they judge how the characters think as being ridiculously strange? Most importantly, what do the "Victorian" authors want us to think? I am confused. Are we to laugh, criticize or sympathize? What are the authors' intentions? I really have trouble with everyone in Elizabeth's family. I am only in the fifth chapter, but I feel like shaking all of them.

ETA:To clarify - do you understand how the Victorian authors want us to think? They are of that age so maybe they just see the characters as normal. I am confused on this point!