What are you reading right now? (SEE NEW THREAD) Showing 951-1,000 of 7,588

[Kathy]

Well said, Gundula! I like your thinking, makes tons of sense. Fiona, you are always causing me to look at yet another author. Now I have to look at Forster. Troublemaker. LOL! Chrissie, I'm curious, too. Why not Victorian lit? I love it! Hayes, I loved, loved The Help! Enjoy!

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Chrissie, I don't know if this helps but Forster certainly doesn't feel like a Victorian writer when you're reading his work.

[Manybooks]

Kathy wrote: "Well said, Gundula! I like your thinking, makes tons of sense. Fiona, you are always causing me to look at yet another author. Now I have to look at Forster. Troublemaker. LOL! Chrissie, I'm ..."

It might make sense, but it's a problematic attitude to have when taking literature at university or when trying to teach literary history. And, I understand that one has to organise literature to an extent in order to teach it and understand it, but it can become problematic when one becomes too slavishly dependent on literary periods, genres etc.

[[deleted user]]

I wouldn't like to think I would abandon a book because it is from a certain period, but classifying literature by historical period does help to identify certain common elements of literature from the time period. For example, Edwardian means (to me) a loosening of social pressures, especially for women, and still a sense of pre-war innocence. Between-the-wars means something else, just as Regency period. If I treat these classifications as a guideline, it can help me broaden my reading selections within a period I know I enjoy.

[Lisa]

I'm going to start Betsy and Joe. I'm determined to get through the rest of this series and its extra books during 2010.

[Chrissie]

Heavens, I know nothing about how to classify literature - Victorian, Edwardian, Regency.... It all means nothing to me. So I will explain. I recently read a book which I really did not enjoy b/c the people were all acting according the social norms required of them. It occurred i the very early 1900s England. I felt I was suffocating. I simply cannot read about such stuff. Lee, you understood my worry. I don't want to make another mistake and start reading such a book agian. I think I will stick to reading about books that give me different cultures. I find that more interesting.

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Chrissie I do understand where you are coming from because I know you. E.M. Forster wrote a book called A Passage to India but it's been soooooooo long since I read it that I can't honestly recommend it to you. I'll have to re-read it first.

[Lee, Mod Mama]

I just started a memoir called The Moon's Our Nearest Neighbour about a couple who move to a cottage in a very isolated part of the Scottish Highlands. It's making me want to travel or move somewhere beautiful.

[[deleted user]]

Let me recommend Brideshead Revisited, the fall of the tweedy upperclass.

[[deleted user]]

Fiona wrote: "Good - I have that one to read and almost picked it up instead of this."

Do you mean Brideshead? I can't quite put a finger on why I even like this book, but I did.

[[deleted user]]

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

[Lisa]

Dominique wrote: "The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins."

Lucky you. I loved The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire, and I'm now trying not to die before I can read Mockingjay. The cliffhangers are killers, especially the one in book 2.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks, Lisa, I've heard all sorts of great things about, and it's really awsome so far.

[Kathy]

Jeannette wrote: "Let me recommend Brideshead Revisited, the fall of the tweedy upperclass."

I remember reading that one as an English major in college and liking it. I can't remember exactly why I liked it, either, but I do tend to like all things British in reading.

[[deleted user]]

I haven't liked anything else by Waugh, but I did like Brideshead. It just sort of pulled me in and I didn't want to put it down.

[[deleted user]]

I haven't seen the series; I was recommending the book. I have heard that the series is good, too. :)

[[deleted user]]

My bad! You meant that books in general are always better than adaptations. I was the one confused here. :) (my usual state)

[[deleted user]]

And then, if I'm lucky, I can go back in reverse order and find out what point I was trying to make! Drives me crazy sometimes! lol

[Mona]

Fiona & Jeannette, I am guilty of changing the topic of conversation w/o warning and it totally confuses hubby and drives him nuts. Now I try to give a "change of topic" warning and he does the same.

In my defense, my topics usually have something to connect them -- albeit something tiny only I can see.

Another thing I do is think up crazy mnemonics/formulas to remember something(my dad's always doing this) and the mnemonic is harder to remember than the thing I'm trying to remember :)

[[deleted user]]

That's funny about the mnemonics. Can you give an example? My mother-in-law is the worst "non-sequiter" speaker I know. There is seldom anything to connect her topic changes in a conversation! I am guilty of starting a topic and then branching off (logically, of course) and then stopping to say "what was it I really wanted to tell you?" Really annoying if I thought what I wanted to say was important! I make notes on my hand sometimes so I won't forget! :)

[[deleted user]]

I am going to start reading The Blue Castle. I've seen it recommended many times.

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "I am going to start reading The Blue Castle. I've seen it recommended many times."

I might join you, Jeannette. It's one of the only L.M. Montgomery novels I have not read, and everyone keeps saying how great it is.

[Maude]

I hadn't read The Blue Castle either, so I started it yesterday and finished it - I loved it. I can't believe that I had never read it.

[Laura]

Maude, neither do I....

[Dawn]

Just started reading "Magic Bleeds" -- the newest Kate Daniels book by Ilona Andrews. Pretty decent urban fantasy. Very 'noir-ish'.

[Chrissie]

Having just finished Dandelions in the Garden which felt like a guilty pleasure (see review for an explanation), I am now reading Amandine: A Novel. I rarely read several books by the same author, but since I adored That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story, I have to try another. It is pure fiction. Will it be as good?

[Kathy]

My read right now is a complete little comfort read. It's the second in the Lily Bard series by Charlaine Harris (author of the Sookie Stackhouse series/True Blood) and is entitled Shakespeare's Champion. I needed a cozy little mystery to finish up May, before I start my June read that is a book I nominated and it won for the Everyone's Choice group, Wedlock: The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore.

[Dawn]

Kathy wrote: "My read right now is a complete little comfort read. It's the second in the Lily Bard series by Charlaine Harris (author of the Sookie Stackhouse series/True Blood) and is entitled [book:Shakespea..."

I love the Lily Bard series! I think I read somewhere that Ms. Harris is working on another installment. I hope so.

Have you tried Charlaine Harris' other series: Aurora Teagarden (cozy mysteries) and Harper Connelly (paranormal mysteries).

[Kathy]

Hey Dawn, I am loving the Lily Bard series, too. I have read a couple of the Aurora Teagarden books and enjoy them, too, but I think I like the Lily Bard better. I do have a couple of the Harper Connelly ones to read sometime, hopefully sometime soon. How do you rate the AT and HC series?

[Dawn]

In order of preference: #1 Sookie Stackhouse #2 Harper Connelly #3 Lily Bard and #4 Aurora Teagarden

Then again, whichever one is released first is the next one I'll read :)

[Kathy]

Dawn wrote: "In order of preference: #1 Sookie Stackhouse #2 Harper Connelly #3 Lily Bard and #4 Aurora Teagarden

Then again, whichever one is released first is the next one I'll read :)"

My order so far is: #1 Sookie Stackhouse #2 Lily Bard and #3 Aurora Teagarden. Of course, this order might change after I try the Harper Connelly ones. I'm just glad that Charlaine Harris writes so many books that I enjoy. She's on my list of authors I'd most like to meet.

[Lianne]

I'm currently reading Terry Pratchett's Going Postal (such a fun read) and Timothy Ware's The Orthodox Church: New Edition (for a dose of nonfiction) =)

[[deleted user]]

Yay for Moist von Lipwig! We listened to Night Watch on our road trip last weekend.

[Mona]

I'm currently reading HEART OF THE MATTER by Emily Giffin and liking it so far.

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Jeannette, when I read your post last night about Moist von Lipwig I was giggling hysterically and I have no clue who that character is!

I just started The Unit.

[[deleted user]]

Moist von Lipwig ("don't laugh") is the reluctant hero in the gold suit and winged hat from Going Postal.

[Lianne]

Jeannette wrote: "Yay for Moist von Lipwig! We listened to Night Watch on our road trip last weekend."

I finished reading it last night and Moist von Lipwig's a great character! Death's my favourite Discworld character but von Lipwig's up there as one of my favourites =D

[[deleted user]]

Li wrote: "I finished reading it last night and Moist von Lipwig's a great character! Deat..."

It is so hard to pick a favorite. Vimes, Death, Vetinari, Nanny Ogg, Moist are how they come to mind today. :)

[Lisa]

Fiona, Happy reading! And good luck blocking out that music when you don't want it in your head!

[Lianne]

Jeannette wrote: "It is so hard to pick a favorite. Vimes, Death, Vetinari, Nanny Ogg, Moist are how they come to mind today. :)"

That's true. Though I haven't read very many of the Discworld novels to be aquainted wtih all the characters (I think Going Postal was the first novel I read where I met Vetinari *blushes* Unless he was in Thief of Time and I just don't remember...)

[[deleted user]]

I love Thief of Time (I would love to see Lobsang again). I don't think Vetinari really had a part in it. Have you read The Truth?

[Dawn]

I totally adore the Diskworld books. Terry Pratchett holds up a mirror to us and we find ourselves laughing at all of our foibles.

I think I'm gonna have to pull out "The Wyrd Sisters" again :) I love Granny Weatherwax!

[[deleted user]]

Dawn wrote: "I totally adore the Diskworld books. Terry Pratchett holds up a mirror to us and we find ourselves laughing at all of our foibles.

I think I'm gonna have to pull out "The Wyrd Sisters" again :)..."

My husband just read the Witches series a couple months ago. Lords and Ladies is great! Pratchett is a genius when he's hitting 100% (and he does most of the time).

[Lianne]

I am now reading Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Club Dumas (am about a third in and am absolutely fascinated by it!) and Thomas More's Utopia =)

Jeannette wrote: "I love Thief of Time (I would love to see Lobsang again). I don't think Vetinari really had a part in it. Have you read The Truth?"

Lobsang and Lu Tzu! Their scenes were great =D Same here, I hope they make an appearance in future Discworld novels =D I haven't read The Truth but I did see it when I picked up Going Postal. How did you find it?

[[deleted user]]

Just finished The Help, which I just loved. I loved the three women; I loved all the characters, really. Put me in such a good mood!

Will start At Swim-Two-Birds tomorrow, which I bought at least 10 years ago and haven't read yet. Trying to clear the dust collectors off my TBR shelf!

[[deleted user]]

Li wrote: "I am now reading Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Club Dumas (am about a third in and am absolutely fascinated by it!) and Thomas More's Utopia =)

Jeannette wrote: "I love [bo..."

The Truth is another stand alone, in the same vein as Going Postal, but not so crazy! It is all about the dwarves turning lead into gold -- inventing the printing press. It is very good, too!

[Dawn]

I you like Moist Von Lipwig, he's also in "Making Money".... I liked "Going Postal" better, but both are very good.

[Dara S.]

I just finished Q is for Quarry definately a comfort read since the characters are so familiar. I am now reading Caught by Harlan Coben. It is really good so far.

[Kathy]

I am stuck on the Charlaine Harris series with Lily Bard. I just finished the third one today, Shakespeare's Christmas and will start the fourth one tonight, Shakespeare's Trollop. These are such comfort reads, loving them as such.

[[deleted user]]

Dawn wrote: "I you like Moist Von Lipwig, he's also in "Making Money".... I liked "Going Postal" better, but both are very good."

Yes, Making Money wasn't quite up to par. But after so many winners, Terry Pratchett can be forgiven for a few that don't quite hit the mark. I really did enjoy the beginning of Making Money.