What Did You Just Finish, What Are You Reading Now & What Books Have You Brought Home Recently? (Spoilers Possible) Showing 451-500 of 1,086

[Cheryl S.]

Although it's long ago, when I went through my divorce I remember I read like crazy. Some people go for walks, others drink, do drugs etc---I read. I think it's a great stress reliever and gives your mind a break from whatever crisis you're going through, so when you resurface into the real world things don't seem quite so grim.

[Cheryl S.]

I've come to a standstill in the Peabody series as I discovered I'm missing a book! I found it on PaperBackSwap today and hopefully it will be here in a few days.

I'll be starting "The Turtle Warrior" later today as it's my book club selection for June and we meet next week.

[Miriam]

I really feel like an alcoholic without any booze sometimes when I run out of books to read. I can remember as a kid, reading boxes from the cupboard when I didn't have a book to read! By the age of 6 I had read every book in the house, even the encyclopedia (of course not understanding it all, but reading it).

[Cheryl S.]

I must admit I feel a slight twinge of panic when I don't have a new book in the house to read. That's one reason why I keep all of my favorites so they can tide me over until something new arrives.

[Cheryl S.]

Read "Breath, Eyes, Memory" by Edwidge Danticat. Emotionally exhausting. Womens' fiction about the customs of Haiti. I think I need to stay away from this depressing stuff for a while longer.

[Petra X]

Cheryl S. wrote: "I must admit I feel a slight twinge of panic when I don't have a new book in the house to read. That's one reason why I keep all of my favorites so they can tide me over until something new arrives."

Even reading that gave me panic-twinges. I can't be without a book. One in the office, one by the bed, one in my handbag...

[Miriam]

We really are addicted to reading, aren't we Petra!

[Petra X]

True! But my addiction is much, much worse than yours. I opened a bookshop. Makes no money at all, a loss this last year, but I do have an endless supply of books.

[Miriam]

I am laughing at you Petra! I realized at 20 that I could not even work at certain stores. I had a job, briefly, at a fabric store, and brought home LESS than I spent on fabric, even with our discount! So I have never ever even applied at a bookstore. I have considered owning one, so I could read all the books before they sell! And I did apply to work at my local library, although that would have been hard too! But the only ones that do well around here are the big chains.

[Petra X]

When I opened my bookshop I had to supply business and bank references to all the distributors. Except for Daedalus. They said that they felt we already friends as I had been buying $400+ books a year from them for years and years. So, now I buy the same number of books for myself from Daedalus, but I pay wholesale prices :-)

[Miriam]

That is great, Petra!

[Cheryl S.]

Petra X wrote: "Cheryl S. wrote: "I must admit I feel a slight twinge of panic when I don't have a new book in the house to read. That's one reason why I keep all of my favorites so they can tide me over until so..."

LOL! We're not just obsessed gardners, we're obsessed readers too!

[Cheryl S.]

Currently reading "Turtle Warrior" for book club. I almost quit after the first few pages which horrified me with cruelty to an animal. Once I got past that I realized it is a very good book, I'm very engaged, but I don't expect it to end well. Hope I will be pleasantly surprised.

[Miriam]

Can we say "addictive personalities"? Or maybe plain OCD? (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) Laughing. We just have traits, not the disorder, because it doesn't interfere with our lives, now does it? Or does it? Laughing here. And reminded of a good book called Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us! Great read for all!

[Petra X]

Yes, it does interfere with my life. I used to have businesses that made money! My shop is actually in two buildings (joined, roof leaks), one is an old wooden shop and very beautiful and I'm trying to find another use for it since it isn't paying its way. I've rented out upstairs and have a curry house there now, so that helps, but times are 'ard for booksellers.

[Cheryl S.]

Finished "Turtle Warrior" which did end well and was almost a 5 star for me. Couldn't put it down. Then read "Inside the Kingdom" a memoir by the former wife of one of Osama Bin Ladin's brothers. Chilling in regards the Saudi views on womens' rights, basically they don't have any. Then today I read "The Mammy" by Brendan O'Carroll which was a treat! Funny and heartwarming, I will be reading more by this author. Now I have started "Fall On Your Knees" by Anne Marie McDonald. No comment so far as I just started.

[Cheryl S.]

I'm in the middle of reading "Ender's Game" which is a YA fantasy. Not my usual fare, but so many people told me to try it I gave in and I am enjoying it. Easy read with compelling characters and perfect summer reading.

[Petra X]

I've got so many books on the go, but my main one right now is War by Sebastian Junger. Its an account of his time (as a journalist) in Afghanistan. I understand more the appeal of the army and fighting to men and how they are in places where there are no women.

[Cheryl S.]

Finished "Ender's" and liked it a lot. Will be reading the other two books in the series which I picked up today.

Am also reading "Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". If you have any interest in ethics, race, medicine and scientific discoveries this is a fascinating true story.

[Petra X]

I loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, one of the best books I read in a long while. I loved War almost as much. I'm stuck reading The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, its really heavy and dry so I'm getting a bit of light relief with Constance The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs. Oscar Wilde.

[Miriam]

Cheryl, my sons had me read the Enders series, and I found them enjoyable.
Once again, I wish I lived closer to Petra and Cheryl, to borrow books! The immortal life one sounds interesting!

[Cheryl S.]

Read "The Reading Promise" for my memoir book club and although it's not great lit it is an enjoyable read and I think anyone who enjoys reading would like it.

[Miriam]

I discovered that my daughter in law has almost all of Faye Kellerman's books. I have read several, and enjoy them, so I borrowed her collection. It has been really fun to read them from the very beginning of the love story of Peter and Rina, it has added a lot to my understanding of them. I also picked up a James Patterson Don't Blink, one of the newer ones he has written with another author, and it just is not as good as his Alex Cross one's were. I can't even finish it.

[Cheryl S.]

Just finished the "Hunger Games" triology. It held my interest pretty well until the third book, but then it was kind of more of the same and I had pretty much guessed the ending. I can see why it's such a hit with the younger set and it is good easy reading for summer.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

I used to love Patterson's Alex Cross books!!!

[Miriam]

Jo, so did I, which is why the new one was so disappointing!

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

I stopped reading them in the last 90s (or could have been early 2000s). As much as I love Alex Cross, I felt like I was re-reading the same story over & over.

[Miriam]

I agree with you about Patterson's books, Jo. Commercial fiction- get a formula that works, and just keep using it.

[Cheryl S.]

I agree about the formula fiction. I think John Grisham, Patricia Cornwall, and Laurence Sanders all fall into this category. Loved their first few books, but then they became repetitious and didn't hold my interest.

[Petra X]

I think Jodi Picoult is the queen of formula fiction.

[Miriam]

Cheryl S. wrote: "I agree about the formula fiction. I think John Grisham, Patricia Cornwall, and Laurence Sanders all fall into this category. Loved their first few books, but then they became repetitious and did..."

I concur 100%.

[Petra X]

I used to really like Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, but they too have become formulaic and somewhat boring.

[Cheryl S.]

Just finished "The Serpent on the Crown" another Amelia Peabody mystery. Perfect reading for a gloomy rainy day.

[Kathy]

Cheryl S. wrote: "I agree about the formula fiction. I think John Grisham, Patricia Cornwall, and Laurence Sanders all fall into this category. Loved their first few books, but then they became repetitious and did..."
Hi there, I'm new. I totally agree with your comment. I adored the above authors first few books but after a while it just got old. Sue Grafton's series is pretty much the same old stuff; Kinsey always gets the crap beat out of her, etc. Dick Francis's horse racing stories always introduce an in-depth study of a topic (wine and banking I recall) related to the story so I always came away with some new info.

[Petra X]

Hello Kathy :-)

[Cheryl S.]

Hi Kathy--I agree on the authors you named and I'm sure there are many others. I guess it's hard to come up with totally new ideas every time. My favorite authors who do seem to be able to keep me interested in their mystery series are Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series and Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series. In the case of Dana there is always new information about Alaska and its customs and for Elizabeth it is the same for Egypt and archeology. Both series have a lot of humor and some fun characters which I also enjoy.

[Kathy]

Petra X wrote: "Hello Kathy :-)"

Hi Petra, I think lots of folks dream of owning a bookstore. It's probably up there with opening a B&B (my personal nightmare as I would have to be cheery in the a.m. AND perform excessive housework and cooking). Here in America a huge chain of superb bookstores; Borders, has just gone belly up. We're all bereft! It had comfy chairs, wonderful coffee and snacks and encouraged dawdling.

[Kathy]

Cheryl S. wrote: "Hi Kathy--I agree on the authors you named and I'm sure there are many others. I guess it's hard to come up with totally new ideas every time. My favorite authors who do seem to be able to keep m..."

Thanks, I'll look for those series. It's always fun to try something new.

[Miriam]

I stay at a bed and breakfast in Dubuque, and since I work in the mental health field, the owner has taken me in to her confidence. She says it is like prison. She can never go anywhere, or do anything. She has to be there to serve the big breakfast, then clean rooms (occasionally during the summer busy months she does hire help with room cleaning), but even then she has to be around to answer the phones. Then the people start coming in and she has to be there to greet them. She is terribly depressed and lonely. She is always catering to other people's needs, but has no one to talk to about her own life or needs. I think part of the problem is that her husband does not pull his end of the innkeeping business, being more preoccupied with renovation efforts. He comes and goes as he wants, leaving her the burden of being on call 24/7. Friendships are hard because she cannot do anything with friends, yet can't really entertain either. She used to live on a dairy farm, milking the cows, and thought it would be like that. But dairy farmers have the middle of the day to themselves.

[Petra X]

There is a UK tv programme called 'Four in a Bed' (the old version is 'Three in a Bed') that I download. It is four bed and breakfast owners and each day they all stay at one place then rate it and pay what they feel it is worth and then the next day all stay at the next one. On Friday when they've all stayed in everyone's place, they see who is the winner - took the most money, and have a fight about niggly things like a mini-cobweb or a wallpaper join showing, the sort of stuff ultra-competitive people would pick on. Its quite a fun show and has really shown me the very ahrd work it is to run a b&b.

I never stay in b&bs. I really like modern, impersonal hotels with nice, clean beige rooms and internet access. Jury's Inn in the UK, Hampton Inns in the US.

Kathy: I was sorry to hear of Borders closing. They closed in the UK last year, my favourite bookshop.

[Miriam]

The closest Borders to me was in Des Moines, two plus hours away, so I shopped B&N if I dared to go in a bookstore.

I love staying at this b&b since it is a Victorian house with Victorian furnishings. As long as I have a room I can close the door to, and an outlet for my CPAP I am happy. Actually, with conferences and client group meetings, I have even stayed in camps where we slept on the floors all in one room! But I can understand your need for anonymity living where you do!

[Cheryl S.]

Miriam wrote: "I stay at a bed and breakfast in Dubuque, and since I work in the mental health field, the owner has taken me in to her confidence. She says it is like prison. She can never go anywhere, or do anyt..."

That poor woman. I have a friend who runs a B&B in Michigan. She's one of those overachievers who has 3 kids of her own, adopted 2 more from India and now has grandchildren who stay with her part of the time. She's very active at church and also socially and solves her time constraints by inviting everyone to her house so she sees lots of people. Her husband helps--with everything--and they give one another breaks. I can't imagine running a business like that alone which it seems your friend is trying to do.

[Cheryl S.]

For August my Book Club is reading "The Cleft" by Doris Lessing. After I ordered the book I realized I won't be able to attend this month's meeting. Thank God. I read 30 pages of the book, felt ill and am irritated I spent money on this book. I knew Lessing writes on odd topics, but this definately wasn't for me. I'm still trying to get some of the disturbing images out of my mind.

[Miriam]

I just finished The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War and LOVED it. It was a fast read, all 657 pages! Went in to a lot about backgrounds, personalities and styles of the players on both sides. It really helped me understand the post WW2 political picture and times.

I also got a huge stack of inexpensive craft ideas to share with the group I facilitate, so of course I had to look through/ read some of them. Everything from birdhouses to Victorian crafts... it was fun.

[Petra X]

I hope you review that book Miriam, it sounds very interesting. I have just started Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, I will give it a chapter before I make up my mind if I want to read it.

[Miriam]

Petra, that one sounds good!

[Petra X]

So far its nothing like as good as Seabiscuit: An American Legend which is why I thought I'd read another of Hillenbrand's books. I hope it improves.

[Kathy]

I just finished "Hell to Pay" by George Pellecanos. He's a wonderful writer who specializes in crime fiction. His novels are set in D.C. and are a fun read. I'm reading "Mrs. Tom Thumb",a highly entertaining fictional autobiography. It details the remarkable life of 30" Lavinia Bump who yearned to be free of stifling small town life and found fame performing on stage. I'm nearing the end of the book and things are a bit overwrought at the moment.

[Miriam]

Kathy, those sound fun!

Petra, the reviews say that the book you are reading is a bit scattered at first, but gains focus, so it might be worth hanging in for.

[Petra X]

I am hanging in, it is getting better. But the best book I am reading right now is Trinidad's Doctor's Office. The (true) story of a doctor in the thirties who didn't like the UK climate and went out to Trinidad where he did as much drinking of cocktails and investigating rum punch recipes as he did doctoring.