What is distracting you from your Chunkster right now? (a.k.a. what else are you reading?)

[Kristi]

Tasha, how are you liking Generation kill??

[Tasha]

Kristi, I'm just into it up to mid-chapter 5. I'm enjoying it but haven't got hooked into it yet. I'm enjoying learning about the guys at this point and the different personalities. I'm doing it as a side read with Terri in the HF group. She and I read Matterhorn together and I LOVED that one so she recommended this one. I think she said that you recommended GK to her?

She is having some troubles right now with the flooding in Australia so I've put reading it on hold until she is able to get back to it. I'm worried about her and hope she is getting thru the flooding ok :(

[Kristi]

I thought it was pretty ok. It was a very different ind of book, which you will see, it's written to the troops, and not necessarily to the average reader. If you end up liking Nate Fick, he wrote another book that I got about halfway thru before I had to return it to the Library, it was really good! It's One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer...

[Kristina]

I am currently reading 4 books...
The Lord of the Rings
Crime and Punishment
Black
The Maze Runner

[Andrea]

I have too many books going right now and it is keeping me from making any real progress on any of them. I also have a bunch of things going on at work which is taking away from my reading time. I feel a little over committed with group reads and I think it is making the reading stressful for me. I'm going to see what I can get caught up with by this weekend and then figure out which I need to let go of for now.

[Tasha]

Kristi wrote: "I thought it was pretty ok. It was a very different ind of book, which you will see, it's written to the troops, and not necessarily to the average reader. If you end up liking Nate Fick, he wrot..."

Kristi, I'm finished with GK and watched watched the entire HBO series in one weekend. Loved both the book and the series!! It was a great read and an amazing series. Doing the two back to back really impacted my experience with the story. Terri and I pm'd a lot over this book/series. I did really love Fick. I'm really, really impressed with him definitely plan on getting One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer this week.

[AM10000]

I'm definitely in for a read of The Hunchback, would be awesome if it became a group read!

Right now I'm reading: and

[Loretta]

Would you believe I'm being distracted from my Chunksters by another Chunkster?

Reading right now which is AMAZING. I'm reading it at a very fast clip too, 300 pages into the ~1500(!!!). I am splitting my reading between the audiobook and an actual paper copy, which of course helps me go faster, as I listen on my walk to work, on the treadmill, etc., and then curl up with it when I'm at home too.

I'd actually recommend it as a great group read for here, though of coruse I probably won't join in since I'm reading it now. :)

[AM10000]

I would love to read The Count of Monte Cristo!

[Andrea]

Count me in for that one too! Now if I can only finish the Great Gatsby and get Crime and Punishment going!

[Loretta]

LOL, well, I'm not actually gonna nominate it, since I'll be done by then.

But I guess I could probably use a break from chunksters at this point... :-P

[Andrea]

My reading and running of the boards is getting a little out of hand! I have to try and figure out what I'm going to do this weekend, I'm spending too much time on reading related stuff...lol

[AM10000]

I was wanting to read Crime and Punishment, but I couldn't find my copy in time to read with the group...I can't wait to see what the next classic group read is going to be! :)

[Tasha]

AM10000, we aren't that far into it yet, you could still catch up. It is really good...

[Loretta]

Yep, plus there are tons of free e-book versions available, if you have an e-reader.

[Kristi]

I suppose I should put up a thread for Classic nomination since we will be done with The Woman In White in the middle of next month. Be sure to nominate when you see the thread posted!!

[Andrea]

I haven't given up home on getting caught up with Crime and Punishment!

[AM10000]

Thanks for the encouragement, but I will probably just get to Crime & Punishment another time...I have a book swap I'm playing in where I will be reading a book for that soon also..so, my obligations are still more than they should be for joining another reading.. :)

[Andrea]

I know just what you mean!

[[deleted user]]

I tend to read just one book per time, whenever I start different books at same time I get lazy and end up leaving some unfinished. But I'm currently reading Kafka on the Shore. I just started it and I think I'm going to enjoy it, but I just "got distracted" with Lord of the Rings. Next week I'll be on holidays so I plan to get my full attention to "Kafka" and get deeper into Tolkien. I'll try to catch you up with the discussion :)

[AM10000]

Right now I'm reading:

[Tasha]

Reading which has been distracting me (in a good way though) from , although I'm enjoying that one too!

[Melissa]

Loretta wrote: "Would you believe I'm being distracted from my Chunksters by another Chunkster?

Reading right now which is AMAZING. I'm reading it at a very fast clip ..."

I've tried the Three Musketeers and never got into it maybe I should try The Count of Monte Christo.

[Melissa]

Because my girls have been sick and then I've been sick, I just finished The Kite Runner and A Hundred Year of Solitude and The Woman in White in quick succession. I just start Catch-22.

However, today is a turning point!! I could sleep without ridiculously lucid dreams or without waking myself up by hacking up the occasional lung. Yeah!

[Everyman]

If the Canterbury Tales count as a Chunkster, then I'm also being distracted by another Chunkster. But a superb one.

Also reading Classic English Rhetoric and All Shining Things, not to mention gradually working my way, a few poems a day through the complete poetry of Thomas Hardy, definitely a Chunkster at 1,003 pages. And a few other things; I can never seems to limit myself to only a few books at a time (working gradually on Moby Dick, Portrait of a Lady and starting on Vanity Fair, though I'll probably lay it aside for a few weeks if the discussion really isn't going to start until March 20th.)

[Melissa]

Everyman wrote: "And a few other things; I can never seems to limit myself to only a few books at a time (working gradually on Moby Dick, Portrait of a Lady and starting on Vanity Fair, though I'll probably lay it aside for a few weeks if the discussion really isn't going to start until March 20th.) "

I love Portrait of a Lady - the language is smooth...

I recently thought that I should read Canterbury Tales but realized that I have, apparently, gotten rid of my copy in an unaccountable book elimination frenzy.

[Everyman]

Melissa wrote: "I recently thought that I should read Canterbury Tales but realized that I have, apparently, gotten rid of my copy in an unaccountable book elimination frenzy. "

There are several versions online, both the original Middle English and in translation.

[Loretta]

I'm currently 2/3 of the way through , which is really interesting and filled with a lot of details on how home life evolved (mostly in the UK and US) over the last 200-250 years. It's making me realize some details of life that are casually mentioned in 19th century novels that I had missed before (and that they don't always cover in the Introductions or Footnotes, depending on the edition).

I also recently started , which I really like so far, but it's still early stages yet.

It seems that I too cannot keep myself reading only 2-3 books.

[Melissa]

My big problem is my retention and comprehension when reading from the computer is not good. Unfortunately, I do not have a Kindle or a Nook yet. :(

[Loretta]

Melissa, I've found that the program you use to read on the computer greatly affects how well you retain what you're reading.

For me, reading PDFs is just about as good as reading from my Nook or from paper.

[Melissa]

Loretta wrote: "Melissa, I've found that the program you use to read on the computer greatly affects how well you retain what you're reading.

For me, reading PDFs is just about as good as reading from my Nook o..."

Maybe I will try that - thanks Loretta.

[Everyman]

Loretta wrote: "Melissa, I've found that the program you use to read on the computer greatly affects how well you retain what you're reading.

For me, reading PDFs is just about as good as reading from my Nook o..."

That's interesting. I haven't seen any studies yet on retention level vs. method of reading (hard copy, e-reader, various computer programs, audio book), but it's probably been looked at. I would love to know whether there is any real basis for a difference -- it would make quite a difference in the way schools should use or avoid technology if it were proved that reading electronically were substantially different in understanding and retention (either better or worse) than reading on paper or listening on audio.

[Gwenyth]

I'm not really distracted by other books right now (unless textbooks count) but I have been distracted by Glee. All my friends have been talking about it so I downloaded the first season onto my iPhone and watching episodes on the subway has taken away from my reading time...lol.

[Loretta]

@ Everyman: I haven't read any studies yet either, though given the recent boom in e-reader sales, I would not be surprised if some are in the process of being conducted/peer-reviewed/published right now.

Personally, though, I've tried the various PC e-reader apps (both Nook and Kindle), and, of course, have also spent a lot of time on the internet reading newspapers, magazines, and various blogs, and have found that I retain details best when I'm reading simple black text on a white background. Many of the e-reader programs have too many bells and whisitles, IMO, with the border areas around the page being too colorful. Similarly, online newspapers and magazines are filled with distracting images (usually ads, which I don't blame them for, as they have to get paid somehow).

I think this is why one of the things I love about goodreads is the simplicity of the website layout.

When I really want to retain what I'm reading, and it's from an online source, I have to convert it to pdf or plain text first, and then read it.

I have a Nook as well, and I personally find that that works as well as a paper book for remembering details.

[Kristina]

I am currently reading



AM1000
Let me know what you think of . I heard it is fantastic.

[AM10000]

Kristina, I thought Perfume was pretty good...I wouldn't say fantastic, but worth the read. :)

Right now I'm reading .

[Andrea]

I was going back and forth between a couple of books and an audio. All of a sudden I again have way to much going! I would shelf some for the time but many are library books that I was waiting for and who knows how long I would have to wait until my turn again. So I've got 8 books going and 1 audio CD and 1 on deck...lol Why do I do this to myself...lol

[Melissa]

Totally stuck on a biography of the baseball player Albert Pujols...(and no I am not a fan of baseball - I am supposed to write a review).

[Loretta]

Andrea wrote: "I was going back and forth between a couple of books and an audio. All of a sudden I again have way to much going! I would shelf some for the time but many are library books that I was waiting for ..."

It's frustrating, but I've learned sometimes that I have to return books to the library unread. Forcing myself to read too many books at once lessens the enjoyment, so if one has to get put aside, or read at a later date, that's just how it has to be.

I've got 4 going currently, and that's quite enough!

[Melissa]

Started the authorized biography of Tolkien - seems reasonably well written so I am sailing. Now to pick some fiction to spend dream time on and I will be set.

[Kristi]

Andrea wrote: "I was going back and forth between a couple of books and an audio. All of a sudden I again have way to much going! I would shelf some for the time but many are library books that I was waiting for ..."

You and I must suffer from the same illness. I have a TON of books going right now too! It's a bit overwhelming!

[Andrea]

I just looked at my library account and I have 21 items checked out...I NEDD HELP!...hahaha

[Jaime]

Andrea wrote: "I just looked at my library account and I have 21 items checked out...I NEDD HELP!...hahaha"

I have 50 and I'm on the waiting list for 8 others.

[Loretta]

How is that even possible? Do you just keep renewing them?

[Michelle]

I'm currently working on Torn by Amanda Hocking, The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 4 Novels & 56 Short Stories, and will be working on Small Town Chronicle: Sarah's Return that I won in a Goodreads giveaway once it gets shipped to me!

[Jaime]

Loretta wrote: "How is that even possible? Do you just keep renewing them?"

No, but I keep going to the library and finding new books I want to read and I check them out. My library allows 2 renewals only. I read 1-2 books a day.

[Tasha]

I'm reading Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae for another group buddy read and it is really distracting me from getting any reading done on Crime &Punishment which I'm really enjoying too. I am really hoping to catch up in C&P this weekend.

[Loretta]

I'm also a little behind on C&P, mostly due to and , both of which are hard to put down.

[Loretta]

FINISHED ! Loved it, and gave it 5 stars.

Now I can finally get back on track with C&P, and continue on with Two Towers, which we're starting this week.

[Jason]

Hi everyone!

Just finished Drinking Closer to Home

A solid 4* read! Reviewed here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-4z