The Next Best Book Club discussion
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What are you reading?
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I am currently at Part 2 in Midnights Children. I was just dealt a whallop of a suprise at the end of book 1 and cant wait to pick it back up again. Damn TNBBC and Goodreads, eating into my reading time :P
Jenn wrote: "Naomi wrote: "I am reading The Undomestic Goddess By Sophie Kinsella enjoying this book as i enjoy all her books when i fancy something light and funny to read, have ordered Twilight from amazon to..."I agree that Twilight is the best of the series! The rest were good, but not quite as good as Twilight!
Jamie~ Glad to hear you liked The Book Thief so much! :) I started it last night, and I'm loving it so far.
Bettie - I read The Twelve Caesars when I was in college. It was very interesting, and many shocking occurrences were mentioned in that book!
Jamie wrote: "Bettie - I read The Twelve Caesars when I was in college. It was very interesting, and many shocking occurrences were mentioned in that book! "S'good and juicy.
I just finished Geraldine Brooks"People of the Book." I loved this book. There's history, there's mystery and there's love. Next back to "Pride and Prejudice" for the third time, which I'm reading for a book club.
Kate wrote: "LindaAlthough it will be awhile until I get a copy of this book, I feel I must buy it because I own a copy of every book in this series so far. If I didn't I'd probably head to the library as ..."
Hey, I totally understand. Just when I thought I wasn't going to spend anymore money on another book for awhile, I took three books to the trade-in, discount store and picked up
A Girl Named Zippy, so like so many good plans, flawed in implementation. However, with the trade-ins, only spent $6 for both books. Woo, woo!
Lisa wrote: "I just finished Geraldine Brooks"People of the Book." I loved this book. There's history, there's mystery and ..."Lisa, I agree with you. I loved the switching between the present and the past format.
Allison wrote: "Jamie~ Glad to hear you liked The Book Thief so much! :) I started it last night, and I'm loving it so far. "Allison, Between The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief and Double Bind, these are some of my favorite books from last year.
Andrea wrote: "I'm Reading The Monster Of Florence as well as a cheesy Harlequin and 90 Minutes in Heaven"Andrea, How do you like The Monster of Florence? I have it on my request list for audio books.
Eliza wrote: "I'm reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and so far I really like it! It's different. I like to be punched in the stomach by a book- does that make sense? I hope this book delivers. "Eliza, when I first picked this book up and looked at the pages, it was sooooo totally strange that I kept putting it back on my TBR shelf. I am so glad I finally relented and read it. What an amazing read.
Lori wrote: "Awww. Jess, i am sorry to hear you are mourning the death of a book character. In time, I promise the pain will fade, and you will be able to continue the series with a brave heart!!I am curren..."
Lori, you are damning your own group? Not a good sign...haha!
Jessica wrote: "Hello eveyrone! I am new here, I was just checking things out. I just finished the book Night Watch which I really loved. It's a series so I will have to get the next one. While I am waiting fo..."
Jessica - you might try My Cousin Rachel if you enjoyed Daphne du Maurier's others. IMO it was her best.
Jamie wrote: "just finished The Book Thief..wow. i stayed up all night to finish this..because i had to. and i cried. like a baby. which is so unusual for me. this book was amazing. i have no clue what to read..."
Jamie - have you read Prodigal Summer: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver? If you are at all a nature lover, I promise you'll love it. You need something meaty to follow-up Book Thief. I have such a hard time liking anything I read after books like that. But PS (as Fiona & I like to call it) will not disappoint.
Now on to Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn
Linda, that is awesome! :) You have good taste in books! :) I will have to check out Double Bind.
The Suetonius sounds yummy.Last night I re-read a book of short stories, Steven Saylor's A Gladiator Dies Only Once: The Further Investigations of Gordianus the Finder. It's a nice little book of stories.
Susanna wrote: "The Suetonius sounds yummy.Last night I re-read a book of short stories, Steven Saylor's [b:A Gladiator Dies Only Once: The Further Investigations of Gordianus the Finder|102713|A Gladiator Dies ..."
Very short Titus section but if scoring on the suetonius scale, he came out the best.
Bettie wrote: "Susanna wrote: "The Suetonius sounds yummy.Last night I re-read a book of short stories, Steven Saylor's [b:A Gladiator Dies Only Once: The Further Investigations of Gordianus the Finder|102713..."
I still have a Saylor on my shelves to try to give me a taste for the series.
I liked the short story volume I have read (there are two, one of which I haven't read), the best of the Saylors.
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Linda wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I just finished Geraldine Brooks"People of the Book." I loved this book. There's history, there's..."Linda,
Have you read any of Brooks' other books? I read "March" and had a hard time with it because I had such an idealized picture of the March sisters father from having loved "Little Women" for so long.
Hi Lisa and Linda, I read Geraldine Brooks Year of Wonders and really loved it. It got me hooked on her books. She uses such interesting perspectives to tell her stories - in this case the plague in the 1600s in England.We read March in my face2face book group and I think everyone liked it quite a bit but I can see why you had a hard time with it.
I am really looking forward to People of the Book but I have a few things ahead of it on my TBR list so I am going to have a wait a bit.
Donna wrote: "Hi Lisa and Linda, I read Geraldine Brooks Year of Wonders and really loved it. It got me hoo...""Year of Wonders" is on my TBR list--not even in the pile yet. After I had read "March," I was hesitant to pick up two Brooks books, but now I'm moving "Year" back up my list!
Laura wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Hello eveyrone! I am new here, I was just checking things out. I just finished the book Night Watch which I really loved. It's a series so I will have to get the next one. While..."
Laura- I have heard that My Cousin Rachel was very good as well. I will definitely have to add it to my library. For the longest time though her books were hard to come by. I bought Frenchman's Creek from an antique bookstore.
I am currently reading Second Glance. I actually really like it, but it's not a "page turner".
I agree. It took a while for me to really get into Second Glance. I liked it, but it definitely was not my favorite Jodi Picoult book.
just finished Let it Snow for the Winter Challenge. now on to the first book in the Uglies series. I'm going to give it a try.
I am reading The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue and The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.
My take on Geraldine Brooks--People of the Book was by far my favorite, then Year of Wonders, and March was my least favorite. I don't remember it well enough to say why though. And that might explain it--it was unmemorable for me.
I'm "reading" I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass. I just became a member of audible.com and this is the the first book I'm listening to. I have a 25 minute commute, each way, and I find that this story is complex enough to hold my attention and yet effervescent enough to help me unwind at the end of the day. It tells the story of the evolving relationship between two sisters, Louisa and Clement, through a series of snapshots/ vignettes/ shared experiences from their lives at different points in time. It's a cool technique, and the writing is excellent...lyrical prose that doesn't take itself too seriously.
I'm almost finished The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton, and just picked up Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I like to chop up my sci-fi reading with beautiful things, to avoid insanity. I've done the fantasy epic after fantasy epic thing before, and it did strange things to me. Haha.
Vicki, The Stolen Child and Gargoyle are two of my favorites! Anxious to hear what you think about them.
Jessica wrote: "Hello eveyrone! I am new here, I was just checking things out. I just finished the book Night Watch which I really loved. It's a series so I will have to get the next one. While I am waiting fo..."
Jessica, if you liked Kite Runner, and you're interested in books that have a cultural aspect to them, you MUST read a new book out this week called Fidali's Way, by George Mastras (Goodreads link below). It takes place in Kashmir(as well as Pakistan), and the author has traveled extensively there. It's also about an American immersed in the local culture, so it's more about a Westerner's comprehension of the culture, which parallels the world conflicts going on there today. Very timely in light of the Mumbai attacks. But in it's essence, it's a love story, set in the midst of conflict.
I couldn't put it down. Got elements of a thriller, mystery, as well as being a grand, introspective literary novel that asks all the big questions. Check it out on Amazon or on the author's web site: http://www.fidalisway.com/
Good reading!
Fidali's Way: A Novel
Lisa wrote: "I just finished Geraldine Brooks"People of the Book." I loved this book. There's history, there's mystery and ..."I have just renewed this one from the library. Must get round to reading it. I'm currently reading the gargoyle by Andrew Davidson which is unlike anything i've read before and completely capitivating.
Started The Gargoyle the other day. The first couple chapters were hard to read, I got sweaty picturing the medical procedure. It makes burning your hand on the stove seem trivial!
Girl with a Pearl Earring. seems good for now. Have already seen the movie some years ago but it doesn't seem to be a bad thing.
LOL...Rachelle I had the same problem reading The Gargoyle. I'm not usually squimish, but those chapters were beyond detailed. After you get past the medical stuff the rest of the story is really good.
Lori wrote: "Awww. Jess, i am sorry to hear you are mourning the death of a book character. In time, I promise the pain will fade, and you will be able to continue the series with a brave heart!!Thanks Lori :) I finally picked the next book up yesterday morning because I had to know how the series ends!
Do any of you ever get like that? I mean, I know it's silly, but when you've spent however long reading about a character, don't you kinda feel like they've become your friend in a way?
Jamie, I've also started the Uglies series. Let me know what you think. I've read about 30 pages, and I think that it's all right. It's YA, which I love, but this one seems a little young for me at the onset. I'm hoping that that will change as I continue to read this book.My current non-fiction read is Team of Rivals and thus far, it appears that this book will be on my top 10 favorite books of all time. The writing is exceptional and the level of detail about this period in history is unbelieveable. I can't wait to pick it up again today.
Fiona--I keep thinking about that...I'm so close to finishing the 7th book, and I really don't know what I'm going to do once it's done. You're right, so much of this series has been looking forward to the next book. I grew up right alongside Harry, I was 11 when I read the first book. My aunt had bought it for me for my birthday, but it didn't sound like something I would really like. Once I read it though...lord, was I wrong! I went right out and got the 2nd book and let it all soak in again. I did much the same with the 3rd, which has been my favorite so far (although the 7th is definitely looking to be some serious competition).
I didn't start pre-ordering the books until the 4th one and since then, it's just been so much anticipation. I did get The Tales of Beedle the Bard for Christmas, so I'll be reading that next, which will hopefully ease me down gently from the HP high that I've been on!
I do have to wonder what (if anything) JKR will put out next...whatever it is, I'm definitely looking forward to it! hehe
Sera wrote: "Jamie, I've also started the Uglies series. Let me know what you think. I've read about 30 pages, and I think that it's all right. It's YA, which I love, but this one seems a little young for me..."that is exactly how i am feeling so far..I think it is alright..if i were a 15 year old girl..i don't read to much YA lit..but the stuff i have read doesn't feel like this. I feel like it might be a little to young for my liking..but hopefully it will pick up for me.
Sera wrote: "My current non-fiction read is Team of Rivals and thus far, it appears that this book will be on my top 10 favorite books of all time. The writing is exceptional and the level of detail about this period in history is unbelieveable. I can't wait to pick it up again today...."YAY! That's on my 2009 TBR Presidential biographies list! I've heard so many good things about it.
Allison wrote: "Linda, that is awesome! :) You have good taste in books! :) I will have to check out Double Bind. "Aw, shucks. Thanks for the compliment.
Lisa wrote: "Linda wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I just finished Geraldine Brooks"People of the Book." I loved this book. There's hi..."Lisa, I took a look a March, but wasn't sure it intrigued me enough to pick it up. Might have been my mood at the time.
Pudwood, I agree. I am about 60 pages into The Gargoyle right now. I think that's why I am totally intrigued by it. Rachelle, those parts are definitely tough to get through, I find myself reading faster as not to get sick.
Cindy, I love both so far. I just wish I had more time to read them. I will let you know when I am finished!
Alisha wrote: "I agree. It took a while for me to really get into Second Glance. I liked it, but it definitely was not my favorite Jodi Picoult book."Alisha, Don't know how you feel about Jodi Picoult generally, but I have found that I'll read a real "page-turner" like Nineteen Minutes, or Change of Heart, and then I will read The Tenth Circle or The Pact, and though I finish them, it becomes a struggle. I think some of them just seem to go on and on with no end in sight.
Lisa wrote: "Linda wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I just finished Geraldine Brooks"People of the Book." Linda wrote: Lisa, I took a look a March, but wasn't sure it intrigued me enough to pick it up. Might have been my mood at the time.
I read Little Women last summer - in preparation for reading March last fall with my neighborhood book club. Very few of us liked March - because of the direction Geraldine Brooks took with Mr. March.
Currently, I'm reading Dewey and The Thirteenth Tale.
I'm reading non-fiction at the moment.I need to go back to fiction!
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The Next Best Book Club
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