What are you reading? Showing 1,251-1,300 of 28,901

[Jen]

Tisha - Don't give up on Kite Runner. It is a brilliant and beautiful story that you will carry with you forever. That said, I offer to hold the support group when you've finished.

[Val]

Tisha, you will be so glad you read Kite Runner and I agree wholeheartedly with the other comments about it.

I'll bring snacks to the support group, then hand you A Thousand Splendid Suns to carry you through.

[[deleted user]]

Interesting. I enjoyed Kite Runner but not as much as everyone told me I would. I particularly enjoyed learning about Afghanistan culture and I really liked the first third more than the rest. Overall it was well worth reading.

[Tisha]

You guys are so supportive!!!!! Thank you! This is what makes a book club so great, the push to try new books. ...among the thousand other awesome things about you all. ;)

[Val]

Jeremy, you make a good point that sometimes books are heralded so much and made such a fuss of, that once we read them we are rather disappointed.

I loved Kite Runner and Thousand Splendid Suns for the cultural aspect as well. I love reading about people and places about which I know next to nothing.

[[deleted user]]

I'm with you Val. On the flip side, I read some terrible reviews and then love the book. I try not to read reviews at all until I've read the book but it is usually too tempting. And of course, if 3 people I know are raving about a book I can't exactly ignore them.

[Chloe]

Hi Ann, how are you enjoying Oscar Hijuelos? I've had The Mambo Kings Sing Songs of Love on my shelf for years but haven't been inspired to pick it up yet.

[Charity]

I want to read that too. I've been trying to chip away at all the Pulitzers (fiction) for a while. Everyone says the movie is really good. Wonder if it is because of Banderas? I read that he learned to speak English while filming that movie. Interesting, no?

[Val]

Jeremy, I think reviews as a whole are completely overrated. It's all a matter of personal taste anyway, right? What made reviewers of books, movies, food, or music the voice of the masses and the last word on anything?

Sorry...I've had some friends who wouldn't do ANYTHING without the okay of some reviewer they liked. That's a rather limiting way to live, if you ask me.

[Chloe]

Charity, I really think that you may be my evil twin. I've been going after the Pulitzers for nearly four years now, which is why I picked up Mambo Kings in the first place. This was before the 1001 list began ruling my world, though there is sufficient crossover between the two that I've still made some progress.

As far as reviewers are concerned, I think that they are vitally important. There are something like 3000 different books released every year. Without someone to sort through them and raise the good ones to the top how would we ever find those rare gems. That said, I am always far more likely to trust the recommendations of friends and people with similar taste in books than I am book critics. Though I do find myself reading most of the NY Times year-end "best of" books year in and year out.

[Charity]

Why am I automatically the evil one?

[Chloe]

Well you are the Serial Mom...

[[deleted user]]

Lori,I'm about 70 pgs into Fallen and so far I'm really enjoying it. Maine is a natural storyteller.

[[deleted user]]

I agree with you Logan that reviewers are necessary. But I find myself usually feeling quite different about the book than the reviewer so I always take it with a big grain of salt.

[Chloe]

The way I picture it is that all of these books are in a crowd and shouting trying to be heard. Occasionally a passerby, the critic, stops and talks to a book and then adds their voice to the shouting. Eventually there's enough shouting about a particular book that people who aren't even in the area hear it and are compelled to read it to see what all the fuss is about.

[Sherry]

Well said Logan.The thing that I appreciate about reviewers is that they may see the book in a way that I hadn't even known to look for and sometimes they can point me in a direction that I might not have known to go or taken a chance on something that I wouldn't have otherwise.The more reviewers who add their voice the more likely I am to take that chance.

[[deleted user]]

There is still one point about reviewers that I agree with Val. Some of the absolutely trash a book and overly critique the author. It is one thing to perhaps have problems with the way the plot was resolved or so on, but how can you completely trash a book when you have not written one yourself. It is a TON of work!!!

[Charity]

All this talk about how a reviewer can lead you into the direction of that perfect book is EXACTLY why you all must watch The Stone Reader!!!

[Sherry]

I read a review of Choke yesterday that was so nasty and negative.This guy had just enough education to sound informed but the post became so personal and degrading.Those I just ignore and move on.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Sherry! I've read reviews of Palahniuk where they are saying he is just going for shock factor. I have to admit I have only read one book and seen Fight Club, but the guy has some great things to say and add to that a riveting plot. I would skip over the personal and degrading reviews as well.

[Kathy McC]

Tisha- good luck with the not getting depressed part. I read this book months ago and I still carry the sadness of it with me. But- you should still read it. It is now on my top 10 list and I don't change my mid easily. It is a beautifully written novel.

[Lorena]

Hayley ... I have Labyrinth on my to-read shelf at home, If you like it I'll pick it up next!

[Lorena]

Logan I have the Mambo Kings at home waiting to be picked too, if you didn't read so freakishly fast I would ask you to read it at the same time ... ;o)

[ScottK]

LOL @ Charity up above asking "why is she automatically the evil one ???" Actions speak louder that words dearheart . <<>>

[Emma]

Finished The Silver Chair. Not the best of the Narnia books but not the worst.

[Lori, Super Mod]

Jesse,, I am really glad you like Fallen so far. Did you know David Maine is one of our own Goodreads authors? If you like it, when you're done, drop him a message and let him know what you think!

[Kristie]

I am Currently reading

"Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany" By Marte Cohn with Wendy Holden

Interesting....

[Lorena]

I'm still reading the Lovecraft short stories book, I can't believe its going so slow for me, I am loving it but the large size of the pages and the medium size font is making it so slow.

[Chloe]

Lorena, I haven't finished a book in over a week and a half. The only reason I was able to make it through The Brothers Karamazov so quickly was that I had an excess of time to spend in airports. Pages just keep turning in situations like that. Too bad I don't get to fly anywhere until September. Poo!

I've been waiting on Mambo Kings for so long because every time I pick it up I keep picturing the movie. I want to forget the movie before I read it. It's been almost five years though so I should be safe.

[Lorena]

Logan, yeah its weird for me, this is a 285 page book, it should have taken me about three days tops, but the format of the book its so weird, I made a comment about this at home and my husband said, "baby, its not like you have a deadline on it", he he he

I've never seen that movie, I try to avoid Antonio Bandera's greasy hair as much as I can ... ;o) although, I did like him in that movie about wariors back in the day.

[Charity]

He's great in Four Rooms...the whole 15 minutes that he's actually in the film. :-)

[Chloe]

I love Four Rooms. The segment with the two kids is my second favorite, right behind the Penthouse scene with the cleaver. Tim Roth is flipping hilarious.

[Charity]

Absolutely! Such a great movie. Banderas's part is so small but he plays it so big, if you know what I mean. So intimidating.

The Tarantino/Bruce Willis scene is my fave too.

[Ann from S.C.]

I am now reading A SIMPLE PLAN by Scott Smith. I saw it on this reading group and it looked good!

[The Book Whisperer (aka Boof)]

I've just finished The Butterfly House last night and I loved it! Highly recommended.

What to read next?......

[Kirsty]

Hey Lorena... thought you were reading Michael Crichton's 'Next' next? lol

[Hayley]

Lorena, I really liked it, I enjoyed the two storylines that merge together and I love the different take on the Holy Grail, its a bit long and took me a couple of days to get into it but once there I read through it quite quickly.

[Linda]

Ann:

I read A Simple Plan when it first came out and liked the intensity of it. I guess it was so intense that it took him 10 years to write another one, but The Ruins blew me away. Not only is it intense, but don't read on a dark and stormy night. It is downright creepy, but really, really good.

Linda

[Jessika]

Jeremy--I know I'm a little behind on all of the comments, but I totally agree with you about some reviewers! Sometimes I read reviews and people analyze the book to the tiniest detail, so I end up wondering if they were so into analyzing and figuring out the book that they forgot to read it! Another pet peeve of mine is when people write reviews that end up being a long summary of the book!

[Linda]

Jessica:

Since I am fairly new to the group and not sure what everyone's preferences are, I can only say that I loved My Sister's Keeper. Typical, Picoult, though, get ready for some twists and turns with this one.

If you are are dog lover, you will also get a kick out of it.

Linda

[Linda]

Kristie:

You sound like a soul sister. I do the same with books. A friend of mine lent me Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama and held off and held off and held off reading it until I just told myself to sit down and try it. I don't discuss politics with anyone but my husband, but I do think that writing style is quite good. While reading two other books and listening to two others, I am finally at the point where I just want to get the Obama book done.

I think I will be on to All The Pretty Girls next.

[JT]

I started Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates last night. So far, so good! In fact, I was so sad to put it down to go to sleep. The first couple chapters were mesmerizing.

Linda, I've been eyeing some Picoult in the bookstore. I've never tried her before but am curious to. Any suggestions for a first Picoult book?

[Jim]

just finished THE SPIES OF WARSAW by ALAN FUERST
very good and fast read

started THE PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG LADY by HENRY JAMES
FUN SO FAR

[Lorena]

Kirsty, I have like 35 books at home to-read ... the order scapes me at times ;o) are you reading Next? Its always so good to read something someone else is reading.

Hayley, I bought Labyrinth on a whim at Sam's it was only $4, at the time I had never heard of it, but I'm glad I did, I wish I could take more time for reading and get caught up with all the books I got at home!

[The Book Whisperer (aka Boof)]

I've just started Blindness after all the recommendations on here. Lori & everyone else, I
am LOVING it so far. The lack of punctuation, names etc isn't putitng me off at all, infact I think I quite like it. Just started chapter 3 will keep you updated.

JT, let me know how you get on with Revolutionary Road, it's been on my TBR pile for a while so I'm interested to hear what you have to say about it. Also, start with My Sisters Keeper for Picoult. It's fabulous and the best by a long shot.

[Hayley]

Lorena, I'm the same if I see a book on offer I'll pick it up. Labyrinth was in a 3 for 2 offer at a local book store, so i got that and The Kite Runner and I can't remember which other one I got (it can't be that good then). I really enjoyed it and it was better than her second book, though I still enjoyed it.

[Lorena]

Jess, that is also my biggest problem with reviews, which I usually avoid, the fact that some of these so called "experts" take the liberty to write a summary instead of a review infuriates me, it takes the fun out of reading the book a lot of times.

[Kirsty]

Lorena, we'd messaged and you said you'd let me know when you were ready to start Next and then we'd read it together, lol. Not a problem if you want to wait though, just let me know when's good for you!

[Jessica]

Linda, I finished My Sister's Keeper the other day and I loved it. It was my 8th or 9th Picoult book so I knew what I was getting into but it was the first book that almost made me cry!

JT, you really can't go wrong with any Jodi Picoult book for your first one. The first one I read was Plain Truth.

[JT]

Boof, thanks for the PIcoult recommendation. I'll probably pick it up at Borders this weekend!...and I'll let you know about Revolutionary Road for sure.