The Next Best Book Club discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Revive a Dead Thread
>
What are you reading?
Petra wrote: "carol (akittykat) wrote: "carol (akittykat) wrote: "Reading The Castle In the Forest-Norman Mailer. I just started it. I have already google information that he is imparting in the book. He is pre..."This surprised me about Mailer. He usually writes on interesting themes. I will see where it takes me though. Thanks for you imput.
Started audio book "Belle Weather (Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits)" by Celia Rivenbark today in the car running errands and it is laugh out loud wonderful. I'm not sure where I read the recommendation, but thank-you, thank-you, who-ever you were!
Jenna wrote: "Finished the Abstinence Teacher and really did not like it. Now I am on to A Great and Terrible Beauty. Hopefully I will enjoy this one more."I loved A Great and Terrible Beauty. I hope you enjoy it!
Mod
JG wrote: "Claire wrote: "Not sure what I'll read next - since Halloween is coming up and the fall weather, I may read Dracula by Bram Stoker or Duma Key by Stephen King---- kind of in the mood for something ..."I agree, JG, its still a tad early for the halloween decorations!
I just finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. It was such a culture shock for me to learn what those poor women went through in those times. I was cringing while I was reading the pages, but I desperately wanted to know what happened to this bond that brought these two women together. It was a good story, but not one of my favorites...Now I'm onto The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi.
It's part of the seasonal challenge that I'm participating in and it sounds really interesting. I'm Italian so I'm thrilled to be reading something of my own culture this time. Plus I absolultely love Italy and wish to go back there someday soon! :)
Mod
Wow. Talk about a ride! This book was a bit darker than Smashed, but just as funny, and loaded with some great stuff... Those of you who read Smashed MUST read this!
I will be reading The Double by Dostoevsky next.
I'm currently reading The Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
I just finished Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell, I'm enjoying this series and I'm glad I got around to picking it up!Now I'm reading Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.
And Then There Were None was awesome! I really enjoyed that book!
And Then There Were None is one of my favorite books.
I'm really liking it. I love books that you just fall into and get lost in, I only picked it up a little while ago and somehow I've already read 100 pages.Looking forward to finding out how it ends!
I've recently started Eclipse (Meyer). The saga continues . . .
Actively, I'm reading Gaiman and Prachett's "Good Omens." I've had The Fountainhead, Wicked, and Bird by Bird in progress for a few months each, so I don't know if they count, LOL.Just bought book two of the Dresden Files and an interesting looking read called "Across the Nightingale Floor."
Maureen wrote: "Liz wrote: "I just finished Stardust and am about to start New Moon. That will be put on hold whne my copy of Lady Audley's Secret comes in for my Vic Lit book club. I've also been working on Qui..."Thanks! This book club is also face-to-face. It's pretty much my closest friends at college, about 2 other girls and my advisor, so it's a really good group.
I just finished The Time Traveler's Wife. It was like wretching teeth without novacaine! I wanted to read it because my friend said it was good. Little did I know that it was going to literally take half of the book until it got interesting. I thought she was joking. As of right now...I am reading Wasted by Marya Hornbacher.
I finished Nine Princes in Amber and it was pretty good. I'll give it three stars but I will continue on with the series.Now I'm starting Mermaids in the Basement. It's good so far!
I have just started reading the Gargoyle, not what I expected but am really enjoying it.
Just finished The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson earlier today and am glad to say that I am not disapointed by number 2 in the trilogy and can't wait for number 3.
And have now started A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore and though I have only read one chapter so far I think I will enjoy it.
And have now started A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore and though I have only read one chapter so far I think I will enjoy it.
A Dirty Job is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. I really need to read more of Moore's books.
Speaking of funny, Tightening the Knot by Amanda Hamm is one of the funnier books I've read in some time. Not the kind of book I usually read, but a wonderful gem nonetheless.
I finally finished with Princes of Ireland. It turned into a little bit of a slog in the second half, I have to say. Overall it was still a worthwhile read, but I won't be picking up the sequel any time soon. Now reading a little non fiction book called "City of Words" by Alberto Manguel. Very thought provoking about how language and stories shapes our very understanding of who we are, both as individuals and societies - that in fact, we create ourselves and our worlds with the words and narratives we make. Really enjoying it.
JG.. A dirty Job, Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck were my favorite Moore novels, I have read all of his other ones and they just were not as good, at all, IMO. My friend like Lamb but I didnt care for it, I did not like Fluke AT ALL. Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, wasnt bad, the only one i have left to read is Fool and i just have been trying to hit all the book sales to get books instead of paying full price, so if i dont have it by christmas i may ask for it as one of my christmas presents.
I just finished "Something Borrowed". It wasn't the greatest chick-lit book i've ever read, but it wasnt the worst either. I enjoyed the later half of the book the best found myself not wanting to put it down at that point as opposed to the beginning which i thought started off kinda slow.I'm on to "Something Blue" Now
I just finished Push by Sapphire. Very powerful begining, but the ending was just ok. I just found out that it was made into a movie and will be released this winter. Oprah is somehow involved in the movie, so I am sure it will do well. Now on to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
Our local book club is reading Summer of the Red Wolf A Novel for Thursday, which is one of my favorites. I just finished The Course of Honor by Lindsey Davis, and am about halfway through The Woman in White.
JG wrote: "....I also finished Persepolis 2 The Story of a Return and actually probably enjoyed it a little more than the first..."I saw the film of Persepolis and my daughter read the graphic novel. They had it in the tweens section at our library but after seeing the film moved it to the teens.
I want to read it but my library only has it in Hebrew and I already have 2 graphic novels backed-up on my Hebrew TBR pile.
Janny wrote: "Our local book club is reading Summer of the Red Wolf A Novel for Thursday, which is one of my favorites. I just finished The Course of Honor by [author:Lindsey Davis|2..."Hi Janny, What did you think of The Course of Honor? Fans of detailed Roman history probably think it is rather light but I enjoyed the different perspective.
Lindsay wrote: "I have just started reading the Gargoyle, not what I expected but am really enjoying it. "I really liked the Gargoyle, a little heavy in not so pleasant detail in the beginning, but it was overall a very interesting book in my opinion.
I just started "The Unthinkable" by Amanda Ripley about Survival Psychology. Recently finished (and LOVED) Darling Jim by christian Moerk, and just wrapped Girl who played with Fire
Read some of Labor Day and gave it 1 star. This book started off wonderfully, and then when Mom (who supposedly looks like Ginger Grant from Gilligan's Island), brings into her own home (which she shares with her child) an escaped prisoner and lets him "tie her up gently" with her own silk scarves and cooks homemade meals for her which he lovingly feeds to her as she is tied up...I lost all interest! She immediately "falls in love" as does he...meanwhile, her thirteen-year-old son is in the house with them (during Labor Day weekend), observing this bizarre dynamic. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!!! What am I not understanding here?
Finished reading Darling Jim A Novel and gave it 2 stars. Odd...this book started out fantastic with interesting characters and then began to get bogged down in some confusing fantasy aspects and outlandish character traits.
I'm reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Weekends at Bellevue. Both are very good.Finished Weekends at Bellevue - highly recommend it!
Still reading Dragon Tattoo (very good) and have started Shutter Island (I love Dennis Lehane).
I'm still reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell. Very good and very long! I'm about half way through now. Because of its size and bulk, this is my at-home, weekend book.I'll also be starting The Two Destinies tomorrow.
I loved Jonathan Strange! I just gave it to my brother to read. It is a serious brick of a book, though. I've started a collection of George Orwell's essays. I'm about 4 essays in, and just loving it. He was writing in the 1930's, but his work is still so highly relevant to the world of today. The essays I've read so far are more in the nature of memoirs - quite short - two particularly rivetting ones called "A Hanging" and "Shooting an Elephant".
Yeah Vickie, I did think I ever wanted to know what happen to a burn victim, but now I do, but I am finding the whole relationship with the most likely szchophrenic and the burn victim interesting.
Donna wrote: "Janny wrote: "Our local book club is reading Summer of the Red Wolf A Novel for Thursday, which is one of my favorites. I just finished The Course of Honor by L..."</i>I enjoyed it - for the mood I was in, tired from a very hard trip, this book was just exactly the right pick. What fascinated me was the shift in narrative style from this standalone, and Davis's series. I hadn't expected that - but it made sense, since she was choosing to write from the perspective of a historical character.
I hadn't chosen the story for the sake of gaining historical perspective - Davis has a particular gift for making a place feel alive. I am no scholar on that particular period, and so am in no position to be critical.
For anyone who enjoys stories set in ancient Rome, I also enjoyed [book:Search the Seven Hills by Barbara Hambly to be exquisitely well done.
Loretta wrote: "I've started a collection of George Orwell's essays. I'm about 4 essays in, and just loving it. He was writing in the 1930's, but his work is still so highly relevant to the world of today. The essays I've read so far are more in the nature of memoirs - quite short - two particularly rivetting ones called "A Hanging" and "Shooting an Elephant"...."I have the 4 volumes of Orwell's essays on the bookshelf. They've been there for years and you've reminded me of how much I enjoyed them. Thanks! I'll have to go through them again soon. I remember them being relevant, too. I didn't read them all but quite a few of them.
Jenna wrote: "Finished the Abstinence Teacher and really did not like it. Now I am on to A Great and Terrible Beauty. Hopefully I will enjoy this one more."Jenna, I didn't like the Abstinence Teacher at all either. What a strange, stange book! I finished it because I kept hoping it was going somewhere...it didn't.
Lori wrote: "I am currently knee deep in the Dexter Series... I finished Darkly Dreaming Dexter last nite (a day and a half), and I am already half way through the Dearly Devoted Dexter.
I have Dexter in the..."
I've never read the books, but have watched every episode so far. Great show that you really get hooked on and await impatiently every week. For some reason though I can never stand reading something I've already watched on the Tele. Even with Fight Club and Godfather. As much as I love the movies, I could never stand reading it after watching the movie. Specifically Fight Club, since I already knew all the plot twists. Do you ever get that with books turned into films?
I have Dexter in the..."
I've never read the books, but have watched every episode so far. Great show that you really get hooked on and await impatiently every week. For some reason though I can never stand reading something I've already watched on the Tele. Even with Fight Club and Godfather. As much as I love the movies, I could never stand reading it after watching the movie. Specifically Fight Club, since I already knew all the plot twists. Do you ever get that with books turned into films?
I never end up reading the latest hit like Dan Brown's stuff or Harry Potter or the like for some reason. My last book I've read is Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time and though currently knee deep in Political Science textbooks, I'm looking around the libraries in Amsterdam for Dostoevsky's The Idiot.
Fran wrote: "Started audio book "Belle Weather (Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits)" by Celia Rivenbark today in the car running errands and it is laugh out loud wonderful. I'm not sure where I..."Her brutal honesty is hilarious. I've read Bless Your Heart, Tramp And Other Southern Endearments and We're Just Like You, Only Prettier Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle and adored them both. I'm looking forward to reading her others.
I just finished Revolutionary Road last night and it was fantastic! One of my top ten books now. Possibly even top five.I am now reading The Notebook. Not that great, but I have owned it forever, so when I am finished I will probably put it on paperbackswap. Also, I am doing it for a book challenge and I should easily be able to knock it out today and move on to another task.
I found some time to kick back and relax this weekend so I made a pretty good dent in The House at Riverton. It's the kind of book that makes me want to curl up on the couch with a blanket, my dog and a cup of coffee to read in long stretches. I have trouble picking it up when I know I only have time to read a few pages.
Katie wrote: "Fran wrote: "Started audio book "Belle Weather (Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits)" by Celia Rivenbark today in the car running errands and it is laugh out loud wonderful. I'm not..."I own Stopping Dressing you 6 Year Old like a Skank and think it's an absolute "must read" for moms. This author is hilarious!
I am currently rereading Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind, for pleasure. I have read this book at least three, maybe four times (not counting this time), and stopped after Temple of the Winds because I could not find Soul of the Fire, the next book in the series. However, my library just got it in, so I am rereading the series. The first book is not as good as I remembered, but it is still enjoyable--and I am bound and determined to finish the whole series.For school, I am reading The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. J. D. Salinger is a very weird author, judging by his book of short stories, but I am looking forward to reading The Catcher in the Rye.
J. D. Salinger is undoubtedly a very weird dude.The two theories I've heard in English department chat are that A) he has 16 or more unpublished novels sitting in his safe, which he won't publish because yes, he is that weird, or B) that he has the worst case of writer's block in history.
They seem about equally likely, from what I've heard about Salinger!
I just started House of Leaves this morning and I'm so excited! I've been wanting to read this for quite some time.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Little Bee (other topics)Canada (other topics)
Her Fearful Symmetry (other topics)
I Have America Surrounded: A Biography of Timothy Leary (other topics)
Inferno (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
William Shakespeare (other topics)Andrea Levy (other topics)
Kevin Wilson (other topics)
Lauren Carr (other topics)
Lauren Carr (other topics)
More...
Carol, I read this a couple of years ago. It's an interesting read and, yes, it does get strange. I found it started good and got rather mediocre. I'll be watching your updates with interest.