The Next Best Book Club discussion
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What are you reading?
El wrote: I started Midnight's Children last night because I seem to have missed out on ever reading any Rushdie, so it's about time I fix that"
I want to read that one! I haven't read any Rushdie yet either, but I plan to.
I want to read that one! I haven't read any Rushdie yet either, but I plan to.
Susanna wrote: "About Brideshead - the TV miniseries the BBC made in the 1980s is excellent and I recommend it - no idea as to the quality of the recent movie."The recent movie is alright. Matthew Goode is not bad as Charles Ryder though I thought the casting for Sebastian was a little strange.
But of course a movie misses out large chunks of the story. If you have the time it is best to see the BBC adaptation.
El wrote: "I started Midnight's Children last night because I seem to have missed out on ever reading any Rushdie, so it's about time I fix that. I actually really want to read The Ground Beneath Her Feet (primarily because of the U2 connection - yes, I'm that superficial...), but decided to start with Midnight's Children to make sure I like him enough to continue on."I know what you mean, I also recently picked up Midnight's Children for the same reason; his book The Enchantress of Florence intrigued me but I figured it's best to read Midnight's Children first. Hope you enjoy it! =)
Cortney wrote: "I just started reading A Wrinkle in Timefor the second time. The first time was probably when I was about 10-13 and I think a lot of the subject matter went over my head because I can..."Actually for me it was the opposite. I was a total math geek and adored a Wrinkle in Time as a teen. When I read I read it in my 20s it just seemed pretentious and I was so disappointed.
Courtney, I agree with you. I re-read Lord of the Flies recently. I enjoyed it as a kid, really liked it as an adult. Same thing for The Grapes of Wrath. (BTW, what a great title.) Esther, perhaps a Wrinkle in Time feels pretentious now, because it is more geared toward a teen, and the technical notions seem outdated today. We're a bit more savy. Perhaps jaded?
Eliza wrote: "I finally finished She's Come Undone. It took me forever, but I did enjoy it. I feel like I've read a slew of 3-star novels lately. I'm looking for a 5-star emotional rollercoaster n..."Hmmm. How about After You'd Gone or Await Your Reply?
Li wrote: "El wrote: "I started Midnight's Children last night because I seem to have missed out on ever reading any Rushdie, so it's about time I fix that. I actually really want to read The Ground Beneath H..."I picked up a copy of Midnight's Children after I saw it compared to 100 Years of Solitude, which I read in January for a book club. I don't know how long it will take me to get to it/through it without a book club deadline driving me though.
I finished Into the Wild which I found to be just okay I liked Into Thin Air and Under the Banner much better. I'm now reading Sex Wars: A Novel of Gilded Age New York which is a fictional account of the woman's suffrage movement.Oh! I also read The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag which I liked as much as the first in the series The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
So excited to pick up The Passage tomorrow! Have been waiting not so patiently for a LONG time...anyone else planning on reading it?
Cindy wrote: "So excited to pick up The Passage tomorrow! Have been waiting not so patiently for a LONG time...anyone else planning on reading it?"I'm about 200 pages into it right now (I had an advance copy I found on Goodreads swap). I'm enjoying it but I'm a little disappointed that such a long book is just one in a trilogy that probably won't be complete until 2014.
Claire wrote: "Gosh, I feel like I read at a snail's pace compared to all of you guys/gals here on Goodreads. I'm still reading.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and enjoying it. I've about 100 pag..."Loved Steig's first two novels,and am looking forward to buying the third.
Going to start Blood Song tonight or tomorrow. Just finished How Did You Get This Number which I loved! I've had good luck with the giveaways so far. Blood Song is another one, hopefully it will live up, I'm starting to have expectations!
Ashley wrote: "I have too many books going at once, but the one I'm most devoted to finishing is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath."I've been wanting to read this and have clicked many times for it to be made available in a Kindle edition.
Mod
..."
He doesn't have too many left. Fallen was my favorite, then Preservationist, then The Book of Samson, and finally Monster, 1959.
Monster, 1959, is the only one that is not a biblical retelling. It features a monster very much like a King Kong/Godzilla type of thing. Written as a campy 50's movie. Really enjoyed it!
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TO be honest, Cortney, I read Wrinkle when I was much younger, like you. When I noticed it was on the Lost Lit List last year or the year before, I reread it in the hopes of being enlightened and finding a connection the show Lost.
I thought it was "meh", Partly becuase it just didn't hold up - and partly because it was YA and tend to struggle with YA at this age. Not saying anything bad about the genre, I just personally find that I am left wanting more....
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Daniel, I reread Lord of the Flies, The Old Man and the Sea, and Of Mice and Men (again, because of the show Lost, and their connections to it). I remember enjoying all those books when I was younger, but I really appreciated them more as an adult.
I don't think, at the age I read them in school, I was old enough or wise enough to read between the lines and apply the processes much father than the page.
Those books are timeless. Unlike Wrinkle..... (sigh)
I finished Kafka on the Shore and it was a little strange. Luckily I was prepared for the weirdness so it didn't come as a surprise but still, a little strange... Now I'm reading Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane and also listening to the audiobook of Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox. I really loved Lucky Man: A Memoir and this one is already just as good. What a fantastic writer.
Sherrie Y wrote: "....and am still working on Reading Lolita in Tehran for bookclub next week. Any encouraging words for me on this one? It's going so slowly. "I'm not sure whether this is encouraging but the leader of the bookclub I used to attend (who had a Masters in Eng.Lit.) informed us that we wouldn't be reading 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' because we couldn't possibly appreciate the book if we hadn't read all the books mentioned!
Daniel wrote: "...Esther, perhaps a Wrinkle in Time feels pretentious now, because it is more geared toward a teen, and the technical notions seem outdated today. We're a bit more savy. Perhaps jaded?"I think jaded is the problem and it's a shame. That preteen-reverence can be so inspiring.
I just finished reading "The Boy Next Door" by Meg Cabot and I'm currently reading "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson
Esther wrote: "Sherrie Y wrote: "....and am still working on Reading Lolita in Tehran for bookclub next week. Any encouraging words for me on this one? It's going so slowly. "I'm not sure whether this is encour..."
Esther - I have to agree with her. Now that I've finished, I feel like I missed a lot just by not knowing what she was talking about half of the time! But, I'm done, phew!!
Just finished Push on audio. An amazing performance by Bahnie Turpin for a very difficult story to digest.I'm also over halfway through Wuthering Heights which I've been trying to get through for months. After that, I'll be starting These Is My Words for book club.
My next audio is either Horns or South of Broad.
Eliza- I just saw your comment to me about The Bell Jar. I loved the book. I had heard that it was semi-autobiographical of Sylvia's early 20's. The struggles she has as a woman in the early sixties reminded me alot of the characters of Betty in Mad Men and April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road.
A while ago I finished The Day of Forever . A collection of speculative fiction. Some were good others were just meh. (I gave a short review of each story if anyone is interested.)Then I read Boy Overboard. This is a children's story about refugees from Afghanistan. Excellent.
Now I am reading Persepolis which is really good.
I finished Roses and am now reading The Good Earth for my book club. I didn't know how I would like The Good Earth, but I am loving it so far! The Good Earth
Joel wrote: "Cindy wrote: "So excited to pick up The Passage tomorrow! Have been waiting not so patiently for a LONG time...anyone else planning on reading it?"I'm about 200 pages into it righ..."
I completely understand Joel...I am still waiting(maybe an act of futility) for The Wiseman's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I guess it just gives us more time to catch up on our TBR lists right??? Glad to hear you're enjoying The Passage... I'm starting tonight!
Cindy wrote: "Joel wrote: "Cindy wrote: "So excited to pick up The Passage tomorrow! Have been waiting not so patiently for a LONG time...anyone else planning on reading it?"I'm about 200 pages..."
I'm also waiting for the next Rothfuss book. Rumors are it will be out sometime late this year, but I'm not holding my breath.
Just read on the Rothfuss blog that the new release date is March 2011, but I'm with you & not holding my breath either. I am just glad that I was able to discover & enjoyThe Name of the Wind...Have you read any of the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie? Almost done w/ #2...LOVE it!
I'm over 60 and I've never read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, so I started it yesterday. The first chapter was a little flowery/gothic for me, but now that I'm a ways into it, I like it.
Cindy wrote: "Just read on the Rothfuss blog that the new release date is March 2011, but I'm with you & not holding my breath either. I am just glad that I was able to discover & enjoyThe Name of the Win..."</i>I haven't heard of that trilogy, but it sounds really good. I added [book:The Blade Itself to my TBR. Thanks for the recommendation! :-)
I'm readingThe Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella so far it's okay, and The Help, It's so AMAZING a very enjoyable read.
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Even if you havent read it, hop over and get to know her.
http://bit.ly/aItuQ9. Don't miss out.
i started The Weight of Silence today. i'm really enjoying it, it's much different than i expected it to be. it's moving along pretty quickly, and i actually like how the story jumps from perspective of the different characters for each chapter. i'm hoping to finish it up tonight or tomorrow night. i grabbed a slew of books from the library a week or so ago, so i'm trying to move through them quickly.
Lori wrote: "He doesn't have too many left. Fallen was my favorite, then Preservationist, then The Book of Samson, and finally Monster, 1959.Monster, 1959, is the only one that is not a biblical retelling. It features a monster very much like a King Kong/Godzilla type of thing. Written as a campy 50's movie. Really enjoyed it! ..."
Thanks, Lori. Too bad he's only got a couple of other books. He writes well.
Sarah wrote: "I finished Roses and am now reading The Good Earth for my book club. I didn't know how I would like The Good Earth, but I am loving it so far! The Good Earth"Sarah, I read The Good Earth last year and really enjoyed it, too. I plan on reading other Pearl Buck books as well.
Devin wrote: "...and also listening to the audiobook of Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox. I really loved Lucky Man: A Memoir and this one is already just as good. What a fantastic writer."Does MJF read his own books on audio? I read them (also love, love, love his writing) and would have loved to hear his voice telling the stories.
Sarah wrote: "I finished Roses and am now reading The Good Earth for my book club. I didn't know how I would like The Good Earth, but I am loving it so far! The Good Earth"One of my favorite authors/books! She was quite a prolific author!
Rosabelle wrote: "I just finished reading "The Boy Next Door" by Meg Cabot and I'm currently reading "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson"I really enjoyed The Gargoyle and the story in general. I found it quite interesting. Hope you enjoy it.
I just finished A Spectacle of Corruption: A Novel by David Liss. It was the sequel to his A Conspiracy of Paper which was good, but 'Spectacle' in my opinion was much better. The hero, Benjamin Weaver, returns as the main character who is now found convicted of a murder he did not commit. After escaping prison Weaver must find his way through a maze of politics in the 1700's in London. I look forward to reading more from David Liss.Going to start Crazy Heart by Thomas Cobb tonight. I recently saw the movie and enjoyed it, so I'm sure the book will be even better.
I was a little bored with the movie,but I enjoyed Jeff Bridges. I might try the book.
Jenna, The Hunger Games is fantastic. Enjoy!
I am about to start Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoneix.
Sarah wrote: "I finished Roses and am now reading The Good Earth for my book club. I didn't know how I would like The Good Earth, but I am loving it so far! The Good Earth"I read the Good Earth in high school and I was SOOOOO pleasantly surprised. I had never even heard of it before then and now I try to get everyone under the sun whose into books to read it.
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The Next Best Book Club
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I started Midnight's Children last night because I seem to have missed out on ever reading any Rushdie, so it's about time I fix that. I actually really want to read The Ground Beneath Her Feet (primarily because of the U2 connection - yes, I'm that superficial...), but decided to start with Midnight's Children to make sure I like him enough to continue on.