What are you reading? Showing 20,351-20,400 of 28,885

[Mary]

Sherrie, I think you will like The Lady in the Tower--Alison Weir's writing style is positively chatty, at least in this book. It will definitely give you some interesting insights into the court of Henry VIII.

I've just started Anthropology of an American Girl.

[Marsha]

I just read The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir and really liked it. It was my first by her, and I will definitely seek out others. I see she writes biographies as well.

[F1Wild]

Mary wrote: "I've just started Anthropology of an American Girl."
Mary, that next on my list after I finish The Girl Who Played with Fire. How's the start? Easy to get into?

[Maureen]

I finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand a couple of days ago - loved, loved, loved it! Just started The Red Tent.

[Mary]

F1,

Anthropology of an American Girl is quite good so far, but very dense. It starts out in 1979, when the narrator is a high school senior. I graduated from high school in 1981 so I was within the same time-frame, but I am pretty sure I never said things like "Kindness is everything. When you receive it and express it, it becomes the whole meaning of things. It's life, demystified. A place out of self. Not a waltz, but the whirls within a waltz"* , even after smoking exceptionally good weed.


*direct quote from page 63, and this is pretty representational of the language of the novel.

[Mirza]

I just finished Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella, a chick flick, and now reading ellElla Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.

I thought of keeping serious books aside for a while and read something light.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

I'm with Mary. I'm about that age and would never have said anything like that, even after being force-fed Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

[Matthew]

Sydvicious wrote: "Rosabelle wrote: "I just finished reading The Gargoyle. I stayed up last night until 1.10 am reading it. I just loved the book... It's one of the best that I've read so far this year. After that I'..."

The Gargoyle was the first book that I've read in a LONG time that I really enjoyed. I thought it was pretty unique and original.

[Karen]

Ready to Fall: A Novel byClaire Cook

[Marti]

Maureen wrote: "I finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand a couple of days ago - loved, loved, loved it! Just started The Red Tent."

I felt the same way about Major Pettigrew!

I am reading Little Bee I have been drawn right into the story.....

[Sasha]

I probably would have said crap like that. High school kids are such pretentious douches sometimes. :P

[Maureen]

Alex wrote: "I probably would have said crap like that. High school kids are such pretentious douches sometimes. :P"

LOL, I was thinking something along those lines earlier this morning. It seems that is the only time when most people are into poetry - reading it and writing it (the latter usually quite horrid). We all seem to think we're great philosophers and thinkers at that age. And, of course, we can't get enough of contemplating the greatness that is ourselves. :)

[Mona]

Mary, this book is on my list but I may take it off now. The language has discouraged me and it just doesn't seem realistic for a high school student to be talking like that.

[Sasha]

Oh God Maureen, I saved my high school poetry and re-read it a little while ago. It was so bad. I mean, you know it's gonna be a little bad, but it was so much worse than I ever dreamed. It's amazing that my poor high school teachers managed to find it in themselves to encourage me. I would have recommended I chop my fingers off to stop me from writing more poetry.

Lida, if you're around, don't save your poetry. Burn your past.

Edit: I mean, unless your poetry's better than mine was. It couldn't be worse.

[Mary]

Mona wrote: "Mary, this book is on my list but I may take it off now. The language has discouraged me and it just doesn't seem realistic for a high school student to be talking like that."

Mona, I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from reading anything, but I have to admit that the more of Anthropology of an American Girl I read, the more the phrase "pretentious drivel" comes to mind; also "complete shite". There's a story in there, somewhere, but it's slowly having the life choked out of it by all the WORDS. I'm not even halfway through and I have begun to hate everyone in the book pretty intensely. I'm not gonna give up yet, though.

[Mona]

Mary, you didn't discourage me. Actually you did me a favor. Now I don't have to make the effort of reserving and picking it up at the library.

I have little patience for books such as these. There is only flowery prose with no real plot or storyline to speak of.

I have the same problem with movies that make no sense and yet make me feel stupid for not getting it.

[Cortney]

I just started Jurassic Park and can't put it down. I'm only about 50 pages in, but the beginning was so great! I don't know if the rest of the book will live up to that, but I hope so. Some reviewers have complained that the characters are flat, but I'm more interested in the scientific theory than anything.
Has anyone else read this?

[F1Wild]

Mary wrote: "F1, AoaAG is quite good so far, but very dense. It starts out in 1979...I graduated from high school in 1981 so I was within the same time-frame, but I am pretty sure I never said things like "Kindness is everything. When you receive it and express it, it becomes the whole meaning of things. It's life, demystified. A place out of self. Not a waltz, but the whirls within a waltz"* , even after smoking exceptionally good weed.
"
Wow - I'm an '80 grad and if I ever did speak like that the Acapulco Gold surely stole my innocense. ;-)) Thanks for the heads (no pun) up on the book.

[Carol]

Many moons ago Courtney. It was one of his better adventure novels.

[Tamara]

I am currently reading Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts.

[Sherrie]

Alex wrote: "We just re-subscribed to Showtime, Sherrie, so we're looking forward to catching up on Season 4 of Tudors. It's totally trashy, of course, but whatever, we love it.

Alex,
I know it's totally trashy, but hey - it's pretty entertaining! Also, it kind of gives me some idea of who characters are, so it's a little easier to keep them straight in my head as I read the more in-depth accounts.

I also keep Showtime for Dexter - can't do without that series either!!

[Elizabeth]

I've never read Anne of Green Gables series (believe it or not), and so I'm getting the first few this week. I've decided to go back and pick up some things I missed along the way.
I just got off the phone with a friend, and we were talking about the Eragon series. Has anyone heard when the last book is coming? Is he going to finish the series?

[Sherrie]

Mary wrote: "Sherrie, I think you will like The Lady in the Tower--Alison Weir's writing style is positively chatty, at least in this book. It will definitely give you some interesting insights i..."

Thanks, Mary. It's my first Weir and I'm thinking I'll be reading more of her. I'm liking it so far!

[Sasha]

I've been fading a bit on Dexter, but the last season finale did make me a little optimistic.

[Vicki]

I finished Scent of Rain and Lightning. Loved it!

[Bhumi]

Currently reading Dead as a Doornail. Almost done, but I have mixed emotions on this.

[Petra]

I finished The Preservationist and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'm continuing with Dr. Margaret's Sea Chest. It's alternating between the present (mid-1960s) and the past (mid-1850s); between the person who will be in charge of the sea chest and the life story of the owner of the sea chest.

[Rene]

Today I finished The Sugar Queen and Letter to My Daughter. Now I am going to start Nineteen Minutes.

I want to read The Scent of Rain and Lightning too.

[Susanna]

I'm about 100 pages into This Side of Brightness by Colum McCann and not really enjoying it. Does anyone else have an opinion on it?

[Mona]

Sherrie Y. & Alex: I really enjoy DEXTER but I don't have Showtime so I watch the seasons on DVD. I actually like it better because I don't have to wait a week for the next episode. I just reserved season 4 at the library.

I also just finished watching season 2 of True Blood on DVD. Season 3 started on HBO last night.

[Mona]

Renee,
Nineteen Minutes was the very first Picoult book I read and I really enjoyed it. I like her signature style of writing from the perspectives of the characters. She's one of my favorite authors.

[Claire]

I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I liked it ok but found that parts of it dragged. I guess I had higher expectations with all the hype.

I'm starting The History of Love.

[Donna]

I am reading Lily's Crossing and then Poison Study

[Esther]

Claire wrote: "...I'm starting The History of Love.

The History of Love is one of my all time favourites. I hope you enjoy it.

[Cait]

I finishedMadame Bovary yesterday. Man, Flaubert doesn't hold back; when his characters fall, they fall hard. It was bleak and tragic and so, so good.

Today I'm going to try and knock out The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories by RLS. I've also picked up My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being A Dumb Ass Is the New Black; Or, A Culture-Up Manifesto for some bedtime fluff.

[Paula]

Cortney wrote: "I just started Jurassic Park and can't put it down. I'm only about 50 pages in, but the beginning was so great! I don't know if the rest of the book will live up to that, but I hope s..

Cortney, I loved this book. It actually gave me nightmares where I thought the movie was entertaining. Enjoy!

[Paula]

I finished "The Sunday Wife" Cassandra King and enjoyed it. It took me a while because I took a 10 day vacation thinking I'd get a lot of reading done but I hardly got any done!

Now reading "Tin Angel"Kathy Lawrence aka Kat Martin. It's a romance my m-i-l loaned me while I was there. She's met Kat and loves her books so I'll read these and send them back to her.

[Esther]

I finished Persepolis. It is the first graphic novel I have really enjoyed and I have already taken book 2 from the library.

Then I read Boy Overboard an excellent children's book about a family fleeing Afghanistan.

I also read Mum's Story A Child Learns About MS which I received as a first read. Hardly riveting fiction but useful and well written.

I have just started Dirty Little Angels a novella in e-book form which I also received as a first read.
I am enjoying the writing style but it is a rather depressing story.

[Claire]

Esther wrote: "Claire wrote: "...I'm starting The History of Love.

The History of Love is one of my all time favourites. I hope you enjoy it."

Thanks, I'm looking forward to it.

[Alisha Marie]

Cait wrote: "I finishedMadame Bovary yesterday. Man, Flaubert doesn't hold back; when his characters fall, they fall hard. It was bleak and tragic and so, so good.

Today I'm going to try and knoc..."

The Haunting of Hill House is one my favorite books ever! It's just so wonderfully creepy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Carol]

Hill House was spooky and creepy. It was great. We should read it around Halloween. Myahaaaaaa.

[Bridgit]

Finished The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, which I received as a first reads a month or two ago. Still working on a review for that one, but I didnt love it. Way too long.

And while I know this comes with reading fantasy, I REALLY hate when books just...end... I dont care that it is part 1 of a trilogy. It should still stand on its own. This one basically seemed like it ended when he ran out of paper for his printer. No resolution. No climax. There wasnt even a cliffhanger. oh well.

Have just started The Map of True Places so hopefully I'll be contributing to the read along here soon.

[Beth]

Mary wrote: "Mona wrote: "Mary, this book is on my list but I may take it off now. The language has discouraged me and it just doesn't seem realistic for a high school student to be talking like that."

Mona,..."

Mary, I felt the same way about that book. I started out liking it but just before the half way mark I started disliking it. Eveline turned out to be just so....blah. I ended up not caring about her at all.

[Mary]

Beth wrote: "Mary, I felt the same way about that book. I started out liking it but just before the half way mark I started disliking it. Eveline turned out to be just so....blah. I ended up not caring about her at all."

Exactly. She's so passive, always fainting and crying for no reason. If I knew her IRL I would probably hate her.

[Beth]

Mary, I really thought I'd like Anthropology of an American Girl so I was really disappointed when I didn't. I graduated from high school in 1982 so, like you, I'm part of her generation and so I thought I'd be able to identify with her. I was also excited when I read the blurb on the back comparing Anthropology to Catcher in the Rye. I couldn't identify with Eveline at all and she is so NOT a Holden! I think Hamnn has the potential to write a good book but I think her characterization of a high schooler was off.

[Sasha]

You guys are cracking me up with this conversation.

[Mary]

I'm learning that any time a book is plugged as "the new Catcher in the Rye", it's going to be shite.

[Mona]

I've taken it off my list.

[Beth]

Mary wrote: "I'm learning that any time a book is plugged as "the new Catcher in the Rye", it's going to be shite."

For sure, Mary!!! I've learned my lesson :-)

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Mary wrote: "I'm learning that any time a book is plugged as "the new Catcher in the Rye", it's going to be shite."

True, that.