What are you reading? Showing 20,701-20,750 of 28,885

[Petra]

Matthew wrote: "I really enjoy David Liss. Let me know what you think of 'The Coffee Trader'...."

I will, Matthew. So far, it's quite intriguing. There's so much secrecy in the Society of that time in regards to one's religious beliefs, the trading in the Stock Market is deceitful and manipulative and personal relationships are bounded by status and such. It's well put together.

[Carol]

I have started Wolf Hall but it is taking some effort to read. In the mean time I have been entrenched in Truman. It is a good old fashion book about an old fashion man whom I find interesting. It may bore some, but just down home mannerisms so far. How did a man like him become president? I have just barely started it , time will tell.

[BJ Rose]

Erik wrote: "It's interesting to me that you can read more than one book at a time..."

When a book grabs my attention, that's the only book that exists for me until I've finished it. When I'm struggling with it, I put it aside for a while, and come back to it later and see how it goes - if that's reading more than one book at a time, then guilty as charged! I do like to challenge myself by reading outside my comfort zone - sometimes it's great, sometimes not. And sometimes it takes a while for me to discover that it's really a good book!

[Jeanette]

I am reading the Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough. This a series of books about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Although this is fiction she does her best recreating true historical facts. If you like this era, you will love this novel

[Blaine]

So many people only know Colleen McCullough as the author of The Thorn Birds, but here true passion is ancient Rome and her series of books on the Roman Empire are certainly a good read for anyone.

[Jeanette]

She has also written a book called Cleopatra and Mary Magdalene which are absolutely wonderful. You are right though, she has written books on several historical figures such as Henry the VIII and Mary Queen of Scots.

[Bridgit]

Gary wrote: "Hey Bridgit, I would be prepared to join you in taking on War and Peace, it has been sitting in my tbr pile for a while now just waiting for me to find the motivation to pick it up.

Just finished ..."

Cool! Looks like we have a nice little War and Peace group going. Any preferences on when? Aug or Sept?

Bridgit wrote: "If you had trouble with Lolita, don't even try this one. "
What do you mean by that?

Alex - I don't really want to give anything away, but there were related themes in this book - sexual dysfunction of a sorts. And I while I personally loved Lolita and how it was written, there are a lot of people who can't get past the pedophilia to 'appreciate' the story. Which is totally understandable. However, those people would have the same sort of problem with this book, in not being able to look past the events in the story to enjoy the story as a whole. And not to give too much away, but the story is narrated by a chimp, and I'll let you use your imaginiation for how it is sexually dysfunctional. . .

Great book - just not going to be for everybody.

[Sasha]

Okay. Yeah, that's what I was confused (and dismayed) by. Lolita's pretty icky...and then this has a chimp in it? Well then.

[Marti]

F1Wild wrote: "Marti wrote: "I am reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest in between coughing, sneezing, and wheezing. I am enjoying it when I can concentrate on the book."

Feel better, Marti!"

Thanks I am trying to....

[Marti]

Erik wrote: "It's interesting to me that you can read more than one book at a time. A friend of Goodreads had 17 books on her "Currently Reading" list. I can't believe she's actually following all of them. (..."

Perhaps she uses the list as her shorter to read list - I have to admit - I do that.

[Emma]

Petra wrote: "Matthew wrote: "I really enjoy David Liss. Let me know what you think of 'The Coffee Trader'...."

I will, Matthew. So far, it's quite intriguing. There's so much secrecy in the Society of that t..."

Sorry to butt in here, but I was just at Barnes and Noble last night, looking for some historical mystery type reads and came across David Liss. I wasn't sure if his writing might be bogged down in historical facts or what his style would be like. Would you be able to shed some light on that? I didn't want to invest in someone I hadn't heard too much about.

[Petra]

Emma wrote: "Petra wrote: "Matthew wrote: "I really enjoy David Liss. Let me know what you think of 'The Coffee Trader'...."

Sorry to butt in here, but I was just at Barnes and Noble last night, looking for some historical mystery type reads and came across David Liss. I wasn't sure if his writing might be bogged down in historical facts or what his style would be like. Would you be able to shed some light on that? I didn't want to invest in someone I hadn't heard too much about. "

Emma, there's mention of the Inquisition in Portugal. Jews are forbidden to practice their religion (but secretly do) and flee to Amsterdam where they are allowed to worship mainly in peace. That's about all the historical facts that are mentioned and these are required for the storyline.
The story centers around a Daytrader (of sorts) who lost his fortune in the Sugar trade. He's trying to make a comeback from the Coffee trade. Coffee is a relatively unknown substance but is gaining some popularity. As he tries, there are other intrigues and love interests to hinder/help him.
I'm listening to an unabridged version of the book and am finding it interesting in style. It's very easy to listen to and enjoy.

[Petra]

I just finished Mary by Janis Cooke Newman and highly recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction. Mary's story is, at times, heart-wrenching and interesting throughout. I'm going to have to read a non-fiction book on Mary's life to see how closely this book followed it. Mary lived through more sorrow, grief and tragedy than anyone should have to in one lifetime.
I'm going to start The Case of the Missing Servant tonight. I need something lighter and something humerous to read.

[Cathy]

Dana wrote: "I had to put aside From Dead to Worse so I could start The Passage because I only have it for 3 weeks, I don't know if I can make it 700 pages in three weeks!! I have..."

LOL, Dana I'm trying like crazy to cram as much as I can of "The Passage". The author will be visiting Seattle on the 29th. NO TIME!!!

[Cathy]

Sydvicious wrote: "Lori-

I thought it was great! I devoured it in 1 day!
Will be checking out some of his other stuff soon! :)"

If you like THE HUNGER GAMES, you may also like another author who wrote a YA book called SHIP BREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi. I thought it was excellent.

[Linda]

I'm reading The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb. I absolutely love her books! This one is no exception!

[Claire]

Jeanette wrote: "She has also written a book called Cleopatra and Mary Magdalene which are absolutely wonderful. You are right though, she has written books on several historical figures such as Henry the VIII and..."


Were you thinking of Margaret George? I know she wrote books on all of these historical figures.

[Gail]

Gary wrote: "Hey Bridgit, I would be prepared to join you in taking on War and Peace, it has been sitting in my tbr pile for a while now just waiting for me to find the motivation to pick it up.

Just finished ..."

Bridgit wrote: "Just finished The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore and boy was that a read. Long, for one. At 576 pages, it felt twice as long. Very impressed with the author and his writing style. I t..."

[Gail]

I am almost done with Shantaram. I have thoroughly enjoyed it although the first half is better than the second. It seems to engender very strong feelings in readers. Looking at reviews, it either gets five stars or 0 or 1. Yes, it is a bit over the top in prose here and there, and yes, the author is a bit full of himself. But it is a fascinating story and Bombay just comes alive. I will be sorry when it ends.

[Mary]

I started The Passage this morning, but the UPS truck has just pulled up in the driveway with a box from Amazon that surely contains a copy of Infinite Jest which I am "supposed" to be reading. *sigh*

[Bhumi]

Reading Lolita right now. Very thought-provoking.

[Sasha]

I'm reading The Prose Edda, a collection of Norse myths written in the 13th century. So far I've learned the important lesson that your legs might have sex with each other and produce a child while you're asleep, so watch out for that.

[Mary]

Damn it Alex, now I've got one more thing to worry about.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Just finished Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear - that's a good series, Maisie Dobbs.

[Matthew]

Emma wrote: "Petra wrote: "Matthew wrote: "I really enjoy David Liss. Let me know what you think of 'The Coffee Trader'...."

I will, Matthew. So far, it's quite intriguing. There's so much secrecy in the Soc..."

I would recommend him. He doesn't bury you in historical facts and the storylines and usually pretty interesting and amusing at points. I have read A Conspiracy of Paper and A Spectacle of Corruption. I really enjoyed both of them.

[Sasha]

Lilian wrote: "Alex wrote: "That made me sit up and take notice! What drew you to the Edda? "

Nerdiness? I read a lot of old stuff.

Mary, nothing two leg-sized condoms can't fix.

[Cait]

Mary wrote: "I started The Passage this morning, but the UPS truck has just pulled up in the driveway with a box from Amazon that surely contains a copy of Infinite Jest which I am "s..."

I am only just starting IJ today because I had to finish The Passage first (I couldn't have two doorstoppers going at once). If it helps, it only took me 3 or 4 days to read and I really enjoyed it.

[Emma]

Petra wrote: "Emma wrote: "Petra wrote: "Matthew wrote: "I really enjoy David Liss. Let me know what you think of 'The Coffee Trader'...."

Sorry to butt in here, but I was just at Barnes and Noble last night,..."

Thanks for the information. While I get in the mood for heavy historical pieces every now and then, I was getting more in the mood for something a little plot driven than historically overwhelming. And since my knowledge of that time period of pretty limited, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't need a ton of background to understand. Thanks!

[Claire]

BJ Rose wrote: "Having a hard time sticking to Brave New World, so am also reading Heidi (brings back memories!) and then maybe Plain Tales from the Hills"

I just got Brave New World from paperbackswap.com. Is it boring? I may have to swap it without reading it!

[Marti]

I just finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and I am in awe, shock, overwhelmed, floored. Steig Larsson is the MASTER of suspense, twisted twists and - OMG OMG - Five stars might not be enough.... not sure how I am going to follow that up - definitely will need historical fiction/romance to cleanse the palate. OMG...WOW

[BJ Rose]

Claire, I'm trying to stick with Brave New World, but it's slow going, and yes, it's boring. Since it's about a Utopia gone horribly wrong with its total dehumanization, it should have some pull, but it's so over the top, I just can't take it seriously as a dystopian novel or as a satirical novel. So many readers have given it 5*, and write serious analyses of it, and I say good for them, but...

The Handmaid's Tale was also extremely depressing, but I could feel it - this one I haven't yet, and I'm 1/3 of the way now. But now they're vacationing where The Savages live, so maybe there's hope yet!

Since you already have it, read Huxley's introduction/explanation, which may help you decide.

[Jessika]

Right now, I'm reading Stephen King's The Dead Zone, and I am HOOKED into it. Can't put it down. Speaking of which....

[Mona]

Marti wrote: "I just finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and I am in awe, shock, overwhelmed, floored. Steig Larsson is the MASTER of suspense, twisted twists and - OMG OMG - Five sta..."

Marti: I really need to read these.

[Marti]

Mona wrote: "Marti wrote: "I just finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and I am in awe, shock, overwhelmed, floored. Steig Larsson is the MASTER of suspense, twisted twists and - OMG ..."

When you finish let me know so we can chat... OMG

[Mona]

Marti: It'll be a while. I have not even read DRAGON TATTOO yet. I've gotten it from the library a couple times but had to return it. I then picked up the LP edition at the library thinking I would be able to renew this if needed--nope.

If I ever find any of the trilogy USED, I'm buying it.

[Mafi]

I'm reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

[Maria]

Mona wrote: "Marti: It'll be a while. I have not even read DRAGON TATTOO yet. I've gotten it from the library a couple times but had to return it. I then picked up the LP edition at the library thinking I would..."

Mona, you can get the first two in paperback at target for 20% off, i think that makes them around $12 each. maybe not as cheap as second hand places like half-priced books, but still a pretty good price!

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Just started The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - so far, starting well. My mother liked it about as well as The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, so I'm optimistic.

[Emma]

I just bought (among way too many others) the Millenium Series by Steig Larson from Abebooks.com for so cheap! I would recommend looking there if you are looking for used copies.

Just began Alice, I Have Been, today while at the pool, and I am hooked! This seems like an intriguing mystery and I am so excited to get back to it!

[Paula]

Just finished

and will start "The Postmistress"

[Carol]

I did not care for The Postmistress

[Paula]

Carol (akittykat) wrote: "I did not care for The Postmistress

I have heard mixed reviews on it but since it came in from the library, I'll give it a shot. : )

[Carol]

Unfortunately I bought mine.

[Paula]

Ohhh, that's never good! I've done that a few times myself and wanted to kick myself afterwards!

[Katie]

Wow, so much to comment on here:

1) The Millennium series is great!
2) Davis Liss - I read The Whiskey Rebels, and was totally entranced!

As for what I'm reading, I just finished The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific and All Quiet on the Western Front. Both were 3-4.5 reads (I wish we could give 1/2 points).

I just started My Splendid Concubine. So far so good...

[Lori, Super Mod]

Just finished "Case of the Missing Servant" and really enjoyed it! Did you know the author is here this week, and will be participating in the group discussion? Check it out and ask some questions!

[Rayna]

Goodreads is making me want to read the Millenium Series so badly. I'm still not convinced I'll like them, so I don't want to actually buy the books, but there's such a long waiting list at my local library and I'm getting impatient!

[Fiona]

F1Wild wrote: "Mary wrote: "I'm reading The Girl Who Played with Fire and am amazed that any of the characters can stop having sex long enough to accomplish anything."

Never read a Laurell Hamilto..."

I own the first 12 books in the Anita Black vampire hunter series...they had no sex in them until the 4th book...the last one my husband bought as a gift for me, and Anita now NEEDS to have 4 men in bed with her or she's not satisfied! That's Laurell Hamilton's first series...the Merry Gentry books are based almost solely on Merry being the most wanted female in the universe, and all men are willing to share, as long as they get some bed-time with her. I used to eagerly anticipate each new book of hers...no more! I told my husband not to buy anymore, since the last Merry Gentry book I read was a "throw-away" in my opinion, done probably to fulfill a contract or something! Why can't good authors know when their series has "run its course", and move on to a new one?

[Rosabelle]

i'm currently reading cruel and unusual by patricia cornwell, the fourth book in the Kay Scarpeta series.

[Melet]

Morning everyone - I am currently making my way through all of Sherlock Holmes. Everything. Have just finished the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and am starting the Memoirs. May take a break when I finish that one to read somethign different, but I will come back. Anyone who likes the Lincoln-Childs novels (with Agent Pendergast) will like Conan Doyle's Sherlock if you haven't read it before. After seeing the Sherlock Holmes movie (which I thoroughly enjoyed), i wanted to see how much the characters in the books resemble Guy Ritchie/ Jude Law/ Robert Downey Jr./ Rachel McAdams's versions of them. Not bad, except for Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). Not sure I see the romantic angle for she and Holmes... but I have only encountered her once so far int he short stories, and i understand she shows up or is mentioned a few other times in the Conan Doyle writings. So we'll see! Not that I have anything against changing things when you make movies - they are simply two different mediums, and I enjoy both so much!