The Next Best Book Club discussion
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What are you reading?
I know what you mean about the characters. I worked for a while in a large call centre, and I could match someone I knew there to almost every character in the book (my boss was also called Lynn, and was misunderstood!! but she was lovely really). I don't get why it was best of 07 either. I found the third person plural annoying. Yes it was unique, but by the middle of the book it just bugged the hell outta me!
I'm currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini...I'm about halfway through. Still waiting on my copy of The Other Boleyn Girl from the library. Only another week or two, hopefully. My husband has put the kibosh on buying new books until we move into our new house. April and May will be some pretty sad months.
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Well, I'm definitely not lacking things to read. I'll just have to figure out how to set aside books that I want to read during the whole moving process so that they don't get packed up. I do have a good deal of things that I would like to reread as well. I might have to set aside a month just for rereads.I think it is just the 'not buying books' thing that is troublesome...it is kind of an addiction at this point. Last night I told my husband that I was bored and I needed to get out of the house for a bit. He suggested that I get a cup of coffee and walk around a bookstore or something. I immediately perked up and asked if that meant I could buy a book or two. He said no...he meant just to walk around and browse. Is this some new sort of torture?? He is mean.
LOL, Charity! I'm in the same boat. My wife has told me that I can't buy anymore books until I build or buy enough bookshelves to get the ones I already have off of the ground. I don't know about you, but I love the sight of books climbing up the walls or the sides of my existing bookshelves, though I do have to admit they're kind of taking over my office at this point. That's the benefit/curse of working from home, I guess.I do still manage to pick up a book or two whenever I go out of town for business, and then sneak them onto the stacks when I get home, but it's just not as satisfying as bringing home a stack of 12 or 15 books from the used bookstore.
Haven't been here in awhile.Trying to keep up with comp time seems to be hard these days.Just finished a book last night.Then decided to start Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine and The Ruins by Scott Smith.
I'm reading this, too, Renata. I'm not very far in so I don't know how the characters are connected. I'm really enjoying it so far.
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They didn't let the Greek speak English, did they? The language barrier was one of my favorite parts!
Beth, I finished it today. It was great - unique writing style, don't you think?
Renata, I'm close to finishing "Love," and yes, the writing style is really interesting to me. I wonder if her other books are written in the same way?
Finished reading The Book Thief . WOW. Was a long read, but I loved it. Now reading Empress Orchid By Anchee Min
I read her other book ("Man Walks into a Room") and it was not the same. I liked this book much better. Maybe it was the subject matter. My grandparents survived WWII in Russia, so I guess it's near and dear to my heart.
Funny, I'm just in the middle of "Love Walked In". Is the same character in the next book?
Just finished reading Neverwhere, for some reason just took forever finishing, but now I'm excited to change the pace onto The ruins.
I'm new to the group and I'm reading The Other Boleyn Girl. Its great so far. Next up is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer...I've heard such great things about that book and the rest of the series...I can't wait :)
Woohoo - I'm reading Nothing to Lose by Lee Child, one of my favourite authors. A little slow to start with but I can forgive him that, I'm sure it will be un-put-downable in no time. I have to read his books slow and savour every word because I know it will be a while before another book comes out. Ah, Jack, my hero!
Just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns yesterday and started Into the Wild last night. Omg! I am actually forcing myself to put this book down because I know I could read it all in one sitting...easily.
Charity, do you think A Thousand Splendid Suns would be a good book club read? I'm next picking up a book for our group and I don't know what to pick!!!
Oh, definitely! I think there would be enough content in that book to make the discussion last hours. It is an amazing book...very fast-paced with very layered characters. I would highly recommend.
Ok, I got to about page 100 and hit a brick wall. I just couldn't go on with Good Omens. I think it was the two author thing, but I'm not sure as I've never read either of these authors. Anyway, I've given it to my son, and I've moved on. I'm reading James Patterson's Maximum Ride-The Angel Experiment. Several of the kids that come into my workplace encouraged me to read it. I'm not normally a Patterson fan, but I'm eating this one up.
Lorena- I'm new to this group. I read "Suns" in the fall. It was thought provoking and has many issues and character quirks to make a wonderful book club book. The same is true of his other book The Kite Runner.
No kidding, Kathy. Kite Runner still has a piece of my heart. In fact, I haven't been able to read Suns yet because of Kite Runner's impact. My husband said I was a different person the week I read that book. I've picked up some light read based on the recommendations of you fine people and have started reading "A Dirty Job". It is very funny and I love the idea of it.
Kite Runner still haunts me as well. Makes me want to contact embassies to adopt orphans from Afghanistan. I won't see the movie because I can't imagine all of those events in front of me in living color on the big screen.
There was a really interesting article in National Geographic a month or so back about the Hazara people, the ethnic group that Ali and Hassan were members of in The Kite Runner. Talk about a rough life with very little options for betterment.
Yeah, Kathy, I read Kite Runner about a year ago, it is still fresh in my mind and heart. It's hard not to feel for the people on the story, specially knowing that it reflects such hard reality. I am deciding whether or not I should watch the movie, but on this group there is a thread on it in the movie/book section, read it maybe you'll change your mind about it.
I will pick "Suns" for my "live" book-club and tell you guys all about it later! He he he.
Thanks Charity, Logan!
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I am still struggling through Island by Huxley. It is most definetly not what I thought it would be. I am having a hard time lately with novels. I hope the next one i crack open is better.
This is a great group. You have done a lot of work on it and there is so much interesting information. Thanks!I am almost finished with The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears. It is marvelous and I will be sorry to get to the end. I am also listening to the audio version of Little Children in my car. While I'm enjoying it, I liked the author's Abstinence Teacher much better.-
I'm new to the group and am reading through all the old comments. Came upon yours. I read the Dogs of Babel a couple of years ago. It had a very intriguing premise. My daughters and I all read Water For Elephants. We all enjoyed it. I had some trouble with some of the animal abuse issues, but it was another great storyline.
Owen Meany has been on the "to get at library" list I carry in my purse. I always seem to find other books to check out before I get to that shelf. Perhaps I will have to start with that page of my list next time I'm at the library.
I'm not really liking Tolle's book either. I find it trite and full of platitudes without any substance. We all have a ego- now that's something I hadn't heard before. But, I'm only 1/2 way through. Perhaps it will have a big finish!
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Gods is on my list. I finished Between, Georgia a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. Have seen where she also has a new release.
Just had to say I'm really enjoying Empress Orchid! I got into it quicker than I thought I would, and the storyline is pretty intriguing. The culture of the forbidden city is such an interesting subject.
Kathy, I agree with you about Tolle. I thought I was the only one. I mean, Oprah can't be wrong! Glad to know I'm not the only one who couldn't "get" this book.
I'm half way "the ruins" and I'm enjoying it throughly, I feel so bad for them, I can totally see how any one could get into a situation like that. And I think that's what makes it so scary!
Just finished Love Walked In by Marisa del lo Santos - this book sat on my shelf for several years, but I finally finished it. Good story about the potential of "non-traditional" families, especially given that I have been raising my step-sons for the last 7 years. Some may doubt that you can "fall in love" with someone else's children, but you can. Now I guess I should start the second "group read" book of the month. I don't know why I'm putting it off - everyone I talk to seems to love it.
I am new to the group and have read through all your comments. Thanks for sharing all your book choices and great ideas. I am currently reading Love Walked In and The Other Boleyn Girl for a book club I am in. I am looking forward to reading them because it sounds like they are good!
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We are currently reading The Other Boleyn Girl for our group read, so feel free to visit that thread and weigh in with your take on it.
I'm currently reading Out to Pasture by Effie Leland Wilder.
I just finished Sepulchre by Kate Mosse and am about to start The Tenth Circle (mainly due to all the praise it was given on the Jodi Picoult thread).
Just finished the audio book of Little Children by Perrotta. The characters were well developed and believable, but I just didn't get into the storyline. I loved Abstinence Teacher and Children just didn't enthrall me the way Teacher did.Also finished The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Mengestu. Story about an Ethiopian immigrant. It was wonderful. It is not a "happy" book, but it is a joy to read because of the well written prose and beautiful character development.
Just finished The Ruins, the book was great although I wish the ending was different. I used to love horror books but its so hard these days to find one that truly creeps you out. The Ruins was pretty good at it!I'm getting started with "In Evil Hour" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I couldn't find it in Spanish, so I'm going to read it in English, which is never quite the same reading a translation, but oh well.
Lorena, I know exactly what you mean about reading translations. I always feel like I'm missing some key element of the author's style when I don't read the original text. My Spanish is slowly but surely improving (thanks, Community College!) and I can't wait to crack open my first libro en espanol.Also, if you want a really creepy horror book, try Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves. It was the first book to truly scare in the ten years since I had read The Shining.
On the book front, I'm finally getting around to reading Margaret Atwood's Blind Assassin. I really didn't care for Handmaid's Tale, but figure that she deserves at least one more chance. Plus it did win the Booker, so it has to have some redeeming value.
Thank you Logan, I have added House of Leaves to my never ending wish-list, I had promised my self not to buy anything until my to-read shelf at home goes down to 2 books, but I don't know if I have that much will power. I have also heard great things about Stephen King, I read dreamcatcher and it was ok, not great though, maybe I owe the shinning a shot and it would change my opinion of him.
I've had House of Leaves sitting on my shelf for about 4 years now. I think it is about time I get around to reading it. However, if it is creepy as you say, Logan, I might just save it for the fall.
I am not a big Stephen King fan, but The Shining has creeped me out every time I've picked it up.
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The Next Best Book Club
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I didnt get why it was considered one of the best of 07??!! I guess the most interesting part of it was the fact that he wrote it in first person plural (We this, We that). or is that third person plural? Im so confused....