College Students! discussion
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What Did You Finish Reading/What Are You Currently Reading?
I just finished The Garden of Last Days A Novel. I was more impressed with House of Sand and Fog but it was still very entertaining. I would recomend it.
Working on Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed. Loving it so far! The narrator is very witty and easy to relate to (minus the sleeping with her best friend's fiance thing!), and I really can't put it down.
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I think you'll really like the Virgin Suicides, Jamie. I loved it!! I want to read it again even though I just read it in Feb. haha. How was The Bean Trees? I've been thinking about reading that (since Kingsolver is a KY girl!)
I've started reading Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens; I watched the BBC adaptation earlier this week and absolutely adored it so now I'm tackling the novel =)
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I really enjoyed The Bean Trees. It was my first Kingsolver book..and I'm pleased by her! I can't wait to read The Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer ( both of which I found for a dollar at a book sale)
Annie, The Blind Assassin was really good. I liked that there were two different stories being told at the same time, it helped break it up a little.I just started Fever 1793. I'm about halfway through and not crazy about it, it's written for a much younger audience than I expected.
I started The Catcher in the Rye two days ago and it is so hard for me to set the book down. Are all of J.D. Salinger's books this good?
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I didn't really like Franny and Zooey or Nine Stories, but I may have read them when I was too young. I'm thinking about trying them again because I LOVE Catcher in the Rye - it's the most worn out book I own that I bought new.I'm about to start Band Fags!. I'm hoping to be magically whisked back to my own marching band days.
Justine wrote: "Annie, The Blind Assassin was really good. I liked that there were two different stories being told at the same time, it helped break it up a little.I just started Fever 1793. I'm..."
I loved Fever 1793, I read it for the first time when I was in Jr. High. Which is probably why I still like it.
Kimberly, I'd never heard of it before. It picked up for me, but I never loved it. But I have found that books I read in elementary school or middle school have stuck with me more than anything else.
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Just finished Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin...about to start Love in the Time of Cholera and Twilight. As far as Twilight goes, I figure it's time I figure out what all the hype is about.
Jess wrote: "Just finished Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin...about to start Love in the Time of Cholera and Twilight. As far as Twilight goes, I figure it's time I figure out what all the hype is about. "Don't read Twilight with the expectation that it will be an amazing book. It is a good book, I really enjoy reading them. But there are many books I consider to be much better.
I've started reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar last night (it's pretty interesting so far, I like Plath's prose), J.R.R. Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrún and will probably start Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in a little while xD
Amanda wrote: "Hey Jess, how was Something Borrowed? I have it on my shelf and am a little apprehensive to read it."It was a good light summer read. It certainly wasn't the most thought-provoking literature I've ever read, but if you're looking for something nice and easy to take up your time (and if you don't mind chick lit), I thought it was pretty good.
Kimberly wrote: "Jess wrote: "Just finished Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin...about to start Love in the Time of Cholera and Twilight. As far as Twilight goes, I figure it's time I figure out what all the hype i..."Yeah, that's pretty much what I've heard about it from people who are on the same reading page that I am (i.e. not the millions of screaming 12-year-olds). I figured it'd be something light to read while I'm working on Love in the Time of Cholera, which seems pretty heavy.
Li - To your question about reading Ian Fleming, I have read a bunch of his books and particularly the short stories. I was personally ticked off that the movies took such huge liberties with HIS work not the other way around. I always loved 007 and I think he is more human in the books which makes him even better. Try reading some of the short stories, Quantum of Solace is the big collection of them, and see if you like those any better.
I plan on finishing The Catcher in the Rye by tonight and starting The Great Gatsby by the end of the weekend.
I completely agree about Fleming's books. In the movies Bond can be flat or unpleasant, but in the books he actually comes across as a rather sympathetic character. Having access to his thoughts and emotions makes him a lot better as a character.
Just finished Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe last night and started Love Medicine this morning.
Finished She's Come Undone not too long ago. I absolutely loved it. =) Now I'm on Second Glance A Novel.
Started Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasures A Novel and Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient today. Finished Little House in the Big Woods during breakfast this morning. Now I want to re-read the entire series...
Jess.. let me know how the year of pleasures goes. That one's been on my shelf for a while. Thanks!! =)
Lauren, Second Glance is my favorite Picoult!
I noticed some of you were talking about Something Borrowed. I agree, it was a good light summer read. I really like her books. Something Blue is probably my favorite, and I didn't like Baby Proof too much. I have her new one, Love the One You're With and I'll probably be reading that next!
I just finished Candace Bushnell's new book One Fifth and just started The Waitress by Melissa Nathan
Janet wrote: "I noticed some of you were talking about Something Borrowed. I agree, it was a good light summer read. I really like her books. Something Blue is probably my favorite, and I didn't like Baby Proof ..."I didn't read Baby Proof, but I enjoyed Something Borrowed and Something Blue for quick reads. Great for the beach! I also liked Love the One You're With, perhaps even more than her previous three.
Lauren wrote: "Jess.. let me know how the year of pleasures goes. That one's been on my shelf for a while. Thanks!! =)"Lauren, I really enjoyed The Year of Pleasures! It's a quick, delightful read; you can read my review of the book, if you want (it doesn't really have any spoilers). I felt a couple things were missing or lacking but not enough to take away from the book. I would recommend it for a rainy day or a beach read.
I just finished Water for Elephants. I thought it was amazing!! So good!!Now I just started some of my summer reads with a nice Nicholas Sparks book, The Choice. I haven't heard anything about it but I have read all of his books and like them! Haha.
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I just finished The Virgin Suicides and am getting ready to start Choke.
I finished Slaughterhouse Five and Water for Elephants recently. I liked Water for Elephants more than I liked Slaughterhouse Five.I'm now reading The Tempest and People of the Book.
So I have FINALLY finished John Dryden's translation of Virgil's Aeneid (which I read a few pages each night, balanced with lighter stuff) and am now going to finish my reread of Great Expectations. I was meant to reread the whole thing for a class last semester, which didn't quite happen.
I just finished The Grapes of Wrath and loved it, pretty sure I have started a Steinbeck obsession and if it wasn't for the summer challenge I would just read everything he wrote. Still plugging away at Even Cowgirls Get the Blues but I don't want it to end so I stall a lot. I think I'm about to start The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie because a customer dropped it off for my boss but I stole/borrowed it to read first and feel like I should get it back to her.
Annashu wrote: "I just finished The Grapes of Wrath and loved it, pretty sure I have started a Steinbeck obsession and if it wasn't for the summer challenge I would just read everything he wrote. St..."Steinbeck is awesome! Have you read East of Eden? I liked The Grapes of Wrath but I LOVED East of Eden. Along with the summer challenge, I'm also devouring everything that Steinbeck has written...
Let me know what you think of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It sounds really interesting!
Personally, I think The Moon Is Down is the best Steinbeck work. I really want to reread it!
Lynn wrote: "Personally, I think The Moon Is Down is the best Steinbeck work. I really want to reread it!"I just finished that a few days ago. I really enjoyed it, but it seemed quite different from Steinbeck's other work. What do you think?
Annashu, I'd like to know how Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is too. I've seen it at work and it intrigues me.
Just finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. I thought it was beautiful, and I'm curious to read more by him. Also continuing with Twilight...
Jess wrote: "Just finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. I thought it was beautiful, and I'm curious to read more by him. Also continuing with Twiligh...
I haven't read Love in the Time of Cholera, but I finished One Hundred Years of Solitude not too long ago and really loved it, so I definitely suggest it if you want to read something else by the author (although you should definitely utilize the family tree in the beginning of the book, it covers multiple generations of the family and the children all seem to be named the same thing which can get confusing if you don't pay close attention.)
The last few books I've read (from earliest to most recent) were One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, and Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov.
I just started The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami which I'm liking so far (as much as I can judge while only 40 pages into a 607 page book). I read Sputnik Sweetheart by the same author a couple of years ago; I don't remember much about it now but I remember finishing it and thinking it was amazing, so I'm excited. :D
Everyone seems to be into Twilight now (I don't think anything I'm about to write can be considered a spoiler but if you haven't read the book perhaps don't read this as my bias might wipe off on you), my friend got me started on the series and I honestly liked the first book, but I was severely disappointed with the second one. I like Bella's character so much in Twilight; she was spunky, quirky, and self-reliant. New Moon just made me frustrated with her and I mourned the loss of such an awesome heroine. I decided to give Eclipse a try to give Bella the chance to redeem herself (this is supposed to be a dramatic love story after all so the melodrama could be forgiven if things got back down to business in Eclipse) but the opening chapter just completely threw me off with her complete apathy towards her own future. I closed the book without finishing it, deciding that my admired character had indeed expired.I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but Bella just irritated me once New Moon came around.
Just finished Grimspace by Ann Aguirre and am now starting Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier.
Jess wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Personally, I think The Moon Is Down is the best Steinbeck work. I really want to reread it!"I just finished that a few days ago. I really enjoyed it, but it seemed quite different f..."
I agree, Jess. I've started other Steinbeck novels, but haven't finished any of them, other than The Moon Is Down. I can't put my finger on it, but it does seem to have a different feel than say, Of Mice and Men which I've tried to read in the past.
And Jacqueline, I completely agree... I liked Twilight, but the rest of them really frustrated me! Especially New Moon!!!
I read the subsequent novels in the Twilight series but I too preferred the first book. I felt like Bella really lost her gumption, and Breaking Dawn was particularly disappointing.I just finished reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. One of my best friends recommended this to me when it first came out, and I've seen it on people's "must read" lists for a while now. I was skeptical. I did not expect to like it as much as I did. But I really loved the book; I found Enzo's quips and statements to be concise and poignant without being trite or simplistic.
I just finished Winkie by Clifford Chase. Has anyone here read it? If so, what did you think about it? I myself didn't like it.After Winkie, I started The Phoenix Endangered by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. I'm only on the fourth chapter, but I loved the Obsidian Trilogy and I loved the first book of the Enduring Flame.
I just finished reading Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin, which was fun, and Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, which was wonderful. I recommend it to everyone. I am currently reading I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson. I love Bryson, and this one is very funny. If you haven't read anything of his (what are you waiting for?) I recommend In a Sunburned Country and A Short History of Nearly Everything.
I just finished listening toThe Helpby Kathryn Stockettit was fantastic!!I also finished Water for Elephants, loved it!
I finished Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrún earlier today so now I'm on to Byron Ayanoglu's Crete On The Half Shell; should be interesting =)
College Students!
Books mentioned in this topic
Maid of Secrets (other topics)The Miniaturist (other topics)
Tiger's Quest (other topics)
Glass Sword (other topics)
Fairy Tail, Vol. 01 (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Robert Galbraith (other topics)Stephen King (other topics)
Anne Tyler (other topics)
Kōbō Abe (other topics)
Trish Doller (other topics)
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I started reading that series. I thought the first was good, but I don't think I really liked the second on since I didn't finish it. Let me know what you think of it.