10/10 What's on your list this week?

[Stacey]

I'm finishing up The Winters in Bloom and 1/2 through The Ghost Writer. I really needed a ghost story for October.

[Sam]

I'm carrying on with Watership Down and thinking about starting Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything with smatterings of The Stand: American Nightmares, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives, Siberia and The Little Prince in case I need a change

[Melki]

I'm still reading The Night Circus. It's just not grabbing me like I thought it would, and I have no trouble putting it down. Also need to finish Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers for my book club, but that is no problem, 'cos I love that book.
Weather has been SO lovely - outside activities have been keeping me from reading. BUT rain is forecast for the rest of the week, so look out armchair -- here I come!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Dark Lady's Chosen by Gail Z. Martin, The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind and The Last Four Things All the books are from our local library and part of a series.

[Stacey]

Melki wrote: "I'm still reading The Night Circus. It's just not grabbing me like I thought it would, and I have no trouble putting it down. Also need to finish [book:Stiff: The Curious Lives of ..."

I didn't want to hear that about Night Circus! I think I'm going to start it next week.

[Gretchen]

Still working on Sarah's Key. Took till page 92 for it to hook. Me should finish up shortly now.

I attribute the slow start to my last book was The Book Thiefand having two holocaust books back to back and anything after The Book Thief would have a rough start.

[Melki]

Don't you fret now, Miss Stacey! I'm sure you'll love the book.

[Sarenna]

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal and Tippy Toe Murder. I have decided that since I read two books at a time, at least one of them needs to be brainless fun.

[Theresa]

Stacey wrote: "I'm finishing up The Winters in Bloom and 1/2 through The Ghost Writer. I really needed a ghost story for October."

How is The Winters in Bloom?

[Melki]

Just started The Family Fang. A zany, offbeat look at a dysfunctional family is just what I need right now.

[Theresa]

Melki wrote: "Just started The Family Fang. A zany, offbeat look at a dysfunctional family is just what I need right now."

I've read reviews of this book, and it is one I plan on reading.

[Theresa]

I started The Love of My Youth: A Novel, but I don't think I'm going to finish it. I've liked most of Mary Gordon's books, but this one just isn't clicking for me. I'm also a couple of pages into The Astral: A Novel.

[Stacey]

Theresa wrote: "Stacey wrote: "I'm finishing up The Winters in Bloom and 1/2 through The Ghost Writer. I really needed a ghost story for October."

How is The Winters in Bloom?"

It's just OK for me. I'm just not connected to this novel. I'll finish it this morning. It's 3 stars so far.

[Carol]

Theresa wrote: "I started The Love of My Youth: A Novel, but I don't think I'm going to finish it. I've liked most of Mary Gordon's books, but this one just isn't clicking for me. I'm also a coupl..."

I can't believe I missed a new Mary Gordon novel!

[Theresa]

Carol wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I started The Love of My Youth: A Novel, but I don't think I'm going to finish it. I've liked most of Mary Gordon's books, but this one just isn't clicking for me. ..."

Unfortunately, I don't think you are missing much. It seems tremendously self-indulgent.

[Heather]

I am about a third of the way through The Marriage Plot and loving it. I also picked up Miss New India and The Passage from the library this week.

[Melissa]

I'm finishing up Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies. Next I'm planning on trying to conquer Gone With the Wind which should keep me busy for awhile!

[Elise]

I just finished two. One great and one not so great. The not so great was The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman. It's a stand alone, although Tess does make an appearance at the end...way too late to save it.

The great one was Wonderstruck, which is a kids' book, but OMG it was just gorgeous. It's told partly in narrative and part in pictures. Stunning. I especially like it for reluctant readers because the story moves so fast.

I just started Charles Frazier's new one,
Nightwoods. So far, I'm intrigued.

[Caroline]

I'm getting close to finishing The Secret History. Really loving it. After this I plan to pick up The World Without Us. Sorry if this is repetitive from last week! The Secret History is a LONG book. :D

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I have finished The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet which I didn't care for.

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade which I loved and I am storming through The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind at the rate of knots today - I have had to really pull myself away from it to hover and tidy the house!

[Laurel]

Slowly reading The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals; it's going to take me awhile. I'm still on the first part about corn. I think my blood pressure goes up everytime I turn a page. Getting ready to read Pepper Pike, in my continuing quest to seek out Cleveland books, and also I want to vicariously participate in the Augsburg bookclub discussion on Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef on the 26th so that's on my list.

[Heather]

Laurel wrote: "Slowly reading The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals; it's going to take me awhile. I'm still on the first part about corn. I think my blood pressure goes up everyti..."

I still need to start Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. I have just had way too much going on of late.

[Melissa]

Laurel wrote: "Slowly reading The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals; it's going to take me awhile. I'm still on the first part about corn. I think my blood pressure goes up everyti..."

Omnivore's Dilemma took me a long time to get through too. It's packed with a lot of thoughtful details, but an interesting read nonetheless.

[Jenn T Rogers]

Wow. I plowed through The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. But I'm kind of obsessed with food. =)

[Jenn T Rogers]

And I love The Night Circus. I admit, it's a bit slow and weird at first but it really picks up. I'll let you know how I feel at the end!

[Andrea]

I just started Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta - don't know anything about it - but it is starting slow...

[Laurel]

I'm obsessed with food, too, but for some reason everytime I pick up this book and read, I get angry so I only read a little bit. I do think it's excellent though. I'm enjoying Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef tremendously.

Jennifer wrote: "Wow. I plowed through The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. But I'm kind of obsessed with food. =)"

[Stacey]

Jennifer wrote: "Wow. I plowed through The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. But I'm kind of obsessed with food. =)"

Be sure to let us know your final thoughts!

[Liz]

Right now I'm reading When She Woke which is quite engrossing. Finished Glazed Murder, which was fun, yesterday. But before that I read Donorboy which I really liked. I know some of you wouldn't care for the format (emails, letters, journal entries, etc) but I kind of enjoy that (Up the Down Staircase is an old favorite of mine).

[Theresa]

I just started When She Woke, too.

[Liz]

Theresa wrote: "I just started When She Woke, too."

Oh, do let me know what you thought. I just finished it a bit ago. It had its flaws, but still was extremely thought-provoking & engrossing. Also a bit frightening as at least some of it feels like where our country may be heading.

[Stacey]

Re: When She Woke, I've been waiting for Liz to finish and now TK is reading it! I've been on the fence about this. It reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale when I read the description.

[Theresa]

I've spent most of the day reading it. If I say that I want to put this book in the freezer tonight, would anyone know what I mean?

[Theresa]

I finished When She Woke this morning. It's been a long time since I set aside most everything else to read a book. Liz, I agree that it is thought-provoking and engrossing, and with flaws. Some plot points didn't set well with me, but I bet a lot of book clubs will choose to read and talk about this book. I didn't find it as chilling as The Handmaid's Tale, but then only Margaret Atwood is Margaret Atwood.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I have spent the last three nights reading on night shift and finished The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind by Gail Z. Martin and half way through The Killing Kind by John Connolly. One more shift to go and then a break so hope to finish another one.

[Sam]

Caroline wrote: "I'm getting close to finishing The Secret History. Really loving it. After this I plan to pick up The World Without Us. Sorry if this is repetitive from last week! The Se..."

Did you make a start on The World Without Us? I read it recently and was rather impressed by it, I'll be interested to see what you think/thought about it :-)

[Caroline]

Sam wrote: "Caroline wrote: "I'm getting close to finishing The Secret History. Really loving it. After this I plan to pick up The World Without Us. Sorry if this is repetitive from ..."

Sam, I lied. I ended up picking up what I'm reading now, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture. I decided I wanted to read this one sooner rather than later because my oldest daughter is a few days from turning six and very into the whole princess thing. Anyway, I am almost finished it, though, and will then start The World Without Us and Raising Your Spirited Child. I normally read only one book at a time, but the latter one is more like homework, so I need to have some pleasure reading in there to balance it.

[Sam]

Wow, now that is a title that both scares and intrigues me (think the girlie-girl phrase scares me the most!). What was it like to read?

Don't worry, I forgive you telling porkies ;-) hope you do enjoy World Without Us when you get there!

[Caroline]

Sam wrote: "Wow, now that is a title that both scares and intrigues me (think the girlie-girl phrase scares me the most!). What was it like to read?

"

I am REALLY liking it, and I highly recommend this one for all parents of daughters. I feel it's an important read. It's also really fascinating to read about the toy industry, among other things. I expect to finish it any day now; I've had a few non-reading days in a row, so I need to play catch-up.

[Sam]

I may have to put that one on my to try list and see if it's in my local library, might have to suggest it to my mum as well and see what she thinks of it!