You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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What are you currently reading and why? (CLOSED)
Mary wrote: "If you've read and enjoyed the Handmaid's Tale, try Bad Faith by Gillian Philip..."Thanks Mary! Have added it to the ever growing list to read :0)
Mary wrote: "Ally wrote: "Molly wrote: "Ally wrote: "I've just finished reading Change of Heart and am part way through Oryx and Crake."Ally - I am really interested in reading Ory..."
Thank you for the recommendation. I too have added it to my list of books to read!
Burgendya wrote: "I am reading Flesh and Blood by Johnathan Kellerman & Stalker by Faye Kellerman. I decided to read more of Delaware & Sturgis series. Since I've missed reading them. They are my favorite crime solving duo. As for the Faye Kellerman novel. I thought I should give her work another try. Has anyone read them before? "I love the Kellerman books, especially Jonathan. Yes, the Delaware and Sturgis duo is a classic mystery device that has not been topped. It was started by Poe in The Purloined Letter and continued with Holmes/Watson and even in today's crime TV. It works so well. The thing with mystery/detective/crime novels is that it's hard to remember the plots if you read a lot of them. But I can tell you that I've enjoyed every J. Kellerman book I've ever read! Faye is pretty good too. I like her pair almost as well – Peter Decker/Rina Lazurus. I picked up a book from the library today by their son, Jesse Kellerman. I haven't started it yet but it looks good. While I was at the library I got on the waiting list of 100 people for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 100! I can't afford to buy any books these days though.
I'm reading Being Emily by Anne Donovan, it's set in Glasgow, Scotland and is written in Scots dialect which might pose a challenge! It's about a young girl growing up who really likes Emily Bronte's work - it's quirky and funny but has some poignant stuff in there too. The same author wrote Buddha Da which is a great book too.
Having just finished my Charlaine Harris marathon, I'm embarking on Going with Gabriel, which I got a couple of weeks back from one of the site giveaways.
I have just started The Book of Negroes
for my offline bookclub. I am really looking forward to it as I have heard many good things.
Shannon wrote: "I have just started The Book of Negroes for my offline bookclub. I am really looking forward to it as I have heard many good things."Oooh, Shannnon I hope you'll love it! It was one of the first books I read this year and I thought it was brilliant.
I'm now re reading 2001 A Space odyssey, for rhw umpteenth time, but this time with a twist!
I have just started Ravens - George Dawes Green. I have to say I'm struggling with it at the moment. It seems to have good reviews but I'm on page 100 and so far it's not really working for me. Anyone read it? Shall I keep going?
I am reading Archangel bySharon Shinn as I wanted to try a new author and the plot as described on the cover sounded intriguing.
Even though I am not at the beach, unfortunately, I've zipped through two page-turning beach reads, Santa Fe Dead by Stuart Woods and The Cobra by Fredrick Forsythe which was a Goodreads giveaway book and I enjoyed them both.Just started The steam pig by James McLure. It's been out of print for awhile but it looks like a good series.
Larry wrote: "I'm now re reading 2001 A Space odyssey, for rhw umpteenth time, but this time with a twist!"What's the twist?!
Molly wrote: "Larry wrote: "I'm now re reading 2001 A Space odyssey, for rhw umpteenth time, but this time with a twist!"What's the twist?!"
Yeah, what's the twist? I'm so curious! And have you read any of the sequels?
Yea I've read all the sequels, and therein lies the twist. You see I will read 2001 up to the point where one of the crew disappears, then I'll skip to 3001 the final odysset which takes up his story a thousand years later. Then when done I"ll go back to the rest of 2001 to continue Dave's story. Finally I'll finish with 2010 Odyssey 2 to coincide with the year.
:D I've read practically everything Clarke has written!
Very cool! I still haven't read any of the sequels...
At the moment I am revisiting some old gothics of Barabara Michaels, but it is getting close to the time that I begin the switch to seasonal/holiday stories. I especially like cozy mysteries with holiday themes but read in every genre so am looking forward to seeing what people like.
I never read any of the 2001 books or sequels. I only know that, as a teenager, I went to see it quite a few times and didn't see a story or theme or a "beginning, middle and end." I have seen all or parts of it on TV since and am starting to get the message. Man's evolution into a habitat that he can't control (unlike the "early man" characters in the beginning). The astronauts think that they are in control until Hal turns on them. Technology comes with bugs that people are apparently resistant to fixing until it becomes a serious problem. Also, the Time theme went along with the growth of the astronauts. And to the film's overall tone and voice. Time is also out of our control and we sometimes fail to factor it into some of our bigger decisions. Time is a very vague principle and is still not fully understood. It has huge influences on every aspect of life.
I'm currently reading The Loop by Nicholas Evans, I realise I probably should have read The Horse Whisperer first but I was drawn to the wolves on the cover.Need to get a move on though so I can make a start on Shutter Island ready for next month :)
Patsy,2001 is basically about man's evolution. A monolith appears on earth in early africa and it drives the apes to evolve into us! And the film moves towards our next stage of evolution,driven and guided by the aliens.
Gemma, have you seen the movie of that book?
Not as yet, but I think it's on my Lovefilm list :) Is it a disappointment or a joy to behold?
Well its quirky but that's largely due to the fact its an oldie, but yea its worth watching!
I am reading FACE DOWN UPON AN HERBAL mainly because I just bought an e reader (the NOOK) and the book was cheap. It is the second book in a series and I really liked the first once and I usually like historical mysteries so here I am.
I caught the tail end of that movie on cable a few months ago and it reminded me of old Dr. Who footage. The book is one of my favorites - something that gives chills to all readers. I think I've recommended this title before here in relation to F.451, but Shelf Monkey is a pretty entertaining twist on the whole book burning concept.
It would be interesting to read Shelf Monkey right after Fahrenheit 451 I couldn't remember enough of Fahrenheit 451 when I read Shelf Monkey and I would have liked to remember the characters better. (Not that the books are related).
I am reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson as there seems to be quite a bit of excitement and praise surrounding this novel
Jo wrote: "I'm reading The Stand the uncut edition."I just gave the first of the graphic novel series of The Stand to a blogger friend of mine. She said it was phenomenal and she is a huge fan of the book.
The Stand: Captain Trips
Oh god, the stand. The film is long enough, couldn't tackle the book!
I just can't read a book of that size at the moment. I usually manage a few chapters a day if I'm lucky and that's no good for following a story. I used to get thru books really quickly, and just read one after another. But then I got 'a life' as they say and have little time for quiet reading nowadays.
Just finished Still Missing. Great book! Through a series of 26 sessions with her psychiatrist, Annie tells of her abduction by a stranger, almost year long captivity and her escape. Now she is trying to get back to her new normal, but things aren't quite as they seemed. A psychological thriller and an easy read. I highly recommend this one.
I've just started Slaughterhouse-Five..It's been on my list for a while, but I've been prompted by the 1001 books you should read before you die (albeit over 1200 if you use the combined list from all three editions).
While I don't want to be told what I should be reading, i'm pretty curious to find out what it is about these books that makes people think they're worth the read - I have some way to go!
Gemma, I too have been prompted by the question "What makes a particular selection great? Aside from the fact that many people have already read them...what is there about a particular 'popular' or 'classical' book that I could relate to when I already know what the story is and how it ends, and I'm not really drawn to the setting or characters, as in, say, Moby Dick? I've not been previously willing to even explore the possibility that something like that would enrich me one iota...however, after being around GoodReads for awhile, I guess something has rubbed off...I find myself being actually curious about the books like that, and about what more they could be...and what more they could be to ME.I saw the movie 'Slaughterhouse Five' and was not moved to read the book of same name, but now I'm at least curious, for one thing characters are always more well-developed in a book...books are about thinking and movies are about action (showing), unlesss they use the device of voice-over. The movie was a little hard for me to follow, it seemed to bounce around a lot...perhaps the book would be easier to understand.
I never knew there was a movie of Slaughterhouse 5! Yet to read any Vonnegut-i imagine him to be like Dick but less SFnal
I am reading Shutter Island for our upcoming discussion here. I know nothing about the plot of this book going in - which is the way I like it. So no spoilers please! But I am curious, for anyone else reading this now, did you find it hard to get drawn into? I have read Lehane's Mystic River and got sucked in right away. But this one seems to be taking more effort on my part. Not that I don't like it - just that I don't necessarily miss it when I'm not reading.
Well yhe film was good. For some reason I thought it was gooing to be a horror but of course it isn't.
Larry wrote: "I never knew there was a movie of Slaughterhouse 5! Yet to read any Vonnegut-i imagine him to be like Dick but less SFnal"You should give him a read. His stuff is hard to describe as from what I remember of reading of his stuff, comparisons are hard to make. In some ways he is very different to Dick.
Stuart, I did try to read a Vonnegut years ago but couldn't get into it. My problem is I'm fussy about SF-has to be space opera or hard SF. Not a great fan of social fiction tho I do read some (Aldiss for one)
Larry wrote: "Stuart, I did try to read a Vonnegut years ago but couldn't get into it. My problem is I'm fussy about SF-has to be space opera or hard SF. Not a great fan of social fiction tho I do read some (Ald..."That's cool, I read his stuff many years back. I hope if I reread it would still have the same resonance.
Scott if you mean Aldiss, what have you read? Tried Hothouse (aka The Long Afternoon of the Earth)?
I was refering to Vonnegut, but I have read some Aldiss. I particularly liked "Frankenstein Unbound" and "Dark Light Years". I have to admit it has been about 25 to 30 years since I read any of his stuff. I am not sure if I read Hothouse.
Dark Light Years is pretty cool-quite underrated!
Larry wrote: "Dark Light Years is pretty cool-quite underrated!"I agree, a very good book I would recommend it to anyone who even remotely likes sci fi.
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
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Ally - I am really interested in reading Oryx & Crake eve..."
If you've read and enjoyed the Handmaid's Tale, try Bad Faith by Gillian Philip. It's meant to be a YA book but I'm nothing like that young and thought it was great. It's a dystopia murder mystery set in a world rather like that of the Handmaid's Tale.
Check out my review here http://ourbookreviewsonline.blogspot....
if you might be interested.