What are you currently reading and why? (CLOSED) Showing 2,051-2,100 of 4,001

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm afraid of that, Michelle. It's such a huge book. But I was intrigued by the review, so will give it a go.

[Janice, Moderator]

I have started a new thread devoted to ebooks and ebook readers, so if anyone wants to continue with Chrissie's and my discussion, you will find it here http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

[Chrissie]

Thanks Janice for moving that comment.

Michelle and Judy, I am not going to read Shantaram or Pillars of the Earth, which is available over here. POTE is so weird in that some adore it and others say it is not well written, very melodramatic and has incorrect historical facts. I have good GR friends with opinions I highly respect and they too are on different sides of the controversy. I do think these or Rutherford's books will fit me, although I always keep wondering.....

[Janice, Moderator]

I personally haven't read Pillars of the Earth. I read Cathedral of the Sea which is often compared to POTH. Many reviewers say that Cathedral is the better of the two. I loved Cathedral and am reluctant to read another very long book that is similar.

[Chrissie]

Another friend said exactly the same thing, but isn't this a trilogy and COTS is the second? Can it be read separately. Could you tell me why you liked it, or have you written a review? Is there good characterisation? I do not want it super melodramatic. Do the characters start at the beginning and continue all the way to the end? Is there correct history? I know nothing about this book since I thought I had to start with POTE!

[Katie]

I'm reading Matched.
I found it in the library and the blurb made it sound interesting. I started it yesterday morning, and read up to half way, that day. Really interesting.

[Janice, Moderator]

Chrissie wrote: "Another friend said exactly the same thing, but isn't this a trilogy and COTS is the second? Can it be read separately. Could you tell me why you liked it, or have you written a review? Is there go..."

I don't believe it is part of a trilogy. It certainly stands entirely on its own if it is. I do have a review - very short and sweet http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

It starts before the protagonist is born, at the marriage of his parents and continues to the later parts of his life. It was like a tapestry - colourful threads woven into a rich story of Barcelona. I was pulled into this story immediately, and transported across time. I found myself anxious at times when the story was tense, angry at the ignorance and cruelty of people called family, insensed at the brutality against the Jewish people and by the Spanish Inquisition. I felt exileration when Arnau proved his strength as human being.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Paul Michaels. There were times that I would arrive at work or home, and would sit out in the driveway because I was so involved in the story.

[Janice, Moderator]

Katie wrote: "I'm reading Matched.
I found it in the library and the blurb made it sound interesting. I started it yesterday morning, and read up to half way, that day. Really interesting."

You know you are enjoying a book when you can read it so quickly. :)

[Chrissie]

Oh Janice, forgive me. I was totally goofed! Cathedral of the Sea is even by a different author. Some have compared it to Pillars of the Earth, but several of my friends have said - do NOT do this. COTS is really, really good!!! And it is long. AND it is on Kindle!!!! I have downloaded a sample. You know what else? I can now order Moloka'i on Kindle. Yipee. Let today continue in this wonderful manner. I DO have to finish the paper book I am reading. I just do not like readng with a magnifying glass, but I must read the good paper books I have already purchased.

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm so glad to hear that you can get Cathedral on Kindle. And Moloka'i! You will really enjoy both. I know I did. :)

[Chrissie]

Janice, thank you TONS!!! I adored the sample for Cathedral of the Sea. I do not want to finsih the book I have just started. I am going to read this before Moloka'i. I HAVE to read it. It pulls you in immediately and gives interesting historical background, all within the first two chapters. I love the sample function of Kindles.

[Janice, Moderator]

You're welcome! Enjoy. :)

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm going to have a nap and then I'm starting The Hunger Games - the July selection.

[Valerie]

Started last night & finised it this afternoon... Now I'm reading . Never read anything by this author before, but the summary makes the story sound intriguing and suspensful... Guess we'll see once I really get into the story.

[Chrissie]

I switched form The Old Capital to Moloka'i. Through the kind efforts of the author and his editor it is now available in the Kindle format in Europe. YAY! And I am loving it. I adore Rachel's curiosity. History of Hawaii and the lepers' situation there is interwoven so you both get drawn into a moving story and learn at the same time.

I will read Old Capitol later. It was good too, but I doubt it will be as good as Moloka'i.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished The Hunger Games in record time. It's going to be an interesting discussion next month for our group reads. I'll be started the next book in the trilogy Catching Fire. I wonder how many others in our group will end up reading the trilogy back to back.

[[deleted user]]

Currently listening to Catching Fire on my morning walks. And also reading The Passage....I am enjoying it, but also wanted to read something a little lighter so I'm switching back and forth between it and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Quite a variety!

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished Catching Fire at 2:30 this morning. I've already started the final book in the series Mockingjay

Jessica, how is the pace of the audiobook? I was thinking that it usually takes longer to listen to an audiobook than to read the novel, but it might be more intense if the narrator is good.

[[deleted user]]

Janice wrote: "I finished Catching Fire at 2:30 this morning. I've already started the final book in the series Mockingjay

Jessica, how is the pace of the audiobook? I was thinki..."

Hi Janice....the pace is noticeably slower to me. But I am enjoying the narration by Carolyn McCormick. I think she does a great job. I started out listening to the audio version of The Hunger Games so I wanted to continue with the rest of the series. In this case I don't mind that it is slower since I'm really loving the series and in some ways don't won't it to end.

What did you think of Catching Fire?

[Michelle]

I am currently reading the brand new book from Ann Patchett, State of Wonder LP. It's just wonderful so far - set in both MN (where I am from) and Brazil. There is quite a bit of suspense and some very interesting characters. I highly recommend it - and anything else by Patchett. I love her!!

[Lori]

I started a book that I've been hoping to get to for a couple of years: . I almost always enjoy reading about the first half of the 20th century and this book does that. The hard part is the type of novel. It's written in the form of letters to various people. I know I'll get used to it and I've promised myself that I'll finally get through it. Ther have been so many great reviews.

[Chrissie]

Lori, I too shy away from epistolary writing. You will like this!

[Janice, Moderator]

Jessica, I loved Catching Fire. I started and finished the final book Mockingjay early this morning. Awesome books!

Michelle, I have State of Wonder on my wishlist. It sounds very good.

[Valerie]

Started reading . It's an older book that caught my eye at the library & thought I'd give it a try.

[Janice, Moderator]

I will start The Stand. I asked some friends to pick the book I should read next off my TBR, and this was the first suggestion.

[Michelle]

Janice wrote: "I will start The Stand. I asked some friends to pick the book I should read next off my TBR, and this was the first suggestion."
Have you ever read King before? That is also another one of my top 5 best books ever!

[Janice, Moderator]

Oh yes, Michelle. King is one of my favorite authors. I was at a garage sale recently and the woman had a bag full of his books. I grabbed three that I hadn't read.

One thing I learned about The Stand when reading the preface last night is that the original publishing of it had been chopped by more than 150,000 words. This one is the book in its entirety - all 1141 pages of it.

[Michelle]

Janice wrote: "Oh yes, Michelle. King is one of my favorite authors. I was at a garage sale recently and the woman had a bag full of his books. I grabbed three that I hadn't read.

One thing I learned about Th..."

Yes, I haven't read the unabridged version - I should do that this summer. I know the opening scenes are completely different. Hope you enjoy it!

[Chrissie]

Finally I was able to read Moloka'i. It was definitely worth all the work necessary to make it available in the kindle format in Europe. I again want to thank the author for his help! My spoiler-free review explains why I gave it four stars: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

So I should go back to The Old Capital,which I stopped so I could read Molokai as soon as it came out, but do you remember how I loved the book A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan? This book made me want to know more about the Shia-Sunni split. I love books that start you on a trail for more information.... I knew I had a book about this. I knew it was on my GR shelves, but I simply couldn't remember its title. My GR friend John, he had read the book... He found it for me in my shelves :0) Thank you John. Then I tried a sample on my Kindle..... These samples are very dangerous. If they are good, you feel you must read the book immediately. This is the book:After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam. It reads like fiction, but is in fact non-fiction. I dare you to try it and not be pulled to read this book. And we all ought to understand this split in Islam.

I am really breaking my rules. I have told myself to alternate between DTB and kindalized books. Bad me! Oh, I hope I come to better understand this split that is so important to the mess we are in today. Think if this split had never occurred. History would have been completely different.

[Lori]

Judy wrote: "Lori wrote: "I started a book that I've been hoping to get to for a couple of years: . I almost always enjoy reading about the f..."

Thanks for the great idea Judy. I haven't yet gotten into the swing of audio books and from your description I think this would be the book to start out with! I'm going to stick out the paper novel, though, because I've put off reading for almost 2 years and I'm almost halfway through. It's a little bit like having 15-20 stories in 1 novel. All the letter writers have a story to tell and their version of events to convey.

[Janice, Moderator]

While I slog my way through The Stand, I'm also listening to The Widow of the South while I drive to and from work. I've had the audiobook for quite a while, and it finally came up to the top of the list. Plus, I started The Picture of Dorian Gray on Kindle the other night because I wanted to read in bed and my husband wanted to sleep. He prefers I read my Kindle in bed because then I can turn the background black and just have the letters backlit. It doesn't disturb him then.

[Dem]

Just finished The Hare with Amber Eyes A Family's Century of Art and Loss this is a great story about a very wealthy Jewish family called the Ephrussi family and their collection of art and 264 Japanese wood and ivory carvings and how this collection survived through the German invasion of Vienna. I really enjoyed this Biograpy very much.

[Anne]

Dem, nice to hear. That's high up on my TBR.

[Dem]

Anne wrote: "Dem, nice to hear. That's high up on my TBR."

Hope you enjoy it Anne!

[Chrissie]

I want to read Hare with Amber Eyes too. I have the paperback.

[Alan]

I,m reading Kisses on a postcard onto chapter 5 loving every page with a smile on my face

[Anne]

Chrissie: Do you think you'll be reading the paperback?

Alan: I have Kisses On A Postcard. That's one that I'm going to be reading soon.

[Janice, Moderator]

Hi Alan! Welcome to our group. :)

[Alan]

Anne wrote: "Chrissie: Do you think you'll be reading the paperback?

Alan: I have Kisses On A Postcard. That's one that I'm going to be reading soon."

Anne wrote: "Chrissie: Do you think you'll be reading the paperback?

Alan: I have Kisses On A Postcard. That's one that I'm going to be reading soon."

Anne wrote: "Chrissie: Do you think you'll be reading the paperback?

Alan: I have Kisses On A Postcard. That's one that I'm going to be reading soon."
Hi i,m on chapter 7 its a brilliant book you will love it
Trust me I,a postman lol

[Alan]

Janice wrote: "Hi Alan! Welcome to our group. :)"

thanks Janice Its a pleasure to be involved xx

[Chrissie]

Alan, I too have KOAP to read. So why do you like it? Is it b/c there is subtle humor - you say you are smiling? Is it b/c it draws a good picture of the life of the evacuees? Is it b/c of the kindness demonstrated by the family that took in the two brothers?

Anne, well I have The Hare with Amber Eyes A Family's Century of Art and Loss. I ordered it from BookDepository and had to wait ages to get it..... Now I am kicking myself b/c I of course would rather read it on Kindle. I am too cheap to buy the exact same book twice! Maybe my vision will improve?! I REALLY want to read this book, I have just been dragging my feet since it is a paperback I have.

[Alan]

Hi chrissy
K.O,A.P.C.
In the war as a child must have been a nightmare with this book its gave me an insight to what life was like away from home with total strangers.
The strangers where wonderful people that looked after children as they belonged to them.
Terry and Jack never forgot the kindness and even now talk about Uncle Jack and auntie Rose with all the love and affection 60 years on

[Chrissie]

Thanks for explaining, Alan.

[Chrissie]

I recently finished After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam and a link to my GR spoiler free reviews follows:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
You learn both about the early periods of Islam through the storiess that were told by word of mouth, and you learn of the political tensions that grew as the split arose.

Now I will start The Hare with Amber Eyes A Family's Century of Art and Loss which is about a Japanese netsuke collection, the family that owned it and the history interwoven into their lives. It is about art, history and different cultures.

[Karin]

Currently reading The Help because a good friend recommended it. She read it on vacation last year and forgot she had read it on her iPad, one of her first ebook experiences, and spent some time looking for the paper book because she was convinced she had it :) Really enjoying it.

Before this I read:
Life From Scratch because I bought it in the Kindle Sunshine Deals - *loved* it
Sarah's Key - because I saw the DVD everywhere and when I found out it was a book I decided to read it, nearly always prefer the book to the movie and HAVE to read before watching, very good book
Water for Elephants - because I saw a tiny bit of trailer (not enough to really understand what the story was about) I just decided to give it a go, liked it a lot.

[Dem]

Just finished really enjoyed this novel if you liked Diane settlefield's The Thirteenth Tale you will enjoy this novel.

[Chrissie]

I have just begun Death and the Penguin, and I am already laughing. I am reading this book because I wanted to meet Misha, the penguin. I wanted something light having just struggled through The Hare with Amber Eyes A Family's Century of Art and Loss. I have given it three stars b/c the last 100 odd pages were very good, but the first 234 were not! And here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... If you are interested in this book I suggest your read the comments on mine and Amy Hanry's review. In the comments to my review there is a link to her review.

[Janice, Moderator]

Death and the Penguin sounds interesting, Chrissie. I need a book that will get me laughing. I look forward to your review.

[Chrissie]

Janice, I have already given a teeny excerpt that is very funny; I have begun the review.

[Janice, Moderator]

Hehe.. it sounds good! :)