What are you currently reading and why? (CLOSED) Showing 2,251-2,300 of 4,001

[Janice, Moderator]

What is it about mysteries you don't like Chrissie? I realized recently that I like a plot-driven story which may be why I like mysteries.

[Beth]

Just read and LOVED it. I got hooked on this author when I added for some unknown reason, and read it as it came up in my to-read list. I find the best books (and movies) that way.

Just started because those are great "in-between" books that I can read quickly...especially after finishing one that was 500+ pages...even when I loved the long one. Kind of like a brain vacation. :)

[Autumn]

I just finished The Distant Hours at work today.. Tonight im going to start My Dear I Wanted to Tell You.. im on a great war/ world war2 kick ive gotten like 6 books from the library on these topics.. also trying to fit in a couple of my first read wins :D

[Chrissie]

Janice wrote: "What is it about mysteries you don't like Chrissie? I realized recently that I like a plot-driven story which may be why I like mysteries."

Janice, I cannot but keep thinking that this is just fiction so why should I spend my time trying to solve the mystery! If it has an historical basis, then I feel I am learning something. This is one of my totally weird idiosycracies. I DID really enjoy The Observations, so that is kind of amazing for me.

[Dem]

I have just finished and loved City of Thievesgave it 5 stars, just noticed that this it the 8th book this year that I gave 5 stars (I am getting stingy with the stars) this is my review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Also finished When God Was a Rabbitnot my usual book choice but really enjoyed it, this is my review
www.goodreads.com/review/list/2752994

I am now reading The Bookseller of Kabul

[Dem]

Judy wrote: "Dem, you and I really do read a lot of the same type of books. When I saw you were reading City of Thieves I realized I had read it several years ago. I didn't like it as much as you..."

I will let you know Judy but I am looking forward to it.

[Susan]

I just finished The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma, and really enjoyed it. Now I am starting Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran -- so far so good.

[Chrissie]

Judy, also when the fiction part or the author's writing style displeases, you have not totally wasted your time if you learned even just a teeny bit. Just dates abd battle names tend to not fasten in my head if I do not feel the history through people's luves.

[Chrissie]

Yes, I think we do Judy! Have you seen that I have added many more books? I haven't even gone thourgh more than a couple of my own country shelves. It is very time consuming since I have to check what is available on Kindle and then test read a bit of the sample. If you have to buy a book you want to be very careful. Boy, I wish I had a good library.......

[Chrissie]

With a library, Judy, you are not forced to be so careful! That is just plain good.

I have started going through my shelves and have so many books I have totally forgotten about! I am discovering them all over again. FUN! I love books.

[Chrissie]

Judy re message 406. I meant GR shelves too......

[Janice, Moderator]

I've just started reading Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl for our year long challenge. I'm a bit behind in the challenge! Eeek.

Chrissie & Judy, I will be finishing an audiobook today called Thunderhead which is a mystery/horror about an archeological dig. I find myself searching online for things like Anazzi Indians, skinwalkers, and other things mentioned in the story. So I'm learning from this genre as well.

[Lori]

I've recently started . I had wanted to read this for quite a while. Remembering the movie which was enchanting, too. The book fills in a lot of blank spaces that were not covered in the movie.

[Janice, Moderator]

Judy wrote: "You read a nice variety, Janice. I never heard of Anazzi Indians."

Thanks, Judy.

Oops! I didn't spell that right. Anasazi Indians were known for the cliff dwellings called Pueblos. There is more info and pictures here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_...

[Janice, Moderator]

I've started listening to the audiobook A Game of Thrones. I hope it was a good decision to listen to it on audiobook. Generally this type of epic fantasy has lots of characters, and it may be troublesome to keep them all straight in this format. It will likely be the narrator's skill, or lack of skill to keep things on track. So far, the narrator is quite interesting. He makes me think of Alfred Hitchcock. Gooood evening!

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm beginning to this that this genre doesn't lend well to audiobooks. There are too many characters to try to keep track of. I'm thinking I may pack it in and pick up the paperback somewhere down the road.

[Chrissie]

I have just completed The Last Station.It is historical fiction that stays close to the known facts. I am glad I read it,and I found it interesting. My review explains why I rated it as I did: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I will start Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris. This is not fiction, but it reads as such! I am already drawn in, rapidly turning page after page. I received it from NetGalley.

[Janice, Moderator]

I decided to give up on the audiobook version of A Game of Thrones and added it to my wishlist. I'll pick up the novel in paperback sometime.

I started listening to Remarkable Creatures instead.

[Valerie]

Just started reading last night. Have had it on my to-read list for a while, and just picked it up from the library.

[Bill]

I'm Currently Reading "The Nearest Exit" by Olen Stienhauer.

What can I say I just love Milo as a character...nothing seems to go right for him, and it just seems familiar....lol

[Linda]

I'm reading Nostromo at the moment. I first read it at university many years ago and remembered it as taking too long to read. This time I don't have any pressure to finish it and am enjoying the way the story is unfolding. The descriptions are wonderful and as always I'm amazed that Conrad could write so well in his second language.

[Janice, Moderator]

Hi Linda and Bill. Welcome to YLTO!

[Janice, Moderator]

It sounds interesting Anna. I was watching a documentary recently about this disease recently.

[Janice, Moderator]

Yes, it is quite different. I hope you enjoy it. :)

[Dem]

Just finished The Bookseller of Kabulthis is my review www.goodreads.com/review/show/209728654

I am now reading Solace byBelinda Mckeonfor a bookclub read.

[Michelle]

I am struggling to find a good book to read and I really hate it when this happens. I think I have 3 books going right now because none of them are really catching me. I'm reading Half Broke Horses, Freedom, South of Broad, The Female Brain, and Last Days of Summer. Shall I give the October read a try??

[Janice, Moderator]

I've got Half Broke Horses sitting beside me. My father gave it to me when I was down last weekend.

I find that when I'm in a slump and nothing is catching my fancy, a thriller will spice things up. My answer to your question about reading October's book, is yes - and then you can participate in the discussion. :)

[Michelle]

Half Broke Horses is just okay - it's more like a bunch of small stories or remembrances rather than a novel you can sink your teeth into. Will look for the Oct. read at the library.

[Chrissie]

Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris is a nonfiction book I just completed. It is set in France and is concerned with the Petiot murders that occurred in Occupied Paris during WW2. The qutestions are many. Who exactly did Petiot murder? Why? How?

I appreciated that fact and speculation are differentiated. That was the goal of the author, and I think he did it very well. The research is thorough. The epilogue ties all the strands together and expresses what the author speculates to the questions that remain unanswered.

My spoiler-free review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I gave it four stars rather than five because sometimes I stumbled among the facts. I could not keep absolutely every event and person straight, Although I think that is more my failure than the book's.

I will now start The Last Van Gogh. Why? Well, because i enjoyed the author's book Swedish Tango: A Novel and I enjoy getting inside the heads of artists. Sunflowers wasn't bad either. Will this be better?

I adored Arrogance, but that is about Schiele. All of these artist books are historical fiction. Check out The Painted Kiss too. I am only mentioning these because so few people seem to know of them and I really liked them. You will find my reviews. If you don't and you want them, just ask me.

[Janice, Moderator]

Chrissie, I have Death in the City on my audiobook wish list. It's narrated by my favorite narrator. Your review has me moving it a little higher on the wish list. Still debating though. There are others on the the list that have been there longer.

[Chrissie]

Janice, you are certainly more of an expert than I am on audios! Maybe your favorite narrator can pull it off. Gaeta and I were discussing how excrutiating it can be when you listen to something really creepy on an audio and you cannot speed it up. There is also the element of the facts. Can you absorb them propely on an audio? You are a better judge of that than me! I explained what the book offers, but I do not know exactly what you are looking for...... Ask me something if you are unsure.

[Janice, Moderator]

I'll have to listen to the sample before I decide whether or not I want to buy it. I've read other true crime books. One was The Cases That Haunt Us. I hesitate to say that I enjoyed them.

I can speed up my audiobooks in a couple of ways. I can select a setting that will play it at 1.5 or 2 times the recorded speed. I can also fast forward it by 30 seconds.

[Janice, Moderator]

I started reading Tomato Rhapsody: A Fable of Love, Lust & Forbidden Fruit by Adam Schell for my year long challenge task where the author shares part of your name.

I also started listening to The Midnight Palace. I listen to my audiobooks generally in the order in which I buy them and this one was up next. I'm 1/2 hour in and really enjoying it.

[Chrissie]

Janice, the Tomato book looks fun! I have added it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Just as long as you don't throw those rotten tomatoes at me. :)

[Dem]

Just finished Solace by Belinda Mckeonmy review http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

I am now reading A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry

[Janice, Moderator]

LOL! You've got that right!

[Janice, Moderator]

Dem wrote: "Just finished Solace by Belinda Mckeonmy review http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

I am now reading A Long Long Way by [author:Sebastian B..."

I hope you don't mind my correction, Dem. Your link went to the book rather than your review which is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I noticed that the setting of the book is Ireland and I'm wondering if you enjoyed that aspect of the novel.

[Autumn]

.. Im not completely sure how i heard about this book but it seemed interesting enough..

[Chrissie]

Autumn, I am intrigued by Before Ever After. Could you let me know what you think of it?

[Autumn]

I sure will I'm only 35 pages in bu so far I'm digging it.. there's a lot of jumping from one time to another but it weaves in and out fairly well if that makes sense..

[Chrissie]

Autumn, good author can do that. I just read the sample and am very interested. I liked the writing. Don't ask me why, because I haven't a clue, but I did. I love books that travel all over the place from country to country. Philippines, do you think that is the country that will explain the mystery? That is my guess. Whhat is your guess? Please keep dropping little info bits, so I know how the book is affecting you - please!

[Dem]

Janice wrote: "Dem wrote: "Just finished Solace by Belinda Mckeonmy review http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

I am now reading A Long Long Way by [author:S..."

Thank you Janice for doing that, it was actually set quite close to where I live and I found it quite stange to be honest.

[Autumn]

Chrissie wrote: "Autumn, good author can do that. I just read the sample and am very interested. I liked the writing. Don't ask me why, because I haven't a clue, but I did. I love books that travel all over the pl..."


Chrissie- Well Hmm my guess is probably the Philippines as well i skipped a few pages just looking for the locations and i saw a few Philippines and i didnt read the text at all yayy me.. So far im very intrigued by the this book but i also finished
The Hunger Games last night so that was still in my head when i started Before Ever After.. im sure today with a clearer head i can really get into it :D

[Chrissie]

Autumn, please keep me informed. The author is Philippino.

[Chrissie]

I have just begun A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Do not make the error I made! I actually thought this was an ornithological guide, so I never looked inside! It is a story about a group of bird watchers in Nairobi, Kenya. It teaches about Kenya. It is humorous. And it is about how people relate to each other. If you have ever taken part in such weekly "bird walks", as I have, you will understand the humor to be found in observing each other. Every week the same troop arrives. Every week Mr. X arrives late. Every week some come with their dogs! Here I am the guilty one! Are dogs welcome at a walk where everyone talks in shispers and crouches down and stares into the leaves, rapidly setting up their tripods zooming in ing on the "finds". So this book attracts me,and I was told that I would learn about Kenya too. Well, that is just perfect. Humor and information all rolled into one.

I just completed The Last Van Gogh. Unfortunately, this was a total disappointment! The subject matter is not Van Gogh and the author did not create a moving, captivating tale. You might like it fi you like soppyromance novels. Perhaps sone of the female characters had to be weak, because that is how they were in real ife. In any case, something went wrong in the telling.

The epilogue, which explains who the book was really about, was totally fascinating! My spoiler -free review explains the true contentt: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I have several books on my shelves by this author. I DID enjoy Swedish Tango. The Mask Carver's Son and The Lost Wife were both on my TBR shelf. Now I do not know whether I should read them.

If you want a book of historical fiction more focused on Van Gogh, I would suggest Sunflowers. It is a good book. Here is my short review of that:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81...

[Chrissie]

Judy, I picked up "Birds" b/c I thought it would be amusing, and I already see that it is. What I have heard is that you also get to learn about Kenyan culture and history too. Three of my friends gave it losts of stars. I should save it for next year, but I have no willpower.

[Dem]

Just finished Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgothis is my review
www.goodreads.com/review/show/218946678

I am still reading A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry

[Chrissie]

Judy, I am about halway through. The book seems to be primarily about relationships and opposing character types. It is primarily set in the expat community, at least so far. Few messages are blatant. they are indicated indirectly. This is kind of hard to explain. That president X is sorrupt si hidden in other references, never stated directly. It is the tone of the men's club buddy talk that holds the book together. I have the feeling I am not being clear......

[Autumn]

Chrissie wrote: "Autumn, please keep me informed. The author is Philippino."

Chrissie.. I just finished
Before Ever After it was soo wonderful.. not completely what I expected but I really enjoyed the book..