BOOK-A-HOLICS discussion
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WHAT ARE YOU READING?
I just finished
A Drop of the Hard Stuff the new Matthew Scudder novel by Lawrence Block. A quick and enjoyable enough read. Scudder takes on a case that is personal to him. Interesting characters and of course detective work.
As always, if you're interested, you can read my review here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-63
Since I last posted here I have finished Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution, and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, as well as The Telling and all three of these I really liked. I also read The Twelfth Insight: The Hour of Decision which was really disappointing. I didn't care for it at all. I'm currently reading The Postmistress which doesn't seem to be holding my interest. I hope that it gets better.
I am reading Dean Koontz Frankenstein the Dead Town. I just got it in the mail yesterday and had to put all other books aside. Dean Koontz is my absolute favorite. This is the last book in the series and that makes me sad. I love these characters!
Shay wrote: "I am reading Dean Koontz Frankenstein the Dead Town. I just got it in the mail yesterday and had to put all other books aside. Dean Koontz is my absolute favorite. This is the last book in the s..."I've read all of that series except for that one. I thought part three ended well and maybe he should have left it at that. Am curious to know what you think of it.
I just finished The Postmistress and ended up really liking it. I'm moving on now to something a little less sad and starting Around the World in Eighty Days
Just finished
The Sisters Brothers: A Novel and really enjoyed it. Gave it 4* because it has a little of everything. Dry humor, great characters, grit, emotion, and plain good storytelling/writing.
If you're interested my review can be found here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-6d
Flora wrote: "I'm about 1/3 of the way into The Secret Garden"I love that book. It's one of my favourites.
I finished
and loved it now I've moved on and am 1/4 of the way through
and I like it so far.
Just finished
Before I Go to Sleep and while a good read, I wouldn't say it was the most outstanding thriller that it's purported to be. One thing the author does well is create characters that make the reader guess where their true intentions lie.
A 3* read for me. If you're interested in reading more, my review can be found here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-6E
Just finished Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacy, this is the second in the Kowalski series. The next will be out I think next week...I already pre ordered it from Amazon right to my new Kindle.
I just finished
The Devil She Knows: A Novel and I really loved it. If you're a fan of crime fiction that is somewhat dark and gritty (think of gangsters in the 40's and lots of men wearing fedoras) this book is for you!
Would love to see the books main character Maureen have a series.
If you're interested my review can be found here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-6W
I finished The Secret Garden as well as The Old Fox Deceiv'd and enjoyed both of them. I'm now reading The Fall as well as The Three Musketeers and really like both of these. I've also started The Scientific 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Scientists, Past and Present which has been really interesting.
Cane River, by Lalita Tademy is the telling of the author's family history set in southern Louisiana along the Cane and Red rivers. It is the story of a line of incredible women who found strength in each other through slavery, emancipation, and the racism that followed them throughout. It is a story of French plantation owners who sold them away from each other, of the men who fathered their children and of the mixing of race that lightened their skin over the generations, but, except for one or two, could not accept them as equals. It is a story of the determination to pull together as a family and to build a life for the generations. Lalita Tademy recounts a complete family history told with dignity and grace. It is an important recounting of American history that everyone should read.
Hi everyone! I just finished
Alice Bliss and WOW. This is a gem of a book. A coming of age tale that is so moving. I had a reading first with this book, in that I actually cried during the final scene. It was 2am and there I was sitting on the edge of the bed with sobbing tears. Never had it happen before.
But Alice is a moving young woman.
A def. and rare 5* read for me.
If you're interested my review can be found here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-75
I finished
and thought it was pretty good but nothing spectacular. I'm now just getting started on
A Parting Gift by Ben EricksonThis is the story of the relationship between a teenaged boy and an 85 year old man who takes him under his wing. Josh's parents are divorced and his father has begun life with a new family and doesn't seem to have a place for Josh in that life. Josh's mom works hard to support the two of them and one of the things she does is prepare meals on wheels for the elderly. Josh delivers them in an old beat up Volkswagon Beetle and during a delivery to Will Davis befriends the old man. Mr. Davis's hands are arthritic and he hires Josh to be his scribe as he relates the stories of his life. Mr. Davis becomes somewhat of a surrogate father to Josh and Josh helps fill an old man's lonely days.
This book was difficult to get interested in at first because the dialogue seemed stiff and awkward, but as the stories begin to be told the descriptions of events show the writer's true talent. Once he hit his stride, the book drew me in and kept me interested. As Mr. Davis imparts his wisdom to the teenaged boy, their relationship becomes real and not just a way to tie together events. Eirckson's description of building a table is real and communicates a love for what he is writing about. His description of an old man losing himself in memories of times past when his wife was still living are moving. The stories of Josh and his friends surfing are vivid and exciting as are Will Davis's childhood memories.
I'm glad a read this book and plan on donating it to my school's library. There are some good messages for teenagers that will hopefully reach a few of the students.
I'm always reading a Ted Dekker novel. Right now that would be "Red." And it is brilliant!
I just finished A Crowded Heart by Nicholas Papandreou. This novel is written by the son of the former Greek Prim Minister Papandreou. It is clearly partially autobiographical, but is a work of fiction that tells the story of a son and how he fits into the family of a Greek socialist politician. Both his grandfather and his father have answered the call to be leaders against first a monarchy and then a right wing dictatorship. Since it is told from a boy's perspective we get the sense of what is happening from a child's view, but a child wrapped up in the doings of a highly political family. We know what it is like for a son to take on responsibility for political/family favors such as being the godfather to a supporters child, what it is like to experience soldiers breaking into his home to arrest his father, what it is like to be the son of someone who is more available to other people than to his own family.What I enjoyed most about the story was the glimpse into Greek culture and history it provided as the boy, who was born in the U.S., is sent to spend the summer in a small village so he can get to know the Greek language and culture on a personal level, the rite of baptism, the interaction of the boy with his surroundings. It is an interesting and enjoyable read.
I just finished Rhythms by Donna Hill. Rhythms is a story about four generations of black women beginning with Cora and her Mama. Cora is just coming of age at the beginning of the book living with her parents in a small Mississippi Delta town. Her father is a Baptist preacher and her mother is doing everything she can to raise Cora as a lady. We learn of Cora's beautiful singing voice as she sings in the church choir and we see her as she attracts the attention of the town's only black doctor. Cora has grown up wrapped in the protection of the people in the black community who live in a racially segregated town. She knows the effects of racism, but has never come in direct contact with it until her beau, David, takes her to town to see "The Jazz Singer". They stand in line for an hour only to be told there are no seats left in the black section of the theater. Her father becomes involved with the NAACP in an attempt to make life better for the people of the community, and the Klan fire-bombs his house, killing both him and his wife. After Cora recovers from such a horrific loss of her parents, she decides to go to Chicago to pursue her dream of becoming a jazz singer. As she steps on the train bound for Chicago, she sets in motion a series of events that will affect not only her, but the next two generations of women.This book is beautifully written. The characters are fully developed and it is easy to experience empathy with them as they live through their times in life and history. The story is set during specific times in history, but it is not the central theme of the book. It merely provides a backdrop for the focus on the lives of women who struggle and survive and overcome. There are surprising twists that help keep the thread of the story interesting and the characters unpredictable.
I'm about 1/3 of the way into The Shield that Fell from Heaven and so far its pretty boring. It seems like all the characters ever discuss is politics. I won it on Firstreads and if it wasn't for that I don't know that I would finish it.
Reading The Savage Detectives. Someone please tell me why I should keep reading this! There were so many good reviews but I find my mind wandering.
I recently finished
which I loved. I'm now reading Tiger's Curse and also Darke of which I'm liking Darke the best. I've enjoyed all of the Septimus Heap books and this one is really good.
The Name of the Wind. I needed a break from serious life...http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...
I am really enjoying it so far.
Veljko wrote: "The Name of the Wind. I needed a break from serious life...http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...
I am really enjoying it so far."
I loved The Name of the Wind but I wasn't too impressed with The Wise Man's Fear
Flora wrote: "Veljko wrote: "The Name of the Wind. I needed a break from serious life...http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...
I am really enjoying it so far."
I loved [book:The..."
Unfortunately, that's what a lot of my friends are saying as well. It's a pity... and I know I will read it anyhow, because I am hooked...
Let's hope the third one will be better...
I'm reading (or shall I say re-reading) "Discover your destiny with the Monk who sold his Ferrari" - Robin Sharma and I must admit...I was way too harsh to this author. All his books I have at home, seem better after rereading. Funny, but the first time I read this book I hated it..now it seems much better. Oh well, I guess I've changed:)
"The rose of Sebastopol" by Katharine McMahon. So far, I am really enjoying this book, though I am not a huge fan of historical fiction:)
THE CRIMEAN WAR by Figesan indepth look at another war that didn't have to happen or didn't have to be so extensive except for the stupidity/religious fanaticism of various leaders.
I'm half way thru Titus Groan and I just don't like it. Not sure at this point if I'm gonna finish it. I certainly don't understand why ppl compare it to LOTR
In Heart in the Wild by Susan Chernack McElroy, the author describes how her connectedness to nature helped her through a transitonal and difficult time in her life. Her house burned down and her marriage fell apart during this time. As she worked to rebuild, she paid attention to the spirit messages sent to her through the wildlife she came in contact with, especially a bull elk that showed up in her dreams and in the yard of the house she was living in. I was hoping for something more from her writing, some deeper insight than was there in the telling of her story, but then, each of us is on our own journey and each of us must be open to our own spiritual messengers. I feel a kinship with the author because I too find that being in tune with nature is the door to spiritual growth and have had my own experiences with the animal relations speaking to my heart.
Compass of Health by Joseph K. Kim Phd, OMD. I found this book to be a great resource for what I call complementary medicine. I feel there is value in Western medicine, but I also feel that there is equal value in Eastern medicine. This book takes a look at your body type as determined by a questionnaire that you take at the beginning of the book. The results when I took the questionnaire and read the description of my body type were spot on. The last section of the book has recommendations for how to maintain good health based on the needs of your particultar body type. If you are interested in health practices other than the typical western medicine pills and surgery, this book is an excellent resource.
The Lost Stories of Louisa May Alcott, edited by Madeleine B. Stern and Daniel Shealy. This is a collection of stories written by the author for an adult audience. She is best known for her childrens books such as Little Women, but here is a collection of stories published in magazines that were written for the enjoyment of adults. The treatment of the subject matter reminds me of stories I have read by Guy de Maupassant, where society of the day is examined and found somewhat lacking. The stories are as well written as one would expect from reading her novels, and the characters and their foibles keep the reader's attention. The stories as a collection avoid being repetetive as each one is unique in its characters and the conflicts that drive the plot. I recommend this collection for anyone who loved her books. You will be delighted.
I am reading A Place Called Here. I really enjoy Cecelia Ahern's books. Not chick-lit in a traditional sense, they are well-written and always have a magical "twist". I have also read
this summer. Next read is
which is for our Book Club. I know I am going to love it!
I'm now finally getting to start The Help as well as My Life in France. I've also just started The Cat Who Said Cheese which I think will be a fun easy read.
I am currently re-reading Harry Potter and am on the sixth book. Also I am reading Sleeping With the Enemy. I am a little ways into it and have been enjoying it. I have never seen the movie that is based off of the book so I don't know how the story ends at all so glad about that part. Can't wait to find out.
Finished Sleeping with the Enemy and also watched the movie. Different! Still in the 6th HP. Picked up John Grisham "The Broker" as well as "Sense and Sensibility". "The Broker is really interesting and I am really wanting to finish it. I also have someone wanting to borrow it after I finish. Not very far in Sense and Sensibility but it has peeked my interest so I am wanting to get further in it as well. Lots of great reading right now that is just keeping me happy.
I'm currently about 1/3 of the way into Out of Oz which I really like so far. I've been looking forward to it.I've also just started The Spirit of Nora, A Novel
Halfway through The Night Circus and then trying to finish before starting
Maybe ill start reading it tonight though :)
I am currently reading The History of Love. It is a little confusing because of the way it jumps around, but it is interesting. I just finished reading Atlas Shrugged.
Well I finished "The Broker"! Loved it! Still reading "Sense and Sensebility" and re-reading Harry Potter still. I'm in the last book though.
Okay well I finished Harry Potter and Sense and Sensebility. Then I think I read Catcher and the Rye and I just recently finished Apollo 13 and now I have just recently started War Horse! I think that is everything.
I'm reading the latest Thursday Next novel by Jasper Fforde - One Of Our Thursdays Are Missing. I really enjoyed the other books in the series and intend to use these books in my study at some point (i'm an MA student studying Popular Literature). This one is different however, as it focuses upon the written Thursday Next. The reviews haven't been all that great and my friend who also follows the series says she wasn't so sure about this one, but so far its not bad.
BOOK-A-HOLICS
Books mentioned in this topic
Morning Star (other topics)Bluegrass Undercover (other topics)
Winston's War (other topics)
The Appeal (other topics)
A Brewing Storm (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cassandra Clare (other topics)Philip Kerr (other topics)
James Patterson (other topics)
Dana Fuller Ross (other topics)
Chris Kuzneski (other topics)
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Easily a best book of 2011 for me.
The story has something for everyone - it's somber, exciting, fast paced, and a great read.
I think what won me over on this book was Hamill's characters. They stayed with me long after I put the book down.
You're welcome to read my review here: http://wp.me/TRJE