What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?) Showing 1,201-1,250 of 10,105

[Jean]

Book 1 of the Outlanders by Diana Gabaldan (titled Cross Stitch in English) Outlander Was intrigued by the plot, loved the opening detail as it brought back to me my Scottish parents and their sayings and I enjoyed the start of the 18th century part and relationships there. The villain's great :) I'm 2/3 of the way through and feel the plot went missing although there's some entertaining detours. Also, is it only me who feels there can be such a thing as too much sex? I want the story back!

[Simona]

Jean, in this group we spoke about that series and I think our mods will tell you that it is Historical Fantasy, for which we have a special thread, not Historical Fiction.
...However, I liked it,even if I agree with you about the sex scenes, and I assure you the story will be back - and will continue for a good time. Actually, my fav book in the series is the third one, while after the fourth I found that Mrs Gabaldon was exploiting the characters a bit too much and I stopped to buy the books (but I'll admit I borrowed them at the library).

[Jean]

Thanks for sending me in the right direction, Simona. Now you've told me the third is best, I'd better carry on reading!

[happy]

Personally I liked the second a little better than the 3rd. I thought both were better than the 1st and all three were better than 4 and 5 and I've never got around to reading 6.

[Simona]

Well, Happy, I guess we can agree that the first three are the best. :)

[happy]

Maybe I liked 2 better was because at the time I read it, I was extreemly interest in Culloden:D

[Anne]

I read the whole series but was disappointed when they left Scotland and traveled all over. After the third book (I think) they went to America and I lost interest although I continued reading. The last one dragged for me, however. I also am interested in Scottish History, and culloden and the massacre at Glencoe were especially terrible happenings on the side of the English. Slaughter for no reason in both cases. Awful.

[Bryn]

The Last English King It's very creative, unconventional, terrific writing. Atmosphere to wade through.

No idea why it wasn't a hit with me when I read it years ago. I even remember the clam dinner, but now it's poignant.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Simona wrote: "Jean, in this group we spoke about that series and I think our mods will tell you that it is Historical Fantasy, for which we have a special thread, not Historical Fiction.
...However, I liked it,e..."

Hey Simona and Jean,
Don't worry, the What Are You Reading Now thread is for whatever book you are reading. Doesn't matter what it is.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Bryn wrote: "

No idea why it wasn't a hit with me when I read it years ago.."

I can answer that...
Reader evolution. I know I am evolved so much in my reading tastes in the last three or four years.
I loved some books that I would not like now. I love books now I would not have liked three years ago.

I am pleased by the words you use to describe The Last English King. These are the reasons I thought it suited you and was surprised it initially did not resonate with you. His creativity and unconventional mind is why I admire the book. It is different to the run of the mill.

[Bryn]

I guess.
Maybe I didn't like him getting clever, because he does. But it's drenched in emotion and then, for me, there's nothing wrong with clever.
I remember the horrific images in England after the war. I think I felt that in-my-face at the time, now I think it's a persuasive depiction of war.

There you go. I've evolved.

[Mark]

Ghost story

Just got so may start this tonight.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Bryn wrote: "I guess.
Maybe I didn't like him getting clever, because he does. But it's drenched in emotion and then, for me, there's nothing wrong with clever.
I remember the horrific images in England after ..."

Lol! Gotta love some good old fashioned evolution. :D

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I bought a new Christmas cookbook on sale yesterday. i have wanted it since last Christmas. I even asked Santa for it last year, but Santa got it mixed up with another Xmas cookbook and I did not get the one my wishlist. :-) Silly Santa.

I own it now though. And am reading it now..

The Christmas Collection

[Simona]

A cookbook! How is it? Is it good?
I think Santa is inspiring me to get myself a new cookbook for Christmas...

[Simona]

Terri wrote: "Hey Simona and Jean,
Don't worry, the What Are You Reading Now thread is for whatever book you are reading. Doesn't matter what it is. ."

@Jean: sorry I misguided you... anyway, there IS a "Historical Fantasy" thread, where I found many nice ideas for new books to try. Maybe you'll find it useful too.
(yes, I'm trying to recuperate a gaffe...!).

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Nice gaffe recuperation. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Simona wrote: "A cookbook! How is it? Is it good?
I think Santa is inspiring me to get myself a new cookbook for Christmas..."

It is fantastic. I love it. It is an Aussie one and has a good mix of traditional Christmas fare and modern Christmas fare.

[Jean]

lol I can follow tangents, no problem. I'm a stock photographer and I love shooting food - I do my own cooking, styling and shooting, and have had photos in a couple of cookbooks and some magazines, plus who knows where as my photos are bought online. The point being, I always judge a cookbook by the photos. I have hundreds of cookbooks, no exaggeration, and my recent discovery was 'The Hairy Bikers', apparently a TV series in the UK but their compilations of 'Mums know best' dropped me right back into food nostalgia. I devour cookbooks!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I love those Hairy Bikers. They are a favourite of mine. They have had quite a few cooking tv series'. At least 5.
I have seen all of them and there were only a couple series' of theirs I did not enjoy. Such as the one that went with the mothers cookbook.
I just watched their 2012 one off Christmas Cooking special on tv a couple days ago. That was fun.
They both recently lost a lot of weight and have a diet book out.

[Jean]

I can understand the need for a diet book :)

[Mark]

They are great people, I was lucky enough to see them cook in Newcastle when they did cooking a demo. They are funny as they are on the tv. And the food was great. (Pies)

[Simona]

I have that one: and I love it.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I want that Pie one, and I want the baking one..which I can't find right now because I must have the spelling wrong on the title. It is something like Hairy Bikers Bakeation.

[Jean]

Big Book of Baking? I have it - it's good!

[Simona]

See, now you did it...I want it too!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

That's the book. Thanks, Jean.
Worth getting for the Black Forest cake I imagine. :-)

[Jean]

Haven't tried that yet but I usually make my own bread and the bread recipes in here are very very tasty.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

That is the reason i want that book (aside from that glorious Black Forest Cake). For the bread recipes. They do good bread.

[Dawn]

I haven't been reading a whole lot of historical fiction but I did read by Laura Moriarty and to my complete surprise, I highly recommend it. It's a very good story, light-hearted but a little thought provoking as well.

I know Tasha was an even bigger fan.

[Dawn]

I gave up on . It just didn't grab my attention past the first few hundred pages and slogging through the last 400 was just making me depressed, so I gave up.

But in the scifi genre I found a couple good ones. and were both 4 stars.

I am currently reading , and

[happy]

No Easy Day, to me at least, was a fascinating read - 4 stars

currently reading Tana French's new one

[Bobby]

Dawn wrote: "I gave up on . It just didn't grab my attention past the first few hundred pages and slogging through the last 400 was just making me depressed, so I gave up.

But in t..."

I had the same reaction, Dawn. Ergo, passing onBring Up the Bodies

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I have decided I can do without reading Wolf Hall.

[Chris]

happy wrote: "No Easy Day, to me at least, was a fascinating read - 4 stars

currently reading Tana French's new one

"

I've got this one on a number of wish lists at different places Happy, so let me know what it is like. I,ve read two others of hers that I really liked. Oh and just in case anyone wonders, despite having the same surname she in no relation and I'd never heard of her before I found one of her books in my local library.

[Nate]

I just started The Winter King. It's funny, this is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing Cornwell write a fantasy novel.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Yeah, I think that is a genre Cornwell will never venture into..but then..never say never I guess.

Hope you enjoy The Winter King. I did like it. There were some thiings I didn't like, but more things I did.

[Nate]

I'm really enjoying it so far. It's nice to be back in Cornwell's Dark Ages Britain.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

He does early Britain well, i feel.

[Deb]

I have just finished one called The Runes of Odin by Ben Julien. I can't post a cover because it is not on goodreads yet but there is an external

I found this book very enjoyable, very. It has two main characters, one a girl who was taken with her father during a Viking raid and raised as a slave in the north lands. The second is a boy whose mother may have been a northerner and is raised as a foster son in 'The Isles'.

It is not pure historical; both main characters find they have a connection to Runes that enables them to use runes in a magical way. I think that a fair amount of historical research went into it though.

[Deb]

Ok link did not work....
http://www.benjulien.com/the-runes-sa...
ta dah!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

That sounds quite cool. With the children characters, would you class it as YA?

There was a lot of that magical Viking rune stuff in that fantasy I just read.

[Deb]

Terri - that is a hard one I have always read both indiscriminately. The style of writing makes me think maybe yes, because it has a simplicity to it that could be YA.

I guess I would not recommend it without reservations to someone who does not like YA books, simply because of the simplicity of writing style and it is not really gritty enough to be fully adult. That said the battle scenes at the end are pretty good. I don't think I would read it to my seven year old godson just yet.

I must look out for Wolfsangel! that looks good.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Sometimes a book can also seem YA due to the child protagonists, but then if they grow up and become adults it can suddenly feel more adult fiction.
I like the kids to become adults at some stage in the story. :-)

I quite enjoyed Wolfsangel. Wasn't without its flaws, but it was a bit of fun.

[Deb]

I have yet to get the second and third ones. I hope they do grow up because I love the amount of research that has gone into making the places. At times it almost like going to one of the 3D Viking reconstructions one can see online.

[Bryn]

Think I'm going to pick up Meadowland: A Novel of the Viking Discovery of America tonight.

[Jean]

I'm so glad other people found 'Wolf Hall' a slog! I read it all but found it boring and I didn't like any of the people at all - maybe it's childish to need to like someone, but I do!

I've started Peaches for M le Cure, Joanne Harris. Interesting switch of title for a US market! Love her books and love the way she writes. Am a bit worried about where this one is going to lead me but am intrigued...

[Tasha]

I am finishing up by Daphne du Maurier . While a good read I still prefer Rebecca. I'll probably end up giving it a 3 stars but it is really more a strong 3.5.

[Linda]

I started and stopped Gates of Fire after ten pages. I will read it, but not now. I am reading The Bastard by John Jakes.

[Tim]

Linda wrote: "I started and stopped Gates of Fire after ten pages. I will read it, but not now. I am reading The Bastard by John Jakes."

Great title. I'm reading Rogues & Rebels by Jo Field.