It's 2009; What Are You Reading?

CyndiM · 10-16-2009, 07:46 PM

One good thing about going to my parents - no internet so extra reading time! I finished Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel. I've been a big fan since her second novel and I swear she gets better all the time. Ice Queen is still my favorite but this one is a close second.

Now I'm audiobooking Rethinking Thin and reading Laurie King's newest Marry Russell/Sherlock Holmes book, The Language of Bees. I don't read many mysteries (well, no other ones actually) but I've really enjoyed this series. The characters are a lot of fun. Once I pick one up I can't put it down.

Laurie - My Mom is a big mystery fan and likes less violent more fun mysteries. I'll have to check that book out - sounds like something she might enjoy.
I remember loving A Tale of Two Cities but don't remember a lot of details. I read so many classics when I was young. Wish I remembered them better now.

So nice to be back in the book chat mode

Heidi58 · 10-18-2009, 06:40 PM

I just finished Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker.
I shouldn't have started it at night - I stayed up way too late because I just couldn't put it down.......

beachgal · 10-21-2009, 01:11 PM

Lots of books that are new to me! Great to hear about them. What do you think of Rethinking Thin, Cyndi? There seem to be several books in that genre, and since I tend to read non-fiction slowly, I'm trying to figure out which of them would be best to read. I don't think I could get through them all...

strega*luna · 10-22-2009, 09:25 AM

Love Jo-Ann Mapson, have never read anything of hers I didn't like. I just started The Owl & Moon Cafe, am enjoying it so far!

beachgal · 10-30-2009, 01:58 PM

Strega, what's that one about? Sounds intriguing!

I'm almost done with Supercharged, but had to put it aside to speed read two books for my upcoming book clubs. I'm reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger for next Monday and Day After Night by Anita Diamant for the Monday after.

Her Fearful Symmetry is a bit foggy and meaty, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

I was loving Day After Night, in spite of the difficult subject matter (it's about a group of Holocaust survivors who meat in a camp for illegal immigrants in Isreal after WWII), in part because of Diamant's amazing writing ability and how perfectly she crafts her characters. I loved her other two books for the same reasons. Had to put it down in favor of finishing the Niffeneger by Monday.

I finished Undomestic Goddess, which didn't disappoint, though the character did some random decision making towards the end which didn't seem to fit. Otherwise, it was lovely. I'm now listening to a regency romance, Simply Perfect. It's fun and a little less fluffy than usual, featuring a spinstar schoolmistress and a marquess (and heir to a Dukedom) who has an illegitimate, blind daughter whom he loves dearly. Interesting!

What are you reading?

KarenAZ · 11-02-2009, 09:09 PM

Oh I love to read. I think that is one of the reasons I have been so successful on my stationary recumbent bicycle because it's MY time to read! I am really into vampires and I am almost caught up on the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I'm loving it!

beachgal · 11-06-2009, 05:03 PM

Karen, books make me happy too--my book on CD in the car gives me a reason to want to drive, something I usually hate.

I finished Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger. There were parts I liked, and it really made me want to visit Highgate Cemetary, but I really would not recommend it. Everyone in my book club concurred.

I'm almost done with Day After Night, and it's continued to be really well written, suspenseful, and amazing.

What are you reading?

Kim_Star060404 · 11-09-2009, 05:00 PM

Hey, everyone! I see that the thread has been getting some activity and that's great! I'll have to take some time this weekend to read through what you're all reading.

We have a lot going on right now, so I've been taking the easy street when it comes to reading. I've been working my way through the Harry Potter series again and I'm on Chamber of Secrets right now. I'll probably read it through until the end of the series, which I'm thinking will take me right through the holidays. I plan on delving into some more serious non-fiction after that. (Namely, a bunch of case studies and our state government code since the direction of my job is changing.

)

I hope to keep up with all of this again and I will try to stay caught up this time!

RRB2 · 11-10-2009, 01:36 AM

I just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
A fabulous book - not what I usually read, but amazing, nevertheless

beachgal · 11-18-2009, 01:52 PM

RRB2, I've heard that from many people, but every time I pick up the book, the description just doesn't appeal to me. What did you like particularly about it? I'm interested...

Kim, we've missed you! It must be awesome to reread Harry Potter! I loved those books but they came out so slowly I often forgot everything by the time the next one arrived. I just can't imagine spending time rereading them when there are new books to devour.

I need to get over that, because I know I'm missing out on the joy of rereading! Sorry to hear about your job...hope the nonfiction reading helps!

I finished Day After Night, which was wonderful, though I really didn't like the "sum-up" at the end. I would have liked it better if it were left more open ended. I'm eager to try the one Diamant book I haven't read (no idea how I missed it): Good Harbor.

I then started on The Book That Changed My Life, which is a compilation of short essays by famous authors on the book that changed their lives. It's really interesting and certainly had me marking pages as I discovered lots of books to add to the TBR pile.

Unfortunately, I had to put it down to delve into a book club book.

That one is Fraud by David Rakoff. I'd never read him before but David Sedaris (whom I adore) loves his work, so I wanted to give it a try. Rakoff is fantastic! If you like Sedaris, you're more than likely to enjoy Rakoff, though his take is somewhat drier, more funny in print, and a bit more "heart-warming" than Sedaris's work. Plus, he did his own artwork for this one! I'll definitely be reading other books by him; one of DH's frat brothers noted that Don't Get Too Comfortable was really good.

I also finished Simply Perfect, an audio regency romance I was listening too. I was surprised by how "deep" some of it was--they featured a character that was blind and really addressed the effects of being special needs in that society. I also appreciated the older ages of the main characters. Their romance was really beautiful.

I moved on to listening to a series of lectures on the ways men and women speak by Deborah Tannen. A friend of mine loves her books and recommended her. These lectures are blowing. my. mind! Seriously! I can't believe how much I'm learning about the reasons behind how DH and I talk, not to mention all the other aspects of my life. She's really worth reading, if you get a chance. The majority of these lectures are based on her book You Just Don't Understand.

Fat Melanie · 11-18-2009, 02:57 PM

You guys, what's that book, it's by Sophie Kinsella, I believe.. It's incredibly hilarious and it's about a young woman who quits her job and starts working for a celebrity scene of such, doing advertising or throwing parties or something like that, and gets involved with a A list celebrity and is always on the front cover of tabloids, while also having clashes with a bouncer who always seems to be where she's at?

If anyone knows what book I'm talking about... I really recommend it to all. I'm gonna go to google and see if I can't figure it out.

CyndiM · 11-18-2009, 04:47 PM

Laurie - I loved Good Harbor. It definitely has some plot weaknesses but I loved the book so much anyway I definitely recommend it. It's one of those books you just have to share with your best friend as soon as you finish it

tomandkara · 11-18-2009, 05:10 PM

Hey gals! I've been on a reading kick lately so I thought I'd join in. I'm in the middle of _The Other_, which caught my eye as I walked past it in the library on my way to find a different book. I absolutely adored _Snow Falling on Cedars_ and _East of the Mountains_ but this one has been slow going so far.

Laurie, I read _The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime_ several years ago. My godson is autistic and his mom recommended the book to me so I picked it up. It is fantastic and I was very impressed. You should give it a go.

In other reading news, Tom's step-mother got me hooked on the Agatha Raisin mystery series and I've flown through them. A new one just came out and I'm waiting for it to come in on interlibrary loan. I also just finished Marlee Matlin's autobiography _I'll Scream Later_ and it was eh-so-so. Not very engaging.

Hope to get some good ideas for some new reads!

Kara

beachgal · 11-23-2009, 03:04 PM

Kara, I think I've read Agatha Raisin. What are they like?

Hope everyone's having a great holiday--let us know what you read in between turkey, football, and long naps!

tomandkara · 11-30-2009, 06:11 AM

Oh, Agatha Raisin! She's a British exec. who took an early retirement to move to the Cotswalds and she's always getting herself into trouble. It's a mystery series. She's snotty and terribly self-conscious and she's always falling into a murder. They're quick reads and I'm forever finding typos, but it's just the kind of book you need when you want to escape to someone else's silly world and laugh and figure out which zany character is the murderer.

I'm still plodding through _The Other_. I don't know why this one isn't doing it for me.

Kara