Winter reading
 

It's the time of year when I like to curl up with a blanket, a hot cuppa and a good book :cloud9:

What is everyone reading these days or what are some of your favorite books you have recently read?

Right now I am reading:

Meditations for Women Who do too Much by Anne Wilson Schaef
Three Black Skirts - All you need to survive by Anna Johnson
(a funny guide to living life as a fabulous femme)
Death of a Ladies Man by Leonard Cohen

I spent most of yesterday reading East of Eden. I am really enjoying it. Now I'm about half way though.

I've struggled through Three Weeks in Paris by Barbara Taylor Bradford for the past couple months. It just wasn't one of the books that I couldn't put down. Now, I've reading Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser. It's pretty cute and an easy read, plus since she's a food critic, she has added recipes in the book.

The last 3 books I read were:

Three Junes (which I finished last night) by Julia Glass

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

All 3 were GREAT reads!

I'm reading Don't Stop the Carnival, by Herman Wouk.
And Growing up Stupid under the Union Jack, by Austin Clarke.
A History of God, by Karen Armstrong.
And re-reading Pilgrim, by Timothy Findley. (great book)
And I've got some cheesy Agatha Christie under my pillow... can't remember which one, but it puts me to sleep at night. :D

just finished "This much I know" by Wally lamb last night.. very good.

Just started the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, so far so good. Also I enjoyed his previous book Angles & Demons.

I've been reading books on the Modern Library list: you know the one, "top 100 books of the last century". I've always thought that my literary education was neglected because I'd read less than half of the books on the list.

It's funny, because I feel like I should like these books and see their depth and wonder as great pieces of literature and blah blah blah. But I don't like some of them. I hate James Joyce. Worse, I can't make myself like Hemingway no matter how hard I try.

I guess I will never be a proper literature snob.

Originally Posted by Formia:
The last 3 books I read were:

Three Junes (which I finished last night) by Julia Glass

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

All 3 were GREAT reads!

Speaking of books I am supposed to like but don't: I finally read Life of Pi. People have been telling me to read it for ages, and... well, it didn't work for me. But I want to know why other people enjoyed it so much. What did you like about it, Formia?

sflake - I heard that DaVinci's Code was really good. It's on my list.

snack - I'm an English major and I didn't and don't like a lot of those authors either. Don't worry about it. Be a snob and DON'T read them. :lol:

Well, I am currently devouring books by Janet Evanovich. Specifically her "Stephanie Plum" series, bounty hunter extraordinaire. They are so funny...they make me laugh out loud. My friend lent me the first three and as soon as I finished those I went to the library and got the next two, read them in less than a week and have just ordered the next two. I can hardly wait to get my hands on them. Then I pass them on to my mom and my sis who are also hooked.

Snack, I graduate with a degree in English and take it from someone who pretty much only took lit courses, if you don't like one then you pretty much don't like "none". All those "made to read" authors seem so dreary and depressing. I like in-depth stuff and looked for it in many of the works, but alas, I too, have not come close to completing that list because I cannot come close to finishing these books. I'm just the type of person who will quit reading a book if I find it confusing, depressing, or just plain dull.

Okay, I don't recommend Don't Stop the Carnival. I was hoping it would be as good as City Boy. :(

I just bought The Polished Hoe, by Austin Clarke. It's a wonderful book!

Originally Posted by Snack:
Speaking of books I am supposed to like but don't: I finally read Life of Pi. People have been telling me to read it for ages, and... well, it didn't work for me. But I want to know why other people enjoyed it so much. What did you like about it, Formia?

Well, this isn't a very literary response or anything, but I really just loved the story/the adventure itself, not what it was supposed to mean (which I didn't quite "get") - kind of in the same way I enjoyed the movie "Castaway." (Does that make sense?) :o

sflake - DaVinci Code was so exciting! I haven't read Angels & Demons yet, it's on my "to read" list. :)

I started reading Orwell's 1984 because I'd heard so much about it... I loved it until about halfway through, then got bored and haven't picked it back up. Maybe later I will... I felt a little guilty because everyone seems to rave about it.

Okay...my most recent reads are:

"Grandmothers Secrets" by Rosina-Fawzia B. Al Rawi

"101 Nights of Grrreat Sex" by Laura Corn

The first one is about a little girl learning about belly dance and its rituals from her grandmother. It also has lots of information on the history of the dance, as well as technical aspects.

The second one is kinda fun...What it has is the book is divided into sections-50 for "His Eyes Only" and 50 for "Her Eyes Only." You and your partner are supposed to look in "your section" and each choose a "seduction/page" once a week to surprise each other with sometime that week. So...essentially with the project you will have 2 "surprises" each week-one from you to him, and one from him to you. Some of the things are pretty tame...just something a little different than everyday...and others are more on the wild side...or something you would do on a special occasion like an anniversary or holiday. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who offends easily...wait...this IS the Alternachicks section, isn't it? :lol:

I recently read "Crow Lake" by Mary Lawson. Nice easy read about a young girl growing up on the Canadian Shield. Quite moving, actually.

some of my all time favs :
Jonathon Livingston seagull.
"The search for signs of intelligent life in the universe " Jane wagner
"Mists of avalon" Marion Zimmerman bradley
and for some reason i love true crime books,

Originally Posted by aphil:
The second one is kinda fun...What it has is the book is divided into sections-50 for "His Eyes Only" and 50 for "Her Eyes Only." I wouldn't recommend it to someone who offends easily...wait...this IS the Alternachicks section, isn't it? :lol:

Ya got that right aphil! :rofl:

I'd actually seen that book at one of those.....you know.....fantasy parties.... It looked like a neat idea. Maybe I'll give it a second look. Only problem is the pages are sealed aren't they? No sneak peeks or stealing ideas unfortunately. :lol:

actually-they aren't sealed...so you can sneak peek...:lol: Yeah...I have been to a few
of those parties myself...great fun. A game of hot potato with something else in place of the potato puts a whole new twist on an elementary school level game! :lol:
Aphil

Is it me or is it getting warm in here? :devil:

If you haven't read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, I highly recommend it. It was a fantastic read. I'm reading "Wicked - The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" right now and it's pretty neat.

Whoa! Didn't realize how huge that picture in my sig was, lol. Guess you can't tell I'm really love Alias, eh? :)

"Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is hilarious

Ha! Ha! That was great Sydney, I am Vaugh...trust me...maybe...:devil:
I read Good Omens- laughed out loud :lol: I will have to check out American Gods.

Looks like I am Sark...

I bought a new book today at a book sale...."Gardening for the Faint of Heart" a beginner's guide to the basics of vegetable and herb gardening...It is a lighthearted guide for those just starting out, has great ideas and tips...can't wait for the spring so I can do some container gardening :flow1:

Finally finished "East Of Eden". Great epic.

Picked up "Big Fish" this weekend. But I think I am going to read Sting's biography first. :)

Blugirrl - I have to concur. Good Omens is one of the funniest books ever.

I *liked* American Gods but only because the concept was good. The writing was Pffpt. He's a much better comic book writer.

Wicked is a great read but I do recommend reading the original Oz series first so that you can "get" the really interesting stuff - funny, the movie is not enough. :)

I'm reading "Swimming to Antartica." It's the story of a long-distance woman swimmer. No, wait! Don't go away! I swear, it's good!

I'm also reading Empire Falls. Slow read but good.

my reads right now. " Mother of Pearl" Melinda Haynes. ( reread pretty good), " All Fall Down' Eric Spindler. classic serial killer thriller. am addicted to them. :)

I'm glad i'm not the only one who reads multiple books at the same time... I just finished "The Bell Jar" by sylvia plath for the millionth time, reading "Living my Life vol 1" by Emma Goldman vol 2 is waiting in the wings, also reading a short story compilation by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and then there is the "Writer's Path" writing excersizes books I am in the beginning of as well. *whew* no wonder i never finish a damn book. :)

btw..."essentially with the project you will have 2 "surprises" each week-one from you to him, and one from him to you. "
married people do it more than once a year? no fair. someone needs to tell my hubby. *L*

Originally Posted by lizziness:
married people do it more than once a year? no fair. someone needs to tell my hubby. *L*

lol. and here i thought it was just my hubby.

beleive me. it's. not. :)
We were trying to actually calculate how long it's been and couldn't...

how sad. ah, well, it was a good two years. *LOL*

lizzi, u got kids? lol. we were down to only 1 last night went over to friends got the baby to sleep. came home ( i was even up until midnight, gasp) as soon as we walked in door guess who wakes up? of course so no booty for me last night. lol. but my hubby's birthday is the 21st of march so maybe we can pencil in? :)