[beachgal]

Oooh...that sounds amazing! I've always been in awe of people who have salt water tanks...they sound so difficult. Do you have any pics of your tank?

I know they are kind of funny, but I've been really impressed with the 'dummies' books I've read, especially the one on quilting.

[KO]

right now I'm reading Maeve Binchy Nights of Rain and Stars

[SunLit]

Originally Posted by beachgal

I love Jane Austin. Which movies are you doing, Sunlit?

I haven't narrowed it down completely, but I'm definitely doing the 1995 and 2005 versions of Pride and Prejudice, the 1996 version of Emma, Clueless and parts of Bridget Jones's Diary. Probably, I'll do some clips from other versions of the two books as well.

[Cafe Ole]

I don't actually -- my hubby might though. I will ask him

[beachgal]

Originally Posted by SunLit

I haven't narrowed it down completely, but I'm definitely doing ... and parts of Bridget Jones's Diary.

Oooh, have you seen the extra on the DVD of her interviewing Colin Firth as himself? It's hilarious...might be a funny aside for your students. Especially if they get to see him in the lake...

KO, I adore Maeve Binchy. I've read nearly everything she ever wrote.

I'm currently still working on the bio of Jane Addams, but I'm also sneaking peaks at a darling book my mom gave me for my birthday. It's called "32 Third Graders and a Class Bunny"...it's tiny essays by a male elementary school teacher. They are wonderful and funny!

[Ruthxxx]

I just finished Two Solitudes by Hugh McLennanwhich is for discussion at my book club tomorrow night. It deals with the French-English relationship in Canada and the issue of identity.
I'm currently reading Feed My Dear Dogs by Emma Richler. It's a story of a family and their different relationships - quite interesting. So far, I've not run across any dogs!
Next on my list is The Birth Room which is currently on the Canadian best seller list and then I need to read Elizabeth and After by Matt Cohen for my May book club meeting.
My brain hurts!

[Debbie0522]

Frank Peretti has a new book out for those at the beginning of this thread that like him. It is called "HOUSE" and has a co-auther. It is still on order at my library.
My favorite Frank Peretti book is "The Oath".

Does anyone know if John Grisham has a new releases? Love his stuff.

Any mystery readers like Dick Francis? I've read everything he has ever written. All his mysteries involve the horse racing industry in some form. I thought they sounded boring when my friend first told me about them but I love them!

NOn fiction: I"ve been reading Teen Proofing by John Rosemond. He has great advice!

[steph324]

I read voraciously and can be working on 3 books at any one time, but just bought "Don't Look Down" by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. I have always loved Crusie books and this project looks really interesting. Basically Crusie writes the female perspective and Mayer rights the male perspective. Anyone who thinks they might be interested should check out the crusiemayer.com dueling blog. These two are hilarious in their arguments with each other! You may also want to pick up "Bet Me" which is another of Crusie's books. Really funny and sweet!

[Rachel2]

I've been trying to read all of the Nicholas Sparks books. Right now I'm reading The Guardian, next up is The Rescue.

[beachgal]

Oooh, Rachel, I love Nicholas Sparks! I don't understand how that man can write so darned fast!!! I can't keep up! The Guardian is really good...there's a sequel to one of them that came out lately...it's the one about the guy who tries to debunk the idea of ghosts in the graveyard in a small town. I haven't read the sequel yet, but would like to. So many great books to look forward to!

Ruth, your choices sound really intriguing! Tell me more about the last two...any ideas what they are about? Isn't it frustrating when you realize that the book isn't really about the title at all?

I'm currently reading another non-fiction and it's amazing and is really making me reconsider my beliefs about gender, sex, men, and identity. It's called Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey Into Manhood...and Back and is by Norah Vincent. She was on the View one morning when I happened to be watching and I was intrigued by her comments about how men turned out to be much more emotional and respectful towards their wives (in spite of the ways they express their sexuality when away from their wives) than she expected, and about how much pressure it takes to live as a man...how hard they have to work to suppress their feelings and fit in. The book is just mind-blowing in some sections. You can read a (large) excerpt from the beginning of the book here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=1531192&page=1

I'm also listening to a young adult book on CD right now called The Minister's Daughter. It takes place in England at the time of the American Revolutionary War and is a great commentary on the affects of Puritanism on the local traditions in small villages.

I can't wait to read a book I got yesterday: Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea. It's the sixth or seventh novel in a series of mysteries featuring a ghost aunt who communicates with her niece by writing to her in a journal. There's also a stuffed rabbit involved, but it's been a while since I've read one of the books, so I can't remember how. They are really funny and take place in England, so I enjoy the setting as much as the characters.

[lotusblossom02]

lesse...
i'm reading umm...research articles on hydroxy-polychlorinated biphenyls, a biochemistry textbook, personality in psychology textbook and a drugs and behavior textbook
*blinks*
i cannot wait until the summer to pleasure read again.
i'll dive back into my usual favorites; prolly stephen king's the shining to start off with (it's a tradition for me) and then into some fantasy type books haven't decided yet lol

[beachgal]

Lotus, you astound me with your brilliance!!! My smart sisters would know what you're talking about...but this English-major is not science-smart at all!

I just finished three Aunt Dimity mysteries in a row...a new one (...and the Deep Blue Sea) just came out and so I had to read it and then the two before it that I'd missed. Those are so much fun! The 'detective', Lori, is a wife and mother who inherited a cottage in a small town in England, a large fortune, and a blue journal from her mother's best friend, whom she had formerly known only as the main star of stories her mother told about 'Aunt Dimity.' Aunt Dimity communicates with Lori from the beyond by writing to her in the blue journal...and, of course, she helps with the cases Lori solves. They are great fun to read!

Now I'm reading Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler...it's for my book club and so far I'm not too intrigued. But I joined a book club so I'd try new things, so I'm giving it a chance. Has anyone else read Tyler? Did you like her work?

[MsCrockett]

Johnathan Alter~ "Time to think about Torture" upon completion I will be reading " Now the talk is aobut bringing back torture" by Henry Proter,, Then I will need to write a 10 page paper about it.........ughhh,, due May 10

[SunLit]

Originally Posted by beachgal

Now I'm reading Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler...it's for my book club and so far I'm not too intrigued. But I joined a book club so I'd try new things, so I'm giving it a chance. Has anyone else read Tyler? Did you like her work?

I read Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler several years ago, Laurie. While she has a elegant way of writing, I found the characters and plot of the book boring. Apparently, it was supposed to be poignantly humorous, but I don't recall enjoying it or the bits of her other books I've sampled. I think I saw on another book thread, though, that you enjoyed She's Come Undone, which I absolutely hated, so we might have slightly different tastes in modern fiction!

Right now, I'm reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I saw the musical last week and wanted to get a look at the source material. Eh. It's all right. I'm about 150 pages in, so I'll keep reading, but I'm not expecting to be bowled over. I've got an old book of John Irving's, The Water-Method Man, waiting for me after that. I love Irving, because he provokes dramatically different responses in his reader every few chapters. I waver between loving his work and hating it, with every page turn, but to me, he's a powerful writer.

[K8-EEE]

I'm printing out the suggestions here, thanks everyone! I loved "Conversations With Tom Petty," just what it sounds like and a must-read for TP&HB fans. Also just finished "Gone," a fast-reading who-done-it from Jonathon Kellerman.

My 15 y/o daughter was horrified that I was planning on seeing The Devinci Code without reading it first, so she lent me her copy, which I'm chipping through right now.

I find that I sleep SO MUCH BETTER if I turn off the TV, computer, stereo etc, and settle down with a good book before bed. One think that for sure gives me both insomnia and nightmares, is watching the news after 7 pm. -- plus they never tell you anything you haven't already heard all day anyhow.