What You're Reading the Week of 30 June 2007

Czeslaw Milosz The Captive Mind I put Sarah Waters' The Night Watch to one side for a while while I read The Google story by David Vise, I'm afraid to say that I'm finding Google a lot more gripping. Sad but true.

I'm reading King's Buccaneer by Raymond Feist until Ride to Hell's Chasm shows up.

I set aside West of Kabul, East of New York in order to read Sexing the Cherry that was given to me by a friend. So, far it is very strange. But, I like it very much. And there are some very funny parts having to do with mens' "members."

I am still reading The plot against America. I am about half way in and finding it a little eery and scary - because you can see how this situation could have happened -

I'm reading A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray and To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts for group reads here. I'm also reading Blaze (touchstones not working) by Stephen King.

I'm reading Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour by J.D. Salinger. I love it. I love everything J.D. Salinger does.

I finished Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris and thought it was pretty good, but not great. Once I got used to it, I thought the first-person-plural narrative was an apt device for this story of a work group as a whole.

Now I'm reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by LT favorite Anne Fadiman. So far it's fascinating (and well written).

Still working on Jane Austen's Emma. I've gotten about two-thirds of the way through in two weeks, so I should be done sometime this week.

I finished House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende yesterday. The last 30 or so pages were thrilling! Apart from that the whole book itself was wonderful anyway. A great epic story and I think my first book I've ever read about South America.

I started The Alchemist today and I think I will finish it later on. If that happens I will start Like water for chocolate : a novel in monthly installments, with recipes, romances, and home remedies by Laura Esquivel.

Finally finished Ragtime, which took longer than expected. I will start reading Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore tomorrow, which everyone reports is a hilarious read.

Have a wonderful weekend!

As of 0000H GMT of June 30, I have so far read 33% of the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

.

I just finished Purple Hibiscus. I very much enjoyed it. Thanks to all who recommended it. I have Half a Yellow Sun from the library also and I think I might read that one next.

I'm reading The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan.

I finished Ghostwritten this evening. It was quite a wild ride. Reading the reviews here, it seems to be a real love or hate book. I appreciated it by the end, but can see why others didn't care for it.

Now I'm reading The Girls, a novel about conjoined twins by Lori Lansens. Hopefully it will get better, but Lansens seems to have missed show-don't-tell day in her creative writing class...

#14--thanks for the warning, cestovatela. Writers who can't follow the show-don't-tell rule make me crazy!

My wife is reading Isabel Glass' The Divided Crown. I thought she was going to start on Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex, but I may start in on it, if she doesn't. It is laid in Grosse Pointe, MI, which we have some connections to. (I was involved with the buses that run there). So, I am curious to see whether the Grosse Pointe described resembles the Grosse Pointe I know.

Otherwise, I've started on Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock, and am still thinking of rereading The Pilgrim's Progress of John Bunyan.

As a sidebar on Isabel Glass, this is a pseudonym for Lisa Goldstein, whose books, Dark Cities Underground and Walking the Labyrinth I've enjoyed.

>14 cestovatela:, 15: can you explain the "show don't tell rule please? I'm not sure I know what you mean.

Thanks!

Well, in The Girls, the narrator always tells you everything directly. For example, "children spoke to us at school and on the bus, but no one ever came to our home" or "as adults, we had a few disasterous dinners with our co-workers and then we stopped trying." I would much rather read a scene that shows those things happening. Reading "I feel lonely" is not nearly as moving as a scene where you can see and feel a character's loneliness.

I'm still working on Sense and Sensibility (it is work for me, but I'm getting into a groove finally); also tremendously enjoying Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, nonfiction by Barbara Kingsolver. I am itching to get to the library to pick up a few things that are waiting for me, especially A Thousand Splendid Suns, but will restrain myself until I get at least half way through Austen.

teelgee - A Thousand Splendid Suns is amazing! Hurry to the library and pick it up!

Yes, GeorgiaDawn, it's all I can do to keep from running to pick it up, but if I don't get farther along in S&S, I'm afraid I won't get back to it once I start reading "Suns." I think I'm showing remarkable restraint!

I understand! Sense and Sensibility is very good. Suns was a very fast read for me. I hope you enjoy both books. I admire your self-control. :)

I am nearly finished with The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats: A Journey Into the Feline Heart. Still working my way slowly through How Language Works and thinking about starting Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women or Marion Nestle's Food Politics. In a non-fiction mood recently.

Reading To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts for a group read (like others above). I expected modern fantasy to be completely about the story, not the writing. But, what do I know? The writing is carefully crafted, making this a nice read.

Also finished Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky by Carol Garhart Mooney. An attempt to put child development theories in plain language for teacher's use, it fairly successful; and at 100 pages it's painless.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Widow's War by Sally Gunning. I hadn't heard much about it when I picked it up off the free shelf at work, but it's an absorbing read about an 18th-century woman who refuses to surrender all of her rights to her son-in-law after her husband's death. It gets a little soapy at the end, but it's definitely worth picking up.

I have books that I need to read for work, but I'd much rather pick out something new. I think it's time to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

Have just started Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver. If the rest of the book is as good as the first chapter, then it's a winner!

I'm just about to start Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Now that July is (almost) upon us, I want to reread all the books so I'll be ready for the grand finale.

I finally finished Guerrillas and Generals: The Dirty War in Argentina after three weeks. Supremely interesting! Parts of it are more readable than others.

Now I've been reading Labyrinths by Borges. I feel like I'm not connected to his stories at times, but by the end I am completely wrapped up in them and my mind bursting with ideas.

I've also been reading the graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan : the smartest kid on earth on the side, which offers such deep and lonely characters I can't help but get deeply invested in the story each time I pick it up.

>20 teelgee:: teelgee, persist ... Sense and Sensibility is good! I read it a couple months ago. Although I love Jane Austen so I'm on a quest to read all of her work. Anyway, having finally finished Vanity Fair I am now an evangelist for persistence when it comes to classic literature.

Later today I will start Alice Sebold's Lucky.

lindsacl - have you heard of Austenland, a new novel by Shannon Hale? It's about a Jane Austen theme park. Sounds like a hoot. There's a story on NPR about it.

I finished up Mandarins of the Future and am going to pick up The Final Impact next.

I'm planning to finish up Thirteen Moons: a novel this week. It was a bit slow starting but now that it's into the main story, I'm really enjoying it. I may have to hunt down Cold Mountain at some point and read that now.

Toward the end of the week I'll be picking up Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to be followed later in the month by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, in preparation of the final book.

I'm STILL reading The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - finding it a bit of a drag to be honest. :(

>31 teelgee:: teelgee, I have not read Austenland yet but really enjoyed the NPR story! Thanks for sharing ...

July 1

Asperger Syndrome and Long Term Relationships which is so much better than Other half of Asperger Syndrome.

Sputnik: The Shock of the Century

Okay, yesterday morning I started Cold Moon by Deaver, which is really good so far (3d chapter). Then in the afternoon I went to a bookstore and picked up a couple of books and last night was seduced by one of them. So I'm now almost halfway through Kissing Sin, the second book in the Riley series by Keri Arthur. It's a good read, but so far I think I liked Full Moon Rising, the first in the series, more.

I am still reading The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - I really enjoy it but am reading rather slowly with school being out. Also, my husband was away for about 3 weeks so I was really busy with the kids. I hope to finish it today but am not sure what I am going to start next. Besides my huge TBR pile (bookcases actually), I also have a very large pile of books from the library - about 8 I think. Much too choose from, yeah!

Catapult by Jim Paul was a waste of time. After 53 pages and five chapters I found the author to be irritating and more informative about himself than building a catapult. Way to much "I" and not enough narrative. I'll take this back to the thrift store where I found it.

I'm 25 pages into Cab at the Door and Midnight Oil by V.S. Pritchett Charming and full of life. I devour Pritchett's short stories and these two memiors in a single volume promise to be just as much a treat.

I finished The Woman in White -- good; but it rankled my feminist sensibilites and as inundated as my modern gimlet eye is by mysteries and crime fiction -- I was underwhelmed by 'the Secret' and I thought for sure there would be at least one more twist regarding the identity of the 'real' Lady Glyde.

I think I will take a break from the classics and the 1001 list and go ahead and start A Thousand Splendid Suns to see what all the fuss is about, especially as I did really enjoy The Kite Runner.

I'm putting The Impressionist down for the week to read my book club books. We are reading Mrs. Dalloway and The Hours. I've read both of them before so it will be a pretty quick read.

I am still reading Connecting To Creativity and The Living Bible.

I also started reading The Hungry Gene.

Just finished The One From the Other by Philip Kerr, the 4th book featuring Bernie Gunther. The 4th book was a long while after the 3rd one. Hope there will be more and not so long in between. Just started The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Like it so far. Taking my time reading Hard Times, an Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel. Once I pick it up I can hardly put it down so I leave it at home to read in the evening.

I just finished The Eyre Affair - spent a lovely afternoon out on the back porch reading - perfect temperature, a beautiful day. I am now about to start A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow -my fiction selection for Alaska in my 50 State challenge. I have never read anything by this author so I am interested to see if I enjoy it.

Three-hyphened to One-hyphened, and the chosen book is:
The one-eyed man by Larry L. King.

Drat, not in top 250 touchstones.

I've always got about four or five books on the go. But I've finally sunk my teeth into By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt.

If you like mystery books, TV shows like CSI and Law and Order, you'll like all four of this writer's books.

Started today The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty...really liked her first book The Center of Everything so thought I would give this gally a try.

I am reading Celebrity by Thomas Thompson. I picked it up a couple weeks ago off of the $0.10 shelf at the local thrift store. I kind of randomly chose this book. A way to surprise myself. I am enjoying the author's style of writing.

I reading An All Round Ministry by C. H. Spurgeon, One-Year Bible, and SF 12 by hartwell.

I've just started The Jane Austen Book Club and am enjoying it. I had to put aside The Cure for Death by Lightning as I was finding it just so disturbing how every single thing is connected to violence.

As of my post in Message 8 of this thread, I was still reading Emma, and predicted that I'd finish it soon. "Soon", as it turned out, was sooner than I'd thought -- something's wrong with our cable modem at home, and I spent a lot of time curled up with a book instead of curled up with my laptop.

In other words, I finished Emma and started Nethaniel Philbrick's Mayflower.

# 22 & 23--teelgee & georgiadawn, I absolutely loved A Thousand Splendid Suns probably one of the best books I have ever read. ALso loved The Kite Runner. I had a hard time finding a good read after Suns. I admire your reading Sense & Sensibility--its in my TBR pile but haven't tried to read it.

#52 momom248 - I have a dearth of classics in my reading history, so this year I'm reading a bunch of them for the first time, filling in some gaps in my lit education. Now that I'm 100+ pages into S&S, I'm getting Suns from the library today and may interrupt Jane Austen for a detour to Afghanistan. I am obligated to get back to S&S though, I have a support group cheering me on!

I'm almost done with The Taking, which I have to read for work. Then I'm going to read Seize The Night, which is also for work. Dean Koontz books are fast reads, so I may be done with both by Wednesday.

My job is awesome.

i'm reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

#52 momom248 - I'm glad you enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns. I agree with you that it was difficult to find something to read after finishing. The emotion from both Hosseini books certainly stayed with me. I hope we see more from Khaled Hosseini.

I'm on to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets now by J.K. Rowling. I'm still enjoying the books, but I'd forgotten that the early books are very definitely children's literature. They're also suffering somewhat in comparison to the Guy Gavriel Kay binge I just finished.

I'm reading "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry but need to start on "The Photograph" for my book club. The husband is slowly but surely making his way through "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy.

Still reading Against the Tide of Years by S. M. Stirling. I'm also reading Tricks of the Trade by Pat Hastings

I finished Sexing the Cherry. A good read. Very different and interesting.

So I'm back to West of Kabul, East of New York but it's getting slower. It's not as interesting in this particular section as I thought it would be. But, I'm keeping with it.

I need to start The House on Mango Street soon for a class I'm taking. I hear it's very good. Also, it's on the curriculum for high schoolers so it will be good to see if I want to use it in my classroom.

Enjoy your week everyone!

Have just started Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Marion Vargas Llosa. I haven't delved into South American writers and wanted to amend the situation. I think this will be more accessible for me than the magic realism type of novel.

>1 GreyHead::greyhead: I couldn't get on with Nightwatch by Sarah Waters either (touchstones not working)

Finally finished The Cantebury Tales and already picked out another brick to read: the French translation of Anna Karenina, published by Folio (I figured out that since learning Russian is out of question (for now), I could try reading in an idiom which the Russian writers of the day liked... :)

At some point today I'll be starting Black Glass which is an anthology of short stories by Karen Joy Fowler. I'm reading this in preparation of attending ReaderCon this coming Saturday.

#50 mrsradcliffe
I've read and liked The Jane Austen book club but it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I kept wondering if I was reading what's on the surface and was supposed to be looking further into the plot or themes etc and was missing something.

Don't you think it's just a diluted, popular version of One Hundred Years of Solitude?

I'm reading The Gunslinger, Paradise Lost, and Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded. And now that I see them listed together, it strikes me as a slightly strange combination, but I think that happens to me a lot.

I'm still reading King Leopolds Ghost by Adam Hochschild - should be finishing it in short order. I'm also reading The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly, the Orange Prize winner for first fiction, for a book group (I have two months to read it), and Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum - an excellent, very accessible book (thus far) about race, racism, and racial identity.

Then there's all the reading for my classes...

I just finished The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky by Ellen Meloy which was a five-star read. I started Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics by Jennifer Baumgardner.

I finally finished The God of Small Things. It was a long time reading--but encouragement here pushed me through. When I got to the end, I felt like re-reading it. Much of what unfolds in the latter part of the book is supported by seemingly arcane details in the early chapters. All in all, I'm glad I read it. A Thousand Splendid Suns was next--a quick and wonderful read. I did, however, like Kite Runner more. Now, I'm thinking about reading A Million Little Pieces before my two book club reads.

I finally finished The plot against America by Philip Roth

The book dragged and never really held my attention. I did enjoy the history at the end and I think the concept was fascinating - I felt it was realistic - but the story never really picked up.

My fave part of the book was the event that happens on my birthday - October 7 - :) Must be a sign lol

Not sure what I will read next - maybe the glass bead game

CEP, I loved The God of Small Things - read it some time ago but still remember the beautiful prose and the way the author played with words, making new words and new meanings.

I recently read A Million Little Pieces and although it has been considered favourably by most, I found it to be very self-indulgent and ended up skipping whole pages. Hope you have a better experience with it!

>71 judylou: judylou
I keep wondering if James Frey deserves to be read after all the brouhaha about the made up portions of the book. However, it feels like just what I want at this point and I am curiious about it.

As for The God of Small Things, I did enjoy the prose, particularly where a phrase repeats or is reused and envelopes the reader.

#68 sisaruus: Can you tell more about The Anthropology of Turquoise? An interesting title, five ratings all fives stars, plus your comment...I'm very curious now.

I finished reading Thirteen Moons: a novel last night and wished it had gone on for another 100 pages or so. I found the beginning a bit slow but once I got into it, it was a very enjoyable read.

I have The Glass Castle and Middlesex sitting in wait now and am not sure which I will pick up.

I also want to read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before the new book comes out, but I still have plenty of time for that.

I have to read Jane Eyre so I can understand Wide Sargasso Sea when I study it at school, and I'm enjoying it, but I want to finish it so I can read The Man With The Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (A James Bond book), all while waiting for Harry Potter 7!

I thought I would read the perfect summer read over the holiday -Barefoot by Erin Hilderbrand. Looks a little light - but fun!

I am 34% through The Sea by John Banville. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot, more a reminiscence of a childhood holiday getting told in fragments.

I just finished A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow and really enjoyed it. It was a fast but interesting read and I found the descriptions of Alaska fascinating. I will definitely read more books in this series. I am about to start New England White by Stephen L. Carter, his first new novel since The Emperor of Ocean Park. I found it in the new book section of the library and thought that I would give it a try.

I just started reading a very funny detective story, Three Bags Full : A sheep detective story, by Leonie Swann. The back cover states, "the internationally bestselling novel of crime busting sheep." Very funny and clever, even though I'm only up to page 12. My wife obtained it but she just started reading the latest Janet Evanovich novel, Lean Mean Thirteen.

#72 I read A Million Little Pieces before all the drama and BS started, and I followed the whole thing very closely. My opinion? The book is wonderful, and really affected me personally. Beyond that, I don't care. He shouldn't have lied, of course, but he did, and that doesn't take away from the book, at least for me.

That being said, I can understand why a lot of people were very upset. However, I was not one of them, and thoroughly enjoyed both of his works - My Friend Leonard is really quite good.

Oddly enough, the whole situation made me despise Oprah. Go figure.

Anyway, I finished The Taking last night, and decided to treat myself and read A Long Way Down before reading Seize The Night. I started it, but so far I'm not adoring it. We'll see.

And when I say 'I started it,' I was referring to Seize The Night, NOT A Long Way Down. The former is mildly entertaining so far. The second is really good. As you were.

i read both of those books and he's a really good writer- i just feel betrayed that someone with that kind of talent needed to fabricate a good deal of his story

I've finally finished Crown of Lights which was rather good, it's taken me ages though because there were so many scary parts I wouldn't read it in bed! lol!

Also this afternoon I read Vampire Rites Trilogy: The Saga of Darren Shan which is three books in one. It was...well it was passable but not as good as I might have hoped- I was glad to have the three books in one though because the seperate 'books' to me seem to lack any sort of oomph. If I'd just have had the first one I'd have finished it and been completely disappointed as it was more of a prequel than an entire book in itself.

# 81 - Reportedly (who knows how true this is), he originally wanted to publish A Million Little Pieces as a novel, but his publisher/agent/editor insisted it would sell better as a memoir.

Could all be a load of excrement. But I think getting publicly chewed out by Ms. Winfrey is certainly punishment enough for his 'crimes.'

>34 Kell_Smurthwaite:: Kell_Smurthwaite
I recently read The Black Dahlia and I really didn't like it. It seemed to just drag on and indulge some very far fetched story lines. I wasn't a fan.

On a happy note I'm at the end of The Other Boleyn Girl which I've really enjoyed.
I'm also reading American Gods on audio book. It's my first Neil Gaiman and it's very different so far, but I've got a long way to go.
I'm at the end of Down and Out in Paris and London which has been really funny.
I also just finished The Aspern Papers by Henry James. Great novella and made me appreciate the scene that references it in The City of Angels much more.

I've just started Longshot O'Leary counsels direct action by Thomas McGrath.

This has best cover for this great poet.

I'm just beginning A Thousand Splendid Suns 5 chapters in. And for my nonfiction, I'll start The Assault on Reason tonight.

I was so excited to start Suns today, I even dreamed about it last night.

July 3

Meteorites and their Parent Planets

I'm reading Murder in the Cathedral, by T.S. Eliot.

I just Finished reading American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold and I'm getting ready to start American Empire: The Victorious Opposition. Looking forward to finishing that book up so I can move on to the Settling Accounts series, these books have me hooked.

As mentioned on another topic by this group, I'm reading four books right now. My nonfiction is The Best of Friends: Two Women, Two Continents, and One Enduring Friendship by Sara James and Ginger Mauney. I'm just about to start a woman's fiction, Family Secrets by Judith Henry Wall. I'm reading a terrific historical fiction, based on Sir Thomas More's household, Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett. And, my mystery is The Dark End of Town by Julia Pomeroy.

I'm making my way very slowly through A.C. Cawley's edition of the Canterbury Tales, in the midst of the Knight's Tale right now. I'm really glad that I read a history of the 14th century (Tuchman's A Distant Mirror) before finally picking this one up-- it really helped set the context.

I'm looking for a fun book to offset the Canterbury Tales (though it's more interesting than I thought it would be, the Middle English makes it quite a slog). I may fall back on the Hitchhiker's Guide or a Terry Pratchett book.

I finished The Girls, Lori Lansen's novel about conjoined twins. The premise sounded intriguing, but it wasn't very engagingly written.

Now I'm dividing my time between fiction and non. For fiction, I'm reading In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner -- nothing outstanding, but it looks to be good poolside reading. For nonfiction, I'm reading The Good Women of China by Xinran, which is as heavy as In Her Shoes is light.

#92 In Her Shoes is OK, but I preferred Good In Bed. Little Earthquakes was also fun. Jennifer Weiner is my only chick-lit author, so I need to show some love.

I'm almost done Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I'd hoped to finish it yesterday, but life got in the way.

I've also started reading Beyond This Dark House, Guy Gavriel Kay's book of poetry. I'm not usually a big poetry fan, (I either absolutely love it or don't care a fig for it), but the few poems included in The Lions of Al-Rassan convinced me I should give this one a go. I'm only one poem in, but so far I'm very pleased with my decision.

Last night I started reading The Devil's Novice which I finished this morning and am now continuing the Ellis Peters theme by reading The Pilgrim of Hate. The Devil's Novice surprised me as I didn't actually recall the ending which, owing to my mum always watching the TV series (and reading the books) when I was a young child, rarely happens. The one I'm currently reading I can't remember the whole plot but I certainly remember enough to know who the 'baddie' is! :P

Jane Eyre has turned into a slog, reading it in bursts while also reading The Man With The Golden Gun when I can.

This has produced bizzare notions of James Bond turning up to Hawthorne Manor to investigate Mr. Rorchester, with a LICENSE TO KILL... my mind is wierd indeed, mental note, never read two incongruous books at the same time again...

To celebrate the Fourth, this apathetic American is going to read all day:

I'll finish A Long Way Down, which I'm loving, then read
Seize The Night,
and read the last few volumes of Transmetropolitan.

If I still have any hours left in the day (which I might, because I read freakishly fast), I'll start A Thousand Splendid Suns.

So that shall be my day: sitting on the roof, drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and reading.

#97 -- I am with you ellevee. My job doesn't allow for patriotism -- I have many babies expected to be 'born on the fourth of July' which should give me enough time to finish A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I am enjoying it, but it seems a little storybookish and not as emotionally devastating as it should be. I think I will finally finish the Outlander series when I am through and read A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

>97 ellevee:, ellevee - Your night sounds like Paradise. After all, isn't one of our rights "the pursuit of happiness"?

i am now reading The Chronicles of Narnia:The Last Battle by C.S.Lewis.
i am sure that u all are familiar with it.

I am reading The Strange Career of Jim Crow by C. Vann Woodward. As the title implies, it is a non-fictional study of the American Jim Crow laws.

Im still reading Jarhead by Anthony swofford with only a 4th left of it. next i am planning on reading No Country For Old Men By Cormac McCarthy

Finished Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams last night, and am now reading I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier.

#99 fannyprice - Well, my pursuit of happiness has been mildly ruined by a cloudy, overcast day and a truly insane roommate.

However, I did finish one book. So the day was not a total slosh.

I agree, it's hard to read the next book after you have read Khaled Hosseini's book.
I suggest The Book Seller of Kabul. It's a non-fiction that reads like fiction.

I am reading No Regrets by Ann Rule and next I will be starting The 6th Target by James Patterson.

I've finished Lucky, and am now reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I am completely immersed in the writing, it's wonderful.

>107 lauralkeet: lindsacl: what did you think of Lucky? I have it on my shelf but haven't read it. I liked Lovely Bones a lot.

>108 teelgee:: teelgee, the subject matter in Lucky makes it hard for me to say I enjoyed the book, but I did, in the way you can enjoy a well-written memoir about a tragic incident. I was particularly struck by this book because at the start I learned that the author and I are the same age. That shouldn't matter, but I could remember being at university in the early 1980s, and I'm familiar with the area where her family lived. So it made the situations even more real. Alice Sebold is a survivor and writing the book was clearly part of her journey to recovery. I've posted a full review on my blog ...

P.S. I really liked Lovely Bones, too, and I think that's the main reason I decided to read Lucky.

Finished The Pilgrim of Hate by Ellis Peters and am continuing on to An Excellent Mystery. The 'Pilgrim...' suprised me because I was so sure I remembered what was going to happen in it- I certainly remembered one of the main characters. I'm now wondering whether the TV series took more dramatic liberties on this tale, but then again I was about 6 or 7 when I watched it so it's probably just my brain being fuzzy.

Recently read Zoli by Colum McCann, the story of a gypsy poet living in Czechoslovakia 1930s onwards. Very interesting. Also Black Girl, White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates which was an easy read but really made me think. Now reading a German bestseller (translated) Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann.

#109 I HATED The Lovely Bones. I was willing to go along with it for most of the story, but at one point towards the end (which I will not discuss, for those who want to read it), I actually put it down and stared at the cover in disbelief.

That being said, I am in a distinct minority. Most people loved the book.

My grandiose reading plans for yesterday got ruined, and I am still sulky. So now I'm reading Hope Was Here for work. So far, I like it. Reading Joan Bauer really takes me back to middle school/high school days at the library.

>112 ellevee:: ellevee, it's difference of opinion that makes these groups so fun!! Thanks for throwing in your comments.

I just finished The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory for my book group, and now I'm re-reading relevant portions of The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser, and Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir.

I'm also reading:
* The Italian Secretary: A Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Caleb Carr (audiobook)
* Religious Literacy:What Every American Needs to Know by Stephen Prothero

(edited to correct touchstones)

#7 cabegley, I loved The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down; it's what introduced me to Anne Fadiman.

#62, Jaune-Vert, How interesting to read Anna Karenina in French. One question: in the Russian original, my understanding is that some dialogue was written in French to indicate the social differences (when people spoke French and when Russian, who did it, etc.) and sometimes this is indicated in English translations. How is this handled in a French translation?

#70, keren7, I am a big Philip Roth fan but I didn't like The Plot Against America. I thought it was an interesting idea, but much too obvious and preachy.

Back from a week away: I read Memoirs of a Muse by Lara Vapnyar (light-weight but fun) and Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate: a novel in verse (appropriate for a San Francisco trip). I'm now reading The Magic Mountain and The Hudson: A History by Tom Lewis.

#112 ellevee, I thought I was one of the few, but I did not like The Lovely Bones either. I thought it was extremely depessing and had a hard time finishing it. Same thing w/ The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Everyone loved it but I hated it--again depressing and actually pretty boring.

Depressing doesn't really bother me, if there's a point. But, as I mentioned before, there was a point in The Lovely Bones where I just stopped buying it. I can suspend disbelief with the best of them, but this was just too much for me.

Now that I think about it, I didn't find the book to be that depressing. More frustrating. And creepy. Not good creepy either.

Am juggling Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino, Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood, The Game by Laurie R. King and Desperation by Stephen King. No wonder I can't seem to finish anything!

(touchstones not connecting today)

115 rebeccanyc > I'm been reading The Magic Mountain for about two months now - but I haven't given up! Up to page 550 of 716. To help keep the momentum up, I actually read a couple of online analyses of the book. They had a couple of spoilers, but at least I'm motivated to keep reading.

While I take a break from Thomas Mann I've been reading The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Harry Potter and the half-blood Prince, and am almost finished Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson.

The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey. It's pretty lightweight, even for a historical novel. It's the fictionalized story of Jane Burden, who modelled for Dante Gabriel Rossetti and later became his wife.

My walking audiobook: Raj by Gita Mehta. So far, all I can say is that I've read better novels based on Indian history.

#117 - ellevee - I am so sure I know exactly what part you are talking about in The Lovely Bones. Horrible. For me it ruined what I thought was a good (not great) book.

#114 brewergirl -- How is The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir? It is on my TBR shelf, but I am a little nervous about it because I don't typically read non-fiction.

I am currently reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. guilty pleasure; need a break from the classics. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns (in two days). An easy, emotional read -- I did tear up; which is rare for me.

>112 ellevee: elevee - I've found most people either loved it or hated it. It's one of those kinds of splits generally.

I finished Picnic on paradise by Joanna Russ, an old-school scifi novel that was very different and fascinating in its way. Now I'm almost through with Freedom's Gate by Naomi Kritzer which is the first of a trilogy, and judging by how close I am to the end and how much plot is happening, I'm guessing it's going to end on a cliffhanger and I'll have to chase down a copy of the sequel.

Next up, Life of Pi for my book club.

I started Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers yesterday, who knew dead bodies could be so funny.

bookworm12 - wasn't Stiff a great book?? I was fascinated. Learned quickly not to read it during lunch though.

I just started Grave Matters:a journey through the modern funeral industry to a natural way of burial - a different focus than Stiff. I find the funeral industry and the American way of death so interesting and out of balance.

Currently reading:

Aphrodite by Russell Andrews
Murder on the Iditarod Trail by Sue Henry
The Cloud Sketcher by Richard Rayner

Recently finished:

Godforsaken Sea by Derek Lundy
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

If you would like to discuss The House of the Spirits, come to the Del Rio group on the Oprah Boards. It is our current selection.

Having finished Final Impact (see review) it's on to The Culture of Defeat.

I normally don't read this much non-fiction, but I'm currently reading:

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums -- Tales from the Front Lines by Siri Agrell (in honor of the upcoming bachelorette party that I have to host...)
Highsmith: a Romance of the 1950s by Marijane Meaker (aka. M.E. Kerr)

I just can't seem to get through West of Kabul, East of New York. I don't know if it's because I am so tired or if the certain redundant histories about Islam is just getting to me. I'm not finding it as interesting as I first did...and I'm about halfway through.

I think I'm gonna put it down for now and pick up The House on Mango Street which I need to read for a class I'm taking. After that, we'll see...

I have temporarily set aside Platinum Pohl in favor of Deepwood: Karavans #2 by Jennifer Roberson.

I am currently reading Robert Tressell The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and am quite cross with myself for never having read it before now, even though the author is buried near where I grew up, and I've always wanted to read it. This is a fantastic book which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

I have been unable to make any headway with Middlesex so I think I'll put it away for now and come back to it at a later date.

I'm enjoying reading Le Malédiction du Rubis, i.e. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman. It's slow going in French, but it's good for me and the fact that the story is so good keeps me going ;-)

Am getting into Mansfield Park as well - reading that as an episodical thing on livejournal. It's kind of book group-esque with discussions about each chapter as it's posted, which is good fun!

My bit of total fluff at the moment is The Devil in Amber by Mark Gatiss - totally self-indulgent but really good fun.

And my final current book is an audio one - Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver, which was free on audible. It's read by Ian McKellen, who is fantastic. It's a YA novel set when people were hunter-gatherers, really interesting and it's keeping me going as I do very boring stuff in the lab!

Just started the introduction to Casper Hauser by Jacob Wassermann.

#119, Killeymoon, I am making good progress with The Magic Mountain because I started it on a cross-country airplane. I am very pleased because I tried to read it several times when I was younger and never got very far, but this time I am enjoying it.

July 6

Sex Buddies: Erotic Stories About Sex Without Strings - eh. I've read better.

Finished the audio version of Oryx and Crake - phenomenal novel, loved it, and started the audio version of Drop City.

> 125: teelgee
So far it's fascinating. Who knew cadavers could be both hilarious and interesting.

I just picked up Forever in Blue from the library. I've been waiting for it and it's a perfect relaxing summer read, so I hope to start that this weekend.
I also started Dress your family in cordoroy and denium which, like all of David Sedaris's work, is hilarious.

I am about to finish Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercer. Yesterday I completed "Does the Land Remember Me? A Memoir of Palestine" by Aziz Shihab.

I agree. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. I picked the book up at a thrift store for $1 and thought I might read it some day. While perusing my "unread" book collection I chose it because it seemed light and fluffy, what I was in the mood for. It wasn't as light hearted as I expected but not thought provoking, either. I, too, felt like I was missing something.