What are YOU reading? (Formerly Summer of Books...)

[Deleted]

Ok, I'm jumping the gun a little. But we are all done but math and a few specials days. I'm also almost done planning next year... Much less structured than last year! Yay! So.. I'm on to summer lists.

I have several stacks of books I want to get through this summer. 

Ive been gardening this week, so listened to The Martian, which I loved, and am into Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour Book Store right now. Also enjoying. Print read I'm half way through Sycamore Row by John Grisham. 

I'd like a more Permanant thread to talk about books, at least through the summer... 

So... What are you reading? 

[Artemis Windsong]

I have read 5 Amanda Quick books in the past month.  They are mysteries spiced with romance set in old England.  72 books listed on my library page.

She also writes as Jane Anne Krentz (107 books).

I came upon this author when I bought a used book.  Another I got from the Little Neighborhood Library is Sea Glass by Anita Shreve. 

Other than that, I have been reading what our book group suggests. 

The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
A Whisper of Peace, Kim Vogel Sawyer
Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown
The All Girls Filling Station, Fannie Flagg
The Book of Fires, Jane Brodale
Save Me, Lisa Scottoline
An Ordinary Man, Rusesabagina, Paul

[Deleted]

Would you recommend any or those? My mom likes Amanda Quick I know.

[irishpad]

May 9, 2015 14:24:12 GMT -5 oped said:

 so listened to The Martian, which I loved,
So... What are you reading? 

I also just finished listening to The Martian.   Loved it!   Really enjoyed the attitude / humor the author put into the main character.  

Just finished reading The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey.   Very good.  I was going through some tough things IRL at the time - would have been better not to be reading it while that was going on because it is a bit depressing.  

Now reading House of the Seven Gables by Hawthorne.   

Will be looking at this thread for ideas for the summer (besides the books I should be reading for my work field)   

[Deleted]

I have never gotten through House Sevdn Gables! It used to be my anti-ansomnia book, lol. Let me know if you like it.

[Happy prose]

Right now, and the two books before this one, I'm reading Kristen Hannah. I really like the way she writes. Prior to this, I read The Girl on the Train, and it was very good.

[Deleted]

Girl on the Train is on my stack   I've read some Kristen Hannah, liked what I read.

[Deleted]

Did you read Nightingale? I was looking at that one...

[tcu2003]

I'm currently reading The Millionaire Next Door, but I suspect everyone else has already read that one.

[Happy prose]

May 9, 2015 21:46:56 GMT -5 oped said:

Did you read Nightingale? I was looking at that one...

Yes, and it was great. Currently reading Home Front, and like it very much so far. 

[bobosensei]

At the beginning of the year I set a goal to read 50 books.  So far I've read mostly nonfiction as the fiction books I've tried didn't interest me enough to finish them.  I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread for more ideas.

Right now I am reading Martin Short's I Must Say and a book on vaccines called On Immunity.

Just before those books I read The Marriage Game by Alison Weir which is historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth 1.  I really liked it.  Especially since I've gotten into Mary Queen of Scots since seeing the tv show Reign, and there were bits and pieces of how Elizabeth and Mary dealt with each other that I found fascinating.  I also just read Taking Flight which is a biography of Michaela DePrince- a young orphaned African girl who was adopted as a child and has become a wonderful ballerina.  I saw her on Oprah a few years back when she was just 14 or so.  She is a gorgeous dancer, and not only has she overcome so much losing her parents at an early age and suffering abuse at the hands of her uncle and people in the orphanage, but she continues to overcome the difficulties that many black dancers face.

[Artemis Windsong]

May 9, 2015 15:55:14 GMT -5 oped said:

Would you recommend any or those? My mom likes Amanda Quick I know.

The book that got me started was The River Knows.  I copied the list of books and started working my way through.

[sesfw]

I finally found Monuments Men at the local used book store and have started reading it. So far, fascinating. My reading time is thin at best.

I like Nicholas Sparks but he is very predictable.

Love James Michener and James Herriot. These are 'read again' type books for me.

[ners]

I am not a big reader.  Currently I am reading Throw Like a Women by Susan Petrone.

[happyhoix]

I'm maybe half way though listening to A Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - very beautiful writing, she does a good job of evoking the Slavic country the story is set in, but it's a magical realism book, which I like (but not everyone does).

Reading David and Goliath by Malcom Gladwell for book club. I've read several of his books before and he is always interesting. This one is about how, while a person/group of people might appear to be an underdog (like David) it isn't really surprising when they excel - sometimes things that appear to be a hindrance actually help you succeed.

I'm seriously questioning my taste in books, though. Our last book club book was by a local author, and I thought it was horrible. Bad writing, bad grammer, I didn't like any of the characters. However, at our book club meeting, the two members of the group who have pHD's spent the whole meeting fawning about what a fabulous book it was. So now I'm thinking maybe I have no taste, or I'm not smart enough to recognize great literature?!?!?

[Deleted]

I think everyone has different things that speak to them. I don't think there is one specific answer to what 'is good'. I read a lot of different things depending on my mood. And I have also been in conversations where it seems im the only one who loved, or hated a certain book. 

And sometimes 'great literature' is, well.. Not so much? I HATED Brave New World when we did it this year. I liked some of the earlier world description set ups, but it went way long, had huge plot issues, and in the end offered what I thought were very limited outcomes. I can respect, I guess, that it was early dystopian, but I didn't think it qualifies for the acclaim it receives. 

I finished Mr. Penumbra... I liked it, quick, fun read, especially for techy, book and game nerds. The reader did a good job with the character. 

[steph08]

This year, so far I've read Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore (loved), The Girl You Left Behind (eh, I don't like stories that jump back and forth in time), A Thousand Splendid Suns (loved!), Divergent trilogy (eh), The Husband's Secret (not bad), Room: A Novel (stressed me out but was pretty good), The Firm (ok), and Runaway Jury (ok).

I have listened to: Beautiful Ruins (didn't like, jumped back and forth in time), The Goldfinch (loved), The Girl with All the Gifts (liked), and Whistling Past the Graveyard (very good).

I am currently listening to The Arsenal of Democracy (about Ford and how they got involved in the defense industry during WWII making bombers and such) and it is okay, but it jumps around a lot. Next up is The Martian, which I see has gotten good reviews from everyone here.

I have several audiobooks already purchased: Something Wicked This Way Comes and All the Light We Cannot See.

Real books, I just started The Fourth Hand by John Irving. I have a lot of older books from the local book sale that I am trying to get through.

[The Captain]

I've actually discovered two fanfiction sites that have a lot of pretty good work posted on them - archiveofourown and fanfiction.  What's cool is the authors crave feedback on their writing and I've started to correspond with a few who've been amazingly appreciative of my suggestions. 

On the train I'm currently reading 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson.  He's another author who has a beautiful writing style.

On my nightstand I have The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and All the Lights we cannot see lined up.  I've read so much good about them so thought I'd branch out of Sci-Fi/Fantasy and give them a try.

I've never been able to listen to a book, I much prefer the parade of words in front of my eyes.

[Deleted]

From my YA (should this be in book club?) stack, I paged through Vitro last night... In other words I read, but it wasn't very good so skimmed a lot. I got the major points and don't think I missed anything worthwhile. Not recommending. 

[Deleted]

I think it's a fun tidbit in Penumbra that he doesn't get the whole point until he listens to the author read the story  

I like print and listening. Some times readers are so good they actually make the experience better for me. Of course, sometimes they do not. 

I generally listen when I'm doing something that I couldn't do and also read.

[The Captain]

May 11, 2015 9:19:22 GMT -5 oped said:

From my YA (should this be in book club?) stack, I paged through Vitro last night... In other words I read, but it wasn't very good so skimmed a lot. I got the major points and don't think I missed anything worthwhile. Not recommending. 

DH got the Maze Runner last weekend.  Kiddo is absolutely devouring the book!  This weekend she actually spent most of it reading instead of in front of the TV!  She's asked if she can get the rest of the books in the series.



(is it bad that I'm happy she's into this and off her Twilight drivel kick?)

[Green Eyed Lady]

May 9, 2015 14:24:12 GMT -5 oped said:

Ok, I'm jumping the gun a little. But we are all done but math and a few specials days. I'm also almost done planning next year... Much less structured than last year! Yay! So.. I'm on to summer lists.

I have several stacks of books I want to get through this summer. 

Ive been gardening this week, so listened to The Martian, which I loved, and am into Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour Book Store right now. Also enjoying. Print read I'm half way through Sycamore Row by John Grisham. 

I'd like a more Permanant thread to talk about books, at least through the summer... 

So... What are you reading? 

While I'm not always a Grisham fan, Sycamore Row was one of the most enjoyable books I've read.  Hope you liked it as much as I did.

[wyouser]

Anything historical or historical fiction! It must be totally unrelated to "work" 

[happyhoix]

May 11, 2015 10:26:55 GMT -5 wyouser said:

Anything historical or historical fiction! It must be totally unrelated to "work" 

Have you read Wolf Hall or Bringing Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel? They just finished a PBS series about these last night.

I listened to Wolf Hall and loved it - very dense writing, very sly humor. Mantel does a very good job describing what life was like back then. It's about Thomas Cromwell who started out the son of a blacksmith but worked his way up into Henry the 8th's court. Wolf Hall is about how the King struggled to divorce Catherine so he could marry Anne; Bringing up the Bodies is how the King was able to manuver himself out of being married to Anne so he could marry the next favorite, Jane Seymour.

Previous books I've read about Anne tend to focus on the romantic relationship between Anne and Henry, but Mantel shows it for what it was - political maneuvers by the Bolyn family, and by all the other noble families, to gain power, while at the same time, the new Protestant faith was challenging Catholic England. Very interesting.

[snapdragon]

May 9, 2015 21:46:56 GMT -5 oped said:

Did you read Nightingale? I was looking at that one...

I did. It was very good and of course it made me cry. It was similar to her "Winter Garden" story but set in France instead of Russia. They are really good stories but for some reason they seem to hit my tear ducts quite often. 

I have been on a Elizabeth Hunter kick - her Elemental Mysteries Series is really good the first book in that is "A Hidden Fire." 

and Laura Florand's "the Chocolate Thief" was a really good/fun read and I have enjoyed several of her books.

Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series has lots of action and is UF.

A really great new series in UF is by Anne Bishop - The books are "written in red", "a murder of crows" and "vision in silver"

If you want something more SF/Military Jean Johnson has her Their's not to reason why series starting with "A Soldier's Duty." --- I own this series and have re-read it several times.

Clive Cussler has a new Oregon Files book coming out this month. Really good action series. 

I read lots and enjoy several different genres so YMMV.

[kittensaver]

May 11, 2015 10:26:55 GMT -5 wyouser said:

Anything historical or historical fiction! It must be totally unrelated to "work" 

Me too .

The Boys in the Boat is going with me on my plane ride next weekend.

I also recommend The Monuments Men. It hits close to home for my family - my father had a cousin in Italy who was a Monuments Man. Only a handful were depicted in the book (our cousin was not one of them), but there were almost 300 brave men - and a few women - of several nationalities who loved art and history and worked feverishly to save it from destruction by Hitler.

I have the three books in the Call The Midwife series sitting on my nightstand, along with A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Hopefully I will get to them soon!

 

[The Captain]

May 11, 2015 12:12:01 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

May 11, 2015 10:26:55 GMT -5 wyouser said:

Anything historical or historical fiction! It must be totally unrelated to "work" 

Me too .

The Boys in the Boat is going with me on my plane ride next weekend.

I also recommend The Monuments Men. It hits close to home for my family - my father had a cousin in Italy who was a Monuments Man. Only a handful were depicted in the book (our cousin was not one of them), but there were almost 300 brave men - and a few women - of several nationalities who loved art and history and worked feverishly to save it from destruction by Hitler.

I have the three books in the Call The Midwife series sitting on my nightstand, along with A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Hopefully I will get to them soon!

 

Wait, that's a book?!? I loved the movie. Now I have to hunt down the book!!!

[kittensaver]

May 11, 2015 12:13:45 GMT -5 The Captain said:

May 11, 2015 12:12:01 GMT -5 kittensaver said:

Me too .

The Boys in the Boat is going with me on my plane ride next weekend.

I also recommend The Monuments Men. It hits close to home for my family - my father had a cousin in Italy who was a Monuments Man. Only a handful were depicted in the book (our cousin was not one of them), but there were almost 300 brave men - and a few women - of several nationalities who loved art and history and worked feverishly to save it from destruction by Hitler.

I have the three books in the Call The Midwife series sitting on my nightstand, along with A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Hopefully I will get to them soon!

 

Wait, that's a book?!? I loved the movie. Now I have to hunt down the book!!!

Yes, it was a book first - optioned and made into a movie. The book is waaaaaaaay better than the movie.

I saw it a week or two ago (or maybe 3?) at Costco. You might check and see if they still have it. I know they run through books like crazy, but when they're gone, they're gone (they don't restock titles - they just buy up a large stock and that's it when they're gone).

[snapdragon]

A few historical novels that were really interesting.

Sgt. Reckless - The story of the Mongolian mare, who, despite only measuring about thirteen hands high, became an American hero for her actions during the Korean War, being awarded two Purple Hearts for her valor and being officially promoted to staff sergeant twice, a distinction never bestowed upon an animal before or since. By Robin L. Hutton.

Sniper on the Eastern Front - by Sepp Allerberger - WWII German sniper working to keep his platoons safe from Russian snipers. ( rachets brought this book to my attention. )

The Wolf - How One German Raider Terrorized the Allies in the Most Epic Voyage of WWI -by Richard Guilliatt  --- I listened to this via audiobook and the narrator was really good.

[steph08]

I didn't get into audiobooks until last year. My coworker gave me Cold Coast and The Gate House. The narrator of those is really good.

Then I had to read A Time to Kill because he gave me Sycamore Row to listen to.

I also enjoyed 11/22/63 as an audiobook.

I drive 45 minutes one way to work, so I feel like I'm accomplishing something by listening to audiobooks instead of the radio. I don't really listen to them outside of the car unless I'm at a good part and I need to find out what happens.