Right now I am reading Anna Karinina and Pillars of the Earth for group reads and for myself I have chosen at this time a beautiful book called Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.

(thought we needed some action here and was having trouble thinking of a topic--sorry it is not original)

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - for the second time, and I don't often read novels more than once. Beautiful!

Message edited by its author, Jul 19, 2009, 8:30pm.

I just finished A Song for Arbonne for a Green Dragon group read. I need to pick up an Early Reviewers book next. I owe a couple of reviews.

Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence, by Gene Brucker, quite an interesting little book.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the book I've just finished, The Last Trials of Clarence Darrow, by Donald McRae.

The Early Reviewers books, which I just picked up, are Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting and Gifts From The Child Within. I will try to be a good LibraryThinger and get these two books read and reviewed. I said it here!

Just found this group! I was torn – joining would be admitting my age and I've been avoiding that for a while now – or trying to (he-he!).

I've got several books going - Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment, and Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin. And right now I'm just finishing up Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant. Well, actually right now I'm lurking around on Library Thing – but I'll be getting back to my reading very shortly.

Anyway, I'm glad to know there's a group for us old (make that mature) folk here on LT.

I was torn – joining would be admitting my age and I've been avoiding that for a while now – or trying to (he-he!).

That made me smile. I waited until I was officially over sixty to join - Saturday was my 61st birthday and I joined yesterday.

I am reading Olive Kitteridge. Who'd a' thought there'd be a novel for us?

Robert

#6, "Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child".

I was beginning to think I was the only person in any of the groups to which I belong that has ever heard of Aloysius Pendergast. The Preston/Child Pendergast novels are some of the best entertainmant I've met. Their books, including their non-fiction and non-Pendergast, are some of the best current genre writing I've read. They are the only modern authors I read regularly.

If you have not read these gentlemen you are doing yourself a disservice. I would recommend The Cabinet of Curiosities as a starter, then go back and pick up Relic and Reliquary. Very entertaining and always a page turner.

Just finished Longitude by Dava Sobel which I really enjoyed. I think the next nonfiction book will be Mind Over Matter by K. C. Cole.

#9 - I absolutely agree! Anyone who loves a good thriller should definitely be reading these books. Although this is only the second Preston/Child work I've read - I also read Preston's Blasphemy earlier this year and loved that one, too.

And I've fallen hopelessly in love with Aloysius Pendergast!

Ah Robert;
You are enjoying a real treat. Olive Kitteridge, a book of short stories, is probably going to make my top 10 this year. It is excellent!~! I wish I were you; beginning it again. (and they should write a lot more for "us")
Anyhoo----I finished Gilead, wonderful book, then read The Talented Mr. Ripley, also very good and am now reading a biography: Carrington: A Life which is also very good so far.
belva

Message edited by its author, Jul 23, 2009, 1:43am.

I finished Giovanni and Lusanna (which I definitely recommend!), and am now reading a book, the title of which I'm sure we can all relate to: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, by Allison Hoover Bartlett, about a book thief and a book dealer.

I'm reading Olive Kitteridge, a novel written in the form of a series of related short stories. This is one of those books I hate to see come to an end. Gilead was another great read. I'm looking forward to reading Home

Oh MarianV;
We have been reading the same material. But I am awaiting my copy of Home as I had to order it. Do you have yours on hand? I can't wait to get it and read it. Gilead was like reading a wonderfully sweet dream to me. I found it full of God, prayer, the Bible and yet not at all preachy. I didn't find it religious at all, but rather introspective. I loved it and wish there were many, many more like it.
But it is so strange that we have read the same books in almost the same order. (We must be so psycho together)
later dayz,
belva

Message edited by its author, Jul 24, 2009, 3:14am.

I've placed an advanced order for Home in paperback. I can't imagine that it'll take me long to get to it once it comes, but it probably will.

Meanwhile I finished The Crying of Lot 49 last night. The cover promised some character dynamics; I didn't see any. Good linguistic fireworks, however.

Then I started Peyton Place. Fifty years later the book, fifty pages into it, is not the lascivious wonder that it was when it was freshly published. There may be characters in it; more about that later.

Robert

Well, I'm reading Grave Goods, the third in the series of historical mysteries by Ariana Franklin, plus am listening to The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. I'm also working on My Name Is Will, an early review novel about "sex, drugs, and Shakespeare" and a coming-of-age type story about two guys named William Shakespeare, one from the 16th Century and one from 1986. Somehow I can't seem to get into it ~ perhaps it's because both of the Wills are rather shallow fellows and not particularly appealing characters. I'm going to persevere, though, as the writing is good.

am on to Of Mice and Men with group reads on the side of course.

Hi #18

No, I don't have a copy of Home yet. But I'm looking forward to it.
Have you read Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips. That was one of those unusual type books which is really good. I picked it up because I've read & enjoyed her other books.

MarianV;
I've not read Lark and Termite yet, but it is on my list of TBRs. I have heard that it is very good. But I can't wait until Home arrives. It will definitely be up next after whatever I am reading at the time.

Finished Of Mice and Men and am now on to Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found by Jennifer Lauck. I am only on page 67 but am enjoying it so far. This is her debut novel and she has a follow up either already or on it's way entitled Still Waters.
later dayz,
belva

I read Lamb in book form a few years back ~ my favorite Christopher Moore novel. Now I'm listening to it on my iPod, just because I felt like a little gentle humor.

nannybebette ~ I love Of Mice and Men and have read it a few times, both in book form and as an audiobook.

>#21:
Mary;
Isn't it a lovely book. I think it almost to be a perfect piece of literature. I've not heard it done on audio; perhaps I should treat myself to that. Who is the reader?
belva

I forgot to post my read. Silly old woman!~!
I just finished The Black Fawn, an absolutely beautiful coming of age story of a young lad.
Now I am on to Antonia White's Frost in May. I am looking forward to this month's reading as hubby has the entire month off and will help me with "day care duty" of grandchildren plus I have a two week trip planned to my daughter's and she will be working part of the time so lotz of reading time for me there. And (**wonderfully heavy sigh**) then comes September and back to school for the little precious things and even the youngest will be in all day this year as he begins 1st grade. So all day to read or play on LT. I am drooling with anticipation.
hugs all round,
belva

Hi, Belva ~ Gary Sinese was the reader of the audiobook I listened to. He was wonderful!

Okay, that sells me. I will have to get it on tape or CD and listen to it. BTW, Donald Sutherland and James Earl Jones are quite possibly the two best readers out there today.
Thank you for the info.
belva

I, too, am a fan of Aloysius Pendergast.
I did find some of the books needed to be edited
with a sharper pen. But then, I read a lot and I'm critical about timing and flow and wordiness.
I read a lot of murder mystery novels which alows me to catch on to the plot without so many clues.
mtnmamma

You might want to try John Dunning's books
which are about book traders. He writes beautifully
and I read the whole series.
His book about WW11 radio station full of spies and so forth is also excellent and an unusual topic, which
I enjoy.
mtnmamma

I'm trying to think young". I just finished The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and am keeping it for my permanent collection (a somewhat rare thing for a Bookcrosser like myself).

Message edited by its author, Aug 26, 2009, 11:15pm.

#27 - mtnmamma:

Oh, I love John Dunning's Cliff Janeway series. I think I've read three of them now, and even though they were mostly written before the rise of the online book trade, all the insider info is still fascinating. And they're really very good mysteries, too. Yes, he does write beautifully.

Reading The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Just finished The Man in the Picture, also by Hill. Two really spooky but elegant ghost tales.

Also reading The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker (online - couldn't find a print copy).

All of these are for the R.I.P. IV Reading Challenge which runs through October.

I seem to be keeping this thread alive all on my lonesome. Just started New Year's Eve, by Lisa Grunwald. It's "part contemporary family drama, part ghost story" – centering around twin sisters and their offspring. Recently saw the film based on the novel, and thought I'd give the book a try. So far, I'm enjoying it quite a bit - think it'll be a fast read.

I've been a bit off reading the past few weeks. Yes, I know, it's very worrying, because I'm a 125-book-a-year reader. So when I can't read, I know something's wrong.

I've been working on a few books ~ trying to get into reading SOMETHING ~ with varying stages of success. One is by one of my favorite historical fiction writers, Sharon Kay Penman: Here Be Dragons. I'm also reading Roanoke: a Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue by Margaret Lawrence, which held my attention for a whole two hours yesterday before I got tired of reading. Another historical novel I'm struggling with is The Sun Is My Undoing by Marguerite Steen, written in the '50s and set in the 1700s. It is a loaner I've had for a year, and I have got to get it back to my friend soon. I've also got a couple of paranormal romances next to my bed and one Nora Roberts novel, just in case I feel like something lighter.

The reason I hardly ever finish a book is that I can never read only one thing any given day. So...... I am wading through two ARC's from this friendly place, The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior and The Boy who Harnessed the Wind. I would probably have put them aside by now if I were not obliged to review them.
For relief I'm continuing Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson, a near-future ecological disaster bit of scifi and the middle book of a trilogy, and wonderful! Miss Mole by E.H. Young. Very good. But this afternoon I picked up a space opera for a reread, Prisoner's Hope by David Feintuch, and who knows what will appeal tomorrow!

I am also finding sticking to my books to be difficult however I did just finish reading Voyages of Hope The Saga of the Bride-Ships which was very good. The author was able to take some pretty dry history and give it a few entertaining twists. It read almost like a novel in spots.

As I just visited Victoria BC on Vancouver Island the book's location was quite relevant to my tourist self.

I am now trying to read The Hunger Games which should be pretty easy to get through as it is written for young adults, who are famous for short attention spans.

Sorry for having neglected this group. I'll try to be more faithful.

There are so many places to post what we're reading, and I don't like to spray the groups with my self absorption if I can catch myself at it.

Last night I finished Knowing, and I have Home ongoing.

Robert

Also been a bit off my reading. My oldest daughter is here visiting from CA & a lot of visiting & a lot of company. I did start an Anne Tyler book, one of her older ones If Morning ever comes. A nice relaxing read.

This week I'm reading From Doon with Death by Ruth Rendell. It's the first book in her Inspector Wexford mystery series. I've read a few of the later books in the series, but somehow managed to miss this first one, so I'm going back and starting from the beginning.

War and Peace (Signet classics) (Paperback)
by Leo Tolstoy (Author), Ann Dunnigan (Translator)

Perhaps I should have read this years ago (It seems to me that I started it during my Navy tour--circa 1953; but discouraged by its size, gave up.). Now, in my seventh decade, I saw the DVD movie (with Anthony Hopkins) and felt that I must fill in the "gaps" left by the script writer. Irvin Yalom, in his book, Existential Psychotherapy, refers to characters in this book; this was an additional motivation to become more familiar with it.

Message edited by its author, Nov 6, 2009, 8:42am.

October was a very slow reading month for me - only finished two books. Right now, I've got three going: Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow, Stardust by Joseph Kanon, and The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie. Trying to do a little better in November.

Unlike those, who apparently have cumulative reading goals, unfortunately, I now have book markers in many books of various genres. In order to begin listing those, I just now reached for the nearest book (among the various stacks on the floor, gathered around my computer stand - the several book shelves lining the four walls are areadyl squozen with fat books). It was Gillian Rose's Hegel Contra Sociology. Damn! I must commence reading the rest of this book right now! And, I am already only half way through War and Peace. Such is my book karma.

Message edited by its author, Nov 8, 2009, 8:16pm.

Reading a couple of Christmas-themed whodunits - Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown, and Crewel Yule by Monica Ferris. Also still have a little more to go on Stardust by Joseph Kanon. And just finished (really - just a few minutes ago!) The Lover by Marguerite Duras. Trying to read fifty books this year, and I'm almost there.

Finished When Christ and his Saints Slept by Sharon Kaye Penman. this is the first in her "Eleanor of Aquitaine" series. It is the story of the battle fro the throne of England by 2 of William the Conqueror's grandchildren & how the English countryside was devasted in the process.
Very well written & historically accurate. I'll wait til after the holidays to read the next in the series. It's time for a gentler read. I have been reading Above the River the complete poems of James Wright.

I just finished War and Peace and am now in the middle of Nietzsche's Presence in Freud's Life and Thought by Ronald Leher.

Naren, we are kin some way - except that you are reading much worthier stuff than I am now ......
Nothing is exactly grabbing me, so I continue to read in those I have a commitment to while looking for the next big one. In hand over the past several days have been Drood (really O.K.), Wolf Hall (enjoyable; I keep waiting for it to grab me), The Well of Shiuan (as a newcomer to C.J. Cherryh I'm trying to read everything at once), Unbeaten Tracks in Japan (now that I'm getting her off the beaten track, I expect this one to pick up), and Sylvester (which I just finished and enjoyed so much that I moved right on to Cotillion; haven't read this much Georgette Heyer in years!). None of that sounds even vaguely respectable beside War and Peace and the Nietzsche/Freud. Oh well.....

Not being a TV watcher (My TV set functions as a DVD vehicle.), if I see a movie, I look for the "fiction" novel source to fill in the gaps, e.g., When Nietzsche Wept.