What Are We Reading in July?

I'm reading The Redbreast and Down River.

*waves to Lisa*
I am also reading Down River.

Hi guys, I am reading Down River as well!

I just finished Death by Deep Dish Pie, a cozy mystery with a Fourth of July theme. I've just started Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution. I'm curious about him since my city & county are named after him, and because he started out as a bookseller in Boston.

I'm reading Web, passed on to me by a fellow Bookcrosser when I said I had just finished Day of the Triffids. Good so far, a group of pioneers go to a remote island to start afresh.

I finished The Namesake today, which I enjoyed very much, and started Pearl of China, an Early Reviewers book that I received last month.

I'm also still slogging through Outlaws of the Marsh for my China category. I can't say that I'm enjoying it much, but since it is a classic in Chinese literature, I'm determined to finish it.

I'm also still reading Yellow for my race category. It's a well written book, but I read academic nonfiction much more slowly than other books.

Edited to fix the touchstone for Yellow.

I'm currently reading Town in a Blueberry Jam by B. B. Haywood, Main Street Public Library by Wayne A. Wiegand, and Sweet Invention by Michael Krondl. I should get to Emma by Jane Austen and Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy before the end of the week.

Finished the historical fiction Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers - Loved it! - continue to read Small Island by Andrea Levy and will now dive into Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.

I started off the month with A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh and also read The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart. I'm currently reading When It Happens by Susane Colasanti.

I am still reading The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence, it is mighty powerful, oh what a wonderful writer, I believe that she has a "cult" following, at my age I join up!!

I have purchased on-line A Jest Of God by Margaret.

Hey, I'm reading Down River, too. What are the odds, do you think? :)

I've also just finished the enormously excellent The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo. So nice that I have the next two already in my TBR.

I'm still reading Hemingway: The Paris Years by Michael S. Reynolds. I'm really enjoying it and am trying to make it last. Hemingway was a great writer and also a tool, which makes his story interesting. He wasn't good at keeping friends (or wives, for that matter). On the same subject, I just saw Midnight in Paris and it was good. If you've ever dreamed of living in another time and/or place, I'd highly recommend it. Adrien Brody was so funny and Paris is always good for scenery.

I'm reading Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor and Northanger Abbey.

I'm reading The Best Day of Someone Else's Life by Kerry Reichs.

I am listening to City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I've also started reading The Journal of Helene Berr by Helene Berr.

I finished City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare yesterday so I've marked another off my "2011 new release" list.

I'm also presently engaged in Dragon Soul by Jaida Jones (unfortunately not officially listed on my challenge but necessary for my May ER win) along with Make it So by Wess Roberts and A Colby Christmas by Debra Webb, both of which are on my challenge list.

I'm about to start Rachel Aaron's The Spirit Rebellion. I really liked The Spirit Thief, so I hope this sequel is just as good!

I'm reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy and while it is clearly brilliant, someone please assure me that there is some small measure of hope somewhere.

#18 - I don't know Ridgeway Girl, I think it is all in the reader's interpetation. I personally, found it a very moving story with a beautifull father-son relationship, and, yes, I found it hopeful. Others may disagree.

I just finished As the Crow Dies, a freebie on the Kindle I'm also counting for the RTT challenge, and Heroes of the Valley, which was really, really good.

I'm reading lots of stuff for my Proper Names and Jobs categories - I'm really behind in those. I'm halfway through Michael O'Halloran now and I've got Robinson Crusoe and Maisie Dobbs from the library. I'm going to read The Nine Tailors and Busman's Honeymoon (with Gaudy Night in between) if the other library patrons will hurry up and return them. Oh, and Rural Free for Reading through Time.

Just finished The Spirit Rebellion and LOVED it, so it's on to The Spirit Eater!

I'm reading My Antonia which is very good.

I've begun Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min. I loved her two previous books, Red Azalea, about growing up during the Cultural Revolution and Katherine, about an American teaching English in China.

We just read My Antonia for my book club. I was too sick to go to the discussion, but I really enjoyed the book.

Finished Small Island and I am now reading Perdido Street Station and dipping into Lullabies for Little Criminals as my commute to work read.

I am reading Life and Time of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, it's about growing up in the 1950's which rings lots of bells with me. I am also reading World of Pies by Karen Stolz, a 1960's coming-of-age YA story and it too, is ringing lots of bells. Both are very good.

DQ, I read The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid last year and really enjoyed it! It's nice to read a memoir that isn't whiny and depressing.

I spent this afternoon reading The Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare, and I'm about to start Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. Too bad I'm months late for the group read!

ETA: Whoa, I just realized that the last name is WesterFELD, not WesterFIELD! I can pay attention, yes I can.

I'm reading West of Rehoboth by Alexs D. Pate and listening to The Great Fire by Jim Murphy.

I've started China Miéville's The Scar and we've just been captured by pirates. Me likey!

I have moved on to Death Without Company by Craig Johnson, this is the second in the series. I read the first one last year and loved it.

I am also about to start The Devil's Paintbox by Victoria McKernan a YA read about an orphaned brother and sister who join a wagon train heading to Seattle.

I just started Cabal by Michael Dibdin.

I'm listening to One Day by David Nicholls.

Just past the halfway point of The Good Angel of Death by Andrey Kurkov for my translations category. The author has been on my tbr pile for a while and managed to see this one going cheap recently so picked it up.

I'm about to start The Grapes of Wrath, and I'm feeling a bit intimidated!

The Grapes of Wrath is a quicker read than you'd think. Afterwards, I recommend reading Obscene in the Extreme, which chronicles the banning of that book in the part of California where it's set.

I'm reading the Swedish thriller, Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom. It's excellent so far.

I'm reading The Last Place, I think it's the seventh installment in the Tess Monaghan series.

#35
I agree about Grapes of Wrath, once I got into it, I was able to read it rather quickly.

#36 Haha Kay, I have Three Seconds on my tentative list for next year. I heard that it was good though.

I've started reading White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones. It's the first book in a series about a Native American Alaskan state trooper. If it ends as well as it began, it will be a good read. It's been so hot here this week that it's nice to read about snow!

I just finished The Velvet Room. It was okay, not as good as I'd hoped.

I'm listening to Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness. I'm a little bummed to be at the end of the trilogy. Also reading I'd Kill for That edited by Marcia Talley.

@35 - I found the grapes of wrath a fairly quick read

@18 - I loved the road last year & I think you can find hope in there

I've just finished infected by Scott Sigler - shock body horror and have just started the etched city by KJ Bishop - of which I've heard mixed reviews, its a strong opening though so am hopeful...

I'm still working my way through The History of the Peloponnesian War, and reading Sodom and Gomorrah by Marcel Proust for my Proust category.

I'm enjoying Odd Thomas, I don't know why I waited so long to read it, it's great! I'm pretty sure that I will read Forever Odd farily soon.

Also juggling: Delicate Storm my sequential nuttiness wouldn't let me read further in the series until I hunted this one down. I am also reading Tobacco Road.

I'm on vacation, happily at the beach with several blissfully happy children. I've finished Three Seconds, which was about as thrilling a thriller as there is and now I'm reading Benjamin Black's newest, A Death in Summer.

I'm hooked on the Dr. Siri books by Colin Cotterill, I devoured the first 2 over the weekend and am about to get my teeth into Disco for the Departed.

I am also reading Three Lives, but it is much slower going. It is not dull, but you need to concentrate.

@ 36, 37, 41 -- Thanks for the encouragement! I am still reading The Grapes of Wrath...though I can appreciate Steinbeck's writing, I am finding it slow going. I think I'm just not in the right mood for this book; still, I'm determined to finish it this month!

I'm leaving this morning for vacation, spending a few days at the beach with daughter and grandchildren and then a couple of weeks visiting my mom and other relatives. Will be back in early August. Hope I packed enough books to keep me going!

Right now I am reading The Blue Noon by Robert Ryan, a WW II thriller about covert operations in France.

I'm reading Under the Dragon's Tail, a mystery set in Victorian Toronto, and I'm listening to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about a non Harry Bosch book, but I am really enjoying The Lincoln Lawyer.

I just finished Consider the Years by Virginia Graham, and now I'm starting The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn.

Just starting Extinction by Hammond for my Dystopian category.

I just finished the very good The Lincoln Lawyer and I am reading my last Maisie Dobbs, The Mapping of Love and Death.

I'm reading Earth Abides, a dystopian novel written in 1949.

I'm working on several at once - I'm reading Last Night I Dreamed of Peace, a translation of the diary of a North Vietnamese doctor who died during the war in Viet Nam and One Hundred Years of Solitude, and I'm listening to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

I'm reading A Finer End by Deborah Crombie, and I will have to admit that it's the first book by her I haven't liked. It took 150 pages to get to the murder. If it had been any other writer, I probably would have abandoned it, but I know Crombie's abilities and am trying to see where she's headed with it. I've also been told that is an important book to show the direction for future books in the series. I'm also reading Local Breads by Daniel Leader. I'm enjoying that one!

I am reading Maisie Dobbs and although it started slowly for me, I was totally hooked midway through the book.

Just finished - and loved - Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Can't wait for book 2. Also really liked Flip. Some good YA stuff there.

#57 Judy, I hope you continue to enjoy the Maisie Dobbs series.

I just finished The Mapping of Love and Death. Right now I am reading Sleeping Beauty.

The only map book that I have read is Without A Map a Memoir by Meredith Hall, this I am able to recommend.

I'm now reading the Walter Kaufmann translation of I and Thou by Martin Buber.

I'm reading Surrender on Demand by Varian Fry and listening to Copper River by William Kent Krueger.

I'm about 100 pages into Heart of Ice and I am enjoying it so far.

Forgot to mention I'm also reading Incarnadine by R.H. Greene.

@ 54: That's one I've been curious about, as it seems so hopeful. Not the most common thing in dystopian literature! Will look forward to your review!

I've spent most of this month reading 2666, (The world's longest review can be found on my thread. You have been warned.) but am now ready to meet Karen Russel on RidgewayGirl's rec. Will be starting S:t Lucy's home for girls raised by wolves at bedtime. With a title like that, how can you have anything but high expectations???

I've finished Earth Abides and Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe, both of which were excellent for different reasons. Otherwise, I'm still working my way through Hemingway: The Paris Years.

I'm in fictional Bradfield, England, trying to catch an especially brutal serial killer in Val McDermid's The Mermaids Singing. If you've seen the TV series The Wire in the Blood, this is the first book in the series it is based on. I've yet to see the TV series, so I have no idea if they correlate.

I will probably end the month finishing The Asphalt Jungle and True Evil.

About halfway through The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers and am really enjoying it. This is the perfect book to read in the hammock on a Sunday afternoon.

Starting Big machine on my commute to work (le sigh) tomorrow.

I just finished One Hundred Years of Solitude and I'm starting Case Histories. I'm also listening to St. Peter's Fair, book 4 in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series.

VictoriaPL, I am so glad you like The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers. I'm enjoying Iron Lake, so I believe we are even.

Iron Lake is a book I have on my TBR list, and it fits one of this month's TIOLI challenges over on the 75 book list so I'm hoping to get to it this month.