What are you reading the week of October 8, 2011?

Literary Birthdays this week:

October 8: John Hay, John Cowper Powys, Frank Herbert, Faith Ringgold, R.L. Stine

October 9: Jill Ker Conway

October 10: Aleksis Kivi, Ivo Andric, Harold Pinter

October 11: Steen Stensen Blicher, François Mauriac, Elmore Leonard

October 12: George Washington Cable, Eugenio Montale, Anne Lane Petry, Alice Childress, Charles Gordone, Robert Coles, William J. Raspberry

October 13: Conrad Richter, Arna Bontemps, Frank Gilroy

October 14: Masaoka Shiki, Katherine Mansfield, e.e. cummings


Whoever she may be.

I really only wanna see what people are reading this week and to tell you that after a little over 100 pages of The Finkler Question I am really sinking into it.

Robert

Thanks for starting the new thread, Mr.Durick!

A friend at work recommended a book, I Am Number Four.

Have any of you read it? Did you like it? Would you recommend it?

And, no, I have not seen the movie (although I heard there was one).

Thanks!

I'm still reading Minor Prophets, book two, and am still enjoying it. I thought I'd have finished it by now, but we've been incredibly busy this week and I've not had much time to read (horrors!).

Wait! I forgot: last night I picked Grimm's Fairy Tales off my shelf, and read about half of it before bed. I have not read it for a very long time, and it was fun to reread the stories I loved as a child.

Thanks, Robert.

Things Fall Apart was good, and worthwhile, but it didn't take me away. The violence of the main character and the unappealing aspects of his culture made this a more complex story of culture clashes and transitioning from long-standing traditions to modernism than it otherwise would have been. Not a simple paradise lost tale. That's probably one reason it has stood the test of time - there's a lot to think about here.

Next is a change of pace to a thriller I've heard good things about: Iron House.

I think I Am Number Four is from sleazy James Frey's sleazy writing stable: http://www.theawl.com/2010/11/james-frey-inc-a-million-little-ya-deals

I won't be reading it or seeing the movie. The idea is just too icky for me.

I finished and loved The Age of Innocence, then I tried watching The House of Mirth last night and made it most of the way through, but it was just too depressing. Those upper crust New Yorkers were some mighty nasty folk. Now I'm listening to The Good Earth, which should make me feel better about the New Yorkers, shouldn't it? I'm about 2/3 of the way through The Woman in White and am beginning to have heart palpitations. Can our heroins be saved?

I surprisingly like I Am Number Four, the movie. I have not read the book.
I am currently reading The Reformed Vampire Support Group. I'm reading this for a YA Lit class I'm taking.

For the past couple of months I've been immersed in WW2 and/or military-themed books... today I started The Guns of Navarone, by Alistair MacLean, which has been on my TBR list for a very long time. I'm enjoying it greatly, especially because some of my recent reading is providing helpful context (particularly The Regiment: The Real Story of the SAS, by Michael Asher).

Meanwhile, on the bus I'm reading On the Beach, and at home I'm working my way through The English Patient, which I should really have read straight through when I wanted to because now I'm not quite in the mood for it. It may have been too nice out today for that one; it was sunny and summer-like, with the temperature reaching 25 degrees Celsius! Great day for reading outside, which I most definitely did. :)

Reading Erik Larson's In the Garden of the Beasts. I tried the audio version but didn't care for the reader. I'm enjoying it a lot more now; quite a riveting story.

Thanks, Robert, for a good start. I'm finally finishing Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter by Patricia Albers and, while it's been an effort, it's been very interesting.

>6 rabbitprincess:. I still remember seeing the movie The Guns of Navarone in downtown Atlanta when I was about 10 and being so impacted by it. Haven't read it tho.
I misread your post and thought you said great day for reading the clouds :)

>7 NarratorLady: I'm about 200 on the waiting list at the library for Garden!

#5 I love Reformed Vampire Support Group What a subtle way to talk about disabilities. & it's really funny and sweet too. Love the ADHD wolf.

#4 I'm 1/4 of the way through The Woman in White. It's making me stay up later than I should, and making me put off things I need to do. But, can our heroines be saved??? I assume one of our heroines must die to become a real ghost. I'm pretty sure our poor sweet bride won't make it. We'll see.

Still working on The Dead Path, which for some reason, I can only read in small chunks even though I adore the story. But I've been having concentration issues in general this week, so I'll chalk it up to that. I also have my first Early Reviewer book to read (We Wanted to be Writers), and another one coming from the September books, so I need to get a jump on reading/reviewing.

The problem with reading several books at once is that it takes that much longer to actually finish any of them. My current continuing crop - Mrs Dalloway, Lester Higata's 20th Century and American Boy. I'll probably finish up American Boy tomorrow.

On audio, a reread - Gary Sinise reading Steinbeck's Travels with Charley and doing a stellar job.

#11 coloradogirl14
I'm readingThe Dead Path as well! It's creepy and I'm enjoying the story(for some reason, I'm liking that it's set in Australia). I've really been spreading my wings a bit with reading The Shining and now The Dead Path. Horror and scary books aren't usually my thing. Even after all these years, I still surprise myself.

Still reading The Tiger's Wife and deciding what to read next...

I'm reading Aleph by Paul Coelho, and also Cloudland by Tim Winton. The former is going much faster than the latter!

Some great books here!

#2 I Am Number Four, I'm a little embarrassed to admit, is probably the only example of a book where I have let others influence me to the point of not really even trying it. Not knowing anything about James Frey or his 'stable' I bought the book on impulse and while it was sitting on Mount TBR I heard so many bad things that eventually I couldn't face it. I did try a couple of sentences but it was one occasion where I felt I could trust the judgement of certain friends over my own curiosity and it eventually went unread to the charity shop. That's not to say you should feel the same way but it seemed very clear to me that it wasn't going to be my kind of thing.

As for Things Fall Apart, The Age of Innocence, The Woman in White, On the Beach, Travels With Charley - it's when I read a thread like this that I realise I could easily spend the rest of my life never buying another book but quite happily rereading old favourites. But I can't resist those newbies and just got started on A Discovery of Witches which already has me utterly gripped. Reminiscent, in many ways, of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and will no doubt divide its readership every bit as much.

And every now and then I'm picking up Byron in Love (I know! I've been reading it for weeks!) and The Victorian Clergyman.

Thanks for getting us up and running with a great start to the week, Robert!

I am stil happily reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Love it, love it!

3/4 of the way through Can You Forgive Her? and whipping through Salmon Fishing in Yemen.

About a third of the way through A Dance with Dragons, which I bought in hardcover, unlike the other four books, and it weighs a TON. Martin tells a great, intricate story which, though it is classified as fantasy, really reads more like historical fiction. Very minimal fantasy elements. I hope the HBO series gets more people reading the books.

I am about halfway through The Journey Home by Olaf Olafsson. Still listening to I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, and reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman aloud.

Reading The Son of Neptune. It's very good, but really wish that I had more time to really sit down and read a chunk of it!

I'm re-starting Jude the Obscure (I got a bit distracted) and continuing to work my way through The Stories of John Cheever. They're starting to grow on me; at first I was annoyed by all the rich drunken suburbanites but some of his stories are almost perfect.

I read Die eisblaue Spur (i.e. The Day is Dark) today, which was a ver good icelanic Greenland crime story with a lot of suspense. the cahracters where not very deep, but they were interestng enough and the plot was twisted, but not too much, so one could possibly solve the mystery oneself (which I didn't completely achieve).

I also started Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher (i.e. City of Dreaming Books) for a re-read to be prepared for the sequel Das Labyrinth der Träumenden Bücher.

I'm listening to To Fetch a Thief, the second in the Chet & Bernie mystery series, and enjoying it immensely. On my eReader I'm working (and I mean that literally) my way through a how-to book on preparing for retirement (name escapes me at the moment, and the eReader is upstairs). I've also got Goliath started but am stalled on it (hoping the audio version arrives before I get too far in the print version).

I am closing in on the halfway point of And Wait for the Night by John William Corrington. The book takes place in Reconstruction-era Shreveport, LA, which, according to the book (I'll have to do the research to find out if this is true), was the last large city in the South to surrender and take down the Confederate flag. Anyway, the book is written in 1964, and like many novels of that era, it's fairly dense, with lots of characters and lots of back-stories, that together create an effective tapestry-like look at the time and place. At any rate, the writing is good and the book mostly enjoyable (not all the back-stories are equally interesting, but waddaya gonna do?).

Just starting Denibus Ar by Chris Turner.

Finished Salmon Fishing in Yemen in one long lovely sitting. Wonderful read! Just about to start Biographie de la faim (The Life of Hunger) by Amelie Nothomb.

@16 Too many great books to feel too guilty about I am Number 4. If you read a few sentences, you gave it a try.

16 booksloth -- you said, "I realise I could easily spend the rest of my life never buying another book but quite happily rereading old favourites"

My best friend and I have often joked that as we get older we'll only need about ten books that we simply read over and over again since our fading memories will make them seem brand new each time we read them. Lately, as the loss of brain cells seems to accelerate by the hour, I've begun to wonder if it's not time to choose the ten.

>29 mollygrace: I've begun to wonder if it's not time to choose the ten.

Before you forget which ten you want. I know exactly what you mean! I am right there with you.

Um, what were we talking about again?

Just finished Stealing Faces by Michael Prescott and about 3/4 through Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. Both are highly enjoyable. Not sure what's up next, perhaps my LTER win Redemption by Lindsey Gray.

I'm continuing on with Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence and reveling in the opulence of 1870s NYC as well as Wharton's glorious prose.

I'm a bit past half way through The Memory of Love and loving it. I've also started the LTER book, A History of the World Since 9/11. It's well written, presenting stories of individuals caught in the aftermath of 9/11 to illustrate the impact of the public mood and the political maneuvering that's occurred in the past decade.

30 Storeetlir - "Before you forget which ten you want."

Isn't that the truth?

Speaking of which . . . before I forget the book I finished ten minutes ago, I need to say something about it. I did enjoy The Sisters Brothers -- thanks to all who recommended it.

Next up: Peter Casey's Parrot and Olivier in America

Thanks, all, for the input about I Am Number Four. My son has requested it from the library, so when he's finished, I might check it out.

I'll usually give a book a decent try (maybe 50 pages), but if I really don't like it, I'll put it down and spend my time with something else!

I often forget enough about the books I've read so that they appear to be new to me when I do a reread...and I've been that way for years! Age doesn't have anything to do with it... :D

So mollygrace, which ten?

# 29 mollygrace, I am starting to go down the same same lane as you with old favourites, especially as the rereads are like first time reads for this reader!! I have retrieved Master Georgie for a reread. Molly just keep the ten on a special shelf for the coming years, this is what I do.

Well, Iron House was pretty much unputdownable. A high velocity thriller. Warning: parts are brutally violent. I could have done with less of that, but the rest redeemed it.

I read Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran which I am very glad I read. It's different from other mysteries I've read. Takes place in New Orleans post-Katrina and references many many different effects from death to post traumatic stress to fleeing to other states etc. Etc. A different perspective on detecting also. Interesting.

Now looking at several but Nothing capturing my interest. Maybe I need a page-turner. Wish I had Iron House!

I'm almost done reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. The sick thing is that I find myself rooting for Humbert.

>40 PaperbackPirate: Makes one feel soiled and bent, doesn't it?

36 mkboylan - I was afraid someone was going to ask that question. Several years ago a friend asked me for a list of my favorites and the best I could do was a list of 50 and I felt terribly guilty about 50 more that didn't make the cut.

Maybe I'd just choose one -- Lonesome Dove. It's long enough that I might not remember the beginning by the end and I could spend the rest of my days on the trail with those great characters. I could hear that sweet Irish boy sing again, and listen to Gus's nonsense and wisdom, and have a talk with Deets and Pea Eye while eating breakfast made for us by Po Campo, then laugh at the antics of Dish and the other cowboys, and watch young Newt watch Call and wonder if those two will ever be all right, and, oh, it will be nice to spend a few days with Clara and her girls. Of course, having to lose so many of them along the way will be sad, but it might bring back to me the wonderful cast of characters I've lost in my own life, and that might be a comfort. Then, too, that long, dusty journey might help prepare me for my own departure . . . "dust to dust", after all.

Or I could line up all my Nero Wolfe mysteries and spend my last days listening to the smooth talk and smart mouth of one of my favorite literary voices -- that of Wolfe's noble assistant, Archie Goodwin.

Or . . . I have that nicely bound set of Dickens.

Really, mkboylan, it was cruel of you to ask me that horrible question. For shame.

I finished and liked The Tiger's Wife. Next is an old SF book, The Eyes of Heisenberg by Herbert.

The Woman in White - amazing! The House of Mirth, yes, very depressing, but worth it.

#29 etc It does genuinely happen. In the last few years of her life my mother had enormous pleasure in rereading old books she had completely forgotten about. She always used to say it was the only benefit she could think of to old age, that she could have the pleasure of rediscovering these works all over again. I get quite envious when I hear someone is reading one of my old favourites for the first time; I've always believed you can never recapture that first magical read but, according to Mum, you can.

I keep a permanent list of 20 or so real faves so that when it happens to me I can dig these out again (although, generally speaking, all the books I keep are the books I want to reread so I probably have a couple of thousand to tackle when the time comes).

Am about 2/3 of the way through Books do furnish a room, the 10th volume of Dance to the Music of Time I'm enjoying it, but not quite as much as the volumes written about WWII. Have been following the discussion about re-reading and am trying to decide whether I will re-read the Dance at any point. Haven't decided.

Well into Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens. What a brilliant man. Whether you agree or disagree with his opinions, his logic and persuasive voice are wonderful.

I'm still plugging away with a Dance With Dragons and probably will be for awhile. Thankfully, Martin is a strong storyteller and he envelopes you in his world.

#48 msf59...I'm reading A Dance with Dragons also...have you watched any of the HBO series? I haven't; I'm very resistant to the idea of having their images in my head instead of my own. But I've heard it's excellent, and I'd really like to see the actor who plays Tyrion.

Mollygrace you are so right. It was a very cruel question. My apologies. Still, your description of Lonesome Dove deserves it's own place on the shelf. Have you had it bound?

Abealy #47 I must confess. I've been in and out of arguably but went straight to Hitchens essay on oral sex. That man is so damn funny. I hope that I can die with the dignity and amazing strength he is displaying. So glad he has given us this mammoth book. I've decided I need to give this back to the library and get an electronic copy. It is so awkward to handle. Although, the hardback is also comforting, knowing that he is leaving. I think I need both, don't you agree?

#49, AlaMich, the Tyrion in the TV series is great, and so are most other actors. I am not sad that their images are in my head now when I will start A Dance with Dragons soon. I want to share this link: Where everybody is before A Dance with Dragons begins. For those of you who read the other four parts a long time ago, and for those who forget those details (like me)....

Mollygrace - so ive come up with two of my ten:

Fire Monks and The Daily Coyote

I wanted to put them on my profile but found no fav books place just fav authors. They aren't necessarily by my fav authors. Am I missing it or is there really no place on profile for favorite books?

AlaMich- I am still less than halfway through ADWD. Hope to make a better dent this week. Yes, I saw the HBO show and was very impressed. Funny, I still picture the characters in my mind, the way I originally did. That's interesting, right?
Peter Dinklage played Tyrion, much better looking than the one written but he is a fine actor and does a perfect job, which recently won him an Emmy.

DivineNanny- Thanks for the link, much appreciated.

I finished the ebook You're as Stupid as You are Fat; How to Talk to Women and loved it! I Very much enjoyed the ending and look forward to more humorous work from Zach Behr.
Now I've started A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin. So far, so good except I feel like I need to reread all the previous novels to refresh my memory of what has happened previously. So much going on.

#50 MK...If you haven't yet read them I highly recommend The Trial of Henry Kissinger and The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice — both are brilliant and fit nicely in a pocket!

Thanks abealy. I have read and reviewed The Missionary Position and it made my head explode. I'll check out the other one.

Finished Snowman by Jo Nesbo this weekend. This is not his best book (I still think Redbreast holds that honor) but it was gripping. I almost put it down after the first 70 pages because it was so gruesome, but it settled down and so did I. However, he reused a plot line from a previous book and that made the ending no mystery. The reuse of a major plot from a previous book was a glaring mistake, but the even so the book was very readable and as I said before gripping. I couldn't put it down and my housework and social life suffered because of it this weekend.

While watching Masterpiece Mystery last night I found out that that next week the mystery is one of the Jackson Brodie books by Kate Atkinson. Since I was looking for a good book I pulled out Case Histories from the huge TBR pile and will hope that I finish it before next week and the advent of the new mystery series. Like some one earlier I like to have my own pictures and other details firmly in my head before I see something on the screen. That is not to say that I don't like the way some of the actors interpret the characters because most often I do. It is more a matter of I want my own spin on the book, storyline, and characters. I don't want another persons vision of that character.

I'm pretty sure I won't be reading any of the Game of Thrones series, but I do enjoy the HBO series. Peter Dinklage who plays Tyrion is excellent beyond measure, and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen pretty much steals any scene she's in. If you need to start a new human race I think you could do a fine job with her and Jason Momoa as the new Adam and Eve. We would be a race of beautiful, clever people.

#51 divinenanny...Thanks for the link!! Man, I wish I'd had that when I started the book! I've been using a variety of other websites that have chapter summaries and whatnot, but yours is a nice, concise summarization. I've had a bit of a struggle remembering what was going on from A Storm of Swords. I would love to know how GRRM keeps it all straight.

#53 msf59...Yes, I've heard the actor who plays Tyrion is very good, and he also lucked into a great, complex character. I will probably eventually break down and watch Game of Thrones on DVD, just out of curiosity.

#54 ronlahr...I find myself wishing at times that I had reread all of the books prior to ADWD, but I would then be 100 years old before I actually got to it (but on the plus side, he would probably have published the last two books by then :-)

#59 - great points. I had missed the link above about the status update. I'll be checking that out, for sure. My wife and I love the HBO series and it inspired her to read all the books in order. I'm sure she'll love the link, too, because she keeps asking me questions about all of the previous books that I can't remember the correct answers to. In fact, a couple of times I was certain about the answers and was proven wrong. Memories, such a funny thing.

I'm about half-way into The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman. I've loved his essays for years and this is the first of his novels I've read.

I just finished The Woman in White what an excellent book with a perfect ending. My favorite charater comes to the fore. That Wilkie Collins knew a thing or two about writing, didn't he?
Now, since it's October, I'm on to The Graveyard Book.

Having finished The Finkler Question, a book good enough to admit to, I have started Dreaming in Chinese. For a book as much about language as Dreaming in Chinese is, it may be a little weak on the subject.

Robert

I was about to start The Hours but decided to read Mrs. Dalloway first, based on the recommendation of one of our members who suggested I would enjoy The Hours more if I read Mrs. Dalloway first. Good advice is just one of the things I love about Librarything!

41 richardderus

Glad I'm not the only one!

My latest is The Secret River by Kate Grenville, I am just loving it.

Right now I'm about 1/3 of the way through John Ross's El Monstruo. So far, this is a very good read.

Just starting How We Are Hungry by David Eggers.... and well Scott Pilgrim

Beginning Defending Jacob by William Landay, a crime mystery novel written by a former public prosecutor and lawyer, an ARC paperback.

I'm reading Zone One by Colson Whitehead, the fewest zombies I've ever seen in a zombie novel. I'm also listening to The Orchard by Theresa Weir.

Backtracking to the conversation about re-reading old faves....I've had this ongoing conversation with my son about when I get old-timer's disease and have to be in a home. I told him I'll need him to bring me books all the time and that shouldn't be a problem because I have such a large library. He says not. He'll just keep 5 books for me and bring them one at a time. Says by the time I finish the last one, I won't remember reading the first one so it'll be all new again! LOL

Hurricane Story is an inventive memoir of surviving Katrina, illustrated with photos of dolls. Very unusual. LT member Richard's recommendation is what got me to read it, and I'm glad I did.

I also finished Blankets by Craig Thompson, a fixture near the top of "Best Graphic Novels" lists, and it lived up to its acclaim.

The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers, one of the earliest spy novels, is turning into quite a good yarn.

Yesterday finished Blindsided by Jim Cole about his being attacked twice by grizzlies. It was just ok. Skipped the last chapter. Lots of repetition and excerpts from other books. I recommend anything by Doug Peacock instead if you like reading about bears.

Last night started Blowing Zen by Ray Brooks about his experience with Zen and Zen flute music.

#52 mkboylan: YYou could use the 'Favorites' category of your library, but other than that I have not yet found a 'Fav-books-function' :(

finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets yesterday. Enjoyed it very much again! :D

>52 mkboylan: mkboylan I created a Favorites tag in mine, as another way of doing it.

Paperbackpirate, you aren't alone! I feel equally alone when I hear people discussing Brave New World and think, "Sounds good to me...where's the SOMA dealership around here?"

Thanks for the suggestions 75 and 76. I made a collection called Desert Island 10! So far I have only put five titles in. There must be a dozen threads on thismtopic to, right?nif I hunted around some more so I can see others favorites.

Re all my typos and abbreviations - still struggling with iPAD touch keyboard.

Having finished the useless Dreaming in Chinese too early to go to sleep last night, I picked up and got a little bit of a start on The Pattern of the Chinese Past by Mark Elvin, a social and economic history of China which, the author says, seeks to explain how such a large country could go on coherently all these years.

Robert

>80 Mr.Durick: Mr.Durick Dreaming in Chinese looks interesting. How did you like it?

I too have a favorites tag for my books.

I finished listening to Inkspell by Cornelia Funke. I started this when we were doing the September Series and Sequels and listen to it only in the car. It was a good book. I was read by Brendan Frazer and he does a very good job with it. I was so involved with the listening that I went to the library and checked out a hard copy of the book. I was astounded to see that there were quotes at the beginning of each chapter of the book along with a medieval style illustration. These were really well done. I am amazed by Funke's ability to put such adult themes in a young adult book. I am also amazed by her use of quotes from so many different books, authors, poems, and other sources. The woman must spend as much time reading as she does writing. She quoted everybody from Shakespeare to Clive Barker! They added to the quality of the book. I also liked the very small but very detailed illustrations. They were sort of a preview window into what was to come in that chapter.

I will start listening to Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz on the way home. This will be a complete change of pace from my usual recorded book, but I have wanted to read this book for a long time. I read Wordy Shipmates earlier and thought this might be a nice compliment to that book. I just never got around to reading them together. Time to listen to this one.

I'm about half way through The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. An unusual premise and a very entertaining read. Recommended.

Joe, 81, I was sorry I had wasted my time, a day, on Dreaming in Chinese although I got the tiniest bit out of it. I got it and opened it to read because it looked interesting to me too; that was wrong. I said as much in a few more sentences here.

Robert

Hah! Thanks, Robert. I enjoyed the longer commentary. I'll steer clear of this one!

Well I'll tell you what I'm reading now. Did you see that Occupy Wall Street has a real library at their occupation site? And - they have it here on librarything! I'd love to see them talk here about what they're reading while occupying.

>86 mkboylan: mkboylan
Where do I find the OWS library? I'd love to look at it.

71 masterplanner
Thanks for the tip. I may check it out!

77 richardderus
My friend told a group of us he is taking Soma for back pain, but I was the only one who laughed. It's really called that! Clever marketing? Overt takeover?

Www.librarything.com/profile/OWSlibrary

Enaid

The link: http://www.librarything.com/profile/OWSLibrary

Robert

Umberto Eco's Baudolino. He always sends me to the dictionary! Nomothete, for starters.

just finished farewell to prague and am scanning my library in, and am finding so many books i want to read again! Or "gee, didn't know I had that one...sounds interesting!"

#85 jnwelch I read Dreaming in Chinese as a memoir that uses the Chinese language as a means to organize observations about Chinese culture, and found it of some interest. I learned a number of things. It's light reading but I was not as disappointed as Mr. Durick.

>89 mkboylan: mkboylan
>90 Mr.Durick: Mr. Durick
Thank you!

I finished and really liked The Sisters Brothers, and will now start on A Dance with Dragons. It is so large I had to change the bag I take to work, it didn't fit in my regular one....

Started what I think must be the longest audiobook I've ever tackled, Ken Follett's World Without End which clocks in at a whopping 45 hours and 33 minutes.

Coming towards the end of Peter Carey's Parrot and Olivier in America and, although I'm feeling ever less inspired to, having got as far as I have I should probably try to finish Nicole Krauss's Great House.

I've finished my latest installment of the Vampire Diaries and am about to start reading Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro, a book that has been propping up my Mount TBR for about 3 years. I hope it doesn't disappoint after all this time!

Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva

Divinenanny- I loved The Sisters Brothers as well. And I just crossed the halfway point in a Dance With Dragons and yes, it is a wrist buster.

>93 snash: @snash Thanks for letting me know. I'm one of those that would need more to read that kind of book.

I have, in advance of tomorrow's book circle, reviewed Graham Greene's pre-WWII English thriller Brighton Rock in my thread...post #66.

#101 richardderus

You make me want to read this book. Excellent review. Now I can add another one to my TBR list.

I finished reading Stettin Station by David Downing. I really like this series. This particular book ratchets up the tension in the series a whole lot. John Russell, the hero, of the story is living in Berlin in the early fall of 1941 where life has been good. Or as good as it can be under the Nazi's. At the beginning of the book the German war machine is rolling merrily along. By the end of the book Rostov has been conquered and then lost to the Soviet army, the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, and the Gestapo is after Russell and his girlfriend who are forced to flee the city and Germany. Life is not good and suddenly very precious. The interesting thing in this book is the development of Effi as a competent strong willed person who can be depended on in a crises. She is able to rescue John and make some very tough decisions while doing so.

It is hard to write spy novels when the reader knows the outcomes and yet maintain the tension and that edge of your chair feeling while reading. Downing manages to do that and bring the reader into life in Berlin at the beginning of the war. I hesitate to call him an atmospheric writer but he can take the reader to the railroad stations, the restaurants, and the walks along the river Spree throughout the book without making it the city and the life seem dreamlike and unrealistic. No rose colored glasses for him or the reader, but it is easy to see pre-war Berlin in these books.

In the past I have not taken much time to look at the numbers that LT generates regarding readers and numbers of people who have titles in their collections, but I took the time to look at this one. I am surprised that these books don't have a higher number of readers here on LT. I think that they are better than the numbers would indicate, so if you like mysteries and spy novels give these a try. We LT'ers need to get the word out about these books and start tooting Downing's horn. Just as we have for Nesbo and others.

Finished The White Lioness and started The Man Who Smiled, both by Henning Mankell.

I finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern yesterday - this was truly an excellent book! I kept recommending it at work today.

I started Elizabeth and Her German Garden today - I read The Enchanted April awhile ago and have meant to read this one for over a year, so now I'm finally getting to it.

I'm also listening to Al Capone Does My Shirts, historical fiction set on Alcatraz that I expected to be a humorous, fairly light read. Though at times funny, it's a story about a boy growing up with a sister who can't really interact with others, but can name the day of the week someone was born (it's never named, but I'm fairly positive she has autism). I'm on the last CD, and expect I'll finish it on my way to work tomorrow.

Finished Blowing Zen by Ray Brooks so now of course I want to order the CD. I enjoyed his memoir about living in Japan and studying flute as meditation.

Now I'm on to Sand Queen by Helen Benedict whose previous non-fiction The Lonely Soldier: the Private War of Women Serving in Iraq I used as a text in one of my classes. I didn't know she had published a novel until it was recommended here so thanks once more LTers!

>102 benitastrnad: *blush* Thank you for the compliment, Benita!

I finished that lovely little gem The Graveyard Book and plan to give it to my grandson Thursday. I hope he'll like it even a little bit as much as I did. Now on to my second book by Myla Goldberg, Wickett's Remedy.

Finished an ARC of Defending Jacob by William Landay which I enjoyed - a legal-crime-mystery written by a former District Attorney.

Just starting Ernie Pyle's War by James Tobin for a library book discussion group.

>102 benitastrnad: Benita: That book sounds very interesting. You say it's a series, from what you say I can tell it's not the first one though. Have you read the others? I think I really might like them

Another addition to the fast-growing list of what I'm reading right this minute is A Victorian Household - absolutely fascinating.

#107 citizenjoyce...I agree with you, The Graveyard Book is terrific. I don't know if you (or your grandson) like audiobooks, but the audio version of it is excellent. Neil Gaiman reads it himself (as he does with all his books, I think) and he's so good!! Just a suggestion :-)

I finished The Journey Home by Olaf Olafsson yesterday. It was lovely. Now reading The Witness of Combines by Kent Meyers, and I have The Castle of Otronto by Horace Walpole waiting for me at the library.

Only two CDs left before I finish I Am the Messenger on audio by Markus Zusak, and we're still loving The Graveyard Book aloud -- read by me, not Mr. Gaiman, though :)

I am almost finished reading two entirely different mysteries, The Troubled Man by Henning Mankel, the last Kurt Wallander novel and a new ER mystery The Killer is Dying by James Sallis. Then I was interrupted wonderfully by receiving another ER book, Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie. He is the author of some of my favorite Russian biographies including Peter The Great and Nicholas and Alexandra. I have been hooked on Russian history since taking a four semester course on the subject in college more than a few years ago. And, although I have read extensively about Catherine The Great I am surprised to learn so many new and vital facts. All three books will be reviewed by me ASAP.

I am reading my first Umberto Eco novel - Foucault's Pendulum. I am, by inclination, education and profession, a philosopher, and I am finding Eco's work most entertaining. Eco is a professor of Semiotics, which is closely related to the philosophy of language (indeed, one of Eco's non-fiction works is Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language). It is refreshing to read substantive fiction by someone well schooled in philosophy, and speaks the real language of academia, which is informal, irreverent and humorous. I must admit, however, that the first part of the book was rather daunting.

Started the month off by reading The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern , who, if she's for real, is someone whose future work I will look forward to.

Three Maids for a Crown by Ella March Chase

These are the books I have read this past week:

The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff

I am currently reading Defending Jacob by William Landay

and

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I don't know if I will finish either one this week.

Glad you like The Night Circus I just picked it up, put down and picked it back up on Tuesday. :)

104bell7
Yesterday, 9:12pm I finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern yesterday - this was truly an excellent book! I kept recommending it at work today.

#107 citizenjoyce - I didn't like Wickett's Remedy as much as Bee Season. It was OK but nothing to scream about.

#109 Tullah_Rose - The John Russell series is now four books long. The first is Zoo Station. You don't have to read them in order, but if you do you can see the growth and development of each character in the story. For instance, in the previous books Effi was just this gorgeous babe, but in this story she really comes on as a solid dependable person. There is lots in these books about ordinary German life in Berlin while the war is getting ready to happen, and how ordinary people made a stand in their own little way. Sometimes these decisions cost people their lives. Russell is a former member of the communist party so I can see that the author is setting Russell up for the post war world as well. This helps also to explain the rise of the communist party in Eastern Europe. I think these books are very much like Alan Furst's books. In fact this last book Stettin Station reminded me very much of Furst's Spies of the Balkans. Both of these authors make it very clear that their stories really don't have happy endings. They end with lots of people dieing in very harsh conditions because they were principled. I really want both John and Effi to make it through the war, but don't think that is likely. I will start reading the fourth book Potsdam Station this weekend.

I finished The Son of Neptune last night. It was very good. Of course now I'm just bummed I have to wait a year for the next book in the series.

About to start Darth Paper Strikes Back!

I am currently reading Orange Code... I think that's what it's called.... LOL

I'm glad to see all this LT buzz on The Night Circus. If anyone is interested, we are doing a Group Read on November 15th. Plenty of time to locate a copy.

>117 sebago: I hope you enjoy it now that you've picked it back up. :)

>121 msf59: I'm seriously considering rereading it on audio to join in with the Group Read (it's read by Jim Dale, and one of my co-workers highly recommended it as well).

>119 weejane: - I usually avoid YA, but oh, I'm so tempted, that title is so cute!

Am just getting back into the reading groove (series of disappointing/dry/post-modern reads end in an almost bookless summer - which never happens!), just finished up Cooking for Gracie, which was preceded by The Holy Man and Money, a Memoir. All good, though none really awesome.

Next up, Buddha or Bust, as well as Pao: something of a risk from the library, but couldn't pass up the story of a gentle, Sun-Tzu quoting mafia don in Kingston, Jamaica's Chinatown. Fingers crossed!

>62 Citizenjoyce: Oh, Joyce ~ The Graveyard Book! What a good idea! I think I'll re-listen to it for my Halloween fling. And maybe Neverwhere to top it off. Both of them on audio, read by the author, were splendid! Woman in White is also a great October (or anytime) read, though I don't feel the least bit like reading it right now.

>86 mkboylan: How cool is that! I wonder if Occupy L.A. has a library too. If not, perhaps I should suggest it and donate a few books to get it started. *scurries off to look through books on my bookshelves for approporiate titles*

I am reading Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross, a very dark novel on marriage and male/female relationships. I am also reading The Chrysalids and the graphic novel Janes In Love

I just finished Biographie de la faim or The life of hunger by Amelie Nothomb. I think she is a fascinating writer and person. I love the way she perceives her milieu.

I am about to start reading Mantissa by John Fowles.

125 great! And don't forget to throw in some inappropriate titles too!

I decided to inaugurate my new Kindle with Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood, and I'm really enjoying it.

And I have to put in (another) plug for The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, which I finished on the plane over the weekend. I loved it!

I finished Water for Elephants a couple of nights ago and found it very engaging. Loved the ending! Now reading my ER book You by Joanna Briscoe, (which touchstone never seems to work for me).

#129 - OOh, I read an excerpt of the The Art of Fielding in Sports Illustrated. It's on my list to get for my kindle.

I'm reading two books---The Prize by Daniel Yergin and The Good Son by Michael Gruber. Both are excellent books.

I decided I needed something historical, but not exactly history, so I started reading The Black Tulip. Dumas had a habit of, um, adjusting history to suit the needs of the story. That said, at least the adjustments aren't passed off as anything else. I might add that many authors have gotten their history a little not quite right at some point. And at least some of the major publisher's series* usually come with notes -- usually endnotes -- giving a little historical background, including an explanation of where the author has adjusted things.



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* Oxford World's Classics, Penguin Classics and Modern Library Classics all generally provide decent endnotes, though for some editions of some works, those notes may be a little sparser than others.

#132 I read Yergin's The Prize several years ago and thought it very informative. I should take a look at the updated version and find out what new things he has to say about oil.

I am about to finish reading Case Histories just in time to watch the made for TV version on Masterpiece Mysteries on Sunday night. Very good book. What started out as a gentle cozy mystery has turned out to have teeth! Next up will be the second in that series One Good Turn.

Just finished Before I go To sleep by S J Watson. Exhausting to read; made me feel disconnected to reality. Despite a weak ending I quite enjoyed it. Does this make me a masochist?

For those who love Kate Atkinson do read Behind The Scenes At The Museum-my fav.

Anyone read Sue Gee?

#127 I am about to start reading Mantissa by John Fowles.

Good luck with that hemlokgang! I adore Fowles's work but that one and Daniel Martin both left me wondering if my brain had dropped out somewhere between the pages.

#134 Anyone read Sue Gee?. Yes, a few.

SOMA is lost to history. It attained widespread popularity (and abuse) in ancient India and then, for unknown reasons, fell into disuse. So far as we know, nobody ever wrote down what it was or where it came from or precisely what were its effects. So we can't ever duplicate it. Barring a major archaeological discovery, SOMA is gone forever.

>137 dekesolomon: Much like manna, then.

jpporter -- Foucault's Pendulum is one of those mighty good books that has caused a lot of casualties. There are all kinds of crank occultists who get lost in that thing thinking it's going to lead them (or lend them clues) to a heightened state of awareness (delusion), and I believe it does in a way. I read it twice. I think of it as a sneaky subsidy for psychoanalysts everywhere -- and a whale of a lot of fun.

dekesolomon - I sort of got the idea Eco was having fun with this book. I almost crashed during the first part, thinking it was more of the same mumbo-jumbo occultist stuff, but as some of the "in" jokes in philosophy started coming through, as well as his hilarious attacks on logic, I realized he had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, and has written an excellent book - without biting his tongue off in the process.

Like you, the craziness and the jokes are what I picked up on. See my review.