What You're Reading the Week of 1 September 2007

Still no computer - but a lot of reading got done. I finished off Art of Murder by Jose Carlos Somoza, bizarre enough not to have me look for more; Vikram Chandra's Sacred Games which I enjoyed much more (though I didn't think it was as good as Shantaram); Strategy Safari by Henry Mintzberg and friends, this was far and away the best strategy book I had read until I followed it up with Strategy Bites Back by the same authors (and a few others), this covered similar ground with a lighter touch and is highly recommended; and I also finished Betty Edwards' Color: a course in the art of mixing colors - though as I've only read it and not completed any of the practical exercises it's a bit of a cheat.

And somewhere in there I also found time to read the lates Lee Child - Bad luck and trouble : a Jack Reacher novel, great; Tell No One, a great page turner by Harlan Coben that took a good chunk of last night' and Action Selling by Duane Sparks a short but well-told and pointed book on selling skills.

And now I'm struggling with The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly, if it weren't for the good reviews here I'd have dumped it by now. The dialogue is appalling, the book opens in the East End of London circa 1800 with families of Cockney and Irish extraction both of whom speak classic middle-class English bar that the Cockney's drop every leading 'h', and the Irish the 'h' from every leading 'th' -like t'ought, t'ird, and t'rough. However, the closest that I've come to breaking point is when this big dock labourer came home in the evening and took off his suspenders (which I think in that context means his garter-belt).

I'm reading Sleeping Over, by Stacey Ballis, and after that I have both Linda Fairstein's Bad Blood and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson lined up.

I am currently reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, which is simply delightful. Wonderful characters and interesting tales throughout - why haven't I read this book before now? =)

Well I am trying to wade through The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco. This is as good as I thought it would be.

God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens

>3 mrstreme: mrstreme, I haven't read it yet either but every time I see it in the store I almost give in to temptation. Now that I see you're enjoying it, I will very likely cave.

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

I'm still reading The Attack but hope to finish it over the three day weekend so I can start something new. I wanted to get a book from the library today, but was too busy helping my students pick out their own books. It was fun to see them leaving with piles of books to read. Sharing the joy of reading is the best.

Wanted to share my book review blog: Bunag's Books

Enjoy!

I am still reading Knit One Kill Two by Maggie Sefton. I am wanting to finish it so I can start something else..I have a huge pile of TBR books just waiting for me...

As of 0000H GMT of Sep.01, 2007, I have completed 33% of the book The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

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I have just finished reading We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Later today I will start On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. If I finish that before the week is up I will start Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I loved loved loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- so much more than I expected. And I finished it on the plane on my way to a long weekend in Savannah (an amazing city!) However, I went to a booksigning by John Berendt for his new book City of Falling Angels and I just was not impressed by him at all. Same for the new book. Enjoy "Midnight" :-)

bettyjo -- what do you think of Jesus Land? I finished it a few weeks ago and would love to hear someone else's opinion on it....

tls1215 - I totally agree with you. I loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and thought John Berendt tried too hard with City of Falling Angels. It fell flat for me.

I just finished Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, and it will be on my list of best novels of 2007. It was a magical story of two sisters, claiming their family history and magic. If you like Alice Hoffman, you should like this story. The language is beautiful.

#6 - lindsacl - PaperBackSwap! =) I'll let you know when I post it, if you're interested.
#12 tls1215 and #14 LenaHolstine - Thanks for the advice on his latest book. I saw similar reviews here and on Amazon. I will probably end on a "high note" for Berendt and stop at Midnight....

I also loved Garden Spells. Simply enchanting. I am reading The Jane Austen Book Club and have a new biography Hack waiting in the wings.

>15 mrstreme:: mrstreme, Oh yeah, great idea!!

Still reading:
The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

Just started:
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - this one's a re-read for me: I'm reading it aloud with my husband who's never read it before, and it's great fun to revisit Adams' universe.

tis1215..will let you know..so far even though I am only on page 66.. I am eager to read it...wierd parents huh?

Still working on The Ode Less Travelled but I believe I'll start Benjamin Franklin An American Life by Walter Issacson next. It is the last book on my summer reading list.

Just finished Brave New Girl by Louisa Luna and will start Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnik today.

This week I finished The World to Come by Dara Horn. Wonderful book!
I also read The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman. A mystery that was interesting because Hillerman works in history and native legends.
Have just started The Sweeping Buddha The Story of Afghanistan through the Eyes of One Family by Hamida Ghafour

I'm currently reading : "Red Carpets and other banana skins' by Rupert Everett

I just finished The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. Touching, but so sad. Before that I read Through the Eyes of a Raptor by Julie Hahnke. That was nothing short of brilliant. And before that The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. A great story for older elementary/middle grades, with amazing art work.

Currently reading The Notorious Mrs. Winston by Mary Mackey

#11 kiwiflowa, you will whirl right through On Chesil Beach. It took me only a few hours over the course of a few days while vacationing in London. I plan to reread it in one sitting.

I am about to start The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cesair-Thompson, which I am reviewing for Book Browse. I'll also be starting a new audiobook, most likely A Thousand Splendid Suns. Plus for my classes, I'll be rereading Titus Andronicus and The Taming of the Shrew.

Am in the middle of Grave Peril, the 3d in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.

I just started World War Z last night and am really enjoying it so far! I'm also still in the middle of The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman but needed a bit of a break from the series (hence World War Z).

Have just started Haunted Ground by Erin Harat and about a third of the way through Girl from the South by Joanna Trollope. Both are keeping my interest. I've read others by J. Trollope and have always savored the characters. On deck is Alexander McCall Smith's The Right Attitude to Rain.

>24 Hiharin: Hiharin - I just started Beautiful Things -- I've been looking forward to it for quite awhile. I put aside Tipperary to start it, since it's due soon at the library. I'm not totally engrossed in Tipperary yet, hope to get more interested in it when I return to it. I'm also doing some light reading - A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - mostly humorous account of his hike on the Appalachian Trail, very fun read.

Just started A Storm of Swords and I'm still finishing up a few other books from last month.

I just finished Middlesex and am starting The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Also reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

Well I gave up on the other book I was reading and started reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. I've read really good reviews on it.

I just finished The Warrior Heir and I really enjoyed it, I'm thinking about picking up The Wizard Heir.

Started Blood Price by Tanya Huff today.

Sept 1

Man Made: A Memoir

I'm about a quarter of the way through Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

And I'm still having the same trouble with the author's touchstone that I had this morning. I know I've been quiet lately: did I miss a bug in the interim?

Well I finished Knit One Kill Two and have started Independent People by Halldor Laxness.

I should finally finish Earth, An Intimate History sometime this week. I've had a long time to decided what to read next, but instead of deciding, I've piled up possible titles. I've got the following in mind, most are from the library. Any suggestions?

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
The Shadow Man by Mary Gordon
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stengner
Four Souls by Louise Erdrich
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
A Sporting Chance by Daniel P. Mannix

I absolutely loved both Angle of Repose and Four Souls. You can't go wrong with either. I've heard rotten things about Running with Scissors.

September 2-

The Right Stuff
Out of the shadows: Understanding sexual addiction
The Fabric of Reality: The Science of Parallel Universes and Its Implications
Peer Instruction for Astronomy

The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

I am almost finished with Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde. There's something about this series that I can't get enough of!

I'm also reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon, which I am less enthralled with. I will keep reading it, though, and hope I finish it before it needs to be returned to the library! :)

I've also recently checked out A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon -- have any of you read this yet?

I read catcher in the rye which really did not blow me away - I didn't really get what all the fuss was about. I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions of it.
Now I'm halfway through the memory keeper's daughter which is really good.

>38 AnnaClaire:: AnnaClaire, I can't get Weir to come up in a touchstone either; it shows up in red on the right-hand side of the message box. I am not having that problem with other authors. Strange.

I'm still reading Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig and I'll be following that with Another Time and Place by Samantha Grosser (I just won an autographed copy, so I'm dying to get into it!). After that, i think I'll be moving onto Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte which will keep me occupied for some time, I'm sure.

I'll also be starting an audio book version of In the Blood* by Andrew Motion as it''s the September choice for The Posh Club.

* No touchstone for this one. :(

I'm reading The Alienist. It is not grabbing my attention like I expected it too.

dchaikin--Angle of Repose is one of my favorite books of all time. I haven't read any of the others on your list.

#40, dchaikin--I have never been disappointed with Wallace Stegner. Running with Scissors, on the other hand, was one of the worst books I read last year.

#49, strandbooks--it's been years since I read it, but I didn't like The Alienist. I read it because everyone in my family raved about it and insisted I should read it.

#40 dchaikin
I vote for Suite Francaise. The background to the writing is very interesting - make sure you read the appendices.
Some Librarythingers have enjoyed Snow and I am a fan of Orhan Pamuk. I had trouble getting into that particular one.

I, too, really hated Running with Scissors. I almost feel bad for having such a strong negative reaction because it's some poor dude's memoir, but sorry Augusten, you annoy the crap outta me.

>40 dchaikin: When all else fails, go with the author first in alphabetical order.

I'm slowly reading Little, Big. It's not a huge page turner, but I like the writing.

I'm adding books to my TBR from Book Crush by Pearl.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is on deck. I've never read it.

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb. It's excellent so far; I was up late last night and early this morning, reading it.

I finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and it was as good as everyone told me. Now, I will read Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. I feel like the last person on earth who hasn't read this story or seen the movie!

#38 AnnaClaire, I've found that sometimes Weir is touchstoned on LT as "Alison" and sometimes as "Allison." That may be your problem.

#55 When you read Breakfast at Tiffany's, then I will be the last person on earth who hasn't read the book or seen the movie! :D

I started The Hooded Hawke by Karen Harper, a Queen Elizabeth I mystery, immediately after finishing The Queene's Christmas, by the same author. This series is just excellent, both from a mystery and a historical perspective. Plus I love seeing the characters change and grow.

#24, Hiharin, and #31, teelgee, I definitely enjoyed The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears.

I have been dipping into The Cloudspotters Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. The information is interesting but I find the tone so annoying I can't read a lot at a time.

And I've started Sunflower by Hungarian writer Gyula Krudy, which I picked up because it's in the wonderful New York Review Books series. It's a little strange, but interesting.

Thanks for the feedback 41 & 49-52. (thatbooksmell, you made me laugh). I'm going with Angle of Repose.

I finished The Attack and have moved on to Eldest. It's a thick book, but I'm hoping it goes by quickly. I liked Eragon but wasn't ready to jump into another one after I read it. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

#46 (sunnycat) -- The Catcher in the Rye didn't blow me away either. I found Holden pretty annoying actually.

I just finished up Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom for my English class. It was very moving.

I think I'll finish up Seven Japanese Tales by Junichiro Tanizaki over this Labor Day weekend.

45: I liked, not loved, A Spot of Bother

I'm still reading The Children's Hospital.

I'm reading Faint Praise:The Plight of Book Reviewing in America by Gail Pool. This should be required reading on LibraryThing. Very clear explanations of the book review process.

Having just finished the wonderful Angelica by Arthur Phillips, I found myself at a loss as to where to go, so I picked up H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau since it is short and seems like an easy read.

Finishing off the Harry Potter series (The Order of The Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows) - I haven't read book 7 yet... and I've managed to stay away from any major spoilers so far, too
not sure what after that - i think I'll have to go and browse the local library...

I finished The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood -- short and uninspiring.

#38 -- Anna -- I, too, am reading The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. I love historical fiction, so I thought I'd try an actual history. But, alas, it reads too much like a textbook for me. I plan to keep going though. But I will continue to stick to fiction.

(My touchstones aren't working for anything either)

I finished Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox.
I am now reading The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer

45:calvarez: Regarding A Spot of Bother, I agree with shortride (#62). It's fun, but there really isn't much there to stick. Although it does cover another psychological condition, it's nothing like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Halfway through Saturday by Ian McEwan and finding it fascinating. Next up probably Marti Leimbach's Daniel isn't Talking or The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, or both if I get enough time.

woodbear...let us know about The Notorious Mrs. Winston...I met the author at the book group expo in San Jose last June and forgot to read it.

September 3-

Gorgon: The Monsters That Ruled the Planet Before Dinosaurs and How They Died in the Greatest Catastrophe in Earth's History
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

Just finished Dance Dance Dance, which I found incredibly satisfying. Next on the list is The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett.

Evening Class by Maeve Binchy and The Xenocide Mission (YA sci fi) by Benjamin Jeapes.

Oh dear, The Tea Rose is on my TBR list...

#72: thekeepa >> I loved Dance Dance Dance just as well! It's currently my favorite Haruki Murakami book.

Speaking of whom, I started After the Quake this afternoon for my lunch break reading. I read the first story (UFO in Kushiro) and already I'm hooked by Murakami's haunting tone.

Just finished Not a Creature was Stirring by Jane Haddam, which was very good--I really enjoyed it. Still reading Campaigning with Grant by Horace Porter, which I intend to finish this weekend, and Murder at Union Station by Margaret Truman. I've never read one of Truman's books before. So far, it's pretty good.

lindsacl (47): What you've been getting sounds like what I've been getting. I haven't tried other authors, but the title came up with no trouble at all.

Cariola (56): Alison Weir and Allison Weir both get the same boldface red text in the touchstones sidebar. So I don't think it's the spelling.

Put off rereading Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game for book club in favor of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.

#15 - I actually enjoyed The City of Falling Angels more than Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but I am quite willing to admit that I have a strong bias, as I LOVE Venice. From what I know of the city, both through my own travels and in reading lots of books about or set in Venice, I thought John Berendt did a phenominal job capturing the true essence of Venice: twisted, complicated, a bit languid, amusing, frustrating, beautiful, tragic.

just joined 'librarything' - slowly reading Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha & Flaubert's Herodias - latter reads like it was wriiten in English, though I'm reading a translation!

I just finished Road Kill by Zoe Sharp, and I'm moving on to Second Shot, the latest Charlie Fox thriller by Zoe Sharp. If you like Lee Child's books, you might like the Charlie Fox books. Charlie is a female Jack Reacher, ex-British army and a bodyguard.

Finished The Island of Dr. Moreau - it was ok, but not as good as The Time Machine. Now I'm trying to finish up some of the books that I've gotten stalled on - working to complete one of Ghassan Kanafani's short story collections, Palestine's Children: Returning to Haifa and Other Stories. I read "Returning to Haifa" almost a year ago and loved it, but the other short stories in the collection are not grabbing me as much.

welcome aboard bibliothick!!

I just finished Tales of the City and am starting More Tales of the City. I read several books at a time and I am in the midst of straightening out the edges so to speak: Palm Sunday, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, a Richard Rorty, a Paul Kurtz. I have a small handful of vampire romances to finish, not to mention multi-handfuls TBR. I am reading Beyond Good and Evil and Human, All Too Human. Etc, etc.

Presently reading Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Very good so far.

#69 judylou, I loved Saturday as well. I'm a big McEwan fan, and I really like that his novels are becoming more introspective as he gets older.

I could not get engaged in The Inheritance of Loss and gave up on it about 1/3 of the way in. I'll get back to it someday.

#77 Haven't read Ender's Game, so I can't comment, but The Unbearable Lightness of Being is wonderful. Be sure to watch the movie when you've finished it--also wonderful.

While away I finished How I Became a Nun by César Aira which is a clever little novelette that wanders in and out of a child's imaginings (whether delirium-based, fear-based, fantasy-based) - supposedly the child César, but he thinks himself a girl. It might've been tedious in a full-length novel, but I enjoyed it in short form.

I also finished Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. This is a wonderfully accessible collection of connected essays about what is means for a woman to make history. While a reader who has read much feminist literature might not expect to find much new, but I found her approach intriguing, learned a few new things, and it's a nice refresher.

I also read a couple of short stories from The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates. I wasn't terribly impressed with what I read, but, then again, short fiction collections can be uneven. I should read more in it.

So, this puts me back with So Vast the Prison by Assia Djebar. (sorry, some title touchstones not loading)

Just finished The Notorious Mrs. Winston by Mary Mackey.

Will be starting later today The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy.

Started and finished The Wheel of Darkness by Preston and Child - not as good as some past efforts, but at least we're not in the frigging Museum of Natural History again.

Should finish The Overnight either today or tomorrow depending on how long it takes me to get through this week's de-clutter around the house.

Still working on Seven Types of Ambiguity - it's now my just before sleep read.

Off to continue Killer Instinct on audio since I can do that and de-clutter at the same time. : )

Now that I'm finished with The Alienist I'm moving on to David Copperfield. When I was young I had an abridged kids version of David Copperfield that I loved and read over and over. I'm amazed at how quickly all the characters and plot twists are coming back to me when I'm reading the real one.

I set aside God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens (and was disappointed in his 3 hour BookTV interview). I was in the mood for some fiction so I read Little Children by Tom Perrotta (I can now netflix the movie) and just started The Last Resort by Alison Lurie. I hope to get back to Hitchens tomorrow.

If I could just pull myself away from LibraryThing I would be reading Rumspringa, a book about Amish youth, and the practice of allowing Amish teens to experience the world outside their sect before deciding whether to commit themselves to remain Amish as an adult. I live very near Amish communities in southeastern Pennsylvania and am rather fascinated to learn more about this aspect of their culture.

That is, if I could stop endlessly checking the talk threads ...

Currently reading The Jane Austen Book Club and The Big Question by Chuck Barris. Up next, In the Tenth House by Laura Dietz, anyone read this? Also, how is Jesus Land?

Sept 4-

A Man on the Moon - possibly one of the most boring books I have ever read. I like the space program. I like the Apollo program, but this book was painful for most of its chapters. I could rewrite the entire book and cut the book by at least a third.

Starting on Spanish Lessons by Derek Lambert. Just a little off my norm in reading. I just finished Memnoch the Devil and loved it. Great job!

# 26: Cariola - You were right! I've finished it already, reading it almost almost entirely during my lunch break at work too.

After finishing Eat, Pray, Love today I whipped through Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach. What a great book! Such spare writing yet so incredibly descriptive. It will have to have a re-read as I didn't get the allusion to seat 9C towards the end of the book. However, now I'm into Ironweed by William Kennedy.

Finished Murder at Union Station by Margaret Truman and found it disappointing overall. It started out well, then just sort of fizzled.

Now reading Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell, a real page turner so far. Writing is excellent--great atttention to detail. I'm a big fan of the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, so the description of life in the British army during the same period is a good complement. Makes what life was like life in the Royal Navy look like a picnic.

I'm reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell & have just finished the first story.

I thought they were supposed to have cliff-hanger endings leaving you in suspense, before plunging into the next tale ?
I thought it just ended, hmm.

I finished The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie and really enjoyed it, more so than a lot of her other books - it's a book of short stories on the supernatural, with a couple of murder mysteries throw in, of course. Now I'm reading The Tommyknockers by Stephen King. I'm only about 60 pages in (it's a little over 700 pages total), but I'm very much liking it so far - nothing much has happened yet, but I'm already completely creeped out (and that's a good thing)! I also read a draft of an article for a friend, which is on Cicero's letters (a particular research interest of mine) and it was fantastic.

Having finished The Archaeology of Nostalgia, I'm now reading Crossing the Line.

thioviolight (#74) - It's definitely my favourite Murakami so far. A Wild Sheep Chase isn't too far behind. I was very reluctant to let go of this story.

I'm wading through The Logodaedalian's Dictionary of interesting and unusual words. Even if you think you have a big vocabulary there are new words on every page with quotes from obscure works, that I now have to go out and read.

Finished Manhattan Transfer by John Dos Passos, an excellent novel about New York City in the early 1900s. Now reading The Sea by John Banville - beautiful.

I have also just started The Bloodstone Papers by Glen Duncan, based on a review I read.

amandameale: another thumbs up here for Manhattan Transfer ... Dos Passos really seems to be a forgotten writer today, but I love him.

Looking at the reviews, I think I am one of the few who did not enjoy On Chesil Beach. I guess I expected more--it was rather boring and (I hate to say this) sort of stupid. I really didn't like it at all. Anyone else feel that way?

# 16 Charlotteg & #14 LesaHolstine--glad to heard the rave reviews of Garden Spell I just purchased it last week at Barnes & Noble and now cannot wait to read it.

Just finished Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard and loved it and am reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and am loving that as well.

46--sunnycat: Catcher is one of those books people typically either totally love or totally hate. Either you like Holden or you don't, and I think that plays the biggest part. Some of Salinger's other work is better though. I'd recommend Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters and Seymour, and Introduction (although I wasn't crazy about Seymour).

I'm currently reading The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. It took me a little while to get into, but now I'm enjoying it immensely and will have to eventually get the sequels. I'm not sure how well the book will translate into a movie though (which I recently saw a trailer for). After I finish this, I'm not sure what I'll read. Possibly All Families are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland.

I'm currently reading Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov, Burr by Gore Vidal and The checkbook and the cruise missile by Arundhati Roy/Barsamian, all of which are so far quite engaging.

I've recently finished (as of September 1st) Letter to the Soviet Leaders by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut. "Letter" (written in 1973, published worldwide 1974) is fascinating (and quite possibly the boldest thing Solzhenitsyn wrote outside of the massive, multi-volume Gulag Archipelago), but is now only of use to individuals who are particularly interested in 20th century political history. Player Piano (Vonnegut's first novel) was enjoyable, and, while Vonnegut's voice was certainly present throughout, the first half of the book dragged on a bit. A fan of Vonnegut should make time for it at some point in his or her life, but new readers should start with either Welcome to the Monkey House or Cat's Cradle .

I've just put down The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld which was excellent and haunting. And I polished off in a couple of hours a short book call Blood Kin which was tight, gripping and quite oppressive.

I'm also re-reading Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov and The Pornographer of Vienna by Lewis Crofts just to keep the creative juices flowing.

Next on the list Tod Wodicka and his book All's Well.

oh yeh, and Vonnegut deserves to be taken down off the shelf again.... of course!

Just finished The Animal Farm by George Orwell last night. Today I'm starting Death in the Afternoon by Hemingway. Haven't read anything of his for a while, so hopefully I'll like it.

#103 I loved the sea
#46 I loved Cather in the Rye. For me, at the time of reading this, I loved the alientation and the random thoughts he expresses (where do the ducks go in the winter?) and the feeling that everyone is phony. I totally related to his tone and his emotions and so for me, it was a fitting read. Probably paints a picture of me as an adolescent.

For myself, I finished Disordered minds and found it to be a quick and good read. I will now read Kafka on the shore.

I'm currently reading The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian. It seems interesting so far, especially as I'd like to learn more about homeopathy and have an interest in medicine.

I recently finished two books.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan is a novella about a young couple (both 22) on their wedding night in 1962. They're both virgins and it's an interesting look at the importance of communication in relationships.

Astonishing Splashes of Color by Clare Morrall (shortlisted for the Booker Prize a few years ago) is a well-written but sad story of a young woman who's trying to overcome some tough things in her life and struggling with depression. I love her voice (she tells the story) and her relationships within her family.

I'm about a quarter of the way through both Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra and London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd.

#106 momom248 I wasn't impressed either this is what I wrote in the 50book challenge group:

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

A very short novel (160ish pages) about a young 20-something couple on their honeymoon in England in 1960. Both are virgins and are anxious about the big night ahead.

This was my first Ian McEwan book and I was disappointed. It's saving grace was the length of the book. He told of a very nice couple who had a very nice courtship and each had nice lives planned ahead. It was very bland. I will say that there were some refreshing honest moments that made me smile or even simply pause to admire the honesty. I will not be recommending this book to close family or friends to read.

Reading Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey which is big and thick and satisfying. I've been spacing the books out in this trilogy. Good thing because now I find out Carey has written (is writing?) another trilogy set in the same world. Don't want to OD.

Also listening to The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (which I'm also enjoying) and reading Mary Poppins to my son. I read the latter numerous times as a kid and LOVED it and I'm enjoying it all over again now (which hasn't happened with the Oz books I've read so far to my son. The magic didn't carriy over for me into adult hood which makes me a little sad.)

#116--that's how I felt when reading Wind in the Willows to my children--the magic was still there and somehow even more so because I knew what was coming and relished my kids' reactions when we came to the exciting parts.

I'm reading a really charming book called An Adoration by Nancy Huston. There's only a small number of people on LT who have it in their lists, but I would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a quirky, fluidly written tale.

You Suck by Christopher Moore (Hilarious!) Thia is a sequl to Blood Sucking Fiends which was a great laugh to read.
...and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

I'm reading The Constant Gardener and not enjoying it. It seems a bit contrived.
I loved Neverwhere though (see axolotl01 above me)

#113 Frinda, I responded to your similar post on Book Talk. I read On Chesil Beach in July. Hadn't expected to like it much from the reviews anad descriptions I had read, but I'm a big McEwan fan. I was surprised by how long it stayed with me after I finished. The next book I read after that was Astonishing Splashes of Colour--amazing.

#106 We all have different tastes. From what you wrote, I'd guess you are a reader to whom plot is most important, and you're right that On Chesil Beach doesn't have a very exciting one. But I love McEwan's style and the way he gets inside a character's head. I think his writing gets more introspective with every novel, and I like that.

Have started No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty in anticipation of NaNoWriMo that begins a little less than two months from now. So far, I've read the Introduction and laughed out loud a number of times.

axolotl01: I love Christopher Moore! He is a just a funny, funny guy. I loved A Dirty Job, his tales are a silly Saturday afternoon diversion, in which I just plop down, read and laugh. If you like him, then I would recommend I love you, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle, it is a quick read and also made me laugh out loud. Ahh, juvenile humor....

Gave up on The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy 44 pages in.

Now reading The Burning by Bentley Little

Just starting today Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

119: axolotl01

I remember enjoying Blood Sucking Friends by Christopher Moore back in college, though I actually can't recall the story anymore. I've been seeing You Suck also, but haven't read it yet.

But Neverwhere! I fell madly in love with Neil Gaiman from that book! It kept me awake 'til dawn because I just HAD to finish it!

I've finished Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. It's about a flock of sheep who are intent on solving the mystery surrounding the death of their shepherd.

I'm still reading The Summer Queen by Joan D. Vinge. I manage a couple of chapters a week.

I'm about to start Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Finished The Overnight finally. It was tedious. bah.

Started One Down, Two Across which is an early Rendell. Love it so far. The seeds of discontent and malice have clearly been sown and the countdown is on to see who gets who first. Such great atmosphere. Great stuff.

Oh and also finished Killer Instinct. Amusing. The main character and victim this time was really, really stupid and I kind of wanted him to be taken down simply because he was dumb enough to let himself in for this abuse. It was fun to watch him squirm though I didn't really root for the bad guy. Not much anyway.

I finished reading The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker. I like her Company novels better. Anvil of the World wasn't bad, it just seemed like three seperate stories that were lumped together to make one novel. I guess I like my escapist fair simpler.

Currently reading my text book Greek Art and Archaeology: Fourth Edition by John Griffiths Pedley. I've always found ancient Greek culture to be interesting. But somehow once it's in a textbook, it puts me to sleep.

On the recreational reading front I'll be starting Tanya Huff's Summon the Keeper. I've always found her books to be entertaining, even when I wasn't sure the subject matter would appeal to me.

I finished The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears last night - a pretty good read. Then jumped back in where I left off with Tipperary.

Also started The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson.

ETA: and since I'm returning to work today after almost 3 weeks vacation (sigh), I picked a bus book - The Curve of Time.

I'm reading On Royalty by Jeremy Paxman - an interesting and sometimes affectionate, sometimes critical look at the institution in general.
Also reading Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney - Lit Lite but I need one of those right now!
Dipping in and out of Collapse by Jared Diamond as well.
I loved On Chesil Beach. I like the spareness of his prose - I think it's refreshing to read an author who takes a serious emotional issue without emoting excessively about it.
Finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Kholed Hosseini a couple of days ago - it was good, but I was disappointed somewhat, I thought it would be better.

kiwiflowa & cariola, I guess even though I didn't like On Chesil Beach it did affect me somehow as I am still thinking of it several weeks later. Maybe someday I will try to re-read it and see if I feel any differently.

Cariola, you are right plot is important to me and I do like how McEwan gets into his characters heads, but the book just wasn't my cup of tea. But since there were so many glowing reviews I was wondering what I was missing. I will read other McEwan as I do like some of his writing style.

FINALLY finished American Gods which was disappointing, but decent.

Next one is Darkly Dreaming Dexter, because the show kicks ass. Also, I can't seem to follow my own reading list, and have given up.

#109 I love Vonnegut, but Cat's Cradle may be my least favorite of all his books. I have always, always preferred Breakfast of Champions, which I consider to be his best work, besides of course Slaughterhouse Five. Maybe I'm weird.

Just finished Beach Road by James Patterson. I really enjoyed it and the writing format--short chapters, each one narrated by a character in the book. Heck of a twist at the end.

Can't seem to avoid war these days--still working on Campaigning with Grant, which I hope to finish this week, and started The Civil Wars by Julius Caesar and Hornet Flight by Ken Follett. so far, Caesar wins hands down as the best writer of the three!

I'm reading a book I heard about on NPR, Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon.

Finished Daniel isn't Talking which I enjoyed for the way the author was able to get into the emotions of the characters, but did not enjoy the way everything was neatly tied up in the end.

Just started The Bone People - not sure how I will like it yet.

#133...Dexter! September 30th! My hubby downloaded the first 2 episodes (I don't know if they are "official" episodes...LOL!); have you seen them? We can't wait for the season to begin.

#133 and 137 ~ Yes, and the next Dexter novel (Dexter in the Dark) comes out in September too! Woo-hoo! An embarrassment of riches! lol

I plan on starting The Sorrows of the Young Werther today - it's on my list of 'books-you-should-have-already-read-since-you-work-at-a-liberal-arts-college' books. I've heard a lot about it and I'm excited to get into it (is it weird to be excited about a book about suicide?)

judylou (#136): I read The Bone People a while back and quite enjoyed it ... it was a powerful look at a culture I didn't know anything about.

#139 scaifea--Not if you're into opera! Where would opera be without suicide & murder? :-)

I finished Roots over the long weekend. It wasn't as good as I remembered (it had been a frequent reread of mine in high school), but it was still very compelling. I think the flaw is in the clumsy workings of historical events into the narrative. They're all presented as conversation amongst the main characters--tidbits of news they've picked up on their travels or overheard from the masters' conversations. Still, I think it's an important look at slavery in the U.S. through the eyes of the slaves.

This week, I've been reading One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson, the sequel to her excellent Case Histories. So far, it's not as good as its predecessor, but it's still moving along nicely.

Just started Talk, Talk on audio. Read by the author which is a bit weird. Should finish One Down, Two Across today (Rendell always throws a curve - I didn't expect the story to go the way its going - Excellent!) and plan to start The Woods by Harlan Coben.

Currently reading Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris and Poltergeist by Kat Richardson. I seem to be on a paranormal kick at the moment. Not sure what's next up yet--will see what I'm in the mood for when the time comes.

Cheryl

I gave up on Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling after about 40-50 pages. I could tell it just wasn't going to be my thing and the writing style was going to annoy the h*ll out of me.

I'm reading Misfortune by Wesley Stace and enjoying it, but it's a hardcover so I can't take it on the commute, which is when I do most of my reading. So now I'm also reading Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress which is intriguing thus far.

I just finished reading Little Children by Tom Perrotta and I picked up Patty Janes House of Curl by Lorna Landvik yesterday. So far so good!!

Thanks to cabegley (#142) for posting about One Good Turn by Atkinson. I've enjoyed her other books and have been waiting for a sequel.

I'm almost done with The Law of Similars and won't recommend it. It's okay but not one of Bohjalian's best.

I just this morning finished Austenland by Shannon Hale - it was charming and a must-read for all Mr. Darcy fans. ;)

146 brismom22 - I love Lorna Landvik! I found Patty Jane's really enjoyable.

Finished Sunflower by Gyula Krudy, a strange and haunting novel.

Started both The Bloodstone Papers by Glen Duncan and The Last Chicken in America (couldn't resist the title) by Ellen Litman.

#139 scaifea, every time I teach Frankenstein, I tell myself that I will read The Sorrows of Young Werther (but I haven't yet). It's one of the books that the creature reads when he is driven into hiding; it supposedly teaches him empathy for others.

I'm now reading Parable of the Talents.

Finished Ludmilla's Broken English by DBC Pierre (very disappointing after the utterly original Vernon God Little) and Coma by Alex Garland. Not too bad as it went, I had a little nod of satisfaction at the end anyway! Going to crack on with Why Don't You Stop Talking and must finish Brothers Karamazov before it is due back at the Library!!

Have gotten myself involved in reading 5 books at one time, which is about 3 too many I suppose, but what can you do when you get hooked after just "skimming the first page or two?"

Anyway, am reading about a chapter a day of No Plot? No Problem! and in the evenings before bed Game of Patience by LT author Susanne Alleyn, a murder mystery set in Paris during the time just a few years after the Reign of Terror and which is really good. Also started Stiff, the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, which I am enjoying and finding surprisingly humorous, and another non-fiction book about Myers-Briggs types, the title of which escapes me just now but which is something like What Type Am I? ~ Oh! that must be it! There's a touchstone for it! Anyway, am trying to learn more about the subject for an LT group I just joined called, um, Myers-Briggs? *sigh* (What can I say? it's at the end of a very trying day.)

Edited to change a word that wasn't the right one.

I'm rereading Thud by Terry Pratchett, and listening to the audiobook for A Hat Full of Sky also by Pratchett.

I'm reading The Well of Sacrifice for school, and Myths and Ledgends of Many Lands just to kill time..

#150 Cariola: Hi again (I just posted response to you on another thread!) - I hadn't made the connection between Frankenstein and The Sorrows of the Young Werther, and I'm so glad you've pointed it out for me. It's making my reading of it so much more enjoyable - don't you just love when you finally 'get' a literary allusion and it makes your reading of a text that much more interesting (oh, I'm really letting my (not-so) inner Humanities geek show, aren't I?)?

I finished The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir last night. Good as far as readable non-fiction goes; but my brain needs more filtering and entertainment thus I'll stick with historical fiction.

Just started Half of a Yellow Sun that everyone and their brother on LT was reading a few months ago.

(touchstones aren't working)

frinda (#147)--I finished One Good Turn last night, and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't think it was nearly as good as Case Histories. Case Histories was so tight and the connections were so clear, while I'm still not sure she wrapped everything up in One Good Turn. (That said, apparently there's a 3rd Jackson Brodie book coming out in fall 2008.)

I'm usually anticipating my next read as I finish my first one, but for once I have no idea what I'm going to read next. Maybe I'll start Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

(touchstones not loading)

Finished The Sea by John Banville. Now reading An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg - more story than style and it's a nice change.

>159 amandameale:
I really loved The Sea but also couldn't quite put my finger on why- for example I'd find it hard to outline the plot as such to anyone. I thought it was one of those books you have to instruct others to "just read!"
{touchstone not working}

I'm continuing to read A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth and find it very interesting.

>131 dihiba::dihiba:
agree with your comments about On Chesil Beach and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Great spare prose in the former and my disappointment, too, at the latter. Ian McEwan is a great craftsman. Personally, I thought Hosseini might have been under pressure to write something that addressed female issues to balance his first book.

>158 cabegley:: cabegley, I read One Good Turn earlier this year and was underwhelmed. I had not read Case Histories so had nothing to compare it to. Maybe I should try it sometime.

I read The Tattoo Artist which just blew me away. The spare writing and the imagery were perfect. Just finished The Chess Machine by Robert Lohr - a fictionalized account of the chess-playing "automaton" known as the Turk, created in the late 18th C. and purported to be a thinking machine but really operated by a dwarf from inside. Very good! And finally, still wading through Will in the World about Shakespeare.

I'm still working on The Six Wives of Henry VIII. (And the touchstone for Alison Weir? I can't say whether it's back to normal yet, because the author touchstones are taking their own damn sweet time.)

But I've also started reading The Annotated Pride and Prejudice as at-home reading. I've read Pride and Prejudice before in unannotated form. So between that and the annotations to Jane Austen's text (on the facing page, no less, so I don't have to flip to the back), it's straightforward enough for me to grasp after a day at the office and wrestling dealing with the hoardes of tourists on the way to and from.

...And the author touchstones are still "loading." I'll probably have to come back and "edit" to make them work.

I'm relishing the poetically-charged novel, Maps for lost lovers by Nadeem Aslam.

#166 fictiondreamer, it's hard to say that you "loved" a book that is as shattering as Maps for Lost Lovers, but I did. I can't wait to read Aslam's latest.

#164 rtaketa, the touchstone for Will in the World is wrong, but thanks for the mention anyway -- I'm adding it to my wishlist!

I guess I am going through a memoir period...really liked Jesus Land...kinda stayed with me and I even did quite a bit of googling about the fundalmentalist school in the Dominican Republic. For those fans of Glass Castle, Dry, or Running with Scissors. Since it is the start of football season...started last night It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium.

#70 - Sorry bettyjo, I didn't realize there was a post for me here. I loved the Notorious Mrs. Winston. I'm a big fan of fiction from this era and really enjoyed the book. I would read more by this author if she wrote about the same subject matter (the Civil War) but cover a different topic the next time around. My review is posted at http://360.yahoo.com/woodbear97