August 2010 Reading

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I've been reading Fables (the first three vols). It's wonderful.

I'm also reading the new Laws of Magic book: Moment of Truth. Enjoyment!

I'm slowly reading Lonesome Dove, my first western, and Ardeur, essays on the Anita Blake series.

I'm reading Fire Study , the third in a fantasy trilogy. I thought Poison Study was very good, Magic Study was good, Fire Study is meh.

Next up is Spiritual Doodles and Mental Leapfrogs, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, and Eat, Pray, Love.

I just finished Rubicon which was a good book (I love Tom Holland) but confirmed my dislike for the Roman period (too much testosterone and politics).

I am now reading (and almost finished with) The Red Pyramid, a nice light YA read.

Finished Dracula's Guest today (loved it). I have barely begun Larceny and Old Lace. I have an idea I will read this, but not continue the series. This author is great with a lot of the aspects of writing, but her dialog scenes stink.

OMG it's frigging August. Pretty soon it will snow.

anyway I'm savoring The Shadow of the Wind a very romantic and gothic tale of missing books and a cursed author.

I'm in the middle of Grant by Jean Edward Smith for the UP Presidents Challenge. It's pretty darned good, almost on par with McCullough's John Adams.

I seem to be on an American woman writers bender. My next three books to be read:
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
Pale Horse, Pale Rider
The Optimist's Daughter

dead tree: I am trying my best to get through the last 30 pages of The Journey of Man but I think it could have done with more narrative and less facts and figures crammed into every paragraph.

audio: I finished A Basque History of the World yesterday and started on A Canticle for Leibowitz.

I've just started The Affinity Bridge by George Mann, a mystery set in an alternative Victorian London, complete with airships, automata and zombies. It's very silly but rather good fun.

I finished my reread of Child of the Prophecy. Sadly, it wasn't quite as good as I remembered but it was still a fun read. I'm reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo now and I'm really enjoying it!

I've been reading and rereading lots of YA stuff lately. I started The Shadow Thieves - Anne Ursu today. Almost done. It's a Greek myth twist. It's good.

I finished The House on Oyster Creek yesterday and started Anansi Boys last night.

(Edited to enable a touchstone.)
(Re-edited to try again. GRRR!)

I'm still (or rather - again) reading Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. There seems to be no time for reading at the moment - I think the longest time I've sat down, except when I'm having coffee with different elderly relatives, is 5 minutes...

I'm waiting for Fire by Kristin Cashore and Mockingjay to come in the mail. In the meantime, I've started The Tale of Beatrix Potter since I just watched Miss Potter over the weekend and wanted to know more about her.

On audio I'm listening to The Heretic's Daughter about a family caught in the Salem witch trials.

Just finished Name of the Wind this morning and have read the first few pages of Enchanted, Inc

Finished THE GHOSTS OF CANNAE: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic by Robert L. O'Connell. Excellent read.

I finished Larceny and Old Lace, that will be the first and last book I read of that series. Sigh. Where are the mystery writers I love? Are they really all dead?

I started Odd Hours tonight for some distraction, but this will probably be the last Koontz I read, too. I'm going to have to read a Pratchett or one of my beloved old mystery authors after this, just to remind myself why I love to read.

>15 majkia: I thought Enchanted, Inc. was a lot of fun.

I finished The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones a couple of days ago. It was okay, more YA angst than I wanted and not supernatural as I'd been hoping and what I've come to expect of him.

Now concentrating on my ER A Man in Uniform by Kate Taylor, about the Dreyfus case in early 20 century France. Very good reading so far.

I know what you mean, MrsLee. There are plenty of new mysteries out there, but so few I want to read.

I'm listening to Cold Case and rereading The Titan's Curse.

I just realized it was August...next month- September. Summer= GONE.

Anyways...I really really really need to push through the Pickwick Papers. I have a stack of new books begging to be read and/or give me accusing looks from their perch.

I picked up Out to Pasture, but Not Over the Hill and What Hill?: Notes From the Pasture at a garage sale. They are both by a sweet little old lady (90+) about life in a retirement home. They made me laugh out loud and wipe a tear or two. Each one is easily read in an evening.

Just finished a fictionalised account of the Bible John killings in Glasgow in the 60s, Dancing With Death by Reg McKay, and about to start Savage Moon by Chris Simms

#15 and #18 , I read that book too . Enjoyed it but haven't gotten around to reading the rest of the series yet . Anyway , currently reading Siddhartha . It reminds me of Coelho's The Alchemist . Maybe Coelho was inspired by Hesse .

Finished WAR by Sebastian Junger. Not sure what to say, other than it made me miss guys like Killackey, Elrod, Harvey, Sully, Bunch and others who shared some shitty times together. Maybe I should have waited til some years went by before I read this.

My current reads:
All the Pretty Horses
1001 Arabian Nights
Rousseau's Confessions
I Promessi Sposi
Le Morte d'Arthur
The Package in Hyperspace
Thomas Jefferson

oh, oh, oh! Sandragon got a copy of Mockingjay! I am going to have to see what I can do to get my own copy, soon. I need to explore a nearby village and see what bookstores will be new to me! Fun, fun, fun!!! And then back to unpacking.

a few moments later: I checked Amazon and Mockingjay is now available on the Kindle; deliverable on 8/24! So, of course, I pre-ordered it. So glad it is on the Kindle.

I finished the Koontz book. It provided entertainment, though I'm not sure it was the entertainment the author intended.

I began The Yes and No Stories: A Book of Georgian Folk Tales, by George and Helen Papashvily. Loving it so far, but I'm only one story in so far.

Finished two by Malcolm Gladwell, Blink and The Tipping Point. Now starting three by James Blaylock, The Ebb Tide, All The Bells On Earth, and The Last Coin.

#27 - Hi maggie :o)
I'm impatiently waiting for Mockingjay's release date. At least I've only had to wait a month for the conclusion, and not a year like others. But, argggg, I'm going to be away visiting family the week it's supposed to be delivered.

>25 OldSarge: Have you read Fire? Excellent chapter on Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Finished The Package in Hyperspace (okay, but the ending was way over-rushed), read Nine Days to Christmas (a lovely little Caldecott winner) and The Wrath of the Grinning Ghost (wonderfully creepy, so I'll be looking for the others in this series!), and have now started Old Yeller.

Finished Les Mis and now i'm re-reading Interview with a Vampire so I can read her other books.

>31 beelzebubba: No, this was my first book by Junger. Glad I read it but not at the same time. The emotions it stirred up are messing with me.

I finished A Canticle for Leibowitz a few minutes ago. Not sure I'll be able to fall asleep now.

I'm now reading the catcher in the rye,though it came out several years ago.

In Haven with Hawk and Fisher Swords of Haven

Finished MARATHON: The Battle That Changed Western Civilization by Richard A. Billows. Good stuff, if you like ancient history.

I'm re-reading Lloyd Alexander's Prydain books, my sister has all 5 in the series and I haven't read them in many years.

I love the Prydain books. Some of my very favorites from childhood.

Started The Road last night. The narrator is amazing.

No dead tree book going at the moment as I've FINALLY finished The Journey of Man and am not sure what to pick next.

I'm reading an ARC copy I was sent of The Breaking of the Shell by Barry Durdant-Hollamby. It has its moments, but on the whole I'm not a fan so far.

To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Farmer
Spiritual Doodles and Mental Leapfrogs by Revoir

Also, still slowly reading Lonesome Dove - 25 pages a day - only 600 more to go!

I'm in the middle of The Serialist. Meh. Right now my favorite thing about this book is that it's short.

just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand late last night, picked up the first Berrybender book Sin Killer by Larry McMurtry, still working on The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

Finished Enchanted, Inc which I thought a bit light on most things, but at least entertaining.

Now diving into The Dragon Keeper's acidic waters.

I finished the Yes and No Stories, delightful. One of the best hero stories I've ever read in there.

I wasn't ready to be done with that author, and since I had another book of his, Thanks to Noah, I decided to read it too. Animal lovers, you have to read this if you ever come across it. It's all about animals he has loved and made me laugh and cry.

So now, I'm still not done visiting with this author, so I'm going to reread (for the 5th time) Anything Can Happen.

I finished Infinte Jest. *sob* What can I read now that will not seem small or trite? I'm sure I'll snap out of it.

Suggestions?

Finished the Millenium series recently and First Lords' Fury All a bit better than average maybe but nothing special.

Catchingup on a couple of weeks worth of periodicals before retreating to novels.

I am rereading the Charlie Bone series and listening to Mrs. McGinty's Dead. I'm planning to start Castle War soon.

I settled in on a nice palate cleanser, The Stars My Destination.

I finished my Papashvily books, now I'm taking two books up to my mom's, in case I get any reading time. Death and the Joyful Woman by Ellis Peters, a known and rock solid author, and Flamingo Diner by Sherryl Woods, a book I grabbed out of the bag of books my FIL gave to us. I don't know anything about her, but the description on the back of the book sounds promising. If only it will keep its promises. :)

Finished Interview With A Vampire and started on The Vampire Lestat but that is now on hold because I just bought The Tales of Beedle the Bard and am now reading that. x

Just starting Blood Brother by J A Kerley

I just finished my ARC A Man in Uniform, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And now I'm going to start Under Heaven!! Hurrah!! Finally!!! I had a customer in the store the other day talking about it, telling me I was in for a treat. As if I didn't know ;-) *sigh* I hope it's not busy at the store today LOL!!

Finished Anansi Boys (loved it!) this week and started Persuasion. I'm listening to The Mill on the Floss on my iPod, and it makes an interesting companion to the Austen book. It's possible that I just find the narrator a smidge annoying when she's voicing Maggie's lines, but the Eliot books seems more melodramatic than the Austen.

#55 - So, how's the job going? Have you posted about it in another thread here on the GD you can point me to, please? :oD

ETA: So why is the touchstone showing up during adit, but not when I post? :o(

#56, no, I didn't want to hog a thread ;-) I'm having so much fun. It's wonderful spending my days surrounding by books, talking books with people, sorting books. After not working for so many years I'm a bit slow with figuring the math side of it, but it's coming and everyone is patient and it's a little bookstore, and not very busy, so that's VERY good!

I love it when people come in, asking for recommendations and we get talking about favourites. It's lovely. :-D I feel as though I've found the perfect job and I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming !!

#57 - That is wonderful. I am so very happy for you!!
:o)

#57 - That's FANTASTIC!!! I too am very very happy for you!

I'm still slogging on with that brick about the birth of the modern state. I'm NOT allowed to read anything else until that one is finished or I'll never get to the end. But it's symptomatic that yesterday I watched Avatar in my dedicated reading time, instead...

There's light at the end of the tunnel, though - only 102 pages left (but I don't think I've ever read more than 40 pages of it in a day... *sigh* slow going indeed)!

Just finished The Dragon Keeper. So typically Robin Hobb. Only GRR Martin is better at making characters' lives miserable. Great read, just not always happy.

Starting The Lies of Locke Lamora today.

Thanks clam & Busifer :-)

Under Heaven is wonderful, the language is beautiful. I can hear Kay reading it as I read. It was so wonderful going to see him with sandragon, I have good memories associated with this book already.

#61 - I think Under Heaven is his most well balanced and well written book to date. Even though this one lacks (the in the face) drama of some of his earlier work this is more... dare I utter the word "mature"? ;-)

#62 Busifer, that's an interesting thought. My own take was that he didn't do as well as he had in some of his previous works at merging the story and the philosophizing. I also thought he spent too much time telling us how subtle everyone was at court instead of showing us some examples. But I definitely regarded this as a "return to form," significantly better than the last two.

Back on topic... I just finished local author John Hart's wonderful Down River, and am reading Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings.

#63 - Well, I still rate Lions of Al-Rassan, Tigana and A Song for Arbonne higher, mainly for their emotional tension - I think all of them are as overt when it comes to the politics and philosophy as Under Heaven.
As to the Sarantine Mosaic I did love it but it felt too contrived, too shackled to the "mosaic" theme, and in comparison I think Under Heaven is less "in your face" style. Perhaps that's why I think of it as more balanced?
Also, mature isn't always a positive word. In many cases it means "more bland". As long as we're not talking about cheese, of course!
;-)

60 - Very true. Her characters have to work for every ounce of contentment, let alone happiness.

That's why I can't read anymore Hobb. My life is hard enough without reading about someone else's unending misery.

I'm reading Renegade's Magic right now and loving it. Maybe I'm a sadist?

Finished The Road - it was good although the ending was contrived.

Now listening to Earth Abides. I don't see my post-apocalyptic reading coming to an end anytime soon.

67 - That's me too. It might frustrate me that they're going through all that crap, but it's usually worth it for the end when they finally get it back to normal. Even when I feel like crap, I find that knowing that fictional characters get it too somehow comforting.

Finished MONMOUTH COURT HOUSE: The Battle that Made the American Army by Joseph G. Bilby.

Excellent account of an event that happened less than an hour from me. Come the autumn, I think I'll visit and walk the battlefield.

#63 - Please let me know how the Welty book is. I started reading her complete short stories a few years back and they were so depressing that I didn't finish them. Love her writing, just not 'en masse.'

I just started Boneshaker today. A little steampunk versus zombies, just what I'm in the mood for.

Updated reading list:
March
1001 Arabian Nights
Rousseau's Confessions
I Promessi Sposi
Le Morte d'Arthur
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales
James Madison

I'm reading my first series by Juliet Marillier, The Sevenwaters Trilogy. I'm on the third which after racing through the first two, is going slower. I think it's because the protagonist is doing some really awful things under duress, and the agonizing is going on for a long time. It's a great series, and I'll be sorry to finish it.

More Fables! Vols 4 and 5 borrowed from a friend. *sigh* They're wonderful.

And rereading Hero by Perry Moore.

My sister forgot to bring a book to our parents, so I gave here "Flamingo Diner," and I kept "Death and The Joyful Woman." I thought it better to keep the sure thing, and I'm enjoying it very much.

The Joyful Woman was supposed to be the name of an inn in the 1600s in my book. I love that name for an inn. In fact, on our trip, in the little town of Quincy, CA, we saw a lovely place called The Stone Tavern, built of local stones, with mullioned windows. Sad thing was, it was abandoned and several of the windows were broken. I so wanted to buy and restore it and call it The Joyful Woman. Start a real pub/tavern here. Oh well, I don't think anything could make me want to live in the town of Quincy. Not even that lovely little building. Besides, it wasn't for sale. :)

MrsLee, I have a "disease" I call the "building savior syndrome". I constantly see buildings which look as if they would, if restored, make lovely quaint and charming places. I always want to buy them and fix them up, even though I have no money, no experience and no expertise. I think you might be showing early symptoms of the same "disorder".

Fuller's memorandum which is delightfully weird, full of anti-technology rants as well. I'm more than halfway through and I still don't have much of a clue what's going on, let alone about to happen.

#76/77 - Now that's a disease I recognise! I think husband still is holding the dream about the fantastic hotel one could make out of an abandoned building we stumbled upon high above the Arctic Circle on a desolate coast... And we constantly see great buildings in abandoned or off the beaten track spots, which means to do good business there you need to attract the really rich, not only from Sweden but on an international scale. And we don't have that money... ;-)

77 & 79 - I was diagnosed with that disease long ago! That is an excellent name for it. My husband made it very clear to me that he would never enable me on that path because he has neither the skills nor the desire to gain those skills to make it happen. And no, we don't have the money, either. Dreams are good though, they take a lot less work.

My problem is, I've seen my dad and brothers do wonders with wrecks. They are all accomplished carpenters/woodworkers. Ah well, who knows what will happen down the road?

Indeed no one knows, and that's a kind of consolation.

(Oh wow, I've been watching too much LoTR, I'm starting to talk like Gandalf, lol - it's almost on the Yoda scale of things!)

I'm reading Lark Rise to Candleford, which is very descriptive and not much plot, but still an enjoyable read, and Press On: Faith, Hope, and Charity which I am enjoying, and Game of Patience, which has been slow, but I'm enjoying this mystery set in Napoleonic France.

Finished DRAGON HAVEN: Volume Two of the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb.

Finished my mystery and picked up Wolf Willow by Wallace Stegner. It's been calling to me from the shelves for awhile. I don't think I've read better descriptive language than Stegner's. I never catch myself thinking, "This guy's reaching a bit far for metaphors and similes." Something I do with many other authors. When I read Stegner, it's as if the prose just sinks into my brain and I see what he's talking about.

Will start on Bones by Jonathan Kellerman on the train home tonight.

MrsLee - What did you think of the Ellis Peters book? I really like her books.

I read Crossing to Safety this year and enjoyed it more than I expected.

#86 - The mystery was O.K., not too difficult, but that's not what I read mysteries for anyway. This may be my favorite Felse book yet. I loved the dynamics between the Inspector and his son, and the coming of age bit for the son was done excellently. As always, the settings are rich and interesting. I've said elsewhere that I'm in love with the name "The Joyful Woman" for a pub. Not so much "The Jolly Barmaid." :)

I finished Earth Abides earlier this evening. Overall I liked it, but I have some major misgivings about the protagonist. I'd still recommend to people interested in post-apocalyptic fiction though.

>88 DaynaRT: That was similar to my opinion of the book. In general liked it, thought the protagonist was bleh.

I'm savoring Wolf Willow slowly, but picked up Rakkety Tan by Brian Jacques for some fun and mindless reading. I've never read the Redwall series, but my daughter loved it when she was very young. I'm finding it delightful.

I am about to start Terry Pratchett's I shall wear midnight which is the new book and am really looking forward to it :)

I'm reading Changes by Jim Butcher and my thought is that the author needs to get laid or something. He's freaking brutal to his characters.

MrsLee, I'm collecting Wallace Stegner, and Wolf Willow is on my TBR. His writing is beautiful, but I also find that I only want to read him in relatively small doses. I'm going to move it up in the order to to be read.

I recently finished the first three in the Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier which was so wonderful. Now reading The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. So far I'm enjoying it but not wowed.

Dies the Fire needs to get interesting right quick or it's going into my digital trash pile.

How far are you into Dies the Fire? It doesn't get much better. The first quarter is the most interesting. If you don't like it by then, you won't.

It's a 21 hour audiobook and I'm about 4 hours in. Thank FSM it was free from the liberry.

Those books take time to get to where they're going, give it a chance. I know a few folks who almost gave up and were glad they didn't.

But in audibook version? Hmmmmm.

#93 - I am loving it. I keep finding snippets I want to write down in my quote book to think about further.

I'm reading another Trollope, Orley Farm.

#71 clam, I enjoyed One Writer's Beginnings. She doesn't make a lot of explicit links between her childhood experiences and her writing, but some are there to be seen. I wrote a brief review. I had only read a few of her stories, and don't even remember most of them, but a friend recommened the memoir so I tried it.

#81 Busifer, you probably would have laughed out loud at a recent meeting I was in. We had discussed a plan to death, and someone asked, is there any more, and I said, "There is always more, but we do not know what it is." Do you recognize that one?

I'm currently reading The Faceless Killers, first in Mankell's Kurt Wallander series, for my library book club. Getting ready to start Let the Great World Spin for another group.

#100 - I'll have to admit that the quote evades me, much as it annoys me. Please refresh my memory!

Still reading Zorro. It's slow to read in Spanish, but I'm sticking with it and my Spanish is improving again.

I'm also reading The Time Machine by Wells (embarrassingly, I haven't read it before!) and Venus Plus X by Theodore Sturgeon.

Will - I read that in English and wasn't blown away. I wonder if it was a translation issue? Let me know what you think when you are finished.

>96 DaynaRT: How right you are, Morphy. I didn't listen to the book at all yesterday and didn't miss it a bit. Didn't think about the characters once. I'm thisclose to ditching it.

#104 & #95 - Ah, my daughter said the same thing, flee and Morphy. One of her best buds gave it to her to read and she was semi-enjoying it to start and then she realized she was feeling nothing but 'meh' about it, so she returned it.

I finished off my latest library book club read, The Kindness of Strangers. Oy. Very depressing topic, but I am glad I read it.

*drum roll please* I started A Game of Thrones and I have been so hopelessly sucked in, but in a good way... Now I am looking forward to the HBO series even more.

I started A Game of Thrones...

It's about time!

the general saying is, fleela, once you hit the second Bran chapter, you'll be hooked. I seem to recall being hooked well before that, with the first Jon chapter, but ymmv!

#106 - LOL. Okay, I will freely admit I was afraid to read the series for several reasons, the main one being that the books look enormous and I wasn't sure I could invest that much time & effort.

#101 It was said by Gereint, the shaman of the Dalrei in The Fionavar Tapestry. Seems relevant to many situations, if a bit heavy.

Yay, clammy! You'll like it, I guarantee.

I do already!
*sigh*
I keep wanting to sneak off with it, but I can't.
:oD

Tonight I treated myself to a well-deserved bubble bath, and to join me, I chose The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. It's the first dead-tree book I've read in a while, and when I'm done, it'll fill a spot in my Dewey Decimal Challenge list (955.06 History>Asia>Iran).

I finished Making History last week, and started on The selected works of T.S. Spivet. I absolutely adored Making History, after I got into it (the language, lovely but as a second language takes a bit getting used to). Spivet is very special.

#109 - Ah, of course!
Thank you :)

Finished Under Heaven which was a free ebook from Manchester Library. I mostly sort of enjoyed it, but I'm glad I didn't buy it. Guy writes well, but I don't quite like what he does with it.

#92 - wait till you get to the end. Brutal doesn't begin to cover it.

>115 reading_fox: I always read the last chapter first. :)

#116 - Philistine! ;o)

Oh, I do to, or at least look at real quick ;)

I finished and loved The selected works of T.S. Spivet and will start on Brooklyn on my way home tonight.

I started A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire this weekend. I wasn't too keen on the second book in the trilogy and I fear this book is going the same way, but I feel obliged to read it because it was a Christmas present. At least I'm done with them after this one.

>117 clamairy: An unapologetic Philistine at that!

Started The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen last night.

Oh, and to stay on topic, I started Half of a Yellow Sun yesterday. It's okay.

I just finished Under Heaven too and loved it. I love Kay's writing and found the hero, Tai so likeable. I enjoyed the politics, the characters, the scenary. I'm sorry it's over. But now I'm going on to something lighter, Lost in a Good Book, by Jasper Fforde. I've picked up the rest of the series and might just finish it up now.

Finished DRAWING DOWN THE MOON: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adler.

Very good and informative. Much thanks to those who recommended it.

Before digging in on some more serious non-fiction I'm treating myself to some light entertainment (or at least that's what I expect, based on previous experiences) in the form of Elizabeth Moon's Rules of Engagement. Should be fun an undemanding, for a change!

I finished reading Rakkety Tam the other day. I enjoyed it for a quick, light read, but don't feel a pressing need to read any more Redwall books. I can see why my daughter loved them at a certain age.

The next book I'll start will be my ER book, Persona Non Grata, by Ruth Downie. Don't know when I'll start though, I've been too wiped out to read anything for a few days now.

I've been too wiped out to read anything for a few days now.

Ummmm....that sounds serious. Sending relaxing vibes.

(((((((((((MrsLee))))))))))) I wish you could come work with me, my friend :-( Then we could sort through books together and you could just sit and read and talk books with the customers.

Is Persona Non Grata part of Downie's Roman mystery series? I've got the first two on my TBR pile. When you do get a chance to read it, I'll be interested to read your review.

#128 - Definitely my dream job!

Yes, it is her series, which seems to have mixed reviews. I did read the first chapter last night and found it to be interesting and left me wanting more, but bed was calling too loudly. :) I'll try to remember to let you know, but I always post my reviews here and on FB, so you should see it there.

I am reading Murder for Christmas, which has several short stories I haven't read before, including ones about Inspector Ghote and Maigret, and some that I've read and loved, like the Poirot one and the Inspector Alleyn one.