Just wondering ... what is everyone reading now?

[purple.alien.giraffe]

Well, I've started Northhanger Abby, The Magic of Windlier Wood, A Princess from Mars, Dracula's Guest, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Labrynth, The Call of Sage and Kindred, Migrations Volume I: Don't Forget to Breathe, and The People of the mist. I've gotten about 50 pages into each and none of them are holding my interest, even though I know they should. I can tell that the stories are interesting, I just can't focus on any of them. I think the warm weather is making me restless. On the other hand, I have a strange urge to do math problems.

 

[Vanitas]

Well, I've started Northhanger Abby, The Magic of Windlier Wood, A Princess from Mars, Dracula's Guest, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Labrynth, The Call of Sage and Kindred, Migrations Volume I: Don't Forget to Breathe, and The People of the mist. I've gotten about 50 pages into each and none of them are holding my interest, even though I know they should. I can tell that the stories are interesting, I just can't focus on any of them. I think the warm weather is making me restless. On the other hand, I have a strange urge to do math problems.

I recently read The Island of Dr Moreau. It is rather slow to start - I almost stopped reading it. But I promise it picks up! It turns out to be a really interesting book. After I finished reading it, I discovered there was a movie based on the book starring Marlon Brando. I'm usually leery of books made into movies (they seem to almost always disappoint). Sorry to say this movie was no exception. It was just too different from the book.

As usual, I have several books on the go right now:

1. The Trigger by Arthur C. Clarke : a very thought-provoking story about the implications of an incredible scientific discovery

2. The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan : one of my favourite authors, I always enjoy his books

3. The Quantum Ten by Sheilla Jones : an interesting book documenting the personal lives and relationships of the physicists present at the 1927 Solvay Conference

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I'm up to J. There not a bad series but I find myself skipping the discriptions of all the main characters now. But still cant stop reading them

I think I know what you mean. I do believe that Grafton is very good at inventing interesting characters, some of them very complex. However there are a few characters that were beginning to finger nail scratch my chalk board, 1. her retired landlord who is always baking something, and 2. the annoying Hungarian woman who runs the bad Hungarian food joint up the street.

I guess I'm damning Grafton with faint praise. I'm going to wait a few years until a few more novels come out before deciding to catch up.

I'm very close to finishing "Catching Fire" in the "Hunger Games" series...this one is reading much faster than the first. One more to go and then I have to attack the formidable stack of unread books...2 boxes and books stacked on top, that I have yet to read.

But, this weekend's reading will be centered on The Pioneer Woman Cooks...

My copy of Hunger Games is waiting at my public library to pick up any time in the next week!

I'll really like to hear your review. Meanwhile I'm going to take notes on a few recipes before returning mine to the library. I'll buy my copy after I've moved to my next house.

I love audio books... That's all I have on my iPod. It is always wonderful to see new ones from a favorite author (Macdonald). Previously there were only a few on cassettes recorded by Darren McGavin which were okay, but were abridged = anathema, IMO.

I kind of wonder about how much abridging goes on in audio books. I don't see how they can include every single word in all but the shorter novels.

Well, I've started Northhanger Abby, The Magic of Windlier Wood, A Princess from Mars, Dracula's Guest, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Labrynth, The Call of Sage and Kindred, Migrations Volume I: Don't Forget to Breathe, and The People of the mist. I've gotten about 50 pages into each and none of them are holding my interest, even though I know they should. I can tell that the stories are interesting, I just can't focus on any of them. I think the warm weather is making me restless. On the other hand, I have a strange urge to do math problems.

I think you start too many books and don't know if you want to finish them. My suggestion: read some amount of pages, 50 pages? 100 pages? an hour? And then decide if the book is grabbing you. If not, make a note and then move on. At that point I return mine to the library. I don't know if you've purchased yours or not...

I've sometimes read two, and very rarely three, novels at the same time but I'd rather just give up and move on if a novel isn't doing it for me. And if I like the novel I want to read it uninterrupted to its conclusion.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

My copy of Hunger Games is waiting at my public library to pick up any time in the next week!

I'll really like to hear your review. Meanwhile I'm going to take notes on a few recipes before returning mine to the library. I'll buy my copy after I've moved to my next house.

What kind of review do you want? I do not analyze books like so many do. I am very enthusiastic about this series and I loved the first story. An excellent offering for the Young Adult audience and a galloping good read for Adults. This Old Kid thinks it's the best book she's read in quite a while.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I was referring to Pioneer Woman's new book.

I'll know soon enough on Hunger Games and I'll post my review.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I was referring to Pioneer Woman's new book.

I'll know soon enough on Hunger Games and I'll post my review.

OOOOH!

Tomorrow, right now we are watching TinTin.

 

[SharonT]

I kind of wonder about how much abridging goes on in audio books.

Well, not any in the unabridged ones...

...The Once and Future King is 33 hours and 3 minutes of listening.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Well that's what made me wonder. It usually takes me several hours to read the typical novel, a dozen hours for a long one. I can't see how that can be reduced into a few hours... unless the reader talks faster than I can read, a possibility I find difficult to accept.

 

[Orryette]

I think I know what you mean. I do believe that Grafton is very good at inventing interesting characters, some of them very complex. However there are a few characters that were beginning to finger nail scratch my chalk board, 1. her retired landlord who is always baking something, and 2. the annoying Hungarian woman who runs the bad Hungarian food joint up the street.

I know! And her apartment that was blown and redecorated in a naval look! Sheesh! I know already ' flick flick flick' where's the interesting part start again!?

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Aw come on! Tell me you didn't enjoy several or a dozen of Grafton's novels. She's a pretty talented author. I'm sticking with her to see if she'll make it to "Z" and what she'll do then.

 

[tinlizzie]

I like Sue Grafton's series, although the 'set-ups' did get to be a bit much. I've not read the last few yet; maybe with more time in between them I won't mind reading about Henry again.

Just finished a recommended book, The Children's Blizzard. Thanks for the tip, Aunt Bea and, I apologize, one other person whose name has flown from my mind at the moment. Boy, that was some storm in 1888 -- some tough period in the midwest's history. Those hardy, hardy people.

 

[vitauta]

matterhorn, by karl mariantes is the best book i've read about the viet nam war. some great insights into the soldier bonding that occurs in times of war.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

"Ghost Story" by Jim Butcher, another Harry Dresden Story.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I like Sue Grafton's series, although the 'set-ups' did get to be a bit much. I've not read the last few yet; maybe with more time in between them I won't mind reading about Henry again.

Haha! I'm sick of reading about Henry too. Grafton should write "Y is for Y Not Kill Henry?," a novel about a Grafton fan who kills Henry because he or she is sick of reading about him.

I've just started Taken by Robert Crais and I can understand why PF was a bit put off. It's a very intense book with lots of violence and is probably not for the squeamish, nor for those in a squeamy mood.

I've had slow reading lately because I just haven't been able get involved. This Crais novel has me really involved and I'll probably blow through it in another two days of 2-3 hours reading per evening.

Next up: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins! I've already got #2 reserved!

 

[tinlizzie]

Haha! I'm sick of reading about Henry too. Grafton should write "Y is for Y Not Kill Henry?," a novel about a Grafton fan who kills Henry because he or she is sick of reading about him.

I've just started Taken by Robert Crais and I can understand why PF was a bit put off. It's a very intense book with lots of violence and is probably not for the squeamish, nor for those in a squeamy mood.

I've had slow reading lately because I just haven't been able get involved. This Crais novel has me really involved and I'll probably blow through it in another two days of 2-3 hours reading per evening.

Next up: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins! I've already got #2 reserved!

Y Not Kill Henry sounds like the perfect next project! The crazy Hungarian restaurant lady can be the perp.

My last trip to the library I took back two books I hadn't finished - I used to always finish a book once started, on principle, I thought. Halfway through these two books, principle be darned, I thought. I either just didn't like the characters or the subject hit too close to home emotionally. Couldn't see the benefit in subjecting myself to uncomfortable subject matter. There's plenty of that on TV news from day to day. So this time I'm off to a "quiet Yorkshire village" in Dying in the Wool. And a new-for-me duo of Harpur & Iles in Vacuum by Bill James.

 

[Zhizara]

I'm currently reading Sandra Brown's Smokescreen. She always keeps me interested.

I ordered the Patrick Lee trilogy which was mentioned earlier: The Breach, Ghost Country, and Deep Sky.

I probably won't have them by the time I finish Smokescreen so I'll have a chance to finally finish Jane Auel's Land of the Painted Caves.

 

[SharonT]

Recently finished "Matched" by Ally Condie - yet another YA dystopian future novel - it's the first of a trilogy also. I enjoyed reading it and gave it three stars on Goodreads, though some comments there say it's VERY like a much earlier book, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, which my daughter says she read in high school (she's 26 now).

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Y Not Kill Henry sounds like the perfect next project! The crazy Hungarian restaurant lady can be the perp.

I love the idea of the annoying Hungarian woman taking the fall! Then maybe Kinsey's old cop boyfriend could retire and turn the joint into a good barbecue place!

I think Grafton stole the annoying Hungarian woman character from Steinfeld's "Soup Nazi' character... (A whole TV series about annoying nothings.)

 

[SharonT]

Just to say... I really LIKE the characters of Henry and Rosie in the Sue Grafton novels. Super-cool 80-somethings. I know a few of those myself.

 

[tinlizzie]

It's not that I dislike them, it's a matter of over-familiarity. They're like the little kid next door who comes over so often he becomes a pest. As the Pythons would say, "give it a rest."