Just wondering ... what is everyone reading now?

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I'm currently reading Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. Didn't see the movie either so really didn't have any idea about the book but knew it was a pretty popular story. It's very rich story-telling so I don't get very far each night. I've been reading it for nearly a week and am not even a quarter through the book.

I see mysterychef just started a book about Thomas Jefferson. Which one is that? I love Mr. Jefferson. His life is so amazing! My son graduated from his University so my family has a great affection for the man!
I saw ''Prince of Tides in the theater many years ago. I remember great performances by Barbara Streisand, and Nick Nolte. [Before his mugshot photo for a D.U.I. became a joke] My wife read the book and said the movie did a good job capturing life in the Carolina's .Kleenex optional. Particularly like the Jefferson book because of its culinary interest.
 
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So far in Prince of Tides, I can see 3 movies! After I finish I'll have to netflix the movie to see what they included! I've added the Jefferson book to my wish list. I try to keep my ebooks to under $5. It has to be a compelling book to buy it for more than that! I read a bit with the "look inside" feature on Amazon and it sounds intriguing.
 
Finished the Linda Castillo book "Sworn to Silence" Tuesday night. In spite of it's little bit of shockingly gruesome details I'm very glad I stuck it out. It was a really good read. I'll have to pick the series up again later this year.
 
I am reading M.C.Beaton's Death Of Yesterday. I love all of her Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries.

I knew that M.C. Beaton also wrote under her maiden name of Marion Chesney, but take a look at her Wikipedia page; it is astounding. She's used several names and has written oodles of books. I've read the Macbeth and Raisin titles our library has -- I wish they stocked every one of them. I've read several of her Edwardian novels but don't like the characters nearly as well as those two.
 
Read them in order of publishing date! In other words, read them as the author wrote/published them. The series has a progression.

Report back! :)

I hope you like Pike as much as I do. The series initially focused on Cole with Pike as his back-up, but when the Pike as protagonist novel came out it really blew me away.

I wish I knew these people. That's why you/I like these Crais novels. We wanna be friends with the main characters.

The first Crais I read was The Two Minute Rule - nonstop page-turner for me. Vitauta had recommended this one and it didn't disappoint. So I got in line at the library for Suspect and just finished it. Really good in a different way. There was so much interesting info on the extraordinary ability of the canine nose, in this case a K-9 German Shepherd, and PTSD, both human and dog.

I like your suggestion of going back to the very beginning of Crais' writing history and following the progression forward. My DIL chides herself on, after finding a new author she likes, devouring all of his/her work. I used to resist doing this but find myself bringing home books I have already read because there was no method to my choosing. I can't remember all the titles, but the situations usually ring a bell. Sometimes I'll go ahead and re-read it, but as has been mentioned, there are so many books, so little time -- too little to be re-reading just because...

Did you say you have a listing of what you read?
 
I knew that M.C. Beaton also wrote under her maiden name of Marion Chesney, but take a look at her Wikipedia page; it is astounding. She's used several names and has written oodles of books. I've read the Macbeth and Raisin titles our library has -- I wish they stocked every one of them. I've read several of her Edwardian novels but don't like the characters nearly as well as those two.

I don't understand why authors change their names over and over. I would think you would lose some followers if they don't know your new name. :angel:
 
Addie, I can think of a couple of reasons. They may not be valid reasons, but...e.g., they might gain new followers under a different name; perhaps this author knows some people don't care for the two named series but will try books of a different genre or style without prejudging, not having preconceived ideas of what that book will be.

Or maybe the author assumes the role of a different writer when she assumes a different name. Maybe she feels more free to go off in a new direction, deviate from what her fans are accustomed to. Maybe it's just fun.

Maybe it's a business decision -- can't think of a reason here, but I'm not in business. Stephen King has published under another name but I've never heard him give a reason.
 
Addie, I can think of a couple of reasons. They may not be valid reasons, but...e.g., they might gain new followers under a different name; perhaps this author knows some people don't care for the two named series but will try books of a different genre or style without prejudging, not having preconceived ideas of what that book will be.

Or maybe the author assumes the role of a different writer when she assumes a different name. Maybe she feels more free to go off in a new direction, deviate from what her fans are accustomed to. Maybe it's just fun.

Maybe it's a business decision -- can't think of a reason here, but I'm not in business. Stephen King has published under another name but I've never heard him give a reason.

Hmmm.... Food for thought. :angel:
 
...I like your suggestion of going back to the very beginning of Crais' writing history and following the progression forward. My DIL chides herself on, after finding a new author she likes, devouring all of his/her work. I used to resist doing this but find myself bringing home books I have already read because there was no method to my choosing. I can't remember all the titles, but the situations usually ring a bell....
If you're getting the books at the library check your account online to see if they have a reading history. When our system switched over to the Evergreen System you actually had to set your account to save your history. Under our old system the reading history was the default setting.

I definitely start an author's series with book one. If I see something more recent in the library that looks like a good one I'll save the title in my account folder and request the first (and second and, sometimes third...) book in the series. I find it interesting to watch the characters develop personalities!
 
I'm really ticked with the people in charge of our County right now -- everybody's got budget troubles; I understand that. But they're going to reduce bus routes and library hours to save money. There is currently a program to order books out of our system; that will be cut, too, to save money. That is just so short-sighted imo.

I'll go look to see if I have a title history I can access on-line; but, shhhh, don't tell them or they'll cut that out, too.
 
I'm really ticked with the people in charge of our County right now -- everybody's got budget troubles; I understand that. But they're going to reduce bus routes and library hours to save money. There is currently a program to order books out of our system; that will be cut, too, to save money. That is just so short-sighted imo.

I'll go look to see if I have a title history I can access on-line; but, shhhh, don't tell them or they'll cut that out, too.

Someday the physical building will no longer exists. You will have one giant Kindle at hand on the internet. Who is going to read to the little ones during story hour? A big favorite here at my local branch. And we are going to be losing more than 1000 slots for HeadStart kids next year due to Federal Budget cuts. With working mothers, who is going to take them to their story time and read to them?

Here in Mass. we don't remove bus routes, just the number of runs in the day. Some routes only run during rush hours. Hope not many folks work overtime. :angel:
 
I like your suggestion of going back to the very beginning of Crais' writing history and following the progression forward. My DIL chides herself on, after finding a new author she likes, devouring all of his/her work. I used to resist doing this but find myself bringing home books I have already read because there was no method to my choosing. I can't remember all the titles, but the situations usually ring a bell. Sometimes I'll go ahead and re-read it, but as has been mentioned, there are so many books, so little time -- too little to be re-reading just because...

Did you say you have a listing of what you read?

I would rather knowingly re-read a novel I've previously read than do it accidentally. I have my reading priorities an a previously read novel would be lowered in my queue.

I've listed all the books I've read in the last 20 years. I'm looking into making my list accessible to the public (obviously just my friends).
 
I don't understand why authors change their names over and over. I would think you would lose some followers if they don't know your new name. :angel:

I'm amused because of a different genre. Explicit models change their names every time they go to a different nude photography publisher. For both, (1) it's a way to appear fresh and novel, and (2) it's a means to attract a different audience.

I'm not sure this proves my point but I'm currently reading (and I had better finish it tomorrow because it's going to disappear off my iPad), JK Rowling's latest novel "The Cuckoo's Calling" (by Robert Gailraith, uh.... yeah...)

I don't understand why Rowling didn't just use her real name (is her name really JK Rowling?). But it's a really good book. In fact I have to cut my 'Net sessions short tonight because my library is going to suck it back tomorrow and I'll have to wait for weeks to finish it unless I finish it tomorrow. (on page 293 of 488 right now)

I guess whether you're a porn queen or a novelist it helps to run multiple product lines so that your previous work doesn't compete with your new work and detract from the new works' successes.

BTW I'm giving a + rating to "The Cuckoo's Calling" even though I haven't finished it. It's a really good read!
 
I definitely start an author's series with book one. If I see something more recent in the library that looks like a good one I'll save the title in my account folder and request the first (and second and, sometimes third...) book in the series. I find it interesting to watch the characters develop personalities!

That never works because you never know if you'll like a series until you've read an exemplar, usually the latest new release. At that point you research the artist and series, and if you liked it a lot and the series has a decent history, that's when you go back to #1 and read them in order..\

I've done that countless times...

And then you find the author has another series under another pen name and you start that one out with the series debut. I've had that happen often.
 
I'm really ticked with the people in charge of our County right now -- everybody's got budget troubles; I understand that. But they're going to reduce bus routes and library hours to save money. There is currently a program to order books out of our system; that will be cut, too, to save money. That is just so short-sighted imo.

I'll go look to see if I have a title history I can access on-line; but, shhhh, don't tell them or they'll cut that out, too.

I'm very fortunate that my Los Angeles Public Library has been very well funded. We get loads of all the popular new releases. On a sadder note (and I've discussed this with my favorite librarians often) the LA City gets all the fines. You would think LAPL would get to keep the fine money and use it to buy new books, but alas, not. All fines go directly to the city fund.

But I have no reason to complain. We have a damn fine library system here in LA.

Put that in the perspective that they buy 20-40 copies of every best seller. I reserved Stephen White's latest novel (and series finale) Compound Fractures, released just a few days ago, and my copy is waiting at my local library (I had a reserve number of something like #12). With my limited access to their database it appears they bought only 20 copies (so far) but I bet they'll be up to 40 copies in a few weeks.

I have to pick up my copy in a few days, and I'm sure if I can't read it in the allowed 3 weeks it will take months for me to get back to it.
 
That never works because you never know if you'll like a series until you've read an exemplar, usually the latest new release...

Painting with a rather broad brush there, aren't you? :dry: When running across a new-to-me author I'll skim the short summary in the jacket flap. If it sounds interesting I look for Book One in a series. If it isn't on the shelf I request a copy. Then I go home and read Book One. Have never failed to go on through all the subsequent books in that series. It works for me, so don't pull the rug out from under my feet...I'm clumsy enough on my own. ;)
 
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