Just wondering ... what is everyone reading now?

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Just finished "The Book Thief" by Marcus Zusak, and now reading something lighter, "Summer Blowout" by Clare Cook.
 
How many of you refuse to give up on books? I used to be this way. Then one day I realizzed that there are so many books that I'll never be able to read that I don't need to waste my time on books I don't enjoy. If I'm not enjoying it, I only continue to read IF there is information I want in that book, or someone I care about recommended it or gave it to me. Luckily I was taught to speed-read when I was a child. So I use those skills to get the information out of a book I might not normally read. My husband is not a big reader, and I often speed-read a book to find out if he will like it! It is so funny; I picked up Victoria's Daughters for myself, and when I read an excerpt to hubby, he immediately wanted to read it! Someone gave me House of Rain and Fire and I, too, found it depressing. Also the first book by an Afghan author ... Oh, yes, the Kite book. I did love his (her?) second book, though. This is what I mean by reading books because they contain information I want to acquire. I feel a need to know more about these cultures, and I read those books to get a "flavor" of the people. There is also an author of "graphic novels" (i.e., what we call comic books for adults) who gave me a great insight into a woman's life in the middle east.

One thing I must say is that I often can recognise a very good book even though I hate it. That is one reason why I always have several books going at one time. I may wish to get through a bio or history or even on occaision a science book. So I will read a few chapters of it, then pick up a funny murder mystery to give my weary brain a rest. Oh, yes, let's not forget cook books!
 
How many of you refuse to give up on books?
My wife is this way. If she reads the first page then she is committed until the end, even if she absolutely hates the book. I felt horrible when I recommended Interview With A Vampire to her thinking she would love it. I was wrong and she was stuck reading it until she finished.
 
Just finished The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy. Fascinating peek at the year 1950 in LA. Pretty dark, but beautifully written. Just started An Innocent Man by John Grisham. A friend came over this morning, saw it, and commented that it is very depressing. Hmmmm. May switch to something else.

Read Ellroy's "My Dark Places" it's his true life story. It is dark, but if you like his books it will explain a lot. I have read nearly all.
 
claire,
I give up on books and like you have several going at the same time. Some of them are old favorites that I enjoy reading a second time. Like visiting an old friend.

I'm reading Black Water by T. Jefferson Parker, My Grandfather's Blessings & cookbooks all the time.
 
I give up on books too. I read the first 50 pages and if it hasn't grabbed me or I don't care about the characters by then, it's gone. As Claire said, there are too many good books out there for me to waste my time reading a book I can't get interested in. What a waste of good reading time!

I read only one book at a time but usually for pleasure. Where is the pleasure in prodding through a book you don't like? If I can gleam some good information out of a book such as "The Cruelest Miles" or John Grisham's "An Innocent Man" then that's a bonus. Those books were fascinating as well as good reading.
 
99 snowflakes in thread crochet....
make your orders now I only have 5 months to crank 'em out!! :)

I'm also working my way through Burpee's COmplete Veg and Herb Gardener.
I have a LONG list for next year, I better start digging out more space!!!!
 
How many of you refuse to give up on books?

I've gotten books from the Library that I thought would interest me and ended up not being able to continue reading it. At least the books are free ;) so no money is wasted .
 
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Barbara said:
Read Ellroy's "My Dark Places" it's his true life story.

Thanks, Barbara - I will look for it. I have been doing a little reading about him online, and it seems he has had a difficult life - reflected in his books. His character development in The Big Nowhere is really phenomenal. I look forward to learning more.
 
I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I am reading the new book by Madonna's brother "Life with My Sister Madonna" - it is my guilty pleasure reading for the summer, I guess. It is utterly delicious.
 
the most horrible book that I ever read was Lorna Doone...........it was assigned when I was a 7th grader..........the write(forget his name---probably on purpose)the would take 3 pages to describe a tree.......I'm partially ADD I think and it was difficult to glut through it.........then Miss Seal would call every one up and ask them question.........God must not have liked this book either because the 3 times she called up to discuss it there was some major interference.....fire drill, last minute assembly in the auditorium, and I forget the 3rd one.........I really felt guilty cause after 300 pages (there's about a thousand pages........well it seemed like it) I gave up....ok the guy's father is killed...he meets the daughter (who really isn't) they fall in love and the relatives come after him.........does this plot really deserve a thousand pages????.......the librarian who had become a friend couldn't believe that I had to read that...........yep, other kids got assigned Lord of the Flies, Jane Eyre, etc., Wuthering Heights but no I get a coffee table.........
 
You know, I seldome re-read a book, there are just too many books out there I want to read. But my read-aloud group (a blind friend and one who is shut-in because of severe arthritis) was joking around about books we loved as children. When I mentioned The Secret Garden, my friends had never read it! At the time both were going through some tough physical problems, and this book seemed to help them. Revisiting this childhood favorite got both of them going through the most dreary months of winter (we had a particularly bad winter!). I did tell my friend that our next book has to be a little lighter!!
 
my 4th grade teacher, Mrs Matocha, would read to us after lunch, and the book that remember the most was The Secret Garden....she'd read us a chapter and we'd have to wait until the next day...........she also used a lot of expressions and inflexions........she was one of my best teachers ever......tough but good
 
I love The Secret Garden and recently watched the movie on TV. It is such a wonderful story (the book is miles better than the movie). I can't really settle to read at the moment - I was in the library the other day and nothing gripped me. I also find the books I have, I can't reread at the moment.
 
I just finished TRIBUTE by Nora Roberts. It's very good --- the identity of the "bad guy" took me completely by surprise. Started YOUNG WIVES by Olivia Goldsmith yesterday. So far so good.
 
When my daughter was small I read The Secret Garden to her by doing a chapter each night at bedtime. Your post brought back such a beautiful memory. We read a few others this way, but The Secret Garden and Caddie Woodlawn are the two that stand out in my memory.
 

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