What's Everyone Reading, Part II

[Rosebud]

Anyone read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See?

Yes, and I LOVED it. There was a lot of discussion of this book maybe about a year ago if you want to search for it. Reaction was overwhelmingly positive, as I recall.


reading the namesake by jhumpa lahiri.

I love Lahiri's writing; she really develops her characters. I keep meaning to pick up Interpreter of Maladies as I've heard it's even better than The Namesake.

I really enjoyed The Namesake, but yes-- The Interpreter of Maladies is even better. One of the best books I've read in the last decade, no question.


Rosebud: The History of Love is one of the most stunning books I've ever read. Krauss has a way with words and phrases that literally makes your heart skip. I am so glad I read that book; I can't imagine NOT having read it, if that makes any sense. It just affected me. I'm reeeally glad someone else can understand!

I'm about halfway through The History of Love and am totally mesmerized by it. I am crazy about Nicola Krauss' writing style-- I find myself re-reading some passages over and over because the language is just so beautiful. And the story is something I wasn't expecting at all. I have a feeling this is a book I'll remember long after I've finished it.

[Ummm]

finished 'the art of deception' by ridley pearson. another murder/mystery. it was okay. haven't read anything else by this author, probably wouldn't. it wasn't bad, just didn't grab me as much as some other authors.

[Dizzy]

I really enjoyed The Namesake, but yes-- The Interpreter of Maladies is even better. One of the best books I've read in the last decade, no question.


I'm about halfway through The History of Love and am totally mesmerized by it. I am crazy about Nicola Krauss' writing style-- I find myself re-reading some passages over and over because the language is just so beautiful. And the story is something I wasn't expecting at all. I have a feeling this is a book I'll remember long after I've finished it.

I think you may have been one of the folks I was thinking about who had great things to say about Interpreter of Maladies. Maybe in this thread somewhere...I don't remember exactly, but thank you for your perspective!

Mesmerizing is the perfect word to describe Krauss' writing. Rosebud, Do you remember the part in the beginning when the old man describes all the places in his body that he takes all the aches and pains of his life? That passage floored me. The last sentence made me cry:

To everything a season, to every time I’ve woken only to make the mistake of believing for a moment that someone was sleeping beside me: a hemorrhoid. Loneliness: there is no organ that can take it all.

She has a gift; I don't ever re-read books, but The History of Love is one I will definitely re-read someday.

[Dizzy]

In my haste to discuss The History of Love, I forgot to say hello to everyone else!

mili04: Thank you for your comments regarding Song Without Words. I think in light of the person you were working with, The Dive from Clausen's Pier may have been a difficult read for you. You were smart to stay away from it. I actually didn't care for it (tho I know others who liked it) so if Songs Without Words is getting less positive reviews, I will probably skip it. I appreciate your feedback! How is Open House?

lawyerlee: You're a book whore! :D Thanks for the summaries! I love Flannery O'Connor. So much so that I really think Flannery would be a great name for a little girl. Maybe that's mean :p I noticed that you read books from many different genres. It makes me want to branch out more!

hub1176: So Pillars is that addictive, eh? Uh-oh! Perhaps I should wait until after the holidays when I'm not so busy to pick it up. I agree with you regarding Russo. I just cannot get into him. I didn't even finish Empire Falls. (that was years ago...) How do you like Love in the Time of Cholera?

Ohana: I'm glad you enjoyed World Without End! What are you reading next?

Ummm: Thank you for the note on The Art of Deception. Are you normally a mystery reader? Forgive me if I've asked this before. I just don't remember! If you are, "my" book club is reading Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Swann and I've heard it's really quirky & fun.

Me: I'm still reading Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. (did I already post that that's what I'm currently reading? dont' remember...) At any rate, I'm almost done with it and it's pretty heartbreaking. Especially the photos of these young soldiers with their spouses, families, etc. They were so so so incredibly brave. It's a sobering read.

[Ohana]

Dizzy I'm reading The Interpreter by Suki Kim. A friend recommended it to me. So far, so good!

[Rosebud]

FYI, I updated the CC's Most Recommended Books (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29923) thread and incorporated all the info from this thread. So, now there's a whole bunch of new titles on there for us to put on our "to read" lists! :)

[hub1176]

Dizzy - slow start to Love, but I am starting to get in to it.

[Purple]

It's good to hear that World Without End is good. I am looking forward to it.

hub1176 Let me know how you found Love in the Time of Cholera. I tried starting it but couldn't get into it. I was so mesmerized by One Hundred Years of Solitude and expected the same quality. If you give it a thumbs up and tell me that it gets better, I will try it again.

[am_81]

Since I got a lot less reading time than I had anticipated (on planes/in the airport only), I am only about 600 pages into World Without End. I am trying *so hard* not to speed through it, but that is proving very difficult. Its taunting me from my backpack right now!! I agree that some of the storylines are definitely receycled from Pillars, but it works just as well in this book as it did in the first. Once again, the characters are extremely well-developed . . . . . I'm totally rooting for the "good guys" and the villians are so much fun to hate.

Since I've never come across a bookstore I couldnt enter, I also picked up a few more books while in South Carolina. I can only remember the titles of two -- Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri and Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham. One of the others was a Haruki Murakami (sp?) and the other was by a new-to-me author.

[Dizzy]

Ohana: I looked up your book on amazon...sounds verrry intriguing!

Rosebud: Thank you!!! :D

hub1176: It's been so long since I read that book, but I seem to remember it having a slow start. I really should read it again. Ah, well. I remember it being worth it, tho! I still preferred 100 Years of Solitude. Have you read that one yet?

StarJune: I completely agree in preferring 100 Years of Solitude. But, Love in the Time of Cholera is a beautiful book and I believe totally worth reading. If you can get through the slow start, I recommend it. Altho, I'm a big believer in not reading something that feels like a chore. (after plodding my way through Cold Mountain years ago and being incredibly disappointed, I refuse to read a book that I just can't get into)

am_81: Are you my long lost book twin?? ;) I have Specimen Days sitting on my shelf at home, too, just waiting for me to read it. And Interpreter of Maladies is totally on my list. Have you read any Murakami? I'm curious what you think. He's an enigmatic writer, but very odd sometimes...

I finished Lone Survivor last night. What a sad story. I don't think I'd recommend the book to people unless they have a military background/family, etc, or are just interested in that sort of thing. Half of the book (literally) is spent describing how he got through SEAL training. Which is interesting, sure, but I wanted to read about the mission. It just took forever to finally get to that part, and even then it wasn't that well told. He had a ghost writer, but truly this book should be categorized as a memoir.

Time to find something new to read! Woohoo!

[am_81]

am_81: Are you my long lost book twin?? ;) I have Specimen Days sitting on my shelf at home, too, just waiting for me to read it. And Interpreter of Maladies is totally on my list. Have you read any Murakami? I'm curious what you think. He's an enigmatic writer, but very odd sometimes...

I just got home and pulled down the two other books; the Murakami I got is Norweigan Wood. I havent read anything by him yet, but I always hear how interesting his work is; I just decided to dive into the first one I saw. Which of his have you read?

The last one I got is Intuition (http://www.amazon.com/Intuition-Allegra-Goodman/dp/0385336101/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196105106&sr=8-1) by Allegra Goodman. Never heard of the book or the author, but for some reason the cover stuck out at me. (I'm not ashamed to admit I've been drawn to many a book solely based on the cover art. :o )

[BumbleB]

Rosebud - Thanks for updating the list!

Dizzy - The Book of Lost Things Finally arrived - I think I'll be starting it tonight.


I'm currently in the middle of two other books: World Without End (about 600 pages in)
and
Stones From the River

Both are fantastic!

I still think I LOVED Pillars more, but World Without End is hard to put down too (although Pillars was like Crack for me too - impossible to put down). I keep having to stop myself from reading ahead - I just want to know what happens to everyone. And man can Follett write villains! :D

[ee_chick]

Thanks for updating that list, Rosebud!

I've been reading mostly fluff (Marian Keyes, Patricia Cornwell, etc.) because I've got too much stuff going on to really dig into a good book.

I finished History of Love this weekend for my book club. I liked it a lot but didn't love it. I liked the elements of the story, and it managed to be both funny and heartbreakingly sad. I agree that the language was lovely and I did stop to reread several passages, which is rare for me. I didn't love the style though.

I'm another read Interpreter of Maladies this year, and I highly recommend it.

I've been browsing through the NYT's 100 Notable Books of 2007 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/books/review/notable-books-2007.html?em&ex=1196226000&en=c62b28c363aef535&ei=5087%0A) list for some ideas for library requests.

[Ummm]

Never heard of the book or the author, but for some reason the cover stuck out at me. (I'm not ashamed to admit I've been drawn to many a book solely based on the cover art. :o )

ha, i thought i was the only one! i know, never judge a book by its cover... but a good cover definitely would catch my attention to see if i even want to read the book...

how does anyone else 'discover' new author (excluding recommendation from others)? it is exciting when i 'discover' someone i really like (and later found out they are popular) without knowing anything about them prior. eg i read 'the bone collection' before it became a movie and really enjoyed it.

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any one has any recommendation on time travelbook ? i've already read time traveller's wife. i thought it was okay, but it's not really my type of book. i want something a little more sci-fi/fantasy type book but not overly scientific or too out there? there was one i really loved when i was a teen (forgot the exact title and my books haven't been unpacked yet) but want something similar for adults.

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i couldn't get into short stories for whatever reasons, even from some fav authors. i felt that the characters don't get to develop much... i definitely remember some epic novels i'd read (sorry, it's in chinese!) and just didn't want to story to end...

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dizzy - yes i love reading murder mystery eg jeffrey deaver, stuart woods, patrician cornwell etc. 'the art of deception' actually has pretty good reviews on amazon (higher than what i'd give) but i guess just not my type - i did finish it in a day (sick in bed) just didn't have the unexpected twists i love.

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reading magical thinking at the moment, by augusten burroughs, same author for 'running with scissors'. short stories from his childhood - i know i just said i don't like short stories much, but i felt like i already know about his character from running with scissors. i'm still amazed/amused about stuff that happened / his thought process.

---------------

finished Husbandry: Sex, Love & Dirty Laundry--Inside the Minds of Married Men by Stephen Fried. we've married for over 3 years and i can identify with the wife somewhat... a fun little read that reaffirm that my husband is 'normal'? :p (not that he's everything like the guy in the book...)

also finished alek - From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel - an autobiography by the supermodel alek wek. i really don't know much about her (not really into the whole fashion scene), but since i am a photographer i thought i'd read about what a supermodel has to say - plus i'm in a bit of an autobiography phase right now (wasn't interested in them before). easy to read, and quite interesting and she seems down-to-earth and grateful. also nice to hear she has a very supportive family. but i wish it has a bit more details or more in depth - i don't know, not that i really want gruesome details about the war or history, but i'd read other books on struggling or inspiration or motivation etc that brought me to tears but this book didn't (altho someone on amazon.com did...). well, i do want to see some images from those photoshoots she talked about so i wish that was included in the book! she did have a few family pictures in there so that was nice to see that.

[Purple]

StarJune: I completely agree in preferring 100 Years of Solitude. But, Love in the Time of Cholera is a beautiful book and I believe totally worth reading. If you can get through the slow start, I recommend it. Altho, I'm a big believer in not reading something that feels like a chore. (after plodding my way through Cold Mountain years ago and being incredibly disappointed, I refuse to read a book that I just can't get into it)

I am slowly adopting this principle. It's just that when I start a "bad" book, I just keep hoping and hoping and hoping it gets better. :p It takes so much for me to put a book down and give up.

I'll have to go back and give it another try.

[sublime311]

I am slowly adopting this principle. It's just that when I start a "bad" book, I just keep hoping and hoping and hoping it gets better. :p It takes so much for me to put a book down and give up.

I'll have to go back and give it another try.

As I tell my 6th graders, one strategy of a good reader is recognizing that you are not enjoying a book and moving on before it completely turns you off of reading forever! (except maybe I don't use "turns you off" when I'm saying this to them!)

[lawyerlee]

any one has any recommendation on time travelbook ? i've already read time traveller's wife. i thought it was okay, but it's not really my type of book. i want something a little more sci-fi/fantasy type book but not overly scientific or too out there? there was one i really loved when i was a teen (forgot the exact title and my books haven't been unpacked yet) but want something similar for adults.
You might try The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer or The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. :)

[LaughAtlantis]

any one has any recommendation on time travelbook ? i've already read time traveller's wife. i thought it was okay, but it's not really my type of book. i want something a little more sci-fi/fantasy type book but not overly scientific or too out there? there was one i really loved when i was a teen (forgot the exact title and my books haven't been unpacked yet) but want something similar for adults.
I highly recommend Connie Willis's To Say Nothing Of The Dog..

[Dizzy]

I have to second the recommendation for The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer. Ahhh, that book made me bawl like a baby.

am81: I shamelessly judge books by their covers, as well! :D I am dying to read The Chess Machine by Lohr and part of the reason is because the cover is so cool! The jacket blurb is also interesting, but I may not have paid attention to it at all were it not for the cover. Oh, and I've read Murakami's Kafka on the Shore. It was brilliant, but strange. There were moments that I actually put the book down and said out loud "WTF?" to my husband...but it was still brilliant.

BumbleB: Woohoo that The Book of Lost Things arrived! Not sure if I should say this or not, but I remember thinking it had a slow start. If you feel that way, don't despair! It gets soooo good!

StarJune: I know what you mean about hoping books get better. That's how I ended up throwing Cold Mountain across my apartment.... hehe... Ya know, just because "everybody else" thinks a book is great doesn't mean I'll agree. It's tough because I don't want to be a quitter, but I just don't think it's worth it anymore. (Damn you, Cold Mountain!)

Sublime: That's a GREAT lesson to teach your students. One bad book really can ruin the joy of reading for such impressionable young students.

I decided to read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. It's already breaking my heart...:(

[Dizzy]

ee_chick: Thank you for the link!

[BumbleB]

shhh...don't tell anyone:

Dizzy - I didn't finish Cold Mountain either, it's still sitting on my bookshelf. Not often I like a movie better than a book. :rolleyes:

Bel Canto was another one (I know most people loved it) but I barely made it through it and was bored to tears.

and most recently I completely skimmed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel - because it bored me to tears too - but it was so long I counted it as a read anyway. :o

[meganth]

I highly recommend Connie Willis's To Say Nothing Of The Dog..

I'm actually reading this one right now! It's ok - entertaining.

There's also old reliable, Outlander. And the Thursday Next series (ie, Eyre Affair) kind of mixes time travel with book travel.

[Ummm]

I decided to read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. It's already breaking my heart...:(

this is one of the books i'd already borrowed from the lib - haven't gotten around to reading it yet since it's one of those books where i have to in the mood for... but i am looking forward to it.

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thanks for all the time-travel recommendation! will check them out!

[Dizzy]

BumbleB: Woohoo!!! Another partner in crime who didn't like Cold Mountain! :) There is no shame in not liking a book that everyone else likes. I don't know if I should admit it here, but I've never liked anything by Hemingway, I barely got through Catcher in the Rye, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy was way to dense for my tastes. (especially since I'm not much of a fantasy reader) Whew! I said it! I feel like one of those people in a support group who gets up and says, "Hi. My Name is Dizzy, I didn't like the following books..." hehe

Ummmm: Definitely make sure you're in the right frame of mind to pick this up. It is heartbreaking. I know I already said that, but I can't think of a better word. It will make you physically ache. I just can't fathom that kind of pain, destruction, and cruelty.

ETA: I also didn't like Sideways. Put it down, like, 5 pages into it...

[MsPeachy]

Hi all - I was looking up books for my X-mas list and thought it would be fun and helpful to some of you to post this link. Amazon has a collection of "Best of" books of 2007. Top 100 Editor's picks, Customer's Picks, Picks by genre, etc. There are a whole bunch of lists to look through for ideas, etc.
Enjoy!

Amazon's Lists (http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_5901212_4?ie=UTF8&node=383166011&pf_rd_m=AKEVKO7DR4RA&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_r=10P1CE9DEK09XTCR2DD1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=334085701&pf_rd_i=283155)

Oh, and FWIW, I couldn't get 20 pages in to Cold Mountain. Horrible. Almost, but not quite as excruciating as The Notebook.

[Purple]

Dizzy- We must be BCT's- Book Critic Twins!!! :p

I never understood the hype about Hemingway.

[hokiegirl]

Ummmm: Definitely make sure you're in the right frame of mind to pick this up. It is heartbreaking. I know I already said that, but I can't think of a better word. It will make you physically ache. I just can't fathom that kind of pain, destruction, and cruelty...
Ummm - I agree with Dizzy on this book. I highly recommend it. Heartbreaking, but eye-opener.

[lawyerlee]

I've been reading The Long Walk by Stephen King and Good Grief by Lolly Winston. I'm trying to find some simple stuff to give my mind a break and just enjoy myself. I was trying to force myself to read Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver, but I finally gave up for now. It's great writing, but a lot to think about. I need some fluff to mix in with the spiritual stuff I've been reading. :)

[nawsgirl]

I finished listening to The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther a little while ago... it was OK, nothing spectacular. It's about an Iranian woman living in London who has to go back to Iran to face her difficult past after her (adult) daughter has an accident. The best part about it was the descriptions of Iran, both the physical landscape and the cultural history as it affects both mother and daughter.

Now I am listening to Playing for Pizza, the new one by John Grisham. He must be spending a lot of time in Italy now, since I think another of his more recent books (The Broker?) took place there as well. Anyways, it's about a third-string QB who can't hack it in the NFL so his agent convinces him to go play in an Italian league. It's not horrible, but it's not good either. At this point I just want to see what happens and be done with it so I can move on to (hopefully!) better things.

Next I will be listening to Eat Pray Love which is narrated by the author. I'm kind of excited for this one, so I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint!

I am STILL reading Nineteen Minutes (yes I am the slowest reader of all time!) by Jodi Picoult. Of course I've already skipped to the end so I know what happens, but I am going to slog it out through the last 70 pages anyways. After this I will be reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan- looking forward to this one too!

[ee_chick]

I've been reading The Long Walk by Stephen King and Good Grief by Lolly Winston. I'm trying to find some simple stuff to give my mind a break and just enjoy myself. I was trying to force myself to read Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver, but I finally gave up for now. It's great writing, but a lot to think about. I need some fluff to mix in with the spiritual stuff I've been reading. :)

Good Grief isn't exactly the stuff of fluff! It's not difficult, but it's sure not light. I did like it a lot, though. We read her next one, Happiness Sold Separately for book club. The group was pretty split, but I liked it. She certainly doesn't choose the typical material for "chicklit"

[Ummm]

finished letter of the law by tim green. a legal thriller. not bad, will probably read something else by the author again. i think i still prefer steve martini.

dizzy - thanks for the heads up. will definitely do so!

hokiegirl - hey there!!!! how's it going? thanks for the recommendation!

[pixielou]

I never understood the hype about Hemingway.

ya know, i don't consider myself a real Heminway fan, yet I do find it necessary to read "The Old Man and The Sea" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" every year.

I just finished Is Anybody out There by Marian Keyes. Wow. I could barely put this book down. I kept putting it off since some people on this thread had said that it was deep and depressing. I guess the underlying story line was dark, but I really found the book to be a bit uplifting and inspiring.

So for those of you who have read Anybody Out There - this shouldn't be giving anything major away about the story line - in the end where Anna is told that she already knows the person she will fall in love with - who do you think it is? My answer in white - My first instinct is Mitch, but on more thought, I think Angelo.

I think I'm going to quickly read another The Cat Who. . . book before I settle in with Composing a Life for my book club meeting in not quite 2 weeks.

[am_81]

Damn . . . . I have about 50 pages till I finish World Without End and I dont want it to be over. :( I'm toying with the idea of saving it for tomorrow, but I doubt I'll be able to hold out.

[Rosebud]

Ack! This anti-Hemingway talk is killing me! He's my very favorite.

I've never been a huge fan of The Old Man & The Sea.... but The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms?! Come on, that's AMAZING stuff! I dare any one of you to not cry your eyes out over A Farewell to Arms. A Moveable Feast is also great, and of course all the short stories.

It's definitely a more "masculine" and spare writing style, but I adore that. I find that it lets the characters and themes of his work really shine through.

[BumbleB]

Rosesbud- I've only read The Sun Also Rises and I really liked it. I've been meaning to read another Hemingway, sounds like A Farewell To Arms should be added to my list.

I read The Sun Also Rises for one of my College English courses and I was just fascinated by his writting style. But I know it's not for everyone.

If I had to pick one I extremely dislike it'd be Faulkner, and I'm sure I'll get flamed for that! :p

[BumbleB]

Damn . . . . I have about 50 pages till I finish World Without End and I dont want it to be over. :( I'm toying with the idea of saving it for tomorrow, but I doubt I'll be able to hold out.

That's how I felt too! I wasn't expecting the last half of the book to be as good as it is (not sure why) but I devoured it. Can't believe how fast I read that book.

How did you feel it compares to Pillars? I love both, but think Pillars would have been impossible to beat...it will always be one of my absolute favorites!

[Rosebud]

BumbleB- You won't get flamed by me. I can't deal with Faulkner at all. But yes, I would definitely recommend A Farewell to Arms- it's just wonderful. :)

[katmg]

If I had to pick one I extremely dislike it'd be Faulkner, and I'm sure I'll get flamed for that! :p

Oh dear lord, I hated Faulkner. I had to read 4 or 5 of his novels while in high school. My English teacher for jr. and sr. year must have had a thing for him. While I appreciate the depth of thought that he put into his writing and I certainly got something out of reading them, you could not PAY me to go back and reread them. I'm glad I read them but I'm also glad I don't have to do it again, y'know?

[Purple]

Damn . . . . I have about 50 pages till I finish World Without End and I dont want it to be over. :( I'm toying with the idea of saving it for tomorrow, but I doubt I'll be able to hold out.

That's when you know that it is a good book!



Ack! This anti-Hemingway talk is killing me! He's my very favorite.

I've never been a huge fan of The Old Man & The Sea.... but The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms?! Come on, that's AMAZING stuff! I dare any one of you to not cry your eyes out over A Farewell to Arms. A Moveable Feast is also great, and of course all the short stories.

It's definitely a more "masculine" and spare writing style, but I adore that. I find that it lets the characters and themes of his work really shine through.

I do agree that A Farewell to Arms is his best work. But the rest I find a bit bland.




If I had to pick one I extremely dislike it'd be Faulkner, and I'm sure I'll get flamed for that! :p

Amen about Faulkner. That may have been the first author that I gave up on. I mean I really, really tried. Maybe one day when I am old and retired I will try The Sound and the Fury again.


Oh dear lord, I hated Faulkner. I had to read 4 or 5 of his novels while in high school. My English teacher for jr. and sr. year must have had a thing for him.



My university professor had a "thing" for him too. Thank goodness I loved all of the other works he chose. That was my absolute favourite class during all my years of study. And it was the first English course that I took. I was in a 3rd-year science degree and I seriously considered switching to an English major because of this class. I even met with the Supervisor of English to discuss it. :o

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

I'm okay with Hemingway's style, but I don't really like his characters. I didn't really like any of his books.

[hub1176]

Hemingway - I liked The Sun Also Rises, most of his other work was really difficult for me to get through. Not a fan of his style.

I finished Love in the Time of Cholera, but was a bit confused at something in the story. Posting in white to not spoil it for those who haven't read it:

In the begining of the book, when the Doctor is the foucus, it says that the biggest fight they had in their marraige was over a bar of soap. Then later in the book you find out the doctor had an affair and Fermina left him for 2 years to live with her cousin. Am I missing something?

Just started Water For Elephants and can not put it down.

[whos that girl]

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

This book came as a surprise to me. I picked it up on a recommendation from a friend and loved it. I may or may choose to eat the same things at restaurants because of it, but it was fascinating. A really great non-fiction look at how restaurants operate- from behind the scenes.

[hub1176]

Just finished Water for Elephants LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. I'll have to reread it though since my book club isn't meeting until January.

[Katy]

Add me to the following:

* just finished The History of Love for book club - I thought it was an interesting story, but I'm not so sure I liked the style since it took me about 1/3 of the way through to put it all together and then just let the story continue on without my working at it. I cried like a baby at the very end.

* I typically judge a book by it's cover which is yet another reason to not like the movie covers. Typically though, with chick lit, the cover won't let you down.

* I absolutely loved The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms. Both great books.

I'm currently reading Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble along with an ever growing pile of biz-related books. If know of any woman that's ever, even once talked about leaving her job to start her own whatever, then check out the Ladies Who Launch book. Totally motivating and inspiring (so much so that I ran out and immediately bought a copy for a friend as a belated b'day gift).

[Ummm]

finished Sabotage: America's Enemies Within the CIA by Rowan Scarborough. i wish the book was written in a better order since it seems to jump from one place to another then went back later. it talks about how the CIA is failing and is out to sabotage the current government. i'm not political at all and the book wasn't really what i expected it to be (i thought it would be more about law enforcement, than politics).

also finished The Other Side : The True Story of the Boy Who Sees Ghosts by Denice Jones. i stayed up and finished it in a night. i don't know if i believe in ghosts or not but it was an easy read (though can get kinda scary when you read it at night since it is supposedly a true story!). got mixed reviews on amazon. it's almost too weird to be real but who knows.

[Dizzy]

Add me to the anti-Faulkner club. Perhaps I'm just not smart enough, but I could never finish any of his books.

Ummm: The ghost story sounds intriguing!

Hub1176: Glad you liked Water for Elephants! That was one I couldn't put down.

whos that girl: I've heard good things about Kitchen Confidential. Seems like it'd be a fun non-fiction read!

am81: I can't believe you're almost done with World Without End! I hope it was every bit as great as you'd hoped!

I've been reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz this weekend. It is incredible. I absolutely love love love love it. It has to be one of the best fiction books I've read all year.

[kd 9.21.02]

I enjoyed Kitchen Confidential as well though it made me not like Anthony Bourdain, the author. I think guys like this book even more.

We love, love, love Bourdain's place, Les Halles, and go there way too often.

[mgrace]

Ooh, I'll have to pick up Ladies Who Launch . Thanks katy!

I'm currently reading Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot.

[ginastorm]

I'm currently reading Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot.

I really enjoyed that book!

[Dizzy]

Pixielou: Thanks for your thoughts on Is Anybody Out There. I love when a book is so compelling it's hard to put down!

Rosebud: I'm sorry! :) I know how you feel, tho. A teeny tiny part of me is "hurt" when someone doesn't like a book or an author I adore. So, because I respect your taste in books and because so many others have recommended it, I solemnly swear that someday I will try to read A Farewell to Arms, ;) especially now that I'm older & may appreciate it better. The last Hemingway I read was a year or so ago; I picked up The Old Man & the Sea because it's one of those everyone should read & I just wasn't feeling it.

BumbleB: I'm totally with you in the not-caring-for-Faulkner camp! No flaming from me :)

Katy: The History of Love made me bawl, as well. I will most likely re-read that book someday, especially since there were so many storylines to put together. Thanks for the rec on Ladies Who Launch!

katmg, StarJune, and LittleFredPunkinHead: What are ya'll reading now?

[katmg]

dizzy - I don't have anything that I'm reading currently and it is driving me batty. I know my mom picked up World Without End for me for Christmas so I'll have that to read in a bit. I'm thinking about trying to check out The Golden Compass from the library. There has been a lot of discussion about it at my church and I'd like to have read it before I cast judgement on it.

[Katy]

Ooh, I'll have to pick up Ladies Who Launch . Thanks katy!

I'm currently reading Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot.
I love Meg Cabot and found both Size 12 and Size 14 to be very enjoyable (and I've got Big Boned on request at the library for when it comes in!!) I have to say though, since so much of the character development happened in Size 12, I found that one to be a little better since you were getting to know everyone and figure out how they fit into the picture and plot.

Have fun with Ladies Who Launch! I'm on a women in business kick lately (and will probably skip my next book club book so I can read more). I'll be sure pass along the titles of those I'm liking (and mention those that I don't - like Martha's Rules book).

[Dizzy]

katmg: Yeah, my church (and every one of my family member's churches!) is warning the congregation not to see The Golden Compass. Of course, that makes me want to see it & read it even more :) I'm with you; I want to form my own opinion.

[whos that girl]

The Serpent Bride - Sara Douglass OMG OMG OMG.
It made me go back and re-read the original three Battleaxe books, as well as buy Threshold and Beyond the hanging wall to get caught up with all the worlds.

[am_81]

I finished World Without End over the weekend . . . I really stretched out those last few pages. :) I agree with whoever said earlier that the second half of the book was awesome. Not that the first half wasnt, but some authors get to into wrapping up all the loose ends and lose their steam. Not in this book . . . in fact, I think the second half may have been my fave portion. And although Pillars was a phenomenal read, World really gave it a run for its money. Maybe its just a symptom of "which was read more recently," but I think on the whole, I enjoyed the characters in World more. Particulary Merthin and Caris' storyline.

Now I'm suffering from a slight case of burnout; reading a good book way too fast always makes it hard to pick up another right away. I started Intuition (Allegra Goodman) (http://www.amazon.com/Intuition-Allegra-Goodman/dp/0385336101/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196105106&sr=8-1) last night, but it really hasnt grabbed me in the first 75 pages. No fault of the book though . . . . between still thinking about World and needing to study for finals, I think my brain just isnt it in yet.

[Dizzy]

am_81: I totally understand how you feel! I couldn't read anything for weeks after finishing The Time Traveler's Wife. Same with What is the What. Sometimes that's a good moment to pick up a non-fiction book. Maybe after finals are over you'll feel "better".

I finished The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz last night. It was a really really really incredible book. Outstanding read. I loved it! I kind of feel like am_81 in that I don't feel like picking something else up yet because I'm still thinking about it. I'm not ready to move on.

I do need to get started on Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story for book club on monday, tho!

[BumbleB]

am_81: Glad you liked it. It was a bit draining for me too. I still liked Pillars best. I loved the male characters in World, but I prefer the female characters from Pillars. I'm huge into art and architecture so I think that has a lot to do with my preference. For some reason Caris annoyed me. I liked her - but she annoyed me. She ended up having regrets and I kept wanting her to figure out that she would - but she didn't until it was too late. Anyway.

Dizzy: I finished The Book Of Lost Things last night. It was truly one of the most interesting books I've read in a LONG time. I loved it. The concept and execution of the story were so refreshing and written with such skill - it was truly a fantastic read!

Now I'm going back to finish up Stones From The River - which I'm about 1/2 way through.

[Ohana]

I think one of the things I preferred about Pillars of the Earth is that the cathedral itself was practically a character. I felt like I knew the cathedral intimately while I was reading the book. In World Without End, I was a bit sad to see that the cathedral was no longer a central character, and that inept people like Elfric were allowed to screw up Tom Builder's life work (hey, what can I say, I had a bit of a crush on Tom Builder).

[Purple]

Right now I am reading Think and Grow Rich (http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Original-Restored/dp/1593302002/ref=sip_rech_dp_10) by Napoleon Hill. And hopefully tomorrow I can start Watermelon (http://www.amazon.com/Watermelon-Marian-Keyes/dp/0060090367) by Marian Keyes for a light read. I have not really been impressed with a previous book of hers but have heard good reviews on this one.

[Myra]

I'm finishing What is the What (really powerful) and also reading Dream when You're Feeling Blue (fluffy and not very good), and just started The Sex Lives of Cannibals, non-fiction by a dilettante type who moves to Kiribati (very good so far).

[Rosebud]

...and just started The Sex Lives of Cannibals, non-fiction by a dilettante type who moves to Kiribati (very good so far).

I read that book recently and really enjoyed it. :)

[Ummm]

finished possible side effects (short eassys) and dry (autobiography), both by augusten burroughs who wrote running with scissors, dry is about his adult life - went into rehab and afterwards, and possible side effects, like magical thinking, are just random stories about his life.

i still like running with scissors best. while i was reading his books, i'd be constantly telling my husband the funny parts or the gross parts or the amusing parts. though in the last chapter of 'dry', it made me cry towards the end.

[Purple]

I think one of the things I preferred about Pillars of the Earth is that the cathedral itself was practically a character. I felt like I knew the cathedral intimately while I was reading the book.

I have never thought of it that way before but that is so true.

[Dizzy]

Ummm: I heart Augusten Burroughs. His life has been stranger than fiction!

I'm reading Three Bags Full for book club and it is really cute & clever. I wasn't ready to start reading after finishing The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, but I needed to for book club Monday.

[Rosebud]

So I finished up The History of Love by Nicola Krauss and really enjoyed it. It does take a while to figure out how all the plot lines intersect, but it's so satisfying once you do. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and the characters are very memorable. So, highly recommended! :)

[TracieB]

Right now, I'm reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Very good so far!

[lawyerlee]

Augusten Burroughs is one of my all-time favorite writers. Love him! :D

I just finished A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I really didn't care for it. I felt it had moments of greatness, but those were too few and far between. Mostly I felt like it was overburdened with unnecessary details and way too long for what it was about. I wouldn't really recommend it.

Now I'm reading English as a Second Language by Megan Crane. It's a fun, light read.

[Ummm]

i think Augusten Burroughs' books are addictive!

i'm reading Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robisonby - augusten burroughs' brother. so far so good.

[Purple]

I really recommend Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I did not see it as only pertaining to financial wealth but achieving your goals in general. It is very inspirational. I focused on the chapters: Thoughts are Things and The Six Ghosts of Fear. It has really challenged me to work on my thinking and conquer my fears.

Also, I am pleasantly surprised with Watermelon by Marian Keyes. So far it's fun, light and is holding my attention. I am about halfway through so I hope that it continues. It is written in narrative style but very casually, as if you were sitting with Claire at a pub as she reminisces. I really like her character... it is honest and believable. She is hilarious and sometimes she says quirky little things that I have thought before.

I think that I will continue with only light, fun reads for the rest of the year. I have been reading really heavy and dense books so this is a refreshing change for me.

ETA: Her family is neurotic and not so believable but they are still amusing.

[kwsu44]

So I finished up The History of Love by Nicola Krauss and really enjoyed it. It does take a while to figure out how all the plot lines intersect, but it's so satisfying once you do. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and the characters are very memorable. So, highly recommended! :)

I need a book to take with me on m trip to India ... I think this will fit the bill, thanks for the recommendation!!

[bookworm]

ETA: Her family is neurotic and not so believable but they are still amusing.

If you enjoy the family, "Angels" is Maggie's turn and "Anybody out There?" is around Anna.

[Purple]

Thanks bookworm!

I just came back to post that I have finished Watermelon and I liked it. It became more serious in the second half but was still enjoyable. There was a tiny twist in the ending that I did not like but overall it was good.

Now I am off to read the others in the "series". Are they subsequent to one another bookworm, or can I read them in any order?

[Dizzy]

So I finished up The History of Love by Nicola Krauss and really enjoyed it. It does take a while to figure out how all the plot lines intersect, but it's so satisfying once you do. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and the characters are very memorable. So, highly recommended!

Just wanted to second Rosebud's recommendation of this book. It's truly a stunning read.

I just finished A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I really didn't care for it.

Awww, this makes me sad. That's one of my favorite books of all time :D I know to each his own, but I just wanted to chime in and offer another perspective to those reading along in this thread!

I'm almost done with Three Bags Full. It's just okay for me overall. We'll see how it ends. I checked out The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer and will start that probably Monday or Tuesday.

Hubby & I bought a few books today for future reading: The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, Walt Disney by Neal Gabler, We Wish to Inform you that Tomorrow we will be Killed with our Families by Gourevitch and Atonement by McEwen. I'll get to them all eventually :)

[kwsu44]

I loved A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius! My book club read it a few years ago and EVERYONE hated it except for me. They still talk about how much they don't like it, but I love it.

I'm sure people are put off by the title, they might think it's egotistical, but it really is heartbreaking for Dave Eggers (and his brother) to go through what they did. It was also funny and poignant.

[pixielou]

Now I am off to read the others in the "series". Are they subsequent to one another bookworm, or can I read them in any order?

It seems like you can read them in any order. I read "Rachel's Holiday" first. Then I read "Watermelon" (and it took me a while to figure out it was the same family - the first 50 pages or so I was thinking that Marian Keyes had no imagination when coming up with character names!). And I just recently read "Anybody Out There".

Though my favorite by Marian Keyes has to be "Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married".
*****************
I am still "suffering" thru "Composing A Life" for my book club. The book was written 20 years ago - so a lot of the comments about feminism, racism, etc. are just so outdated. I have 5 chapters to finish by Tuesday. Looks like I will be marathon reading tomorow. Ugh.

[Heather719]

Hi Ladies-

I'm a member of PaperbackSwap.com (http://www.paperbackswap.com) and that site usually doesn't have any of the newer books discussed here. So I'm looking for recommendations of older books. I'll read just about anything from chick lit to historical novels to mystery/thrillers. Favorite authors include Diana Gabaldon, Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum only), Dean Koontz, Katie MacAlister, and Brian Haig. I have quite a few credits to burn on PBS.com and welcome any suggestions!

Thank you!
-Heather

[lawyerlee]

I loved A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius! My book club read it a few years ago and EVERYONE hated it except for me. They still talk about how much they don't like it, but I love it.

I'm sure people are put off by the title, they might think it's egotistical, but it really is heartbreaking for Dave Eggers (and his brother) to go through what they did. It was also funny and poignant.
I didn't hate it. It was fine, just not of of "those" books for me.

I'm making myself stick to completely fun, fluffy books until at least the new year. It's kind of nice. :)

[Dizzy]

Currently reading The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer. Wow. It's beautiful & tragic & haunting. I really love it so far. It's very sad, though, so for those looking for something light during the holidays, it's not a good choice. But, other than that, I highly recommend it so far.

[Purple]

Hubby & I bought a few books today for future reading: The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, Walt Disney by Neal Gabler, We Wish to Inform you that Tomorrow we will be Killed with our Families by Gourevitch and Atonement by McEwen. I'll get to them all eventually :)

I read Obama's first book Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and I really enjoyed it. He was very open and I felt that I learned so much about him. You will have to let me know how you find this one.

In terms of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, are you sure that you want to read this now?? Just want to give you a big heads up even though I am sure that you know what to expect. It is excellent. Just so painful and grisly. Heartbreaking. I have read several books on the genocide in Rwanda such as Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza, Shake Hands With The Devil: The Failure Of Humanity In Rwanda by Romeo A. Dallaire as well as several others and many movies/documentaries. I am always still horrified by it. Just want you to set aside a "good" time to read it. :(




It seems like you can read them in any order. I read "Rachel's Holiday" first. Then I read "Watermelon" (and it took me a while to figure out it was the same family - the first 50 pages or so I was thinking that Marian Keyes had no imagination when coming up with character names!). And I just recently read "Anybody Out There".

Though my favorite by Marian Keyes has to be "Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married".
*****************

Thanks pixielou, I will take note of it. :)

[hub1176]

Just finished The Kite Runner. What an amazing book, I couldn't put it down. I have One Hundred Years Of Solitude to read next, but may wait until after the holidays to start. If I don't start paying some attention to my children DH may be calling the hotline:o

[Dizzy]

I read Obama's first book Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and I really enjoyed it. He was very open and I felt that I learned so much about him. You will have to let me know how you find this one.

In terms of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, are you sure that you want to read this now?? Just want to give you a big heads up even though I am sure that you know what to expect. It is excellent. Just so painful and grisly. Heartbreaking.

Thanks for your comments on both books! You bring up an excellent point. I do know what Gourevitch's book is about and you are absolutely right to point out it may not be the best time to read it. I will definitely wait until after the holidays. Even the fiction book I'm reading now I'm having a tough time with (The Septembers of Shiraz) Don't get me wrong, it's excellent, but very sad.

I've been wanting to read Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris for awhile; now may be a good time since it seems like a fun read! :)

(lawyerlee: Your comment about sticking to fun stuff for the time being is a great idea!!)

[Dizzy]

I have One Hundred Years Of Solitude to read next, but may wait until after the holidays to start.

I loved this book!!

[Ummm]

finished Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robisonby. it's okay. i like augusten burroughs' books better. i just prefer his writing style. interesting to read about some of augusten's characters from another perspective (though they didn't get mentioned a lot). also quite interesting to read about his thought process - why he behaved/reacted a certain way due to Asperger's.

[Purple]

Dizzy~ That's a good idea. I am moving away from the heavy stuff for now too.


hub1176~ Both books are very, very, very good. You should enjoy them.

[Ohana]

Heather I know I've suggested these books in the past, but how about something by Maeve Binchy, Rosamunde Pilcher, or Ken Follett? If you like the Outlander series, I think you'd probably like the Clan of the Cave Bear series as well (assuming, of course, you haven't already read it).

Marian Keyes also has some fun, light reads.

[hub1176]

Heather,
I want to second Ohana's suggestion of Rosamunde Pilcher. The Shell Seekers and September are two of my favorites.

[BumbleB]

Heather-

Another you might look into if you liked Outlander is the Wilderness series by Sara Donati. The first book is Into The Wilderness. I've only read that one so far - so I can't speak to the rest of the series but it was good and I do plan on reading more soon.

[imagirliegirl]

I just finished Too Late To Say Goodbye by Ann Rule. I always enjoy her writing but I think this was one of the best.

On a weird side note, after I finished the book I went to watch this week's Forensic Files that I'd recorded and it's about this case! Odd coincidence.

[cactus]

I just finished How to Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward...it was okay, well-written, but kind of just a "type," if you know what I mean. I just checked out a pile of books from the library though, and I'm excited to plow through those--I'm going to start with The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver.

[Dizzy]

I just finished Too Late To Say Goodbye by Ann Rule. I always enjoy her writing but I think this was one of the best.

On a weird side note, after I finished the book I went to watch this week's Forensic Files that I'd recorded and it's about this case! Odd coincidence.

That's kinda creepy! :D I love true crime; I don't know why I don't read more of it. Have you seen the new book out called Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer (http://www.amazon.com/Entering-Hades-Double-Serial-Killer/dp/0374148457/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197476318&sr=1-1) by John Leake? I've heard good things about it!

cactus: I've heard similar mediocre reviews from others for How to be Lost, BUT I've heard her newer work, Forgive Me: A Novel is really good.

I finished The Septembers of Shiraz last night and OH MY it was wonderful & beautiful & had a great ending. I loved it! Now to figure out what to read next...

[shopaholic]

Currently reading "Water For Elephants" and I love it! Started yesterday and probably will finish tonight.

[ginastorm]

I just finished Confessions of a Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain. It's a parody of Nancy Drew told from the viewpoint of Nancy herself. It's more like a collection of short stories as Nancy gets older. It was a fun read.

[mgrace]

Just finished Size 12 Is Not Fat. Cute book! At first, it was a bit slow and hard to get into, but then I couldn't put it down.

[cactus]

I had checked out Forgive Me from the library but I had to return it before I could actually read it...maybe I'll have to give the author another chance.

[Dizzy]

ginastorm: I read Heartsick by Chelsea Cain and it was suuuuper graphic and gross. Seems very different from Confessions of a Teen Sleuth!

cactus: Yeah, let me know what you think if you do pick up Forgive Me.

Well, my bookstore didn't have Then We Came to the End or The Savage Detectives (the two I really wanted to get) so I picked up An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke and I loooove it so far!! It's just what I needed after a very somber read. It's unique, quirky and written in a very fun, contemporary style.

[ginastorm]

ginastorm: I read Heartsick by Chelsea Cain and it was suuuuper graphic and gross. Seems very different from Confessions of a Teen Sleuth!



Wow. I just looked at Amazon's discription and summary of the book and you're right! It sounds like the books are completely different from one another. It is the same author too, not just some coincidence with 2 writers having the same name.

[Katy]

Just a quick update...I'm thinking that on Jan 1st we'll close this thread (since we're close enough to 1000 posts) and start up the new one. Maybe we can do that each year and it will keep as a "what we read in '0x year" sort of thing. Any thoughts or objections?

[emmasart]

I'm in the middle of reading Cell by Stephen King (http://www.amazon.com/Cell-Novel-Stephen-King/dp/1416524517/ref=ed_oe_p).

I really like it. It's a story involving post-apocalyptic zombies and takes place in the area when I grew up, New England. The first part of the book takes place in my home town: Boston, in front of the Four Seasons & the Commons on Boylston St, a place I've walked past hundreds of time.

A book that combines zombies and my hometown? I'm a happy camper. :)

[Ummm]

reading escape by Carolyn Jessop - so far, very very interesting. very easy to read as well (i'm really into memoir right now!)

from amazon:

Book Description

The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.

When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn’s heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husband’s psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolyn’s every move was dictated by her husband’s whims. He decided where she lived and how her children would be treated. He controlled the money she earned as a school teacher. He chose when they had sex; Carolyn could only refuse—at her peril. For in the FLDS, a wife’s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name.

Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Against this background, Carolyn Jessop’s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. Not only did she manage a daring escape from a brutal environment, she became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious leader, Warren Jeffs.

[mgrace]

Sounds good, Katy!

[rachrich]

Hey gals, I haven't been in this thread for several months so I'm way behind on reading posts. This isn't a serious book, but I was wondering if anyone has read Stephen Colbert's new book. I'm a big fan of his and am really interested in buying the book. Any thoughts??

[Katy]

I just finished reading Diane Danielson's The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking. I found out about this book when I was poking around some blogs (one of the bloggers was a resource). What a great book. In some ways it can be quite simple (explaining internet basics), but the style is so relaxed that it wasn't too boring. I really learned a lot about sites like Linkedin and how they can be used to help with networking. A light and breezy book for someone looking for new and simple ways to network.

[Ummm]

Finished Escape by Carolyn Jessop. worth a read, especially since I didn't know a lot about FLDS.

[Dizzy]

Katy: That plan works for me!

Rachrich: I thought Colbert's book was pretty funny, however, I think it might be better on audio. There were times when some of the jokes fell a little flat simply because you couldn't see or hear Colbert's great sarcasm or facial expressions. But it's still a fun book to have around.

[rachrich]

Dizzy oh that's a good point. his sarcasm and expressions totally make the jokes a lot of the time! i can't wait to read or listen to it.

[Ummm]

Finished Anatomy of Fear: A Novel of Visual Suspense
by Jonathan Santlofer, a murder/mystery/thriller. it's okay, the plot is quite simple (compared to other thrillers i'd read), what made me picked it up is the main character is a forensic artist, and the book includes the drawings he did as the story unfolds. the author is also the artist.

[Purple]

Finished Escape by Carolyn Jessop. worth a read, especially since I didn't know a lot about FLDS.

Was she on Oprah? This story sounds familiar.

[Ummm]

Was she on Oprah? This story sounds familiar.

not sure, i don't watch oprah :)

[Ummm]

finished Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush (yes Bush's daughter). When I decided to borrow the book I didn't know it was written by her, not that it matters. i think the audience for this book is more for teens/young adults. very easy ready. and i supposed since it's not written with adults in mind, it doesn't go into a lot of details but it's probably a good introductory to what people who were born with HIV/AIDS gone through (esp in developing countries where they were really discriminated).

[Dizzy]

Ummm: I've been eyeing Escape for awhile now; glad to know it's worth a read.

I finished An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England (did I already say that?) Anyway, it was soooo great!! I really really liked it! I highly recommend it for people looking for something different and creative; it's definitely not typical in any way.

I'm currently reading Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. It's slow paced but very beautiful.

My bookstore gave me some Advanced Readers Copies of a couple books not yet out in paperback. I got Loving Frank by Nancy Horan and The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey. (both out in hardcover just not ppbk) I'm so excited! Both books have been on my list since they were published.

[Dizzy]

I finished Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. I liked it, but I didn't love it. It was very poignant and said a lot about loss of innocence, growing old, and being alone. But it was very quiet and slow paced and had verrrry long descriptions of things like making breakfast and sending timber downstream. So, not something I would necessarily recommend, but I'm glad I read it.

I picked up Away by Amy Bloom tonight. Bookmarks magazine gave it 4 stars, so we'll see!

[Ummm]

finished bad monkeys by matt ruff. interesting book. i chose the book purely based on the cover - bright yellow, narrower than usual. and the description seemed interesting - jane is in the jail's psychiatric wing after she confessed killing someone - but that she belongs to this secret society that kills evil people. so is she lying or is she crazy or is she speaking the truth?

it's very fast paced and really drew you in to find out what happened. not sure if i like the ending though - i don't know how else it should end but seems like there should be a bit more.

[am_81]

Its been a while, cant remember where I left off in here . . .

I ended up finishing Intuition (http://www.amazon.com/Intuition-Allegra-Goodman/dp/0385336101/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197987110&sr=8-1) (Allegra Goodman) fairly quickly. It wasnt a super-fantastic book or anything, but I found the premise -- ethics in a research laboratory -- very interesting. (The company I formerly worked for was invovled in a major ethical scandal a couple years back and ever since I've found that topic intriguing.)

I've been holed up in the apartment sick since Friday and read like a maniac all weekend (internet access was down). First up was Interpreter of Maladies (http://www.amazon.com/Interpreter-Maladies-Jhumpa-Lahiri/dp/039592720X/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197987293&sr=1-2) (Jhumpa Lahiri). Excellent! I'll have to say that I liked The Namesake better, but her short stories were so compelling. I wouldve loved to read a full-length version of several of them. After that I needed a little "comfort reading," so I picked up one of my billions of old Danielle Steels -- Star. Typical Danielle Steel . . . . girl is oppressed/abused/held back by men and bad family, escapes and tries to make a good life for herself, falls in love with a man but cannot have him, gets tangled up in another bad situation with a bad man, escapes dramatically and then lives happily ever after. :) Not exactly Shakespeare, but I needed to zone out a bit. I follwed that up with The Snow Garden (http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Garden-Novel-Christopher-Rice/dp/B000IOF38M/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197987589&sr=1-1) by Christopher Rice (son of Anne Rice). The story was twisted and bizarre, but it sucked me in enough to read the book in just one day. He definitely inherited his mother's talent in the writing department.

Now I've moved on to Nothing That Meets The Eye (http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-That-Meets-Eye-Uncollected/dp/0393325008/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197987723&sr=1-2) -- a collection of Patricia Highsmith (author of the Mr. Ripley series) short stories, published post-humously.

ETA -- Even though I specifcally did not make it a goal of mine (mainly because I never come close), I am *so* close to hitting 50 books for 2007. I only need 8 more books between now and the 31st!

[LeslieR]

Hi ladies, sorry I haven't been in here in a while. Something happens to my brain when I'm pregnant and I just can't concentrate on a book to save my life!:rolleyes: Needless to say, I volunteered to pick the next book for book club and I'm having such a hard time! I want to pick an older book (one that is at least in paperback and easy to get a hold of be it at the library or a used copy as I know a lot of the members get their books this way) and not something many have already read. I picked up The Memory Keeper's Daughter yesterday and the book club leader said she's already read that (not that it matters), but it made me think many have probably already read it as well. So, I went through my to be read stash and found Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Has anyone read it? If so, do you think that is a good book club pick? Do you think many have read it? TIA!

[am_81]

I read Lolita this summer. Here's the very brief comment I made on this thread earlier:


I actually started reading Lolita right afterward, but after reading the first half I had to take a break and pick up something lighter. The subject matter is um, "intense," for lack of a better word and I needed to step away for a little bit. Same thing afterwards . . . . I had already read part of Sex & the City and I knew it would be sorta dissapointing (compared to the TV series), but I need something fluffy to recover from Lolita.


I think it could make a good book club selection simply because it illicits so many strong opinions. However, I think it takes an open-minded reader (not saying you arent one) to get beyond the "ew, the icky old guy wants to sleep with a little girl" aspect of it. I think Nabokov writes just beautifully and if you (general you) get too hung up on the old guy/little girl part of it all, you miss out on a lot. A pplus for the book is that I dont think that many people will have already read it. I dont think I know anyone IRL who has (outside of for a Russian Lit class or something academic like that).

ETA -- Now that I'm re-reading my post, I think The Memory Keeper's Daughter could be a good book for discussion, for a similar reason. IRL and right here on this thread, the opinions of the story are pretty varied. Some though it was heart-breaking, some thought it was whiny . . . . some identified with the wife in the story and some were rooting for the nurse.

[LeslieR]

Thanks am_81! I read the reviews of Lolita and thought it sounded pretty controversial making for good discussion.

Do you think many have read The Memory Keeper's Daughter?

[Dizzy]

LeslieR: I agree with am_81 that Lolita would be controversial and spark some great conversation...if everyone in the book club gets through it...

I don't think many will have read The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I don't know too many people who have, personally. I have to admit I didn't particularly care for the book, but I didn't have any problems getting through it. I just thought it was boring after awhile.

Have you checked out the thread on Book Club Suggestions?

Book Club Thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13908&highlight=book+club)

[dizylizy]

just finished "Me and Mr. Darcy" by Alexandra Potter. Very nice easy read.
starting the "Handmaiden and the Carpenter" About Mary and Joseph by Elizabeth Berg.

[LeslieR]

thanks Dizzy. I started paging through Lolita and decided against it. I'll have to do the same with The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time picking a book! I did read through that thread, but it only made me even more confused. I should just pick a book I've read and loved and be done with it already! gah.

[Dizzy]

LeslieR: There are some paperbacks out there that are supposed to be great. People at my bookstore are buying and saying good things about:

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures: Stories by Vincent Lam
The Last Season by Eric Blehm

Or you could read something by Norman Mailer (The Executioner's Song, maybe?) since he passed recently. Or The Golden Compass since it's causing some controversy...

[hub1176]

I'm reading The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. It's about 2 women in India one wealthy and the other not so much... Anyway it's an easy read, but I only had to read a few chapters to figure out how it's going to end.

[pixielou]

Or The Golden Compass since it's causing some controversy...

This is the read for my January book club. It has a long hold list at my library, so I'm thinking I may have to go buy it.

February will be The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu.

Who has read WICKED? I just picked it up at my FoL sale. I *love* The Wizard of Oz - and I'm concerned that it will "ruin" Wizard of Oz for me. Comments? Thoughts?

For the remainder of the year, I am only going to read Nicholas Sparks of Lilian Jackson Braun.

[Katy]

Pixie, I hated Wicked. It was so slow. I had the hardest time getting through it (and it's a thick book). I was bummed too since I expected so much out of the story - not just because of the play, but because it seemed like such a good story. I think it shows great vision when someone can take (what I think) is a pretty dark and slow book and turn it into an entertaining movie, or in this case an award winning play. At the time, I had all his books on my wishlist. Once I finished, I deleted them all thinking he was too much of a chore to read.

[Dizzy]

pixielou: I have to agree with Katy on her comments regarding Wicked. I actually trudged all the way through (this was before I decided to put down books immediately if I don't like them) but I couldn't tell you what happened. I ended up skimming and skipping stuff just trying to get to the end. I won't read anything by Gregory Maguire again, unfortunately. It was way too dense and verrrrry political.

[LeslieR]

pixielou, I HATED Wicked. I really wanted to see the musical and reading that book made me never want to see it.:(

[Dizzy]

LeslieR: Can I stick my nose in and say the musical is NOTHING like the book? :) If you like musicals you will LOVE LOVE LOVE Wicked. It is literally so different from the book I think the only thing they took from it were the names and a few plot points. It's one of the best musicals I've seen!

[Rosebud]

I just recently finished reading After the Quake by Haruki Murakami. It's the first thing I've read of his, and I really enjoyed the stories. The themes were very compelling and the writing style lovely. I really want to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which I've heard such good things about-- but it's long and I thought I'd try some shorter stuff by Murakami first.

Currently reading: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. It's great so far!

[LeslieR]

LeslieR: Can I stick my nose in and say the musical is NOTHING like the book? :) If you like musicals you will LOVE LOVE LOVE Wicked. It is literally so different from the book I think the only thing they took from it were the names and a few plot points. It's one of the best musicals I've seen!

good to know! Thanks for telling me that!

[Dizzy]

Rosebud: I find Murakami to be almost dream-like in his writing. And sometimes like he's on crack! He's brilliant, tho.

And I've heard great things about The Inheritance of Loss! I am definitely adding that to my "to-read" list.

[Dizzy]

LeslieR: Did you decide on a book for your book club?

Rosebud: How is The Inheritance of Loss going?

pixielou: What do you think of The Golden Compass?

I'm still reading Away by Amy Bloom. I'm not quite sure what to think of it yet...has anyone else read it? She has a very interesting writing style that leaves me at a loss for words as to how to describe it...hmmm...guess that's why I'm not a writer! :p

[BumbleB]

I'm so worn out from work lately I haven't done much reading. Still half way through Stones From the River (making slow progress on it, but I do like it). I just re-read In Her Shoes - since it's a quick one.

I'm also reading Living the Creative Life (a how to on creativity and finiding inspiration around you). It is VERY good so far.

Wicked - Ah, Gregory Maguire. I tried so hard to like you. I also read Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister. His books are just too trite for me - for whatever reason. I was pretty underwhelmed by them, just like everyone else.

[Ummm]

finished Only As Good As Your Word: Writing Lessons from My Favorite Literary Gurus by Susan Shapiro. My first book from her (she's written 2 or 3 others beforehand).

she wants to be a poet, even at a young age, and this book talks about how other writers/mentors have taught/inspired/helped her along the way. her poetry hasn't been that successful - but all her popular books are her memoir instead.

it's quite a fun and easy read. she seems quite frank with what she shared. for those of us who love reading, most of us probably dream of writing something/getting published, so it is interesting to read about others who try to do so. i'd recommend this book.

one of her other memoir is about quitting smoking and booze - so i wonder how it'd compare to augusten burroughs. i still like augusten's style a tad better, but i am interested enough in her works that i'm borrowing her other books (the first one talked about what she'd do if she meets her ex's again).

[pixielou]

hmmmm. . .so nobody was feeling the love for Wicked. good thing I only spent 50 cents on it. I think it will sit on my TBR shelf for a while.

[Dizzy]

I'm almost done with Away by Amy Bloom and I think my problem with her is she's too self-indulgent and self-congratulatory for me. She has completely manipulated the story (and really every sentence) to the point that it doesn't feel like the book "spilled" out of her. Bloom knows exactly how good she is and it's a little off-putting for me. I love a genius writer but I prefer when it just spontaneously comes out of them...as if the book is "writing itself", if that makes any sense.

[MsPeachy]

hmmmm. . .so nobody was feeling the love for Wicked. good thing I only spent 50 cents on it. I think it will sit on my TBR shelf for a while.
I liked Wicked. Unfortunately I made the mistake of picking up Mirror, Mirror afterward. Now that book is just horrible. Slow AND boring!

[LeslieR]

I finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter last night. I guess I liked it. lol It was soooo wordy in places that I skipped a lot of paragraphs, though. I felt myself really not liking the wife more and more throughout the book. She completely changed and became someone (understandably so) I didn't like or even really want to read about anymore. I don't know-I'm still thinking about it. Glad I didn't pick it for book club, although it would have made for interesting discussion, I'm sure. FTR, I ended up going with A History Of Love by Nicole Krauss. of course, that means I have to track down a copy, but the reviews I read were really good and I figured there was a very low chance many had read it.

[Dizzy]

I finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter last night. I guess I liked it. lol It was soooo wordy in places that I skipped a lot of paragraphs, though. I felt myself really not liking the wife more and more throughout the book. She completely changed and became someone (understandably so) I didn't like or even really want to read about anymore. I don't know-I'm still thinking about it. Glad I didn't pick it for book club, although it would have made for interesting discussion, I'm sure. FTR, I ended up going with A History Of Love by Nicole Krauss. of course, that means I have to track down a copy, but the reviews I read were really good and I figured there was a very low chance many had read it.

I agree with your comments on The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Not only did the wife become so unlikeable, but the story became so boring. I love love loved The History of Love!!! It is sooooooo beautiful; I hope you and your book club like it.

I picked up The Savage Detectives the other day and got about 100 pages into it and decided to put it down. I just wasn't feeling it. So today I started Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease by Sharon Moalem. After being so disappointed with The Savage Detectives, I needed a little nonfiction for a change.

ETA: I just realized I didn't come in here and say how much I ended up LOVING Away by Amy Bloom, after all. I still felt she was too self aware of her greatness, but she ultimately created a stunning novel.

[Ummm]

finished Up High in the Trees: A Novel by Kiara Brinkman. Randomly picked it up in the library because of how short the paragraphs /chapters are (i'm not one really into descriptive stuff - i like fast paced, good plot, good characters etc more so than the language itself for the most part). I wasn't aware that the narrator of the book (an 8yo boy) has Asperger's, not that it really matters (just found out about that i read amazon's review AFTER i'd done reading the book), but since i'd just finished a memoir about asperger's, i didn't even pick up the child has asperger's. anyway, the 8yo's mother died, and this book talked about how he and his family (dad, older sister and brother) coped with it. amazon gave a very good review (tho only 7 reviews) but i'd gave it a 2 out of 5. i didn't find it haunting. i did want to find out what happened and i finished the book pretty much in one setting. but after i'm done, i'm like 'huh? what's the point of the book?'.

also finished Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter by Phoebe Damrosch. 2.5 out of 5. she worked at Per Se - one of the top restaurants (French) in NY and i love to read about food (i love eating diff food, tho i don't cook). it was interesting to read about the training they had to go through (1 month worth of training) but she talked about her love life and all that (well i guess it is a memoir after all) which i found kinda boring/not relevant as i was hoping for more food/restaurant related story.

I don't remember if i'd started participating in this thread when i read Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford. this is a much more interesting book, i'd recommend this one to the foodies!

[Purple]

Right now I am reading A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue by Wendy Shalit. It is anecdotally written by a young woman with a unique perspective and is quite interesting. It has really made me think.

[Dizzy]

Ummm: Thanks for the foodie book recommendation!

StarJune: That does sound interesting; what issues has the book brought up that have made you think?

I finished Survival of the Sickest and it was ok. It was verrrry interesting in parts, but then redundant in others. I love genetics and science in general, so I still enjoyed, but I've read better.

Tonight I picked up The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman, a true story about a couple who saved hundreds of people from the Nazis by hiding them in their zoo.

[Ummm]

Dizzy, The Zookeeper's Wife sounds interesting. would love to hear what you think when you're done. if you're into foodie books (i'm right now! food and memoir) - i'm reading Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.) by Anthony Bourdain. very interesting so far. will post more when i'm done.

[BumbleB]

I just finished Atonement. It was interesting. I liked it but didn't love it. I think I'm too much of a hopeless romantic - I'm pretty sure the movie would really depress me.

Now I'm starting Love In The Time of Cholera (was a Christmas gift, I'm not reading all the movies that are out on purpose - I swear).

[Dotsie]

I'm about to start Murdered by Mumia.

[Purple]

Dizzy- I am a supporter of a return to modesty so I knew that I would agree with a lot of the book but I was surprised by some of the connections that she made which made me go "hmmm". I guess I hadn't really thought that those things influenced how women are treated now. She discusses school sex ed, the feminist revolution, men's changing views on women, violence against women and criticisms against modesty. Very interesting and it is giving me plenty to think about.

[Myra]

I finished (and really liked) The Sex Lives of Cannibals and started Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone--it's fascinating.

Someone gave me Water for Elephants--is it a light read?

[am_81]

I managed to finish Nothing That Meets the Eye (Patricia Highsmith) while on my Xmas travels. All in all I thought it was a really great short story collection, a little bit of all different genres. The "later" stories (from the 70s and 80s) were by far my fave, not only in content, but because she had really honed her skills by that time and the stories seemed much more fluid.

My mom bought me/us a bunch of David Baldacci and Dean Koontz fluff books for Xmas . . . I'll be taking 6 classes next semester, so I'll have less time to read than I have had this year and will need some "light" reading more often. I read Baldacci's The Winner (http://www.amazon.com/Winner-David-Baldacci/dp/0446606324/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198939697&sr=8-2) on the way home. It was very much typical of his books, formulaic and fast-paced, and I enjoyed it well enough.

I have no idea what I'm going to read next. I'm toying with the idea of blowing through all the books my mom bought me just to be able to say I read 50 books this year (only need 7 more), but eh . . . that doesnt sound too appealing.

[Dizzy]

Ummm: I've heard mixed reviews of the Anthony Bourdain book. You'll have to let me know what you think! I finished The Zookeeper's Wife and the story is really quite incredible and heroic...how this couple hid so many people and saved so many lives at the risk of their own. They were true silent heroes in a very dark time in Warsaw's history. I felt the writing, however, was too journalistic and matter-of-fact. I craved a more human, fictional element and it just wasn't there. It's definitely a *history* book, if that makes sense.

Purple: Thanks for your thoughts on the book! It does sound really interesting; I saw quite a few young "ladies" at the mall this afternoon that would do well to read it...

am_81: Glad you got some fluff reading for next semester! You'll be sooo glad to have them for a much needed break, so I'd say hold off instead of blowing right through them. But, that's just me :)

I have NO idea what to read next. I work tomorrow (at the bookstore) so I'm sure something will grab me...

[Ummm]

I finished (and really liked) The Sex Lives of Cannibals

i've started reading it, then got distracted and started reading other books - i need to get back to finish it!

dizzy - i am enjoying kitchen confidential, only has a little bit left. i've borrowed some of his other books because i enjoyed his style. i can see why someone may not like it - there's quite a bit of foul language in it, but i see that as he's just writing things as is, and not sugarcoating the story. to me it just makes the story more real, if that makes sense. there are some parts that may not be very 'continuous' - like in one chapter he mentioned a gf, then in the next chapter he mentioned a wife. but since this is about his chef journey, i don't mind him not explaining everything about his personal life. tho he did mention quite a bit of booze, drugs and all. reading this book makes me hungry tho! i guess it's like running with scissors and augusten's other books where people may find the language offensive, but it doesn't bother me. contents/plots are more important to me than writing style :)

[whos that girl]

Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner

Its the story of four different women and their experiences with pregnancy and motherhood. One thing that impressed me about the book was that Weiner didnt try to sugarcoat everything. She showed that sometimes the whole experience just kinda sucks and it was refreshing to see that in fiction.

[cactus]

Right now I'm reading The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perotta and I love it because he makes me giggle. I like a nice smart writer.

I like it more because the last book I read before this was The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. I completely and totally respect her talent as a writer, and I also respect her openness to take on subjects that are just way too dark for most people...but in this case, I had a really hard time sympathizing with *any* of the characters (I guess that was the point) to the point where most of them made me mad--and that made me sort of hate the book. In retrospect, I guess I appreciated that the book evoked such a visceral reaction in me, because I'm sure that was probably the author's intent, but it was an incredibly difficult book to read outside of the pretty prose. FWIW, and for those who are interested, the book is about the aftermath of a middle aged woman smothering her elderly mother. I hope that's not too much of a spoiler--it happens within the first few pages. I'm not even really saying not to read it; I think you just have to know what you're getting into.

I'm planning to read something even lighter next. Can you tell I'm a bit scarred? ;)

Dizzy, I was really interested to read what you had to say about Away. I understand exactly what you mean about some writers just being too aware of their own greatness. I'm glad you wound up really loving the book...I love Amy Bloom and I have high hopes for this one!

[Purple]

Purple: Thanks for your thoughts on the book! It does sound really interesting; I saw quite a few young "ladies" at the mall this afternoon that would do well to read it...

I have no clue what some of them are thinking. :rolleyes:


I have NO idea what to read next. I work tomorrow (at the bookstore) so I'm sure something will grab me...

It must be amazing to work with all of those books. I would want to find a corner to hide in and curl up with a book. :)

[Dizzy]

Ummm: Thanks for your comments! I heart Augusten Burroughs and his crazy life, so I doubt Bourdain's writing would bother me. I may have to add him to my list!

cactus: I've heard so many similar comments regarding The Almost Moon that I've officially taken it off my to-read list. It's disappointing because I adored The Lovely Bones. You'll have to let me know what you think of The Abstinence Teacher. I was disappointed by it and found it quite underwhelming...I'm very curious what you think! (please feel free to disagree with me :) ) Oh, and it's hard not to love Away. It truly was a stunning book.

purple: Yes, working with the books is the BEST! I get a generous discount and can borrow any hardcover I want for up to two weeks. (which is why you'll notice everything I read is still in hardcover...) it's not even my fulltime job...I just do it for fun :)

Tonight I picked up World Without Us by Alan Weisman. I've read so many great things about it I finally caved!

[Ummm]

finished Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. i liked it. it is fast paced, and i enjoy reading about the lingo and the behind the scene secrets (like don't order fish on mondays!). i think he was honest - about himself and others. he'd admit it if there are other chefs who are better than him.

reading the brief wondrous life of oscar wao now.

[Lizard]

finished Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. i liked it. it is fast paced, and i enjoy reading about the lingo and the behind the scene secrets (like don't order fish on mondays!). i think he was honest - about himself and others. he'd admit it if there are other chefs who are better than him.

reading the brief wondrous life of oscar wao now.

Have you read Heat (http://www.amazon.com/Heat-Adventures-Pasta-Maker-Apprentice-Dante-Quoting/dp/1400034477/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199134832&sr=8-1) by Bill Buford? It's really fantastic, and you learn way more about Mario Batali than you care too. I haven't read Bourdain's book yet, but I've heard that people who like Bourdain like Buford, and vice versa. :D

My recent books - I've been on quite a spree lately.

A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex (http://www.amazon.com/Lions-Tale-Around-World-Spandex/dp/0446580066/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199134950&sr=1-1) by Chris Jericho - AWESOME book, but I'm a huge Jericho mark and bought this puppy on the release date. He's such a funny and interesting guy, with far too many road stories. Only complaint was his overuse of the word "Ricockulous". :D

The Fair Tax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS (http://www.amazon.com/Fair-Tax-Book-Saying-Goodbye/dp/0060875496/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199135065&sr=1-2) - The content of this book could fill up a separate thread!!

I Am America (And So Can You!) (http://www.amazon.com/Am-America-So-Can-You/dp/0446580503/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199135138&sr=1-1) - I kinda cheated on this one and listened to the audio book while travelling over the holidays. I'm glad I did, because Stephen reads the book. It lends so much to the content! Really good and funny.

The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland (http://www.amazon.com/Real-America-Messages-Heart-Heartland/dp/0743496965/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199135240&sr=1-2) by Glenn Beck. It was pretty good, very much Glenn in a nutshell. The most interesting part was reading about his conversion to Mormonism, which I had no idea about (I'm just a part-time listener of his). I'm interested in reading An Inconvenient Book but wanted to read this one first.

I'll also mention that I TRIED to read The Time Traveller's Wife, but I couldn't finish it! It's just not my style of book I guess... I do love heroic fiction like Eddings, Tolkien, etc., but the time travelling aspect of this book just wasn't jiving with my brain. I know lots of people love it though... including my DH who read it right after I did.

[TracieB]

I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. It's so interesting. I'm really learning a lot about the farming industry that I never knew. It's not really a "fluff" book and it's taking me awhile to read, but I have been enjoying it so far!

[ee_chick]

I've been doing some fun, fluffy reading this week.

I read Playing for Pizza by John Grisham, which was enjoyable but not great. It had football, food and Italy so the odds were in it's favor. :)

Next up was Cross by James Patterson, which is one in a long line of Alex Cross novels. I think I've read most of them - it's hard not to like Alex Cross and it's fun to read a good crime novel now and then.

I just finished Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas which was a fun return to romance novels for me.

I'm in the middle of The Lost Daughters of China by Karin Evans. It's good, but a slow read and not fluffy. It's part memoir, part investigation into the reason that China has so many of it's daughters available for adoption.

[Ummm]

Have you read Heat (http://www.amazon.com/Heat-Adventures-Pasta-Maker-Apprentice-Dante-Quoting/dp/1400034477/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199134832&sr=8-1) by Bill Buford? It's really fantastic, and you learn way more about Mario Batali than you care too. I haven't read Bourdain's book yet, but I've heard that people who like Bourdain like Buford, and vice versa. :D



yes i'd read it already! i was telling dizzy a page or 2 back. yeah i think people who like bourdain will like buford and vice versa - from memory tho (read heat a couple of months back) bourdain prob has more swear words in his book, but who was counting? :)