The Book Vipers discussion

Sam wrote: "Currently reading:
2001: A Space Odyssey (audiobook)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Free Preview - The First 14 Chapters
The Color of Magic
And still analysin..."

I think Pratchett is brilliant. aiming to re read all of his soon.

Currently reading one (yes one) The Graveyard Book. Then deep breath and aiming to read five next week...

I need to decide what to read next! Possibly Mansfield Park, but I also have Elijah's Mermaid winking at me from the shelf... hard to resist.

Now I'm resuming The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

Started a new book today its called Ten-Thirty-Three: The Inside Story of Britain's Secret Killing Machine in Northern Ireland

I was planning to read Mansfield Park along with Winter Holiday which, for some reason I can't fathom I'm struggling with, and went confidently to the upstairs bookcase to get my copy. Only to discover that it wasn't there.

No idea where it's got to - I don't remember lending it to anyone.

I've got the free version on Kindle for now. I'm not going to buy another copy just yet because, if I do, the other one will almost certainly turn up. I've been caught that way before.

Just starting Beneath the Skin by Nicci French. Have enjoyed a few of hers before.

MANSFIELD PARK is a beautiful book with all of Jane Austen's drawing room drama. Subtle conversation and a kind of smouldering emotion beneath demure glances. If you have not read sense and sensibility, I must say it is really beautiful. The film too with winslet and Thompson is sublime. Beautifully enacted.

Space Odyssey was a masterpiece by Sir Arthur Clark who chose to live in Sri lanka in quiet - away from the madding crowd. I saw the film..must read the book.

DEFINITELY Mansfield Park! ;-)

Had to put The Kite Runner on hold to read a book club pick which is Sycamore Row! It's my first Grisham book but he has already found a fan in me and I'm only on chapter three!

Quite looking forward to Mansfield Park. It isn't one I know that well, having only seen a tv adaptation many years ago.

Still ploughing on with The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Nearly 40% read now. It's very interesting but quite a lot of the detailed to-ings and fro-ings over the annulment of his marriage to Katherine are slowing me down.

Just started The Invention of Wings and drawn in already. Also loved The Secret Life of Bees by the same author. As it is a library book with a huge reserve list I have had to leave Mansfield Park and Instructions for a Heatwave until it is finished and returned!

Aiming to finish Jack Glass today

My next read will be Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty. It's MN book of the month for January and fits into the Magic Square :)

Now starting The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe.

Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Sandra wrote: "Now starting The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe."
I thought that this was a brilliant read despite the very sad circumstances. Be prepared to extend your tbr list!

Gail wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Now starting The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe."
I thought that this was a brilliant read despite the very sad circumstances. Be prepared to extend you..."

It is very good. I liked this book a lot. And yes you will need a pen and paper handy to jot down all the titles of books they read, because you'll want to read them too!

Going to start Human Punk by John King today.

I've started Mansfield Park, and I love it. I read it at bedtime last night and kept saying "just one more chapter" until I was nearly asleep (not due to the book I hasten to add!) and had to accept it was time to put it to one side.

currently have three on the go, Snow Crash, The Painted Man and The Energy of Nations: Risk Blindness and the Road to Renaissance.

I'm currently reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova. The book is about a Harvard academic, Alice, who finds that she has early onset Altzheimers. The subject has a horrid fascination for me as my grandmother has dementia (not Altzheimers but similar in its symptoms and progression) and both her siblings died of the same disease, so I do worry that I may have inherited some dodgy genes there. The descriptions of Alice's lapses of memory, fear and disorientation feel uncomfortably accurate. I like that the story is narrated by Alice herself, so that most of the time the reader sees things through her eyes. I'll be interested to see where the author goes with this. Surely Alice's narration must become less accurate as the book progresses?

I started listening to Mansfield Park this morning, before going out. Haven't got very far yet, but will listen on tomorrow.

Also started Apple Tree Yard this afternoon.

I started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this morning on my way to work

Two letters in I was a touch sceptical, then after the third I was hooked and quite put out I had to do other stuff in work!!

Anna, I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society! Enjoy it!

I'm starting todayMrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Started The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid this morning! Not sure of the second person pov but I am enjoying it.

Jen wrote: "Started The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid this morning! Not sure of the second person pov but I am enjoying it."

It is in my TBR list, but I had no idea that was written in second person pov. Sounds crazy.

Jen wrote: "Started The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid this morning! Not sure of the second person pov but I am enjoying it."

Jen, hopefully it will start to flow for you, it's an unusual narration style but I found it so effective and could not put it down.

It's a quirky style but I found it gripping and couldn't put it down.

I couldn't warm to his subsequent novel How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia though.

I've recently started A Kestrel for a Knave. Never read it before,although I've seen 'Kes'

I'm reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I took a while to get into it, but I'm enjoying it now. I'm reading it really quickly as it's due back at the library in two days!

I'm reading One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson for the non fiction box of my Magic Square challenge and I'm about halfway through. Bryson takes the interesting approach to American history of focusing in detail on what happened in just a few months of 1927. I knew a little bit about the adulation of Charles Lindbergh from The Plot Against America by Philip Roth but it's interesting to find that Roth did not exaggerate this at all. I'm also finding it very instructive concerning the achievement of Babe Ruth. I was aware that he was a great American icon, but as I know nothing at all about baseball it was hard to understand why he is so revered. Bryson gives hard information about baseball averages that make it clear just how remarkable Ruth was.

I'm still reading Finders Keepers: Selected Prose, 1971-2001. It's a collection of different prose writings by Heaney over several years - so easy to pick up and put down.

I am also plugging away at Winter Holiday. I struggled with it at first but am enjoying it more now.

I'm reading Born Under A Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield.

Jo wrote: "Claire wrote: "I'm reading American Wife for my bookgroup and LOVING it (even more than Sisterland) and also [book:The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying..."
I have finished it now and would really recommend it Jo.

I'm in the middle of Naoko: A Novel. I've read the author's later crime novels and enjoyed them, this is good too but not a crime one. Somehow I find reading crime novels from other countries more exotic!

Finally started Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, having had it for ages. Nothing like a library deadline to make you get a move on!

Claire wrote: "Jo wrote: "Claire wrote: "I'm reading American Wife for my bookgroup and LOVING it (even more than Sisterland) and also The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a ..."</i>

Thanks Claire.

I am listening to [book:1984 for my walking/car time and reading The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss

Finished reading Born Under A Million Shadows. Really enjoyed it, more than I thought I was going to. Now reading Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.

Just started American Ghosts & Old World Wonders by the wonderful Angela Carter.

I'm reading Stoner, so sad!

Lizzie wrote: "I'm reading Stoner, so sad!"

I picked a copy of that up after it was recommended to me.

Just started Terra incognita: travels in Antarctica, one for my Winter challenge.

I'm reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I love it. So much.

Reading "I Am Malala," the girl shot by the Taliban for wanting girls to go to school, plus "America's Great Depression," which is a good economics lesson so far.

Going to start The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.

As well as Terra Incognita: Travels In Antarctica I am reading Snow Crash. Even though I like Neal Stephenson as an author, some of his books are better than others.

Just finished The Light Between Oceans.
Still working on Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.

Sandra wrote: "Just finished The Light Between Oceans.
Still working on Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker."

Sandra, I loved The Light Between Oceans what did you think of it?