The Next Best Book Club discussion

I just finished The Handmaid's Tale, and I'm thinking The Red Tent would be a good follow-up. It would be interesting to compare how ancient civilizations viewed women, sex and reproduction, with where those attitudes could go in the future, and are now in many countries.

I loved The Red Tent! I didn't expect to like it but I definitely fell in love with it and it's one that I just know I'll end up re-reading. I hope you enjoy it.

The Red Tent is awesome. I never thought of it as a "companion" for The Handmaid's Tale but I can see the similarities. If you're thinking of expanding your comparison beyond 2 books, I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It's about two women in Afghanistan starting in the 1970's and going up through 2001 ( I think)

Rachel wrote: "The Red Tent is awesome. I never thought of it as a "companion" for The Handmaid's Tale but I can see the similarities. If you're thinking of expanding your comparison beyond 2 books, I recommend..."

I've got A Thousand Splendid Suns on my bookshelf, just waiting for me. I enjoyed The Kite Runner, and most people have told me this one is even better.

Katie wrote: "Rachel wrote: "The Red Tent is awesome. I never thought of it as a "companion" for The Handmaid's Tale but I can see the similarities. If you're thinking of expanding your comparison beyond 2 boo..."

it is better than The Kite Runner, which almost hurts me to say that.

Next book on my list is The White Tiger, when I finally finish Gone With the Wind.

Oh, my wife says White Tiger is amazing.

Woah, Elena, Gone With the Wind is super long! I heard it's epic though, so I hope you're enjoying it.

Finished "A Great Deliverance" by Eliz George, my second or third read of her first novel. and "Barbarians at the Gates" essays by Thomas Sowell (got 2 stars from me-he's too iconoclassic, sees no nuances in issues)
Starting "The Salem Witch Trials" by Mari;ynne Roach a day to day chronicle of the trials.

Hannah about Asperger's

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
Embracing the Wide Sky: A Tour Across the Horizons of the Mind
Anything about or by Temple Grandin

Katie, Alisha and Rachel abut The Red Tent and The Handmaiden's Tale,

I never thought about linking those books but now someone mentioned it - fascinating. I loved both of those books so much.

I am going to start One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which I have never read. I think my copy of the book looks about as old as I am. And it says it cost $1.25.

It's either going to be Persuasion, Inanna, Lady of Largest Heart : Poems of the Sumerian High Priestess Enheduanna or The Epic of Gilgamesh. I reserved Inanna at the library, but I think I jumped the gun, because right afterward I recieved a first read win, and I have to read Persuasion since it's the last of a box of books I borrowed from my sister, and I want to send them back.

Donna wrote: "My next will be my monthly bookclub read:

Honolulu by Alan Brennert"
I'm thinking of reading that next, too. Loved Brennert's Moloka'i so much. My last few (Pearl of China, Glorious) have been a little less satisfying although I'm really into my current one,
My Splendid Concubine.

Donna wrote: "My next will be my monthly bookclub read:

Honolulu by Alan Brennert"
I'm thinking of reading that next, too. Loved Brennert's Moloka'i so much. My last few (Pearl of China, Glorious) have been a little less satisfying although I'm really into my current one,
My Splendid Concubine.

Alex wrote: "Hey F1! Just saw this review for Under Heaven, a big-ass novel about medieval China. The review's lukewarm, but I'm still a little tempted. And it looks up your alley."
Cheers, Alex - will look into it...but I am a pacifist and tend to not enjoy the "battles" quite as much as the human interest.

Ah, gotcha. Will file that away. I'm the same way - which is a shame, because so many people are totally into the battles that an awful lot of history ends up focusing on military stuff. Bleh.

NP, not easy to read anything remotely historical without a bit of war, right? ;-))

This is especially for Alex, Hannah, Madelaine, FT Wild becaus I follow your remarks every day: In another week or so I am going to mark Goodreads with a "Stop Following" because I'm leaving oh a cruise on June 6, returning July 2 and may not have access to the Internet and with 10 or more mss a day from Goodreads I will be unindated by the time I return. By the way, do any of you get the Daedulua catalog? Its a book supply Company covering all genres: History, biography, fiction, etc. Good stuff, good prices. also DVDS. Check it out.

Cool, a cruise! Where to? Just around Hawaii? ...there's not much else near there, is there? I hear Guam kinda sucks. But then you have nearly a month, you can probably get pretty deep into the South Pacific in that time.

Alex wrote: "Cool, a cruise! Where to? Just around Hawaii? ...there's not much else near there, is there? I hear Guam kinda sucks. But then you have nearly a month, you can probably get pretty deep into th..."

How about a 14 hour flight to New York, aboard the Queen Mary to Southhampton, from there to Dubrovnik, Venice. Rome, Naples, Corsica, Sardinia, Cadiz. Far far from South Pacific.

The next book on my list is The Empty Mirror, by J. Sydney Jones. It caught my eye at the library while waiting for my copy of the new sookie book to come in...

CORSICA!! My favorite place in the world!


Next book up (after I finish some of the ones I'm currently reading) will probably be The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession. I got it from the library but haven't had a chance to start it yet. Sigh.

Well, boy did I get that wrong. Sounds awesome!

El has a serious Corsica fetish. You'll have to take pictures for us.

El, cool, you're finally getting to Devil and Holmes. Hope you like it as much as I did.

The next book on my list is probably going to be Vampire Academy

After Heart of the Matter:
Waiting for You- susane Colasanti
Change of Heart- Jodi Picoult
Girl in the Arena- Can't remember author
Vanishing Acts-Jodi Picoult
True Believer- Nicholas Sparks

I bought "Sherlock Holmes, his short stories" at our used bookstore (best one I've ever seen.) I pick it up when I want a quick read before going to sleep.

I just finished The Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Loved it! I am now rereading Peggy by Lois Duncan. I came across this at my library and totally lost my mind w/ excitement. I love this author and read all her books when I was a kid! This was something totally unique by her and I remember loving it. So far, still love it! I then have a pile of library books to work my way through:
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Covenant by John Everson
The Unloved by John Saul

I have to get moving here! lol

There's quite a number of books on my TBR list so after I finish the books I'm currently reading, I'll likely read either Dickens's Little Dorrit, Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell or Morton's The Forgotten Garden. We'll see xD

Natalie, for when you get back, HOLY COW, what an awesome cruise! I wish I had come along. I want to do something similar someday. Had my first cruise experience this year and loved it. I hope you have a blast.

And thanks for the Daedalus recommendation. I had never heard of it, but I googled it. The website seems awesome, and I ordered a catalog. I'm especially excited about the history section. :) That's totally what I need, more reading.... :) But that's why we're here right.

Ashley, I hope you enjoy the Jodi Piccoult books. I have read Vanishing Acts (though I haven't gotten to Change of Heart). I have a copy if you do not have one. I can post it on swap if you would like - I'm in the process of moving and so I'm in a bit of clean-out phase. Just let me know.

Hannah, I'm glad you looked at Daedulus, you won't be disappointed. This is what I love about Goodreads - we can pass tips around. As for my cruise, I'm taking along "Travel Writing" See the world, sell the story by L.Peat O'Neil along with a new notebook, several pens so I can give a day-to-day report when we return on what its like to cruise the Cunard Line, along with sites visited. Will put it on my blog as well as some of it on Goodreads.

What's this Daedalus thing?

I'm a total slut for travel blogs, so I'll be looking forward to that.

Daeduls is a comany selling books - great prices,u big variety, catalogs come a couple of times a month for both books and DVDs. I don't have their address on hand (cleaning house before trip) but you can find it on google.

Oh I'm envious Natalie! That sounds like an amazing cruise. I just got back from a five day trip down the California coast, on which I was ill the entire time. :( Wishing you much better travel mojo than me!

I checked out Daedulus but its blocked from my work(blah). I'll look again at home tonight.

Aw, poor you Madeline. That totally sucks.

I'm still reading "Croatia" by Marcus Tanner because we'll be visiting the country next month.

In the years since 7th century they've been conquered, divided and conquered again by Venice, Hungary, France, Austria, besides being invaded by the Mongols and Russia. No wonder the Balkans have been such a mess.

I hear Croatia's really pretty.

My new list after The Titan's Curse is:

1. Honolulu
2. Beautiful Creatures
3. Lily's Crossing

My next read will be The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1 & Pride and Prejudice. I have an 8 hour flight tomorrow so I should be able to get those one's wrapped up.

I am working on Infidel right now. It is very interesting so far. Up next will be The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Natalie wrote: "This is especially for...FT Wild becaus I follow your remarks every day: In another week or so...I'm leaving oh a cruise on June 6, returning July 2...do any of you get the Daedulua catalog?"
First, have a super-duper cruise (how could you not??), Natalie!!! Soak it all in - the sun, the culture, the food & drink and especially the men on holiday (cannot miss the views!)!

I've never heard of Daedalus (you meant that, not Daedulua, right?) catalog, but will look into it - more sources for book info is always welcome, although I do almost 100% of my reading on my Kindle.

Last, it's F"1"Wild, not "t" - and it's for Formula 1 racing!

Bon Voyage and say hello to the Hamptons for me at this most delicious time of year!

What do you know - Formula 1. I followed racing in my early married years in Indiana, stock car, midgets and the Brickyard, of course (for tryouts) I wish I could remember the racing vehice we once owned.

and are up next for me.

Finished One Hundred Years Of Solitude (and loved it), next up is All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners by Rutger Hauer. Got this from the library after watching Blade Runner for the first time in years.

After the books I'm reading right now, I'll probably read either Kay's Tigana, Morton's The Forgotten Garden or Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. We'll see, it usually depends on my mood now xD

Natalie wrote: "What do you know - Formula 1. I followed racing in my early married years in Indiana, stock car, midgets and the Brickyard, of course (for tryouts) I wish I could remember the racing vehice we once..."
Sorry for the slow reply...just moved and now my Dad is in the hospital.

Anywho...my hubby and I both love F1 and met through the series. We both LOVE the Speedway (the whole darn place!) and I attended all of the F1 races there!!! We've been to lots of F1 races in the US, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, etc., but hold a very special place in our heart for Indy.

Has anyone heard anything on the book, Anthropology of an American Girl: A Novel by Hilary Thayer Hamann (described as an author love child of JD Salinger & Jane Austin). It's gotten great reviews and an average of 5 stars. I'm thinking of reading this next. Anyone??

Picked up from the library today:
- Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich
- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

I'm not sure which one I'll read first. Artemis Fowl will be a re-read for me since the last time I picked up the series was in junior high. Bringing Down the House has intrigued me since I first heard about it, which was a few years before the movie 21 even came out. Either way, I'm in for a interesting week or so. :)

I didn't love Bringing Down the House. It's entertaining enough just 'cause of the subject matter, but Mezrich's not a very graceful writer.

Jurassic Park was a ton of fun, as far as I remember. Long time ago.

Don't know Artemis Fowl. Cool title.

I have recently finished reading The Girl With The Dragon Tatto, so my next book will be The Girl Who Played With Fire, although I'm currently reading The Gargoyle

F1Wild wrote: "Has anyone heard anything on the book, Anthropology of an American Girl: A Novel by Hilary Thayer Hamann (described as an author love child of JD Salinger & Jane Aust..."

I'm reading this right now and I'm really liking it!