Books on the Nightstand discussion

I am 100 pages into The Signature of All Things and as an avid gardener, I am enjoying it. Perfect reading afternoon...hubby asleep on the couch waiting for the football game...and the house full of chips and dip!

I'm midway through Nicola Griffith's Hild. Enjoying the challenge; have to keep three bookmarks going--one to mark my place, one on the map/genealogy, and one on the glossary.

Started rereading "Equus", since I was just cast in it. Great play.

I just finished Perfect by Rachel Joyce today & picked up The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window & Disappeared. Looks like it may be a fun read, not too sure yet though.
Happy reading all!

now starting

In the middle of and .

I am reading Mrs. Poe.

I picked up The Luminaries yesterday and made it past the 1st page, so I think I'll give it a go. Still reading aloud The Mouse and His Child to the kids and toying with Reality Boy . After finishing The Goldfinch and A Fine Balance recently, it's proving difficult to find my groove.

This month I will read:

Complete 2009 TBR: Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found and The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom and the pre-quel The Rose of Fire
Random TBR: The Dead Do Not Improve
Published in 2014: Probably going to piggy-back on one of the Booktopia Vermont books coming out this month.
Booktopia: The Cartographer of No Man's Land, Glitter and Glue, A Burnable Book, and The Winter People

Not sure which book I am going to purchase at the local indie, Prairie Lights yet for this month.

I will hope to start my quarterly historical read: The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible

Also, reading The Handmaid's Tale Marriage for one of my book clubs. I don't love distopic plots, but we'll see.

On Audible, I will finish How Lucky You Are and also listen to Longbourn

I'm enjoying This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage immensely. Ann Patchett is now my life coach. This will be a book I read again and again.

Also listening to Lexicon. The two narrators are giving great performances. The story is different for me, but it's great so far.

Just finished What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell, and am now reading Someone by Alice McDermott.

I am reading and a book from my library maybe a little daring for me.

Motherland by Marie

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Someone when you've finished.

Karen wrote: "Just finished What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell, and am now reading Someone by Alice McDermott."

In case anyone was wondering, Nick Hornby's new collection does turn out to be his four earlier review collections packaged together with a new cover. There's no mention of this anywhere on the jacket copy.

I started Alena by Rachel Pastan after putting down The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and Disappeared. I may go back to that one someday, but I wasn't really in the frame of mind to read it right now.
Alena looks very promising, especially since it's a modern version of Rebecca, a book which I adore.
Happy Reading!

Alena really looks good!

I'm listening to David Suchet, Poirot and Me - that's my audible listen. Bookwise, I've got on the go, The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort, Trials in Heels by K D Hunter, both kindle downloads and library loans of When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan and About last night by Adele Parks. Too many books really !

Just finished The General of the Dead Army by Ismail Kadare

In the 1960s an Italian general goes to Albania to repatriate fallen soldiers from WWII. The task seems plain, but the enormity of war for both sides becomes apparent and the job becomes a messy and heavy burden to bear.

This is a novel like no other I have read. The subject matter is dark, but very interesting. The writing is outstanding and the emotion that comes off of the page is so real the reader experiences it for herself/himself.

5 stars. Absolutely one of the best books I have ever read.

Reading Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity the result of 10 years of interviews by the author with parents who have children that fall "far from the tree." These include kids that are deaf, have autism, are prodigies, and commit horrible crimes. It's a large book (over 900 pages) but an absolutely compelling read.

Listening to What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, a book of short stories. Amazing is all I can say.

Started & Sons. It is up and down for me but overall I am enjoying it. Oddly enough I am also listening to The Son. Will Patton is one of the narrators and he is a favorite. I am also a sucker for a good western saga so this is right up my alley.

Jay. I'm a big fan of Will Patton's narration as well. He is Dave Robicheaux as far as I'm concerned.

I put it down for a while but I'm returning to , about (possibly) the last remnants of humanity living in a massive underground silo. I'm about a third of the way through. It's interesting, but the pace is a bit slow. It was originally released as a series of novellas (I think), which probably explains the pacing issues. Not sure if there is a main plot, exactly. It seems to be told through a series of delineated sections, each focusing on a different character but still connected to the previous story/section. Some really nice writing in there, and strong narrative voices.

Amy wrote: "This month I will read:

Complete 2009 TBR: Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found and [book:The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom|6..."

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favourite books. Disturbing and terrifying on so many levels but such a great read.

Last night I started Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. This is my first mashup book. I was a little reluctant to pick up the book, because I wasn't sure this would be something I would like, but once I started, I had a difficult time putting the book down to go to bed.

Chickadee wrote: " Last night I started Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. This is my first mashup book. I was a little reluctant to pick up the book, because I wasn'..."

If you haven't seen the movie, you should check it outt when you finish. Good movie and as I remember, follows the book well.

Wayne wrote: "The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favourite books. Disturbing and terrifying on so many levels but such a great read"

I am looking more forward to the other books on my list for the month. I might actually skip this one if I am not on track with the others (or my hold doesn't get filled from the library). But if I read it, I will keep an open mind.

Listening to . I need an audio book for work. Interesting.

Gerald wrote: "Listening to . I need an audio book for work. Interesting."

Sold!

Chanda2426 wrote: "I just finished Perfect by Rachel Joyce today & picked up The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window & Disappeared. Looks like it may be a fun read, not too sure yet though.
Happy reading all!"

Chandra, what did you think of Perfect?

I gave Mrs. Poe two stars. It felt too contrived of a plot surrounding the relationship between Osgood and Poe. I also felt there was a little too much name-dropping. The author tries to include a who's who of literary and historical significance of the time period.

I am now enjoying One Good Dog.

February is Women in Horror Month! I'm reading classic women authors of gothic and horror fiction and posting the free short stories on my blog. This week is Mary Shelley's short story, Transformation. A supernatural and romantic tale in Genoa Italy.

I encourage all to participate in Women In Horror month by reading, supporting, blogging, and tweeting about their favorite female horror authors.

April wrote: "Chanda2426 wrote: "I just finished Perfect by Rachel Joyce today & picked up The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window & Disappeared. Looks like it may be a fun read, not too sure yet though...."

It was OK, not as good as Harold Fry. I wouldn't buy it, but it caught my eye at the library.

Shaffer's great play of psychological suspense.

A teenage boy, caught between a religious mother and an atheist father, suffers from a unique delusion that causes him to commit a shocking act. The task of discovering why falls to a middle aged psychiatrist who is dealing with his own midlife issues.

The answer to the boy's mystery slowly unfolds during probing psychoanalysis and reenactment of key events. Actors portray six horses, who act as a (very) Greek chorus and as objects of the boy's delusion.

The play asks us to consider: what is "normal"? Is "normal" just what's left in plodding, numbed adults after their youthful sense of myth and wonder is removed? Is "normal" even desirable?

I just finished Mrs. Bridge and almost finished Mr. Bridge. Have the movie ready to watch. Enjoyed both very much. Thanks to Andrew for suggesting.
Also loved The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane. I picked it up at the library on the "new book" display. Great writing.

Chanda2426 wrote: "I just finished Perfect by Rachel Joyce today & picked up The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window & Disappeared. Looks like it may be a fun read, not too sure yet though.
Happy reading all!"
I read 100 Year Old Man... It was not what I was expecting but it was good!

I just started midnight's children by Salman Rushdie.

Gerald wrote: "I am reading and a book from my library maybe a li..."

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War was so great. I keep wishing he would write an updated version, I'd love to see how/if things have changed since he first wrote the book.

Right now my reading is so dominated by audio books my reading gets held up. I have had on my shelf so long I must read it.

In the middle of Beautiful Ruins and The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, but put those aside in favor of Night Film from the library, which I am enjoying!

Also listening to Ali Wentworth's Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales during my short commute.

Forgot to add that I picked up Chekhov's The Seagull to read in advance of seeing Kate Burton as Arkadina in a few weeks at The Huntington Theatre.

I finished Alena by Rachel Pastan this morning. It was a great read. 4 stars from me. If you like dark, rich prose ala Rebecca, you will love this novel.
I started The Swan Gondola this afternoon. This is not a book I would typically try, but the writing style and vivid descriptions have whisked me away to Omaha 1898 World's Fair.

I finished Benjamin Alire Saenz's book of short stories, Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, earlier this week. I loved the language in his YA novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, but I didn't enjoy the stories as much.

I am now galloping through The Writer Who Stayed by William Zinsser, which is a book of essays. I wish I had the patience to read it more slowly and better savor how perfectly compact each essay is.

Next I am hoping to finally read The Fault in Our Stars (unless something else grabs my attention first). I want to know why people are up in arms about the movie's trailer.

Just made a stop at Odyssey Bookshop while on a recruiting visit in the Pioneer Valley and bought Margot; Mr. Pip; and A Well Tempered Heart! So much for my "I'm not buying books until I go to Booktopia." Currently reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

I am reading The White Tiger and To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918. Both are fascinating in different ways. I am also reading at least one poem every day as my new year's resolution.

I zipped right through the newest Stephanie Plum novel, Takedown Twenty. Any book that starts with a giraffe running through the streets on Trenton, New Jersey, has to be worth a few laughs! Dare I say that our heroine, Stephanie, is showing a few signs of maturity? Trying to cook instead of eating junk food, buying a vacuum cleaner, planning to talk to Morelli about their status as a couple, even—gasp—considering giving up her bounty hunter job? Fear not. She hasn't gone over to the dark side of domesticity yet.

I also read Among the Missing, a suspenseful novel by Morag Joss, a Scottish writer whose books I've liked before. I've got her newest checked out from the library but haven't started it.

I also listened to The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman, the story of a fictitious international newspaper based in Rome, told through chapters depicting a slice of life of various staffers (and one devoted reader). Perhaps I loved this because I used to work for newspapers, but you don't need a journalism background to appreciate the great writing. Another recent audiobook was Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Another winner!

I finished Motherland by maria Hummel last night and really liked it. If you enjoy authentic WW 2 historical fiction, this is one for you. Started Apple Tree Yard by Louis Doughty today.

A Tale for the Time Being, The Federal Bureau of Physics, and 12 Years a Slave

I just started . I'm a huge fan of Janis Ian her 1975 album Between the Lines is a classic!