Books on the Nightstand discussion

I'm eager to get to bed to catch the extra hour of sleep (I usually miss out on it). I also have a hot day in the a.m. with Gloria Steinem and Bryan Stevenson and Josh Weil. (Going to miss you, Emily).

I'm listening to The Hummingbird's Daughter and Still Alice and reading The Liars' Club and Dragonfish

Yesterday I started and finished A Monster Calls -- I was a bawling mess by the end.

I'm finishing up Red Rising today. I've been listening to this on audio and the narrator has done a fabulous job. This book had more violence than I expected, but it's a good story.

Then I'm going to start The Beekeeper's Apprentice for bookclub.

Suzanne, I'm listening to an audio of The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Also listening to The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey
Not much print reading going on at my house these days.

I just started Nemesis by Catherine Coulter. I am already entrenched and can't put the book down. I think the laundry will have to wait until tomorrow night!

I just finished listening to the audio of Career of Evil; am reading The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History for book club (although I've heard great things, I'm having a bit of trouble getting into it) and otherwise reading How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky and Woman with a Secret

I just started reading The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonasson. Thanks to Ann for mentioning it on the International Best Seller Podcast recently. I had not heard of this book before and was intrigued after Ann talked about it.

Marion, that's why I got that book too. I added it my ereaderiq.com list, and was able to get it for $1.99 (or $2.99, I can't remember) when I received a notification that the price had dropped. I haven't read it yet, though, but it's in my TBR pile.

In print, I'm racing through All My Puny Sorrows and really enjoying it. Next up should be Gold Fame Citrus.

I'm in denial that I have just over an hour left of Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink. I will miss have Elvis Costello chatting to me on my way to and from work every day. It's an incredible book about an incredible life. Not sure where I'll go next on audio - maybe Pretty Girls or Yeonmi Park's North Korean memoir.

I'm listening to Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins and in print I've started in on some New Zealand authors (for New Zealand November!). If anyone had recommendations for NZ I'd love to have them - I've started with the autobiographies (3 volumes!) of Lauris Dorothy Edmond, best known as a poet, and a volume of short stories by women (One Whale, Singing: And Other Stories From New Zealand.

I had planned to read a few more from the National Book Award shortlists but I'm not sure I'll get there.

I've been working on "Gone With The Wind" since the end of September. I'm REALLY enjoying it, I've just been reading it in spurts when the mood strikes.

Alongside that I've been reading poetry. I finished two collections by Billy Collins (half of them were FANTASTIC, a quarter of them were strange, and 1/4 of them dealt with themes that I decided to skip) and next up is a collection by Mary Oliver.

One of my bookclubs is reading "How Green Was My Valley", so I've been trying to get into that too. I've seen the movie, which was WONDERFUL, but I'm having a tough time with the book. I haven't given up on it yet, it's just a little slow for my liking.

Susanne wrote: "Marion, that's why I got that book too. I added it my ereaderiq.com list, and was able to get it for $1.99 (or $2.99, I can't remember) when I received a notification that the price had dropped. I ..."

Suzanne,

I tried looking for it on that website. I could not find it. I got a copy from my local library.

I'm reading "the collected stories of Lydia Davis" and it is giving me all the feels!

I started reading Dragonfish and listening to Crazy Salad and Scribble Scribble: Some Things About Women and Notes on Media

Marion wrote: Suzanne, I tried looking for it on that website. I could not find it. I got a copy from my local library. "

It's just a price tracking site that lets you add books you want and you choose a price you'd be willing to pay, and when it gets to that price or lower, it notifies you. I checked, and the e-book price is back up over $11. Sorry. But you can see the price history of a book too. I usually get my books from the library because e-book prices have become too high.

I've started The Name of the Wind. This is one long book, so it may take me a while. I'm also reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass for book club next week.

I've been toting Can't and Won't: Stories around as my 'car' book and it's so very delightful!

Jillian wrote: "I'm reading "the collected stories of Lydia Davis" and it is giving me all the feels!"

I just finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which I absolutely LOVED! This book sucked me in from the beginning, and while I figured out one of the twists early on, the other took me completely by surprise. Delightful book. My current audio is Saving Grace. I'm a huge Jane Green fan and have read probably almost everything she's written. My current BOTNS is The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking, which really piqued my interest because of its subject matter. I generally find self-help books trite and self-serving, so it is refreshing to see another way to look at challenges that is closer to my Buddhist leanings.

On deck are Making a Literary Life, The Snow Child and My Family and Other Animals.

Slightly off topic but re: Goodreads Choice Awards....what do you do when you think the best book in a category is probably one you haven't read yet! *sign* Maybe I'll abstain.

Susanne wrote: "I've started The Name of the Wind. This is one long book, so it may take me a while. I'm also reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass for book club next week."

I've been reading mine on the train! Short stories are great to get a few minutes of reading in on my commute! :)

Janet wrote: "Slightly off topic but re: Goodreads Choice Awards....what do you do when you think the best book in a category is probably one you haven't read yet! *sign* Maybe I'll abstain."
I usually try to vote for books I've read but in one category (romance) I am likely to never read them - I vote for covers. *blush*

I am currently reading Mrs. Dalloway. It's... difficult. I'm glad it's short, otherwise I would have given up.

I am reading the ninth book by Louise Penny. I absolutely love the Inspector Gamache series and will be sad when I read the newest one. My next read is Canada by Richard Ford. It is the last of our 2015 picks.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Janet wrote: "Slightly off topic but re: Goodreads Choice Awards....what do you do when you think the best book in a category is probably one you haven't read yet! *sign* Maybe I'll abstain."
I usu..."

I only vote on those I've read. I don't feel it's necessary to vote in every genre or to vote for a book I didn't think award worthy.

Carol wrote: "I only vote on those I've read. I don't feel it's necessary to vote in every genre or to vote for a book I didn't think award worthy. ..."

I'm with you, Carol. I don't vote in a category if I haven't read any of the books listed. There are several genres that I don't read at all (i.e. romance, YA, fantasy, etc.) so I don't feel as though my vote for any of the choices in those categories would be a valid one.

Just finished Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir, rec by a writer/teacher I met at The Loft in Mpls. I am almost finished with The Empathy Exams: Essays, a really interesting book of nonfiction.. Now I'm finally cracking open (Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League) by Jon Odell - one of my favorite authors of late.

Just started listening to Crazy Salad and Scribble Scribble: Some Things About Women and Notes on Media

I'm in the middle of The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny and next up is Ordinary Light by Tracy Smith. I started City on Fire but it was too big a project right now.

Wulf by Hamish Clayton, set in NZ.

Listening to Girl Waits with Gun. Great narration!

Susanne wrote: "Yesterday I started and finished A Monster Calls -- I was a bawling mess by the end...

Been there, done that, brilliant book.

Gina wrote: "I just finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which I absolutely LOVED! This book sucked me in from the beginning, and while I figured out one of the twists early on, the other to..."

Gina,

I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry last year and it was one of my favorite reads. Here's my review of it: http://marion-hill.com/book-review-53...

Marion

Listening to The Girl on the Train
I hope it's good since I've been on the waiting list since June at my local library

Hi All:

I'm reading "True Irish Ghost Stories" as research for a ghost story that I am writing. All of stories appear to be fabricated and all the stories are the same, furniture gets moved and bumps go thump in the night.

I would not recommend this book.

True Irish Ghost Stories: Haunted Houses, Apparitions, Banshees, Poltergeists and Other Supernatural Phenomena

Finished .Now listening to .

Currently reading:

Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel by Zachary Thomas Dodson

Authority: A Novel by Jeff VanderMeer

I just finished Ghost Light by Leeanne Hansen on my Kindle: a bit of a departure from my usual choice in fiction, as I don't particularly care for ghost stories. For purely practical reasons, I am working my way through a print copy of You Can Say No to Chemo: My Mother's Remarkable Roadmap to Healing from Cancer by Laura Bond (because my husband has an aggressive brain tumor). And I am reading Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan for a class I am teaching on Sunday nights. So now I am trying to figure out what my next "strictly for pleasure" read is going to be...probably something in historical fiction (preferably British).

Just finished Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Reading a story a night from Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings by Shirley Jackson and just started Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Then on to Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

I flipped through Bats of the Republic at a book store the other day and decided it would probably drive me....batty. Haha! I'm looking forward to hearing about the story and the writing. Keep us posted!

April wrote: "Currently reading:

Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel by Zachary Thomas Dodson

Authority: A No..."

I'm reading

I'm reading A Brief History of Seven Killings, the prize-winning novel by Marlon James. It's anything but brief (my paperback is nearly 700 pages), so I have to put on some speed to complete it before a book club meeting in a few days. I also have to read Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng for another book club meeting the following day. Yikes.
Before I started the book club reading, I read a book of related stories by Daniel Jose Older called Salsa Nocturna. One reviewer called it "ghost noir," which I guess fits pretty well. I'd like to read more, but this is the only book of his in my library system.
My current audiobook is Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

Nancy wrote: "I'm reading A Brief History of Seven Killings, the prize-winning novel by Marlon James. It's anything but brief (my paperback is nearly 700 pages), so I have to put on some speed to complete it bef..."

Nancy, I understand that A Brief History is a hard read, are you finding this? Some podcast I listened to said that you really have to stick with it because it is not an easy read, so with that statement I decided to hold off for now. I would love to know your thoughts. I usually try to read all the Man Booker winners.

I finished a book of poetry by Lauris Edmond, and started reading Mislaid by Nell Zink, which was long but not shortlisted for the National Book Award. Sometimes I like the books that are left out better so I always try a few if I can't get to the entire list.

I recently finished The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra - loved it - it is both brutal and touching. I also loved his fist book,A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Currently listening to Career of Evil by Galbraith / Rowling - also excellent.

A quick "palate cleansing" between the two with The Marvels - interesting twist

November is proving to be a great month in books. I started the month sobbing with,

Loved this one too,

The Mare was great!

I'll finish the month off with this one, I'm in about 100 pages and I'm bracing for it to be a tearjerker,

Been kind of a "meh" month for books, unfortunately, especially audiobooks. I finished Saving Grace on audio, which was just awful. Such a disappointment because I've always loved Jane Green. She's a terrible narrator and the book was sub-par for her usual style and hilarity. Thumbs down.
I've been waiting patiently for Fates and Furies to come off hold, and moved it up the list when it finally came in. GAHHHH, that was a week of my life I'll never get back. Absolutely horrible, awful, can't say enough negative things about this book. Do NOT understand the hype, not worth it in the least. I'm currently reading anything fluffy I can get my hands on just to wash the bad taste out of my mouth. Also audio, which made my long, annoying commute even longer and more annoying. I didn't think that was possible!
My current audiobook, which is just adorable (of course, it's got a dog in it..) is Stay, and is just what the doctor ordered after two losers in a row. Larkin calls her books Literary Advil and that fits to a T.
Still reading The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking and so far it's really resonating with me. I also started and stopped reading The Green Road, which I plan to get back to ASAP but I ran out of library renewals and had to give it back unfinished (hangs head in shame). I liked that one and already added more of Enright's books to my TR list.

Americanah

Gina wrote: "Been kind of a "meh" month for books, unfortunately, especially audiobooks. I finished Saving Grace on audio, which was just awful. Such a disappointment because I've always loved J..."

Gina, thank you, I thought I was the only one. I was like this is a bloody mess! I mean she has potential to be a great writer but I was frustrated with the whole damn thing. I gave it to my used bookstore, gladly!!

Hi All!

I am currently listening to the The Winter People, I haven't listen to a book since this summer, so I am excited.

The physical books I am reading are The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse: An Extraordinary Edwardian Case of Deception and Intrigue, Everything, Everything

I just downloaded a e-book from the library The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

Yes I am one of those ppl that need options and keep 4 books at a time for my mood. hahaha

Really enjoyed listening to Adriana Trigianni's newest All the Stars in the Heavens. Have now moved on to Double Down: Game Change 2012.

Thank to Carol I enjoyed Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores and my librarians directed me to I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks which I am now enjoying and similar.

I finished a really fast listen and well told by Titus Welliver who plays Bosch on a cable channel. You might know him as the Comcast man. He is excellent.Now Listening to .