Books on the Nightstand discussion

I am reading War and Peace (a chapter a night) and Middlemarch (I'm really liking it.) and M.C. Higgins, the Great. I'm listening to The Maze Runner on my iPad and The Casual Vacancy in the car.

I'm reading "A Man Called Ove" and loving it!

I'm reading Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins.

Still reading Avenue of Mysteries & I started last night....I also hope to read &

I'm nearing the end of The Tsar of Love and Techno in print, and am blown away by Marra's many, many talents as a writer.

I'm halfway through Boy, Snow, Bird on audio. It's a strange, dreamy book, a bit untethered, but ripe with fascinating insights about race and family.

I'm 418 pages into Les Misérables, which is my "Really Big Book" for the year.

Also just started The Secret Chord. It's slow going in the early stage, so I hope it gets better.

Just finished Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob, which left me more than a bit stunned over the level of corruption and and deceit that was exhibited/allowed in the FBI. I thought I knew the story of Whitey Bulger, but I didn't realize how deep it went into the FBI.

"Forget it Amy,it's Boston".

Just finished Soldier Girls by Helen Thorpe (non-fiction). I am trying to work my way through The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough. Picked up The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Is It Me? by Miranda Hart at the library yesterday.

Just finished Fates and Furies for a postal book club (don't worry, not one on here...) On deck for February: Restless for an in-person book club; Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins for a non-fiction postal book club; The Berlin Boxing Club for another postal book club; and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and Jamaica Inn for me. It's a good thing February is no TV month (other than the Super Bowl...) - I have a lot of reading to get done!!

Katharine wrote: "I'm reading "A Man Called Ove" and loving it!" I have that on audio - once I get through some podcast episodes, that's my next audio book listen :)

I'm reading In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume.

I'm reading a book by Jeannette Walls, called The Silver Star. I really like it, so far. The main character is a twelve year old girl, named Bean. It's set in 1970, in Virginia.

I'm reading the scary, scary I Remember You: A Ghost Story. Then I think I'll start . On audio I have , I'm struggling to get through this.

I'm reading The Daughter of Time which is quite fascinating in a historical mystery sense!

I am immersed in Let the Great World Spin.

just starting The Girl in the Spider's Web and listening to The Verdict which is very good in audio. Next up for reading will be Night Film for book club. Plus I am watching the Phryne Fisher mystery series and really enjoying that.

Gerald wrote: ""Forget it Amy,it's Boston"."

The scary part is that I was living in Boston at the time -- and I still had no idea how bad it was! Although I do remember when Whitey Bulger "won" the state lottery.

That's the last line from "Chinatown ". Most people know Boston from the revolution or " Rizzoli and Isles or bring tourist.

Reading The South by Colm Tóibín
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

I am reading for my book group: The Dressmaker

And I am listening to a suggestion from BOTNS: Day of the Jackal

I plan to see the movies for both books when finished :)

I am reading American Gods right now and next on deck is In the Unlikely Event and The Grownup.

I just finished reading Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg. A surprising and thought-provoking novel that paid homage to Conrad's Heart of Darkness and had direct allusions to both the Old and New Testament. It was definitely ahead of the curve for a science fiction novel published in late 1960s.
I'm currently reading Pilgermann by Russell Hoban and I have Station Eleven on deck.

I am reading Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell. It is historical fiction and takes place in Dodge City, KS back in the cattle drive days. I have learned a lot about "Doc" Holliday and the Earp brothers and the time in which they lived, survived and died. Russell has done her research and writes a wonderful story.

I adored this book!

Terry wrote: "I am reading Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell. It is historical fiction and takes place in Dodge City, KS back in the cattle drive days. I have learned a lot about "Doc" Holliday and the Earp bro..."
Loved this book. You'll have to read Epitaph after!!!

Right now I'm on a science fiction jag. I'm going to read classic science fiction until I get sick of doing it.

Just finished Garth Greenwell's debut. I'm thinking about reading The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage due to a review that said it could be the next Stoner.

Eric wrote: "Right now I'm on a science fiction jag. I'm going to read classic science fiction until I get sick of doing it."

Have you read any Robert Silverberg during his most prolific period of 1967-1976? I've read A Time of Changes, Downward to the Earth, and Tower of Glass over the past few months. I really liked A Time of Changes and the other two were better than expected for pulp style SF.

I'm reading the first man in rome by Colleen Mccullough. I've had this on my pile for a while now, and I'm just getting to it. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do. But I am three fourths of the way done and really enjoying it. I have to admit I'm ready to move on to something else, but I have been surprised at how much I liked this. The only bad thing is I get confused with character names. But otherwise it's great.

I just finished The Dog Master and am now reading Jo Jo Moyes' Me before You.

I just finished listening to The Hundred-Foot Journey, now listening to A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail and reading The Flying Troutmans in print.

I'm listening to Ray Porter narrate The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. Also in the car I have Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World....I'm a big RBG fan.

I just finished a fluffy romance novel, Charlie All Night, by Jennifer Crusie. I'm trying to read more romance but that wasn't really my style.

I started Speak by Louisa Hall, which is a book I kept hearing about last year but I'm just now getting to. It's great so far and has the multi-faceted approach that I really love when it's done right.

Reading The Queen of the Tearling and enjoying it quite a lot!

The Martian; The Queen of the Night; and Underwater Secrets.

Hmm, I thought I posted but I guess not. I'm currently reading The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, The Reach of the Banyan Tree and listening to Three Wishes on my morning commute. So far all three look to be good choices!

Just finally finished The Bookseller from January and really liked it! It wasn't at all what I thought it would be and the reviews were very mixed but I think a lot of people missed the point of the story.

I'm rediscovering that reading science fiction stretches my brain more than most other genres. I'd been away from it for far too long.

Other brain stretchers are post-modern writers like Joyce, Pynchon, and Wallace. Philosophy. Science (non-fiction). History.

The Last Bookaneer

Eric wrote: "I'm rediscovering that reading science fiction stretches my brain more than most other genres. I'd been away from it for far too long...."

I find scifi stretches my brain not my patience unlike so much literary fiction. Which is why I have promised myself I will read more scifi this year.

I'm very sad to report that I gave up on The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, which I had attempted because the Slate.com "Year of Great Books" moderator (Laura Miller) chose it as the first selection of the year. I really enjoyed reading ABOUT the book, but every time I started to read the actual book, I wanted to be reading something else. It's very hard for me to bail on a book, but I'm doing it! Boohoo!!

Just started A Brief History of Seven Killings. I'm having trouble getting into it. Does it get easier?

Mary wrote: "Just started A Brief History of Seven Killings. I'm having trouble getting into it. Does it get easier?"

It's hard work. I recommend the audio.

I'm reading many books but the one that's standing out the most at the moment is Garth Risk Hallberg's "City on Fire." A behemoth book...but I'm liking it so far!

Becky wrote: "Still reading Avenue of Mysteries & I started last night....I also hope to read & "

Megan wrote: "I'm reading Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins."

How are you liking the latest John Irving? Also, "The Guest Room" sounds very dramatic and dark. Do you like it?

I am still reading the Irving book, & I the Guest Room was a page turner for me.....I did like the book very much, not the subject matter but it was a good story

I'm reading " Close your eyes, hold hands" by Chris Bohjalian. Great so far

Katherine wrote: "Just finished Fates and Furies for a postal book club (don't worry, not one on here...) On deck for February: Restless for an in-person book club; [book:Voices in the O..."

Wow! How are you doing on all that reading? How many book clubs do you belong to, exactly? lol

Megan wrote: "I am reading American Gods right now and next on deck is In the Unlikely Event and The Grownup."

Please let me know if you liked "The Grownup." I read it a few months ago and liked it. :-)