Sacramento Public Library discussion

It's October already! Where did the year go? On the bright side, there are some great books to read coming out this fall. Share your latest read in the comments below and help someone else find their next favorite book.

Going to try and finish the next two books in the Expanse series (Leviathan Wakes) - Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate. I also may tackle The Hittite. I am a big fan of Ben Bova and this book is a departure from his normal scifi style. I have owned it for quite awhile. My reluctance to read it in the past may have to due with the serious divergence in the reviews this book gets. It seems people either love it and give it 4-5 starts or loathe and give it 1-2. We will see.

I am finishing up Flowers for Algernon for September and wondering what October's challenge is going to be so I can start tracking down some appropriate books.

Last night I started The Boys in the Boat about the USA rowing team in the 1936 Olympics. My wife's book club is reading the book this month, too. I've done a little rowing myself, and our daughter rowed stroke sweep in the Varsity A boat for Capital Crew here in Sacramento, so I've got more than just a passing interest in the sport. And I really loved David Halberstam's The Amateurs so I'm coming to this book with high expectations!

I have Flat Water Tuesday on my "to read" list. Let me know how you like The Boys in the Boat. Maybe I'll have to add that?

Susan wrote: "I have Flat Water Tuesday on my "to read" list. Let me know how you like The Boys in the Boat. Maybe I'll have to add that?"

I hadn't heard of Flat Water Tuesday so thanks for calling my attention to it. I read the summary on Amazon, and it's an interesting coincidence that our daughter, who rowed for Capital Crew, is now a film editor - as is the main character's girlfriend. Maybe I'll have to read it!

I'm alternating between Andy Weir's "The Martian" (book club choice) and "The Frenzy Way" by Gregory Lamberson. In audio, I'm about halfway through "Vampires of Manhattan" by Melissa de la Cruz. So far, "The Martian" is the most interesting and entertaining of the three.

I just finished For Real by allison Cherry-- very cute book .

@Tabitha - I thoroughly enjoyed Leviathan Wakes. Caliban's War is also vey good. In some ways I like it a little better so far. The various subplots are more interesting to me, I think there are 4 of them. That suits my style of reading. I was slow getting into it only because Hull Zero Three and Son really pulled me in. Now that I am done with those two I chugging along.
@John - The Martian sounds like a story I have read already, but since it was just published this year, can't be. But the theme is fairly common. Please let us know what you think, does the author give the "alone and lost in an hostile environment" theme a new or unique approach? This is his first novel - does it show? They are already making a movie of it, does it have the feel of a "true" novel, that is written without regard as to how it will translate to the big screen? The way Michael Crichton's early works were. But then he began to write for the screen and his books became shallow and formulaic. The characters had little depth and were two dimensional.

I'm reading The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, which a Goodfriend recommended.

I've been reading books for classes. Just finished up Jane Eyre, now onto Great Expectations. Also reading The Light Between Oceans.

I just finished reading Golden State by Michelle Richmond for my book group. It's a page-turner that's set in San Francisco on a single day. Somehow, Richmond weaves flashbacks and current actions seamlessly amidst the confusion surrounding an election day to decide whether California should secede from the nation, the protagonist's turmoil over the loss of her child, her sister's imminent childbirth, and her own pending divorce. I'm almost finished reading an advance reader's copy of First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen, and I'm loving it!

Francie wrote: "I just finished reading Golden State by Michelle Richmond for my book group. It's a page-turner that's set in San Francisco on a single day. Somehow, Richmond weaves flashbacks and current action..."

That sounds like a great book! I think I'll have to add it to my request list!

Finished The Hittite, This is historical fiction, a gritty retelling of the siege of Troy that is far different from the The Iliad. The protagonist is a man of his era, so he is not altogether likable by today's standard. I enjoyed it. Also finished Caliban's War. Personally, I was drawn into this book more then the first (Leviathan Wakes). I found the story of a father trying to rescue his daughter more compelling then a grizzled detective falling in love and trying to find a girl he never met. Oh yeah, the brilliant, tactless, butt kicking marine, that too.

I'm reading The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics It's been on the NYT Nonfiction Bestseller list for 20 weeks. The way Daniel James Brown interweaves the stories of the boys' and coaches' backgrounds, their struggles to make the team, and Hitler's and Goebbels' preparations for the world stage of the 1936 Olympics is fascinating. A terrific story told by a terrific storyteller. I'm loving it!

Finished "Vampires of Manhattan"...it was OK, maybe 3.5/5 at best. Not particularly fast-moving or suspenseful until the last quarter of the book, then things picked up speed.

I've now moved on to "On Writing : A Memoir of the Craft," by Stephen King. Meanwhile, I'm making headway with "The Martian."

Hi my name is Ray and I go to Sacramento State university. I'm almost finished reading Catching Fire and after that I'll start reading Mockingjay. I'm reading The Hunger Games Trilogy for the second time in preparation for Mockingjay Part 1. After that I'll start reading the Outlander and I'll probably get hooked on that series.

Ray wrote: "Hi my name is Ray and I go to Sacramento State university. I'm almost finished reading Catching Fire and after that I'll start reading Mockingjay. I'm reading The Hunger Games Trilogy for the secon..."

I tend to do the same thing (when I have time). Welcome to the group!

I am just starting What It Is Like To Go To War. Wow this book is heavy! I knew it would be. I just need to get myself in the proper mind set.

I'm almost done with "What it's Like to go to War". It is intense and I've taken "breaks" and read a couple of books for my kids' class in between. I'm glad I've taken the time to read it.

I didn't start it when I received it for that reason. But now I am coming up against it's return date and I can't renew it!

I finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt- it was amazing. I also just finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - so very good. And, I'm almost done with The Here and Now by Ann Brashares - it's entertaining. Next up is Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth and then The Future of Us by Jay Asher. Oh, and also I'm almost done with Who Stole Halloween? by Martha Freeman and Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky. Then I'll start on a short story called The Damned Thing by Ambrose Bierce and last, I will try to squeeze in The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.

Susan wrote: "I didn't start it when I received it for that reason. But now I am coming up against it's return date and I can't renew it!"

Susan - When I worked behind the circulation desk, I used to remind people in your situation that the late charge is only 25¢ a day. Think of it as "renting" the book. (And it might give you some extra incentive to read quickly - *wink*!)

Oh trust me Chip, I have paid plenty of fines throughout my library career! I also do a pretty decent job of taking advantage of the fact that my branch is closed on Sundays & Mondays. "Oh, that book is due back on Saturday?!?!? Good! That means I have until Tuesday morning!")

But this was an ebook so I didn't have that option. In the past I have actually had a book shut down as I turned a page. Now I note the date and time my book is due back!

Yesterday I finished Stephen King's "On Writing : A Memoir of the Craft," as my inspiration for National Novel Writing Month in November.

Of the many how-to-write-a-novel books on the market, King's "On Writing" stands out as one of the best. King draws on his own writing experiences in crafting a handbook that is both informative and entertaining. Highly recommended for writers of any level.

Next up: "Hold the Dark," by William Giraldi.

And I finished "The Martian" as well.

A dust storm scrubs the third manned mission to Mars and leaves Mark Watney stranded on the red planet, millions of miles from help. His initial reaction: “I’m pretty much…” His mission: stay alive, until maybe someone comes for him. "Martian" is a suspenseful, irreverent, and geeky tale of a man alone whose only survival tools are intelligence, determination, duct tape, and potatoes.

Chelsea wrote: "I just finished FLIRTING WITH FRENCH by William Alexander. If you've ever studied French, and particularly if you enjoyed reading David Sedaris' essays on the topic, this is a funny and interesting..."

Good to hear! I bought Flirting with French a while back and haven't gotten around to reading it yet. (I'm in a French conversation group and having lots of fun (and challenges, too, as the least fluent person in the group). So glad to hear you enjoyed it!

I am in the middle of The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black, which is a new Phillip Marlowe (yes, Chandler's Phillip Marlowe) book. I love pulp/noir detective stories, and I'm loving this one even more since I'm more of a Sam Spade guy and thus don't have a lot of baggage from the Raymond Chandler canon holding me back.

Justin wrote: "I am in the middle of The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black, which is a new Phillip Marlowe (yes, Chandler's Phillip Marlowe) book. I love pulp/noir detective stories, and I'm loving this one eve..."

After you read the Black book you should totally jump into the Raymond Chandler canon. His books are unbelievably excellent and I say that as huge fan of Hammett.

I have been eyeing Benjamin Black and his Quirke series for a while. I saw tv dramatizations of the series when I was in the UK earlier this year (Gabriel Byrne played Quirke) and thought they were quite good, albeit quite dark.

Forgot to mention the book I am reading now! A book that has finally broken me out of a bit of a reading slump--there were some good books but nothing that truly grabbed me. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is my book group selection and I am surprised by how much I like it. It's set in 1829 Iceland and it tells the story of the last woman executed in the country. It's very much the story of women and their lives at that time--granted Agnes' life being more unfortunate than most others--and it is not a pretty picture. Still, it is very compelling and thought provoking. I'm looking forward to our discussion.