Books on the Nightstand discussion

Finished and really liked The Fault in Our Stars. Currently reading Caleb's Crossing on my nook, and listening to The Drop on my iPod. Need to find a DTB to cradle :-)

Finished The Jane Austen Book Clubfor my book club next week. Working on Gone, Baby, Goneand The Dawn Patrol. Once I get those finished I might read Catching Fire. Seeing the movie has me intrigued to see what happens next in a way that the audiobook did not. Also may start A Clash of Kingsif I am feeling ambitious.

Just started To Your Scattered Bodies Go. So far it is a slower read, but it is a really good plot in my opinion, and I'm enjoying it! Has anyone else read it?

Ihave had a hectic few days and keep starting things, but not finishing. I just downloaded 2 library books to my ipad and am trying it out. First up, , and then I'll try . I need to finish , and which are all very different, yet all are very good so far.

I'm finishing
The author writes about her Grandmothers time in the Japanese internment camps. By the midway point you find yourself deeply caring for Ms. Grant's Obaachan.

Jay wrote: "Finished The Jane Austen Book Clubfor my book club next week. Working on Gone, Baby, Goneand The Dawn Patrol. Once I get those finished I might read [book..."

Jay, if you liked A Game of Thrones and might read A Clash of Kings, I highly recommend doing so, because the third book, a Storm of Swords is the best one, so well written and something intense happens in every chapter!

Now I'm reading and . Folly is a YA/teen book, but I'm having a hard time getting into it. The Lantern so far (I'm on page 20-something) reminds me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, a book I really enjoyed.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the audio version of 11/22/63 and I am completely obsessed!

Also reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and really enjoying it so far.

Kathy, I LOVE Rumer Godden but haven't read her in years. I'll be interested to see what you think after you read her.

I finished History of a Pleasure Seeker , which I didn't love as much as I thought I would. I'm now reading Garden Spells, which is cute so far, and Under the Poppy , which I'm already completely engrossed in.

I finished my fun read, Last Puzzle and Testament, and am now trying to wrap up Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. After that, I think I will read Wildwood before turning my attention to Oliver Twist. That way, all of my library books will be able to go home.

Also, still listening to The Sisters Brothers during my daily commute. Hopefully that will finish up in the next week or so.

So many books!

I finally broke down and bought Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and I absolutely loved it. I read the whole book in one sitting, I had to follow it to the end. It is almost indescribable how this story opens up and invites you in. It is a fantasy, a narrative, an adventure. I think the reason I loved it so much was that it was so believable, if that is the right word. There is no over the top, flamboyantness, no suspending of reality that no one really believes. I hope the author continues the story, I would like to see how it plays out.

I have also just finished Await Your Reply, and the praise for this book is definitely warranted. You think you know where it is going, but not quite. The characters are real, and their reactions to the way their lives are playing out hit home. The sense of self, what makes us who we are, or who we think we are is really the heart of this book. I really enjoyed it, and when I had to put it down midway, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, a true test of any great book.

I'm currently reading and then will be finishing The rest of my reads in April are: , , and

Hopefully I'll be able to get to them all.

i would love to hear what you think of The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. i hear good things about it.

I just finished Jane Eyre for our book group read. Started A Discovery of Witches for my own pleasure. May book club pick is 50 Shades of Grey.

I am reading "Cane River" . I love it but can't find many spare minutes for reading it. Since I drive a lot, I listened to "The Girl Who Played With Fire" , I am sure I am the only human left who hasn't read that series. I am on book two, "Catching Fire", of the Hunger Games series (reading that one on my phone app; ditto only human, etc.) Speaking of YA. I also listened to an older book (2004) "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko. It was a neat story. Fiction placed in historically real 1935 Alcatraz . So many books so little time and such a slowwwwww reader. But life is good!

I finished which I just loved. I started last night and already love the writing style.

Have finished The Song of Achilles and The Library Book. Now on to Ready Player One.

@ russell,

what did you think of those two books?

For review, I just finished reading Ninety Days: A Memoir of Recovery and started Waiting for Sunrise. Next up is I, Iago: A Novel. It's nice to have a schedule with these: I know I have to have the book done by Monday.

For recreation, I'm still working on Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? and All That Is Bitter and Sweet: A Memoir. I really love them both, I'm just having trouble finding the time.

Ah, these politically polarized days we live in. We are constantly fed the idea that we must accept one of two predigested slates of beliefs. If you're a "conservative", you must be pro-gun rights and anti-abortion. If you're "liberal", you must be critical of Christianity, but "culturally sensitive" enough to be tolerant of the worst excesses of Islam. No matter that the belief system you've been handed is often internally inconsistent. Just believe! No thought required! Pick up one of these signs we've prepared for you and stand in front of the court house! Yell your slogan really loudly so you can't hear what the other side is saying!

One complaint people had about Christopher Hitchens was that he was inconsistent in that he didn't jump with both feet into one of those camps. He was an atheist and a neocon. He thought George W. Bush was an over-privileged ninny. He was not "culturally sensitive" enough to suffer Islamic extremists gladly. He was a man of the left who often sided with the right. Was he inconsistent? No. He was a rigorous thinker. He was an Englishman who, late in life, became an American citizen and who was a scholar of the Founding Fathers.

You know, in these days of shorthand thinking, everyone should go out and buy this man's books and read them. Not quickly, as you read a thriller, but slowly, closely, and intently. Parse his sentences. Grok him in fulness. As a result, you may be inspired not to take what you're handed at face value. Do your own investigations. Make up your own mind based on the best available information. Read and learn constantly. Be willing to admit you were wrong when it becomes apparent that you are.

LISTEN! READ! INVESTIGATE! OBSERVE! THINK! LEARN TO FORMULATE AND ARTICULATE COMPLEX IDEAS! We seem to be losing the power to do all these things, and Hitchens sets a great example. Don't let people simplify him as an atheist or as a neocon. He was so much more than either of these things.

And sometimes he will make you laugh. Deep, rich belly laughs of absurdity and irony.

I must read more.

I am currently almost finished with The Scorch Trials and finally decided to read The Hunger Games since I'm probably the only one on the planet that hasn't.

I finished yesterday, which started slow but picked up towards the end. Not as good as , but still pretty good.

I've started , which is absolutely fascinating, but also pretty depressing so far. I'm only a few articles in, but so far we've dealt with hoarding, dementia, assisted suicide, and children with muscular dystrophy. Everything is so well written, I just feel like I'll need something to lift my spirits after I finish it.

I'm also reading , which was handed out at work, and is also extremely fascinating.

Eric wrote: "

Ah, these politically polarized days we live in. We are constantly fed the idea that we must accept one of two predigested slates of beliefs. If you'..."

Like

Elizabeth wrote: "@ russell,

what did you think of those two books?"

I read song of Achilles. Really plodded through it, but I also plodded along Greek mythology in lit classes too. Just not my thing.

Callie wrote: "I finished yesterday, which started slow but picked up towards the end. Not as good as , but still pretty good.

I've started sounds interesting. post your comments when done callie. i'd like to know how you liked it.

Elizabeth wrote: "@ russell,

what did you think of those two books?"

Hi Elizabeth -

I loved Song of Achilles. It was just so touching. It reminded me of an action adventure / romance. I think some of the descriptions - especially of Thetis - were amazing. It is the second book to really move me this year (the other being The Fault of Our Stars).

I did not love The Library Book. I think I wanted it to be more intimate than it was. And a few of the things were from other books that I had already read - so, not really worth it to me. And some of the sections were just dull. I am passionate about "books about books", but was disappointed by this one.

(Sorry for any typos - on a apple device. :-)

I started listening to Don't Know Much About History Everything You Need To Know About American History But Never Learned yesterday. I own an older version of the book. This one is 29 discs and since I barely drive 5 miles a day (where I listen to the book) I probably won't get to far before I leave for Vermont next Thursday. I am really disappointed that my flight arrangements are such that I will probably miss Mr. Davis's segment on Sunday where I'd surely clean-up - being the Jeopardy afficionado that I am ; > )

Russell wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "@ russell,

what did you think of those two books?"

Hi Elizabeth -

I loved Song of Achilles. It was just so touching. It reminded me of an action adventure / romance. ..."

thanks for the feedback.

Elizabeth wrote: "i would love to hear what you think of The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. i hear goo..."

I've heard amazing things about it as well. By someone whose book mojo I love.

Elizabeth wrote: "Callie wrote: "I've started Imagine How Creativity Works" sounds interesting. post your comments when done callie. i'd like to know how you liked it. "

Finished it yesterday, and I loved it. Really, it's not surprising when you consider that the Introduction talks about the invention of the Swiffer (one of my favorite cleaning implements), and then the first chapter is entitled "Bob Dylan's Brain." My copy is now filled with sticky notes, and I'll be going back to it often.

Finished The Drop, which was okay. When does one stop reading a series that one really liked at one point, but no longer?
Just started listening to A Study in Scarlet, for the Soho Crime Read-along, and am loving it. My first time reading Sherlock. Yes, I heard that gasp. :-)

Callie wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Callie wrote: "I've started Imagine How Creativity Works" sounds interesting. post your comments when done callie. i'd like to know how you liked it. "

Finished it yesterday, an..."

excellent. it looked good to me. and now i would like to read it sooner than later.

I keep picking up books, read a bit, then put them down. I seem to have lost my focus. Right now I'm playing with Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art and A Walk Across the Sun and listening to an audio of Austenland which is absolutely horrible. The narrator's British accent is about as good as mine...non-existent.

finished Salvage the Bones.

started .

Elizabeth wrote: "finished Salvage the Bones.

started [bookcover:Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power]."

Oooo, let me know how Drift is.

Started

I'm about 1/3 of the way into The Hunger Games and I've just gotten started on White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke which has been really good so far.

I just finished "I am Madame X" (I can't seem to underline titles in Safari)..and started Lee Krasner, A Biography.
I'm also half way through "Rules of Civility"

nancy wrote: "I just finished "I am Madame X" (I can't seem to underline titles in Safari)..and started Lee Krasner, A Biography.
I'm also half way through "Rules of Civility""

Nancy to underline you need HTML and for underlining it is < U > what you want underlined then < / U >

Do not include the spaces that I had to or you would have just seen "what you want underlined then" underlined.

In the middle of History of a Pleasure Seeker and really loving it. I listened to his interview with Nancy Pearl (thanks to someone in this group) and am now very excited to know there will be more books with this protagonist.

Finished Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking over the weekend and highly recommend it for all personality types. I found it really gave me a lot of insight into my relationship with my spouse (an absolute extrovert), given that I consider myself an introvert.

The Snow Child I'm about 2/3 to 3/4 way through The Snow Child. Such a beautiful story I hate to see it end. After that, it's The Orphan Master's Son, which has been on my list for awhile.

Finished .

Started .

Finished by Susan Cain and midway through by Richard Mason.

Ok my month is not going quite a planned, at least not reading-wise. I've hardly had anytime or brain power to read, what with preparing for finals (my own and my class's) and a multitude of family stuff.

Hopefully May will make up for April!

Also, I'm currently reading King Lear on my phone/iPad because I want to read Fool soonish. This is my first "book" to read on an electronic device. I am still pretty wary of the whole thing.

Amy wrote: "I start prepping for the Oxford authors. Before I can read the letters of Eudora Welty, I need know who she is. I have checked out the collected stories and the biography of Eudora Welty;

Really dragging through Eudora Welty's collection of short stories. Many of them are really blah and IMO very pointless. I often finish stories thinking I've lost time I am never going to get back. I am just not seeing what is so remarkable about her that the Booktopia author keeps writing about her... I've had to put her down and I am not sure that I am going to read the biography either, though I will try to get through the newer collections of letters, etc from the biography's author because of the Oxford Booktopia.

Finished and really liked A Study in Scarlet, and Caleb's Crossing. Next up is State of Wonder on my nook, and Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void on audio.

I just finished Ready Player One and now I am reading The Magicians.

I was highly disappointed with Ready Player One and I am having a hard time getting into The Magicians.

I finished Salvage the Bones and Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots this week. Now onto The Paris Wife for one of my book groups.

Still reading , but I've also started , since I'm supposed to read it before the end of April (as part of my +12 in '12). I've read Eugenides before ( ), and he's just as brilliant here so far.

I've also started another Ken Follett audiobook, again narrated by John Lee, . I had meant to ILL , but I got this one instead. I was assured that not having read the first one wouldn't be detrimental to the reading experience, and so far I have to agree.

Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again- I LOVE John Lee as an audiobook reader. He's brilliant.

I just finished Before I Go to Sleep. I barely liked it...it felt like the movie Groundhog day. But on the positive it did keep my interest enough for me to want to know how it ended. I'd recommend it for a beach/summer read.

http://thebookbags.blogspot.ca/