Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library discussion

Welcome! This ongoing discussion is your place to share what you are reading and what you think about it!

I recently finished the excellent The Beautiful Ruins. Jess Walter is quickly climbing the ranks of my favorite writers, and each book of his I read is quite different. This one concerns an American movie star who is shuttled off to a deserted Italian village by an overzealous movie publicist after an affair with Richard Burton. There she meets Pasquale, who runs his family's hotel. Fifty years later, he shows up at the door of the now producer in America in order to track her down. There are lots of side characters and stories that all come together nicely at the end.

Also, how have I gone this long without reading Graham Greene? I just read his The Quiet American and mostly loved it. I enjoyed the writing and Grahame is a great chronicler of internal struggle. I had a few issues that are probably a reflection of the time period in which he wrote.

I'm listening/reading John Adams by David McCullough. I was on the Declaration of Independence on July 3rd and 4th. Interesting man. I'm reading the POTUS in order.

Also reading These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen. Not too far in it yet to give an opinion.

Since becoming a mother I haven't the time for books anymore. So, I decided to go Book on CD. I'm reading Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick when the boys aren't home. And when they are I put on The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordon.

I am reading the second book of the Alexia Tarabotti series called Changeless. This book takes place in the Victorian era but with a paranormal/steampunk/espionage twist.

I am also reading Evanovich's Wicked Business for my US roadtrip challenge.

I've started reading Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay for So Many Books So Little Time. When looking at the pages I thought it would take a while, but I quickly read the first few chapters - it appears she quickly draws you into the story.

Also still reading/listening to John Adams. So far he is interesting, but can be very whiney at times.

I started and finished Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay today. I found it difficult to put down and enjoyed both female characters. Ending was a bit of a happy Hollywood ending, but I can see where the author was going.

I began reading Imagine by John Lehrer which is about how people are creativity. It opens with Proctor and Gamble's problem of needing a new type of mop, and after spending hours watching endless videos of people in the action of mopping they came up with the prototype for Swiffer. Another example I am compelled by is 3M's 15 percent rule, which is the idea that you have 15 perfect of your work day to come up with new ideas, which might seem unproductive, but if you spend 8 hours working at a high level of productivity, that hour is precious considering some of the best thinking time is spent when you're doing "nothing" (such as taking a shower). Pretty cool! Right now I'm on the chapter about drugs and ADHD and how these affect the creative process.

I'm listening to John Adams by David McCullough. I really don't like Thomas Jefferson. I was begining to get the feeling he wasn't a great man in Washington's biography as well. I guess I will be reading Jefferson's side soon.

I'm been procrastinating The Zookeeper's Wife. I've just read so much on WWII lately that I really need something else. This was a selection for my book club.

I just finished reading Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith. It was a violent, dark, strange retelling of the birth of Christ. I enjoyed it but I had a hard time reading through all the gore. I think I enjoyed his Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter book better.

I have moved on to the third book in the Alexia Tarabotti series, Blameless . I'm enjoying the third book so much more than the second book in the series.

I'm also reading the 4th book in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows. I'm trying to not get too far ahead in the series since it takes years for new ones to be published. I think I have to rank this series as my all-time favorite.

I just finished re-reading A Little Princessby Frances Hodgson Burnett and loved every minute of it <3
Also, just finished re-reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare mainly because of the movie coming out.

Currently, I'm reading one new book: One Day by David Nicholls which I enjoy so far, but I seem to be putting it off a bit... I feel like I need to read more cheerful books right now, somehow.

I'm currently re-reading two books: The Princess Diariesby Meg Cabot and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare which I enjoy a lot.

And just today I decided to learn one Shakespeare sonnet by heart every day (the ones I don't already know). Today I've learnt no. 116.
I'm planning to continue re-reading The Princess Diaries Series and The Mortal Instruments Series, as well as picking up new books and learning more Shakespeare sonnets.

Melanie wrote: "I'm listening to John Adams by David McCullough. I really don't like Thomas Jefferson. I was begining to get the feeling he wasn't a great man in Washington's biography as well. I guess I will b..."

I've read a lot about the Founding Fathers and can tell you that Jefferson is an interesting guy, and quite different from many of the other Founding Fathers. He lived in a Utopian world, quite often disconnected from reality. That doesn't mean he didn't have a brilliant mind, and didn't make significant and valuable contributions to our country, but I always have a hard time understanding where he was coming from myself. Joseph Ellis's book, "The Character of Thomas Jefferson" is a good one to read, and I think gives a fairly balanced assessment of his qualities. It isn't necessarily a biography, but if you want to know about what made him tick it really gets to the point, and fully examines how he thought. It also won the National Book Award, so it is high quality scholarship.

Nathan, thanks for the suggestion. I was planning on reading either Thomas Jefferson or The Road to Monticello: The Life and Mind of Thomas Jefferson. I'm enjoying my POTUS challenge. It will take awhile especially with the Kansas Humanities Council book series quickly approaching - it's on the Middle East.

I just finished reading The Zookeeper's Wife, and enjoyed most of it. It was a different WWII perspective than we usually hear.

With the Olympics I'm now reading Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu. It will be a quick read. I'm also reading at home because it would be awkward in public but want to keep up on the hype is Fifty Shades Darker. I can tell that editors got involved because the writing is much better.

Erin wrote: "I began reading Imagine by John Lehrer which is about how people are creativity. It opens with Proctor and Gamble's problem of needing a new type of mop, and after spending hours watching endless v..."

Erin, did you see that the author was accused of making up quotes for this book and they're now pulling it?

Rosemary wrote: "I'm reading "Insurgent" and "Gone Girl". I'm almost done with both. Ill be pretty sad when they are over."

I just finished Gone Girl. Did you like the ending? I really liked it up until that point, but didn't find the ending very plausible given what had happened before (trying to avoid spoilers).