Books on the Nightstand discussion

I am concentrating on finishing which has taken me so long that one of my friends just laughs when I bring it up (Ruth who attended Manchester with me the first year). It won't be a record though. (And, yes, my copy's cover looks that distressed; I taped the front cover back on.)

I've been browsing cookbooks on my iPad, Thought I had on the kindle ap, but when I tried to "tap it" I saw an error message which said "can't locate license". It was to be an ARC through NetGalley? I tried another title and received the same message and the third I got the book.

In the "library" I have (she said sheepishly) . In the car I'm listening to

finished .

i am ready to start .

Linda, your comment about taking a long time to read a book made me laugh. I've also been taking a long time reading a book: March by Geraldine Brooks. I do like the book, but other things in life encroached on my reading time. Number one time taker is a new grandson that we help baby sit. Geraldine Brooks is an amazing author and I think today is a good day to get back into it.

OK, I have a question ... to all of you who post photos of the book cover when you reference a book - - how do you do that? How do you get the pic of the cover to paste in???

I just finished reading "The Odds" by Steward O'Nan which I didn't like nearly as much as some of his other works, especially "Emily, Alone", which was amazing.

I also just finished "Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter, which I truly LOVED. I'll be recommending it to a lot of people.

I'm about to begin "The Lifeboat" by Charlotte Rogan for a book club discussion next week.

Pamela wrote: "OK, I have a question ... to all of you who post photos of the book cover when you reference a book - - how do you do that? How do you get the pic of the cover to paste in???

I just finished read..."
Pamela,
Above the box where you put your comment, in tan font are the words "add book/author". If you click on that a box opens with 2 tabs - book /author - if you put a book title in the box, a list with covers of books with title will show. If you look at the bottom of that box are choices to add Link (title) or cover. The link choice gives the underscore title which provides a link to that title's page. If you coose cover you get the picture of the cover.

Both are helpful.because someone looking for particular book discussions can do so easily.

Not sure what I have tackled in The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco! It will be my 3rd attempt at reading Eco. The first two were never finished (Name of the Rose and Foucoult's Pendulum). I just grabbed this because it was available through the library and knew nothing of the story. The first few chapters were off-putting to put it mildly. I'm not much further than that, but it might be getting more intriguing now. We shall see.

Apologize for the lack of links. I am on the Goodreads app on my iPad and don't see how to do that

edited - came back today on my laptop to add the picture.

I think my comment also answers the question from above about the links. If you can do that on the iPad app, someone tell me how. I know how to do it on the website.

Linda wrote: "Pamela wrote: "OK, I have a question ... to all of you who post photos of the book cover when you reference a book - - how do you do that? How do you get the pic of the cover to paste in???

I jus..."

Excellent; thank you, Linda!

I just finished The Absolutist and loved it. Now I have to get back to Shadow of Night which I put down because I just wasn't in the mood for it when I first started it and then got sucked into The Absolutist. After Shadow I'll be re-reading The Book Thief for book group and to be prepared for One Book, One Chicago in October. Also re-reading My Mortal Enemy for the Willa Cather Novel Reading Challenge. Thank you to Linda for answering Pamela's question about how to add links & book covers. This thread just might get a whole lot more colorful.

A beloved teacher, a nun, has died, leaving the current and former residents of her inner city neighborhood to mourn her passing. The characters are diverse in race, sexuality, and temperament. Life and death offer little closure, yet we must pick up and move on anyway. That seems to be the theme of this funny, dialogue-driven play.

An ensemble piece for twelve actors, each of whom gets some meaty moments.

Finished Cat’s Cradle a couple of days ago, and thought it was brilliant. More Vonnegut will be consumed this year, for sure.

Still pushing through The Legend of Pradeep Mathew: A Novel, which I am really enjoying (some of the sentences are just so on point, I have made sure to keep a notebook nearby to capture the ones I love the most)... but for some reason this book is taking me forever to finish. There is a lot of time spent on cricket, and even as a sports-loving person, I am finding these sections do not hold my interest.

And the Eisenhower biography is still wonderful (so extremely well written, with the nicest paper I think I've ever felt), just too heavy to take with me. It's slow going.

I never read my July +12 in '12, Red Hook Road, so I will probably pick that up along with my August read, Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship... and since I feel like these are two kind of depressing books, I'm planning on throwing some lighter graphic novels in there (need to catch up on Walking Dead, Locke & Key, and some others)as well.

Carrying over Wolf Hall from August. I really don't like this book at all. Nothing about the Tudors or any old kings really interests me. I am only reading it so that I can listen to Bring Up the Bodies as the narrorator will be at Santa Cruz and even though I'm not going I like to do all the stuff. I am also listening to Swamplandia! on Audible. Next I will read Gone Girl for book group, and I just cannot wait to read this book. It is probably making Wolf Hall go that much slower, but Wolf Hall is a library book and I have to give it back. Gone Girl counts for my challenge as 1 of 12 published in 2012 :) I current have The Sandcastle Girls from the library too so I have to read that next (and also counts as 1 of 12 new in 2012). The I move on to my oldest TBR on Goodreads and my oldest TBR in my physical/e-reader library: NapaL: The Story of An American Eden and Little Giant of Aberdeen County. Then I hope to read A Prayer for Owen Meany for The Book Addicts (leftover from July I never got to) and Fifty Shades Darker for fun. Probably won't have any more time, but I would really like to get some Santa Cruz books read - won't have much time come September when school starts back up.

Finished and would not recommend The Deep Zone. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Am really liking The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science on audio, and How the Irish Saved Civilization on my nook.

I just finished reading an excellent suspense novel called ""Gone" by Mo Hayder. The author was new to me but now that I've discovered her I'm sure I'll be reading others. This book is one in a mystery series featuring a particular police officer, but Hayder apparently also writes stand-alones.

Before this I read the last book in a kids/YA trilogy by Nancy Farmer called "The Islands of the Blessed."

I'm not sure what I'll start next, since I just finished "Gone" about half an hour ago and haven't reviewed my stack of library books to choose another. Whatever it is, I'll probably choose something that will be a contrast, not another thriller. I have about a week before I need to start reading my next book club selection, so I'll pick something I can fit into that time frame.

On audio, I'm nearly through with Deborah Harkness' "Shadow of Night." It's been fun to catch up with the characters, although I had forgotten a lot of the details of the first book. I'll be eagerly waiting for the third one a year or so from now! I have several other library audiobooks waiting for when I finish. I keep putting off "We Need to Talk About Kevin" because I'm sure it will be depressing but may bite the bullet.

Doing a lot of "nerd" reading for my vacation later this month - The du Ponts of Delaware: A Fantastic Dynasty, Blood Relations: The Rise & Fall Of The Du Ponts Of Delaware, and Alfred I. Du Pont: The Man and His Family. Then, I got carried away with the library reserve button again, so I've got 1Q84, Out of Africa(Boxall's 1001 books club), The Brief History of the Dead, and Clara and Mr. Tiffany (audiobook), on hold to pick up tomorrow and round out the month. Who knows what mayhem will ensue when I try to pack my reading bag for vacation!!

Blair wrote: "Doing a lot of "nerd" reading for my vacation later this month - The du Ponts of Delaware: A Fantastic Dynasty, Blood Relations: The Rise & Fall Of The Du Ponts Of Delaware, and Alfred I. Du Pont: ..."

Oh that evil library reserve button...I've had the same malady.

Just finished , loved it, 4+ stars & I am starting

I haven't posted in a while and won't bore with all the details, but I finished The Glass Castle, for one of my book clubs. I liked it , but not as much as everyone else. It prompted one of our best discussions ever, which usually happens when we all disagree or dislike a book. I just finished Gone Girl, and I am so glad I did. It has been well reviewed and discussed and I think everyone should read it! Now I am reading The Lifeboat which is for one of my book clubs in November, but it came into the library on reserve and so I will read it now. The only real bomb I have read is Snow which was again for book club and was a great discussion because we all disliked it. It was also a winter book in the summer which I have a hard time of; I am much better with a summer book in the winter!

Just finished Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. Not an uplifting book, but definitely a thought-provoking one.

TA DA! Finally! Four years in the reading, I finished early this morning. (It's not that it wasn't interesting, it was, but the print was so tiny and my eyes don't do that well, especially shortly before bedtime.)

I have now started , one of the books on one of the piles next to my nightstand.

A friend in my writing workshop suggested I read something by Tom Robbins, so she loaned me Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. It's interesting, but I'm not in love with the 2nd person narration. It can work well (e.g. Bright Lights, Big City), but I can't identify with the 'you' in this one.

I'm currently on a George R.R. Martin kick. I'm reading Wild Cards 1. Then on to Fort Freak

I used to read those Wild Cards books. Fun stuff!

Kate wrote: "I haven't posted in a while and won't bore with all the details, but I finished The Glass Castle, for one of my book clubs. I liked it , but not as much as everyone else. It prompted one of our b..."

i read Snow and felt like i was working my way up hill in a blizzard. i actually read the whole thing too because i knew it had to get better.

it didn't.

i started this afternoon.

finished and really loved . thanks for the recommendation ann.

Blindness by Jose Saramago.

An amazing novel with a powerful female heroine. 5 STARS.

I'm reading Absolutist and am loving it.

Callie, I really really liked Red Hook Road!

I'm reading . I like the leisurely pace of it.

Linda wrote: "Blair wrote: "Doing a lot of "nerd" reading for my vacation later this month - The du Ponts of Delaware: A Fantastic Dynasty, Blood Relations: The Rise & Fall Of The Du Ponts Of Delaware, and Alfre..."

I'm always so thrilled when I find a book (or, more likely, books) on our library's website that I hit that HOLD button like there's no tomorrow. My thinking is always that they'll become available one or two at a time, but of course that is never the case!

The Looking Glass War by John le Carré

I finished The Looking Glass War (by John le Carré) and it was stunning. I've seen some readers complain that it's a bit dark and/or pessimistic; but it's impact isn't mitigated for being such. The story is about a small ministry who hopes to return to its glory days by running an agent into East Germany. The Circus looks on with a certain air of condescension much like a parent would with a child playing with dynamite.... It's safe, until it isn't. The epiphanous [sp? Is that even a word? But you know what I mean, right?] moment is a little nauseating and maybe some would even weep... I picked up the next book in the Circus series, A Small Town in Germany last night; but I was so exhausted from having been up since 4 am (early flight and cross country travel) that I fell asleep before even cracking the spine :-/



Tilt-A-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein

While I was on vacation, I also read Tilt-A-Whirl (by Chris Grabenstein.) This is the first in the Ceepak series: John Ceepak, Gulf War I vet turned small town beach cop handles the challenge of a murder investigation when a multi-millionaire is shot while hanging out with his daughter at an amusement park ride. It's light fare: fast to read and fun; but if I didn't have the second and third titles on audio (narrated by Jeff Woodman and unanimously recommended by members of an online group that I belong to) that I doubt that I would continue. It's perhaps a bit too light to stick with me for more than a couple of weeks.



Countdown by Mira Grant

I also read "Countdown" (by Mira Grant), a prequel novella to the Feed series. I think this was definitely meant for fans of the series and probably answers some questions for them (i.e. How did the zombie outbreak start?); but it's not a good place for newbies to begin. The story has gaps and isn't particularly conducive to reading the series proper.



Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

I followed up "Countdown" with Discount Armageddon (first in the new series, InCrytid by Seanan McGuire.) It's about a girl named Verity Price who claims NYC as her territory in regard to establishing human-paranormal relationships. Also, she' a competitive ballroom dancer. The story is fun; but so highly reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) that it's hard not to see the similarities and draw comparisons to the book's disadvantage. Still, it is entertaining and if nothing else, the Aeslin mice will make you smile :-)



Heartless by Gail Carriger

Inadvertently continuing on a paranormal binge, I read Heartless (fourth in the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger.) A very pregnant Alexia Maccon runs around London investigating a claim from a ghost that there is a death threat against the queen. The Parasol Protectorate reminds me of both Elizabeth Peters' Crocodile on a Sandbank and Amanda Quick's Seduction: The Parasol Protectorate for all their steampunk elements and werewolves and vampires and such, are at heart romances and cozies. There are only five titles in the series for which I am grateful as the writing for the quintet is already a little thin; but still able to sustain interest.



Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane

I finished up my vacation reading with Darkness, Take My Hand (second in the Kenzie/Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane.) I loved A Drink Before the War (first in series) and was admittedly predisposed to loving this book as well. The series is about a pair of investigators in the Boston area who take on cases that become expositions on social inequity. But the writing isn't preachy, just revealing. I find most of the characters recognizable, maybe because I'm able to project my own understanding of my limited time living in Boston into the novels. Sacred (third in the series) is up next :-)

So, five books and a novella in twelve days: Not too bad for me these days :-)

Shadow of Night The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

Bobbi wrote: "Linda wrote: "Blair wrote: "Doing a lot of "nerd" reading for my vacation later this month - The du Ponts of Delaware: A Fantastic Dynasty, Blood Relations: The Rise & Fall Of The Du Ponts Of Delaw..."

No kidding! It's always a dry spell until you forget that you reserved them and then 8 will show up within a week. Part of the fun, I guess?! But it's like free shopping, so I'll probably continue to be a sucker:)

Blair wrote: "Bobbi wrote: "Linda wrote: "Blair wrote: "Doing a lot of "nerd" reading for my vacation later this month - The du Ponts of Delaware: A Fantastic Dynasty, Blood Relations: The Rise & Fall Of The Du ..."

Blair - Yes, and I'm sure I'll do the same!

Finishing upGone Girl
Wow!!! What a book! The plot twists, the depth of characters likable or not....so need to talk about this one.
NextMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Started Shantaram in print the other day and am hooked. And it is nice fat book which delights me no end. :-)

i started last night.

This weekend I finished the audiobook of Redshirts, narrated by Wil Wheaton (whom I also enjoyed as the narrator of Ready Player One). The book was good for some nostalgic quirkiness, but got a lot more meta than I was expecting.


I'm now reading the hardcover of The Orphan Master's Son from the library. Definitely a more dense book, it's taking me a while to get through this one.

Finishing before It has to be returned to library and listening to .

I just finished Cloud Atlas - which to me is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. And just started The Age Of Miracles - as recommended by BOTNS. I am also going to try to fit in some PG Woodhouse - with my book club books Gone Girl (already done) and Ender's Game.

Kokeshi wrote: "
Blindness by Jose Saramago.

An amazing novel with a powerful female heroine. 5 STARS."

I loved that book! I was thinking of recommending it to my book group.

I just finished The Last Werewolf

It was the first book of that genre that I have read; but I liked the thought provoking and 'literal' (it mentions Edward Albee in it) references in it.

My next book will be Tortilla Curtain

which we are discussing in my book group this month.

I finished The Absolutist last night. What a great book! I bought City of Women today. I think I'm back in my war phase...

I'm reading and really enjoying it.

I haven't been reading much of anything other than news reports on the Olympics.

An amazing novel with a powerful female heroine.

Female heroines are my favorite kind!

I have been reading and watching the Olympics. I just finished which came into the library and is for book group later in the year. I highly recommend it. I have just started which I had sent from the Northshire, signed, after Booktopia. Since Simon and Gav have selected it for the Readers book club, I thought it was time to give it a go. I have never read The Iliad! So I don't know if I am reading under a handicap, but 20 pages in, it seems very readable. I am looking forward to something different to break up this very hot summer!

Claire wrote: "I'm reading and really enjoying it."

It was a great read, Claire.

Eric wrote: "

An amazing novel with a powerful female heroine.

Female heroines are my favorite kind!"

Yeah, those male heroines tend to muck things up!

As usual, I am juggling several books in different formats:

I am currently loving Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, so much so that I can't bring myself to finish and part with it. This is my "audio read" of the month, and the narrator is phenomenal!! Next up on audio for me will be either The Age of Miracles or The unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

My current e-book is Swimming Home by Deborah Levy, and in print I am about to start The Song of Achilles (Finally!!! I've been meaning to read this since February!!) for my book club discussion at the end of August, only a few days before The Readers' book club discussion - coincidence / fate!