So what are you reading?

[siniri]

I finished listening to the Landmark Speeches of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and I started listening to Coriolanus (Shakespeare's last Roman history play). The CD info says that the liner contains character list, plot synopses, etc., but apparently the library didn't think it would be useful and didn't include it when it repackaged the CDs for checkout. (A friend works at a library, and she had to repackage the CDs/DVDs. It took her several months, and she had to figure out how to include any additional material, standardize cases/titles to make them easy to browse, conserve space, and respect unusual artwork. I understand the difficulty. Still, the library could have had a pocket to hold the liner; I've seen them in other CD packs that had additional print material. Ah, well... Guess I'll just have to look it up online.)

[decchild]

I'm trying to get through the BBC book list challenge (I've read over half of the books growing up) but right now, I've just finished In Our Time (Hemingway) and I'm starting Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. I also have an ebook of Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago that's on my to-read list and a WWII history book called Bloodlands (the author's name escapes me currently even though I know he's a Yale historian).

[neopets98]

I'm rereading The Giver. I first read it in 8th grade with my class, but I'm reading it by myself now & I'm liking it so far.

[Skathi]

Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen

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[Wildbreeze]

Finished Allegiant... Even though I had the ending spoiled for me ages ago, I still cried like a baby. And once again, I've noticed that everyone seems to hate it, but I think it was actually pretty good (same thing happened with the end of Mockingjay).

Now reading Four, which is a compilation of Divergent stories from Tobias's perspective.

After that, probably back to Les Miserables. :)

[siniri]

I finished Coriolanus and picked up the Scorch Trials from the library -- audiobook (or I'd still be waiting), so I've only listened to about 5 minutes' worth (maybe 1-3 pages). Can't wait to hear more. I suspect this one will also be brought out of my car and listened to in my room at some point, but I had to finish my taxes this evening (already done -- woo!), so I resisted the urge (I filed for a free extension because I was missing a form; I managed to call them and get that last form online, since they can't seem to send it by mail).

[tk421beth]

I would highly recommend "The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker. I just finished it recently. Fantasy novel, set in New York in the late 19th century. Fantastic description of that era.

 

@cellestica I've been meaning to read that! Maybe next...

I really want to read that soon! I have a "sample" of it on my iPad. But I have...oh...about 3,847 books to read before that!

 

Does anyone else have the horrible habit of purchasing more books to read, even though you have a TON to get to first? I always do that! Or I trade in 10 books a this used bookstore, get a store credit, and get MORE books!

 

I'm crazy!!! (:

[1_holly]

I recently read 'You can't park there' by Tony Bleetman, which is a really interesting book about his experiences of being an air ambulance doctor - definitely worth a read, although a little bit gory in some places

[Propheticalll]

Sooooo I'm just here in my corner reading fanfictions at the moment :sad02:

[siniri]

I'm still enjoying The Maze Runner trilogy after The Scorch Trials, but I'm waiting for The Death Cure from the library (I've been 4th on the waiting list for a month, which is kind of strange since you can only borrow it for 3 weeks -- and the library used to have 5 copies and is now down to 3 somehow...), so I listened to Downriver by Will Hobbs and read the third Mickey Bolitar book, Found, by Harlan Coben. It answered a few questions from the rest of the series, but it still doesn't explain the irrational behavior of some of the characters. Still, it's a decent mystery series, and it's easy to pick up again even if you haven't thought about it since you put down the last book.

 

I'm currently reading Tales from Silver Lands by Charles Finger (folk stories from South America) and listening to short stories by Ernest Hemingway (including "The Snows of Kilimanjaro").

 

The library finally has the last Sammy Keyes book (Kiss Goodbye) on order, so I will be dropping everything else (even The Death Cure) to read that when it comes in.

 

Edit: Wow, can't believe I was the last commenter. I finished reading Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye, Tales from Silver Lands, and Julie and the Wolves. I also finished listening to Hemingway and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I'm currently listening to Year of Impossible Goodbyes. I just picked up The Death Cure and Death of a Salesman from the library.

 

I enjoyed Kiss Goodbye; it was a fitting end to the series, though I didn't like the fact that it wasn't told in Sammy's voice. A weird thing is that there was an ongoing mini-mystery regarding who was stealing clothing from the dryers at the Senior High Rise where Sammy lived with her grandmother; the solution to this mini-mystery turned out to be nearly identical to a dream I had about it! (There were no subliminal clues; the solution basically came out of left field. Apparently my subconscious has a similar warped sense of humor as the author.)

 

I was not a fan of Julie and the Wolves, mainly because of the bizarre characterization of her father. I'm going to write a rant about it on my long-neglected blog, I think (and it might show up on the Wall of Shame there, too...).

 

I mostly loved Revolution. I'm not usually a fan of the woe-is-me-poor-little-hedonistic-rich-kid kind of story (though the protagonist has dealt with genuine tragedy and does have a lot to deal with), but the story wove in French Revolutionary history masterfully and was really compelling.

Edited November 29, 2014 by siniri

[geoterza]

I've just started (re)reading Mail-Order Wings by Beatrice Gormley. I ordered it online for my 10-year-old nephew because I remember that my sister and I read it as kids so I thought it would make a good Christmas present. While ordering it I read the reviews and a number of people said it was inspired by Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. So I borrowed Metamorphosis from the library and ordered Mail-Order Wings. Metamorphosis was quite interesting - it's about a man who wakes up one day and finds out he has turned into some sort or cockroach/beetle-like bug (but roughly human sized, I think). It's mostly about the interactions he has with his family after the transformation.

 

So I got my nephew's book yesterday in the mail and read the first chapter and the girl in it is reading a comic book about a boy who turned into a beetle. Long story short - I think I'm going to read it all the way through before I wrap it up since it's been so long since I read it last. It's quite interesting reading books as an adult that I read as a child. Julie of the Wolves, mentioned in the last post, was another book that I re-read as an adult. There's a lot more to that story too than I realized as a kid.

[siniri]

I finished listening to Year of Impossible Goodbyes and Waiting for the Rain: a novel of South Africa. And I finished The Death Cure (and thus the Maze Runner trilogy).

 

It's interesting the effect the voice actor can have on the reading experience for a book; I've noticed this for other books, but I found the voice actor obtrusive in Year of Impossible Goodbyes. The story takes place in a village of North Korea occupied by Japanese soldiers during WWII. It begins in 1945 and chronicles the end of the war, the beginning of Russian occupation, and the family's decision to try to escape to the South (and the result of that decision, but I don't want to spoil anything). It is told from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl, and is based on the childhood memories of the author. The descriptions of the Japanese in the story are very unflattering, as might be expected, but the voice actor spoke with so much bitterness and acrimony that it took it to another level that seemed excessive. This crystallized for me when I realized the phrase "their guns slung across their shoulders" is merely descriptive, but the words were flung in such an accusatory tone that they sounded as if the actor were saying something like "they hit my little brother in the head with the butt of their guns." If you want to read this book, I highly recommend reading it, and not listening to the audiobook. And I think it's worth a read; it tells a part of WWII history that is often overlooked, showcasing the effects of war on children in occupied countries.

 

I really enjoyed Waiting for the Rain, which tells the story of how a friendship between a white boy and a black boy during Apartheid is tested. It was published in 1987, and the ending is... open-ended. The boys are still "waiting," as the whole country was at the time, to see how history would unfold and the effect it would have on their futures. But the ending somehow felt "right." Even though we now know the historical ending, there were long-lasting effects on many people -- lost opportunities, changes in priorities, lost hopes and dreams, and lost lives. I think the author did a really good job showing how the circumstances one is raised in can affect how they view the world, and how hard it can be to fight the overwhelming societal and familial pressure to "do the right thing" even when the right thing is not clear and there are no easy answers.

 

The Death Cure. I'm not sure what I think of it yet. In some ways, I feel similar to how I felt after Mockingjay, though Thomas was never as much of a hero to me as Katniss, so it was less of a letdown to see him reduced to a "puppet." (My opinion on Mockingjay changed after I was able to separate it from my expectations and appreciate what Collins was trying to do, even though the execution was clunky in parts due to the first person perspective.) The science ended up never really being satisfactorily explained, either, and the final message about science seemed to be "scientists care more about learning than people or ethics" - which irks me as a scientist. Overall, it was an interesting read and raised some interesting questions, but I'm not sure the answers presented by the author were satisfactory -- though I think that was part of his point, that there are sometimes no good answers. *shrugs* It certainly wasn't Allegiant (the worst book I've ever finished). Meh.

 

I'm currently listening to Pimsleur Japanese and reading Advanced Sports Nutrition.

[tmcruz41]

I am a huge book fanatic!! I even blog book reviews.

my current books im reading are

clockwork angle

cinder

both are YA books and both are fantastic so far.

recently ive finshed

the white rabbit chronicles

before I fall

Anyone?

 

I recommend the white rabbit chronicles - Gena showalter to any one interested in zombies and a book where u can easily relate to all characters

 

the other one is

Anyone? -by angela scott I have to say was soo good!

its a very easy read and really realalistic in terms of what a teen would do if the end of the world were to happen due to metors , weather, and radiation.

 

 

[Skathi]

Gods of Vengeance by Giles Kristian and Mick Foley's Countdown to Lockdown

[laceew45]

The Mary Jo Putney's Lost Lord Bundle.. It's an ebook that has like 4 books in it.

[Shane for Wax]

Since I recently finished a Dance with Dragons it's Star Wars Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial.

 

I'm having too many emotions from the New Jedi Order series. I relate too strongly to Jacen Solo.

 

Once I finish New Jedi Order it's on to Legacy of the Force. Then I'm gonna swing in the opposite direction and read the Sword of Truth novels again. :D

[French Bulldog]

My latest thrift store book that I picked up to read is called "A Thousand Days in Tuscany"

I haven't started it yet, but I plan to..soon.. -nervous laugh-

[xkittyxxx]

I've just started a book called When Mr Dog Bites... It's pretty entertaining so far :) It's about a kid with torrettes.

[nomekopokemon]

I'm reading Pale Fire and Malarky right now, although I've been on the constant look for Hourse of Leaves since I gave two pals my copies.

[geoterza]

I read Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Murders at Rue Morgue" this week. Apparently it was one of the first detective stories written, and it inspired Arthur Connan Doyle to write about Sherlock Holmes. Murders at Rue Morgue was a bit hard to get into because the beginning kind of jumps around, but once they get to the crime scene it's easier to read. It's pretty violent, but nothing compared to what's on TV now days. The best Poe book I've ever read was "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym". That book was off the hook!

[siniri]

Since my last post, I've finished The Kill Zone (the prequel to The Maze Runner trilogy), The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Simplexity. I'm currently in the middle of Project Mulberry and Code Name Verity.

 

Even though I hadn't made up my mind about The Maze Runner, I thought reading the prequel (knowing that the protagonists were likely doomed) could be interesting. It was pretty harrowing in parts, but the author's penchant for over-dramatization reached new heights, pushing it into the ridiculous at several points in the story. At one point, I was yelling in my car and had to turn off the CD to rage at the improbability.

 

 

In a dramatic chase scene, Mark and Alex are desperately outnumbered by Cranks and escape to a berg that they plan to steal. Mark struggles to hold a crank-door hatch closed against dozens of people while Alex unhitches the berg, moves it to takeoff position, and opens it. Once it's open, Alex calls Mark over. They proceed to search the berg, scan computers they find on board, etc. -- and then Alex is all "Oh, yeah, close the door while I prepare for takeoff." So Mark decides to strap the computers back into their location, loses his flashlight, and eventually remembers "Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to close the door... How do I do that, anyway?" And the door of course is super slow to close, and so two of the Cranks manage to grab onto it. But seriously, when you're being chased, wouldn't you close the door behind you as soon as you get on board? It's like those horror movies where the person knows there's a killer on the loose and goes to investigate a noise alone and unarmed.

This was the most egregious example, but just about every action scene in the book was full of needless melodrama to heighten suspense. (I've been irked by similar things since the very first book, but it rose to a level exceeding all credibility in this book.)

 

 

Despite that, I was riveted by the narrative, and the ending was poignant and tragic. If you enjoy the trilogy, I think you'll appreciate the prequel.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about Perks. I'm actually about 2-3 years younger than Charlie, I think, and so some of the scenes (regarding Charlie's naivety) had me rolling my eyes -- I really don't know how a boy could get to 9th (or 10th?) grade in public school and never have picked up on some of the things he was clueless about. To some extent, I remember having what we thought were "deep" conversations in high school, except now I've heard those same "original" ideas from so many sources that I realize how shallow we really were. I think I would have enjoyed the book in high school, but reading it now, it fell kind of flat. I don't know. I guess maybe I had too high expectations going in based on reviews. And the female characters weren't really all that developed, so they didn't feel real to me (which might also be colored by rants I've seen about magic pixie dream girls)... Or maybe I've just heard so many quotes from the book that they seem unoriginal, when really, I'm just finally getting around to the source. *shrugs* It was a decent read, just not the best book of all time. Definitely not something I feel like I'd want to reread.

 

Simplexity is a nonfiction book that tries to explain the science of complexity, using examples from... well, just about everything possible. It felt rather disjointed and muddled. I don't really know what the point of the book was, and there's really not much I took away that I could apply to my life or job. At least nothing new.

 

Now that I've been all negative Nelly, I have to say I'm really enjoying both Project Mulberry and Code Name Verity. Project Mulberry is about a Korean-American girl growing silkworms for a 4H project, but struggling with the idea that the project is "too Korean." It really gets into nuances of race and racism, raising difficult questions but not providing pat answers -- and keeping the story moving without getting too heavy-handed.

 

Code Name Verity is about a British female spy who becomes a German P.O.W. during WWII. The book is written as her confession as she betrays her country in the face of torture, and it flashes back and forth between her current P.O.W. struggles and how she came to be captured. Along the way, there's a lot of history (I assume it's based on real history) on the various roles of women in the war, but it's woven into the story in an engaging way. Meanwhile, "Verity" is struggling with the ramifications of being a traitor to her nation and the ongoing fears for her life.

 

Both of these books demonstrate how you can tackle heavy themes without overpowering the story, if the story is engaging and kept always in focus. I'm looking forward to the endings of both, but as long as they end half as strong as the stories so far, I would still recommend them.

[sarahesque]

Right now the only book I'm actively reading is Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. It's not necessarily my type of story - the plot is both predictable and a little cheesy - but she has such an amazing grasp on imagery and language that I don't mind slogging through the unfortunate love triangle. Granted, she's commenting on New York society at the time, so I guess I can't really criticize her for the plot. After all, it is supposed to be a reflection of the frivolity and shallowness of the upper crust.

 

I'll be starting the final Harry Potter book at the end of next week (when I can borrow it from the Kindle library). It's been really fun rereading the series over the past few months. I feel like I'll miss the characters just as much as a did the first few readings. :)

 

Once February starts I have a pretty extensive book list to get through. I'm sure I'll come back to mention some of those!

[FluffeeBunny]

I just bought Amy Poehler's Yes, Please the other day and I must say it's quite hilarious so far.

[tinytamarin]

I'm finishing up The Lost World by Michael Crichton. I don't know how I've gone so long without reading any of his books! Got Jurassic Park at the free book exchange we have at work and devoured it, then found The Andromeda Strain at a thrift store a couple months ago. Had to order The Lost World online to get my dinosaur fix. :)

 

We also just randomly started a "Books That Are Movies" club at work. First one on the list is Gone Girl, so I'll be picking that one up from the library as soon as I'm finished reading about the velociraptors killing everyone. :P

[siniri]

Code Name Verity demonstrate how you can tackle heavy themes without overpowering the story, if the story is engaging and kept always in focus. I'm looking forward to the ending, but as long as [it] end half as strong as the stor[y] so far, I would still recommend [it].

 

I'm revising my assessment of this book. I still haven't finished it, but I'm about 3/4 of the way through it, and this book has blown me away. I already plan to reread it -- and soon -- and I'll be reading it, not listening to it, so I can flip back and forth between parts. I don't want to spoil anything, but seriously, go read this book. It's the best book I've read in quite a while -- possibly years (and I've read over a hundred books, at least, in the past few years).

 

ETA: Don't want to make 3 posts about the same book, but I did want to say that after finishing it, I can confirm that it was indeed an excellent book. If you want to read a spy novel, or a historical fiction, or a book with strong likeable female protagonists, or a book with crazy plot twists, or a war novel, or a novel about friendship, or something that will make you laugh and gasp and cry and cheer within minutes of each other... read this book! It should really be made into a movie, too -- it would be difficult, but it could be done.