What are you reading now?

[crazyforkate]

I'm reading Amy Tan's Valley of Amazement.

How is it? I've read all her other books, but the description of this one just didn't grab me.

[Growelly]

How is it? I've read all her other books, but the description of this one just didn't grab me.

It's good so far... But I don't have the time right now to give it the time I need. I teach, and mostly seniors, so May is insane for me.

I like it more than The Bonesetter's Daughter, if That helps.

[mygirlfriday]

I am just about finished with Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It's about the orphan trains to used to take orphaned city kids from orphanages out to the Midwest where they might be adopted or might just be treated as a hired hand. The book is excellent.

My mom used to read or recite the James Whitcomb Riley poem "Little Orphant Annie" to us when we were little. It never occurred to me that that Little Orphant Annie was one of these children, but she'd "come to their house to stay and wash the cups and saucers and brush the crumbs away". The link has the text of the poem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Orphant_Annie

This sounds fascinating. I'm going to check it out. I'm currently rereading The Foundation (Issac Assimov).

[drivingmishcrazy]

I recently bought the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman at a used bookstore. I was never allowed to read them growing up because apparently "ebil atheist" criticized Christianity or something was worse than witchy Harry Potter or morbid Lemony Snicket. So I'm going to be starting that soon.

[imokit]

I recently bought the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman at a used bookstore. I was never allowed to read them growing up because apparently "ebil atheist" criticized Christianity or something was worse than witchy Harry Potter or morbid Lemony Snicket. So I'm going to be starting that soon.

Love that trilogy, he's also done some other stuff - The Ruby in the Smoke series - if you're interested in historical thrillers, but that series is fantastic as well (though not as good as his dark materials).

[anniebgood]

Finished Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu. Talked about on QFOS.

Finishing Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon. Just picked up Pompeii by Robert Harris from my bookshelves. Reading a paperback as opposed to Kindle is interesting. After that I'm really going to try to finish the last book in the Ken Follett Century trilogy, World Without End.

And I'm rereading Pillars of the Earth on my phone, when I'm waiting in offices or waiting for someone. Keeps me occupied.

[Grimalkin]

I am just about finished with Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It's about the orphan trains to used to take orphaned city kids from orphanages out to the Midwest where they might be adopted or might just be treated as a hired hand. The book is excellent.

My mom used to read or recite the James Whitcomb Riley poem "Little Orphant Annie" to us when we were little. It never occurred to me that that Little Orphant Annie was one of these children, but she'd "come to their house to stay and wash the cups and saucers and brush the crumbs away". The link has the text of the poem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Orphant_Annie

I am glad you reminded me of this book I read about it and wanted to read it, then forgot. I also wanted to read a book that takes place in a leper colony in Hawaii now that I think of it.I just read "where'd you go Bernadette" by Maria Semple and really enjoyed it. Fun beach read, and a good book for first time author. I have not read the last World without end book either, I am so far behind on reading.

Ok, don't make fun of me but I thought we were supposed to put book titles in quotes for proper grammar. Seems like I am wrong. Why would I think that?

[louisa05]

I am glad you reminded me of this book I read about it and wanted to read it, then forgot. I also wanted to read a book that takes place in a leper colony in Hawaii now that I think of it.I just read "where'd you go Bernadette" by Maria Semple and really enjoyed it. Fun beach read, and a good book for first time author. I have not read the last World without end book either, I am so far behind on reading.

Ok, don't make fun of me but I thought we were supposed to put book titles in quotes for proper grammar. Seems like I am wrong. Why would I think that?

(putting on my English teacher hat...)

Titles of full works are in italics or underlined. Titles of chapters, short stories, poems, songs and such are in quotation marks.

[Grimalkin]

(putting on my English teacher hat...)

Titles of full works are in italics or underlined. Titles of chapters, short stories, poems, songs and such are in quotation marks.

LOL, thanks.

[micatite]

When it rains, it pours. A bunch of my library holds came in at once, so I'm currently reading Kathy Reichs' Speaking in Bones, and just picked up J.R. Ward's, The Bourbon Kings and Catherine Coulter's Nemesis. So much reading to do this weekend. Gee...guess I'll have to put off cleaning my house. What. A. Pity. Lol! :D

[Seven Severn]

I'm reading Three Men in a Boat, Not to Mention the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome. It's about J., his two friends George and Harris, and a dog named Montmorency taking a boat trip up the Thames. It's rambling and funny and doesn't read like it was published in the 1889. According to Wikipedia it's never been out of print.

[drivingmishcrazy]

Oof, I'm the naughty person that reads too many books at a time, so it takes me twice as long to finish anything than it would if I just stuck to one book.

Currently, though, I'm attempting Go Set a Watchman despite controversy and general hullabaloo over the book itself as well as how it found its way to a publisher. We shall see.

[Maggie Mae]

Oof, I'm the naughty person that reads too many books at a time, so it takes me twice as long to finish anything than it would if I just stuck to one book.

Currently, though, I'm attempting Go Set a Watchman despite controversy and general hullabaloo over the book itself as well as how it found its way to a publisher. We shall see.

I started that the day it came out and I'm on chapter three. It's just been sitting there, being annoying. Good Luck!

[twin2]

I started that the day it came out and I'm on chapter three. It's just been sitting there, being annoying. Good Luck!

I started reading it too one night earlier this week. Through the first two chapters. So far it is proving to be a tedious read.

I've got a 90 min train ride into and then on the way back from work on Monday. Will see how much I can get through.

[Jesse911]

I started reading it too one night earlier this week. Through the first two chapters. So far it is proving to be a tedious read.

I've got a 90 min train ride into and then on the way back from work on Monday. Will see how much I can get through.

I bought it but as I sat there getting ready to read it I realized it had been so long since Ive read to kill a mockingbird that I could barely remember the story. So I'm rereading that first and plan to fall into the new book as soon as I'm done.

[lilith]

I bought it but as I sat there getting ready to read it I realized it had been so long since Ive read to kill a mockingbird that I could barely remember the story. So I'm rereading that first and plan to fall into the new book as soon as I'm done.

I did that - it really emphasised how unready for publication Go Set A Watchman was and drew my attention to the plot contradictions between the two books.

Watchman was an interesting concept but very badly executed in my opinion

[DaffyDill]

I'm reading the first book in the Game of Thrones series, called oddly enough, Game of Thrones. Loving it.

So is Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee's followup to Mockingbird? I think I'll earmark that for later...

[princessmahina]

I'm reading the first book in the Game of Thrones series, called oddly enough, Game of Thrones. Loving it.

The Games of Thrones books were the first time I ditched the books for the adaptation. I just can't get into GRRM's writing style. I quit halfway through the second book. I'm glad you're enjoying it though :) !

Currently I'm reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I realized I had never read the entire Narnia series (only the first one), so I'm trying to read the whole series before I start classes on Wednesday :) I'm also reading The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages 400-1000 by Chris Wickham. It's good :)

[RabbitKM]

How did I just discover this thread?! I read many, many books this summer, but the standouts for me, in chronological order of when I read them, were:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. A memoir about her nomadic childhood in the deserts of the American Southwest and then Appalachia. I just loved it.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie. His first collection of short stories published, oh maybe 20 years ago. Amazing. Even though it is fiction, there are autobiographical elements in the short stories. Alexie is a Spokane Indian, and his stories depict life as a modern day Native in our country.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian also by Sherman Alexie. This is a YA novel about a Native boy going to high school off the rez.

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. The first half of this novel chronicles the childhood of Darling and takes place in Zimbabwe. Then, she moves to America, I think it was Michigan, which was not the amazing country she thought it would be. I thought it was a very interesting, honest look at immigration.

The Martian by Andy Weir. **A movie is coming out in October starring Matt Damon. Swoon. This is about Matt Damon, I mean,the astronaut Mark, getting trapped on Mars and his (and NASA's) struggles to stay alive. And get home to Earth.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This was an excellent novel about a family of missionaries from the US going to Africa to baptize and be general annoying Christians. The story is told through the eyes of each of the children and the wife of the Preacher.

We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. I fell in love with this one. I don't want to give too much away, but it is a basic story about a family. A different kind of family. And it is told through the eyes of one of the daughters who is about college-aged.

That's all for now. :) I read a bunch others this summer but the rest were mediocre. I think next I will read either Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari, as I am next in line on my library queue, or if it is not released to me by tomorrow, maybe The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

[centernova]

I just started The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean. It's a history of the brain as it was discovered by scientists and doctors over centuries, and so far, it's fascinating. I'd also recommend his The Disappearing Spoon, which is a history of the periodic table. Both books seem like they would be boring, but Kean breathes life and humor into them, and it's great.

I have Charles de Lint's The Onion Girl out from the library, so I'll be starting it next.

[Lazuli]

The Country of Ice Cream Star by Sandra Newman. It's dystopian lit--quite amazing story.

[clueliss]

World War Z by Max Brooks. Picked it up for like 50% off when a bookstore was closing (indie - mystery - another goes). Nothing like the movie but that is okay.

[JaChelle Sugar]

Ah, the narnia books. Love them. I reread voyage is the dawn treasure a gazillion times. Tbh I'm not entirely sure i ever read all of prince caspian tho.

Now I'm reading John dies at the end, by David Wong of Cracked fame. It's funny and horrifying at once.

[Bethella]

I'm reading The Far Traveller by Nancy Marie Brown about the life of Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir who was a member of the Viking colony in Vinland/Canada. She's trying to make it a biography which doesn't really work with the paucity of sources but I'm finding the filler material on the archaeology and culture quite interesting. Overall I'm liking it.

[Grimalkin]

A park near my house just got a little free library! I chose a copy of Pigs in Heaven, by Barbra Kingsolver. I am pretty sure I read this before but I barely remember it. I forgot what a wonderful writer she is. I am taking my time and reading slowly, and savoring her writing.