What are you reading now?

[RabbitKM]

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.

I love Kingsolver too. Pigs in Heaven is the sequel to the Bean Trees. I definitely liked the first one better but its a good story, and I liked finding out more about Turtle.

[TheChickWithGlasses]

Everyone is reading these great books and I'm sitting here with The Art of War by Sun Tzu and Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn. But I've written down a few titles y'all have listed that sounded interesting. Thanks for that! :mrgreen:

[RabbitKM]

Just started reading Ruby by Cynthia Bond... its the current Oprah pick. Has anyone else read it?

[heagleca]

I love seeing what other people are reading! I'm reading Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende. She's very hit or miss with me.

[violynn]

I'm finishing up The Given Day by Dennis Lehane and looking for some one new to read. I was challenged a bit ago to take 1 year and only read minority authors. I believe I will start tomorrow. Any suggestions? I've read plenty of women writers, so I'm trying to step out of the white male or female genre.

[Fascinated]

I just read a new memoir by Judy Brown titled This Is Not a Love Story. It is the story of her childhood in an ultraorthodox Jewish family in the late 80's, and the family's dealing with her autistic brother. It has humour and honesty and tells of a mother's love for her son (as seen through the eyes of the author's eight-year-old self, who actually doesn't understand any of it!) She captures the essence of her life in New York and that of her extended family in Israel.

It's a pretty quick read that is interesting and heartwarming. I enjoyed it.

[violynn]

I just read a new memoir by Judy Brown titled This Is Not a Love Story. It is the story of her childhood in an ultraorthodox Jewish family in the late 80's, and the family's dealing with her autistic brother. It has humour and honesty and tells of a mother's love for her son (as seen through the eyes of the author's eight-year-old self, who actually doesn't understand any of it!) She captures the essence of her life in New York and that of her extended family in Israel.

It's a pretty quick read that is interesting and heartwarming. I enjoyed it.

Sounds good,thanks, I will look it up.

[RabbitKM]

I'm finishing up The Given Day by Dennis Lehane and looking for some one new to read. I was challenged a bit ago to take 1 year and only read minority authors. I believe I will start tomorrow. Any suggestions? I've read plenty of women writers, so I'm trying to step out of the white male or female genre.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz.

We Need New Names, by NoViolet Bulawayo

Anything by Sherman Alexie. Love him.

These are just a few things that immediately come to mind.

[47of74]

I'm currently working on The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained by Martin Luther. I'm about a chapter in to it now.

[Maggie Mae]

:shhh: Pretty Little Liars :embarrassed:

[mango_fandango]

Right now I'm reading "The Real James Herriot" by Jim Wight (his son, James Herriot is a pen name, his real name was James Alfred Wight but everyone called him Alf). I've read it a few times before, but I love it, and haven't read it in a while haha.

I've also got a bookmark in "Rumours" by Anna Godbersen, which I haven't touched in a while.

[sparkles]

Andrew Solomon's "Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity." Thought-provoking, educational, illuminating, inspiring, maddening, heartbreaking and ultimately, for me, depressing. But I can't put it down and I'm glad I'm reading it. I know it will stay with me for a long time.

[Marian the Librarian]

"Blackout: Remembering What I Drank to Forget," by Sarah Hepola. Blew me away with her honesty. Highly recommended.

[RabbitKM]

I just finished "An Untamed State" by Roxanne Gay. It's about a woman who gets kidnapped in Haiti (major trigger warning for rape). Hard to read at times. I didn't love it (not because of the violence, but in general).

Now I am reading "My Beloved World" by Sonia Sotomayor.

[clueliss]

I am attempting to read Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (otherwise known as JK Rowling) but it is just not grabbing me. I was told my mystery reading/writing folks I know it was good but so far, eh. Although sometimes with me it is a timing issue.

[atheistjd]

Did anyone else finish Go Set a Watchman? I thought it got so much worse as it went on! I'm glad I read it because it is very topical/water-cooler-lit, but man - what a terrible book - both writing and content-wise. Also, I knew it was sometimes billed as a "first draft" of Mockingbird, but wow - really so many huge chunks lifted from the first book, and not in a good way.

I am currently nesting and reading too many baby/parenting/books, but trying to start A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I've somehow never read!

[sparkles]

Did anyone else finish Go Set a Watchman? I thought it got so much worse as it went on! I'm glad I read it because it is very topical/water-cooler-lit, but man - what a terrible book - both writing and content-wise. Also, I knew it was sometimes billed as a "first draft" of Mockingbird, but wow - really so many huge chunks lifted from the first book, and not in a good way.

I am currently nesting and reading too many baby/parenting/books, but trying to start A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I've somehow never read!

I passed on Go Set a Watchman. To Kill a Mockingbird was such an important book (and film) for me that I didn't want anything to alter my perceptions. Also, I figured that if GSaW was rejected way back when, there was probably a pretty good reason for it. And everything I've heard from people who've read it bears that out.

I adore A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It's on my iPad and I reread it often.

ETA, I finished Far from the Tree, which I highly recommend. An extremely moving and thought-provoking book. Now I'm reading "Days of Rage" by Brian Burroughs and Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth," on a recommendation from my dental hygienist. We had a great conversation about religion and spirituality last time I saw her and she thought I'd be interested. Oh, and "Medicare for Dummies" because um, I'm getting to "that" age.

[Madrone]

I'm finishing up The Given Day by Dennis Lehane and looking for some one new to read. I was challenged a bit ago to take 1 year and only read minority authors. I believe I will start tomorrow. Any suggestions? I've read plenty of women writers, so I'm trying to step out of the white male or female genre.

This is my first post so I am hopeful I have used the quote function and everything else correctly. I made a little list for you of some of my favorites, lots of female authors so I will be diversifying as well. I hope this give you some more ideas, I love the board and have loved seeing what everyone is reading. I didn't read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn until I was an adult and I am sorry it took me so long.

Temple of My Familiar, the Color Purple and Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker

Achy Obejas We Came All The Way From Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? short stories

The Boy Kings of Texas by Domingo Martinez I am currently reading this

No Lands Man Aasif Mandvi

I Know This Much Is True Wally Lamb

Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris

The Kite Runner by Khaled Houssani

Q and A (slumdog millionaire) Vikas Swarup

Half of a Yellow Sun and/or That Thing Around Your Neck Chimananda Ngozi Adiche

Amy Tan The Kitchen Gods Wife 

[twin2]

Did anyone else finish Go Set a Watchman? I thought it got so much worse as it went on! I'm glad I read it because it is very topical/water-cooler-lit, but man - what a terrible book - both writing and content-wise. Also, I knew it was sometimes billed as a "first draft" of Mockingbird, but wow - really so many huge chunks lifted from the first book, and not in a good way.

I am currently nesting and reading too many baby/parenting/books, but trying to start A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I've somehow never read!

I finally got through it. It was a tedious read, which I guess should be expected from a book that hasn't gone through a proper editing/re-writing process.

The beginning of it I thought got bogged down in needless details. Then the middle of the book got OK, and I actually enjoyed it. Then the end, it started to just ramble again. Though I get the themes of the book I struggle to understand the plot and the book just seemed to end, with no resolution or anything, no fulfillment. I'm not sure I even understand what the point was she was trying to make.

Now I'm on to one I found in the bargain bin at B&N. A book called "Sisterland" about identical twins with psychic abilities, one embraces it, the other doesn't. One is predicting a big earthquake. About a 1/3 of the way in and I like it so far.

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

Just finished We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas and started World Without End by Ken Follet.

We Are Not Ourselves was excellent and really delves into the expectations parents put on their offspring in childhood and through adult life.

[Madrone]

TXGirl I hope you like the Follett, I really enjoyed it, though not as much as Pillars of the Earth which is a favorite.

I have been on the fence about reading Go Set A Watchman but after reading the posts here I will skip it for now.

I was recently part of a discussion about the book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. I have since been wishing I could send copies to the women and girls (the boys need somethin also) in some of the fundie families.

[Fascinated]

I am attempting to read Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (otherwise known as JK Rowling) but it is just not grabbing me. I was told my mystery reading/writing folks I know it was good but so far, eh. Although sometimes with me it is a timing issue.

clueliss, have you continued reading Cuckoo's Calling? I loved it and also enjoyed The Silkworm. I hope you enjoy them, too.

But, I have just received the most recent Lee Child book, Make Me. I haven't started it yet because when I do it will soon be finished, and then I will be very sad. Any of you who like reading mystery/thrillers who have not read any of the Jack Reacher books, please give them a try. This is the 20th book in the series so, if you are newly discovering them, and enjoying them, you have nineteen books to look forward to! The earlier ones are a little better but I have really enjoyed them all.

On a different note, I'd like to recommend the historical fiction Morland Dynasty series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. I think there are thirty-four books, following an English family from the 1500s to the present. Her writing and attention to detail are exquisite. The pictures she paints with her words are wonderful. I simply cannot recommend these enough. I'm sure we must have historical fiction fans here. I desperately hope some of you read the first book at least. It will be time well spent!

[47of74]

I just picked up a book on Croatia as I'm thinking of making eastern Europe my next overseas destination.

[CTRLZero]

I am new to posting, too, so I'll try my hand at using the quote function (hmmm, think I already failed). :? I tend to read a lot of sci fi, but your Sedaris item made me smile. It's been awhile but, as I recall, the book was humorous and poignant. I have also read a couple of Amy Sedaris' books (she has a thing about pantyhose, LOL). The books are very funny and were like coffee table books, full of photos and oddball observations.

Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris

My favorite authors are Connie Willis, Jack McDevitt (earlier serial works), and many more...I'll stop now.

:)

[UnPitchPerfectViolin]

I'm reading all of the Call the Midwife books again. I'm nearly 3 months pregnant and enjoy torturing myself about my impending doom, apparently?