What are you reading?

I love Evanovich and I can't wait for the new one to come out. I found a new (to me) series by Joanne Faulk. They are all about a bakery owner who helps to solve murders. The first one was called: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. I also read the Key Lime Pie Murder. The coolest thing is, the recipes that the character talks about in the story are included in the book. I am a baking and reading dork!

 

I just finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons and now I am just about to the end of the Virgin Suicides also by Eugenides.

Both books by J.E. are thought provoking and well written novels.

BTW, this thread is a great source for book recommendations!:up:

Thanks!

 

I started John Grisham's The Innocent Man yesterday while I was monitoring the halls for TAKS. A couple of people told me how good it was. I'm not that into it yet and I'm half way through.

 

I've been reading The Memory Keepers Daughter and it's pretty good but kinda depressing. I find myself getting mad at my boyfriend when I'm really mad at the husband in the book!!! OOPS!!!

 

The movie really wasn't good- I so wanted to love it, so disappointed...The Tudors on Showtime is so much better...

 

We read Middlesex in my book club. It was an interesting meeting because for every person who liked it, there was someone else who couldn't stand it. I was in the "Loved It"" camp. I think some people just felt it was too weird, but I like weird.

Hope you're enjoying it!

 

How did you feel about Picoult's Plain Truth? I'm thinking of buying it. I loved 19 Minutes and liked My Sister's Keeper, so I'm thinking it's probably a safe bet.

I was talking to a friend and we decided she is like the Law & Order of literature - exciting, "ripped from the headlines," always with a twist.

 

Oh my gosh, I've been writing down all these book titles & I'm ready to hit Amazon.com now!

 

I liked Plain Truth a lot. That and My Sister's Keeper have been my favorite of Piccoult's so far. Also, as someone who grew up near Amish country, it bothers me the way people sometimes almost exploit the Amish in order to make literature--turning them into a curiosity, etc. Plain Truth was actually a sensitive portrayal of the Amish as a cultural/religious group, and also taking the characters as individuals.

 

I've had the same experience with a few of his books.

I am currently reading Cold Mountain (enjoying it quite a bit), The City of Fallen Angels (haven't got too far into it yet, but pretty good as far as I can tell), still working on the Holocaust book (but getting close to the end), and slowly making my way through Wicked (not as gripping as I thought it would be, but I'll give it some more time before I put it aside.)

 

I am reading Honor Thyself by ( yes!) Danielle Steel. After long days in school, I want to relax and not have to think! I love sharing the books we read! Great idea!!

 

I'm re-reading (forth time?) Persuasion, by Jane Austen. Watching the recent DVD (from Masterpiece?) made me want to read this great, and favorite, book again.

 

I read this last summer and loved it!

 

My sister and I just watched The Other Boylen Girl today. It was good! I can't wait to read the book.

 

I am currently reading "Chasing Destiny" by eric Jerome Dickey and also listening to his book on tape "Sister Sister."

 

I'm on a total chick lit kick right now. Reading a few books by Meg Cabot.

 

I really like thrillers (detective stories/procedurals) and fantasy sci-fi books. I just finished listening to The Chopin Manuscript - which was really cool a "serial thriller" where 15 different mystery writers wrote one story. It was organized by Jeffrey Deaver.

Currently, I'm re-reading the Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, as the long awaited final chapter is due out in fall of 09 - I'm only on the prequel, so 11 more books to go!

 

The things I'm alternating chapters on....

For school:
The Science of Jurassic Park: I love the topic but its pages and pages too long on the genetics and way too short of the dinosaurs behavior and appearance. I'm making a math practice worksheet using their calculations on the amount of goats per year the park would use, though.

The Top Ten Myths about Evolution: Small, thoughtful, concise, entertaining, and amusingly illustrated. Already referenced it in my dinosaur class.

The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: THIS is good historiography! Entertaining and very human look. I grabbed a whole bunch of stuff from the library after Darwin Day last month.

Water: A Natural History by Alice Outwater: Any book that can make the first chapter on the medieval beaver population decline an amusing page-turner is a keeper.

For pure fun:

DVD Delirium, The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful films of DVD: This is a gem to someone like me who owns 80 wonderfully absurd movies from badmovies.org.


The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World: Because I haven't read enough Harlan Ellison. Few people have.

Shadows Bend by David Barbour and Richard Raleigh: Because I'm a sucker for anything involving H.P.Lovecraft.

Run to the Hills: The Official Biography of Iron Maiden: If you can;t tell by the avatar, I'm incredibly excited about the new retro-tour.

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

I'm also flipping through some Henry Rollins stuff and some stuff by Sudhir Venkatesh, one of the contributors to Freakonomics, which I lovingly finished in one night. Good stuff!

 

Interesting....what is this book all about?

 

It's a mix of autobiography and political philosophy. I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

 

I just started Don Quixote and am surprised at how funny it is. I got it as a Christmas present from my son & he's asked several times if I'd started it.

On spring break this week so I took to the hammock, book in tow along w/a pillow and light quilt. Now my face is sunburned because I read too long outside. It was just tooo nice.

 

Mr.L I love being involved in 4 or more books at a time. Hope you're enjoying them all.

 

I just finished Pride and Prejudice and Cut. I am currently reading Playing for Pizza and Change of Heart (super excited about this one!!).

 

I'm currently reading The Boylen Inheritence, the sequel to The Other Boylen Sister which I'll start after I'm finished. Amazon was late in sending the Sister book, but I've already seen the movie so know what's going on and will see how the book and movie differ.

 

I'm about half-way through Oliver Twist. I love Charles Dickens. I've always been a fan of satire, so it's doing the job nicely.

 

My wife and I are addicted to the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series. We're reading Narcissus in Chains together. We keep stealing it from each other and now she has it at the hairdresser while I have the kids. Not a fair trade! Warning: this book is very erotic so if you don't like that sort of thing...

 

I just finished Cold Mountain. The writing was beautiful and had me hooked to the end, but I was disappointed with the conclusion of the story. It just seemed glib and cliche'. :<

 

Over spring break I read:

Shug by Jenny Han (It was on the Texas Lonestar Booklist for 6th-8th grade)

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

I just started:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Next:

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

 

Drive me crazy
~Eric Jerome Dickey

Ideas of the Enlightenment
~Multiple authors

 

I'm reading 'Sin noticias de Gurb' (Without news from Gurb), which my friend from Spain sent me. It's in Spanish and is really funny because it's about an alien who lands in the middle of Barcelona, Spain and it's written in the form of a travel log.

Next up is La Muerte del Artemio Cruz (The death of Artemio Cruz) which is supposed to be a satire about the degradation of the mexican political system after the last revolutionary war. It's by Carlos Fuentes and is supposed to be really good.

 

I just finished Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. Now I'm reading Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. Neither is heavy reading, but good story lines.

One of my favorite books was Secret Life of Bees. I was very affected by The Glass Castle.

 

Haven't gotton too far into Secret Life of Bees yet, hopefully I can finish this weekend.
The Glass Castle was very good! I gave it to my teaching partner to read...

 

I couldn't put down The Glass Castle, I worried about that poor girl the whole time I read it. I'm thankful she ended up reasonably normal. What do you think was wrong with her parents????

 

Oh, I think they were definitely mentally ill. She ended up very successful.

 

I agree, mom was definitely mentally ill and dad was too much of an alcoholic to care about anything else...It's amazing the kids turned out as well as they did...guess it goes to show that your home life does not have to affect your future if you are determined to have better for yourself.

 

Don't Bet Against ME by Deana Favre.

It's my second reading of it.

 

Loved this book!! But I am a special educator so I love most books that portray special education students in a positive light.

 

Okay I've been reading a few excerpts of these books on Amazon... they sound really good!

 

I adore young adult novels...I'm a dork but don't think there anything dorky about enjoying YA books.

Right now I am reading A New Earth and taking Oprah's class.

 

I read this book a while back. I was especially interested because a professor from the University of Kentucky wrote it. Lifetime has a movie adaptation of the novel.