It's January - what are you reading?

[Rowan]

Happy 2010 Everyone!!!

Just finished #124 yesterday. It was Identical by Ellen Hopkins a YA book written in verse. I'm loving her stuff. This was the story about 2 identical twins who are very different from each other. This wasn't as good as her Crank/Glass series but still interesting.

Up next is Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.

[Bugsy]

I'm about halfway through "Idiot America: How stupidity became a virtue in the land of the free" by Charles P. Pierce. It's all right, I guess, but not as entertaining as I thought it would be. If I knew more about history, I'd probably be getting more out of it; that was always my weakest subject area.

[mellenhead]

I'm about 100 pages into the 700+ page "The Terror" by Dan Simmons. I think this might be one I have to take breaks from!

I think I'm going to start "Marie Antoinette" by Antonia Fraser tonight.

[Blush]

I finished Hypocrite in a pouffy white dress by Susan Jane Gilman (a memoir) before the end of the year. I own it, and I have no idea where I got it, but it was a while ago. I packed it to take away because I don't like potentially losing library books. I loved this memoir; it was really funny and also made me think a bit.

Now I'm reading Say When by Elizabeth Berg. It's really good; I always like her writing as the characters seem real to me.

[Beverly]

I'm reading The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory. It's the first of hers I've read (I found it in English at the Salvation Army, which is why I started out of order), and I'm liking it very much.

[Sílvia]

I'm still reading the first one in the Stieg Larsson's (sp?) trilogy and I'm totally hooked. You and my mom were right, Beverly! It's taking me forever because I had almost zero reading time at the beach house and Leo's been going to sleep way late. But I'm totally reading the second one next! (which my mom says is not as good as the first and the third. We'll see).

[mellenhead]

I finished 769 page "The Terror" by Dan Simmons. Once I got about 200 pages in I couldn't put it down. It's a fictional account of what happened to the 1845 Franklin Expeditions search for the Northwest Passage. It's supposed to be a suspense novel about a "creature" that is out to get the crews. That part is not all that well written. However, the characters and the environment regarding the ships crews struggling to stay alive among the arctic conditions, threat of starvation, mutiny, etc. were so well written that I just couldn't put the book down. Loved it.

And now I'm in a book funk...bummed that I'm done with a book I LOVED and can't quit get started on anything else. I have Widow of the South, A Separate Country and Marie Antoinette on my bookstand.

[mellenhead]

I'm reading The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory. It's the first of hers I've read (I found it in English at the Salvation Army, which is why I started out of order), and I'm liking it very much.

Read The Other Boleyn Girl. It's fantastic - My favorite of hers. The movie did it no justice at all.

[Beverly]

Thanks for the recommendation, Mellen ... I haven't seen the movie, but I'll make sure now that I don't until I've read the book!

Right now I'm reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and so far it's very good.

[Blush]

I finished Say When and liked it; it wasn't earth moving or anything.

Now I'm reading The Book of Dahlia on Crystal's recommendation and I'm really enjoying it.

[mellenhead]

I forgot I had Under the Dome by Stephen King and started that last night. I'm about 50 pages in and totally hooked.

[Bugsy]

In the last ~week I've finished both "Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free" by Charles P. Pierce and "The Bride Will Keep Her Name" by Jan Goldstein. The first one started a little bit slow but really grew on me. Someone who knows more about history than I do would probably enjoy it even more than I did (there are a good amount of historical references, many of which I was only vaguely familiar with). I liked the second one quite a bit too. It was a really quick read and tells a pretty whirlwind tale. Blush, did you recommend that one? I think I heard about it from someone here.

Next up is either "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro or "The Hunger Games." I've had the first from the library for about a week, and I just got an email that the second is waiting for me. Considering that there are probably more hold requests for "The Hunger Games," I'm thinking I should read that one first.

[Crystal Meth]

I finished "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." I thought it was really, really quite good. I almost can't believe it's a first novel, but apparently it took him 10 years to write, so I believe that.

Next, I'm starting Book 1 of Proust. Am I crazy? I might just be.

[Blush]

Bugsy, I did read that "The Bride Will Keep her name" so maybe it was me.

Last night I finished The Book of Dahlia, recommended by Crystal. I thought it was great, and while parts of it were uncomfortable to read (hello, it's about someone dying) it was also really funny and real. Thanks, Crystal!

I picked up The Help at the library (it finally came in) and will start it today.

[Anna]

I am trying to read "Cleaved" by Julie Powell (she wrote Julie and Julia)

and my box came today so also on my list are:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisonner's dilemma
Craig Fergusen's American on Purpose

[Spudd]

Anna, "my box came today"? What box?

I'm still slogging through the Dark Tower. It's a bitch. Also, I lost my place in the audiobook I was listening to, so I listened to music instead yesterday.

[mellenhead]

I am trying to read "Cleaved" by Julie Powell (she wrote Julie and Julia)

Anna, I only liked the middle of that book! For me it started slow, got good and then just limped to the end. I skipped entire chapters at one point.

[Beverly]

I finished "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." I thought it was really, really quite good. I almost can't believe it's a first novel, but apparently it took him 10 years to write, so I believe that.

It was good, huh? How did you manage with all the Spanish? I had to ask Kayley for help a couple of times!

[Anna]

Spudd the boxes that had to be mailed back from Germany which had my books in them b/c Eric does not understand what is important to have with us and what isn't...

[Crystal Meth]

It was good, huh? How did you manage with all the Spanish? I had to ask Kayley for help a couple of times!

It didn't really bother me. I understood a few words, and even if I didn't, I could basically infer what was happening from the scene, so I was like "Annnd... she's cussing, got it."

I really liked the footnotes, too. I had no idea about Trujillo or that time in history.