It's May! What are you reading?

[mellenhead]

I finished up When She Woke by Hilary Jordan - I really enjoyed most of the book. The end of the book was a bit bizarre and didn't make sense to me. I don't want to put anything else because I don't think Blush is finished w/ it yet.

I started on Hope: A Tragedy this morning. Not sure about this one yet - it started off with a guy finding an old woman living in the attic of a farmhouse he had recently bought that claims she's Anne Frank. Hopefully it gets a little better once I read a few more chapters.

[Blush]

I loved When She Woke. Yeah, the end was a little bizarre and I would have liked a more solid conclusion but I don't know how that would have worked either.

Next I have "Skipping a Beat" by Sarah Pekkanen.

[Rowan]

I started Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I'm on a YA kick these days if you haven't noticed. I've heard great things about this one. Bottom line: Cinder = cyborg Cinderella. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and am really liking it. I thought the cyborg stuff would be too scifi for me but not.

I'm off for the next few days so I should get oodles of reading in!

[Sílvia]

I finished Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Ugh, it was a sci-fi/horror YA story! All the wrong labels for me! I only bought it because it was by Zafón. The main story did not convince me at all, and I only finished it because it was only 189 pages long. I didn't hate it, but it was SO not The Shadow of the Wind. Bah.

Now I've started a John Grisham, The Street Lawyer. So far, so good.

[mellenhead]

I loved When She Woke. Yeah, the end was a little bizarre and I would have liked a more solid conclusion but I don't know how that would have worked either.

I got irritated at the lesbian story line and I think that kind of carried through the rest of the book for me. It just didn't ring true for the character for me.

I made it about a quarter of the way into Hope: A Tragedy and gave up. To bizarre for me.

I re-read Catching Fire last night and I'm going to start on The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta on the train home.

[Blush]

Yeah, the thing with Simone didn't fit the rest of the book. It felt like the author wanted another sex scene, and well, Simone was there.

[Rowan]

I *loved* Cinder. If you like ,YA it's a must read! Don't let the cyborg description turn you off...it's not very cyborg-y.

I read a few other books on vacation.

The Night Following - Morag Joss; strange little book about a woman who has a hit and run accident and what she does afterwards

Beneath a Meth Moon - Jacqueline Woodson; meh; YA about meth addiction

I started the memoir "Let's Pretend this Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson but I just don't find it funny after ~50 pages. I don't think I'll finish it.

I'm currently reading Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. I'm only ~20 pages in but so far it's ok. It's the book Veronica Roth (Divergent) was last reading in a recent interview.

[mellenhead]

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta - good read - I like most of his books.

The Newlyweds - Nell Freudendberger - EXCELLENT. Loved the characters, loved the story.

Rowan, I added Cinder to my library holds - sounds good!

[Annie]

I finished the Jaycee Dugard book, "A Stolen Life", in one day of traveling. Easy read and obviously held my attention.

I also finished "So Much Pretty" by Cara Hoffman. It was good. Written in that style where it changes character perspectives each chapter. I'm not a fan of that on the whole but it worked in this format. I wish the meat of the plot had picked up a little sooner or even that the theme of the book had been better threaded through the book. Some of the descriptions call it a cross between Lovely Bones and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

I started The Year of Magical Thinking but I'd just come off reading A Stolen Life and Wit, both about women who suffer and struggle so I was a little burned out on that theme. (Of course, that's what So Much Pretty sort of ended up being.) The writing in TYOMT is fantastic so I'll definitely come back to it.

So now I'm giving Girl Who Plays with Fire a chance. I didn't read Dragon Tattoo but I saw the movie. So far there were 3-4 pages of mathematical philosophy that I had to skip. I fear that doesn't bode well for the rest of the book.

[Rowan]

Annie, I don't want to discourage you from ...Played with Fire but I really wouldn't read it without reading ....Dragon Tattoo. The movie did a decent job of staying true to the book *but* there's so much more in the book than in the movie.

Still reading Imaginary Girls. Not loving it really but I'm 3/4 done so I might as well finish it.

[Annie]

Rowan, thanks for the heads up. Luke seemed to think I could just pick up with the 2nd one (he's read them both) but I was lost during the *movie* so I can only imagine how lost I'll be trying to jump into the books.

Maybe I should just read that Joan Didion book. Get it over with.

Then I want to read: MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend !

[Rowan]

Annie, I didn't say this (but maybe it was implied) but I loved the trilogy and would hate for you to miss out. They are hard to read and I had to take breaks between the books because they were so heavy.

M wants me to put this in...

I am to please....

[mellenhead]

Then I want to read: MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend !

I can sum that book up for you in one sentence: It's hard to make friends as an adult.

I still have not read the 'Girl who......" Trilogy. I've tried a couple times to get into the first book and it never hooks me.

I read Archive 17 yesterday - it's a fictional account of the seach for the missing gold of Tsar Nicholas II set in 1939. It was a good read, good action / mystery.

I need to head to the library tonight - I have Fair Coin and the next Walking Dead graphic novel waiting for me on the hold shelf.

[Rowan]

mellen, I had to bring only that trilogy on a trip to Germany with me so I only had that to read. I had to get into nearly 70 pages or so but then I was hooked.

Sad that I had to force myself to read it but it really was worth it.

[Annie]

I can sum that book up for you in one sentence: It's hard to make friends as an adult.

Is it worth reading or is it total fluff?

I tried to get into Dragon Tattoo (and this is so shallow of me) but I kept getting hung up on the names and not being able to pronounce them, which for me meant not being able to remember who was who. So I gave up.

I went back to The Year of Magical Thinking last night. I'm very clearly NOT in a monogamous book relationship.

[mellenhead]

I can sum that book up for you in one sentence: It's hard to make friends as an adult.

Is it worth reading or is it total fluff?

I don't think it's worth reading. It's completely predictable and irritating....or was to me at least.

So since I'm in between books I gave Girl w Dragon Tattoona shot on the train home. The first 25 pages or so actually put me to sleep!!! I'm going to give it to around page 100. Annie, the names are bugging me too and I keep glossing over paragraphs.

[Blush]

I really enjoyed "Skipping a Beat" by Sarah Pekkanen; it was a bit chicklit-y but with actual emotion. It was a nice palate cleanser after the Hilary Jordan book.

Now I'm reading Jann Arden's memoir, "Falling Backward". Her music is not what drove me to read it; it's that I find her hilarious and completely frank. I'm 25 pages in and I'm looking forward to delving.

[Rowan]

Someone at work let me borrow Insurgent from her (library loan) since my library doesn't have it. Yay!!!! Can't wait to start it tonight.

I also am going to start working my way through The Beck Diet Solution. I need to work on the mind connection of weight maintenance to

[mellenhead]

It took me to around page 110 to completely and utterly hook me but I'm glad I stuck it out reading ....Dragon Tattoo. I have about 40 pages left to read and I just found the next book on our little reading shelf in my office.

I need to hit the library this weekend. I have the following waiting for me:

Bringin Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel
Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson
Fair Coin - E.C. Myers
Cinder - Marissa Meyer

[Rowan]

Yay! I'm glad you're finally into Dragon Tattoo.

Excited to see Cinder on your library pick up list. Hope you like it. I loved it!

Started Insurgent last night....so good!