April: what are you reading?

[Bugsy]

I just finished "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. It was pretty good...I think I liked The Hunger Games more, but I still put myself on the wait list for "Insurgent." Gotta know what happens with the factions now!

The next book club book is "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. The audiobook came in at the library for me yesterday, so I'll probably start listening to that on my drive home from work. I'm also still on the waitlists for the actual books and the e-book, but they're pretty long waiting lists.

[Anna]

April that is the author Jon loves, he preferred Paper Towns but he really likes the author now of The Fault in our Stars

[mellenhead]

I'm halfway through a collection of Shirley Jackson's work. Not sure what's up next - I think I have the new Emma Donohue (sp?) book on the holdshelf for me (auther that wrote "Room").

I REALLY want to read Sleep Donation by Karen Russell but it's only available via e-book.

[Blush]

I finished the Delia Ephron memoir. It was about what I expected.

Next up is The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud.

[Bugsy]

"Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn came in from my e-books hold list, so I started that over the weekend. I'm about halfway through already--spent several hours reading in the sun on my deck on Saturday. Bliss! The book itself is excellent so far...it's kind of haunting me, and I just want to keep reading.

And I'm on Disc 2 of the "The Fault in Our Stars" audiobook and am also loving that. The actress reading it is doing a great job. I can see why Jon would like this author--the dialog feels very "authentic teenager" to me.

[Bugsy]

I just finished "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn. Wow. That book was fantastic. So dark and disturbing, and it hooked me from the get-go. I had listened to the audiobook for her "Gone Girl"--which I also mostly enjoyed--but this was so much better than that one. "Gone Girl"'s ending left me feeling pretty underwhelmed, but this one was pretty damn fantastic.

And while I was typing this, I received notification that her "Dark Places" is available off my hold list of e-books. When we were in Jamaica I tried reading it, but it wasn't jiving with the Caribbean vacation mode. Will give it another try right now.

[Sílvia]

Bugsy, I thought Dark Places was much better than both GG and SO. But anyway, the woman knows how to hold your attention.

I'm still reading Ken Follett's Winter of the World. I had a hard time getting into it, but now it's picking up. The problem with these books (it's a trilogy) is the fact that they have too many historical/political details. I like my historical fiction with just a touch of history and way more fiction. But overall this is right up my alley: WW2 background, the story of several families in different countries, different generations. You get to see the characters from the first book!

[Rowan]

Sharp Objects was definitely my favorite of the 3.

[Bugsy]

This afternoon I finished Dark Places. The more I read, the deeper the story got, and I liked that. It's sort of a toss-up for me between SO and DP, but I think SO wins. GG was my least favorite, but that was still good and I think is balanced by having listened to that instead of read it directly and knowing the casting for the movie (blech). I think it's time for something lighter after those two in a row!

Oh, and just started disc 4 of 6 of the audiobook of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Still really enjoying this one too.

"The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson came in from my hold shelf today. I'll start it tonight or tomorrow, most likely.

[Blush]

I just finished The Woman Upstairs. Part two kind of dragged but the ending was a bit of a surprise.

Now I have Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson. "With shattering turns...explores the way good people talk themselves into doing seemingly unthinkable things. What happens when believing our own lies spirals into disaster? "

[Spudd]

I tried the Devil in the White City a few years ago on audiobook. OMG, it was the most boring thing EVER. I gave up after like 1 disc.

[mellenhead]

I thought Sharp Objects was her best book out of the three, followed by Dark Places.

Finished th Shirley Jackson collection, I love her writing. Tried to start Frog Music by Emma Donohue but hated it.

I got a Kindle Fire a week or two ago and checked out Sand by Hugh Howey (guy that write Wool) from the Amazon Lending Library. It's really good.

Next up is Sleep Donation by Karen Russell.

[Bugsy]

I tried the Devil in the White City a few years ago on audiobook. OMG, it was the most boring thing EVER. I gave up after like 1 disc.

Aw man, really? It's been on my to-read list for ages. Haven't started it yet, so I guess I'll go into it with low expectations.

[Spudd]

Low expectations is always the best, then you can be pleasantly surprised. It's the worst when you have high expectations and then don't end up liking the thing.

Anyway, I know it's a well liked book in general, but it was just not up my alley at all.

[Bugsy]

Well, Spudd, I see what you mean. I'm about 15% into it, and it's pretty dry. I'm going to keep going with it, though; it seems like it should get more interesting, and I need reading material for my commute. Definitely glad you warned me, though!

[Anna]

I can not get I into anything lately and it sucks.

[Blush]

I finished Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson. It was enjoyable. Each chapter switched back and forth between the voice of the husband and that of the wife. There were a few things rankled me in the writing but overall it was good.

Now I have The Desperates by Greg Kearney

Edmund was dying, but now he isn't. Granted a reprieve from the HIV that took everyone he loved away from him, Edmund decides-after a period of holing up in his Rosedale home-to jump-start his new lease on life by diving hard into the sex and drugs of the party scene.

Teresa is dying, and she's livid. Determined not to let her illness slow her down, she uses the year she has remaining to avenge past grievances and correct certain "mistakes" she feels she made-both in connection to her estranged son.

Joel isn't dying, and probably won't be for a while. Coddled to a state of perpetual naivety by his mother, he moves to the big city of Toronto with dreams of becoming an artist and finding true love. What he finds is somewhat less than he bargained for-though he won't admit it.

In telling the intersecting stories of Edmund, Teresa, and Joel-all of whom leave trails of hopeful chaos in their wake-ReLit Award-winning author Greg Kearney has painted a blackly comic, yet surprisingly earnest, portrait of modern loneliness. The Desperates is one of the rare novels that leaves you laughing even as it breaks your heart.

[Blush]

Update: I am engrossed in "The Desperates". I read a third of it last night. Must finish before Saturday as it's a library book and I don't want to take it with me.

[Rowan]

Blush that sounds great. I'm going to put it on my TBR list.

[Blush]

I finished The Desperates. It was good. I also learned a lot about sex and drugs.