July - What are you reading?

[Rowan]

Can't believe there isn't a thread yet. I'm moving slowly this year at #53, at this rate I will hit 100 books by the end of the year but will not beat last year's total of 125.

I just finished The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. It is the story of 2 men with the same name, who grew up in the same neighborhood but had completely different lives. Very interesting.

I also just read Throw Out 50 Things by Gail Blanke. I love the organizational self help books and this one was really good. Not sure why the hokiness of the mental cleanout didn't bother me but I'm now very inspired to throw out 50 things. Idea is you only have 2 weeks to throw out 50 things and multiple of a single thing (ie 10 magazines) count as one. We have a tiny place but tons of stuff. Part of the problem is having to hang onto all the baby stuff because we haven't decided we're not having another one or not.

Not sure what's next on the list. I did pick up the latest Tess Gerritsen and latest Emily Giffen so probably one of those. I also have Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on hold at the library for pickup.

Happy Weekend everyone!

[Spudd]

I finished reading "Oryx and Crake" ... good book, but horrible ending.

Now I'm reading "Halloween Party" by Agatha Christie.

[Beverly]

Oryx and Crake is on my to-read (someday) list ... is the ending horrible as in "unsatisfying" or horrible as in "heartbreaking"? You don't have to give any details, obviously, but I do like to be prepared.

[Spudd]

Unsatisfying.

[Beverly]

I recently finished Gem Squash Tokoloshe by Rachel Zadok. It was pretty good.

Now I'm reading American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld and The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb. I need to have both an "upstairs book" and a "downstairs book," because I never remember to take them with me from room to room!

[Beverly]

Thanks, Spudd! Forewarned is forearmed, as they say!

[Anna]

I read
"If I am Missing or Dead" a true story

and "The Geometry of Sisters" both were good.

[Blush]

I loved American Wife.

I read Russel Brand's memoir, "My Booky Wook". I have a measure of respect for him now; I thought it was fairly well written and open, and I loved his footnotes explaining the differences between UK and US english.

Then I read You're a Horrible Person, But I Like You: The Believer Book of Advice by The Believer. It was pretty amusing.

My coworker lent me Memoirs of a Geisha so I guess I should get on that; I also have The Postmistress by Sarah Blake from the library.

[Spudd]

Memoirs of a Geisha was a good book.

[mellenhead]

Loved Memoirs of a Geisha. I have Post Mistress on my nightstand. I tried to read it once and just couldn't get into it. I should try it again.

Let's see, I just finished up "The Carrie Diaries" by Candace Bushnell. It was ok. I thought the last part of the book would involve more of the other SATC characters but it didn't. I was underwhelmed.

I'm slowly making my way through "Six Wives, the wives of Henry VII" by David Starkey. It's FABULOUS. Easily the best Henry VII / Tudor book I've read so far. I'm trying to pace myself reading it because I'm enjoying it so much.

I read "Dune Road" by Jane Green recently as well. It was a typical Jane Green book.

[Sílvia]

It took me for freaking ever to finish Diana Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber. Beverly, I thought that part in France draaaaaaaaaaaagged. It got a little better when they went back to Scotland. So much so that I almost wanted to read the next one in the series.

Now I'm reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. So far I'm enjoying it, but I'm only on page 150.

Spudd, I always agree with you about books. I'll start paying more attention to your comments!

[Spudd]

I finished "Halloween Party" - pretty standard Agatha Christie.

On audiobook I started "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", which is pretty good so far, although I'm not far into it yet.

And last night I started "Rose Madder" by Stephen King. So far, it's okay.

Silvia, I totally find I agree with you on books. I will have to start looking up some of the ones you recommend.

[Sílvia]

Crystal and I used to be each other's anti-recommendations. I'm glad to have someone I actually agree with!

[Rowan]

I'm reading Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter and I'm loving it. I really had to force myself to go to bed last night and not stay up all night reading.

[Bugsy]

I recently finished "The Monkey Wars," by Deborah Blum. It's a nonfiction book about primate research. It took me more than a month to read, but that was because sometimes it made me sad or angry, and I had to put it down for a while. Really makes me think about the industry I work for...brought up some issues that I hadn't thought about for a while. Overall, I loved it and will read more of her books (she's a local nonfiction author, and at least a couple of her other ones sound quite interesting).

I just started "Dancing Girls," by Margaret Atwood. If I had realized it was a book of short stories, I probably would have chosen a different one (not usually much of a short story fan). I've read just the first couple so far, and they're just ok. Short stories just always leave me wanting more, like I've only just met the characters and now they're gone.