books

[Carek1230]

I'm about 100 pages into The Satanic Verses and have misplaced my copy of it. I know it's here somewhere, but if I don't find it soon, I'm going to have to start over

Excellent choice. Have you red The Ground Beneath Her Feet as well? Rushdie

I am trying to decide whether to begin the Princes of Ireland series by Edward Rutherford, or tackle Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth which my sister insists I read. Decisions.....decisions.....

regardless, I don't think there's too much more enjoyable than being engulfed in a really good book!

 

[U2isthebest]

Chris didn't find out until after graduating high school that he had a brother who was born when he was two years old. He only found this out because of information provided to him by old family friends he looked up on one of his early cross-country trips.

His parents may never have revealed this to Chris. We have no idea what kind of impact this had on him and I don't think anyone can say what decision was right for him.

You're right, and it was probably an even bigger blow that the child was the product of an on-going affair between Chris' dad and his first wife. Krakauer talked about how for the first 6 years of Chris' parents marriage, his father was still carrying on a relationship with his ex. That's just messed up.

 

[u2luvr66macphis]

Trinity by Uris

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Excellent choice. Have you red The Ground Beneath Her Feet as well? Rushdie

That's the only other one of his books I've read. I did finally find my copy of it and am back to reading it again. Rushdie's books take me a long time to read, though, because I spend half my time going back over his sentences and trying to figure out how he did what he just did. He's a real stylist, which is something I pay a lot of attention to in my own writing.

With reading so much for teaching, I've really gotten away from pleasure reading, and I've missed it. I'm resolving to read more for myself this year.

 

[corianderstem]

The only Rushdie I've read so far is Ground Beneath Her Feet, and I found it hard to get into. I've had others tell me that wasn't the best one to start with, so I definitely want to give him another chance.

I have The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children at home, gathering dust on my shelves.

 

[Thora]

I'd forgotten about this thread. Since I have the day off today, I've read the entire thing, and have some good ideas of future books to buy.

Right now I'm reading Vanity Fair. I read it probably 15 years ago, and have totally forgotten the plot, etc. I'm about halfway thru right now, and am really enjoying it. I'm having a hard time keeping some of the characters straight, but it's very enjoyable so far.

Next up is Russka: The Novel of Russia by Edward Rutherfurd. I bought this to read on vacation last month, but I had too many other books, and never got around to reading this one. I'm a Russian history nerd, so hopefully this will be a good read.

 

[meegannie]

The only Rushdie I've read so far is Ground Beneath Her Feet, and I found it hard to get into. I've had others tell me that wasn't the best one to start with, so I definitely want to give him another chance.

I think The Ground Beneath Her Feet and Fury are the two most accessible of his books.

 

[VintagePunk]

I have The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children at home, gathering dust on my shelves.

You need to read both of these now. I'm trying to think of which I liked best, but really, I think I liked each in its own way. Maybe Midnight's Children wins just by a hair. I really enjoyed the historical aspects, and the way India's history parallels with the main character.

I've started Fury, and so far, I really like it. I've never read Ground Beneath Her Feet, but plan to get to it soon.

 

[corianderstem]

#8 Which Brings Me To You by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott

A man and a woman meet at a wedding reception and rather than just hook up the old-fashioned way, decide to get all their past romantic histories and confessions out of the way first, via letters.

It started off slow for me, but once it got going, I really liked it. Some parts are funny, some parts are just a little sad. Good stuff!

I've read one of Julianna Baggott's books and didn't care for it. I read Steve Almond's Candyfreak and it was one of the most fun and funny books I'd ever read.

 

[cobl04]

Anyone read Generals Die in Bed?

 

[mysterious_jen]

Well i started re-reading Harry Potter and i'm almost half way through Atonement which is very good. Can't wait to watch after reading!

its a beautiful movie , but very sad . loved it . thinking of getting the book

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

#8 Which Brings Me To You by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott

A man and a woman meet at a wedding reception and rather than just hook up the old-fashioned way, decide to get all their past romantic histories and confessions out of the way first, via letters.

It started off slow for me, but once it got going, I really liked it. Some parts are funny, some parts are just a little sad. Good stuff!

I've read one of Julianna Baggott's books and didn't care for it. I read Steve Almond's Candyfreak and it was one of the most fun and funny books I'd ever read.

I've wanted to read this. I'm not really much of a Julianna Baggott fan, but I really enjoyed both of Steve Almond's story collections, and he's also one of the nicest writers I've ever gotten to hang out with. Not that that really matters, but if I meet a writer and he or she is just a big old conceited jerk, I don't feel the need to rush out and read the rest of their work. He's got a new book of essays out, too, which I need to pick up.

How are you on your eighth book of the year? I'm only on my third. I feel like a slacker

 

[corianderstem]

The first handful of books I read were fast reads and not very long.

I read a lot on my bus rides to and from work, and let's face it - I don't have a lot of real life stuff that takes up my time.

(Please notice how I did not say 'I have no life'. )

I'll have to check out more of Almond's writing - I didn't know he had short story collections!

 

[Idun]

I love reading books and there are so many that I'd like to read.. and I've bought a lot of books that I haven't had time yet to read. but when I like a book by an author I have to go on reading books by the same author, and it's often like that so I haven't read that many books by a lot of different authors. XD

Today I started with a book by Anna Gavalda, I've never read anything by her before so I don't know if she's good yet.

 

[Bonoscoolness78]

I like reading biographies of contemporary musicians. That one about Bob Dylan is better than anything Conrad ever wrote.

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

me too ^^

i just read Sting's. it wasnt very good. Andy Summers' really was awesome though!

 

[LMP]

It's very different. The basic idea of an infertile world is still there and the major plot line of the first pregnancy in 20-something years is still there, the major characters are also still there but they have, in some cases (particularly Julian i guess), very different roles. I was sad to see so little of Jasper, he was my absolute favourite in the movie and there isn't much of him in the book...and he was just different.

In some ways I really preferred the movie, I don't know if it's because I saw it before reading the book or because the way they told the story was just much more effective.

I'd still recommend it though, just don't expect anything too similar to the movie.

The movie is also one of my favourites.

Hmm, I'll add it to my shortlist.

I'm readin' me some Ethan Coen (of the Coen Bros.) short stories right now, they ain't disappointin'.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I had no idea he'd written a book.

 

[No spoken words]

Still reading "The Name of the Rose". Normally I'd have read 2-3 books in the time it's taking me to read this. I am enjoying it, but it's sometimes slow going...which is ok.

 

[Saracene]

I'm on a re-reading streak at the moment, just revisited Ira Levin's "Rosemary's Baby". It's still very creepy and brilliantly constructed; it's fun to notice the foreshadowings and hints sprinkled throughout the book once you know the ending.

 

[meegannie]

I've just been reading trashy stuff (mysteries, fantasy, etc.) this year, apart from The Bloody Chamber.

 

[Lancemc]

My mom sent my King's new novel today, Duma Key.

The first page alone is one of the better samples of his writing to date.

This is very promising indeed.

 

[No spoken words]

I've just been reading trashy stuff (mysteries, fantasy, etc.) this year, apart from The Bloody Chamber.

Trashy stuff like what?

 

[anitram]

Still reading "The Name of the Rose". Normally I'd have read 2-3 books in the time it's taking me to read this. I am enjoying it, but it's sometimes slow going...which is ok.

I really, really struggled with this book. Especially the slow beginning. I couldn't help but feel that Eco wanted to basically write an academic piece except disguised in fiction and it came out a holy mess.

 

[No spoken words]

I really, really struggled with this book. Especially the slow beginning. I couldn't help but feel that Eco wanted to basically write an academic piece except disguised in fiction and it came out a holy mess.

I am not sure I'd call it a mess, as it picked up after the first 100 pages or so, and it does have me curious about who the murder is, but, yes, it does seem as if he dressed up an academic piece as fiction....but he's done that since as well.

Almost done.

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

I just finished a great book called Talk, Talk by. T.C. Boyle. It was about a deaf woman who gets her identity stolen from her. So she and her hearing boyfriend go across the country (from CA to NY), tracking down the man who has stolen her life from her. I listened to it, with the author narrating, who told his story in a great, rich tone of voice. I highly recommend it.

 

[Lemonchick]

I'm about halfway through Slaugtherhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, really enjoying it so far.

This is the second book of his I read, the first one was Breakfast of Champions .

 

[corianderstem]

#9 Green River, Running Red Ann Rule

Geez, I need about 20 hugs after finishing this. The Pacific Northwest sure has had its share of serial killers: Ted Bundy did some killing here, as did the Hillside Strangler, the mand in Spokane who killed a bunch of prostitues, the pig farmer in British Columbia who did the same (although I believe his trial is still going on).

And of course, the Green River Killer, who killed dozens of women (mainly prostitutes) in Seattle and its southern suburbs in the early 80s. A lengthy book, but you try writing a book where a killer isn't caught for almost 20 years and giving the majority of the victims enough face-time so they remain people, not just victims and numbers ... in less than 650 pages.

I remember Gary Ridgway's arrest, not long after I moved here. It was quite a time. Reading about it is horrifying and moving, and often gut-wrenching as Ridgway walks the task force through the murders, taking them to their burial places (many of the bodies had gone long-undiscovered, but for years, people would stumble across bones in remote locations in western Washington).

I found this book a better read than Ann Rule's book about Ted Bundy (she worked alongside Bundy at a crisis center and was in contact with him for years, even after his arrest).

But god, what a horror.

 

[U2isthebest]

I'm now reading "Boom!: Voices of the Sixties" by Tom Brokaw, and I think it's brilliant. He really breaks down the decade well giving his personal observations and those of people, both well-known and not, who lived through those times. If you're interested in the era, I couldn't recommend it enough.

 

[Saracene]

I just finished "Cave in the Snow: Tenzin Palmo's Quest for Enlightenment" by Vicki MacKenzie. It's a biography of a UK-born woman who became the first fully ordained Western Buddhist nun and spent 12 years living in a cave in Northern India, in almost complete solitude. The writing is a bit pedestrian, but the woman herself and her story are so extraordinary that it still made for a fascinating read.