Book recs

Swazzle

Morning ladies! 

I have been on a reading frenzy. I read 'Dark Places' and 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn over the weekend. I liked them both a lot and I liked them both better than 'Gone Girl', which I read a while ago. They're both definitely creepy and dark and kind of disturbing but they were entertaining, nonetheless. 

Yesterday, I started and finished 'Delirium' by Lauren Oliver which is the first of a trilogy. I'm starting the second book, 'Pandemonium', today and the third is 'Requiem'. I'm REALLY liking this trilogy so far. It has a similar feel to Hunger Games and Divergent. Has anyone read them?

I think I want to set some sort of reading goal for myself this year. Maybe I'll shoot for 50. 

Have you read any good books lately? Do you set a reading goal for yourself?

KeptInStitches

I don't set any reading goals. My current "reading goal" is to have enough down time to read something that isn't a textbook, which will be hard to hold on to this semester because I have orals this spring.

That being said ... I recently read "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" and loved it.

Peaseblossom55

I usually set a reading goals on good reads I set it to about 14 books I believe, I'll probably read more but we'll see. I'm 50% of the way through Allegiant.  I like the Divergent series but there is something about the whole Tris and Tobias relationship that over the course of the trilogy has gotten annoying.  I don't want to give any spoilers but there is a lot "don't go and do this" and the person does it. 

I read the first two quickly but it's taken me a bit longer to finish Allegiant.  Next up in my list is The Book Thief.  I didn't like Gone Girl at all but I'd be willing to give her other books a try. 

labro

I don't set any reading goals just because I usually read a ton on my own and I'm in a book club so I'm guaranteed 12 books minimum per year. I haven't read anything yet this year. I bought a bunch of books a couple weeks ago but I'm hoarding them because I'm supposed to appear as a witness in a court case tomorrow and I have no idea how long I'll be sitting around with nothing to do. So here's my stack of "to reads" for the next few days.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Afterwards by Rosamond Lupton

The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

Coming out later this year is Diana Gabaldon's new Outlander book so I'll definitely be reading that. Other books I'm excited about reading this year include: The Signature of All Things, and Amy Tan's latest novel. I also picked up an interesting looking sci fi/alternative history trilogy by Stephen Baxter at the store but I can't remember the title.

Swazzle

@Peaseblossom55 - The Book Thief was REALLY good. 

@lmhollister - Thanks for the rec! I just downloaded The Husband's Secret. 

Peaseblossom55

@swazzle- good I'm looking forward to that. 

Swazzle

@Peaseblossom55 - Just have tissues handy while you're reading.

RWS2011

This year, I set a goal of reading 50 books, as well.  I have not set goals in the past regarding reading, either because I was in school and did not have time, or because I read at my leisure.  

I will also be reading The Book Thief, with my daughter.  She wants to read it at the same time as me, so we can talk about it.  Another YA book on my radar for this year is The Fault In Our Stars.

For recommendations:

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante: a beautifully written suspense book, told from the perspective of a woman with dementia, who is also a suspect of a murder

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time: a mystery book, whose central character is a highly functioning autistic boy

An Unquiet Mind: a memoir written by a prominent clinical psychologist, outlining her personal struggle with manic depressive disorder

Hummingbird125

I'm currently reading "How to be a Woman" by Caitlin Moran. I really like it, but I want to read a novel next - so I'm checking out all of these suggestions!

bethsmiles

I'm reading Delirium right now too! I'm not loving it but it's keeping my interest.

I read The Selection last month. It was alright, not fantastic but a fun, easy read.

My reading goal for this year is 24. It's really low but with school it's hard for me to get in a lot of fun reading. But I'm supposed to graduate in May so hopefully I'll have more time for reading and be able to read more!

I have a huge list of books I want to read on Goodreads and I've downloaded a bunch to my Kindle that I need to read. I think I'm going to re-read The Count of Monte Cristo next though.

Swazzle

@bethsmiles - Are we friends on Goodreads? If not, can we be?

bethsmiles

@swazzle - I can't believe we're not already! I just added you

CLoGreenEyes

So, my reading goal is the same as @keptinstitches; I just want to read something I'm not going to be tested on in two weeks, lol. I also try to read a classic every so often (key word being "try"), just so I'm varying the kinds of input I get.

I just read a book I think @bethsmiles talked about on here once called All But My Life; it's a memoir by a survivor of the Holocaust. Really captivating and emotional book. Like @hummingbird125, I'm lightening up the mood now by reading How To Be A Woman, and after that is Half the Sky.

If you haven't read it yet (I think it's a couple of years old), Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was excellent. Love that book.

Swazzle

@bethsmiles - Approved! 

GoldenPenguin

I just read all of the Divergent books. I was really nervous going into Allegiant because so many people said they hated it - and that the ending was worse than Hunger Games. I actually liked the ending BETTER than HG. I thought it was wrapped up better.

I started reading a book I borrowed through Amazon Prime last night called "A Day at the Office" - but I didn't realize it was British, and I'm not really loving it. The language is just so different, and I don't know what they're talking about location-wise. I might return it, because I found a couple others that I'd like to borrow too, and I can only do one at a time. 

I bought The Shining by Stephen King so that I can read the sequel he recently wrote called Doctor Sleep. I also bought his newer book called Mile 81 - that one is intriguing to me because it takes place at a rest stop on the Maine Turnpike at Mile 81 (duh) and my exit to go home is at Mile 75. My high school made an appearance in 11/22/63, and I'm betting I'll know something about where he's talking about in this book. 

Blue & White

@swazzle I saw a resolution somewhere of "I resolve to read one book a month"...and told my FI and he goes "wait, so you're ONLY going to read one book a month?!  Impossible." 

Needless to say, it's not prudent for me to set reading goals - I just do it constantly

I'm currently reading The Spectacular Now, which I think is a really scatterbrained book but I'm liking it so far.  Just finished Let's Talk Diabetes With Owls which was a quick read as well.  I liked Delirium & Pandemonium and will read Requiem soon, but have heard it's not as good.

Swazzle

@BriSox81 - I forgot to tell you that Delirium takes place in Maine!

phira

I've barely been reading (next on my list is Sandman by Neil Gaiman and I didn't really like the Prologue so I've been putting it off). But I had to post in this topic because I misread the title as "Boob recs" and just had to share that with you all.

leia1979

@Swazzle, I just added you on Goodreads.

I'm currently reading the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. I just started #4 of 5 (I bought it as an e-book boxed set). The writing style is amusing because it's very Victorian but has vampires and werewolves. I do think the first book was the best so far. It can stand alone if you don't want to read the rest.

GoldenPenguin

phira said:

I've barely been reading (next on my list is Sandman by Neil Gaiman and I didn't really like the Prologue so I've been putting it off). But I had to post in this topic because I misread the title as "Boob recs" and just had to share that with you all.

I mean, I can also recommend boobs, if you want. 

Swazzle

BriSox81 said:

phira said:

I've barely been reading (next on my list is Sandman by Neil Gaiman and I didn't really like the Prologue so I've been putting it off). But I had to post in this topic because I misread the title as "Boob recs" and just had to share that with you all.

I mean, I can also recommend boobs, if you want. 

Rec my boobs. They're award-winning

GoldenPenguin

@swazzle - whose did you THINK I was going to recommend?? 

Pepper6

I read a lot, but my go-to recommendation would be the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. 

Dirtybella1

I've read Delirium and the second in that trilogy but not the third. I had waited for it come out and in the mean time would have to re read the other 2 to remember what is going on. I did read all 3 of the Divergent series and ended up liking them. One upside to working at a school is having access to a library and a librarian who knows all the new good books!

Shiroyasha

The Greywalker series by Kat Richardson is a series I enjoy.  The first three books are the best.

The Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne is one of my top favorites right now.  American Gods by Neil Gaiman is absolutely wonderful. 

KateJ16

Hi ladies!  It's been a while

I just found this link on Buzzfeed (clicky) with the 16 books you need to read before they hit theaters - and some of them sounded interesting.  I downloaded a few, but already started (and finished) Maze Runner - kind of Hunger Games/Divergent-ish, but at the same time not.  I just started the second book last night in the series (I think it's a trilogy).

I also heard that Goldfinch (by Donna Tartt) was really good - that is next on my list.

KeptInStitches

Oh, "The Monuments Men" looks great! I saw the trailer/commercial for that movie this weekend, and I knew I had to see it then - didn't know it had been a book first.

Swazzle

I'm a huge pain in the ass but could you paste the list here? Buzzfeed is blocked at work

ETA: @KateJ16

KateJ16

Me neither - I didn't realize Labor Day was a book too (I keep hearing commercials for it on the radio).

labro

@Swazzle

1. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

2. The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter

3. Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin

4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

5. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth

7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

8. The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

9. The Giver by Lois Lowry (How is this already NOT a movie???)

10. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

11. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

12. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

13. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

14. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (love love lovvvveeeeddddd this book!!!)

15. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

16. Serena by Ron Rash

KeptInStitches

Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter

Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Serena by Ron Rash

@swazzle

ETA: @lmhollister beat me to it!