Bookworms... what are you reading these days?

blabla89 · February 2015

My book group read Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel and all of us agreed that we loved it, which never happens. I just downloaded the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, and it's pretty good so far. @hellohkb you might enjoy it if you liked The Other Boleyn Girl - it's set in the same time, but with Thomas Cromwell as the main character.

hellohkb · February 2015

blabla89 said:
@blabla89 My book group read Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel and all of us agreed that we loved it, which never happens. I just downloaded the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, and it's pretty good so far. @hellohkb you might enjoy it if you liked The Other Boleyn Girl - it's set in the same time, but with Thomas Cromwell as the main character.

Thank you! I'll check it out. I'll read almost any historical fiction. I tend to prefer female lead characters because they deal with SO much sexism and other fucked up situations of their time and it's kind of fascinating to read about (in a wtf way). But those look good too!

littlepep · February 2015

I just finished Sharp Objects, and it was amazing. That was my favorite book of hers. Well, I hated Gone Girl. I wanted to punch everyone in the face at the end of that book.

I also read My Sister's Grave recently, which was good.

My current read list includes:

Girl on the Train

All the Light We Cannot See

The Book Thief

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I'm traveling for work a few times in March so I'm excited to get some extra reading time in!

arrippa · February 2015

hellosweetie1015 said:

arrippa said:
I have also decided to start reading Harry Potter. I was talking to some friends last weekend and they convinced to give the first book a chance.
I have never read any of the books or seen any of the movies, so I am going in without knowing much.
So jealous. My whole life would be different if I'd never read them (not hyperbole - I'm 100% serious here).

WinstonsGirl said:

arrippa said:

I have also decided to start reading Harry Potter. I was talking to some friends last weekend and they convinced to give the first book a chance.
I have never read any of the books or seen any of the movies, so I am going in without knowing much.

I hope you love them. I was hooked by the end of page one. I also read them in a British accent in my head cos it sounds better that way

BoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxesBoxes

I finished the first book a few weeks ago and I liked it. It was easy to read and the story was engaging. I took a break and read Dark Places by Gillian Flynn but now I am ready to start the second book.

mrsdee15 · February 2015

hellohkb said:
The Other Boleyn Girl

I LOVE that author! The Cousins' War series was my favorite.

pinkcow13 · February 2015

I'm currently reading "What Alice Forgot" by Lianne Moriarty. I really enjoyed her other book, "The Husband's Secret," but this one is taking me a bit longer to get through.

I'm going to try and finish it, but by Monday I am going to start reading "My Beloved World," the Sonya Sotomayor's memoir. I am presenting on her for the Women's Initiative group at my job next month, and I think reading her book would give me great insight.

lovemesomemonster · February 2015

I am trying "Game of Thrones" and STRUGGLING! I am an avid reader and have heard so much hype about it but I can't get past the whole "I'll trade my sister's vag for my crown.. sister doing brother.. shoving kid out window.." yep, still working on getting into it.

HeatherKat · February 2015

mrsdee15 said:
I'm finishing up a few books before embarking on the Song of Fire & Ice (Game of Thrones) series: Devil in the White City (about the 1893 World Fair in Chicago and their serial killer); The Lady of the Rivers (historical fiction about the War of the Roses by Phillipa Gregory, she also wrote The Other Boleyn Girl); and The Demonologist (about Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators). All of them are really good.

I haven't read the rest of the thread yet, but Devil in the White City is AMAZING. The historical accuracy in that book is awesome. I need to put that on my "to read" list again.

Philippa Gregory is one also one of my favorite trashy reading guilty pleasures.

I just finished re-reading the Outlander series, and just started book 2 of the Song of Fire and Ice series.

rcher912 · February 2015

Struggling through a nonfiction book called Unreal City. It's about the water situation in the western US, particularly as it relates to how ridiculous/crazy it is that we've built a place like Las Vegas in the middle of the desert. Apparently the groundwater over there is not doing too well.

But I only have 50 pages left, so I have to finish!

ohannabelle · February 2015

hellohkb said:

blabla89 said:
@blabla89 My book group read Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel and all of us agreed that we loved it, which never happens. I just downloaded the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, and it's pretty good so far. @hellohkb you might enjoy it if you liked The Other Boleyn Girl - it's set in the same time, but with Thomas Cromwell as the main character.
Thank you! I'll check it out. I'll read almost any historical fiction. I tend to prefer female lead characters because they deal with SO much sexism and other fucked up situations of their time and it's kind of fascinating to read about (in a wtf way). But those look good too!

Same era, and really well written- Portrait of an Unknown Woman, by Vanora Bennett.

The author uses the Holbein painting of Thomas More and his family (as well as the preliminary sketches to build the story around, so that the symbols and differences in the pictures are woven into the plot. Lead character is More's foster daughter.

I'm a sucker for historical fiction. Just love it, but I'm often disappointed.

This one was just totally satisfying. Bonus fun was referring back to the Holbein art and saying "aha!" at regular intervals.

This painting:

madamerwin · March 2015

This thread makes me want to read all of the books! I am neck deep in A Storm of Swords (book three of Game of Thrones, for those who watch the show). FI and I are trying to power through them all before the show comes back on, but those are some long-ass books. Which is why Kindles are good.

In general, I tend to gravitate toward science fiction. Dune and Stranger in a Strange Land are two of my all-time favorites.

[Deleted User] · March 2015

peachy13 when you finish Dark Places, Flynn's other book, Sharp Objects is also an excellent read.

I like reading non-fiction books pertaining to my master's degree, so right now I'm reading "Paying for the Party: How Colleges Maintain Inequality".

buttercup1958 · March 2015

Right now I'm bouncing between two books. Fluke by Christopher Moore and ‘Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore’ by Robin Sloan. They are both funny and really well written! Fluke is about these whale scientists who discover a very weird secret about a whale. Mr. Penumbra's is about a struggling graphic design artist who takes a job at a bookstore and discovers a secret society. So they both have a similar storyline but the characters are completely different but extremely lovable.

I've gotten out of the habit of pretending to like certain things so I look "smart". Teenage me would be disappointed by my choices haha. I like Stephen King but that's as dark as I ever go. I gravitate towards more witty stuff.

SmileDamnit · March 2015

I just finished Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty last night and loved it. It was an interesting twist on the traditional mystery, told with a ton of humor woven in to the story while still being a page turner. It's the first I've read by her and I think I'll read more as I liked her writing style.

larrygaga · March 2015

Now I'm rereading picture-maker. It's about a girl who through a series of events has to run away and live with Inuit. It's really good. I always loved reading it because it featured FI's tribe as the bad guys, lol.

http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Maker-Penina-Spinka/dp/0007122454

Just kidding. I love it because it's a good story and very, very interesting. How many stories are written on the northern great lakes tribes and the Inuit? Not many. The story also heads over to greenland and nordic people a little bit. They have to battle for the old gods vs. Christianity. It's cool.

ohannabelle · March 2015

Right now I'm bouncing between two books. Fluke by Christopher Moore and ‘Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore’ by Robin Sloan. They are both funny and really well written! Fluke is about these whale scientists who discover a very weird secret about a whale. Mr. Penumbra's is about a struggling graphic design artist who takes a job at a bookstore and discovers a secret society. So they both have a similar storyline but the characters are completely different but extremely lovable.
I've gotten out of the habit of pretending to like certain things so I look "smart". Teenage me would be disappointed by my choices haha. I like Stephen King but that's as dark as I ever go. I gravitate towards more witty stuff.

My very best friend in the world often says, "It's just smart enough, but not so smart that I actually have to work at enjoying it," when he recommends a book to me. This always cracks me up, and I think it's valid. Because I like to read for pleasure and entertainment, and if I learn things along the way, hurrah, bonus.

So I rarely feel guilty. Even if I know Philippa Gregory takes wild inaccurate leaps, I don't fuss, because she's deliberately making the choice to tell a good, entertaining story. Smart enough.

There are historical fiction writers out there that aren't, and the mistakes and contrivances and walking tours of famous places and ridiculous cameo guest appearances by famous historical figures just make me effing crazy.

(I'm looking at you, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, which should have been a really great story. Seriously. How does a woman of that era, born a slave, end up owning her own business, and becoming the most sought after dressmaker in the country? And for Mary Todd Lincoln, herself an interesting person?That's got to be an amazing story, right?

Aaaack. It went like this: scene of dressmaker standing around in improbable places listening to Lincoln review battles and battle plans. Repeat 500 times. I want my money back.

climbingsingle · March 2015

I just finished The Paris Wife. I really liked it.

sophhabobopha · March 2015

I'm powering through all of Alison Weir's tudor history books. Damn good stuff

ashley8918 · March 2015

I haven't been reading much lately, but I just started rereading my all-time favorite: Violin by Anne Rice. Sooooo good.

amelisha · March 2015

Inkdancer said:
Just picked up Marisha Pessl's second novel, Night Film. I loved her first so much and I'm excited about this one!

I LOVED THIS ONE. Couldn't put it down and I'm not even big on mystery. I loved Special Topics in Calamity Physics too.

mrscomposer · March 2015

buttercup1958 said:
Right now I'm bouncing between two books. Fluke by Christopher Moore and ‘Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore’ by Robin Sloan. They are both funny and really well written! Fluke is about these whale scientists who discover a very weird secret about a whale. Mr. Penumbra's is about a struggling graphic design artist who takes a job at a bookstore and discovers a secret society. So they both have a similar storyline but the characters are completely different but extremely lovable.
I've gotten out of the habit of pretending to like certain things so I look "smart". Teenage me would be disappointed by my choices haha. I like Stephen King but that's as dark as I ever go. I gravitate towards more witty stuff.

I LOVE Mr. Penumbra! Before I got together with J, Mom thought I should marry Robin Sloane.

And I love things that make me feel smart - part of the reason I love Malcolm Gladwell so much.

sassyfrass2014 · March 2015

Recently tore through Becoming Odyssa and Called Again by Jennifer Pharr Davis. Now (at FI's urging) I'm starting Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Very "ride or die," but so am I, so I'm enjoying it!

FiancB · March 2015

I didn't really like The Goldfinch either. I also feel this need to finish every book, but I had to force myself with that one. And holy shit was it long.

I'm an audible junkie, it makes me actually clean my house sometimes. Currently listening to Driven by Distraction by Hallowell and Ratey, both psychiatrists that have and specialize in ADHD. It's good, I definitely recommend it to anyone that has it, knows someone who has it, or has an interest in mental health.

The voice of the guy that narrates it annoys the crap out of me though. I think they were going for someone who sounds distinguished. He sounds like a pompous monocle wearer reading a children's story. That's one problem with audiobooks, sometimes they are wrecked that way.

Also recently read Ender's Game. Meh. I think it would've been more interesting if I hadn't already seen the movie.

Recent favorite was definitely Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk. It's very weird. I love it. I will probably read it again soon. Same with The Handmaid's Tale; that should really be required reading.

Also read the first two compendiums of The Walking Dead. I am not a comic person but I couldn't put them down and I can't wait for the next to come out. The show doesn't follow it that much so it doesn't spoil surprises much and it's interesting see how the two are different, yet both really good.

hellohkb · March 2015

@ohannabelle That's going on my Amazon wishlist as well! Thanks!

KatWAG · March 2015

I am only 30 pages in The Good Girl and I am already a big fan.

charcoalandblush · March 2015

I'm reading The Giver for the first time! I was never assigned it in school and DF was horrified. He is NOT a reader, but he loved it. So I knew I would too. Almost halfway done, it's good so far.

princessgracekelly · March 2015

I see some people reading A Song of Ice and Fire, any other fantasy nerds out there? My FI and I just finished re-reading The Hobbit, and our goal this year is to re-read The Lord of the Rings. I like to have "palate cleanser" books between fantasy books, though, and I recently picked up The Night Circus, which . . . still has magicians in it, I realize.

I also like to read books based on where I travel, and on Saturday I'm flying to Milan for a work conference. Any recommendations for books that take place in Milan or Italy? . . . That's not by Dan Brown?

vikinganna87 · March 2015

princessgracekelly said:
I see some people reading A Song of Ice and Fire, any other fantasy nerds out there? My FI and I just finished re-reading The Hobbit, and our goal this year is to re-read The Lord of the Rings. I like to have "palate cleanser" books between fantasy books, though, and I recently picked up The Night Circus, which . . . still has magicians in it, I realize.
I also like to read books based on where I travel, and on Saturday I'm flying to Milan for a work conference. Any recommendations for books that take place in Milan or Italy? . . . That's not by Dan Brown?

@princessgracekelly Sounds like a fun work trip! I read Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It's set in Sicily, though. How about The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith set in Rome, Sanremo and Venice?

mrsdee15 · March 2015

Has anyone read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins? People have recommended it and it looks like an interesting book, if you're into the thriller/noir thing.

peachy13 · March 2015

mrsdee15 said:
Has anyone read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins? People have recommended it and it looks like an interesting book, if you're into the thriller/noir thing.

I just finished it last week and couldn't put it down. Was legit staying up past my bedtime and such.

Bookworms... what are you reading these days?

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