What are you reading now?

[suzimar57]

my most recent book was "walt disney" by neal gabler

all 851 pages

even read thru the footnotes, all 167 pages...

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I've been working through the first volume of the complete trave books of Mark Twain. It's odd, because some parts are really good, very entertaining, but then you hit a section that's just dull and seems to drag on. It's over 800 pgs, and I'm only about halfway through, so I'll still be in this one for a while!

I'm also in the middle of I Married Adventure by Osa Johnson.

I just finished Notes from my Travels by Angelina Jolie, about her various trips with UNHCR. Really, really good.

 

[Glynis]

Just finished "The Memory Keeper's Daughter", and I really liked it. I'm almost finished with "The Freedom Writer's Diary", and it's totally amazing! I keep forgetting that it's all true! Love it!!! I'm also reading "The Royal Road to Fotheringay," and if you love Elizabethan intrigue and history, you'll love this one! Next up is "Paula", and then "Twilight". Both came highly recommended, so I'm hopeful that they're good!

 

[MushyMushy]

my most recent book was "walt disney" by neal gabler

all 851 pages

even read thru the footnotes, all 167 pages...

Was it written like a typical biography? I keep picking that book up and putting it back down. I'm not a big fan of biographies, but I kind of want that one!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Just joined a book club and our first book was The Glass Castle! Loved it! At the meeting, I already knew who was going to just out and out say the parents were horrid, etc. I didn't feel that way about them though, I could see some great qualities in them that I think everyone could learn something from.

Now we are onto The Poisonwood Bible, which is very thick! I am having a hard time getting into it too!

May is my turn to pick the book, can anyone recommend a good Book Club book? Has to have enough in it for us to talk about obviously! The Glass Castle sure did.

 

[Yzerbear19]

On Thursday I picked up Jodi Picoult's newest book, Nineteen Minutes. Its really good! Its a lot better than Vanishing Acts which I never really liked. I still think My Sister's Keeper is her best book, but this new one is quite good. I'm waiting for the twists that I know will be coming.

 

[Yzerbear19]

After Ninteen Minutes, I have My Sister's Keeper, also by Jodi Picoult, waiting for me.

If you think Nineteen Minutes is good, you will love My Sister's Keeper! I think I read My Sister's Keeper in like a day it was that good. There were quite a few twists I never saw coming or expected. I will suggest having some tissue handy.

Jodi Picoult writes about a lot of controversial topics. Nineteen Minutes is about bullying and school shootings. My Sister's Keeper deals with a couple who genetically had a child who was a perfect match for their daughter who was sick. It also deals with where are the rights of the second child to decide what they want, to live their life how they want, etc. The Pact is about a couple who had a suicide pact, but in the end one of them survived and then is accused of murder. Plain Truth is about a young Amish girl accused of murdering her newborn baby. This is a rivoting book because she did a lot of research on the Amish to write the book. It looks at the Amish community and how they deal with outsiders, crime within their community, etc. A lot of her books focus on legal battles and involve court cases.

Also several characters in Nineteen Minutes are in some of her other books: Patrick is in Perfect Match. Jordon and Selena are in The Pact and Salem Falls.

Plain Truth and The Pact were both made into Lifetime movies.

One of the things that I really like about Jodi's writing is that a lot of her books are told from each character's perspective. Nineteen Minutes is different because it goes back and forth in time, whereas her other books go back and forth from each character's perspective and is written in first person. Most of her books use a seperate font for each character. At first this is a bit confusing, but it really allows you into each character's head and you see how they view each situation.

If was to recommend her must read books it would be: My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, and Plain Truth. Salem Falls, Songs of the Humpback Whale, and Second Glance are also very good.

For more information, her is her website:
http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Warning: Don't read the message boards there if you haven't finished the books because there tend to be a lot of spoilers there, though its a good place to go after you've read the book. And Jodi herself will actually respond to posts.

 

[xyzabc33]

I am finally getting to read WIcked I have never seen the musical and heard the book was good. I like it so far (bout 1/3 way thru) Not for small children definately. LOL Some parts I was like WHOA!

 

[babytrees]

So I will admit I read a fluff book this week (or two...but who's counting?):

I started and finished The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell.

Trying to finish Widow of the South...very good but just hard to read.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

The same can be said for Nineteen Minutes. It is disturbing on many different levels. I've found myself questioning and rethinking my feelings and emotions at several times throughout the book.

Aweome, I can't wait to get it. Oh and FYI, I LOOOOOOOOVE your kitty!!

 

[Pixiedust34]

I'm about one-third of the way through The Darkest Child. It is well written, and I'm enjoying it.

 

[Glynis]

Just joined a book club and our first book was The Glass Castle! Loved it! At the meeting, I already knew who was going to just out and out say the parents were horrid, etc. I didn't feel that way about them though, I could see some great qualities in them that I think everyone could learn something from.

Now we are onto The Poisonwood Bible, which is very thick! I am having a hard time getting into it too!

May is my turn to pick the book, can anyone recommend a good Book Club book? Has to have enough in it for us to talk about obviously! The Glass Castle sure did.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
The Secret Life of Bees
Bel Canto
The Color of Water
Cold Mountain
Peace Like a River
Expecting Adam

These are all books that my book club has read that we've enjoyed talking about. I especially loved Bel Canto and The Secret Life of Bees.

 

[luvtogo12]

I am actually reading my first book in a very long time.

I am reading "Sisters" by Danille Steel.
Good book.

 

[princess pooh]

I just finished The Memory Keepers Daughter and I'm going to check if Costco has Nineteen Minutes today.

I love these threads! I keep the library website open, and copy and paste the titles from here onto their reserve list.

 

[luvflorida]

Yzerbear19- Thanks for all the info on Jodi Picoult! I'm sure I'll be reading more of her books.

LindsayDunn228- Thank you! Yes, Henry is a real sweet kitty!

Glynis- I loved The Secret Life of Bees. I have a thing for books that take place in the South in the 60's, especially coming of age stories. Maybe because I grew up in Maryland in the 60's.

princess pooh- I enjoyed The Memory Keeper's Daughter, even though I found some of the character's actions frustrating! As far as Nineteen
Minutes, I can't put it down!

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I am re-reading Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series of books because a new one is coming out in July. It's been awhile and I didn't want to be confused when I finally got the new one! I'm on the third one, The Well of Lost Plots.

I love Jasper Fforde!

Fans of Jasper Fforde might like Christopher Moore. I just read his latest book: You Suck: A Love Story. He's got a similar type of offbeat humor and while he doesn't write a series, his characters pop up again and again-- he's got his own little world and you almost need to start from the beginning to really "get" the later books. My favorite book of his is A Dirty Job which was released about a year ago.

The Thirteenth Tale was fascinating! I can't describe it too much without giving away the plot but it had enough twists and turns and enough Gothic elements to make me think the author is the next Bronte sister or even Jane Austen.

I've also recently enjoyed Water For Elephants, Thirteen Moons, and A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Solider. I'm getting ready to start Nineteen Minutes and while I normally like Jodi Picoult, I couldn't get into her last one so I hope this one is better.

I'm also catching up on my young adult reading (I'm a youth librarian) but so far, I haven't read anything I'd recommend!

 

[Yzerbear19]

I just finished Nineteen Minutes and have to say that I'm a bit disappointed in the ending and I'm not sure why. It was a really good book, but something about the ending is bugging me. It was a lot better than Vanishing Acts, which I didn't like at all.

Now I need a new book. Time for a trip to BN on lunch!

 

[Briarmom]

I just got a box from my godmother that had 2 Jodi Picoult books in it. I started Perfect Match today and am halfway through it already. I will have to try to save Second Glance for next week otherwise I will blaze through that one as well. Her books do that to me.

I just read the last book in the Mitford series, and am a ways into Reading Lolita in Tehran.