What Are You Reading Right Now?

[OceanAnnie]

I'm reading, "Forever Odd", by Dean Koontz.

 

[Kelliroo3]

Just finised One for the Money last night and now I am moving onto Two for the Dough.

If any of you guys read this series before, what was your favorite book in the series?

 

[My2Cinderellas]

Just finished "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and am now reading "The Girls of Riyadh". Interesting insites into cultures I knew next to nothing about.

Up next, "A Thousand Splendid Suns", both of Barack Obama's books, and "Three Cups of Tea". I also need to re-start "Wicked", I got part way into it and got busy and forgot to go back and finish it.

After reading through this thread and seeing so many favorites, it's time to go back and re-read "The Time Traveler's Wife" and "Beach Music". Jodi Picoult is okay, "My Sister's Keeper" was thought-provoking, but some of her stuff is just so-so.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

I also need to re-start "Wicked.

I started and stopped this book more times than I can count. Finally I just admitted that despite everyone else raving about it, it just wasn't for me. I hope you do find that you enjoy it!

I have read most of G. Maguire's other stuff and it's all, well, rather strange. I made it through them but can't say I "enjoyed" them. I think it's like escargot - an acquired taste.

If it's any indication what my taste is, I think they all are or have been posted on my paperbackswap.com bookshelf for trading, which means they aren't on my "Keepers" list.

 

[Briarmom]

Just had our first bookclub meeting and we all loved Mistress of the Art of Death. She has a second one out, and we are going to read that after we read Atonement.

 

[bigmerle1966]

Been so busy reading I never came back to this thread. Just finished the 1st three books in Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe Series. I think I hurt my brain. Need to get the other two tonight. Have also read a few of the Whitley Striber books as well.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Oh you guys. *sigh* The Kite Runner. *sigh* This book, no kidding, changed my life. I'm on my way to the bookstore this morning to pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns. This book moved me in ways I can't explain. It gave me a whole new perspective.

Anyone else experience this after reading it?

 

[Phedre]

Oh you guys. *sigh* The Kite Runner. *sigh* This book, no kidding, changed my life. I'm on my way to the bookstore this morning to pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns. This book moved me in ways I can't explain. It gave me a whole new perspective.

Anyone else experience this after reading it?

Actually, no, not at all. I think I totally didn't 'get' something about the Kite Runner because I didn't care for it at all. I really felt like it was waste of a read but I must be missing something about it since sooo many people say it was so good! I would love to hear more about how it's been affecting you and moving you. I want to share the perspective too!

For today's reading, I have A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Mate and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, but I haven't started either quite yet

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

For today's reading, I have A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Mate and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, but I haven't started either quite yet

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is also on my bookshelf. I picked it up a few months back to start it. I didn't get far in and had to put it down in exchange for some school reading. But I remember it started off ok. Thanks for the reminder to pick it back up again!

 

[PhotobearSam]

Finished "Roses are Red" by James Patterson and now just started "The Bourne Identity". I have seen all the films but have never read the books...Have you? Did you think the books were as good as, better or worse thant the films?

 

[THE HAT]

No idea how I have missed this thread, but sure am happy to have found it!

Right now I am reading Flyboys by James Bradley, his father John Bradley was one of the six men to raise the flag on Iwo Jima. This book is a true story from World War II.

I am also reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, a Newbery Award book, my son just read this, and I try to read some of the books he reads for fun, (not classwork) so we can have discussions on them. This book is very odd.....He just read the Hot Zone as wel, and I just couldn't get into it so he just did the discussing part, lol.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I went and picked up A Thousand Splendid Suns. In trying to find it, I came across a copy of The Color Purple. I've wanted to read this for a LONG time, since the movie is one of my favorites. Since I know they story, I'm going to read it first.

I'm bumping my post to see if anyone else has any comments about The Kite Runner.

Oh you guys. *sigh* The Kite Runner. *sigh* This book, no kidding, changed my life. I'm on my way to the bookstore this morning to pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns. This book moved me in ways I can't explain. It gave me a whole new perspective.

Anyone else experience this after reading it?

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Is this what the movie was based on? It was really good.

 

[Christine]

I'm bumping my post to see if anyone else has any comments about The Kite Runner.

LindsayDunn,

I felt much like you after reading The Kite Runner. Now if my memory serves me correctly, weren't you the one have trouble getting started with that book? Or was it someone else? I read so many book threads, I can't remember.

Anyway, I had a HECK of a time getting started with The Kite Runner. Because I am such an IDIOT about Middle East culture (I felt like such an "ignorant American"), the first few chapters were rough going for me. I had trouble with the names, I had trouble putting a face to the names, I kept getting confused about who was who and I just couldn't relate to the terms the author threw in. But, as I said, after a few chapters, that was over for me. I then couild form a mental picture of the characters and got past the whole "culture shock" to me.

The book did change my life in a way that really opened my eyes to what those people over there go through. I think many people are like me and don't know a thing about that area of the world. All we know right now is what we get from the media which really just depicts them as crazed terrorists. I mean, in my heart, I knew they weren't all "terrorists" but I had so little knowledge. I found that that the little bit of history in that book was good for me!

I did finally watch the movie about a week ago and it was very true to the book. The character of Hassan and Amir was cast very well. The tough part was that half the movie was in Farsi and I don't overly enjoy reading subtitles.

You'll like A Thousand Splendid Suns. It is a bit of an *easier* read than The Kite Runner and I don't thing the author labored over it as much but it is still an enjoyable story.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Christine, thanks for your reply. I have the movie in my Netflix queue, but am curious about something. How true to the book were they if the movie is rated PG-13? I mean with the incident in the beginning, and they other violence that was quite graphic in the book.

My husband and I are watching season 4 of "24" on DVD. This season deals with Middle-eastern terrorists. After finishing the book not 20 minutes before, I found it difficult to watch the show.

I'm so glad someone else was moved by this book. I actually e-mailed the author about it.

ETA:

LindsayDunn,

I felt much like you after reading The Kite Runner. Now if my memory serves me correctly, weren't you the one have trouble getting started with that book? Or was it someone else? I read so many book threads, I can't remember.

I don't think it was this thread, but I'm sure I said that in another one. Yes, I read 5 pages of the book and sold it to a used bookstore. For some reason, I found it boring. Not this time. I picked it up and flew through it. Oh well. I guess we all have our "reading seasons" and some books just strike us interesting and some don't.

 

[Christine]

Christine, thanks for your reply. I have the movie in my Netflix queue, but am curious about something. How true to the book were they if the movie is rated PG-13? I mean with the incident in the beginning, and they other violence that was quite graphic in the book.

It was kind of shaky that it got a PG-13. The incident at the beginning was fairly graphic yet without any nudity but it was CLEAR what was going on. It was pretty awful but, in the movie, they were probably able to keep the PG-13 by showing no nudity, and showing the act for all of 10 seconds. It bugged my kids though, who are 13 and 16. The other violence (the stadium scene) was much more abbreviated, as well as the "fight" with the Taliban guy.

 

[Mamu]

The Ruins by Scott Smith.

Doesn't seem to be keeping my interest.

Note: It's another rainy saturday, while I could clean the house, maybe do some painting, some scrapbooking or other craft. I think I'll sit and read and get this book finished.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

It was kind of shaky that it got a PG-13. The incident at the beginning was fairly graphic yet without any nudity but it was CLEAR what was going on. It was pretty awful but, in the movie, they were probably able to keep the PG-13 by showing no nudity, and showing the act for all of 10 seconds. It bugged my kids though, who are 13 and 16. The other violence (the stadium scene) was much more abbreviated, as well as the "fight" with the Taliban guy.

Thanks for the info!!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Jean Sasson's Princess Book 2. It's about that Saudia Arabia princess.

That is a great series. One of my best friends is actually the cover photo. She worked with the author during all of this in the hospital in Saudi Arabia!

 

[Daxx]

Christine, thanks for your reply. I have the movie in my Netflix queue, but am curious about something. How true to the book were they if the movie is rated PG-13? I mean with the incident in the beginning, and they other violence that was quite graphic in the book.

I don't know if you remember this ... but from MSNBC:
The release of “The Kite Runner” has been delayed six weeks because of fears for the safety of three of the movie’s Afghan child actors, Paramount Vantage, which is distributing the film, said Thursday.

As violence has escalated in Kabul, Afghanistan, concerns have mounted that the nature of some scenes in “The Kite Runner” could prompt violence against three of the young boys starring in the film. In the film, based on the 2003 best-selling novel by Afghan-American writer Khaled Hosseini, the story’s main character witnesses an incident with his friend but does nothing to stop it.

“The Kite Runner,” originally scheduled to come out Nov. 2, will now be released Dec. 14 while the three boys — Zekiria Ebrahimi, Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada and Ali Danish Bakhty Ari — are removed from Kabul. It’s feared that when the film is released, pirated DVDs could spread in Kabul, where those culturally offended could react violently to seeing such a scene.

and I found this on Wikipedia:
The scene has been depicted in a less harrowing manner than originally planned: there is no nudity in it, not even underpants are exposed; an attack is shown, and an aspect is suggested only very briefly at the end of the scene, by a trousers buckle being undone, trousers being tugged slightly down, and unzipping a fly. Even for that a body double was used.[4]

I'm so glad someone else was moved by this book. I actually e-mailed the author about it.

I agree that this book was rather moving. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was really impacted by it.