What are you reading?

[tonaderspeisung]

My Stroke Of Insight, by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

A neuroscientist's personal journey through her own stroke.

Fascinating stuff.

this sounded really interesting so i borrowed it yesterday
at first i was incredulous that someone (a brain scientist none the less) suffering a stroke and losing "pathways" to so many things would retain this experience with so much detail but the book won me over
i couldn't put it down
very information packed and still accessible reading
plus fascinating is right

thanks for sharing this find

i now have a completely different outlook on the childhood times i shared with my stroke affected grandma

[Talon]

"The Lonely Doll"
by Dare Wright

[Softly]

exactly and thank you. I don't mind investing some of my free time to escape into fiction but I'd be pissed if I spent a few hours and money into trash. Some of these high buzz novels can be like that.

the writing was horrible!

but

I am actually looking forward to reading the 2nd book lol!
it comes out in a couple days (paperback)

it kept me interested :)

[Breezy]

Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu

[aishah]

wow, i just realized it's been awhile since i've posted in here :) my reading has slowed down a bit the last few weeks...

lately i've still been working through 'sex & disability'...
started reading 'health at every size'
and i'm halfway through 'the time traveler's wife' (borrowed it from my sis yesterday - i read half of it in the dr's office, that visit took like 5 hours yesterday, but it feels a bit like it's dragging to me so i don't know how long it'll take me to finish)
i've also been rereading 'the good and beautiful life' off and on for the third or fourth time.

[aishah]

okay, i made it halfway through the time traveler's wife on friday and i can't finish it. it's boring me to death. i don't understand why people love this book so much. i want to finish because maybe something magical happens in the second half (and my conscience will nag me if i stop) but...i just can't get into it. the writing is really pretty but that's not enough to sustain 500+ pages.

[Toughy]

mindless murder mystery dribble....

JD Robb (nora roberts) Eve Dallas novels

and

I forget the author....uhhh...Robert Lundlam I think.....Jack Reacher novels

also a Larry McMurtry (?) billy the kid novel

I'm so bad with names of books.....sometimes I never actually know the title of these mindless dribble books I read............

[UofMfan]

I'm obviously feeling like an overachiever:

A Game of Thrones

A Clash of Kings

A Storm of Swords

A Feast for Crows

A Dance with Dragons

[genghisfawn]

Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson

[Soon]

Ten Thousand Saints

[Semantics]

Halfway through "Under The Never Sky" by Veronica Rossi and loving it! (thanks for the recommendation!)

I like reading a lot, but am immensely into this dystopic/sci-fi fiction right now. Any other recommendations? I've read AngelFall by Susan Ee and Divergent, both excitingly different and excellent. Please, recommend away!

Try Legend by Marie Lu. I liked this one a lot.




I'm reading Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache by Keith Basso

[StillettoDoll]

http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/145090000/145099608.JPG

[justkim]

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, almost done... great book so far. It really is funny how we all deal with the trauma that happens in our lives.
Next up.. 50 Shades of Grey... E.L. James, what I have read is rather HOT...

[Leigh]

I had started The Hunger Games, put it down for awhile and am now back into it :)

[Breezy]

My database.
Later a trashy romance novel.

[Talon]

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

[puddin']

"a feast for crows" ~book 3 in "a game of thrones"

[Turtle]

Joshua by Joseph Grizone

[Kätzchen]

1) The Killer of Little Shepherds (Starr, 2011)

2) The Color of Water (McBride, 1996)

3) The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (Larsson, 2012)

[MissItalianDiva]

The fine print on this toothpaste telling folks to spit not swallow lol....really

[-Red-Flag-]

I recently got all three hunger games books.. I'm going to enjoy some down time and read ...

[tonaderspeisung]

just finished a couple ok commuter books
both are full of action - so you won't fall asleep on a bus/train ride
but neither were so engaging that there is danger of missing your stop

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YlhGlvC5L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

and

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411DVNU7VzL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

[Truly Scrumptious]

The Buddha in the Attic, by Julie Otsuka

The only word to describe this book is “exquisite”.
It’s a beautifully written (almost poetic, mostly haunting) narrative of Japanese “picture brides” in California during the 1920s. Rather than being told from one character’s perspective (or even several) it’s written in a collective voice, unusual and deeply effective. It’s a short book (only 129 pages) best read slowly in order to savor one word at a time.

[Julien]

I'm reading two different series, The Noble Dead series by Barb and JC Hendee, book 6. The Change series by SM Stirling book 5. Both are very good fantasy series.:reader: Real books not on my Kindle. I know that will please some out there, but I can't enlarge the font. Bummer.

[pajama]

I know I'm late to the party but I'm just now reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I'm tapped and can't buy anymore e-books and it was on it when my ex gave me her old Kindle. So I read what's on there 'til I can afford the next two books in Teh Arwen's hot series.

[aishah]

finished health at every size...i started wild by cheryl strayed yesterday, after a strong recommendation from a friend and reading some really positive reviews. i'm still in the first quarter of the book and finding it hard to digest...she talks a lot about how she lost her mom, which i can relate to because i lost both of my parents when i was just a bit younger. so the grief passages i can relate to a lot. but a lot of the writing comes off as...excessively self-centered and martyr-ish, even for a memoir. i'm going to give it a chance, though...maybe i'm being overly harsh.

[Silverseastar]

I'm reading The Happiness Project and about to start The Hunger Games.

The Happiness Project is written in a sort of simple but effective style. I usually prefer lusher denser books. It reminds me a lot of Eat, Pray, Love in the writing style and intent. Woman goes on personal journey of discovery sort of idea. However it is often touchingly funny as she comes face to face in some rather ironic ways with things we all struggle to contend with in her efforts to increase happiness. I've actually burst out laughing a couple of times which is really unlike me.

[Breathless]

I am reading a few.. par for the course..

Dear John, I love Jane..
ASL Lessons
Sleeping Beauty trilogy.. cause it has been years since i last read it

[Kätzchen]

I want to excerpt an extended passage of text from a book that I’ve been reading from over the past month (or so). It’s from the chapter called “School,” from the book:

The Color of Water (McBride, 1996).

“The sixties roared through my house like a tidal wave. My sister Helen’s decision to drop of out school and run off at age fifteen, though she returned home with a nursing degree and a baby girl, was the first sign of impending doom. Now that others began to act out, and the sense of justice and desire for equal rights that Mommy and father had imparted to us began to backfire. Kind, gentle, Sunday school children who had been taught to say proudly, “I am Negro,” and recite the deeds of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson now turned to Malcolm X and H. Rap Brown and Martin Luther King for inspiration. Mommy was the wrong color for black pride and black power, which nearly rent my house in two.

One by one, my elder siblings broke with her rules, coming home bearing fruits of their own confusion, which we jokingly called their “revolution.” An elder brother disappeared to Europe. Another sister had an affair at college and came home with a love child, fairly big news in 1967. My brother Richie got married over Mommy’s objections, divorced, then entered college, and was home on summer break when he got stopped by two cops while walking down the street with a friend. A group of boys who were walking about ten yards in front of Richie and his friend ditched what appeared to be a bag of heroine as the cop car approached. The cops grouped the boys together, lined them up against a fence and demanded to know which of them had jettisoned the bag, which later turned out to be filled with quinine, not heroine. All denied it, so the cops searched them all and found ninety dollars of Richie’s college-bank-loan money in his pocket. When the policeman asked him where he got the money from, Richie told him it was his college money and he’d forgotten he’d had it. If you knew Richie, you’d nod and say, “Uh-huh,” because it was perfectly in character for him to forget he was carrying around ninety dollars of precious dollars, which was a huge sum in those days. We used to call him he “Mad Scientist” when he was little. His science experiment would neatly blow up the house because whatever he created, he’d leave it bubbling and boiling while he went searching for food, forgetting it completely. He could remember the toughest calculus formula and he had nearly perfect pitch as a musician, but he literally could not remember to put his pants on. He would play John Coltrane-type solos on his sax for hours and be dressed in a winter jacket and gym shorts the whole time. He was the kind of kid, absentminded, and very smart, and later in life become a chemist. But to cops, he was another black perpetrator with a story, and he was arrested and jailed...” (pp. 96-97).
I’ve laughed and cried so hard while reading this book. I see myself in much of the story James McBride weaves about his mother and the life, all of them led (McBride and his 11 other siblings – I hope I have that figure right). Back in the day when McBride was growing up, they lived in the worst ghetto in Brooklyn, New York and because they lived in an era of pronounced segregation, he and his siblings would often travel up to two hours by bus - just to attend schools that his mother found for her children to attend. I simply have to say that if anyone wants to learn about the hardships people of color have faced and still face today, you have to read this book. McBride’s book was on the New York Times Best Seller list for a couple of years (still should be, in my heart felt opinion). ~D

[Cid]

Right now I'm just reading posts.

[Greco]

"Toxic Psychiatry"
by Dr. Peter Breggin

Greco

[WingsOnFire]

Scarpetta Series by Patricia Cornwell on audio.

[Kobi]

The Lost Years - Mary Higgins Clark

Murder mystery. Nice short chapters :)

[socialjustice_fsu]

"Toxic Psychiatry"
by Dr. Peter Breggin

Greco


Would love to hear your thoughts on this book. I read it many years ago. It certainly will raise one's skepticism scale related to use/misuse of ECT, psychotropics in adults and in children.

[girl_dee]

Read this today, this is the most lovely woman!

http://covers.booktopia.com.au/big/978192/880/9781928806196.jpg

[The JD]

Reading 3 different books in different formats- anyone else do that?

-The Help by Kathryn Stockett (hard copy, on loan from library and overdue...oops)
-My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler (on Kindle)
-The Consequences of Love by Sulaiman Addonia (I own it, but reading it oh-so-slowly because I keep getting caught up in other books)

[Liam]

The Joy Diet by Martha Beck *10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life* (Awesome book!)
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche (Awesome book!)
Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn (Mindless political thriller...)

[aishah]

i loved the color of water and the tibetan book of living and dying :)

i finished wild and wasn't very impressed with it...maybe my friend saw something in it i just can't. i've started rereading maggie stiefvater's wolves of mercy falls trilogy - it's a ya fantasy series that i read the first two books of a few years ago (and got to meet maggie! she's awesome). i haven't read the third book yet so i'm rereading the first two and reading the third after. the titles are shiver, linger, and forever. she also has two books about fairies called lament and ballad - they're really good too.

[Fancy]

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
John Elder Robison
Amazon.com: Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's (9780307395986): John Elder Robison: Books

[Kobi]

Half Broke Horses - Jeannette Walls

Wasnt sure I would like it but it is an amazing autobiographical novel of a woman who paved her unique way in the world back in the early 1900's. Her philosophy, fortitude, perserverence, independence.... my kind of role model.

[Slowpurr]

Eli Pariser,"The Filter Bubble"



http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html

[Fancy]

Heroes for my Daughter
By Brad Meltzer

[The JD]

I confess...

I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I'm only twelve pages into it, and it's horrid. oKAY, oKAY, she's getting all flushed and flustered during the interview, no doubt responding to his natural dominance or some shit. I GOT it. Is the whole book this overplayed???

[aishah]

I confess...

I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I'm only twelve pages into it, and it's horrid. oKAY, oKAY, she's getting all flushed and flustered during the interview, no doubt responding to his natural dominance or some shit. I GOT it. Is the whole book this overplayed???

i heard it was one of those books that was originally an online published fanfiction and the author remade it into an original fiction piece. as a fanfic fan/author myself...it tends to be a little overwrought. i haven't read the book yet though.

[The JD]

i heard it was one of those books that was originally an online published fanfiction and the author remade it into an original fiction piece. as a fanfic fan/author myself...it tends to be a little overwrought. i haven't read the book yet though.

Ohhh, got it! That makes so much sense! What character/show/concept was the original focus of the fanfiction?

[aishah]

still slowly meandering through sex and disability...also slowly going through spiritual journaling: writing your way to independence by julie tallard johnson. i was looking for journaling books and this one's aimed at teens but i liked the kindle sample so i bought it. a friend of mine rated it badly but i'm not sure how i feel about it yet.

i'm trying to decide which other book i want to read next, now that i've finished the wolves of mercy falls trilogy. maybe madness by marya hornbacher. her book wasted is one of my favorites...it's been a constant companion for most of my life.

[aishah]

Ohhh, got it! That makes so much sense! What character/show/concept was the original focus of the fanfiction?

i think it was originally an erotic twilight au (alternate universe) fanfiction.

sometimes turning erotic fanfic into original fiction works out pretty well...a friend of mine who is also a fanfiction author managed to get one of her ncis fanfic works published and it's quite good. i've read lots of fanfic that is better than some original fic i've read.

but i think twilight, and fanfiction in general, kind of lend themselves to overwrought, melodramatic sort of romance...so i'm curious to see the reception of fifty shades of grey.

[The JD]

i think it was originally an erotic twilight au (alternate universe) fanfiction.

but i think twilight, and fanfiction in general, kind of lend themselves to overwrought, melodramatic sort of romance...so i'm curious to see the reception of fifty shades of grey.

Okay, I'm 50 pages into it, and now that I know it came out of Twilight fanfic, it's ALL I can see. It's set in the Pacific Northwest...narrated in first-person by a young woman described as "closed-off" who spurns all previous romantic overtures, and falls head over heels in love (and hate, and love, and hate) with a rich wise-beyond-his-years and strikingly handsome man with all-knowing eyes and an ever-present smirk. Oh, and there's even a competing love interest, a dark-skinned muscle-bound easy-going best friend. Yep, sounds like Twilight alright.

But then Twilight was based on Pride and Prejudice (as Stephenie Meyer admitted), with the independent and outspoken Elizabeth Bennet having her own love/hate reaction to the rich and aloof Mr. Darcy.

So maybe Fifty Shades of Grey is actually the BDSM version of Pride and Prejudice? Hmmm.

[SugarFemme]

I'm reading this book as well:)




Heroes for my Daughter
By Brad Meltzer

[SugarFemme]

http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/filestorage/writing-fifty-shades-of-gray-bdsm-erotica-reminders-ecards-someecards.png





I confess...

I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I'm only twelve pages into it, and it's horrid. oKAY, oKAY, she's getting all flushed and flustered during the interview, no doubt responding to his natural dominance or some shit. I GOT it. Is the whole book this overplayed???

[Fancy]

I'm reading this book as well:)

As we read this book, I find myself craving a little more than one page on each person, and a little less of the author's "she didn't give up...narrative." As an intelligent reader we can get that without it repeated on every sentence. :)
I think material like this would make for an interesting magazine series. After seeing young girls boycott/petition 17 Magazine this last week for no airbrushing, and seeing the trailers for Miss Representation; I think many girls would welcome this type of material. Personally, I know my daughter does. :)

[aishah]

just finished up madness by marya hornbacher. it was really good. not sure what's next.

[Fancy]

Carly's Voice - Breaking through autism
By Arthur & Carly Fleischmann

And also grabbed several back issues of Organic Gardening from the library.

:)

[aishah]

prayer and celebration of discipline by richard foster.

[Talon]

"Living, Loving, & Learning"
By Leo F. Buscaglia Ph.D.

[Greco]

"Manual of Painting and Calligraphy"
by Jose Saramago

Giovanni Pontiero (translator)

a nice break after "Toxic Psychiatry"
by Dr. Breggin which I re-read after
many years and continue to stand
with his findings T.

Greco

[Julien]

Daughter of the Blood (Black Jewels series) by Anne Bishop
and/or
Through Stone and Sea (The Noble Dead series) by Barb and JC Hendee.

nothing too heavy, but that's okay

[The JD]

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. How the hell have I never read this before? Brilliant.

[Kobi]

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

[Talon]

still slowly meandering through sex and disability...also slowly going through spiritual journaling: writing your way to independence by julie tallard johnson. i was looking for journaling books and this one's aimed at teens but i liked the kindle sample so i bought it. a friend of mine rated it badly but i'm not sure how i feel about it yet.

i'm trying to decide which other book i want to read next, now that i've finished the wolves of mercy falls trilogy. maybe madness by marya hornbacher. her book wasted is one of my favorites...it's been a constant companion for most of my life.


"Wasted"...is one of my favorite books, as well.

Currently, I'm reading "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" by Alan Duff.

[Julien]

Female to Male (FTM) in Film Narrative: Gender Passing and the Re-Creation of Brandon Teena

now that is a heady title and yes it is my dissertation aka manuscript, I'm rereading it to see where I can cut/enhance/proof (again):reader: before sending it to a publisher. Basically it revolves around how the media co-opts BT for their own agendas. As well as a discussion of who has the right to speak for the Trans community. I cover FTM films up to Albert Nobbs (which I haven't seen yet, waiting for the dvd) and will add it to my manuscript. :writer:

[Talon]

Female to Male (FTM) in Film Narrative: Gender Passing and the Re-Creation of Brandon Teena

now that is a heady title and yes it is my dissertation aka manuscript, I'm rereading it to see where I can cut/enhance/proof (again):reader: before sending it to a publisher. Basically it revolves around how the media co-opts BT for their own agendas. As well as a discussion of who has the right to speak for the Trans community. I cover FTM films up to Albert Nobbs (which I haven't seen yet, waiting for the dvd) and will add it to my manuscript. :writer:


Very nice...Julien. :clover:

[nycfem]

Talon and aisah,

I'm a fan of Marya Hornbacher too.

I loved Wasted and Madness was good too :)

I read almost entirely nonfiction and love dysfunctional, passionate memoirs that are written well, of course!

Jennifer

[Talon]

Talon and aisah,

I'm a fan of Marya Hornbacher too.

I loved Wasted and Madness was good too :)

I read almost entirely nonfiction and love dysfunctional, passionate memoirs that are written well, of course!

Jennifer


Well, but of course, doll...:eyebat:....I still need to read Madness.

[Kätzchen]

I've been reading forum threads on the message boards here
and reading from several books lately: yesterday, a co-worker gave
me a book and it is quite interesting, actually.

The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crimes
Edited by: Roger Wilkes (1999: London, England)


I'm not reading any particular story in order presented within this book.
I am currently reading: Murder Hath Charms (pp. 540-551).

In particular, I appreciate the introduction penned by Editor Wilkes.
Definately a must-read for those of you out there that appreciate this type of subject of interest.

[The JD]

I finished Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, this after reading Fifty Shades of Grey. It was a bit like losing hundreds of brain cells, then gaining them all back.

Now I'm reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson. I hope my brain cell regeneration continues, but that might be too much to ask from a book with a stuffed mouse wearing a cape and ruff on its cover.

http://images.indiebound.com/015/159/9780399159015.jpg

[trixie]

I hope my brain cell regeneration continues, but that might be too much to ask from a book with a stuffed mouse wearing a cape and ruff on its cover.

Maybe the mouse is practicing his Shakespeare.

[nycfem]

Let us know what you think of Let's Pretend, very mixed reviews on Amazon.

I finished Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, this after reading Fifty Shades of Grey. It was a bit like losing hundreds of brain cells, then gaining them all back.

Now I'm reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson. I hope my brain cell regeneration continues, but that might be too much to ask from a book with a stuffed mouse wearing a cape and ruff on its cover.

http://images.indiebound.com/015/159/9780399159015.jpg

[Greco]

"small memories A Memoir"

by Jose Saramago

translated from the Portuguese
by Margaret Jull Costa

what a pleasure to read how
this man "saw" the world

Greco

[trixie]

Hellboy: The Storm and the Fury (Mignola, Fegredo)

The Orchid Thief (Susan Orlean)

A Secret Kept (Tatiana de Rosnay)

[WingsOnFire]

Double Take by Catherine Coulter

[aishah]

why are faggots so afraid of faggots? by mattilda bernstein sycamore.

[ONLY]

Just finished "Seven Up" in the Stephanie Plum series (Janet Evanovich)

Just bout half way through "Dance Macabre" in the Anita Blake series (Laurell K. Hamilton)

And both series of books were recommended by my beautiful lady (f) Thank you so much I am really enjoying them.

[Cowboi]

The Red Circle by Brandon Webb

[Arwen]

I'm on the fourth audio book of "Tales Of The Otori" which is "Harsh Cry Of The Heron". I've listened to books 1-3 and really love it. Very atmospheric writing that I love. The author is Lian Hearn.

[aishah]

solerna by anna schubarth - she's a friend of a friend and she self-published this book and it's really quite good :) it's sci-fi with a bit of a pagan twist. you can get it on kindle.

[femmedyke]

Since my last check in I've read a few more books including: Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent, The Scourge, Outside and The Witch Who Made Adjustments.

That last one was a small fluff book that was just cute and fun.

I'm now beginning Wool (books 1-5) by Hugh Howey and tinkering around Bombshells by T. Elliott Brown and Live Organic (52 Brilliant Ideas) by Lynn Huggins-Cooper.

I adore my Kindle Fire and though I have a small library would love to open it up for those who may want to borrow anything (and vice versa?)

[Kobi]

The Buddha in the attic / Julie Otsuka.

Presents the stories of six Japanese mail-order brides whose new lives in early twentieth-century San Francisco are marked by backbreaking migrant work, cultural struggles, children who reject their heritage, and the prospect of wartime internment.

[Jesse]

Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail - Bill Walker

[StillettoDoll]

http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/145090000/145099608.JPG
Still reading this...:reader:

[chai~]

I will be picking up,"The Red Tent" from the library today.
I have wanted to read it for quite some time now.
It's supposed to rain all weekend, so reading the days away will be a guilt free indulgence!

[aishah]

i love the red tent! hope you enjoy it :)

just started feminism for real edited by jessica yee and loving it so far.

[Arwen]

I just finished "Getting Dunn" by Thomas Schreck. It was a mixed bag for me. Strong female ex combat vet but she cries--all the time. I will want to read the next if there is one. I guess this goes down as one of those summer beach reads.

[TenderKnight]

Re-reading the Dune series by Frank Herbert.. I am not going in sequence, but have read all of them a few times, so I can pick up on the story pretty quick, lol.. Love the series and am wanting to read more of the prequels, but haven't taken that plunge yet.

[dark_crystal]

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1326121401l/12266560.jpg

and

http://images.indiebound.com/445/040/9781400040445.jpg

[G Snap!]

I am reading "the Picture of Dorian Gray". I saw the movie on Netflix a couple of weeks ago... This is usually how I stumble across good classic reads.

I love Dune, TenderNight, and have also read Dune Messiah. I have and love the Sci-Fi's version of the Dune movie and won't lend it out to anyone. I need to check out one of the used book stores around here and see if I can trade in for some more of the series. I am currently on a "absolute necessity" with books, as I tried to kill myself moving them last year.

[Fancy]

Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women
Cindy Woodsmall & Miriam Flaud

[TenderKnight]

I am reading "the Picture of Dorian Gray". I saw the movie on Netflix a couple of weeks ago... This is usually how I stumble across good classic reads.

I love Dune, TenderNight, and have also read Dune Messiah. I have and love the Sci-Fi's version of the Dune movie and won't lend it out to anyone. I need to check out one of the used book stores around here and see if I can trade in for some more of the series. I am currently on a "absolute necessity" with books, as I tried to kill myself moving them last year.

ohhh.. I like "The Picture of Dorina Grey" too! Awesome story.. lol.. It speaks so much now about the gay clubbing community around here in SD. lol

The Dune series is awesome.. Wait until you get to "God Emperor of Dune".. It will blow your mind :) The scope of the books is HUGE, and it's cool because it all follows along the main story arch.

Enjoy! :)

[Mr Nice Guy]

The Covenant of Genesis by Andy McDeemott

*** it's an adventure series.

[pajama]

I am reading "the Picture of Dorian Gray". I saw the movie on Netflix a couple of weeks ago... This is usually how I stumble across good classic reads.

I love Dune, TenderNight, and have also read Dune Messiah. I have and love the Sci-Fi's version of the Dune movie and won't lend it out to anyone. I need to check out one of the used book stores around here and see if I can trade in for some more of the series. I am currently on a "absolute necessity" with books, as I tried to kill myself moving them last year.

Go to McKay's. Or better yet, go to McKay's and make your man buy you a Kindle there. The Nashville Public Library does loans/check out of Kindle books I believe. So you don't even have to spend the money to download them. And it weighs a lotttttt less than those boxes of books. :)

I'm currently reading Bitterblue, the 3rd book in the Graceling series. I also have the first four books of Fire and Ice loaded on the Kindle when I get done with this book.

[Julien]

The novella _Albert Nobbs_ by George Moore. This 1913 novella has key elements that were changed for the film with Glenn Close. It is a good quick read.

[The JD]

I just finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir). There were certainly some laugh-out-loud phrases and anectdotes, but overall, I found it lacking. Jenny Lawson is best known as a blogger ("The Bloggess") who writes snarky and self-referential posts about being caught in (and creating) embarrassing social situations. This sounds like the perfect reading material for a David Sedaris enthusiast (me), but Lawson's snippy blog-style writing just doesn't translate to a longer work. I never really got engrossed in the tales of her manic life; instead, it was more like a stand-up comedy act, complete with SENTENCES IN ALL CAPS where she's actually screaming the one-liners from the page. She constantly got detoured off the main narrative, then made detours off the detours... I felt like I needed a flow chart to keep up.

If you love her blog, you'll probably love her book... but the reason the blog-style of writing works for blogs is because they're meant to be short and irreverent, and it's okay to throw in non sequiturs because each post is less than 500 words. But for a 300 page memoir? Time to modify the writing style.

** Warning: Shameless self-promotion to follow**

Now I'm reading Deaf American Prose: 1980 - 2010 (Gallaudet Deaf Literature Series), a collection of essays by Deaf and Hard of Hearing authors. It's a terrific anthology, though I admit I'm biased since I'm one of the authors.

[Arwen]

How about what book am I NEVER reading? Anything else by Orson Scott Card. And that's hard because I really liked his work. Until I read this (http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/hc.e.211703.lasso). He's entitled to his opinion. I'm also entitled to mine. :fastdraq:

[BrownEyedAngel]

I am currently reading The Twelveth Transforming by Pauline Gedge......fictionalized Egyptian history.....Child of the Morning is an amazing book by the same author

[JAGG]

Academically Adrift by Richard Arum it"s a compelling book, that sure clears up alot of nagging questions, reinforces what I already suspected.

[Julien]

How about what book am I NEVER reading? Anything else by Orson Scott Card. And that's hard because I really liked his work. Until I read this (http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/hc.e.211703.lasso). He's entitled to his opinion. I'm also entitled to mine. :fastdraq:


Arwen,
Thank you for the link on Orson Scott Card, I just had to pull out this quote from the article.

"In fact, the scientific evidence we have points in the opposite direction: Same-sex attraction is not a strait jacket; people's desires change over time; gay people still have choices; a reproductive dysfunction like same-sex attraction is not a death sentence for your DNA or for your desire to have a family in which children grow up with male and female parents to model appropriate gender roles."


The words "reproductive dysfunction like same-sex attraction" caught my eye and then some.

This article is sure to raise some eyebrows and rub people the wrong way.

Julien

[Kobi]

Heroes For My Daughter - Brad Meltzer

What a sweet book. Love the people he picked as heroes to teach his daughter about life and the power of the human spirit. Short, to the point, stories of the accomplishments of a wide variety of women, men, and kids.

[SimpleAlaskanBoy]

Trying to finish A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

[Talon]

Holiness, Truth and the Presence Of God
~by Francis Frangipane

[Daktari]

Mein Kampf :|

[Talon]

Mein Kampf :|

Yowza!....nice little lite reading, eh? :blink:

[Fancy]

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson


...sometimes I just grab this to reread for inspiration. Her words never fail to move me.

[Daktari]

Yowza!....nice little lite reading, eh? :blink:

Not one for that's on the bedtime list that's for sure :|

MK is not a particularly riveting stand-alone read. If it I didn't *have* to read extracts for research then I wouldn't be reading it (again - I read it as a teenager just because I could! :|)

[Julien]

Passionate Detachments: An Introduction to Feminist Film Theory by Sue Thornham. Just a re-reading for the nuances I may have forgotten from earlier reads.

[Kobi]

How To Teach Physics To Your Dog - Chad Orzel

One way or another, I will learn physics.

[Talon]

Not one for that's on the bedtime list that's for sure :|

MK is not a particularly riveting stand-alone read. If it I didn't *have* to read extracts for research then I wouldn't be reading it (again - I read it as a teenager just because I could! :|)

What a rebel...*chuckle*


I needed something light-hearted and funny after the last book, so I'm reading "BABY LAUGHS" by Jenny McCarthy. :nyahnyah:

[Greco]

"DAYS OF DESTRUCTION DAYS OF REVOLT"

by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco

Just came out finally...real direct intelligent truthful


"HOME"

by Toni Morrison

skimming seems redemptive story looking
forward to this read as well


and after the intensity of the previous books
diving into tender poetry

"SWAN POEMS AND PROSE POEMS"

BY Mary Oliver her latest

Greco

[The JD]

I'm reading the new book by Augusten Burroughs-- This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.

I'm not sure how I like it yet. I expected a spoof on self-help books (even the title suggests this), with his usual biting insight on the dark and quirky side of human behavior (mostly his own). He does this, but more often, he seems to be offering real advice. It's like he doesn't know which direction to go. Still, the writing is good, and besides, you never know when advice on "how to be a good mental patient" might come in handy.

[ONLY]

Last night I started, "The Harlequin", the 15th book in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton
I will be picking up "To The Nines" from the library this weekend, the 9th book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

The series are very different from each other but I have really gotten into them since SS (f) has introduce them to me. Anita Blake series, I think it has been 2 years since I first started and Stephanie Plum series, this past Christmas. Thank you baby ;)

[nycfem]

Let me know what you think when you finish it. I was so torn about this book, as the reviews I read were similar to what you wrote. I am such an intense fan of Burroughs that I wanted to read it but it doesn't sound like his usual style.

I'm reading the new book by Augusten Burroughs-- This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.

I'm not sure how I like it yet. I expected a spoof on self-help books (even the title suggests this), with his usual biting insight on the dark and quirky side of human behavior (mostly his own). He does this, but more often, he seems to be offering real advice. It's like he doesn't know which direction to go. Still, the writing is good, and besides, you never know when advice on "how to be a good mental patient" might come in handy.

[tonaderspeisung]

raylan - elmore leonard
a quick fun read but all fluff and no meat

[Daktari]

A 12 step programme book; It Works - How and Why.

[JAGG]

I just finished a book called, One Simple Act. I read it in 2 and a half hours. 207 pages. =) By Debbie Macomber

[Kobi]

Calico Joe - John Grisham

"A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of major league baseball."

Sweet story. If you like baseball, sweet stories, the Cubs and/or Mets from 1973, or Arkansas, you might enjoy this.

I liked it tho it brought back memories of Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro, a young man who seemed destined for greatness in baseball until August 18, 1967 when the 24 year old, 5th year pro was beaned by Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton. Tony sustained a fractured cheekbone, dislocated jaw, and severe damage to his left retina. Tho he was eventually able to comeback to play, he was never the same and was forced to retire due to the permanent damage to his eyesight.

Not all was for naught tho. Tony still holds the MLB record for most home runs (25) hit by a teenage player. He is the second-youngest player to hit his 100th homer (after Mel Ott in 1931), and the youngest American League player to do so.

His beaning spurred the use of the ear flap on helmets in MLB. Since 1990, the Tony Conigliaro Award is given annually to the player who best overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were trademarks of Conigliaro.

Unfortunately, Tony died in 1990 at the age of 45. He had suffered a heart attack and a stroke shortly there after. He remained in a vegetative state for 8 years before his death.

One pitch forever changed the lives of 2 men. Jack Hamilton never fully recovered, either --- unwilling to pitch inside for fear of severely injuring another batter, Hamilton's strikeout rate declined, his opponents' batting average rose, and his earned run average soared. He retired in 1969.

[Julien]

Book 10 of the Noble Dead series, Of Truth and Beasts by Barb & J.C. Hendee. Only one more then I'm all caught up in time for the new one to come out. A very enjoyable fantasy series.:glasses:

[Daktari]

Europe since 1870: An International History (4th ed.) ...James Joll

[Julien]

I am reading the latest issue of Batwoman from DC comics. If you didn't know she is an out lesbian crime fighter. Good stuff. :batman:

[Soon]

Tina Fey's, Bossypants.

She's smart and funny--two of my most favourite traits in others :)

[MissItalianDiva]

Switching between

Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago

UNBROKEN, by Laura Hillenbrand and

THE AMATEUR, by Edward Klein (little disappointing)

[NJFemmie]

Mein Kampf :|

Interesting.
I'm reading Forgotten Holocaust.

[aishah]

fifty shades of grey.

mostly for the lulz?

[Talon]

A Pattern of Silent Tears~by Marianna Ruybalid

[Blade]

The Blessed Life by Robert Morris

[Fancy]

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

Christopher Hitchens

[justkim]

For my birthday I got a fabulous gift card. I had it spent in one day.

Capote, a biography, by Gerald Clarke
In cold blood, by Truman Capote
Wild, by Cheryl Strayed

I love coming in here as it gives me more ideas for books to read. I have a whole list of books to choose from.
Happy reading everyone!

[The JD]

I couldn't even finish the new Augusten Burroughs book. Maybe I just didn't get it, but I think he's being serious and trying to offer real self-help advice.... except he comes of as soooo cynical and inept that it's like George Costanza from Seinfeld has taken possession of Dr. Wayne Dyer. Burroughs has his catty queen moments, which is maybe what he was going for, but he takes himself far too seriously and it ends up coming off as preachy and irritating. Have you ever been subjected to the ramblings of a drunk at 2 AM, and you're stone cold sober? You know how they're so certain and declarative, and sure that every word they say is so profound and meaningful... but the logic is so circular and redundant, and really, they're just annoying as hell? Yeah, that's this book.

Instead of finishing the Augusten Burroughs book (even the title is too annoying to retype here), I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Good quick read, lots of interesting depression-era historical facts, but it doesn't really live up to the hype. Maybe that's unfair, though- without the expectations that came from all the hype, I'd have no complaints.

Last night I downloaded Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. I haven't started it yet- I'm still laughing at myself for even buying it. But dammit, the movie trailer actually looks good!! :blush:

[justkim]

I saw the trailers too. I will look into the book after you give your review. No pressure! lol...


I couldn't even finish the new Augusten Burroughs book. Maybe I just didn't get it, but I think he's being serious and trying to offer real self-help advice.... except he comes of as soooo cynical and inept that it's like George Costanza from Seinfeld has taken possession of Dr. Wayne Dyer. Burroughs has his catty queen moments, which is maybe what he was going for, but he takes himself far too seriously and it ends up coming off as preachy and irritating. Have you ever been subjected to the ramblings of a drunk at 2 AM, and you're stone cold sober? You know how they're so certain and declarative, and sure that every word they say is so profound and meaningful... but the logic is so circular and redundant, and really, they're just annoying as hell? Yeah, that's this book.

Instead of finishing the Augusten Burroughs book (even the title is too annoying to retype here), I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Good quick read, lots of interesting depression-era historical facts, but it doesn't really live up to the hype. Maybe that's unfair, though- without the expectations that came from all the hype, I'd have no complaints.

Last night I downloaded Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. I haven't started it yet- I'm still laughing at myself for even buying it. But dammit, the movie trailer actually looks good!! :blush:

[Tawse]

Wool - by Hugh Howey

Author's description of story: This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.


So far so good - I'm about 60% done with the omnibus (volumes 1 - 5 all in one file 550 pages worth).

Could improve on his character development - but the plot is intriguing and I still have no idea what's going to happen, which is very unusual for me.

[dark_crystal]

Agnes Grey.
What a whiner!

[nycfem]

I read two great books, both of which I strongly recommend.

1) The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt by Jon-Jon Goulian

This is a memoir by a quirky brilliant hilarious genderqueer. A real stand out! If you've ever felt like a misfit but followed your own path anyway and laughed at yourself to keep the sadness from overtaking you, you'll love this book! It's truly a unique read!

Amazon.com: The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt (9781400068111): Jon-Jon Goulian: Books


2) You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know: A True Story of Family, Face Blindness, and Forgiveness by Heather Sellers

This book got so-so reviews but it shouldn't have because it was AMAZING. It's a memoir by a woman with the condition of face blindness, where someone can't see faces. Ms. Sellers is a BRILLIANT woman and shares her research on face blindness as it relates to her own face blindness. She grew up with a schizophrenic mother who was too paranoid to look at the author's face, even as a baby, and the author wonders if this is what caused her face blindness. She goes on to describe psychological theory related to her own theory about this. In addition to the issue of face blindness being beautifully addressed in the book (including the hardships of being face blind and the awkwardness of whether to come out at work, for instance), she gives a wonderful history of life in an extremely dysfunctional family. This book had every aspect of what makes a great book to me. Check it out!

Amazon.com: You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know: A True Story of Family, Face Blindness, and Forgiveness: Heather Sellers: Books

[DamonK]

Working on a series. Historical fiction. Interesting and entertaining for me. By Shayne Parkinson

Sentence of Marriage
Mud and Gold
Settling the Account
A Second Chance

Then another book by same person, "All I Want"

[GreeneyedMe]

Lord of the Two Lands by Judith Farr

Lord of the Two Lands is firmly based in the history of Alexander the Great, and steeped in the rich sun drenched magics of ancient Egypt.

Cannot put this book down. Love anything about Egypt!

[femmsational]

The owners manual to my weed wacker.

[pajama]

I am trying to read the Fire and Ice series, I think that's what it's called. The one Game of Thrones is based on. I am not enjoying the way it's written. So far I've only made it through the first 10 or so people. And I've been reading it for two weeks. ugggggh If She didn't recommend it I wouldn't have ever gotten them, because I'd read the jacket covers and just wasn't that interested.

[Kätzchen]

http://images.betterworldbooks.com/025/The-Art-of-Love-Ovid-9780253200020.jpg (for bedside reading)

http://i43.tower.com/images/mm111727501/metamorphoses-ovid-audio-cover-art.jpg (to read/listen to on the train)


I tend to read slowly, but I'm enjoying both sets of literature.
Poetic, deeply profound, context is rich.

I checked both out from the library.

Rating: excellent.

[Talon]

THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

~co-authored by Eleanor Roosevelt

[DamonK]

Assuming it comes in today...

Probably an algebra book...

Long story.

Otherwise, I may buy another Gor book

[Mr Nice Guy]

The Hunger Games. Just started it. :)

[Fancy]

Nearly fell over when I saw this title in the small town library...so I had to pick it up and check it out.

A Positive View for LGBTQ: Embracing Identity and Cultivating Well-Being

Ellen Riggle

[willow]

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

[tonaderspeisung]

The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society - Frans de Waal

i'm a bit torn over this one

there are a lot of really amazing animal anecdotes on why natural selection should favor empathy and cooperation

but

i don't agree with the assumption that the default human society position is individualism - especially when it's argued using a blockbuster movie from 1987 as an example of proof

a small gripe - overall good read

[gaea]

THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

~co-authored by Eleanor Roosevelt

the universal deceleration of "rights" human animal and alien....for all we know we could be the aliens...

[Fancy]

Kayak Morning - Reflections on love, grief, and small boats

Roger Rosenblatt

[Venus007]

"A Princess of Mars" (1917) Edgar Rice Burroughs

It is the 1st book in his Barsoom series and the movie "John Carter" was based on it. The book is very good the movie, not so much

[SoulShineFemme]

I just finished Happiness by Will Ferguson.

[Nomad]

got 2 books in the backpack right now: a biography about malcolm x and "the courage to be yourself"

[puddin']

"hostile witness", by rebecca forster

[nycfem]

Double Down: Reflections on Gambling and Loss

by

Frederick Barthelme and Steven Barthelme


This is a memoir by two adult brothers whose parents both die within a short timeframe, and the brothers become compulsive gamblers and within a matter of a few years lose their fairly sizable inheritance (and gain debt) at the casinos. They are both smart, reflective English professors, and the quality of the writing as well as the way in which they try to figure out psychologically how they let this happen are both very impressive. I definitely recommend this book. It covers grief, our parents' hold on us even as adults and after their deaths, the complicated aspects of sibling relationships, and addiction all with such care.

I was not sure I'd like this book because I don't gamble and felt I might get bored, but instead I'm mesmerized. Big thumbs up!

[Martina]

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch

The book is about the year she spent reading a book a day. I just finished it. I hope it will inspire me to spend less time watching TV and playing Farmville and more time reading.

Which reminds me, I must go check on my crops.

[Mr Nice Guy]

The hunger games book 2

[Julien]

Some trashy vampire romance novel, yeah it's light reading, but that's what I need right now. :glasses:

[justkim]

I just finished reading *Wild* by Cheryl Strayed. Fantastic book! This is also a Oprah book club book if you are doing her book club for the summer.


Overview
A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.

Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

[Martina]

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly.

I loved the Harry Bosch books. These -- the other is The Lincoln Lawyer -- not as much, but they are well done.

[StillettoDoll]

This book was written by Diego Rivera's daughter Lupe
if your a frida fan , this book is a very interesting insight from her step children, beautiful photos, alot I have not seen before.
http://www.american-buddha.com/afridafiestabol1x_small1.jpg (http://www.american-buddha.com/afridafiestabol1x.jpg)

[Tawse]

Reading "The Passage" right now (I think that's the name?? lol)... don't know who the author is - and I didn't read the summary so it's been a very interesting experience.

I am 90% certain the military is developing "vampires" for lack of a better word.. and I'm also fairly certain it's going to go horribly... There are bits that remind me a lot of "It" (by King of course)... and I think the vampires may be telepathic... lol

I'm liking this whole not reading the summary. Makes the book much more interesting. lol


(Book was recommended by a few celebrity geeks. The wife listens to pod casts - so she bought it, and I downloaded it onto my kindle and just started reading it telling her not to tell me what it's about)

about 15% in now... the author is spinning a very intriguing web... that's for sure.

[SoulShineFemme]

I'm just starting Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds by Frank Joseph.

Seems like it's gonna be quite interesting. :)

[Fancy]

Haunted

Chuck Palahniuk

[Breezy]

This article:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/07/05/malware_may_knock_thousands_off_internet_on_monday/

[Hollylane]

I just ordered: My Side of the Mountain Trilogy (My Side of the Mountain / On the Far Side of the Mountain / Frightful's Mountain)
by Jean Craighead George


My nieces and I were discussing this book series last weekend. Their recent enjoyment of the series means that I have to read it again, and remember why My Side of the Mountain was my favorite book as a child.

[aishah]

parable of the talents by octavia butler

[Bleu]

A Mercy - Toni Morrison

[DanzAmazon]

parable of the talents by octavia butler

I love Octavia Butler, she's one of my inspirations to write. This is one of her best!

[Julien]

Throttle a short story by Joe Hill and Stephen King :glasses:

[StillettoDoll]

http://images.betterworldbooks.com/193/The-China-Study-9781932100662.jpg

[lillith]

Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo

[RockOn]

Articles, walkthroughs, blogs at www.msdn.com which provide hashing algorithms pertaining to security in oracle connection strings ... am coding in Visual C# 2010.

Wish I had brought another book home with me when I left work Tuesday. Just as well, I am supposed to be on vacation leave until upcoming Tuesday.

[The JD]

About to start reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I've been on the library wait list for over two months... figured that's recommendation enough and finally downloaded it to my Kindle.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZdvrsNd1hzDC_9oqfo61fEwc0pOsVH m0_I3nQbIxl4GvoOiVPDg

[Kenna]

A billing guide and manual :blink:

[nycfem]

Oh, wow, sounds really good. Hope you will give us a review when you finish!

One book about introverts that I loved is The Highly Sensitive Person: http://www.hsperson.com/ . It was like a revelation to me, as it seems to have been for many others, because it's become a bit of a movement over the years. I even went to one of the author's workshops.

About to start reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I've been on the library wait list for over two months... figured that's recommendation enough and finally downloaded it to my Kindle.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZdvrsNd1hzDC_9oqfo61fEwc0pOsVH m0_I3nQbIxl4GvoOiVPDg

[The JD]

I saw the trailers too. I will look into the book after you give your review. No pressure! lol...

Thanks, Kim! There was so little pressure that I forgot to post! :) Okay, my considered opinion of the book Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: it sucked. Bad pun aside, it really was dreadful. Form, content, style, I loathed it all.

I'll try to write this with as few spoilers as possible, but it's going to be tough. There are some glaring inconsistencies that I'm just aching to sink my teeth into. (oops, sorry.)

Let's start with the obvious: Does Abraham Lincoln make a believable vampire hunter? Well, maybe. He's got all the qualifications for a Dark Knight kind of super hero: tragedy and loss at an early age, a super-human strength or talent (axes, of course!), an obsession with revenge/justice, and oh, let's not forget the constant brooding. He's a tortured soul, our Abe.

His motivations as a vampire hunter are clear enough once you realize just how much the pesky vampires screwed up his childhood (and continue to screw up his adulthood). What's less clear is the motivation of Henry, the "good" vampire who teaches Abe how to hunt vampires and which ones to kill. For someone otherwise known as a brave and forward thinker, Abe comes off as a tool for a good part of the book as he races off to do Henry's bidding.

The author comes off as a tool as well, since the book's premise is that the author was commanded by Henry himself to write it. But why would Henry want to share the Great American Vampire Secret with the world? And why now? And with this author? I know it must sound like a trifling point... I mean, if I'm going to buy off on vampires and the presidents who kill them, why can't I look past Good Vampire Henry inserting himself into the present-day narrative via the author's life? It seemed to promise a shocking plot twist, but no, it was just a vehicle to get us to the book's true purpose: To make history cool for high schoolers who hate history.

Passages from Lincoln's secret vampire diaries are liberally dispersed throughout the text, along with quotes and passages from his more famous speeches and writings. The author tries to match Lincoln's cadence with the vocabulary of that time period, but at times it comes off clunky and hokey. I tend to feel a few steps removed when reading present-day diary-based narratives. Add another few steps back for the 150-year-old language, and another step back for constantly thinking "what makes the author think he can write a pretend-diary of one of the greatest orators in American history??"

I'm really not a history purist- if you can have fun with history, I'm all for it. But the author failed to make it come alive for me, and it had very little to do with all the Undead.

[Martina]

Reading Angelica by Sharon Shinn and liking it.

Listening to A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin on audible. i like the HBO series A Game of Thrones, but this book is putting me to sleep. People are always telling one another off or threatening each other. Or carrying out their threats. Kinda dull. I guess the series is the same, but it's visually interesting, and the actors are good.

[Bleu]

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

[aishah]

lilith's brood by octavia butler. i'm glad i finally made it all the way through parable of the talents...parable of the sower & parable of the talents are my favorite octavia butler books, and they've changed my life so much.

i forgot - someone mentioned previously that they wanted to know what i thought of fifty shades of grey. i actually haven't made it that far through because it's so terrible, hehe. i pick it up every now and then when i am bored or needing amusement. eventually i'll make it through all the books, just because...i find it humorous that people find things like this entertaining, i guess.

on the serious side, though, it worries me that so many people are really into it because the book, imho, is not a good portrayal of bdsm at all...i mean, i know it's supposed to be fiction and romance and of course it's not like real life, but it's as though she got her ideas about bdsm from a website (the contract looks almost ripped from many websites i have seen) and doesn't know anything about bdsm in real life. which...yes, it's fiction, but dammit, it still gets on my nerves :P it frustrates me for the same reason twilight frustrates me (ironic, considering it was originally a twilight fanfiction) - that is...yes, it's fiction and it's not real and it's romanticized. but yet SO MANY women i have seen are idealizing it as the perfect relationship. that really disturbs me. a lot. maybe it gets better later in the books...i guess i'll find out.

[tonaderspeisung]

headhunters - jo nesbø

a decent commuter read
starts out very intriguing but requires some suspension of disbelief to resolve itself

[homoe]

I just finished Gillian Flynn's Girl Gone. Save your time and money!

I'm now starting a book called Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

[Julien]

I am rereading The Riddle of Gender: Science, Activism, and Transgender Rights by Deborah Rudacille. I read this about 7 years ago when it came out, it made a big impact in my life and my transitioning. There are so many other books I could reread and add to this list.

[cinnamongrrl]

Sadly, I havent been very excited about starting any new books in a long while...other than the Judy Blume one....however...today Teddy surprised me with a visit to my fave used bookstore and i found a gem....
A Country Year: Living the Questionsby Sue Hubbell. its about a woman in her 50s who spends an entire year living alone in the Ozarks. It reminds me of another book I loved, A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich

[Martina]

I read a tiny little book called Fup this morning. By Jim Dodge. Set in rural Northern CA, where I am. It apparently is widely loved, but I wasn't crazy about it. It was sort of an adult Old Yeller with a surprise magical realism ending. This is the second book published by Heyday Books that I have read. I didn't love either of them. :(

[Leigh]

I'm actually in the middle of three books lol

1) Beat Sugar Addiction Now, by Jacob Teitelbaum M.D.

2) The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle

3) Weight Watchers Complete Food Companion

[The JD]

I took a detour from the book I intended to read...now I'm halfway through another book: Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us. Fantastic read!

http://ecimages.kobobooks.com/Image.ashx?imageID=hCd8QpdulkivWvLON7gYTA&Type=Full

The "science" is a bit sketchy, but as the authors themselves admit, it's tricky to measure something that is so subjective. Still, it's a fascinating look at the things that universally annoy us (of which there are many), and why.

The authors explore the annoyance of the senses at a fast clip, leaping from sound (nails on chalkboard, the sound of someone vomiting, overheard cell phone conversations) to smell (even skunks hate the smell of skunk, yet an aversion to the smell of poop is learned), to sight (clutter, traffic), to taste (at which age do Mexican children acquire the taste for hot peppers?) to touch (how a cloud of gnats around a pitcher's head can ruin a perfect game).

The last half of the book focuses on the sociological rather than the physical. I haven't yet learned why all the adorable little quirks of one's loved one eventually become annoying, but I have learned how mice show their annoyance when you hide their cheese. :|

It's a fun read...and if my dog ever gets sprayed by a skunk, it's worth five times the cost of the book just to have a scientifically proven recipe for removing the smell.

[stonewalldog]

She calls me her curmudgeon but really I am a big softie...lol....I am reading the last book of the last book of Radclyffe's Honor Series called "Word of Honor" Yeah...it is mindless trash but entertaining. And yeah....I'd do Blair....emm...and Diane.....but not together...lol...dream on...lol.....

[Talon]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

[Fancy]

Just finished: Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos

It was a cute, fast, fun read with a healthy dose of Jane Austen love mixed with the banal idiocy of reality TV.

Now reading: Canoeing and Kayaking New York (Canoe and Kayak Series) by Kevin Stiegelmaier :)

and picked up for a little skimming and inspiration...

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman


I'm reading everything in sight to get more raffle tickets in the community library summer reading program. Wish me luck!

[Soon]

Everything I Never Wanted to Be--Dina Kucera (just finished--loved it--true story of a family's struggle with addiction written by the mother who is also a stand up comedian; her wit and perspective amidst so much struggle is amazing)

[Semantics]

Currently reading:

Diane Arbus: A Biography

by Patricia Bosworth

Just finished:

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

By Nujood Ali

[grenade]

Just finished The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls.

Good read. Gritty.

[Soon]

Read this today lying out in the sun; devoured it one tense sitting.

Angelhead: My Brother's Descent into Madness--Greg Bottoms

Amazon:
A taut, powerful memoir of madness, Angelhead documents the violent, drug-addled descent of the author's brother, Michael, into schizophrenia. Beginning with Michael's first psychotic break—seeing God in his suburban bedroom window while high on LSD—Greg Bottoms recounts, in gripping, dramatic prose, the bizarre disappearances, suicide attempts, and the shocking crime that land Michael in the psychiatric wing of a maximum security prison. A work of nonfiction with the form and imagery of a novel, Angelhead enables the reader to witness not only the fragmenting of a mind, but of a family as well.

[ONLY]

Just finished "Blood Noir" by Laurell K. Hamiltong (Anita Blake series)

*Waiting to start "Skin Trade" by Laurell K. Hamilton (17th book in the Anita Blake series) for when SS (f) gets home so we can read that one together*

Just started "Eleven On Top" by Janet Evanovich

[Martina]

Just finished Fire Monks by Colleen Morton Busch. It's about the fire that threatened the Tassajara Zen Center in 2008. Disappointing. Not recommended.

It is interesting and noble that monks and others saved most of the buildings when a forest fire rolled through. But so much of the book was about petty decision-making drama, which is part of all organizations' lives, especially when in crisis, but does not make for a good read.

I am sure the five monks who stayed to the end and actually fought the fire are interesting people, but I got little sense of who they are.

I can't believe the SF Chronicle said it was one of the best books of the year. They were probably just enamored of the story behind it all. Or personally acquainted with the author. *snark* (Tassajara is one of the SF Zen Center's retreat locations and its major cash cow.)

[Fancy]

Currently reading:

Diane Arbus: A Biography

by Patricia Bosworth

Just finished:

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

By Nujood Ali

Hey :) Would you recommend either? I'm looking for good stuff to read....

[Fancy]

Currently reading:

Tuesday Night Miracles - Kris Radish

..it's an emotional ride so far.

And on CD in the car this week:

77 Shadow Street - Dean Koontz

..the exact opposite of the other book, lol.

[Talon]

Per Mizta Metro...I'm now reading "THE FOUNTAINHEAD" by Ayn Rand.

[Kätzchen]

In my spare time, I've been scoring my own music:
reading from other texts of music,
developing my own style,
fine tuning my keys,
pitch,
melodies.

[Kobi]

It Worked For Me....in life and leadership

~Colin Powell

[lusciouskiwi]

Just finished the 5th book in Game of Thrones series. Next on the reading list is "Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing"

[Breezy]

Sales numbers.

[luv2luvgirls]

Stone Butch Blues

[Fancy]

1001 Cranes by Naomi Hirahara

and

Wild (from lost to found on the pacific crest trail) a memoir by Cheryl Strayed


...still reading my way through the library's summer reading program. I'm bound and determined to win one of their raffle prizes!! :)

[Greco]

"Crazy Brave" by Joy Harjo

her autobiography, an example of
strength, and resilience.


"Swimming Studies" by Leanne Shapton

an Olympic trial swimmer...if you love
to swim in the pool, or in the sea...this
is an enjoyable read.

Greco

[Glenn]

"Memoirs OF An Exorcist." Father Gabriele Amorth

When I heard Father Amorth, the most powerful exorcist in the catholic church, say in a television interview:"The devil sh**s in his pants when he sees me.", I had to buy the book. A very interesting aspect in this book is evil spirits, when they perceive some powerful exorcist, get very scared. To scare murderous and vicious demonic spirits, this book asserts, it must be a really nightmarish place in hell, so they roam Earth, without peace, until they can get into a physical body again, to do what they do. The case studies in this book are interesting.

[ONLY]

Just finished "Blood Noir" by Laurell K. Hamiltong (Anita Blake series)

*Waiting to start "Skin Trade" by Laurell K. Hamilton (17th book in the Anita Blake series) for when SS (f) gets home so we can read that one together*

Just started "Eleven On Top" by Janet Evanovich



Just finished "Twelve Sharp" a couple of days ago and now reading "Lean Mean Thirteen"
They are simple reads, enjoyable and funny, can't seem to ever put the books down. SS (f) got me into this series this past Christmas (and in between I have read books from the Anita Blake series which she also got me hooked into when we first met)

Thanks for starting me up on these series of books baby ;) You can't get annoyed if I don't have time for anything else :p psssstt you know I always got time for you (f)

[thedivahrrrself]

Justice Roberts' opinion on the Affordable Care Act.... ick, it's so lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng

[pajama]

About to start The Difference Engine.

[aishah]

i just finished pearl in the sand by tessa afshar. it's a christian romance retelling of the story of rahab from the old testament. i read it because it was free on kindle and because historical fiction is a guilty pleasure of mine. it was a bit preachy and the plot went along far too neatly, but overall it was a fun light read :)

i'm still working my way slowly through sex & disability and lilith's brood/xenogenesis by octavia butler.

[tonaderspeisung]

i read
the amateur - ed klein

then to wash the memory out of my brain

the call of the wild - jack london

[Semantics]

Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self
by Danielle Evans

[Martina]

Alexandria by Lindsey Davis. One of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries. This one is set in the Great Library of Alexandria. Good so far.

[Glenn]

Guru Sri Tat Baba- Free online book.
http://yogiphotos.com/index.html

[Talon]

Across by Blue Dawson.

[Greco]

"Faith and Will" by Julia Cameron

I just picked this up, read the first sentence and
knew I had to read it.

Greco

[aishah]

started the revolution will not be funded, edited by incite! women of color against violence. and the new jim crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by michelle alexander.

[EnderD_503]

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328759552l/9759913.jpg

[Kätzchen]

I have been reading from several authors (Swedish or Danish, by origin) but I guess what I miss reading the most or perhaps even miss in face to face conversations is unvarnished, completely transparent exchange of ideas between people who might agree or tend to disagree; but certainly I miss the verbal or textual exchange in an unvarnished format.

That's not to say I miss ugliness or language that pushes the envelope of incivility. What I mean is that it would be nice to read or participate in an exchange of ideas or dreams or whatever in unvarnished ways.

That's what I miss the most: when reading here or there or anywhere
(conversations included, too).

[Fancy]

10 more days until the library summer program ends!

Now reading:
Farther Away - Jonathan Franzen

Favorite passage in the book so far, "If you dedicate your existence to being likable, however, and if you adopt whatever cool persona is necessary to make it happen, it suggests that you've despaired of being loved for who you really are. And if you succeed in manipulating other people into liking you, it will be hard not to feel, at some level, contempt for those people, because they've fallen for your shtick. Those people exist to make you feel good about yourself, but how good can your feeling be when it's provided by people you don't respect?"

Buddhism for Beginners - Thubten Chodron


and two in the kitchen for a little light summer canning:
175 best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades - Linda Amendt

Pickles to Relish - Beverly Alfeld (her full name is longer than the title)

[Daktari]

Just got a Kindle today and can't decide whether to start the first of the Hunger Games trilogy

Lost London - Richard Guard
A Race for Madmen - Chris Sidwells (non-fiction about Tour de France)
The Stranger's Child - Allan Hollinghurst

or

The first in the Marketplace series - Laura Antoniou

[clay]

Am enjoying this set of books...a gift to me...smiles....

[Reader]

"In One Person", by John Irving.

Funny, well-written and interesting. How can you beat that?

[Semantics]

About to start The Difference Engine.

I got this book for Kindle after seeing your post and I'm curious about how you liked it. I liked it a lot- but the charm is definitely in the details.


Right now I'm reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson. It's hysterical.

[tonaderspeisung]

starship troopers - robert a. heinlein

i have to admit - for a book written in 1960 it still reads very modern
and i totally get why the odd man at the va hospital was so keen to recommend it

[nycfem]

Wow, I ran into the author that I wrote about below whose book I loved so much in my local natural food store today! I got excited in the way others might if they ran into Lady Gaga or Obama! I admit that I said nothing memorable or witty. I simply GUSHED! :D

I read two great books, both of which I strongly recommend.

1) The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt by Jon-Jon Goulian

This is a memoir by a quirky brilliant hilarious genderqueer. A real stand out! If you've ever felt like a misfit but followed your own path anyway and laughed at yourself to keep the sadness from overtaking you, you'll love this book! It's truly a unique read!

Amazon.com: The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt (9781400068111): Jon-Jon Goulian: Books (http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Gray-Flannel-Skirt/dp/1400068118)

[QueenofSmirks]

"Introduction to Criminal Justice". One chapter left and I'm done with this class, thank GAWD!

[SoulShineFemme]

I'm just getting started on Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich. It's light and refreshing after a particularly exhaustive book I finally finished about the possibility of finding Atlantis.

[Talon]

Please Kill Me: The uncensored oral history of punk.
by Legs McNeil & Gillian McCaine

[sara-bera]

A gigantic book of short erotic fiction.

[calibri]

Currently reading "Start Where You Are" by Pema Chodron, which is a wonderful Buddhist text that benefits from having some background knowledge but is still very accessible if you don't know much about it. Highly recommended - it will enrich you and possibly change your life, whilst NOT being another vague self-help book.

I've always loved fiction, but I learn so much from non-fiction that I find I'm drawn to it more often :)

[The JD]

I'm on a Sookie Stackhouse spree- finished From Dead to Worse, now reading Dead and Gone. I haven't been a big fan of Charlaine Harris' writing- I've mostly stuck with the books because I like the HBO series so much (and things are so whacked out on THAT show right now I thought maybe the books might shed some light...but, um, no.). Anyway, I noticed the writing in From Dead to Worse, and the one after seemed better- the jokes were less forced and less corny, there were more cool pop culture references, and all the characters felt like they fit together a bit more seamlessly. I began to wonder if maybe From Dead to Worse was the first of the book series to be written after the HBO series began, and sure enough, yes...it was. It's almost like Charlaine Harris has seen now seen the edgier style of the show, and has adjusted her writing to match it. Interesting concept, really.

I also finished Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Fantastic book... validating, at least for this introvert. Lots of details of psychological studies, with a fair amount of neurobiology thrown in, as well as the author's personal anecdotes. If you've ever sat in class getting annoyed by the talkative students who aren't actually adding anything worthwhile to the class discussion, or if you'd like some pointers on how to maximize your own quiet strengths, this book is for you.

Next up: The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, As Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean.

[Fancy]

Ok, quoting my own, but who cares, right?

I'm tickled that the library just received a copy of Adrienne Rich's Dream of a Common Language! Heading to the library today to check it out before anyone else. How nerdy am I?

:glasses:

10 more days until the library summer program ends!

Now reading:
Farther Away - Jonathan Franzen

Favorite passage in the book so far, "If you dedicate your existence to being likable, however, and if you adopt whatever cool persona is necessary to make it happen, it suggests that you've despaired of being loved for who you really are. And if you succeed in manipulating other people into liking you, it will be hard not to feel, at some level, contempt for those people, because they've fallen for your shtick. Those people exist to make you feel good about yourself, but how good can your feeling be when it's provided by people you don't respect?"

Buddhism for Beginners - Thubten Chodron


and two in the kitchen for a little light summer canning:
175 best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades - Linda Amendt

Pickles to Relish - Beverly Alfeld (her full name is longer than the title)

[nycfem]

Wow, one of my favorite authors, David Rakoff, a gay humor/political writer (similar to the style of David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs) just died at age 47. I'm so very sad about this. I would not only read his writing but listen to him read it on the radio and on CDs. The death of an author we love is it's own grief, and a deep one at that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/books/david-rakoff-award-winning-humorist-dies-at-47.html?emc=eta1

[Jesse]

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

[Soft*Silver]

some circus book..its about real magic. Its fiction. Its good. Its new.

[Reader]

Would love to hear your thoughts on this book. I read it many years ago. It certainly will raise one's skepticism scale related to use/misuse of ECT, psychotropics in adults and in children.


I think science will eventually show what seems blatantly obvious to me anecdotally: ECT is cruel, inhumane, an abuse of power and barbaric. I haven't read the book however.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a gear in the pharma machine, essentially a white-collar factory worker. Many folks in the drug industry are excellent, well-intentioned, humane people and are dedicated to alleviating suffering in people and animals.

Many are merely profit-driven, un-ethical, un-regulated, un-supervised evil fucks, however. This also applies to those prescribing drugs, especially psychotropic ones or people who are in any position of power such as doctors, psychiatrists or pscyologists. Many of them get into the field to figure out what the hell is wrong with themselves or people in their families of origin. Sometimes, they seem to realize that they can use what they've learned to manipulate people, as well.

It's pretty common knowledge that doctors and medical staff are legally bribed by drug companies to prescribe and push drugs and that pharma has one of the hugest lobby systems around. Hell, they promote drugs on tv as if they were any other desirable consumer product, like shoes or cars or cell phones.

Sure, it is absurdly expensive to develop good drugs. For one drug, for one tiny part, of one arm of one stage of it's development, it could cost the drug company $40,000 per subject. That's even if the subject decides to drop out of the study part way through.

Total up the cost of development, the cost of advertisng and promotion, the cost of lobbying and the cost of paying for legal bribery and you see it is a complex industrial complex. Thus, we have drugs which indeed cost only .005 cents per pill to manufacture costing consumers $8 each.

Imo both drugs and ECT are way over-used and ECT should be banned outright.

[Ascot]

I am currently revisiting one of my favorites, A Confederacy of Dunces by Johh Kennedy Toole. It is perfection.

[puddin']

"odd apocalypse" (i'ma dean koontz freak-a-holic!)

[Turtle]

"Marriage and Other Acts of Charity" by Kate braestrup

"Two Treasures" by Thich Nhat Hanh

and a pile of stuff for work

[Katniss]

Ok, quoting my own, but who cares, right?

I'm tickled that the library just received a copy of Adrienne Rich's Dream of a Common Language! Heading to the library today to check it out before anyone else. How nerdy am I?

:glasses:

My copy is falling apart I have had it for so long. Good choice and some great lines in there. "Only she who says she did not chose, is the loser in the end." Love it and enjoy the read.

Katniss

[Medusa]

I just started "LZR-1143: Perspectives". It was a free Zombie novel thing download for the Kindle. I'm about halfway through it and the writing is terrible but I can see where it could have been really good. I think it's part of a series but, needless to say, I won't be reading the rest of the series.

Up next, "Ghosty Men: The Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers, New York's Greatest Hoarders, An Urban Historical"

[tonaderspeisung]

why are all the book recommendations from this thread checked out from the library - whyyyyyy?

i'm in wait list purgatory

i was able to snatch up 1q84 by haruki murakami
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RHf5fmYL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
i'm only 6 chapters in but so far it's very promising

[Fancy]

Last week to get a couple more books in before the big finale at the library.

How to be Lost
by Amanda Eyre Ward

Dream of a Common Language
by Adrienne Rich

“The longer I live the more I mistrust
theatricality, the false glamour cast
by performance, the more I know its poverty beside
the truths we are salvaging from
the splitting-open of our lives.

-from "Transcendental Etude”
― Adrienne Rich, The Dream of a Common Language: Poems 1974-1977

[Kätzchen]

I was at Powell's Bookstore the other day and found a book that I think will prove useful to me.

I'm reading:

A Monk's Alphabet: Moments of Stillness in a Turning World
(Authored by poet, theologian and Benedictine Monk: Fr. Jeremy Driscoll)


It's a collection of 187 meditations.
I have already read a few of them since I bought the book
and can say that sometimes I find myself thinking about the
proposed subject of thought and find myself wondering in my
own mind: Asking myself if what I have read seems true or
if I have abandoned my own existential existence and considered
adopting a new realm of thought.

I like this book and I will keep it, too.

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182221510l/1246045.jpg

[apretty]

the evolution of bruno littlemore: http://benjamin-hale.com/BHale/aboutbook.html

[Semantics]

Only Revolutions: A Novel
by Mark Z. Danielewski


I loved House of Leaves, but I'm struggling not to abandon this one. I don't mind going down a rabbit hole, but I prefer to be dragged in or kicked from behind instead of just slowly being bogged down with pockets full of blather.
Sometimes less truly is more.

[Soon]

Dry--Augusten Burroughs

[Justin]

Honeymoon with Harry by Bart Baker the movie will be out soon !!! It's a good read :) I highly recommend it !!!!!

[nycfem]

I read it, loved it, and now I'm listening to the unabridged audio version of it read by Augusten. it's a powerful addiction memoir, mixed with dark humor, and I just love his voice.

Dry--Augusten Burroughs

[Sparkle]

I've just finished 'Wicked' by Gregory Maguire

and currently on my nightstand are the following selections:

Italo Calvino, 'Invisible Cities'
Sarah Waters, 'The Night Watch'
A.S. Byatt, 'The Matisse Stories'
Margaret Atwood, 'The Penelopiad'
Jane Hamilton, 'A Map of the World'
Jussi Adler-Olsen, 'The Keeper of Lost Causes'
Alice Hoffman, 'The Doverkeepers'
Carol Birch, 'Jamrach's Menagerie'

some in varying states of started, most accrued from my last trip to the Montague Bookmill ("Books you don't need in a place you can't find" is the tagline)

I'm not sure which to start/re-start next.

[Medusa]

Started "Full Dark, No Stars" by Stephen King yesterday morning and just finished. It's classic King with all the creep factor. This one was hard because it was particularly violent in places but still had his famous "catharsis through adversity" thing.

Going to go ahead and get a few pages into "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression" by Andrew Solomon before I nod off.

[Justin]

Started "Full Dark, No Stars" by Stephen King yesterday morning and just finished. It's classic King with all the creep factor. This one was hard because it was particularly violent in places but still had his famous "catharsis through adversity" thing.

Going to go ahead and get a few pages into "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression" by Andrew Solomon before I nod off.

I love Stephen King I will have to check that one out !!!! Thanks :)

[Kätzchen]

In addition to A Monk's Alphabet (by Fr. Jeremy Driscoll), I came across some other books I had and thought I would read from them again (for pleasure).... I found:

Pilgrim At Tinker Creek (by Annie Dillard)

and

Zen and The Birds of Appetite (by Thomas Merton)

[Fancy]

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the summer reading challenge at the library. I ended up winning a raffle of a couple books, and a Bath & Bodyworks gift card. So, now taking a break and giving my eyes a rest (ha - not!). :)

Reading one of the raffle prizes:
Death by Killer Mop Doll by Lois Winston

It's cheesy.

[Soon]

Whip Smart: A Memoir

Febos's candid, hard-slogging debut about her four years working as a dominatrix at a midtown Manhattan dungeon cuts a sharp line between prurience and feminist manifesto. Having grown up on Cape Cod, Mass., then dropped out of high school before moving to New York City and enrolling in the New School in the fall of 1999, Febos slipped into drug use and needed a way to finance it. An attractive law-school graduate neighbor in her Brooklyn apartment building mentioned that she worked as a domme, and Febos decided to give it a go. She spanked grown men, professionals, fathers, and rabbis, sometimes inserted enemas, sodomized them with dildos, and otherwise verbally humiliated them, all for $75 an hour, plus tips. At first, Febos managed the grueling, unsavory work while high on heroin and cocaine, and gained a tremendous sense of confidence, even invincibility at being able to justify her livelihood as one of the few well-paid acting gigs in this city. In time, she also became addicted to her job; she eventually joined AA to help get clean of drugs, but kicking her addiction to sadomasochism was harder, and in this emotionally stark, excoriating work, Febos mines the darkest, most troubling aspects of human interaction. (Mar.)
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