What are we reading lately?

MsMary

We haven't had book thread in a while, so I thought it might be fun to start one. I am a promiscuous reader and read anything and everything, some of which is admittedly pretty trashy. Right now I'm listening to an audiobook called Dungeon Crawler Carl which is a sci-fi story about aliens killing most of the people on Earth and putting the rest of them in a real-life video game/reality TV type contest. Crazy and fun. It's a series of, I think, eight books so I have a lot to look forward to.

I recently read a book that really knocked my socks off: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. It was billed as a (supernatural?) thriller but then it took a surprising turn. I won't spoil it but I will say I loved it.

A friend of mine from my Rotary Club writes cozy mysteries about walking tours in England and I have enjoyed those. The first one is A Deadly Walk in Devon by Nicholas George.

What are you reading these days?

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1 month ago

Off Topic

20 replies

Latest reply was from Laurie

MsMaven

Veteran

Just had book club meeting to talk about The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Main character is a retired lawyer. All told in letters. I loved it but it made me cry in places. (Tears had nothing to do with legal issues.)

I just started reading Latinoland: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority by Maria Arana. I bought this book a year ago. I wish I'd read it then instead of spending so much time on certain social media sites. (Not the fashion forums of course!)

1 month ago

LJP

Veteran

I just finished The Correspondent - which I think was mentioned in the last thread. Loved it. I'm halfway through Buckeye, which I'm also loving .Looking forward to starting Wreck when I finish Buckeye.

1 month ago

RobinF

Veteran

I'm probably late to the party but I recently read The Women by Kristin Hannah. It was really good - about women who were nurses in Vietnam. I had never been drawn to any of her books (and I usually don't like books that everyone else likes!) but this was recommended by my niece and I had to give it a read. Also read The Nightingale by the same author and also enjoyed that one. They were hard to put down.

1 month ago

avicennia

Veteran

MaMaven I’ve never heard Miss maven. I had never heard of the Latinoland book sounds fascinating. I might give it a try.

1 month ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Well recently re-read Wuthering Heights in prep for the movie. Not necessary as so much of the story was changed!
Then read the latest novel about Jack Reacher, always fun. “Exit Strategy”. We have read them all over a period of maybe 15 years.
I like reading trashy stuff too. I think my tastes are quite low-brow!

1 month ago

Helena

Veteran

Just joined a new book club and we are starting with "Go as a River" ... About half way though and I have some criticisms but it is written well and I'm curious if the author redeems herself in how she handles the rest of the story!

4 weeks ago

kkards

Veteran

Just finished “All the sinners bleed” by S.A. Cosby. Really liked it, is got a mystery to it, but I wouldn’t really call it a mystery book (hope that makes sense). I thought it was really a book about faith and believing, race, and religion. Highly recommend

4 weeks ago

elena

Active Member

I’m about halfway through The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny (it’s long), and I’m loving it. I sometimes find the huge Indian novels tough going, but this one is great. Highly recommend!

4 weeks ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

That reminds me of other books I read in the past 6 months- 3 books by Dr Abraham Verghese. I read his novel “The Covenant of Water” first and while it was slightly hard going at first it was very interesting, so I found out more about him and read his 2 autobiographical books “My Own Country” and “The Tennis Partner”. I can recommend all 3. I have not yet tried his earlier novel “Cutting for Stone”.

3 weeks ago

kkards

Veteran

Cutting for Stone, was one of the best books I’ve read in the last couple of years.

The convent of water is on my list for this summer.

3 weeks ago

LJP

Veteran

I loved Covenant of Water but couldn't finish Cutting for Stone. Characters in the latter didn't grab me as much. They are LONG books.

3 weeks ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Elena, i just finished The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, too. I really enjoyed it! I listened to it and the reader was great.

I also listened to the new biography of James Baldwin -- also really excellent. Baldwin: A Love Story.

Right now I'm casting about for my next read...and confining myself to student papers, ha!

3 weeks ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I loved the Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, And the last book I read was Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin.

I am having a hard time finding new books to read lately. Fantasy and historical romance have always been my fallbacks, but I fear I’m becoming a crank and a purist and that I just don’t like the magical small towns with enchanted pink donuts — or the alpha beasts with extra teeth and claws. I also don’t enjoy the sorts of things presented as sweeping family drama.

3 weeks ago

Indigoprint

Veteran

I needed some fluff...if you like Nora Roberts, I can recommend her latest Lost brides trilogy. Likeable characters,( predictable) fun upbeat storyline and some mystery. Also if you like it 3- THREE books to get lost in for a period of time.

3 weeks ago

SarahD8

Veteran

I just finished The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff and absolutely loved it.

Next up is a quirky collection of essays about sea creatures called Daughter of Mother of Pearl.

I also recently read Playground by Richard Powers and believe it to be the single most infuriating novel in the English language. It angered me to the point of tears. So, good job on the author's part for writing a book that provoked such a strong reaction. I guess.

3 weeks ago

April

Veteran

I recently finished Sonia and Sunny and enjoyed it.

I went back, restarted, and finished The Sisters by Jonah Hassen Khemiri (I didn't abandon it the first time, it was just due at the library and is 800+ pages long.)

Then came The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight. Loved it.

Now halfway through Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, and loving that too.

I am traveling to AZ this weekend and have loaded Allegra Goodman's This is Not About Us and Lauren Groff's latest story collection, Brawler, on my Kindle. I try to use flight and/or train time for reading instead of watching something so I may need more material.

3 weeks ago

MsMary

Veteran

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone. I just started Prairie Fires, a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and whew! I am here to tell you that life was HARD out there on the prairie!!

3 weeks ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

My book club just finished “Earth Abides” by George Stewart, written in 1949 about the attempt to rebuild some civilization after a pandemic kills most of the population. A TV series was made from it, but from what I understand doesn’t follow the book very faithfully. It was interesting to read in light of a post-COVID-19 world, pondering how different the scenario could be now, with a population even more reliant on modern technology than that of the post WWII era.

We are now reading “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi. I’m mostly enjoying it, but I have some reservations and think it could have used a stronger edit.

Our last book before “Earth Abides” was “Isola” by Allegra Goodman, a historical fiction account of a 15th century French woman. It was quite good.

I’m also reading (not for book club) “Creation Lake” by Rachel Kushner — I’m not very far into it, and I’m not loving/relating to the narrator (a female secret agent) but I’m curious to see where it goes.

1 week ago

Staysfit

Veteran

I just finished The Women. I haven’t read many books set in that era and it was well done. When I did my rotating internship and residency I worked at the local VA hospital where most of the patients were men and Viet Nam vets. In retrospect it gave me an entirely new perspective to consider.

1 day ago

Laurie

Veteran

Hi everyone, been absent the last few months and missed this thread - thank you, Mary, for starting it!

I loved - LOVED - The Correspondent. I listened to the audio book and it definitely made me cry. I am an inveterate correspondent so the format of the book truly spoke to me.

I am reading Replaceable You - Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach. Having had joint replacements , I find the topic of interest. She's a fun, cheerful writer. I have enjoyed all of her books.

I recently read A Higher Loyalty by James Comey, and am now reading one of his fiction books. I went to college with him and his wife, and I - like many - was extremely upset by his activities during the 2016 election. I was at a friend's birthday dinner in Feb, also attended by Chuck Rosenberg (no relation) who is a close colleague of Comey, and he encouraged me to read the memoir. I listened to it - read by the author - and found it surprisingly good, and very...quaint, given what has ensued in recent years. His fiction is pretty entertaining.

Convenant of Water was a good, and extremely long, listen. I'm actually surprised at how many books I've listened to over the last few years. Helps with walking and long drives.

1 day ago

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