What Are You Reading 2007

[Lorelei]

We had a thread on this topic last year and the year before I think, so I thought an update would be nice for newly released or interesting books etc.

So what are you reading?

I am working through a newish book by Phillipa Gregory, the third I have read, called The Boleyn Inheritance. It details " in their own words" the latter part of the lives of Katherine Howard who was one of the Queens of Henry VIII and beheaded, Jane Boleyn the treacherous wife of George Boleyn who was brother to Anne Boleyn, and Queen Anne of Cleves who was dumped by Henry to coin a phrase!

This is an enjoyable and interesting book which is also an easy read. Anyone have any other goody books to share?

 

[Maisie]

That book sounds fab - I think I might read it too. I love stuff about Henry VIII and his wifeys!

 

[Lorelei]

Hehehe...he was a nasty old so and so, but I guess that is what makes him interesting! Also try The Other Boleyn Girl by the same author, it was a superb read.

 

[Maisie]

The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a TV programme and was aired a couple of years ago I think. I really liked it but I thought they picked the wrong actress to play Anne. Still enjoyed it though. I love history - especially the middle ages. What I think is hilarious now though is that its the man who determines the sex of the baby and Henry kept on blaming his wives!!

I would love to go back in time and warn these women off!! ''Run away - run away!! He will chop off your head!!''

 

[hikerchick]

I am reading Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her books.
I read about 1 or 2 books a month.
Finished The Namesake recently and loved that too.
I haven''t picked the next book yet so I will be interested in the responses here.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/23/2007 8:35:02 AM
Author: Maisie
The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a TV programme and was aired a couple of years ago I think. I really liked it but I thought they picked the wrong actress to play Anne. Still enjoyed it though. I love history - especially the middle ages. What I think is hilarious now though is that its the man who determines the sex of the baby and Henry kept on blaming his wives!!

I would love to go back in time and warn these women off!! ''Run away - run away!! He will chop off your head!!''

I must have missed that, a shame as I would have liked to have seen it. Henry was a terror thats for sure!!!

Hikerchick, those sound interesting, I will have to look out for Judi Picoult.

 

[akw94]

I am reading The Bureau and the Mole by David A. Vise, about Robert Hanssen, the FBI spy. The movie Breach is based on this story. It''s a very good book and provides many of the details that the film doesn''t have.

I also just finished a Danielle Steele book. I just love her books!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/23/2007 10:01:29 AM
Author: dixie94
I am reading The Bureau and the Mole by David A. Vise, about Robert Hanssen, the FBI spy. The movie Breach is based on this story. It''s a very good book and provides many of the details that the film doesn''t have.

I also just finished a Danielle Steele book. I just love her books!

I will have to stock up on DS books Dixie, she is always a good easy read

 

[onedrop]

The other day I picked up "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency." Didn''t realize it was a series until I talked to the bookseller at Borders. So far it''s great. Now if I can just find the time to get through it!! Back in the day I could read an entire book if it was good in a couple of days. I LOVE reading!! But now I just don''t seem to have the time.

 

[bujiatang]

Depending on my mood I am reading one of the following:

Jude the Obscure- T. Hardy
Repetition- S. Kierkegaard
The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Kundera

I''ve read both the Kundera and Kierkegaard before, but enjoyed them. Hardy can be a bit much though and reinforcement comes in handy.

 

[Aloros]

Just finished Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins and A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius by Dave Eggers. LOVED Jitterbug Perfume, A Staggering Work, etc. I was kind of "eh" about. I think I might have liked it more if I hadn''t read it after Jitterbug Perfume, which was beautifully written and made me laugh out loud at several points.

At the moment I''m reading Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami. Love it so far.

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 3/23/2007 10:29:53 AM
Author: bujiatang
Depending on my mood I am reading one of the following:

Jude the Obscure- T. Hardy
Repetition- S. Kierkegaard
The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Kundera

I've read both the Kundera and Kierkegaard before, but enjoyed them. Hardy can be a bit much though and reinforcement comes in handy.

I tend to do that too... alternate between something heavy and something lighter depending on my mood! I really liked Unbearable Lightness of Being too, but it's been a while... I may have to pick it up again.

I just read "Love Walked In" by Marisa de los Santos, and was pleasantly surprised. It was sitting on my mom's desk and I grabbed it so I'd have something to read on the train ride home, but it was a really cute story. I'm always biased towards novels set in Philly though.

Just before that, I finished The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud... but didn't love it. I thought the whole thing (characters, story, etc.) was a little underdeveloped.

A strong recommendation: "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert... actually a memoir, but I really enjoyed it.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I''m reading "Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind," by Graham Hancock. I''m not very far through the book (only 100 pages into it) but am intrigued. I love books on various cultures and art history and other more unual topics (such as paranormal), so this book is right up my alley.

I also recently picked up a book about Marie Antoinette that I am planning to read as well. After seeing the movie, I became facinated with her (but felt the movie did a superficial job of telling her tale) so thought it''d be fun to read a more detailed account.

 

[zoebartlett]

I have all these images of curling up on the couch, reading something extremely thought-provoking and heavy but that never happens in real life. In real life, I tend to stick to lighter, easier reads. Right now I''m reading Shopaholic and Sister and it''s funny. I love Sophie Kinsella''s books.

Hikerchick, you mentioned reading Jodi Picoult -- is The Namesake a new one by her? I haven''t heard of it. I''m a little out of the loop on the most current books out there. I''ll go check out amazon now and see if I''m missing one of her books.

I have True Believer by Nicholas Sparks waiting for me when I''m finished with Shopaholic and Sister.

 

[poptart]

I read "Demon Theory" (for school) but loved it and would highly recommend it. It''s a very interesting take on pop horror culture and post modern fiction. For more drama, I read "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan". I cried the last twenty pages but it was amazing and I read it in two days. I recommended "The Historian" on another thread a while back, for some light historical fiction mixed with a little vampirism. And if you want some pretty graphic poetry try "The Surgical Theatre" by Dana Levin. I also like to read classics in the summer, like "1984," "Brave New World," and maybe a little Kafka with "The Metamorphosis" cause it''s short and about a huge bug, lol.

*M*

 

[hikerchick]

Date: 3/23/2007 9:01:40 PM
Author: zoebartlett

Hikerchick, you mentioned reading Jodi Picoult -- is The Namesake a new one by her? I haven''t heard of it. I''m a little out of the loop on the most current books out there. I''ll go check out amazon now and see if I''m missing one of her books.

The Namesake is actually written by Jhumpa Lahiri . . . I believe Jodi Picoult''s newest one is The Tenth Circle which I didn''t care for as much as some of her other ones.

BTW, I hear you on the "heavy" reading. I spend much of my time reading scienctific articles for work and with all the reading about cancer I tend to lean towards more frivilous books for my "fun" reading. Though I have read 1984, Brave New World and books in that genre.

 

[ursulawrite]

I've just finished "Arthur and George" by Julian Barnes (which was slammed by Kakutani in the NY times, but I loved it).

For my minimalist fix, I'm reading "In the Garden of the North American Martyrs", a short story collection by Tobias Wolff, and "Pale Fire" by Nabokov, because I love how fanciful, yet precise, his work is.

 

[nomissjane]

I agree with about the ''heavy reading''....sometimes can be a chore to get to the end....

I have a theory with books....first a bit of background....
When I was a little girl, mum would send me of to school with a healthy salad sandwich and a jam or honey sandwich....and of course I was only allowed to eat the jam once I had finished the salad.....
So my theory with books is that I get to read a ''jam'' (ie any old airport rubbish, bodice ripper etc) once I have read a ''salad''(something that expands my mind etc)....
It''s a pretty good system for me....however I do cheat a little, I''m always looking for a jam with a healthy springling of mung beans/alfalfa in it.....hehe!

I''ve just reread the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kinsolver.....fantastic, although definately jammie....

nomissjane

 

[MiniMouse]

Oh how I envy all you folks who can read books. For years I haven't been able to concentrate on a book, so I've given up. My mind just wanders and I end up having to read the page again, until I realize I've tried to read it 10 times over and I still can't remember what it's about, so I give up. Articles in magazines can just about keep me focused long enough. Sigh, I remember the days in my teens when I would read Stephen King books from cover to cover in double quick time and really enjoy it. Sadly no more

Lorelei, your books sound interesting. Last year I took hubby to Hever Castle, which was the home of Anne Boleyn. It was a wonderful visit, and a really nice 'small' castle.

 

[Mara]

Oh Lorelei I will have to check that book out, I have read some other PG books and loved them. Right now I am reading 'Son of a Witch' by Gregory MacGuire, the sequel to 'Wicked'...I love his books.

I actually need to get over to the library this week and pick up some new books, now that I have some time on my hands I need some new reading material esp for the gym!

Does anyone have any 'chick lit' recommendations other than the ones we have previously discussed??? Looking for some new stuff!

 

[hikerchick]

Date: 3/26/2007 11:53:17 AM
Author: Mara

Does anyone have any ''chick lit'' recommendations other than the ones we have previously discussed??? Looking for some new stuff!

Here are a few authors who write "chick lit", I have enjoyed one or more by each of them.

Barbara Kingsolver
Anita Shreve
Jodi Picoult
Elizabeth Berg
Alice Sebold

 

[Lorelei]

Mara - you will really enjoy this new PG book, it is as good as The Other Boleyn Girl.

Min, I would love to get to Hever again, it has been years! Anne''s ghost is said to walk there....

 

[monarch64]

I''m trying to catch up on Janet Evanovich''s Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series...I''ve been borrowing 3 at a time for the last few months and I''m on #8 now...they''re really cute stories and the type of reading that''s quick and good for reading in bed for a few minutes a night.

 

[larussel03]

I recently finished "Running with scissors" by Augusten Burroughs and am almost through both "Hard Sell" by Jamie Reidy (about his experience as a Pfizer salesperson) and "Confessions of a Shopaholic".

I tend to read either memoirs or girl-struggling-but-living-in-fab-city books haha

 

[poptart]

Does anyone know of any funny books out there? Not like comics, but just good, funny, books? I need a little bit of a laugh right now...

*M*

 

[sumbride]

Date: 3/23/2007 10:56:46 AM
Author: ephemery1

I just read ''Love Walked In'' by Marisa de los Santos, and was pleasantly surprised. It was sitting on my mom''s desk and I grabbed it so I''d have something to read on the train ride home, but it was a really cute story. I''m always biased towards novels set in Philly though.

Ha... more of that odd coincidence for you... I just picked that up at Target last night and am reading it now. Like it thus far but now I know I''ll like it because Ephemery did!

 

[larussel03]

Date: 3/26/2007 8:42:57 PM
Author: poptart
Does anyone know of any funny books out there? Not like comics, but just good, funny, books? I need a little bit of a laugh right now...

*M*

Bergdorf blondes was good...as was trading up for funny books

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I love Barbara Kingsolver''s books also. Also I am really into Meg Cabot and Jane Green for fun reads.

Poptart, the funniest book I have read was "the night of the avenging blowfish" I forget who writes it but it is laugh out loud funny.

 

[CrownJewel]

poptart you have GOT to read David Sedaris books if you want something funny. Ooooooooohhhhhhh he''s so good. I''ve read Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day and they''re both GREAT (kind of similar, so just pick one).

MiniMouse I sort of understand what you mean. I felt that way for a few years (I went an entire year without reading a book) and still do sometimes. Have you tried books on tape? At one point I was commuting for an hour each way to work, and I got Running With Scissors on CD and it was such a great way to "read." It could be just the thing to jumpstart your ability to read again. Or you could try short stories. I think Jhumpa Lahiri is going to catapult to the top of writer stardom now that The Namesake was made into a movie. I have not read that one, but I did read Interpreter of Maladies and it''s a nice way of getting your fill of literature in short bursts!!

As for myself, I won''t be doing any reading of my own choice for a few more months. MCAT Verbal Reasoning tests are making me HATE reading.

Mara I spend so much time catching up on my classics, that I forget that there are new books coming out. My all-time favorite "chick lit" is anything by Jane Austen. I feel like no one should embark on modern chick lit until she has finished reading all of Jane Austen''s books. I wish I could get my fiance to read Jane Austen. As a matter of fact, I think after the MCAT I''m going to re-read some of my Jane Austen to make myself feel better. I swear, once I start one of her books, I can''t put it down until I''m done (usually 24 hours later), even if it''s a re-read.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 3/26/2007 2:52:28 PM
Author: monarch64
I''m trying to catch up on Janet Evanovich''s Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series...I''ve been borrowing 3 at a time for the last few months and I''m on #8 now...they''re really cute stories and the type of reading that''s quick and good for reading in bed for a few minutes a night.

I like them too! They are fun. I just read a between the numbers one which was really short (I think her latest). There was a whole new male character in it which kind of bugged me. We actually got one of them as a book on tape during out loooong drives to Ohio and though my DH would never admit it he got into it. I think he liked Ranger.