What Are You Reading?

[EMARX]

After my reread of The Dead Zone, I think I'm going to reread 1984-haven't read it since high school (got a paperback copy at a thrift store for 50 cents). I started reading quite a few "classics" about ten years ago. Tried books I never thought I would get through. Ended up LOVING Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. I also became a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut. Sorry MadamMack , still not a Faulkner fan!!

I read 1984 a couple of years ago. Though it's one of those novels that is a constant part of the culture it feels like one has read it even if they haven't. It's a book you don't exactly enjoy, it's more like you live in it. I haven't read any Dostoyevsky, but I feel like I'm getting closer to picking up War and Peace.

 

[skimom2]

I read 1984 a couple of years ago. Though it's one of those novels that is a constant part of the culture it feels like one has read it even if they haven't. It's a book you don't exactly enjoy, it's more like you live in it. I haven't read any Dostoyevsky, but I feel like I'm getting closer to picking up War and Peace.

For an old school dystopian, I preferred Brave New World (Huxley) to 1984. It's been a while since I read either, though, so maybe it's time to do a re-read. I've never attempted War & Peace, but I did enjoy Anna Karenina, also by Tolstoy. I just read that one a couple of years ago.

 

[Kurben]

Finished The Vault by Ruth Rendell. Her best in many years i thought. But she is a couple of years across 80 now so i guess it allright if you not hit the jackpot as often...
Also reading a true Crime book edited by Richard Glyn Jones named Solved and Unsolved where the authors are crime novelists or in other ways writing about crime. They are not specialised in the ytrue crime field that is. This is just one special case that have catched their fancy and they have written about it and its here collected. Dorothy Sayers, Conan Doyle, Edgar Wallace, Julian Symons, John, D MacDonald, Ellery Queen and many others. Interesting if you're interested in true crime.

 

[xkittyx]

I just read City of the Dead by Brian Keene the other day, and it was just ok for me. Not my thing, I guess.

 

[danie]

Finished a ghost story titled The Bird Eater. It was poorly written and silly...can't believe I finished it actually. I'm now reading Iron House on recommendation from Madam Mack. So far, it's excellent!

 

[Dana Jean]

I would highly recommend The Girl With All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey

Don't want to say too much as the whole dang book is a spoiler, but it is really a great story well told.

 

[Blake]

The Ship who Sang by Anne McCaffrey.

 

[Walter Oobleck]

Chromos, Felipe Alfau...this story was written long ago and was not published until '89-90 thereabouts. Alfau had one other story published...in the 20s I think. Alfau has that Cervantes's vibe going for him...that Spanish sense-of-humor, and chromos are stories, pictures...there are tales within this tale.

 

[AchtungBaby]

Peter Straub's Ghost Story

 

[fljoe0]

Dog Of The South (1979) - Charles Portis

This is my second time around with this one. Hilarious road trip about a guy trying to track down his wife who has run off with a friend of his. By the way, Portis also wrote True Grit.

 

[CordialJim]

John D. MacDonald's Condominium (1977)

 

[carrie's younger brother]

Halfway through Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane. A few people on here raved about it so I thought I'd give it a try. So far I'd have to say I'm not impressed. It reminds me too much of Davd Almond's books like Heaven Eyes and Skellig, which were much better, so far. This is my third Gaiman book and I just don't find him to be very original.

 

[EMARX]

Halfway through Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane. A few people on here raved about it so I thought I'd give it a try. So far I'd have to say I'm not impressed. It reminds me too much of Davd Almond's books like Heaven Eyes and Skellig, which were much better, so far. This is my third Gaiman book and I just don't find him to be very original.

I found elements of the story compelling, but the whole time I had the feeling that Gaiman wasn't quite sure if it was a Y\A novel or more adult oriented. For my taste I wish he had fleshed out the creepier themes.

 

[do1you9love?]

Just started Cooper Moon:The Calling by Cheryl Shireman on the recommendation of Madam Mack. So far, it's been pretty funny.

EMARKX - I think you summed it up nicely. Ocean seemed to stumble between a Y/A and plain ol' A theme. I did have some struggles getting into the first 1/3 of the book, but at some point the story caught me.

 

[skootie]

Rushed through "The Casual Vacancy" just to be able to say I finished it. No, I was not expecting the magic of HP. So, I can't say I was disappointed. All I CAN say is that I couldn't get done with this book fast enough. The story was a bore and I did not care one way or the other about ANY of the characters, they were all so despicable. Messed up adults...messed up kids. I get that, but I really couldn't figure out the point of it all. Maybe there was one, but it was lost on me. It was almost like she wanted to bring attention to every problem in the world and decided to lump them all into one miserable story. Sorry, but it was just too much for me.

 

[carrie's younger brother]

I found elements of the story compelling, but the whole time I had the feeling that Gaiman wasn't quite sure if it was a Y\A novel or more adult oriented. For my taste I wish he had fleshed out the creepier themes.

There is a part in the book where he makes reference to adults being like (and I'm paraphrasing here) "a young adult novel hidden inside a book for adults." I think that was his whole theme with this story, adults are just kids inside, they get afraid too, yadda, yadda, yadda... but it's so timeworn. And yes, I agree, more about the creepier themes would have been better.

 

[kingricefan]

Rushed through "The Casual Vacancy" just to be able to say I finished it. No, I was not expecting the magic of HP. So, I can't say I was disappointed. All I CAN say is that I couldn't get done with this book fast enough. The story was a bore and I did not care one way or the other about ANY of the characters, they were all so despicable. Messed up adults...messed up kids. I get that, but I really couldn't figure out the point of it all. Maybe there was one, but it was lost on me. It was almost like she wanted to bring attention to every problem in the world and decided to lump them all into one miserable story. Sorry, but it was just too much for me.

So glad I haven't read this one. I did like her 'Robert Galbraith' book The Cuckoo's Calling.

 

[AchtungBaby]

Re-reading Carrie. I meant to do this back in April for the 40th anniversary but stuff came up (oops). As with my re-read of Long Walk months ago, I'm completely blown away by King's prowess as an author even at the beginning of his career. I don't know how many times I've read Carrie now, but my opinion of it goes up with every read...

 

[skootie]

So glad I haven't read this one. I did like her 'Robert Galbraith' book The Cuckoo's Calling.

I'm glad FOR you that you haven't read it!! I'll make a note to look for "The Cuckoo's Calling", and give it try.

 

[skimom2]

I got bored by the hipster wink-wink nudge-nudge of Mr. Penumbra, so I was excited to find a copy of Jo Nesbo's Headhunters. It's one of my favorite movies, and I['m really enjoying the book so far--a good introduction to Nesbo, I think. I'll definitely be getting more books by him.