What are you reading now? vol. 7

New thread.

One of my BM/LT friends asked if I'd angel a book, so I did.

Read the books description & thought that it sounded good.

Called my mom and asked her if she would read it & let me know if I would like it. (we like the same type of mysteries & I didn't want to get another book to add to the TBR mountain range if I wouldn't like it.)

My mom called me less than two days later to rave about it!! Gave me a mini-synopsis without spoilers, so I borrowed a copy from the library. Since it is a library book with a due date, I started reading it & am now half way through!!

It is AWESOME!!

Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas

First book in a series of 5, with the sixth book "coming soon"

and, yes, my RL is really this crazy-complicated... actually more so... but you really don't want details, do you? didn't think so.

Skittles,

Have you read any by Anne Perry? I'm sort of addicted to her William Monk series but not as fond of her Charlotte Pitt books or the others she's written... is this the same sort of mystery? The reason I ask is because from the description, it seems set in the same time of London's history.

My aunt loves Anne Perry... I guess I will be adding Will Thomas to our wishlist... thanks so much for the recommendation!

Yes, I've read Anne Perry's Monk series.

This is a little grittier than that.... so warn your aunt.

But my mother likes AP & seems to really like this series.

But my mother strongly dislikes "cozy" mysteries. For a long time, she would not read mysteries/suspense written by women. Anne Perry is an exception.

I'm onto Wuthering Heights. I'm trying to make more of an effort to read some of the classics, but this one isn't really grabbing me in the same way as some that I've read. The other week I read Jane Eyre and I really enjoyed it but I'm not warming to Wuthering Heights in the same way.

Just finished Unaccustomed Earth - starting The Art of Mending. I had squirreled it away because it would not fit on my bookshelf and just now found where I had hidden it!! I have got to stop requesting books!!

Just started The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell and still listening to Eat, Pray, Love in the car.

Finished The Art of Mending on Sunday. Just started The Liars Club.

>4 Caitak: I found Wuthering Heights to be more interesting than I expected. However, I was expecting that reading it would be absolute torture, so that I was able to read it at all was a surprise to me.

I'm currently reading The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick. This is a book I got from the sci-fi/fantasy book club many, many years ago, back when I was in high school and never got around to reading until now.

#8 I was expecting to enjoy Wuthering Heights more than I did, having recently read Jane Eyre and really enjoying it, I was kind of imagining that it would grab me in the same way.

Now I'm onto Witches Abroad. It's the second Terry Pratchett book I ever read all the way through and I don't think I've revisited it since I was twelve, so it's kind of familiar and not so familiar at the same time. Really enjoying it, just wish I had a few more minutes to actually read it.

I'm finally finished with the ER book I was slogging through, and I'm now on to one of my (10? 12?) TBR Nancy Drew books. The one I'm reading now is called The Case of the Creative Crime

I highly recommend Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. I believe her previous books were Middle America novels but this one incorporates the Siege of Leningrad and was brilliantly written. Must best book so far this year!

Just finished Confessions of a Male Nurse by Richard S Ferri and am just starting The Whole Stunned World by my cousin (I'm excited about this one) Jenny Ruth Yasi.

What's your cousin's book about rxtheresa?
Is it a travel book?

I'm now reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova, it's not an easy read given that the subject is early onset Alzheimer's and I'm not as young as I once was!!

>13 DubaiReader: No, it's a novel,some romance some historical I think. I'll review it on LT when I'm finished. Thanks for asking.

I'm back on the Morganville series with Fade Out, and I'm balancing out the teenage vampire trash (and I mean trash in an endearing way!) with something a little more classic - The Taming of the Shrew. I'm hoping to see the play next week, and I always find Shakespeare easier to follow if i know the plot beforehand.

> 14 I just _inherited_ a copy of that from a guest from abroad who told me she cried her way through it (and considering my dad had Alzheimer's, I'm rather afraid to read it...

Just finished Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair. Just starting Major Pettiigrew's Last Stand

Carol and Dubai: My husband died of complications from Alzheimers' in 1997. This spring I was given the book by a neighbor. I couldn't read past the first few chapters - tears such kept flowing with every page. It is such a heartbreaking disease!

Glenda, I may not be reading that book anytime soon, then...not when I am trying to keep my spirits up, at any rate...

I found Still Alice to be very illuminating and hard to read. My grandmother, who I was very close to, had Alzheimers. It's really such a heartbreaking disease, and any reading on the subject has the ability to cut me to the core. I still, however, would recommend the book as I did find some closure in the understanding the book provides. Tears may be required, but if you can, push through. I found it worthwhile.

I finished In the Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson tonight. Overall, I enjoyed the return of RNP to the courtroom, but this novel had too many family psyco-drama-nusances. I really never really accepted the characters or their reactions to things. It was a good legal thriller, dealing with the effects pf PTSD on Iraq war vets, but the character side just flopped for me. I really hate ending a novel wondering who the main characters really are and why they do the things they do. Perhaps this is one of those novels that you get more out of during a second or third reading, but during this reading, the family dynamics were beyond complete comprehension. I really hate the feeling of missing some key that is hidden. I still gave the novel a 4* rating, because I can appreciate the detail and thought that went into this legal thriller, and was very much enthralled in the legal side of things. This might be one of those must re-read to fully decide books.

Hey guys!

Back and settled in (finally!). I read many books on my trip, and am currently reading Alas Babylon, To The Lighthouse and a few books on investing. :)

Thanks for the info, y'all, I still have the book Still Alice and maybe someday I'll be able to go ahead and read it. I agree. This disease is one of the most devastating illnesses that has ever existed. Thank goodness I had wonderful help in caring for him because it is nearly impossible for only one person (however dedicated) to care for a loved one with this illness without loving support from friends, family and sympathetic professional caregivers. We NEED to find a cure or preventive measures for this awful affliction!!!!

I just finished an early reviewer book and I absolutely loved it. Partitions: A Novel is the title, and the author is Amit Majmudar. It's really excellent, and if you're into contemporary Indian/Pakistani literature, you will probably enjoy it very much.

Instead of ALL THE OTHER THINGS that I am supposed to be reading, I just started The Wave Runners by Kai Meyer. Naturally, it has taken someone else wanting a book for me to get around to it. The giant TBR of stuff that looked interesting at the time comes in really handy when your friends say things like, "I need a book for a twelve-year-old boy who likes things such as fantasy and pirates and zombies and robots!"

"BRB CHECKING MY LIBRARYTHING."

I am attempting to read Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw but I am also trying to get over bronchitis and a lung infection so breathing is a priority right now.

Belladonna, GET WELL SOON!!

Hope you are feeling well enough to read soon & feeling completely healed (& breathing easily) soon after that.

I second Skittles, get well soon!!

get well soon Belladonna!

Hope you're feeling better belladonna1975.
I've just had a grand reread of all the Drina books by Jean Estoril. I was feeling very nostalgic. Very slowly reading Kipling Sahib and Regeneration alongside lots of easy fiction like Marked. Recently finished reading A Modern Witch which I really enjoyed and highly recommend.

Put aside all others & just finished reading Heaven is for Real

I've been a very slooooow reader lately. Just finished Koalas in a Crisis after reading it on-and-off for over two weeks. Just started Gorilla in the Glade.

Starting The Maltese Falcon... as soon as I get back home that is...

I just finished Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, and I loved it! A friend of mine is forever trying to get me to read Canadian literature, and this was so far one of the books that I've most enjoyed.

I'm enjoying At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. I've been wanting to read the Mitford series for awhile and I can see why the characters are so likeable.

I am reading a book! *hooray* I successfully put down the Pokemon game (finally) and finished Snotty Saves the Day and have moved on to Havemercy by Jaida Jones. I'm quite liking it so far and remembering why I like to read in the first place and I am wondering to myself what kind of unholy power the Pokemon had over me to get me to not read a thing in 3 months...

I've just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It was a solid dystopian novel, though not one I'd read again. It was a bit too slow-paced for me, honestly. (I'm more of an Orwell or Atwood fan, myself.) I may be offering it up in a while; I've just lent it to my sister to read, and then we'll see if she wants to hang onto it or not.

I am GOING TO FINISH Brain Box Blues by the end of the day or I'm in big trouble with myself. (Right now I'm only in a little trouble, ahaha.)

I just finished I Am The Messenger by Makus Zusak and I completely loved it. I worried that it couldn't possibly measure up to The Book Thief, but it was just as good, and personally speaking, I even enjoyed it more. Highly recommended!

I've just started The Meowmorphosis, which, I am almost fifty pages in and I have not a goshdarn clue in heck what's going on.

Finished Will Grayson, Will Grayson which was light and entertaining, and moving on to Feast for Crows.

34: So glad you loved Sunshine Sketches!! I have a copy buried in mount TBR. Do you have a kindle? The Canadian gutenberg site has more of his stuff for free ;)

I am just starting Extinction by Hammond.. dystopian story where the weather is now controlled by corporations, so you have to pay for rain etc.

42

For free, really?? That's awesome! I will definitely have to check it out. I love his sense of humour- it reminds me a bit of my grandfather, actually. Haha.

I just read The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. It's excellent. Also creepy, in an existential sort of way. But anyone who is fascinated or obsessed with deserts ought to read it. (Macsbrains, i'm looking at you!)

I hear the movie is quite different - more of a "desert love story." It was directed by Bertolucci though so i'm guessing it's got grand cinematography and a solid dose of perviness (a la Last Tango in Paris, Dreamers...).

Finally finished Gorilla in the Glade (I've been a very slow reader lately). Next on my list is the ER book, In Search of the Rose Notes.

Just starting Home is Where the Wine Is

>44 I-_-I: What? Me? Deserts? It's not like I have a tag for that or anything...

You know, it's kinda funny - I actually saw when you added that book a while back on your recent activity. I'm glad to know you liked it because since it's not sci-fi/fantasy I was torn about putting it on my wishlist without a direct recommendation (I don't respond as well to non-fantasy so I wait for others whose taste I trust to read them first). This was just the impetus I needed and it has been added to my wishlists with a vengeance.

(Oh, and btw, if you get a package in the mail soon that you don't remember mooching, it was the Bookmooch elves and I totally had nothing to do with it...)

I am finishing up both The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and V.S. Naipaul's The Middle Passage. Both enjoyable, but neither one really grabbed me. I'm also reading Possession with a friend and East of Eden with another friend... and now a third friend wants to read She's Come Undone! I guess I just have to get all of my leisure reading in before classes start in the fall... haha.

>47 macsbrains: Elves? A package for me? How exciting! And mysterious... i have a theory as to what this might be about, but i guess i'll have to wait and see!

If you're up for some non-sci-fi/fantasy action, i think Sheltering Sky is a worthwhile side trip. The desert serves as a backdrop for an exploration of "the darkness behind the sheltering sky": death, desire, and existential dread. Or, as it says on the back of the book: "It etches the limits of human reason and intelligence - perhaps even the limits of life - when they touch the unfathomable emptiness and impassive cruelty of the desert." It's a slow-moving book and i can't guarantee that you'll like it but i think it's worth a shot as part of Project Read All the Desert Books.

Which reminds me that maybe i ought to do some genre-hopping of my own and read The Blue Sword. Tolkien, Rowling, and Gaiman are the closest i've come to fantasy fiction. If you're taking the leap outside of your comfort zones, maybe i should do the same.

#49: Strong Suggestion: READ BLUE SWORD FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having misplaced The Meowmorphosis (it can't have walked off, but everything is such a mess right now), I have started The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.

>49 I-_-I: Oooh! "...the unfathomable emptiness and impassive cruelty of the desert," be still my heart! This is also why I love settings on the open ocean or on glaciers & arctic environments. The fantasy preference is a matter of thematic vocabulary because otherwise I get a feeling that something is being lost in translation.

I really wish there had been MORE desert in The Blue Sword, but that's my only complaint :)

Yes. Oddly enough, there's more desert thinking when she's with the Home people than with the Damarians...I suppose it's just the way things are to them, while the Homelanders are still struggling to accept the desert.

I have been slowly going through It happened on the way to war by Rye Barcott. I won it through the early reviewers program, and while I love the subject matter, for some reason this book is slow going.

Tonight, I am falling back on one of my all-time favorite books, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I just love how each time I read it, I gather new insight and feelings. To me, that is a sign of a great book, one that changes each time you read it and offers a chance to learn each time.

I'm delighted to have began reading Mathematicians in Love by Rudy Rucker this morning.

>55 psybre: Love the title - I wonder if the love-struck mathematicians read to each other from Change as a Curved Equation. I may have to seek this one out myself.

It having arrived today, I'm reading the latest Dresden Files book, Ghost Story.

I just finished East of Eden, and I absolutely loved it. I can't believe I've gone so long without reading it! The only other Steinbeck I'd read before was Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony, so now it's on to The Grapes of Wrath. Hopefully it'll be just as good!

#57 YES, me too!!! :)

For 'fun summer reading' I am now re-reading Three Bags Full a murder mystery solved by sheep! I just loved it when I read it in 2009, so glad I can fit it in again this year :)

Vacation reading of the next several days: The Complete Sherlock Holmes.

I've been back on a roll lately! Finished Feast for Crows, Saints of Augustine, rereads of all the volumes of Max Lovely! and あたしはバンビ, and now I'm almost done with the latest collection of essays by Ursula K. LeGuin, Cheek by Jowl which I am liking very much because I love to see fantasy and children's lit championed for the profound wonders that they are.

I'm supposed to be trying to read A Dance With Dragons next but I don't know if I will feel like it yet. I am such a moody reader. Perhaps I need to throw another dart at my TBR dartboard...

I'm flitting between Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance, The Meowmorphosis, and Merlin: The Mark of Nimueh.

I'm reading I Dare by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller and listening to Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce.

#63 Merlin! Quieeee !!!! :-)

Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler - very enjoyable!

Slowly working my way through The Kite Runner, then hopefully on to The Road. These are the two books that have been buried in mount TBR the longest. However I keep self distracting with early reviewer books and shiny new books :P

I'm reading Aftermath by Ann Aguirre.

>67 Bcteagirl: Ow!! The Kite Runner is excellent!!
Currently reading The Secret Life of a Knitter

I am enjoying it thus far, I just seem to be in a self-distracting mood. Not due to the book itself, I assure you :P

I have been slowly making my way through A Dance With Dragons. Too much politics, not enough supernatural creatures. I appreciate the depth of world building with this series, and I'm quite interested in the mythology (indeed, it's the only thing that keeps me going) but ERRRRRRRRRRRG, for someone like me who hates politics and intrigue it makes me wants to just feed everyone to dragons be done with it. My favorite characters are everyone else's least favorite because they are 'most boring.'

The series is my partner's favorite, so I have to keep at it if only so I can inflict my own favorites at him.

It's not bad, it just... it reads more historical fantasy than epic fantasy and I hate historical fiction.

I hope the trees win.

In Search of the Rose Notes, my latest ER book (I think it was in the July batch? Possibly earlier. .... I've been slacking) It really doesn't keep my interest at all. The mystery has potential, but there's just no excitement, yunno? Not so far, anyways.

Finished The Kite Runner and just love it. Am currently reading Why I Hate Canadians and having a grand time with it. If you like the writing of Farley Mowat, give this book a try as well. (How to be Canadian was sadly a disappointment).

74: I had the same thoughts about How to be Canadian. I haven't read Why I Hate Canadians in years but I remember it to be pretty good read. Very funny if I remember correctly.

If you like the Ferguson brothers, Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw is a delightful read.

I have that book buried in mount TBR as well (Repatriated to me before the change from England via bookmooch lol).

I am reading my way through Slow Food nation: Why our food should be good, clean, and fair. An interesting book and a call to action.

I just finished Ladies With Options and am now starting The Kite Runner. Ladies With Options was light-hearted. I enjoyed it. Now for something more serious.

I've been trying to make up for all that reading time lost in spring due to pokemon fever, and I'm in the groove again, it seems.

This past two weeks I've finished
The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow
My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Phantom Dream 1-5 by Natsuki Takaya
The World Doesn't End by Charles Simic

and my little sister loaned books to me a year ago and I finally read them so I can give them back...

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales (2): Challenge by Melissa Marr

Easy and fun reads.

I have been reading a lot too whilst re-cooperating from my gall bladder surgery.

In the past two weeks I have read the following...

The Eternal Ones - Kristen Miller
All You Desire - Kristen Miller

These were both excellent and I cannot wait for the next one in the series. The premise is fresh (reincarnation) and stands out in the huge field of YA Paranormal Romance.

Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

I was disappointed and sucked in by a pretty cover.

A Long, Long Sleep - Anna Sheehan

Sooooooo gooood. It makes me want to run out and scoop up any soft scifi romance I can get my hands on. Any suggestions, folks? Has anyone read Across the Universe by Beth Revis? Its huge, so I was wondering if it was any good before I decided to dig in.

Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine
Ghost Town - Rachel Caine
Bite Club - Rachel Caine

Finally caught up with the peeps of Morganville. Ready for the new one next month.

Razorland: Enclave - Ann Aguirre

YA Dystopian - The first 3/4 = Yay! The last 1/4 = WTF??? If it had not been on my kindle, I would have flung it against the wall when I finished it.

Isle of Night - Veronica Wolff

Finally a YA vampire book with nary a sparkly, sweet, fun-loving vampire in sight. Vampires are scary...still kind of hot, but definitely scary.

Blood Rights - Kristen Painter

Again a victim of pretty cover syndrome..but, but, but...soooooo pretty. In fact, the covers are so nice, I might even end up reading the next two against my will. Those wily publishers!!

I am currently reading or about to start these three books

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

>80 Belladonna1975: I recommend Stray: Touchstone Part 1 and Lab Rat One: Touchstone Part 2 by Andrea Host. I loved them. You can get them at Smashwords. Also, try to track down some old books by Ann Maxwell. That is the romance writer Elizabeth Lowell's early romantic science fiction pseudonym.

I am currently reading the last of the Mage wars series "Silver Gryphon" by Mercedes Lackey. Last month it was Elvanbane between promoting my own.

81> I just mooched two of the Fire Dancer series - 1 and 3, unfortunately, but since they came up separately (FL, USA and Finland!) within days of one another, maybe Luck will show up soon. I didn't know Ann Maxwell was Elizabeth Lowell...now I need to look for her! I've read all of Fire Dancer many times, but I guess I got rid of my copies. Again. I need to remember not to cull her!

ETA - oh, that's _funny_! I went to Lowell's page (and I don't have any books under that name, wahh) - and found I had one book by her. Dancer's Luck! I had no idea, and would happily have mooched it again...I really need to check these things more thoroughly. Though I did check for Fire Dancer and Dancer's Illusion, so if Dancer's Luck had come up I would have found out I had it. But if it hadn't, when the other two came in I'd have put them aside to wait for the third...

On topic - I'm currently (re)reading the Celta series by Robin D. Owens. Somehow, this one of her series holds up, while the Summoning was boring to reread even before I'd finished the whole series. I just finished Heart Mate and started Heart Thief.

>80 Belladonna1975: Hope your recovery is going well, surgery is no fun at all.

I've looked at those reincarnation books before, but could never decide if I wanted to WL them or not. (I have a tag for reincarnation, so I often browse for books like that). I may have to revisit them or poke at them in a bookstore.

I recently mooched Across the Universe. Maybe I'll read that next and let you know what I think.

As for soft sci-fi romance - Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (contains Shards of Honor and Barrayar). Well, it's not 'soft' sci-fi, it's rather regular sci-fi, but anyway it's not hard sci-fi. It's character-centric. And I've already pimped Bujold to you before :)

(And A Long, Long Sleep is getting WLed immediately; that is right up my alley)

84> Recover is going well. One more surgery to go this year and then hopefully I will start feeling human again. :)

Yes, WL the reincarnation books. I was so mad when I looked them up to see when the next one would come out. GRRRRRR

Across the Universe is a serious doorstop of a book. Frankly, it scares me.

Exactly what I meant by "soft scifi romance" was NOT-hard scifi. I wasn't looking for bodice rippers set in space (even though I have read some of those that I liked. Dara Joy anyone??). I was looking for more character driven scifi with some romance in it. I will definitely have to put some of the Bujold scifi on my wishlist since I really enjoyed the one fantasy book that I read by her.

How about the Planet Pirates series by Anne McCaffery or Sharon Lee & Steve Miller Liaden series? Has anyone read those and would you recommend them?

I just removed the dust jacket to put Across the Universe in my bag for tomorrow (apparently I've decided to read it next) and the inside of the dust jacket is a blue-print for the spaceship. That is totally awesome and I have never seen anything like it before (though, granted, I don't usually read sci-fi in hardcover.)

85, Best wishes on a speedy recovery, surgery sucks! The Planet Pirates is probably McCaffrey's least romantic series, maybe it's Elizabeth Moon's influence on the two she co-wrote. It's still really good though. I love the Liaden series and highly recommend it. I second the recommendation for Bujold, she's just brilliant. Other lighter romantic SF I recommend: Catherine Asaro's Skolian Series (harder science aspects, but character and romance driven), Sharon Shinn's Samaria (archangel) Series, Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax Series (it's really angsty though), Sara Creasy's two Scarabaeus books, Julie Czerneda's Trade Pact Universe Trilogy (there are some other related books in this series, but I haven't read them so I don't know if they are at all romantic), Debra Doyle & Jim Macdonald's Mageworlds Series, and Tanya Huff's Confederation Series (well, books 2 through 5 anyway; it's military SF but with humor, romance, horny aliens, LOL).

I'm reading The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff, my second to last Huff book in my two year glom of her books. I'm also reading Minx by Julia Quinn, but I'm really not enjoying it much.

>85 Belladonna1975: It's not SO big, Belladonna :) (Of course, after spending 3 weeks trudging through A Dance With Dragons nothing looks big anymore.) But seriously, I read it commuting to and from work today and I'm half done. It's YA so it goes quickly.

In general I find generation ship sci-fi to be, well, depressing, and the book is a little depressing so far, but less so than I expected. The plot is just starting to get to the meat of character motivations, so I'm eager to get back to it. The boy is a little unbelievable, but that's ok, he made me laugh once.

I am sad I don't get to see the pretty inside of the dustjacket. I have the ARC. Half way through already, huh? That's promising.

I just started The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist so I can send it to Gerri. That Wishlist Tag thread is like literary crack rock to me.

>89 Belladonna1975: I took a pic for you. The lighting in my house is kind of terrible though, and my phone's resolution I think is set to awful. There is more detail than is visible here.

85> I missed your request for recommendations! Yes, the Liaden books are great. Character-driven, highly-mannered SF with heavy romance in it (no, I don't mean erotic - I mean one of the foci for each book is the romantic relationship between the characters). If you're interested, also, in romance with an SF setting - the focus is on the other side - I'm rereading, for the third time, Robin D. Owens' Celta series, starting with Heart Mate. Excellent stories, with solid characterization, fascinating setting, and connections - things that happen in the first book continue in the second and subsequent; characters show up in one book, assist in several others then get their own stories... it's really good. I don't like her other series as well, though.

That's funny - I'd read Bujold as an SF author for ages, and was extremely wary of her fantasy. Which turned out to be excellent... as is the Vorkosigan series. Though not, strictly speaking, romance...at least, after the two Cordelia books, Miles wants a lot and gets nothing until Komarr. Despite (or because of?) his best efforts.

>90 macsbrains: thanks for the picture; that is very cool!

Agreed, thanks for the picture! :)

And wishing you a speedy recovery as well :)

>92 ZoeyEve:, 93 - I'm surprised I haven't seen something like it before, especially for fantasy books that could have a maps printed on them in addition to the ones included in the book itself. Even if it was just black line maps, it would be cool. This book seemed to have a higher production value, though, because the jacket seemed thicker and glossier than usual and the book itself felt nice while reading.

>89 Belladonna1975: And so I finished Across the Universe last night. I thought it was a good YA generation ship story. In general there are only so many variations on that theme, either the ship gets where it's going or it doesn't, and that's either on purpose or not. Having read my share of these, no part of the plot was a surprise, and by midpoint I'd already figured out the whodunit & how, but it's not a flaw here, because I wasn't expecting to be surprised.

There was a bit of a problem where the male lead (born and raised on the ship) exhibited thought processes that did not make sense considering his environment, but that was balanced by surprisingly sinister overtones that carried through to the story as a whole. Sinister! Mmm, nice flavor.

Overall: +0 for standard representation +1 for sinister-ness (is there a noun for this?) Total= Positive

94: While at Chapters tonight, I just had to show my best friend that dust jacket. It looks pretty cool.

But how many people actually would notice something like that? I rarely remove the jacket from my books before reading.

>95 Mareofthesea: I always remove the jacket when reading becuase it doesn't stay put for me anyway, especially because I read one-handed standing on the bus & train all the time, and makes it hard for me not to damage it. Before I read the book I do an all-over examination (it's a thing) and I like to look for hidden embellishments. Lots of times hardcover books have pretty embossed designs on the covers that are hidden by the jacket. Also, I read a lot of Japanese manga, which are softcover with jackets, and certain publishers there will hide comics or other illustrations on the covers underneath, so I always check. (Though, not always until I go to read it.)

*Edit
After looking around online trying to find other examples of jackets like this that were not Japanese, I learned that in this case the jacket was meant to be fully reversible and it was advertised as such. I don't think the blue side looks particularly great as a cover, but I do love it for its mappiness.

SNUFF HAS ARRIVED. :D

I'm awfully glad I pre-ordered it back when I had a gift certificate.

I'm currently reading Cold Cereal by Adam Rex. Hopefully I'll have the money to buy a real copy when it comes out because the ARC mainly has rough drafts or nothing at all when it comes to the illustrations. :(

I am reading Shatter Me because an awesome friend sent me the ARC as a "feel better soon" gift. I started it last night and I'm already almost halfway done. I ♥ YA Dystopian! I feel better already!! ;)

I've been so horrible about reading lately. >_>

Just started Stolen Ponies by Christine Pullein-Thompson. It's awesome so far. Even if it's starting out rather slow, I LOVE the old-time talk and the differences in the way they act and speak ("to-morrow" and "to-day" just crack me up).

>99 Belladonna1975: Yaaaay! Fair warning: IT GETS WEIRD(er).

>100 Heather19: I have too, really. This one will make only four this month, and one of them was an eighty-page novella. Although of course to-morrow is another day. :P

99/101> What is Shatter about? I don't want to risk reading a spoilery review, but I can't seem to find a basic premise, just praise. You guys have good taste, so I must learn more :)

I am finally reading Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner. I picked it up back in 07 when I passed by her booth at NY Comic Con and got it signed. I didn't even know she was going to be there, so it was a great surprise. I am a bad, bad fan for taking almost 5 years to read it... I kept meaning to, I swear!

I recently finished the Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld which I found pretty interesting most of the way until I got annoyed at the very end. Basically, after the plot was all done the characters had gotten themselves into very interesting predicaments and I really wish we'd gotten to follow them further. I think it may have taken it out of YA territory though, but really, you can't just bring up those kinds of moral ambiguities and situations and NOT keep going with them.

Or maybe I'm just mad because I was really enjoying the darker sides of the characters and watching the characters think about them and talk about them... I wanted even more!

just finished reading A Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. Although it had been on my TBR shelf for a long time, and for some reason - until now - didn't really appeal to me, it turned out to be a really gripping page-turner. I highly recommend it for anyone who has ever experienced disfunctional parents, the loss of a child and the disintegration of a relationship... this book has it all.

I've just started in Witches Abroad. A lot of people have been telling me to read Pratchett books... I don't know yet if I like it though, the writing style is not what I'm used to...

Gerri, I think it was you that peaked my interest with Kate Atkinson. I left my current read in my office The Man Who Loved Books Too Much and was feeling too lazy to reset all the alarms to go back in for it, so I snagged Started Early, Took My Dog on CD. Love the narrator, maybe Graeme Malcolm? What a lovely book!

I have Case Histories on my TBR shelves, are those 3 in the series, One Good Turn and When Will There Be Good News as good?

I'm nearing the end of the last book of Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series and it's totally fabulous. I love it love it love it love it love it love it!

Yes. I think that's my favorite Tortall book. Beka Cooper is also excellent; the Trickster duology is good, but weird. I like Alanna and Daine, but Keladry beats them easily.

I almost don't want to finish the book because then it will be over and I don't want it to be over! But I'm glad I have more to look forward to since I still have the Trickster and Beka Cooper books waiting for me. (And the Circle books, but I wonder if I should stay publication order or just read all of Tortall first and then go back to those. Decisions!)

Publication order within a universe, but the Circle isn't related to Tortall as far as I've been able to tell.

I used to pick up Tamora Pierce books by the bag full at the library book sale for the girls at my school. They were all mad about them and many of them had little money for books and the school library couldn't keep them all happily supplied.

>110 carod: I'm not surprised, they've all been increasing levels of great. I think I want to make a tag called "Awesome attack horses," and I love that such attack horses are named Peachblossom and Happy. So many hearts. So many.

I'm reading Cracked by Dr Drew Pinsky. True story about his treating drug addiction in California. I think it reads like a novel though. I'm really enjoying it and learning a bit from it.

I just started Tithe by Holly Black. Given that this was my third mooch attempt, I am pretty stoked about it!

Currently reading The Zookeepers Wife. Really slow @ the beginning but has really picked up.

Just started The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Interesting idea; have to see where it goes.

I'm also reading (or listening to, actually) Tamora Pierce. I'm almost done with Sandry's Book, then I'll start Tris' Book. As far as actual eyeballs on the page reading, I'm nearly finished with The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff- and anxiously awaiting the sequel from the library.

I'm currently reading The Copper Sign by Katia Fox, Snuff by Terry Pratchett, and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (when I can get it away from my aunt that is- lol).

116> I haven't read the Circle of Magic series yet (it's up next for me) -- are you enjoying them?

I have just finished The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin (I give it A MILLION GOLD STARS), which means it is time to select the next book to read. It needs to be one of these books but I am too tired to make a decision right now.

>119 chelonianmobile: I would suggest
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making; Catherynne M. Valente

Why? because after reading the reviews; I want to read it--now another book to add to my wishlist :)

Just finished Maze Runner --it was a good read-, not the best out there and not as good as the Hunger games but an enjoyable read-of course it is the first part of a series and now I have to wait and find the next book online :) If the second book builds on the first; it will turn into a good series or it will fall flat on its face.

I picked up a copy of The Mysterious Benedict Society and read the first few chapters so far tonight. Insomnia can be such fun some days.

Not sure how I got on a teenage book reading kick lately? Really need to get back into When all hell break loose and then maybe Wired or rereading The Endless Knot or maybe Flight from Eden again...love to reread book sometimes.

119> I would say Everneath or TGWCF because those are the two that I want to read the most! ;)

119> A million gold stars? I'd been going back and forth about adding this series to my wishlist, but now there is no way to ignore a million gold star review. Great, one more for the TBR mountain. One day it will fall and crush me. You guys have to stop adding to it! :p

From your list I would choose either Fairyland, as the others have said (though, I should talk, I still haven't read my copy yet) or Graveminder because it's on my wishlist and I'd like to know what you think of Marr's non-Wicked Lovely stuff.

I read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and felt meh. The writing is excellent, but I have a real dislike of manipulators, so there wasn't anyone I liked by the end of the book. I haven't picked up the others. I felt the same way about The Lies of Locke Lamora, which got many excellent reviews as well. So...just another viewpoint on the question.

I just got into Jessica Day George (won't touchstone - or rather, it does a book touchstone. Hmmm). I got Dragon Slippers out from the library and deliberately ignored the other two from the series, because I was tired of checking books out and then returning them unread - finished Dragon Slippers and went back and got the other two of the series and the only other JDG book that was there. The Dragon Slippers series is great, but I think I like Princess of the Midnight Ball even more - that's one of my favorite fairy tales, but like most fairy tales it doesn't really make sense. Now it does (even though JDG left out the dogs). Love it. One more JDG book to find...

>123 jjmcgaffey: I liked The Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequel a lot despite its numerous flaws, but I very much like literary tricksters, rogues, and the like. I'm ok with unlikable, morally ambiguous/deficient characters as long as the author doesn't expect me to agree with them (otherwise it's preachy and I can't take it seriously). My problem with books of this type is politics in general, because I really just do not understand it. Books that are too heavy on politicking or social stuff just go waaaay over my head and frustrate me if I don't have something else to latch on to. I am still a little worried that perhaps the gods and general sff world-building will not be enough to counter what looks like high-politics, but I'm convinced to give it a try.

Fairyland it is! Given that I did actually start it a while back but got distracted away perhaps that's the best idea.

It's true that The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms doesn't actually have a lot of likeable characters, but iirc The Broken Kingdoms is slightly less like that. There's not quite as much Arameri involvement in Oree's life. (Oree is awesome.) I definitely have my problems with the books (they're certainly not perfect), but I just find them really interesting. I read The Kingdom of Gods in two sittings, and it's pretty long. The blurb makes it sounds like Shahar is the narrator (which would make sense since the other narrators were female) but the narrator in this one is actually Sieh, which gives a neat perspective.

If you have not read The Night Circus yet then I suggest you RUN (not walk) to the nearest bookstore/library and get it. It was easily the best book I have read this year (out of 88) and is firmly in my top 20 favorite books of all time. Now go! git!

Belladonna1975: I CANNOT agree more! It is one of the best books I have read in the past couple of years as well. I really want the author to write more! (Ok, I admit it- I didn't want the The Night Circus to end in the first place!)

127> I alternated between wanting to hurry to the end to find out what happened and wanting to slow down so that it never ended. It was so good, I am definitely going to read it again next year. I felt the same way about The Shadow of the Wind.

I am currently trying to get through A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink that I got from early reviewers. I was excited, because I'd read a book by this author before which I remembered was ok, and this one has angels! Score! But it really isn't working for me, angels notwithstanding. It's not really the plot - it's been pretty predictable so far and I wasn't expecting it to be otherwise - but the actual writing. It feels very awkward and there's a lot of telling vs showing. Also, too many sentences in progressive tenses. Where is the editor? I don't remember the other book I read being like this, but I did read it a few years and hundreds of books ago so maybe I was less particular?

#126 & 127 RE: The Night Circus oh great news then. I just ordered that from my local Book Store another one for my daughter-in-law.

I love ordering gifts. I love supporting smaller shops & etsy. I love just buying books!

>118 macsbrains:, I'm really enjoying this series, I like the magic system a lot.

I'm currently reading Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder and listening to Tris' Book by Tamora Pierce

Finished Reamde a couple of days ago and found it entertaining throughout, although of lesser caliber than his previous works with fewer concepts and a bit too distant in tone from the punk for my taste. Now reading Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod.

A week or so ago I went to the library with mom, and I ended up getting a few kid's books. One about miniature horses, and two about autism. I'm too lazy to go look up the names/authors right now, lol, but I'm reading them tonight 'cause we are taking them back tomorrow.

Last night, I started reading a library book I checked out a few weeks ago called On the Sea of Memory: A Journey from Forgetting to Remembering by Jonathan Cott.

I had been interested in it under the impression that it was a memoir; the author underwent ECT (electroshock) therapy for depression several years ago, and afterwards lost fifteen years worth of memories. However, it turned out to be more of a (rather schizophrenic) look at the formation of memories, Alzheimer's disease, suppression of traumatic events in one's memory, etc., etc. All of the aforementioned topics are interesting to me, but I'm halfway through and a little frustrated at how superficially he touches on them.

>134 MsCellophane: what a let down. I enjoy those topics as well.

Somehow, regardless of how even my usually quiet job has gotten busy and crazy and full of not-so-fun moments, and the holdiay season, I have managed to finish two pretty good books.

The first, Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger I found really good until the ending. I enjoyed much of the book, especially the depth of the relationships. Niffenegger has the ability to really make relationships and the little intricies within them come alive. I enjoyed the theme's placed throughout the book, and more than once just had to pause to enjoy a passage. However, the ending just did not do it for me. It didn't really seem realistic, especially after what we knew about the characters. And I found it hard to understand the actions of the characters. Saying that, I will most likely go back and re-read at a later date to see if I missed something.

The second, Daughter of Destiny: An Autobiography, was written by Benazir Bhutto. Ms.Bhutto was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan. I found her story incredible. There is no way that I could ever find the strength that she did. The book mainly featured her life before she was elected PM, including her many years under arrest and in exhile. My only complaint is that the book skimmed over her life after General Zia's death, and the election that made her PM the first time. From that moment to her death, the book really didn't go into too much detail, and seemed rushed. I hope that her other book, Reconciliation will solve this blank for me.

I've jumped on The Night Circus bandwagon.

just into the first couple of chapters.... the start is interesting, if slightly predictable.... (they just met).

>136 Mareofthesea: I have Her Fearful Symmetry but I haven't been sure if I am going to read it. I liked The Time Traveler's Wife well enough for what it was, though there was one thing in particular near the end of the book which I didn't understand the purpose of and so it really didn't work for me - it almost ruined the book for me even. I wonder if she just needs to work on endings in general. (Clarification: I was fine with the ending to The Time Traveler's Wife in general, it was just something on the way there, maybe 5/6ths of the way through that had me wondering WTH?)

>137 skittles:
I have been watching the bandwagon pass by too, and I started to chase it down the road, but it looks like I'm not going to be able to catch it. I'm going to have to wait for the next wagon and be late to the ball.

Interesting books all! I have two early reviewers I am really hoping to have finished within a couple weeks (Not that they aren't good, I just feel badly that I have not reviewed them yet! P).

The KunstlerCast: Conversations with James Howard Kunstler and Running Away to Home: Our Family's Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came From, and What Really Matters. I am also slowly reading through A Christmas Carol as the mood strikes me. :)

I finished The Mysterious Benedict Society enjoyed the story; a little predictable but then I am hardly the target age for the book. I then picked up A Star Curiously Singing and that was another 1st in a series enjoyed that book a whole lot. It is a futuristic sci-fi story. Amazon describes the story better than i can without giving away any spoilers

from amazon: If he fixes the robot, will he break his world? In a future ruled by sharia law machines are managed by debuggers, who in turn are owned by masters. Sandfly is a level 12 debugger. He is sent into Earth orbit to repair a robot-a robot that went on an experimental flight into deep space... And tore itself apart. As Sandfly digs into the mystery aboard the space station, he discovers what the bot heard around that distant star. He discovers that the bot heard...singing. As Sandfly pieces together the clues, the masters spread the trap before his feet. Everyone is racing to the same conclusion, but only one side welcomes what the singing represents.

Now to find the others cheaply. Onto my next book...think I will tackle Wired (Tribulation Survival Series, Book 1) yet another series..oh how I miss the non expensive of a non series. Well the good thing about being unemployed is my TBR pile is shrinking.

For those who care; I am still tackling When all hell breaks loose :)

This morning I started The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman and it's off to a promising start. I've had this one for a while and never got around to it, but I finally picked it up after I went on a run mooching a bunch of sf/f with dancer main characters. Apparently that's my flavor of the week this week.

I have started reading Murder on the Orient Express. I have read very few Christie books, and am finding it a hoot. :)

I finished wired; have the 2nd book on my wishlist now. So I picked up according to their deeds. The nice thing about being unemployed is I am reading almost a book a day; well guess that is one way to get through my TBR pile.

I just started The Hunger Games after hearing a few people talk about it here, and after eying it a little too obviously when out at B&N with my sister... early Christmas present for me! :p

Let's Talk Terror, a Nancy Drew book. Not really into it at the moment, reading it slowly.

>144 orangewords:; I really enjoyed the Hunger game series and then went and read the maze runner another trilogy and enjoyed the 1st book; not as much as the hunger games. Have to figure out what to read next when I finish according to their deeds....have to dig another book out my tbr pile but i do enjoy all the suggestions here.

>145 Heather19: if you like Nancy drew you might like Girl sleuth: Nancy Drew and the women who created her

I just got finished with an ARC of Cinder. It was a dystopian retelling of Cinderella with shades of The Goose Girl. Cinderella is a Cyborg Mechanic in New Beijing. It sounds like it should have been a hot mess but I loved it. That is all.

I am currently bouncing back and forth between Claire De lune and The Taker.

Overall, this has been an excellent reading year for me. I couldn't have asked for better.

I think we should start a top 10 books read in 2011 thread because, you know...my TBR pile is just not big enough yet. /sarcasm

I just finished The Healing by Jonathan Odell and now I am reading The Time In Between By: Maria Duenas.

I'm on a kick where I'm reading about dancers/performing artists in sci-fi fantasy, so after I finished up The Merro Tree (which was great, btw, for a sci-fi discussion of censorship themes and the role and purpose of art in society & culture) I'm now in the middle of The Chronicles of Tornor, specifically The Dancers of Arun which I will start once I leave for work. I'm probably going to follow up with Fire Dancer, assuming I don't get distracted by another theme of the week.

But until then, if anyone knows of any other good examples of variations on this theme I really need to make my wishlist longer.

>149 macsbrains: The Stardance Trilogy by Spider and Jeanne Robinson is the best. I loved all the Ann Maxwell books.

I just finished the third book in the Touchstone trilogy by Andrea Host. Loved, loved, loved them. I got the first through member giveaways and then downloaded the next two from Smashwords, waiting impatiently until the third was published this month.

I have a library book to read, a couple of member giveaways and ER books to read and/or review, and then I have a few days off and a huge TBR pile to dive into, including Night Circus which I got as a birthday present. *rubbing hands in anticipatory glee*

143> You have read the Crystal Singer series by Anne McCaffrey? She starts out as a trained singer, and that affects how she deals with the crystals throughout the series.

I just got Mastiff by Tamora Pierce from the library, but haven't had a minute to sit down with it. I don't want to read it in little bits, either, so it really needs several hours. But my sisters are here (from 300 and 2000 miles away!) for Christmas, so reading is not happening much...today we bake pies, among other things.

150> This might be just what the doctor ordered! And good to put more sci-fi in my diet since I've been consuming so much fantasy.

151> I'll check this one out too. I've actually haven't read any McCaffrey yet, though I do have the first two Pern books to try.

I started Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch last night at about two. It's not what I was intending to read at all, but it was at the top of one of the piles on my desk and it's been such a struggle to read anything lately that I'm just going with it.

I'm so enjoying another Kate Atkinson When Will There Be Good News. Nothing like a British Mystery, a lil' Scottish accent and toss in a good dog, my review thus far! Very enjoyable.

I've _got_ to read that. I enjoyed Midnight Riot/Rivers of London a lot, but Soho keeps sliding down the pile...

I'm finally reading Abarat: Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker, which the library took forever to get. I love this book, but I don't have much time to read, so it's taking too long.

Currently working through Joan of Arc: A Military Leader. I'll be blogging about this book and others on my new blog: Women and War : http://women-and-war.blogspot.com/

I'm currently on book three of the Long Price Quartet, An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham. It's filled with very strong (and INTERESTING) characters, which is all I really need, but there is also capital-P Plot happening.

Book 1 I really liked, book 2 I wasn't quite as keen on, but book 3 has really picked up and I get to think "ah, I see what you did thar!" which is one of my favorite feelings while reading. I think I've figured out the shape of the entire series now, so it's just a matter of finishing up the next book and a half and seeing if I interpreted correctly.

After this I'll be reading the 4th one, and after that I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to read (which is totally ridiculous.)

I know you can all sympathize with the urge to go out and buy a new book to read when your bookshelves already have hundreds of unread books on them. My New Year's resolution was to read only books of my shelf... *stick to it - stick to it*

I am working my way through The Brain That Changes Itself as well as Great Expectations. I am not certain that I will be able to finish either this month however.

I bought all of the Farscape comics I didn't already have and I've been reading one per day. This is a great continuation of the show and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up.

I am reading i, claudius; a book my book club though about reading and since we chose not to read it; I decided to give it a go anyway. So far pages 1 to 3 have kept my attention.

Currently reading Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier. Like most of her books I find they start slow and then you realize you are hooked!

I am reading First Among Sequels by Fforde for some light fun reading :)

I'm reading Puppy Chow is better than Prozac.

I'm reading My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud' homme. Also reading On Hitler's Mountain by Irmgard A. Hunt. Both are very interesting so far.

Starting in on The Rez Sisters a First Nations play.

After a hectic holiday period and kids back to school etc (we have 3 school terms in Tasmania), I've finally got back to The Hare with Amber eyes and i'm really enjoying it.

I'm reading Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller- this is going to be the year I catch up on the Liaden books, darn it!

I'm also listening to Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle and it's brilliant! I'm kicking myself for not reading Beagle sooner, but at the same time, I'm really thrilled to know I have so much great reading ahead of me.

168> Tamsin isn't even his best, so yes, there's definitely greatness ahead!

I just finished all 27 volumes of Fullmetal Alchemist in what felt like a single sitting even though it was really more like a week and a half. AWESOME x27, just like I knew it would be, and pretty to look at.

I also read The Last Unicorn two years ago, but I've loved the movie since I was a kid, so I feel like I should have read it sooner. I put the rest of my Beagle books on my 2012 TBR.

:D I'm so glad you were finally able to read Fullmetal Alchemist! I'm waiting on the last volume I need (ordered from PBS market along with another book that apparently got lost in the mail on the way to PBS's supplier, so it's not just us swappers who end up having books go lost) and I'll do a massive re-read this year.

>170 Quaisior: I was missing vols 18, 20, 24, 26 and 27. I ordered them from Amazon and then sat down to start vol 1. I went through them so quickly that Vol 18 arrived the VERY DAY I finished vol 17. I was freaking out that I was going to have to wait to find out what happened next.

168> OMG! That is so funny. A few years ago I attempted to listen to the audio book of Tamsin but had to turn it off. It was narrated by Peter Beagle and I was completely turned off by listening to him voice a teenage girl. When he started talking about periods and what not, I was done. I did, however read the book and really enjoyed it.

I have no idea what to read again. Why does this happen?

I'm currently halfway through The Jungles of Randomness: A Mathematical Safari which I am enjoying a lot, but it isn't really scratching my itch because it's non-fiction.

I just finished a read of Clover by CLAMP, which I read years and years ago in Japanese and had loved, and I just finished up Snips, Snails & Dragon's Tails by the author of an online comic that I read, so maybe comics are the way to go...

But then I also just read The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold and it kind of has me wanting more sci-fi.

I don't know! Agh! *Breaks out the TBR dartboard*

Decision being taken out of my hands by library books that I have been waiting for becoming available. Finishing Celebrity in Death and starting A Perfect Blood soon.

So I decided my ratio of unread to read Peter S. Beagle books was too high and decided to remedy that this week starting with The Innkeeper's Song. And it is, um, ... well, it is certainly unexpected! I am finding it surprising in all sorts of ways and am annoyed that work time interferes with reading time.

OK I just had to mention this. I was talking with my 85 year old mother and she recommended Catching Fire to me, said her granddaughter, my niece left it home on her college break, so my mum picked it up and couldn't put it down. Who knew?

Started reading through What are you Optimistic About to get me out of my 'I don't feel like reading' and 'Reading too much news on the internet' funk. It seems to be working!

Love it!!

I was a little slow on the draw but just finished The Hunger Games. Going to see the movie tomorrow night & wanted to read it before we went to see the movie.
Catching Fire next on the list.

#176 Theresa, that is nothing short of amazing that your Mom at 85 read AND liked Cathing Fire!! Love it!

I just finished the biography The Dressmaker of Khair Khana that I was not to stoked about but oh my! What an enjoyable read.

I have Night Circus started since I gifted it to my DIL over the holidays and she was so thrilled with it.

I'm reading Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle with Faith and Love by Father Albert Cutie and listening to Still Alice. Finding both very interesting.

Just finished The Year of Pleasures, stalking bookshelf for next choice.

Getting ready to start The Girl Who Played with Fire. Hope it's as good as The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.

Currently in medieval China and at the beginning of Deception by Eleanor Cooney, a Judge Dee historical mystery.

Halfway through Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History. This is a great book. Not a hold up, but a 2 year plan to break into a vault in the diamond district. 2 floors below ground, well protected (video, heat sensor, movement sensor, etc), and kitty-corner to a police station! Enough information in there to attract anyone who likes to solve problems, knows engineering etc, but very accessible for those whom like myself do not know engineering etc. These were the Turin 'classy' robbers, who prided themselves on non-violent theivery without guns. 2 years in the making, at this point in the book they have just made off with about 100 safe boxes full of diamonds, cash, gold etc (Enough diamonds to equal the weight of a microwave). The largest diamond heist in history.

Just finished Remarkable Creatures - currently in the middle of You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Mornin. It's a fast read so stalking next victim as I speak.

Baltimore Mansion Wayne Johnston - I'm a sucker for an island story

This thread has been so quiet! You've all got to be reading something interesting. Spill!

This month I did a re-read of The Hunger Games trilogy because I got two friends to read it with me and just couldn't talk about them without feeling the pull to open the books again. I thought it was great the first time, but reading it a second time really cements its position as one of my favorites. I read with a different focus and it was even better! Books that still get better after you read them are gems and you can bet that I will sit on my dragon hoard and polish those gems by re-reading with a wild, cackling glee!

I also re-read The Order of the Stick compiled editions. It's a fantasy/gaming web-comic I've followed for years and is quite enjoyable.

I read Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore and was quite happy with it. Some people have not liked that it's not the same kind of novel as the first two related volumes, but I liked the change of pace. The books can't all be the same all the time.

Or maybe sometimes they can. I am in the midst of reading the next 3 volumes of the Miles Vorkosigan Series by Lois McMaster Bujold. And while some are definitely better than others, they are quite similar and I like that about them. I just love the protagonist and his crazy adventures - surviving by wits alone!

When I finish those I'll be following it up with my latest Early Reviewers win, Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell. YA post-apocalyptic sci-fi. I hope it's decent.

I'm listening to The Hunger Games now and I'm surprised by how much I like it because post-apocalyptic isn't usually my thing.

I'm almost done reading Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough and I'm really only reading this series out of a sense of completion because I read the Petaybee Trilogy years ago and enjoyed it.

Next up are Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller and Enclave by Ann Aguirre, which reminds me, I need to buy Dragon Ship by Lee and Miller and Endgame by Aguirre this weekend. :-D

The Vorkosigan Series is one of my very most favorite series of all time. I can't wait for Captain Vorpatril's Alliance later this year (aka, that idiot Ivan's book).

>190 Quaisior:
I'm rather suprised by how much I like the Vorkosigan series because space opera usually isn't my thing :) Politics? Intrigue? Social-doo-dads? I'm glad to see Miles' entire thought process because otherwise I'd never understand. Science and math are one thing, but I have no head for sociopolitical whats-its at all and I never understand why the conflicting parties don't all just mind their own business. (This is why I am not the mastermind.)

I'm becoming more and more interested in that-idiot-Ivan as the books progress because it really seems (so far) that he plays dumber than he is because of the ridiculous and exhausting pressure of the personalities and intelligences around him and I'm curious to find out if I am on to something or just pulling it out of my butt. I'm reading them in (mostly) chronological order rather than publication order I was 1/4 way through Brothers in Arms when I realized I was missing something and had stop and swap for the correct one). I finished them both and will take a break for a while. Too much adrenaline at once otherwise.

I had to read that series backward, after the first couple (after Warrior's Apprentice, I think). I just couldn't stand Miles. But I read Diplomatic Immunity because I wanted to see what was up with the Quaddies, then I had to read A Civil Campaign to see how Miles got there, then Komarr to understand that, then... Once I knew how Miles turned out, it was a lot easier to bear his bumptious younger self. But yeah, Ivan is an interesting person. I'm looking forward to his book myself.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

About halfway through Deadhouse Gates (Malazan #2) by Steven Erikson, maybe enjoying it a bit less than the first but still quite a lot.

First, everything that everyone has said about The Night Circus is totally true. I have noticed that overall the bad reviews are exactly the same as the good reviews and that it really comes down to what you expect from the book going into it.

The plot summary mentions dueling magicians, but it doesn't mean magic as weapons, it means magic as ART (or art as magic, depending on which way you want to look at it), so really, it's dueling ARTISTS.

I don't know, maybe it's because theatrical dancing is my primary non-nerd hobby and so performance arts of all types press my buttons, but I have never encountered a book that so simply and beautifully illustrates the relationships between artists and their art, the artists and their peers, and the artists and their audience.

It grabs you right from the gut. I just can't describe. The book is just TRUE.

/back to your regularly scheduled reading