And what are we reading now?

lavawitch · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2012 3:09 am

rachell37 wrote:

I just finished The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, a true crime novel about an Italian serial killer. It was good - really interesting and a bit shocking - though there were a few times when I wished he would shut up with the scene-setting and get on with the damn story.

Up next - Wolf Totem. I can't remember what it's about.

I love Preston's fiction. I haven't read this one because true crime makes me squeamish, but it supposedly involves the same prosecutor from the Amanda Knox case. Guy sees satanic rituals everywhere, I suppose.

rachell37 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:33 am

Yes, it does - Giuliano Mignini. That was one of the things I found shocking - that so many people bought into the satanic cult thing. I was gonna say a prosecutor here would probably get institutionalised for pushing that in the US, but then, Memphis 3.

fruitbat · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:43 am

Phoenix wrote:

Quickly "test-read" a graphic novel that I got as a birthday present for a friend - "Neonomicon" by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows.
Really, Lovecraft does NOT get better when you add more sex (and with a vengeance). Also very violent rape scenes. And then you get rid of the last couple of fans by explaining every single reference, including those in the first volume ("The Courtyard", which was actually not bad)? Meh. Disappointed.
(Also conflicted. Will my friend still like it? It was on her wishlist after all.)

Yikes. Thanks for the warning. I think I'll pass...

Invictus · **Joined:** Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:23 pm **Posts:** 2463

I just started "Don't Sleep, There are Snakes" and I'm really enjoying it.

rachell37 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2012 2:48 pm

I'm very seriously trying to decide if I want to continue reading Wolf Totem. There are some really disturbing scenes of animal violence coupled with an absurd quasi-reverence for the animals they're killing. One part actually made me a little sick. But I'm 99% sure one of my non-PPK vegan friends recommended it, so I keep thinking it'll get better, and then it gets worse.

FootFace · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:28 pm

FootFace wrote:

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian. I can't tell yet whether it's good or schlocky.

Finished this afternoon. Still don't know what to think. I'm leaning toward schlocky.

vijita · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2012 7:35 am

seitanicverses wrote:

I picked up my former writing professor's latest book Life Is About Losing Everything. I read about half of it on the plane. I'm enjoying it, she's so funny, I've LOL'd several times. It's also sad and touching at parts. Very honest. Always a nice mixture. <3

On hold at the library! :)

Arisaig · **Posted:** Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:08 am

The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse.

Good so far - it's for my book club and it was my choice. I like the way it's done as a number of different people's stories that overlap in the same city.

lubimiller · **Posted:** Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:26 am

I downloaded a ton of free books on my kindle, some are lame but fun like The Marinara Murders, and one that is really good is Achieve Anything in Just One Year. Every day you have an assignment and a goal.

Anek · **Posted:** Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:08 am

The Goddess Obscured, a look at how the pagan mother goddess was transformed throught the ages due to christian conversions. It's interesting to see how much of the old believes still remain in the current system!

bodhi · **Posted:** Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:45 am

Anek wrote:

The Goddess Obscured, a look at how the pagan mother goddess was transformed throught the ages due to christian conversions. It's interesting to see how much of the old believes still remain in the current system!

That sounds super interesting!

Invictus · **Joined:** Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:23 pm **Posts:** 2463

Just finished The Family Fang

FootFace · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:10 am

Wunderkind by Nikolai Grozni, about a school for gifted musicians in 1980s Bulgaria. It's really great so far.

Phoenix · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:36 pm

Howl's Moving Castle. <3 <3 <3

8ball · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:49 pm

I just finished 'My Friend Dahmer' by Derf Backderf, it was a pretty sad story.

Now I'm reading 'Hater' by David Moody.

pastabake · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:57 pm

I'm about halfway through 1Q84.

fruitbat · **Posted:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:40 pm

Phoenix wrote:

Howl's Moving Castle. <3 <3 <3

I love that one! And the film, too. I should definitely re-read more of Diana Wynne Jones' books.

iamafoodie · **Joined:** Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:18 am **Posts:** 6

Right smack in the middle of George R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows. It's part of the A Game of Thrones series. Wasn't really into fantasy books, but I'm really enjoying it. Will definitely grab the 5th installation once I'm done with this book. :)

Phoenix · **Posted:** Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:29 am

fruitbat wrote:

Phoenix wrote:

Howl's Moving Castle. <3 <3 <3

I love that one! And the film, too. I should definitely re-read more of Diana Wynne Jones' books.

It's so much fun.

Spoiler: show

In short: Yesterday I read 162 pages, and I'm enjoying it very much. Then I fell asleep.

Kitteh · **Posted:** Fri Jun 22, 2012 3:57 am

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr (contemp YA) - it was heartbreaking and so well written
The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (paranormal YA) - very fun, love her work
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (contemp YA) - I wanted to read it before the movie came out, I can see why people really love it, but it was just ok for me

jogirl · **Posted:** Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:40 pm

jogirl wrote:

The Fear Index by Robert Harris. I really enjoyed his Cicero trilogy, but am finding this one a bit slow moving.

I am still ploughing through this. I really hate giving up on a book half way through, but I might have to soon.

jojo · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:27 am

birdsonawire wrote:

jojo wrote:

Country Driving: A Chinese Road Trip by Peter Hessler. I loved the last two books of his I read & this one's no different.

I love his books too! I really enjoyed Country Driving. His wife is also a great journalist; she wrote Factory Girls, which I thought was quite interesting.

I actually discovered his books after reading Factory Girls! I think River Town is still my favourite Hessler book but Country Driving is a close second.

I just finished How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran and now I'm reading Along The Enchanted Way by William Blacker.

fruitbat · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:34 am

Phoenix wrote:

fruitbat wrote:

Phoenix wrote:

Howl's Moving Castle. <3 <3 <3

I love that one! And the film, too. I should definitely re-read more of Diana Wynne Jones' books.

It's so much fun.

Spoiler: show

In short: Yesterday I read 162 pages, and I'm enjoying it very much. Then I fell asleep.

Yeah. I talked about her and her books with a friend of mine (who said she was his favourite author when he was young) and read Howl's Moving Castle sometime last year (possibly around the time of her death?) or the year before (I'm getting old - time flies). I have read a couple of her books before, but it was a looong time ago. Sometimes it's nice revisiting old favourites.

Right now I'm trying to read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. As usual I'm a bit ambivalent towards Heinlein's adult novels. I do not like Stranger in a Strange Land and I think Starship Troopers is merely OK. I really liked some of his YA novels, though, and have read a few good short stories.

Invictus · **Joined:** Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:23 pm **Posts:** 2463

Just started The Dovekeepers

fetalexplosion · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:11 pm **Posts:** 436

Invictus wrote:

Just finished The Family Fang

I liked that one a lot! Reminded me a lot of Geek Love - read that one if you're looking for a similar family dynamic.

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