What are you reading?

I am about halfway through The Casebook of Carnacki the Ghost Finder by William Hodgson.
It's a compilation of his short stories and very small. Only 9 stories. Hodgson died fighting in WW1, so there are no more stories coming.
At least not from Hodgson.
There is a tribute book out there I am considering since I am enjoying this one so much.

It is a fun read.

Brother Odd, Dean Koontz. So far it's sweet, funny, profound, and scary as hell.

"A Clash of Kings," by George RR Martin. After "A Game of Thrones," I finally understand why he's considered the best in the business today.

The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton. Before that it was Dreamcatcher, by Stephen King.

The Duplex by Kathyryn Davis. I read the first chapter in an anthology and was intrigued.

HarvesterOfSorrow said:

The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton. Before that it was Dreamcatcher, by Stephen King.

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Probably one of my favorites by Crichton. The Sphere was quite entertaining as well, I recommend it.

"Started Early, Took My Dog" by Kate Atkinson. One of her Jackson Brodie books. He's an oddly likable protagonist, so flawed but still pushing on.

E Pluribus Unum by Forrest McDonald

atombaby said:

Probably one of my favorites by Crichton. The Sphere was quite entertaining as well, I recommend it.

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Ah, Crichton. Man, I miss his writing. Totally in a class by himself.

Yeah, I plan on reading some more Crichton soon. Started American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis on Sunday.

Vitamania. Bought it as result of reading review in WSJ. Good book.

--Ken

North Toward Home, Willie Morris. This is one of the books mentioned in Natalie Goldberg's Thunder and Lightning.

I chose it as part of my research into the Southern White Man's point of view during the 1960's. A political journalist and editor of Harper's magazine, Morris gives an unblinking account of his own experience growing up in the deep south. This memoir was published in 1967, at the height of the civil rights era. He grew up in Yazoo City, Mississippi; attended college at the University of Texas; and then on to New York City to become the youngest Senior Editor of Harper's.

Rereading A Night To Remember by Walter Lord

Just started Jennifer Robson's After the War is Over.

Another month, another procrastination update:

Just Finished:
Great Expectations (Charles Dickens, on Kindle) - A common boy's dream of becoming a gentleman is unexpectedly fulfilled, but it's not the life he expected... and the gift comes with unanticipated strings. Good imagery and interesting characters (save the MC), but the whole thing's just too long and too contrived. I also thought the ending was far too neat.

Dragons Love (Stephen Parlato, in hardcover) - A picture book about dragons. Highly imaginative illustrations create dragons from composited images: the dragon made out of pieces of armor is particularly striking. I saw it at Half Price Books today and couldn't get it home fast enough.

I also posted a reread-review of the classic Bunnicula (Deborah and James Howe, in paperback) for Easter. The dog Harold and his over-imaginative cat friend Chester suspect the family's new pet, a black and white rabbit, of vampirism. A fun little story, with just enough mystery and a hint of shivers for the kids, but it's showing its age around the edges, and it really sends some bad signals on pet ownership to the young audience... especially with Harold constantly being fed chocolate cupcakes by his supposedly loving family.

Currently Reading:
Time Travel Dinosaur (Matt Youngmark, in paperback) - A "chooseomatic" tale in the vein of the classic CYOA series, starring you as a time travel agent whose routine surveillance mission to the past goes horribly wrong. I grabbed this over the weekend at a con I attended (and even got it signed), and literally just started reading it this morning, so it's a bit early for impressions. So far, though, it's fun and fast-paced. There are supposedly 76 possible endings; I expect I'll read through a few honestly and then skim for book review purposes.

I'm still going through Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror and The Artist's Way, as well.

And the to-be-read pile continues to grow...

atombaby said:

Probably one of my favorites by Crichton. The Sphere was quite entertaining as well, I recommend it.

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Interesting. Sphere was literally one of two books of his I couldn't finish. The movie was decent though. TBF I haven't read all of his books...I kind of don't want to because then he'll really be gone to me. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

On the other hand, if you want a good Crichton-esque book check out The Flock by James Robert Smith.

I've seen a book popping up lately--The Great Zoo of China, which is constantly being compared to him. Ugh. I really, desperately wanted to like it because I want books that can fill the void but...I never even made it all the way through the sample. Absolutely none of the tension and suspense I was expecting. It's like the book version of a B-movie. So sad.

I'm somewhat between books right now. Well, not really. I'm in the middle of a couple.

The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick, which I'm really struggling with. I thought I was ready for hard fantasy...maybe not.

Also Dangerous Women 2, an anthology edited by George R. R. Martin. It was a birthday gift, actually; I don't normally read anthologies because the stories can be so hit and miss. The fact that it's a mixed genre collection is also kind of annoying me cause I didn't expect it, and because the fantasy stories end up being more on the literary side, which I generally dislike. Not to say I don't appreciate it; just isn't to my taste. I feel somewhat obligated to finish it though, being a gift and all.

I want to start something new; I have no shortage of books in my TBR pile it's just...nothing's really jumping out at me right now.

To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf. (no relation)

The Lonely Silver Rain by John D. MacDonald

Began and finished Room by Emma Donoghue within three days. Had me thinking about it long after the last page. She seems to have the five year old's thought processes down pat.

Now reading The Orphan Train by Christina Baker. So far seems to be a very good read.

Finished Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens, thereby checking off my annual One Major Classic Novel box. But with Gúnter Grass passing the other day, I've now taken on The Tin Drum.

I'm also reading, about halfway through, The Man Who Went Up in Smoke, a police procedural mystery by Swedish authors Per Wahlöö and Maj Sjöwall (gotta love them umlauts). It's the fourth in a ten-volume series, and the previous three, plus this one, have been excellent. Recommended.

caw

I just finished The Cage Keeper collection by Andre Dubus III. It was pretty good, and House of Sand and Fog is next.

I'm reading China Dolls by Lisa See right now.

John Updike - Too far to go, a collection of short stories starring the Maples family.