What are you reading?

A Prayer for Owen Meany.

I found a book on the ground while I was walking my dog earlier tonight. It's called 'Art of Deception' by Ridley Pearson I think. I started reading it.

Inkdaub said:

I found a book on the ground while I was walking my dog earlier tonight. It's called 'Art of Deception' by Ridley Pearson I think. I started reading it.

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I need more books. I should get a dog.

Finished The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais last night and started on Power Play by Joseph Finder.

Cranky said:

A Prayer for Owen Meany.

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For the first time? If so, I envy you. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

The Angel by Carla Neggers

This is both a new author for me, and a genre that I don't normally read. The story is slow going, but I'm determined to get at least half way through before closing it forever, or deciding it was a jewel in the raw. The inside jacket blurb was right up my alley, so I'm crossing fingers that I won't be disappointed.

To me, John Grisham is the same way--slow starts that are a bit confusing, then a story you can't put down *shrug*.

Sharpe.

Not much too them, really. But they're good yarns.

The Kolchak Papers by Jeff Rice.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

my inner child is all a-twitter

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk.

cletus said:

I need more books. I should get a dog.

Finished The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais last night and started on Power Play by Joseph Finder.

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Yeah, and you know the book we found on the walk is actually pretty good.

I recently finished Warriors: Into the Wild, by Erin Hunter, and am now a little more than half-way through the second book of the first series, "Fire and Ice"

The series was recommended to me by a fellow writer, and considering it was in the age group that I write for, why not?

WordlyVision: I didn't like that series much. IMO, it was more marketing/hype than anything. And they just keep recycling the plots from book to book. It is a miracle that no one seems to get tired of the same old same old. By recycling, I don't even mean recycling creatively. All they do is have what had happened to some cats to happen again to their children. The characterization is quite poor -- every cat acts like every other cat. You can't tell them apart. No distinct, memorable personalities. The description passages managed to sound like purple prose without even using big words.

At first, at least the suspense pulled me in. But as the plots got increasingly recycled, even that no longer did the job. I think the only reason it sells is because of the marketing strategy. Every book sounds like a giant infomercial, "want to know the secret? Buy this book!" Okay, there is nothing wrong about a story that instantly pulls the reader in, but the problem is, it is all the stuff OUTSIDE the covers, not within, that pulls the reader in. The franchising, spin-offs, as well as "sneak previews" and other gimmicks all play a role. Quite frankly, everything BUT the story itself does the selling.

Sorry for ranting It's not directed towards you.

No worries... I actually have my own "thoughts" on the series as well. To its credit, it's a good children's series in some aspects, but I can see where you're coming from. There's quite a bit of flaws besides the recycled plot concept. It's not only that... they drag on the main storyline which was established in the first book over the course of the series (and even then, the main hook that got you there in the first place isn't answered most of the time).

I'd go on too... but I'll save my ranting for another appropriate thread sometime.

TerzaRima said:

Here are a few books I've finished in the last month or two:

Regeneration, by Pat Barker.
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I listened to that book in audio and found it excellent though depressing.

HourglassMemory said:

I'm currently half way through "Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell".

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IMHO I found that unreadable. Clever, maybe, but no surprises and way too long. I gave it away.

I've just read 3 plays by Wole Soyinka; The lion and the jewel, The trials of Nero, and Nero's Metamorphosis. Enjoyed the last two immensely!

Have just started Atonement by Ian McEwan.

CaroGirl said:

For the first time? If so, I envy you. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

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Yup, the very first time. Loved it, and I took away a lot more than an excellent story from the experience, too.

Now, I'm reading American Gods. Also for the first time.

I loved The Cider House Rules by John Irving. Read it twice. So much better than the movie (as most books are). Also read Hotel New Hampshire by him. Good, but not as good as The Cider House Rules. So I look forward to reading A Prayer For Owen Meany, once I get through Acceptable Risk by Robin Cook (not one of his better ones. Some good research into the latter part of New England's seventeenth century, though).

I'm thinking of reading A Widow for One Year after I'm through with American Gods.

Ooh... heard that was good. (Okay, next on my list to buy at a book sale--A Widow for One Year.)

*and the TBR pile grows...*

Oh, and I'm also re-reading On Writing. I don't know how many times this is. But I always pick it up when I need to feel inspired to get down to work.

Okay, Cranky. This is getting spooky. I just read part of that (On Writing by Stephen King) today. I have it right here on a shelf in the computer desk. (Cue the Twilight Zone music.)

Mine is sitting within arm's reach, right on top of my printer!

I just finished Charlaine Harris DEAD UNTIL DAWN. Liked it so much i bought all the rest in the series.

Right now I'm reading NIGHT LIFE by Caitlin Kitteridge. Up to Chapter Four and loving it!

The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun

I just finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Why do I feel so empty?

I'm in the middle of Rudy Rucker's 'Ware tetralogy (software, wetware, freeware, realware). I'm loving it! Last week I sent Rudy an email asking a question about how he did some of the character development for his latest book, Postsingular, and he emailed me back, which caused me to be a swooning fangirl. Oh yeah, you can read Postsingular for free on Rudy's website--it's great!