MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

Synamon · 02-28-2014, 02:19 PM

Hmmm, I haven't posted what I've read for a while so this will be a long list.

I enjoyed reading a couple of Agatha Christie books, A Pocketful of Rye and Murder in the Mews. I'm halfway through One, Two, Buckle My Shoe and, as always, delighted by Hercule Poirot.

At the end of last year I discovered a new mystery series, written by Mark Douglas-Home featuring an oceanographer. The Sea Detective and The Woman Who Walked into the Sea were clever and the unusual detective made them my best find of the year.

I listened to two Dresden Files stories, Changes (#12) and Ghost Story (#13) by Jim Butcher, and for whatever reason the second was narrated by John Glover instead of James Marsters. This totally threw me off and since I feel the series is running out of steam anyway I'm tempted to give up on it. I've only been listening to these because my husband likes them and we chat about each once we've finished.

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell was released last fall and while I always enjoy his books, the premise of this one wasn't quite as convincing as some of his others.

You can add my voice to those recommending Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Wonderful short stories that were equal parts fascinating and disturbing.

I tried and gave up on Unseen by Mari Jungstedt. Perhaps it was the fault of the translation, but I found it stilted and dull.

I finished off Hugh Howey's Silo Saga, reading the Shift Omnibus and Dust and would recommend the series to scifi fans. Great story-telling.

I gave Life After Life by Kate Atkinson another go and this time did manage to finish it, although I'd only rate it average. This is the second book of hers that I struggled reading, her prose doesn't resonate with me so the story tends to fall flat.

I read my last Josephine Tey book, Miss Pym Disposes. This one wasn't as much of a mystery and was set at a girl's school. It really is a shame she didn't write more books, her words flow easily for me when reading.

Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw by Will Fergusson immersed me in silly Canadiana in preparation for cheering on our team in the Winter Olympics.

The second Elvis Cole book, Stalking the Angel by Robert Crais didn't disappoint. I enjoy the books that focus on Cole and only have a little Joe Pike, those centered around Pike lack the wit of the earlier books in the series. I also listened to The Suspect and The Two Minute Rule, both standalone novels and both entertaining.

Up next was The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece. Very good narrative non-fiction that exposes the underbelly of the art world.

Coincidentally I listened to The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which centered around a stolen masterpiece. The book's main character was an addict whose story seemed whiny to me at times and I'm a bit baffled by the critical raves this book received.

I struggled to finish The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. I'd seen this recommended by a few people, but never cared about any of the characters or what happened to them.

A collection of short stories, Tenth of December by George Saunders won awards and critical acclaim so I gave it a try and it made me smile. Most of the stories are from a child's perspective and had a tragedy or twist that made you hold your breath when reading.

I listened to Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green, a story with each Will written in alternating chapters by the two different authors and narrated by two different people. The 17 year old exchange student staying with me enjoyed it tremendously and I'll be looking for more books by John Green since I also loved his The Fault in Our Stars.

I read the second of Georgette Heyer's mysteries, Behold, Here's Poison and found it predictable and slow. I clearly don't hold this author in as much esteem as many on this forum do. Oh well, I did give her a fair try.

I listened to Daemon and am currently listening to the sequel Freedom, by Daniel Suarez. The story depicts a world controlled by a computer AI which runs things as though we are all in a computer game, in contrast to our current world controlled by corporate interests. Took a while to get into it, but the individual chapters about people bring it to life.

02-28-2014, 02:19 PM	#19089
Synamon Lunatic Posts: 1,691 Karma: 4386372 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Land of the Loonie Device: Kindle Paperwhite and Keyboard, Kobo Aura, iPad mini, iPod Touch	Hmmm, I haven't posted what I've read for a while so this will be a long list. I enjoyed reading a couple of Agatha Christie books, A Pocketful of Rye and Murder in the Mews. I'm halfway through One, Two, Buckle My Shoe and, as always, delighted by Hercule Poirot. At the end of last year I discovered a new mystery series, written by Mark Douglas-Home featuring an oceanographer. The Sea Detective and The Woman Who Walked into the Sea were clever and the unusual detective made them my best find of the year. I listened to two Dresden Files stories, Changes (#12) and Ghost Story (#13) by Jim Butcher, and for whatever reason the second was narrated by John Glover instead of James Marsters. This totally threw me off and since I feel the series is running out of steam anyway I'm tempted to give up on it. I've only been listening to these because my husband likes them and we chat about each once we've finished. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell was released last fall and while I always enjoy his books, the premise of this one wasn't quite as convincing as some of his others. You can add my voice to those recommending Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Wonderful short stories that were equal parts fascinating and disturbing. I tried and gave up on Unseen by Mari Jungstedt. Perhaps it was the fault of the translation, but I found it stilted and dull. I finished off Hugh Howey's Silo Saga, reading the Shift Omnibus and Dust and would recommend the series to scifi fans. Great story-telling. I gave Life After Life by Kate Atkinson another go and this time did manage to finish it, although I'd only rate it average. This is the second book of hers that I struggled reading, her prose doesn't resonate with me so the story tends to fall flat. I read my last Josephine Tey book, Miss Pym Disposes. This one wasn't as much of a mystery and was set at a girl's school. It really is a shame she didn't write more books, her words flow easily for me when reading. Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw by Will Fergusson immersed me in silly Canadiana in preparation for cheering on our team in the Winter Olympics. The second Elvis Cole book, Stalking the Angel by Robert Crais didn't disappoint. I enjoy the books that focus on Cole and only have a little Joe Pike, those centered around Pike lack the wit of the earlier books in the series. I also listened to The Suspect and The Two Minute Rule, both standalone novels and both entertaining. Up next was The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece. Very good narrative non-fiction that exposes the underbelly of the art world. Coincidentally I listened to The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which centered around a stolen masterpiece. The book's main character was an addict whose story seemed whiny to me at times and I'm a bit baffled by the critical raves this book received. I struggled to finish The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. I'd seen this recommended by a few people, but never cared about any of the characters or what happened to them. A collection of short stories, Tenth of December by George Saunders won awards and critical acclaim so I gave it a try and it made me smile. Most of the stories are from a child's perspective and had a tragedy or twist that made you hold your breath when reading. I listened to Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green, a story with each Will written in alternating chapters by the two different authors and narrated by two different people. The 17 year old exchange student staying with me enjoyed it tremendously and I'll be looking for more books by John Green since I also loved his The Fault in Our Stars. I read the second of Georgette Heyer's mysteries, Behold, Here's Poison and found it predictable and slow. I clearly don't hold this author in as much esteem as many on this forum do. Oh well, I did give her a fair try. I listened to Daemon and am currently listening to the sequel Freedom, by Daniel Suarez. The story depicts a world controlled by a computer AI which runs things as though we are all in a computer game, in contrast to our current world controlled by corporate interests. Took a while to get into it, but the individual chapters about people bring it to life.