Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[lilac_jive]

I'm reading "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins (third in The Hunger Games trilogy). Over halfway through, not sure what my thoughts are yet.

[Poppa1956]

Originally Posted by Poppa1956

I'm loving the classics courtesy of B&N. Currently enjoying “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. One prevailing analysis of the story is that good ol’ Bram wanted to write about a forbidden topic, and Dracula is a story filled with scenes of that forbidden topic, thinly veiled by the presence of vampires.
Today, we have the freedom top discuss such things without having to conform to Victorian social mores. Today, assuming children of tender years are not present, we can openly and unashamedly discuss Nascar.

Finished "Drac" today — good to the last bite, actually the last hiss — and on to Little Women. From what I recall, Pip makes something of himself, and while Tom, Huck and Jim solve a mystery.

[stardustshadow]

I am currently reading 'A Star Called Henry' by Roddy Doyle. I was TRYING to save it for my transatlantic flight this saturday, but it was too good...!

[MelC]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I'm reading "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins (third in The Hunger Games trilogy). Over halfway through, not sure what my thoughts are yet.

Ifinished it this morning. I found it just as page turning as the first two.

Mel

[Rumpelteazer]

I finished Ann Radcliffe's "The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne" which I thought was a bit of a disappointment. I like her later novels where possible paranormal things happen that are later debunked.

I'm now reading David Gatesbury's "The Haunting of Strathmoor Heights", it's okay but not exactly subtle. The feelings of the main character aren't really described which makes the story not as scary as it could have been. It's just mentioned that she's scared when she sees a ghost and when it has gone the main character goes on with her business as if nothing happens.

It makes me want to reread Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" again. One of the few novels that I found scary.

[mrsquash]

I just finished "Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death" by Pulitzer-prize winning science writer Deborah Blum. Blum researched the book for three years and takes a very objective approach to her subject, not coming out for either "side".

It covers the early years of the Society for Psychical Research and its efforts to apply scientific methods to expose rampant spiritualist frauds and to investigate the mysteries which remained after the culling. Some of the events described are utterly baffling. I found it very enjoyable and thought-provoking. Highly recommended for you non-fiction fans out there.

Looking forward to the erelease of her book that came out on paper earlier this year: "The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York" (does she like big subtitles or what?). That's how I stumbled across "Ghost Hunters" -- I heard her flogging "Poisoner's" on the radio and was impressed by her so I went to Amazon to buy it but, alas, no ebook yet (damn you, Penguin!). But I did follow a link to her 2007 "Ghost Hunters" and bought it as an ebook (despite its lurid and misleading title; obviously a marketing ploy).

Hopefully Penguin will get its head out of its penguin-arse and release an ebook of Poisoner's Handbook soon. I've already got poisoning projects in mind! Bwaa-haa!

[DixieGal]

Finished Witches Abroad and that is 3 Discworld books in 2 weeks. I would like to start back and re-read them, but they were lost on my stolen laptop, except for the ones after Eric. I surely do not want to re-purchase them. Sigh.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Ea

Exploring the World of the Vikings by Richard Hall.

How is this? It sounds right up my alley.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Finished Witches Abroad and that is 3 Discworld books in 2 weeks. I would like to start back and re-read them, but they were lost on my stolen laptop, except for the ones after Eric. I surely do not want to re-purchase them. Sigh.

Where did you buy them from? Can't you re-download them?

BOb

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by BenG

I'm rereading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and just finished the second book in the series, The Great Hunt. Rereading the early books reminded me of how good the series was and why I've stuck with the series for so long(20 years!).
I think one of the main problems with the latter books was that there was no sense of moving toward an end or resolution to the main plot line. It didn't help that we had to wait 2-3 years before the next installment, so I think these latter books may be better when read straight through.

WoT is an example of Tolkien's comment about LoTR - "A tale that grew in the telling".

I believe it was originally intended to be a standard fantasy trilogy, but the more Jordan wrote, the more he discovered he had to write to tell the story he was trying to tell. He got progressively farther behind, and at one point Tor Books put him up in a hotel where he could write without distractions.

The last couple of books before Sanderson took over showed signs of movement. It reminded me of the German term zwischenzug used in chess. It refers to an intermediate move, where there is something you want to do, but you must first set up the conditions needed to do it. Jordan was moving his pieces around the board, getting them in place for the end game.

One of the things I like about Jordan is that he's good at misdirection. You may think you know where he's going, but when you get there, you discover it wasn't where you thought he was headed.
______
Dennis

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by mrsquash

I just finished "Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death" by Pulitzer-prize winning science writer Deborah Blum. Blum researched the book for three years and takes a very objective approach to her subject, not coming out for either "side".

Thanks for the idea - my library has this one as an e-book.

[hardgainer]

Finishing David Copperfield by Charles Dickens... Amazing book,despite it's been written like 150 years ago there are so many things you can relate to. The whole story is something really wonderfull. Far superior to many modern a writer.

Started "In The Woods" by Tana French. Advanced like 70 pages so far, very fresh and unique style of writing.

Couple weeks ago been reading Stuart Neville Collusion as a sequel to his novel The Twelve... Real rage turning. It was so gripping and real,so well and unpredictably plotted... I enjoyed it a lot.

[recluse]

Just started "Katyn: Stalin's Massacre and the Triumph of Truth" by Allen Paul, a nonfiction account of the murders of over 20,000 Poles by the Soviets in 1940 and the cover-up that lasted 50 years.
Well written and extremely moving.

[phenomshel]

Reading "A Vintage Affair" by Isabel Wolff. Really good so far.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

One of the things I like about Jordan is that he's good at misdirection. You may think you know where he's going, but when you get there, you discover it wasn't where you thought he was headed.
______
Dennis

I often felt I was going in circles and not getting anywhere .... Having to wait so long for each next book I lost track of who, where, what, when and how that I just cannot be bothered to re-visit it.
SOT by contrast has a more direct storyline, although it began to ramble and I don't think the later books had the excitement of the first couple - so much so that in some ways the ending was so-so, rather than conclusive.