You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Tell us what you are reading and why you're reading that particular book!

I'm starting .
I really enjoy this graphic novel series! I hope this isn't the last one in the series.

I've started listening to The Halo Effect so that it can count towards my second rainbow.

Janice wrote: "I've started listening to The Halo Effect so that it can count towards my second rainbow."

Can you let me know how you like that one Janice? I got it as a kindle freebie (I think) and I've been really curious about it.

The Halo Effect was a 10 hour book that I started yesterday and finished today. In spite of listening non-stop all day today, I only rated it 3 stars. I was really invested in learning the outcome of the mystery which turned out to be a bit predictable.

The protagonist was annoyingly stupid and I wanted to smack her. She had more emotional issues than her patients.

There is some graphic sexual stories in the book, so be forewarned.

I have the next book in the series on audiobook, but I won't listen to it right away. The male narrator has one sexy voice. (Just thought I would throw that in.)

I finished Locke and Key, Vol. 5: Clockworks and Progeny and gave both 4 stars.

Now I'm starting

I finished: The Calligrapher's Daughter
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
and before that
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Neither were bad, but now I want a really, really remarkable book. Something super.....
Japanese Inn. Oliver Statleruses stories from the history of an ancient Japanese inn called the Minaguchi-ya to illustrate the colorful history of Japan from 1569 through 1957, similar to the technique employed by Ivo Andrićn in his great book: The Bridge on the Drina. I did love that one!

I can't believe it! I don't have one single book on the go. Although I have a list of books to read for December, I don't know where to do and what to chose next. Maybe I should try J'Mom's randomizer.

I see there are a few of us who seem to be in a reading slump.

Janice wrote: "The Halo Effect was a 10 hour book that I started yesterday and finished today. In spite of listening non-stop all day today, I only rated it 3 stars. I was really invested in learning the outcom..."

Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!

Just finished Cloud Atlas for the theme read here. Wow, that was just fabulous. One of my books of the year.

Next it's Breakfast at Tiffany's, for another group read.

Well I finished which I enjoyed a lot. It was even better than the first one by a smidgen. 4.5 stars.

Now I've started which I have to have finished and returned by the 8th. I might start later on today when I go pick it up. Not sure yet though.

Helen wrote: "Just finished Cloud Atlas for the theme read here. Wow, that was just fabulous. One of my books of the year.

Next it's Breakfast at Tiffany's, for another group read."

I hope you have better luck with Breakfast at Tiffany's than I did Helen. For some reason I can never get into his writing. I remember reading that one for my first toppler last December.

I started listening to Pathfinder and not really keen on it so far. Plus, I started reading The Loch last night.

I just finished Still Alice which I found an insightful but difficult read.
This is my review www.goodreads.com/review/show/436290475

Janice wrote: "I started listening to Pathfinder and not really keen on it so far. Plus, I started reading The Loch last night."

I love The Loch Janice that book and his Megalodon series are among my favourites.

Amber, I loved The Sword in the Stone when I read it a couple of years ago. How are you liking it?

Just collected this month's RL book group - The Woman in White, which is a brilliant (although not very short) read. Really looking forward to reading this again.

Amber wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Amber, I loved The Sword in the Stone when I read it a couple of years ago. How are you liking it?"

I am LOVING it! The narrator does a fantastic job with the voices. It's hard ..."

I think I'll have to check out the audiobook then!

Spending a fair bit of the next 2 days on a train, so have smuggled Mugby Junction into the handbag. A series of short stories that are set on different lines from a junction station, it seems mildly appropriate.
Also packed The Age of Miracles. Hoping I don't need one for all my connections to work...

I am reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich because I ALWAYS read everything she writes (usually). Very good so far.

Also, I am listening to the audio book of The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss because it was recommended by someone here on Goodreads (sorry, I don't remember who). Am enjoying it. A little lost sometimes about the financial part of it, because I am not much of a financier. But it is entertaining anyway.

I am currently reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte..The reason behind my selecting it for reading is that I read Jane Eyre of Charlote Bronte last year, which is one of my favourite books ever read. So I felt that I should read her sister's novels too as there would be some influence of elder sister over youngers.... Well I also read a lot of appreciation of Bronte sister's works. In fact, I am enjoying reading it.

I have completed The Gods of Gotham
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

and am now listening to the memoir: Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story about growing up in Kenya, elephants and the Mau Mau Rebellion is included too!

Chrissie wrote: "I have completed The Gods of Gotham
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

and am now listening to the memoir: Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story about growing up ..."

I'm curious as to what you think about this one too. I've watched a couple of specials about Daphne Sheldrick's work.

I'm Starting .

Kimberly and Judy, I have read about half. Re: Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story

Christmas in Wine Country



finishing from toppler

75 % done and could be a better book if grammar/spelling had been edited.

need a respite from christmas so

The Roots of Obama's Rage

I finished Japanese Inn.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Although similar in lay out, offering stories about a particular place, the writing does NOT have the flair of The Bridge on the Drina. Now that IS a wonderful book, where the city itself has a presence. Beautiful writing. I hate it when one book is compared to another and does live up to the comparison. One being flat and the other beautiful. Here is why I loved Ivo Andrić!s book: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... I gave the Japanese book two stars and the Bosnian one 5 stars; it is all in the writing!

Now I have started, hesitantly, The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. In fact it is interesting. I thought I would love the Japanese Inn, and I didn't. The Great Mortality I have been putting off for ages, and hey it may be really good!!!

Re: Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story

Judy, I wrote my views here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... I cannot give you a good answer in just one sentence!

I am not finished with The Round House by Louise Erdrich and it is due back at the library. Sometimes I will keep a book a few days longer and pay the fine, but i think I'll return it and take it out again later. I haven't been able to read much lately. I will start Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail today and hope to finish it before it is due back. Almost finished with The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss on audiobook.

I started reading a book I bought a long time ago, Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New You.

I read that one not long ago Iolanda! I missed the whole V.C. Andrews craze in the '80's - I'm only 30 years behind!

I am about to start reading Wuthering Bites. Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite novels so it will be interesting to see it rewritten as a vampire novel.

Wuthering Bites sounds like it could be a fun read!

Janice wrote: "Wuthering Bites sounds like it could be a fun read!"

I may have to read that one too. LOL!!!

Oh - I already had it on my TBR list...

Finished Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story
On completion, I have changed my review a bit: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I will read In Sunlight and in Shadow. I loved A Soldier of the Great War but detested Winter's Tale, all by Mark Helprin. It is new. It is nice and long. I hope it is good.

Cherie wrote: "Oh - I already had it on my TBR list..."

LOL! That tickled my funny bone, Cherie!

The Best of Me
Nicholas Sparks



very soothing read by Sean Pratt even though the story is about tough times.

Iolanda wrote: "That's great! Did you enjoy it Kat?"
It certainly wasn't a literary masterpiece but it was fun to read! I can see why it appealed to so many teenage girls when it was first published.

While on the road I read several easy reads like mysteries and YA. Now I am reading Anna Karenina because I suddenly realized that I had never read it and there is a movie being made and I would want to read the book prior to seeing the movie. How did this gap in my reading happen? Isn't this a classic?

I finished The White Tiger 3 stars. Now will start The Penny by Joyce Meyer

I've read a slew since the last time I posted:

Out on the Cutting Edge part of a rare series reread for me.

The Last Coyote an early offering in a series I love, one I hadn't read before.

The Sweetest Taboo nice relaxing chick-lit fluff.

Casting Spells first in a series I'll definitely read more of...

The Last Man -- Love Mitch Rapp!

Currently reading
A Hoe Lot of Trouble first in this series that I've read, although I love her Lucy Valentine and wishcraft series.

The Point in the Market -- if you're not familiar with this series, Pearce paints early 20th century Egypt so clearly the country is like a character in the book. This series is hugely underrated-- I seldom see it mentioned, and it's wonderful.

Judy wrote: "That title, A Hoe Lot of Trouble cracks me up, Jennifer!"

Yeah, I like it too. And the book is good!

Just finished Once We Were Brothers
This is my review www.goodreads.com/review/show/462382501

Ouch, did not discover this thread before, my bad.

I am in the middle of my newly bought anthology The Beautiful Anthology. Love it so far. A collection of non-fictional essays about what is beautiful and how we approach it, mixed with short stories, poems and photos. A wide range of different point of views, often shared via personal stories by the writers.

And.... "finished" the worst novel of the year lol okay, read only four chapters before I had enough Abigail Dare. Should have downloaded a sample lol Too-Stupid-Too-Live characters, idiotic dialogues, juvenile writing style and using far too many sentences too "tell" what I already know. I am not one to trash books normally but this little stinker wasnt worth the money.

I finished In Sunlight and in Shadow
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I can only recommend it to some people.

Will startEx Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader tomorrow. Embarrassing that I still haven't read this. I have been putting it off since it is essays; I usually prefer longer books.

Finished Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader in just one day! I prefer longer books, but it was funny and will appeal to just about all of us. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I am crazy about Colum McCann's writing, so now I will begin my third book by him: Dancer. So far I definitely like it. This book has several narrators. One of them, Suzanne Toren, was in fact the narrator of "Ex Libris". She did a marvelous job.

Judy wrote: "Chrissie, I held off adding this book to my list until a few more people read it. I'm glad I did, because I can see I would be disappointed. But, but the cover is so-o beautiful! (sigh)"

It is not a waste of time to read if you like books filled with philosophical tangents. I LOVED parts; other parts had me yawning. A Soldier of the Great War was simply fantastic. In fact some funny things about Mark Helprin are mentioned in "ExLibris"!

Not yet started but I will entertain myself then with "The Wall" http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58... by Marlen Haushofer. A dystopian, feminist but also back-to-nature themed, classic of German speaking literature. Need to add the link, the "add book/author" does not work, sorry. Too many titles to make my way through them all now.

Finished The Beautiful Anthology and reviewed it. Certainly the longest I have ever written lol and yikes, it is the first from a non-contributor :D No idea if it my review is any good lol

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I'm reading Rachel Abbott's Only the Innocent - because it got some great reviews and hit the news as an indie pub'd bestseller...

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...