All About Books discussion

Tell us about the books you are planning to read in August!

3/19

August Recommendation Swap:
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Paperbacks I've had sitting on my shelf for months:
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Books that are in my kindle:
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Ruthless by John Rector
Forty Days at Kamas by Preston Fleming
Letters to Zell by Camille Griep
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Dying To Forget by Trish Marie Dawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Pretty Dead by Anne Frasier

Audiobooks:
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
Under the Dome by Stephen King

New books I've gotten after writing this post
Paper Towns by John Green
Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly
1930 Aryl's Divide - Book Three by M.L. Gardner
Embers by Karen Ann Hopkins
The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

I think I'm going to read An Angel at my Table with another group, though I'm not sure yet as it isn't a very active group. However, I might be reading it on my own if the group doesn't agree on it, it's been on my shelf for a while and I really want to read it.
As for the rest, I like to pick books as I go, so no plans yet.

I started Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig and will probably still be reading it in Aug. I plan to read A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki and Bankok 8 by John Burdett for some f2f book clubs. I'll also probably finish The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books by Azar Nafisi in Aug. So far I love Dancing at the Rascal Fair about two young Scottish men who emigrate to Montana in 1889.

These to begin with; almost all easy reads: it's seaside time!!!
Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
Wlla Carter Death Comes for the Archbishop
Hawkins Paula  La ragazza del treno
Izner Claude Il mistero di Rue des Saints-Perès: Un'indagine di Victor Legris libraio investigatore
Vargas Fred  Tempi glaciali
Camilleri Andrea La giostra degli scambi

Laura, I really loved The Handmaid's Tale! It's one of my favorite books :-)

I've got two books already on the go which I want to finish this month:

The Corrections and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Also have a bunch of sci-fi that I've purchased or have on loan from a friend which I want to read:

Ready Player One
The Maze Runner
The Martian

Not sure if I'll get through them all, escpecially as the current reads of mine aren't short.

I will start with the following books that I didn't have time to read in July:

The Handmaid's Tale (read 1 star), started July 31st))

Thousand Pieces of Gold (read 3 stars)
The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity (read 4 stars)
The Young T. E. Lawrence (read 4 stars)
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (read 4 stars)
Things Fall Apart (read 3 stars)
Shadow Divers (read 3 stars)
The Good Earth (read 3 stars)
Backlands: A Novel (read 1 star)

And The Nightingale (read 2 stars)

which I got free from the Ford Audiobook Group here at GR. Join up and get it, but you have to be quick before the coupons disappear.

(See messages 8 and 65 for all books read this month.)

Marina wrote: "Laura, I really loved The Handmaid's Tale! It's one of my favorite books :-)"

It's opur group read for this month! Join in if only to comment!

Chrissie, I went to a talk by Norman Doidge, the author of The Brian's Way of Healing. His talk was very interesting and I'm sure his book will be worthwhile.

I'll prob read Invasion of the tearling and more but will figure it out. Am reading my last few July reads now.

Ann wrote: "Chrissie, I went to a talk by Norman Doidge, the author of The Brian's Way of Healing. His talk was very interesting and I'm sure his book will be worthwhile."

That is special, Ann, that you heard Norman Doidge talk. I thought I should know more. I personally was wondering what happens when blood glucose goes to low in your brain. It probably doesn't say anything about this though. I know that too high blood glucose destroys your brain and increases the risk for dementia. Anyhow I am curious. There is so much new information out there.

LauraT wrote: "Marina wrote: "Laura, I really loved The Handmaid's Tale! It's one of my favorite books :-)"

It's opur group read for this month! Join in if only to comment!"

Sure I will, thanks Laura!

Chrissie wrote: "Ann wrote: "Chrissie, I went to a talk by Norman Doidge, the author of The Brian's Way of Healing. His talk was very interesting and I'm sure his book will be worthwhile."

That is special, Ann, th..."

It's very heartening to learn how much the brain can heal and compensate for damage to it.

Ann, sounds good. Thanks for telling me of your meeting with the author.

I would like read

The Handmaids Tale (re-read)
Sons by Pearl Buck
Mort by Terry Pratchett's

continue long reads of Don Quioxte and China by John Heay

If I have time I would like to join Death Becomes the Archbishop readalong and maybe start Far from the Madding Crowd

With a new job I think this is a bit ambitious

My intentions in August are

Ten Cities that Made an Empire, started several months ago and then put on one side
Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life, for my face to face book group
My Brilliant Friend, group read in another GR group
Mr Mac and Me, I first read about this from someone in this group

And also some side reads, linked to a year long group read of The Novel: A Biography in another GR group:
Ethan Frome
The Diary of Adam and Eve
Rogue Herries

I have a very ambitiousAugust plan, fingers crossed

Far from the Madding Crowd, group read
The Handmaid's Tale, group read, re-read
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, face to face bookclub
The Lovely Bones, Miss You Forever, Sarum: The Novel of England, individual challenge
The Secret Keeper, borrowed book I must return

It won't take long to get through The Lovely Bones Evelyn, it's a great read. I remember reading it as 17yo when I supposed to be studying for exams...I couldn't put it down. Hope you like it.

Don Quixote (Currently location 7095/15,647, or 45% done, want to get approx 35% more read.)
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vol 1 (Currently location 2794/3966, or 70% done, want to finish it.)
X
Speaking in Bones
Dragonbane
The Breaking Point
I think I intend to read books 8-10 of J.D. Robb at some point too.

I have made up my mind to read The Handmaid's Tale. So very many people find it fantastic. Talk about indecision!

Gill wrote: "My intentions in August are

Ten Cities that Made an Empire, started several months ago and then put on one side
[book:Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search o..."

I want to read Ethan Frome too. And the Diary of Adam and Eve is really funny!

Chrissie wrote: "Gill wrote: "My intentions in August are

Ten Cities that Made an Empire, started several months ago and then put on one side
Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Islan..."</i>
I've been reading a few things by [author:Mark Twain, Chrissie. Sometimes I find him very funny, and sometimes I find him just a bit irritating.

Gil, my husband got irritated, but I laughed, though I think it is good it is short. I couldn't take a long one like that.

Erica wrote: "It won't take long to get through The Lovely Bones Evelyn, it's a great read. I remember reading it as 17yo when I supposed to be studying for exams...I couldn't put it down. Hope you like it."

I've already picked up all my planned reads and leafed through them, The Lovely Bones has a larger font as well. At my age, that helps with the speed of my reading!

July group reads to finish:
All the Light We Cannot See 1 star
Kim 2 stars

August group reads:
Far from the Madding Crowd (AAB) 3 stars
Suite Française (AAB seasonal author) currently listening
Don Quixote (Catching up on Classics)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (The F-Word) 4 stars

Personal challenges:
The Odyssey
Yellow Crocus 3 stars
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? postponed for Sep group read
Eros Unbound 2/3 stars

My planned reads include:

* The Man of Property
* A Scanner Darkly
* The Nightingale (read-along)
* The Age of Innocence (group read)
* Some mystery books for August monthly fiction (Murder at the Vicarage and The Beautiful Mystery but probably I will read more)
* True story/True crime/Current Events for August monthly non-fiction: Christie: A Family's Tragic Loss and a Mother's Fight for Justice or Phenomena: The Lost and Forgotten Children
* A few books for the Bingo
* A couple of books that I already own to clear up my bookshelves :)

Marina wrote: "I think I'm going to read An Angel at my Table with another group, though I'm not sure yet as it isn't a very active group. However, I might be reading it on my own if the group doesn..."

The book you mention by Janet Frame reminds me that I want to read Towards Another Summer.... Thanks for the reminder.

This is my tentative plan for August. It depends on the availability of books from my library. (And there's always room for a surprise or two.)

Fiction
Circling the Sun
Crooked (Richard Nixon has a role in this--can't wait!)
Satin Island
Did You Ever Have a Family
Church of Marvels
Saint Mazie
Wind/Pinball: Two Early Novels

Short Stories
The Best American Short Stories 1953
My Life as a Mermaid, and Other Stories
Love and Other Wounds: Stories

Nonfiction
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration (started in July, it's a long book and a great read)
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

I will be continuing with Sacajawea, wish I could read on it a little more/faster. And likely won't get to any summer-themed books either :(

Fir my f2f book club I'll be reading The Impossible Knife of Memory. I'm supposed to join in on a group read of Mudbound. Then, if by some miracle happens I would like to start on The Shipping News. I'll also be trying to listen/run to New Moon.

@Erica - RPO is such a good book! I hope you like it.

Kiwi wrote: "My planned reads include:

* The Man of Property
* A Scanner Darkly
* The Nightingale (read-along)
* The Age of Innocence (group read)
* So..."

I loved both The Man of Property and The Age of Innocence Kiwi, and I really enjoyed Murder at the Vicarage too!

Well, I don't have the slightest hope of finishing all the reads I'd like to participate in, even after winnowing down my groups.

Will definitely read:

Group Reads:
(finish) Evening Crowd at Kirmser's: A Gay Life in the 1940s by Ricardo J. Brown
Another Country by James Baldwin

Readalongs
(finish) American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Desperately hoping to Read:

Group Reads
Joyland by Stephen King
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

Maybe Read

Group Reads:
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
(re-read) Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Tomorrow I'll be picking up The Good Earth from my local library and next week will pick up The Odyssey from the downtown library. So these will definitely be my August reads. I'm waiting in line for All Quiet on the Western Front, so this is a "maybe" for August.

It's too bad I probably won't have The Handmaid's Tale in time for the Group read :(

Currently 40% done with The Woman in White.

Finally updated my list in post Number two.

Alice, consider yourself lucky. I just completed The Handmaid's Tale and gave it one star. My response is emotional. I am not judging the cleverness of Atwood. I absolutely hated it by book's end. I never like Atwood's endings. I will read no more by her. Never.

Haha, oh Chrissie, 1 star! I really thought you could have gone either way on this one, but thought you should read it yourself to find out. Definitely no more Atwood for you!

I've finished it right now and I have to say I rather liked it. The ending as well! De gustibus... ;-)

I don't even know if I have the energy for a review, Pink. NOT my cup of tea. I absolutely hated it. That isn't to say that as a book of fiction it wasn't "masterfully" done. Just not for me AT ALL. The ending just finished me off. Uschhhhh. I am recuperating at the moment.

Laura, you like that gimmicky ending?!

Yes Chrissie! I thought it a great way out of it. Totally unespected!

Chrissie wrote: "Alice, consider yourself lucky. I just completed The Handmaid's Tale and gave it one star. My response is emotional. I am not judging the cleverness of Atwood. I absolutely hated it by..."

Chrissie
A/ I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy the book

B/ So often, when you don't like or are not sure whether you will like a book, you post such excellent comments, I look forward to those occasions!

Chrissie, the ending is the only part I didn't like. I thought it should have finished before this part, but I know some people enjoy this addition and think it's the best bit!

I think I'm still recovering from All the Light We Cannot See, I didn't feel like reviewing when I finished either, but once I started it became a rant.

All of my reads for August are continuing...

Don Quixote as part of a group read -I'm about 30% done.

The Troll Garden: Short Stories by Willa Cather

Life of Christ by Fulton J. Sheen as part of a group read.

The Best of Poetry: Thoughts that Breathe and Words that Burn. Enjoying this sampling of poetry as I expand my world...and how can you resist that title? :)

At Blackwater Pond: Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver. This is another new expierence...listening to poetry, which turns out to be quite enjoyable!

I may try to squeeze in Persuasion by Jane Austen for another group read but it will depend on how DQ is going...

Happy reading everyone!

Susie wrote: "
The Best of Poetry: Thoughts that Breathe and Words that Burn. Enjoying this sampling of poetry as I expand my world...and how can you resist that title? :)
..."

That is a fantastic title Susie!

Greg wrote: "Susie wrote: "
The Best of Poetry: Thoughts that Breathe and Words that Burn. Enjoying this sampling of poetry as I expand my world...and how can you resist that title? :)
..."

That is a fantastic..."

Susan, I've just looked at this and it's a fabulous, cheap!, poetry book. I've bought it for my kindle. Thanks!

Gill wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Alice, consider yourself lucky. I just completed The Handmaid's Tale and gave it one star. My response is emotional. I am not judging the cleverness of Atwood. I absol..."

I did not write a good review. It sucks totally. I am so upset I cannot think straight. The book is too long, too exaggerated. It teaches nothing and basically it is written to make you extremely uncomfortable. It is a horror story. Sorry, all of you who love it. Ughhhh.

I don't no why I get so drawn up into books. The Handmaid's Tale just wrecked me.

Pink, the ending finished me off. On and on and on. Yuck. I don't care if the conclusion was clever; I disliked it. You can be too clever.

Chrissie, like Pink I just wasn't sure what you were going to think. I thought it could go either way.

If exaggeration is the problem though, didn't you think 1984 was exaggerated too? Just curious Chrissie. I enjoy understanding why people like or don't like certain books.

Pink wrote: "Chrissie, the ending is the only part I didn't like. I thought it should have finished before this part, but I know some people enjoy this addition and think it's the best bit!

I think I'm still ..."

That is what mine became for Atwood's.