What are you reading the week of June 12, 2011?

[DUgosh]

The Reversal by Michael Connelly. Half brothers Mickey Haller/Harry Bosch Legal/Cop Thriller

[Xipe Totec]

1. Last Snow - eric Van Lustbader nt

[classof56]

2. My husband just read that one--he's a Connelly fan.

I'm reading Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith. I love Mma Ramostwe and her #1 Ladies Detective Club adventures!

[earthside]

3. "Thunderball"

I'm reading all of the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming ... eight read, six more to go.

Great reads, better than the movies.

[fadedrose]

16. Good author...

Would be nice if you'd add Fleming to the Fiction Book Series Author List (A-Z) with a few comments. I never read Bond but saw all his movies. Are the books better in what way?

Thanks..

[fadedrose]

4. THE CLEANER by Brett Battles

Just at the beginning - good so far.

R

Book 45

[fadedrose]

39. Pretty good

Hope the author can keep up the pace...

[lordsummerisle]

5. Winner-Take-All Politics n/t

[mckara]

6. How to Read Literature Like a Professor - Thomas C. Foster

[pscot]

7. The Essential Calvin and Hobbs

the Indispensible Calvin and Hobbs and the Definitive Calvin and Hobbs. When you buy your own birthday presents, you always get the perfect gift. Also, Bede's Ecclesiastical History.

[TheWraith]

26. How I miss Calvin and Hobbes.

Someday I need to complete my collection. :)

[msedano]

8. debut novel, Ocotillo Dreams

from Bilingual Press, by poet Melinda Palacio. A superbly elegant treatment of women getting even with the asshole men in their lives. It will shake up traditional males and prudes. Echoes of Mother Tongue and Peel My Love Like an Onion, but distinctively itself.

mvs

[correaman13]

9. thus spake zarathustra- nietzsche

I've finished parts 1&2. Currently wrapping up part 3 and I hope to have the fourth and final part done within the week. Its been everything I expected it to be.

[hippywife]

10. Just finished An Embarrassment of Mangoes

by Ann Vanderhoof. Non-fiction but a very good read. Getting ready to start The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. Still reading Testimony of Two Men by Taylor Caldwell.

I am enjoying this book so much. It is at times a slow read because I am so impressed by a profound comment that I have to re-read it.

[MaineDem]

12. "A Great Deliverance" by Elizabeth George

The first Inspector Lynley book.

[Louisiana1976]

14. I recently read that--

it was excellent.

[fadedrose]

15. Loved it...

Wasn't an easy book to get, either. Had to borrow from another library - and the paperback was so beat up it wouldn't stay together well enough to read. Finally ended up with the large print.

I liked it very much, and it was worth the struggle.

[MaineDem]

20. I got it from I-books

I couldn't find it anywhere else. So I'm reading it on my Ipod. But it's still good.

I've read the later books but, thanks to you, I decided to go back and start at the beginning.

[Louisiana1976]

13. A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

[fadedrose]

17. Is this like X-Files?

I looked at

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/H_Authors/Hamilton_Laurell-K.html

and see where this series is about vampires (not my favorite villain). I know there are folks here who do like vampires tho and might appreciate your adding it to the Fiction Book Series Authors A-Z with some hint as to the mood of the books...humorous, gory, etc?

Thanks a lot.

[pitohui]

30. not like the xfiles, it's porn

my library has lots of hamilton, which kinda surprises me, but i finally concluded the librarians don't read all the books they buy, they just heard "vampires, cool, the in thing" and have no idea what they're purchasing

i'm not gonna be the one to tell 'em either

[mvccd1000]

18. The Ass is a Poor Receptacle for the Head

Not sure this qualifies as fiction, but it's an essay by one of my favorite fiction authors: Barry Eisler.

The full title is: The Ass is a Poor Receptacle for the Head: Why Democrats Suck at Communication, and How They Could Improve."

He displays a bit more humor and political writing than he allows into his novels, and it makes a great read.

From Amazon:

Regardless of what you think of their policies, the sad truth is that Democrats suck at selling their ideas to the public. In this hilarious and hard-hitting essay (about 10,000 words, or about 50 pages in paper), best-selling novelist and political blogger Barry Eisler draws on his expertise in narrative, his CIA training in persuasion, his time as an international intellectual property lawyer, and his background in technology marketing to offer Democrats some sound advice on how to improve their communications strategy. Borrowing principles from judo and boxing; using examples from advertising, movies, plays, speeches, and debates; and offering case studies of actual policy rollout successes and disasters, Eisler encourages Democrats to force Republicans to fight on Democratic terms, to use Republicans' own moves against them, and to not just slip a punch, but to hammer their opponents into a rhetorical corner and knock them the hell out.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

42. You have to love the name

It sounds really interesting also, think I will see if our library has it!

[fadedrose]

43. I tried my library...

they didn't have it. I also tried the state libraries website to see if I could get it through interlibrary loan, and no-go, no got'em.

Amazon has the kindle thingy, and this other place has other formats (no paper books):

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59375

[didact]

19. A Clash of Kings - GRR Martin

eom

[TheWraith]

27. Just started that myself today, after finishing A Game of Thrones. nt

[japple]

21. Richard Russo's book, Bridge of Sighs. Man oh man what a good

writer he is.

[The Roux Comes First]

23. I Have a Big Thing for Russo Also

But now that I look back on my reading log, it includes only Straight Man, Risk Pool, Empire Falls, and Cape Cod Magic (but there is a great story there, maybe for later). I guess I need to get out more.

[The Roux Comes First]

22. The Imperfectionists, Tom Rachman

Multi-stranded tale loosely woven about the concept of an English-language newspaper set in Rome. I'm a quarter through and not gripped but entertained. And challenged with constant shifting in scenes, a commonplace in much modern fiction, but I have been lazily basking in more straightforward fiction, lately.

Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station, listened to on road trip last weekend. Good fun - both book and trip. I've enjoyed 5 or 6 of the Pollifax series at this point, half on paper and half audio, and have enjoyed them all. There can be a little formula to them at times.

J. Cain's Mildred Pierce, just finished over the weekend. After this book, no child should bear the name of Vera!

[elfin]

29. Read that last summer

Liked it, but couldn't rave about it like many of my friends - and reviewers.

[tortoise1956]

24. Re-reading the Otherland series by Tad Williams

One of the good things about memory loss is that I can re-read a book and it's like new again...and it helps that this series is definitely long on imagery! This is a great SF series. If you haven't read it, I recommend picking up a used copy of the first book, or maybe check it out from the library, Adan see if you like it as much as I do.

[Onceuponalife]

40. Read that years ago

Outstanding. One of my favorite series and I will definitely re-read it someday. Tad Williams is one of the best fantasy writers out there. Have also read Williams' War of the Flowers and the fist book of Memory of Sorrow and Thorn. Looking forward to Shadowmarch!

[MaineDem]

25. I just want to say how much I appreciate this thread

Thank you, DUgosh, and all who post here. I get so much information from you all.

[DUgosh]

37. Ahwwww

:)

[elfin]

28. Still reading "Stone's Fall" by iain Pears

Many parallels to today's financial power plays set in pre WWI England and the continent. History mystery with lots of fun details and substance.

600 pages -- a good summer choice.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. I read it last year

Good book with a somewhat disturbing ending.

[elfin]

35. Thanks for the heads up

Am on pg. 394 and prepared for ambiguity so far. Still liking it so far.

[pitohui]

31. freedom by jonathan franzen

it was ok but...um...maybe don't read this comment if you haven't read the book...anyways the characters were a bunch of tedious losers, not that losers don't deserve to have their stories told but it certainly reaffirms why i don't waste my time w. people like this, professional musicians suck, the women who drool on professional musicians suck, and the idiots who marry women who drool on professional musicians suck...everybody in the story sucked!!! i kinda wish they had all died, instead of just the stupid ass chick who drooled on the husband of the woman who drooled on the stupid-ass musician...if they had all died in a blaze of glory it would have been a lot more entertaining, tee hee

[AngryOldDem]

36. I was very disappointed in that book.

I remember thinking when I finished it, "WTF was that all about?"

I was really looking forward to reading it because I had really enjoyed "The Corrections."

[Rabblevox]

44. self-delete, posted in wrong thread

[SheilaT]

33. Room by Emma Donoghue.

I started it yesterday at work (I have a desk job where I can get away with reading on the job) and I'm now about halfway through. So far it is the most amazing book I've ever read.

[Mz Pip]

34. Beach Music by Pat Conroy

Just finished Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen with was wonderful.

[fadedrose]

38. DRINK THE TEA by Thomas Kaufman (2010)

It took 4 days to finish this, a long time for a 290 pp book, because of planting 4 flats of flowers. Finally, good weather for yard work; late for planting, but it's been so cold.

The story was confusing, (that may be because I'm preoccupied with the yard that it was hard to remember what I read the last time I picked it up), but I liked the book. The character is a real character, sassy and witty, and good-hearted. He deduced listening to a deep southern congressman's speech that "y'all" means one person and "all y'all" means more than one. :)

This is the first of a series, and the second book, Steal the Show, is coming out July 5, which makes it a good candidate for anyone wanting to start a new mystery series without reading 47 books. Main series character is Willis Gidney and it takes place in Washington, D. C. He's a private eye...

Book 46

[NEOhiodemocrat]

41. I was at the beach, had to scrounge for books to read!

Read the three book series The Hunger Games, The Girl Who was on Fire, and Mockingjay. I know, I know, they are kids books! But I was desperate! Actually pretty good and nice anti-war, questioning of government and government oficials in them. I am going to buy them for my grand daughter for Christmas! Also read All Quiet On the Western Front. Going to the library tomorrow to get something new to read!