Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Team Members:

Bea
Tien
Susan
Fairlee

Members pick 4 books for each other: one theme and three others

My picks for Susan:

1. Up the Line by Robert Silverberg - THEME

2. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - Has been highly recommended to me.

3. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - an author I really like

4. The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian - another author I have just recently read and like

My picks for Fairlee:

1. Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton - THEME

2. Families Where Grace Is in Place by Jeff VanVonderen - the highest rated book on your list

3. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris - I rated it 4*. Hope you enjoy it too.

4.The Morning Show Murders by Al Roker - Just because it is sometimes fun to read a celebrity's try at fiction.

My picks for Tien:

1. Unforgotten by Tohby Riddle - THEME

2. Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper -- Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell - a CT author (my home state)

3. The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner - an author I like

4. Thirteen Steps Down by Ruth Rendell - a mystery classic writer

Bea wrote: "My picks for Tien:..."

Thanks, Bea! I'd definitely by reading Unforgotten as it'll fit in my Zombie cycle :)

My picks for Bea:

1. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson - THEME

2. Sacred Country by Rose Tremain - I've been meaning to read one of her books, I'll do so vicariously ;)

3. Exit to Eden by Anne Rampling - stood out from your POTS shelf as it seems quite "different" from the rest of your books ;)

4. The Stone Bull by Phyllis A. Whitney - the 'dancer' bit the blurb captured my attention.

For Bea- For the sake of Elena-Elizabeth George-Theme Beloved by Toni Morrison-heard good things about this one Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows-J.k.Rawling The Practice by John Grisham-love his books

My picks for Susan:

Saw Bea picked On the Jellicoe Road for you, I'll second it here cuz they're about to film the movie! and of course, author's Aussie ;)

1. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama -THEME

2. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - interesting read, my f2f bookclub next book, and he's Aussie too.

3. The Passage by Justin Cronin - a very good read

4. The Habitation of the Blessed by Catherynne M. Valente -sounds really interesting

For Susan-Act One-Nancy Kress-Theme The Murder at the Vicarage-Agatha Christie-loved this one The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes-Arthur Conan Doyle The God Box-Alex Sanchez

My picks for Fairlee:

1. The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves - THEME

2. Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady by Kate Summerscale - I enjoyed her earlier novel and have this one on my TBR

3. Killer Librarian by Mary Lou Kirwin - love this title!

4. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs - I loved this series (the earlier books anyway)

@ Tien and Fairlee. Thanks for the picks. Now to decide what I will read and which one I will start with. My list was made up of books I really want to read. Y'all are just helping me thin it out a bit.

Can't wait to see what Susan picks.

Tien- sorry storm last nite knocked my computer out. A Bend in the Road-Nicholas Spark-Theme Well Done these Men-Barry Heard Life after Life-Kate Atkinson The Princess and the Goblin-George MacDonald

Sorry I'm late, teammates. I didn't see this was up yesterday.

My picks for Bea:
Ghost Riders - THEME
Animal Dreams - because I've heard great and not-so-great things about various books by Kingsolver, and would like to know what you think about this one.
The Ghost Singer - because it's the one that most made me want to add it to my TBR
Stone Angel - a mystery series I hadn't heard of

Will be back as soon as I can with Tien's and Fairlee's

Thanks for the picks, Susan. I now have to pick three from the list of 12 y'all provided for me.

Hmmm. I am sure it is OK if I read more than three....right?

Fairlee wrote: "Tien- sorry storm last nite knocked my computer out."

Not to worry, Fairlee :)
& Thanks!

Bea wrote: "Thanks for the picks, Susan. I now have to pick three from the list of 12 y'all provided for me.

Hmmm. I am sure it is OK if I read more than three....right?"

Of course, Bea, read as many as you'd like!

My picks for Tien:
The Light Between the Oceans - THEME, and I was considering it anyway
Jasper Jones because I rated it a 5
World Without End - on my list too, and it's so long I'll need a nudge to pick it up; thought you might, too
Saving Francesca - because she wrote Finnikin, which I'm so glad you turned me onto

My picks for Fairlee:

Along Came a Spider - because I rated it a 4
The Innocence of Father Brown - a classic
The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes - because I'd never heard of it, and am curious if the son's writing matches the father's
Adopted for Life - THEME

Susan wrote: "My picks for Tien:
The Light Between the Oceans - THEME, and I was considering it anyway
Jasper Jones because I rated it a 5
World Without End - on my list too, and it's so long I'll need a nudge t..."

Thanks, Susan - 3/4 Aussie Authors! LOL
& thanks for the nudge though unlikely I'd pick it up this cycle as I've got to read Shantaram first so I can return it to my work colleague. :)

Tien wrote: "Thanks, Susan - 3/4 Aussie Authors! LOL"

Well, I was working with your list. :)

It is true that I've gotten to know and appreciate a lot more Aussie Authors since being a part of this group. But The Light Between the Oceans I'd heard of because my Mother's book club chose it, and it sounded good. So that one is a true coincidence.

RULE CHANGE:
"Once all of the members of your team have chosen books for you and you have all decided which books to read, you can commence reading right away."

We can START! Grabbing my first book [closing my eyes and picking one at random (I put them all in a stack)] - Ghost Riders.

I picked the easiest one to begin with to start off my Zombie cycle too :)

I've finished Unforgotten and rated it 4 stars.

Actually found it difficult to rate it. It's one of those books filled with pictures; poignant, warm, dark, creepy, hopeful, etc... As they say a picture paints a thousand words. I don't feel that I could rate it based on these pictures though I do admire the different elements of photos, drawings, etc. The "story" itself started with something warm then plunged into bleakness and ended with a kind of hope.

Wow! You guys are quick. I'm finishing my recovery task for the Tower before I start one of these. About have of the ones you chose are on my Nook, a couple on audio (but I'm in the middle of something else on audio right now), and a few I'll need to get from the library. Not sure what will grab me first. All the choices look terrific!

Don't worry, Susan... as I said, I picked the easiest to start, lol. I probably will start on another before end of month *fingers crossed*

I still have to read my 5-star book! It's thick...

I see Fairlee has finished reading her first book...

@Bea: how are you going with Ghost Riders?

@Susan: have you picked your first book yet? which one?

I've been carrying The Light Between Oceans in my bag for a couple of days now but not started it yet... distracted with a couple of other ebooks but I'm definitely going to start it at lunch time today! I think... ;p

This week I'm reading only from my Nook, and actually not actually having much time for readidng at all. I just finished one book for zombie monopoly, then started Act One, and from the first few pages, I'm wondering whether I've already read it and should take it off the list. If I decide to do that, my choices will be the Sherlock Holmes or the Christie or The Habitation of the Blessed.

Tien, I am about half through Ghost Riders. I have been splitting time with Brideshead Revisited, which I am reading for Freedom Tower. Since Brideshead Revisited is a library book, it has gotten more of my reading time this past week.

I'm about halfway through The Light Between Oceans now... I'm a bit slow as there's a review book I'm supposed to finish by next week.

I'm also slow because the grief is just so raw and treading fine lines are very uncomfortable for me so I'm taking my time. It's not that it's not a good read, in fact, I'm probably savouring it more because I'm going real slow :)

I've finished Act One, but haven't had a chance to review it yet. It was a short novella, almost a short story, and I thought it was good, but not wonderful like some of her later books are. I started last night on Up the Line, which is interesting, and has a level of humor to it I hadn't expected.

I really want to listen to On the Jellicoe Road, but I'm not making very fast progress on the book I'm in the middle of listening to now.

Just finished Along came a Spider. Susan I gave it a 5 but could see giving it a 4.

OK, finished Brideshead Revisited so back to reading my first book for POTS.

Fairlee wrote: "Just finished Along came a Spider. Susan I gave it a 5 but could see giving it a 4."

Nope, I also gave it a 4.

I'll finish The Light Between Oceans on the train trip home today - it's just heartbreaking! I could feel my tearducts starting to fill this morning on the train and I was telling my colleague that I didn't feel the cold at all until I had to close my book to get off... it's a bit chilly here today (we are a few days off from winter and it's grey & drizzling).

I've decided my third book will be 'Life After Life' to coincide with our June shelf (Death).

I finished The Light Between Oceans!!!

*sings* Unbreak my heart...

I need a complete change in direction with my next book!! I'm going to be picking up Dead Ever After just because (!) ;D

Finishing Ghost Riders today...only 79 pages to go! Then I get to pick book #2!

For my second book, I am reading Exit to Eden by Anne Rampling. This is also on my Zombie Monopoly list, which I need to start playing.

Bea wrote: "For my second book, I am reading Exit to Eden by Anne Rampling. This is also on my Zombie Monopoly list, which I need to start playing."

HOT Stuff!! Let me guess, The Sauna? ;p

I want to know if you'll be reading this in public places, ha ha ha

Yep, the Sauna....and probably on the airplane.

I finished my second book, Up the Line. I gave it 4 stars. And now that I'm back from our trip to England, I can actually pick up a book from the library rather than being dependent on my Nook or iPod. I've requested On the Jellicoe Road from the library, as well as The Passage (which I need for Zombie Monopoly, too). I'll start one of them as soon as I read the book club book that we're discussing this Friday.

woo hoo, looks like we're all on track for 3 books :)

Finished Exit to Eden! Gave up reading it while visiting my mom and waited until I had a 3 hour lay-over to finish it!

Now to pick a third book!

Since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is due back to the library and it is on the monthly shelf AND I have the rest of the week off, it seems like it should be my third book.

Bea wrote: "Finished Exit to Eden! Gave up reading it while visiting my mom and waited until I had a 3 hour lay-over to finish it!"

Don't forget to post in the report thread, Bea :)

Hope you enjoyed it ;p

Tien wrote: "Don't forget to post in the report thread, Bea :)

Hope you enjoyed it;p"

Thanks for the reminder, Tien. I had forgotten.

I started reading The White Tiger yesterday. It's an unusual style that takes some getting used to: written entirely as a letter from an Indian national to a bigwig in China. It's way too soon to know if I'll like it or not.

Tien, you said the author is Aussie? All the GR bio says is that he was born in Madras.

I don't mean that he was born in Australia but that he emigrated to Australia and holds Aussie citizenship.

He went to school near my area and one of my closest friend went there too except that she's a few years under him so she has no recollection :p

I finished The White Tiger, and I'm not at all sure what to think of it. I'm glad I read it, but ... well, see my review .

Finished my third book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and gave it 5*.

Just finished The Dead Cat Bounce and loved it. I gave it 5 stars.

So what is everyone's status?

I have finished all three.

Bea wrote: "So what is everyone's status?

I have finished all three."

Me too.