Books on the Nightstand discussion

February!

Main book is Billy Joel. Listening to South of Broad Unabridged on CD Author of Prince of Tides in the car and The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap on my iPad.

Working on War and Peace

Listening to The Secret Wisdom of the Earth for now, with My Sunshine Away already pre-ordered. Not sure what else I'll be reading/listening to this month, but it'll be crammed full of good books as always.

I haven't posted to one of these threads in forever! I can't seem to finish anything except romance novels right now, so as a result I am reading too many books.

Mansfield Park on my phone.
Too Much Happiness on my Kindle.
Max Overacts, Vol 1: Hold on to Your Stubs on my iPad.
Roots: The Saga of an American Family, Zorro, and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves in print - one in each room of the house where I read.

I've just this morning finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Listening to the book Wild by Cherly Strayed and about to start a new kindle and paper back haven't decided which yet but that's my excited part of Sunday morning

Cory Day wrote: "I haven't posted to one of these threads in forever! I can't seem to finish anything except romance novels right now, so as a result I am reading too many books.

Mansfield Park on my phone..."

I just finished Mansfield Park, Cory; it seemed a little long in the middle, but I still liked it! I think I was able to appreciate Austen's writing more in this book than the ones I read in high school.

Right now I'm reading Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro and Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast. I may start The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai: A Novel on audio soon as well.

I'm reading Half-Resurrection Blues on my Kindle, The Dance of the Dissident Daughterin paperback, and listening to Wicked Autumn as an audiobook. I'm also poaching one BOTNS resolution and reading a collection of short stories between novels, one story at a time. I chose Almost Famous Women: Stories for that one.

Speaking of Mansfield Park...

I'm nearly done with Wicked Autumn and my next audio will be Mansfield Park read by a cast (Audible) including Benedict Cumberbatch and David Tennant. I'm a Jane Austen fan from way back and have read Mansfield Park a few times--I'm looking forward to checking out this audio interpretation of it!

I started Sweetland yesterday and have Rainey Royal and Fram waiting in the wings. I'll be starting Descent on audio either tomorrow, or Tuesday, if we get snowed in overnight.

I just finished , As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust which I completely enjoyed and started , A Man Called Ove.

I'm just finishing up Fram and about to start The Girl on the Train. Is anything being published in February that people are planning to pick up and read right away?

I'm listerning to The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant read by Linda Lavin (who does a great Jewish Boston accent!). Wasn't quite certain about continuing at first, but glad I did ... about half-way through.

I just finished reading and reviewing The Book of Strange New Things by Faber

http://marion-hill.com/book-review-59...

A thought-provoking novel that should be selected for a lot of book clubs this year.

Marion

Rachel wrote: "I just finished Mansfield Park, Cory; it seemed a little long in the middle, but I still liked it! I think I was able to appreciate Austen's writing more in this book than the ones I read in high school."

I'm enjoying it but Fanny is so much more passive than the most familiar of Austen's heroines that it's not engaging me in exactly the same way. I think I'm over the hump though - I moved from 50%-65% pretty quickly :)

I have a reading dilemma -- hoping some of you can help... I just started Hild by Nicola Griffith. I think I'm about 10 pages in. Just found out that the author intends it to be the first of a trilogy. However, she hasn't even really started on the next two books yet. And it took her quite a while to write the first one. I'm looking forward to reading this, but I don't really want to start a hefty book that will leave me hanging at the end -- and having to wait a long time for the next one. (I'm looking at you and the Dark Tower series, Stephen King...) Has anyone read "Hild"?

Sue wrote: "I started Sweetland yesterday and have Rainey Royal and Fram waiting in the wings. I'll be starting Descent on audio either tomorrow,..."

Finished reading Descent and really loved it. Started one day after work and finished it the next day, non stop reading.

Finished listening to Saturday night. It was a good follow up from the first book and a good setup for the final book in the series.

I am reading New York by Rutherfurd on paper and am listening to Prairie Nocturne by Ivan Doig on my iPad. I just finished reading All the Light We Cannot See a few days ago on my iPad. That is an amazing book!

Here is what I reading at the moment:
• Madame Picasso
• Fall on Your Knees
• While We're Far Apart
• The Book of Strange New Things

I recently finished Station Eleven. I'm currently reading Just Alice as it's been on my bookshelf for a while now & the film is soon to be released. Also for February so far: The History of Love and Girl on the Train.

is this really a debut novel!? Celeste Ng is crazy gifted. The characterization alone merits five stars from me.

I plan to begin this short story collection tomorrow:

At the moment I am reading "My Enemy's Cradle" by Sara Young and I am planning to start "The Hundred Foot Journey" soon!

Quick question: Does anyone know how to get rid of the new "recommended" and "trending" feature from the GR newsfeed? It's driving me c-r-a-z-y.

Jennifer wrote: "I recently finished Station Eleven. I'm currently reading Just Alice as it's been on my bookshelf for a while now & the film is soon to be released. Also for February so far: The History of Love an..."

How did you like Station Eleven?

I really enjoyed it, more so the second half until it ended as it wasn't immediately gripping for me. I did love the way everything unfolded & tied together. In the last few months it might be my favourite read.

Melissa W wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I recently finished Station Eleven. I'm currently reading Just Alice as it's been on my bookshelf for a while now & the film is soon to be released. Also for February so far: The H..."

Jennifer wrote: "I really enjoyed it, more so the second half until it ended as it wasn't immediately gripping for me. I did love the way everything unfolded & tied together. In the last few months it might be my f..."

I agree; thought that the second half of the book was better than the first half for me as well. The way she brought the story full circle was really amazing. Now I want to go and read some of her backlist, but I have too much to read at the moment!

I just finished an audiobook (The Cruelest Month) and I am currently reading a Rogue Angel pulpy-adventure novel, and Embassytown by China Mieville.

Just finished The Girl on the Train. Best read this year so far.
I am starting brown girl dreaming . I'm really looking forward to it I've never read a memoir written in verse.

Just finished The Girl on the Train. Best read this year so far.
I am starting brown girl dreaming . I'm really looking forward to it I've never read a memoir written in verse.

It must have been a Super Bowl senior moment but I finished Ancillary Swordon Saturday night.

I finished The Girl on the Train last night ... very good! My husband tried starting a conversation when I was at the last 40 pages. Then he wanted to know why I wasn't paying attention to him. Then he wanted to know why I was getting frustrated at him. LET ME FINISH THE BOOK ~ GAHHH!

I'm half-way through Fairest, and I'm hoping to finish in the next couple days.

Fun!



Informative.



An instant all-time favorite. One of the best!

I just finished and was riveted. Next up I have on my IPod. I have on my Kindle. I am also in the midst of listening to .

I'm currently reading How to Build a Girl

And listening to in the car Shopaholic to the Stars

I'm reading We Are Not Ourselves. It is crawling for me; I hope it gets better. I have been very, very busy at work so my reading time has been compromised so I really need this book to get better.

Adore wrote: " is this really a debut novel!? Celeste Ng is crazy gifted. The characterization alone merits five stars from me.

I plan to begin this short story ..."

I second your post. I was amazed by this book. I read it after finishing Station Eleven, which disappointed me (I think it was all they hype). "Everything I Never Told You" is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

I'm jumping on the Everything I Never Told You bandwagon. It was one of the best books I read in 2014! Enjoy!

It's slow and quiet, but I found it very powerful and gripping. I hope you stick with it and enjoy. I thought it was a fine piece of writing.

Melissa wrote: "I'm reading We Are Not Ourselves. It is crawling for me; I hope it gets better. I have been very, very busy at work so my reading time has been compromised so I really need this book to get better."

Listening to World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War in the car but my mind is wandering. I did recognize Alan Alda's voice but none of the others. Should finish today. In print, reading Silence Once Begun for the TOB. The opening reminds me of Murakami's Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. I'm trying to read as many of the TOB shortlist as I can before the tournament.

Listening to .

Sue wrote: "It's slow and quiet, but I found it very powerful and gripping. I hope you stick with it and enjoy. I thought it was a fine piece of writing.

Melissa wrote: "I'm reading We Are Not Ourselves. It ..."
I will stick with it...it is my February book club book! I usually like slow, unfolding stories...definitely won't give up.

Agree completely with Sue about We Are Not Ourselves!

Just finished The Girl on the Train and moving on to My Brilliant Friend

I also agree about We Are Not Ourselves, it is a slow moving story that builds & builds....very powerful but it takes its time

I'm listening to Euphoria by Lily King on audio, and today started reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Like Ann's daughter, I'm loving it.

Reading How to be both and listening to Benediction (having finished Billy Joel and The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap)

Linda wrote: "Reading How to be both and listening to Benediction (having finished Billy Joel and The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap..."</i>


Look forward to your review of [book:How to be both

Yesterday I decided to download the audio version of The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. I am doing this to get through it. This is the first book that I started to read and decided to download. I find that listening is easier then reading which is sad for me. Why? Reading is the only way to build the world in your mind that the author intended. Listening can become a show that kills the story. I am also listening to The Girl on the Trainwhich happens to have three narrators. To me having more then one makes it a show. Its a great story but its like having a story told to you not a story that you are reading and you create in your mind. Does this make sense? Does anyone have the same feelings about audio?

I guess what I want to say is one narrator is OK but more then one, not so good. In The Girl on the Trainthe main character narrator didn't really need help. She could have pulled it off. Adding the other two voices I feel is not necessary. Just my thinking on the matter.

No, I don't feel that way at all. I love audio. Since I've been commuting 2 hours a day, it's become my preferred method of reading even though it's a little slower. For me, a great voice or dialect enhances the experience. It's still the author's writing, word for word, and I build the story in my mind the same.

Yes! This describes precisely how I am feeling listening to Descent, with two narrators reading four POV narratives with a non-linear timeline. The distribution of the POV narratives is not written in a simple pattern either, and between the different 'Parts's of the book, the structure changes again. I feel like I am listening to a story being acted out, not 'reading' the 'literary' thriller this book is purported to be.

Unlike you, I think in this case I might enjoy it more if I were reading it. The two narrators, each with their multiple characters, are distracting me from the writing and I'm just trying to hang on and keep track of what's going on.

Okay, maybe this is not exactly what you were talking about, but this book is a very good example of the differences between print and audio.

This book is definitely a page-turner, but I think it's also reinforcing my preference for single narrators.

Gerald wrote: "Yesterday I decided to download the audio version of The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. I am doing this to get through it. This i..."

I agree with this, too. When the narration is good, I think it can make a good book even better. Unfortunately, a bad narrator can do the opposite. I also commute 2+ hours per day and would be miserable without my audiobooks. I am thankful there are enough great narrators reading excellent books to keep me happy for a long time!

Janet wrote: "No, I don't feel that way at all. I love audio. Since I've been commuting 2 hours a day, it's become my preferred method of reading even though it's a little slower. For me, a great voice or dial..."

I like audio books but I just like the one narrator type. I guess what I was saying about down loading DITWC is I've listened to too many and I lost my ability to read esp from the Kindle. I do like large screen formats like a tablet or my laptop. Going home tonight and picking a real book, that might help.

I like audio books but I just like the one narrator type. I guess what I was saying about down loading DITWC is I've listened to too many and I lost my ability to read esp from the Kindle. I do like large screen formats like a tablet or my laptop. Going home tonight and picking a real book, that might help.