Lush Library discussion

I'm currently reading . I had my first ever problem with an amazon order trying to get this, so I've only just got around to starting it. I love it so far, though -- the atmosphere is amazing! I'm making a conscious effort to keep track of the dates, but I'm not finding it too confusing or disjointed as yet.

Next on my list is

(And my copy of arrived this morning, so I'll be getting around to that soon, too!)

*high fives* on the I'm on page 112 so far and loving it :)

Sam wrote: "*high fives* on the I'm on page 112 so far and loving it :)"

I was hoping it'd be good. I've read all the others, and I was sure there'd be another even after it was said that Midnight was supposedly the last. I'm sooo looking forward to it now :)

I think there are 10 all together *goes to check*

one due out march 2012

Although I just read that Phantom and any other after are not written by L.J.Smith... http://www.ljanesmith.net/www/author/...

I don't know how I feel about this :(

I read that, too. It seems a bit like cheating, really...like she wanted to cash in on a fan base, but not put the effort in herself. Unless she's somehow lost her control over the series and its characters...on further inspection, her not writing it seems to have something to do with the TV production company.

Still, I'll read it and see what I think. Can you tell that she didn't write it?

Some things didn't quite ring true for me, generally based on the ending of the last book, which I thought was great.

But I won't spoil it, I'll see what you think after ;)

Just finished , and absolutely loved it. It's become one of my favourite books of this year, and I can see myself revisiting it at some point in the future. I did have to make a conscious effort to keep track of the dates, but once I'd got used to that I didn't have any problems with the sequencing of events.

I loved the characters, and really came to care about them. I thought they were all really well imagined, and even the minor characters felt uniquely alive (Bailey's sister being a case in point!). The atmosphere was what truly did it for me, though -- the sights and smells of the circus were evocative and easy to imagine. I want to feel transported when I read a fantasy novel, and I felt that way reading this. The romance plot had me sighing, too :) There's not much I can fault about The Night Circus -- I can safely say that I loved it as much as I thought I would, and possibly more. Amazing, gorgeous.

Now, I'm about to start , so I'll see how I get on with that. I've adored Stephen King for ages now, so I'm always excited to start a new one by him!

I think a few people might be reading Stephen King's new book so I'll set up a discussion thread for you. It sounds interesting so I'll try and get a copy to join in a bit later:)

My copy of arrived this morning, so that's now on my to-read pile for the end of this month/beginning of December.

I feel like immersing myself in some mock-Victorian stuff soon, so I've got my eye on , , and for reading over Christmas/New Year. I remember reading last December and loving it -- it felt so appropriate for the weather (!), so I'm looking forward to trying something similar this year.

Fingersmith is an amazing read and Sarah Waters is such a skilled writer, which I think she demonstrates best with this book. I won't say too much about it but I love the sharp turns the plot keeps making.

I have started Affinity before, but I found it a slow starter .... hope to get back to it one day as it does sound like a good storyline.

Ness wrote: "Fingersmith is an amazing read and Sarah Waters is such a skilled writer, which I think she demonstrates best with this book. I won't say too much about it but I love the sharp turns the plot keeps..."

I thought it was a slow starter, too. There are some pretty long chapters at the beginning, where not much happens, and that did put me off. It took me a long time to get going, but once I was properly started with it I couldn't put it down. It really does pick up, and there's a fantastic twist at the end :)

Thanks Sarah :) I'll have to start again with it. If it's anything like Fingersmith where the plot keeps turning upside down with it's twists then I won't be disappointed.

I was in The Book Hive, a gorgeous independent bookshop in Norwich, yesterday and I came across this:

It's about Susan Hill's year-long quest to work through all of the unread and unremembered books she has. As I'm (supposed to be) attempting a similar thing myself, I might give it a read to see if it inspires me any :)

Just finished this morning. I absolutely loved it -- it's definetly become one of my favourite King books, of those I've read so far. I loved the characters, how real the settings felt, the disconcerting glimpse of the adjusted future, and meeting some old friends. I also liked that there was so much going on. I remember thinking before I started that it was a huge book to deal with one assassination, but there's so much more to it than that. I really appreciated feeling absolutely involved with the characters and their world(s), long before the title event got underway. It's an amazing book, by an amazing author -- and there's no way I could ever give it less than five stars.

I won't say too much more about it, because I know some of you are still reading, and I don't want to spoil it ;)

Next up for me is . After that, I'll finally get around to (can't wait!!), and I've got on my to-read stack, too. I'm hoping to fit in somewhere, too. A busy reading December ahead, then!

I was in The Book Hive again today, and I came across an anthology called "The Weird". It contains stories by people like HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury...the list is *almost* endless. It's huge, but I would love to buy and work my way through it one day. It's right up my street -- just the kind of thing I love :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weird-Compend...

Looks interesting. I think after Stories we should vote for another short story book:)

Finished yesterday. I got to about chapter 18, and then I was so gripped I had to see it through. I gave it four stars, largely because I got really emotionally involved with the story, and because I simply *loved* Rosie. I think she's a fabulous heroine -- certainly the most unique I've come across in a while. I also liked that it kept me on my toes, always questioning the assumptions I was making, and keeping important bits of information back. It was a satisfying read, but it did upset me in places. Domestic violence, animal cruelty...I know it's part of the gritty realism of circus life for the characters, but it still got to me. I guess that's the point. Certainly one that made me think, anyway.

I haven't quite decided what I'm going to read next -- probably . I have an interview at my local library tomorrow, as part of which I'm giving a presentation on Stardust. I'm really nervous, so I'm not going to start any new Gaiman until after tomorrow. I don't want to confuse myself :) For a really junior job, I think they're overdoing the recruitment -- I have to give two presentations, take two tests, and then have a formal panel interview. But still -- I think I'd enjoy it if I got it. Fingers crossed!

Good luck with the interview Sarah. Will you have to talk about the book then front of a panel? *is curious*

Stardust is a great story anyway. Good choice!

Good luck Sarah. I once had an interview for a teaching job in Taiwan where the interviewee handed me a book and told me to pretend she was a class of children that I was teaching - let's just say it was bizarre (got the job though).

Thank you :) I think it went okay. I managed my presentations without many hiccups, and answered the questions well enough, I think. They were all fairly generic council questions, though, so I'm not really sure how they're going to help them choose. Still, I know I tried my best :) I'm glad they let me choose the book, rather than just springing one on me!

So, in the last couple of weeks I've read and . I loved both -- Anansi Boys seemed like typical Gaiman to me. Dark, amusing, fabulously imaginative. I think I liked American Gods more, though... The new Vampire Diaries was a bit of a let down, in some ways. I enjoyed the story, but LJ Smith didn't write it, and it makes the last sequence feel a bit redundant.


At the moment, I'm re reading Tate Hallaway's Garnet Lacey series. I've just bought the last two books in the series, and I read the first ones ages ago now, so I'm refreshing my memory before diving back in. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed them, actually...they characters are far more complex than those in any other vampire romance novels I've read, and I love that. Hopefully the last two bring the whole thing to a satisfying conclusion!

I got three amazon vouchers for Christmas, and today I spent the first of them. I've treated myself to , , , , and

I'll have quite a stash to be getting on with when I recieve these, so I'm going to try and take a break from buying books until I've read a few of the ones I've got. I'll need a lot of willpower to manage that, though! Saying that, I know I've got a lot of really excellent reads ahead, so that should help a bit.

It's going to be my new year's resolution to make progress on my TBR pile :)

I seem to be in the mood for re-reading at the moment, so I'm going to have another go at Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. I haven't read them since finishing my masters, so I'm really looking forward to getting immersed in her world again.

Sarah wrote: "I got three amazon vouchers for Christmas, and today I spent the first of them. I've treated myself to , , [bookcover:The Night W..."

Make a list for the TBR challenge section;) I'm going to try to get some paired readings set up for some of the books on my lists for further incentive.

12+3 challenge and comp? ;)

Yes Sarah, please join us in the TBR challenge :)

I'll be joining in :) I just need to put my list together. I've so many books I've not got around to reading!

I was naughty in Waterstones today. They had a clearance sale, and so I got:

and for £1.99 each

, , and for 99p

and in hardback for £3.99.

Also picked up and in Morrisons for £1.99 each.

So my new year's resolution didn't last very long! It's a good thing I've got the TBR challenge to help me make some progress :)

I've been on a bit of a Stephen King jag recently, so I've just finished and . They're both a little out of the ordinary -- Storm of the Century is a TV screenplay, and Cycle of the Werewolf was originally intended as a calender (or so I'm told!). Both were fabulous, though, and had great moral dialemmas going on. I've decided I'm going to try again next. I couldn't get into it the first time I tried, but after reading about Little Tall Island in Storm of the Century, I feel like giving it another chance.

For the moment, though, I'm reading , one of my 12+3 TBR challenge books. I'm finding it really gripping so far -- I wish I'd read it years ago! I'm also still re-reading my way through Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books. I finished last week, so next on my list is .

I just got an email from amazon saying that my pre-ordered has dispatched, so I'll be adding that to my TBR pile, too. Exciting times!

Finished this morning. I read most of it yesterday -- it's such an easy read, and the plot is pretty good. By and large, I'm happier with the Hunters sequence than I was with the Return. In my opinion, though, neither are as good as the original four books -- they'll always have a special place in my heart. I do wish LJ Smith had written these herself, but I'm glad the ghostwriters stuck with her ideas on how she wanted them to go. If they do the same with the last one I'll be really pleased, because it sounds like a really gripping end to the series.

Anyway, since having a cold seems to mean that I'm getting through books at an alarming pace, I treated myself to a few more this morning :)

, , , , , and are on their way to me. I took the time to do a bit of pre-ordering and wish list updating, too. I find it strange that, however many books I buy, it never seems to get any shorter :S

Ah well! Next up for me is , I think :)

I still have a tendency to read books I've bought recently, at the expense of ones I've had on my shelves for a while. So last night I had an idea that I think is going to help me stop that. I've written out the titles of books from my "long term unread" list on scraps of paper, folded them up, and put them in a small box. I'm going to challenge myself to pick one of these at least once a month, which will hopefully mean that I start to give them the attention they deserve!

This means that, each month, I'll try and read:

A book from my 12+3 challenge
A "long term unread" book selected from the box
Our monthly read
One more of my choice, if I have the time.

I think structure is the only way to go if I ever want to make a dent in my TBR pile :)

Good idea Sarah, I am really struggling to keep up at the moment and now I've started to revise for my theory test I'm finding it even harder :( I will try though I also have I've had since 2 days before it was released and haven't read it :s Think I will get on with it if I catch up on the one from last month and the two from this. We're in the middle of the month already :O Oh crap! I give up lol x

Moonsong is a quick read, though, so you shouldn't begrudge yourself that :) I knew I wouldn't really want to get on with any of my others until I'd read it, so I just put it straight to the top of my pile lol. So much for reading older books first!

I think this could be why I'm struggling Sarah because it's in the back of my mind all the time. :( Think I'll put it on the top now after bone people then maybe I can catch up lol x

Okay, I have been AWOL. I got my first job back at the end of march...just a temporary 3 month internship, but it's such a relief to finally have got started after working so hard for my degrees. Having a new routine completely threw me, and I've been so tired I've not been reading at all, but I think I've got it sussed now. Now I know what free time I have, I'm going to start reading again this week, and I'll be joining in with next month's group read. I haven't deserted you all!


I'm really looking forward to reading next month -- it's been on my TBR pile for a very long time. Today, I'm going to start . It's nice to be back!

Welcome back, I too have been AWOL my hubby has been on a training course for the last 3-4weeks it was such a shock to the system having to deal with the kids on my own all the time. I think I'm getting there now though :)

Congrats on the job!

I was wondering where you'd both gone. Great to have you back :)

... and brilliant that you're settling into your new job Sarah. x

I was about to send out the dogs ;) Nice to have you both back. We need some serious revitalisation ;/

Sarah I kept going to ask you about the job situation but I thought I'd wait until you posted some good news - congrats.

Sam - The Mr has been working pretty much non stop and only gets home for work in time for the kids going to bed. Awful. He's off today and he's sleeping. Even when we went up to Scotland it was hectic seeing both sets of grandparents every day and all our other relatives. He'll be away for 4 days on some charity sailing thing for his work at the end of next month and Texas at some point - I'll go up to Scotland for that (2 kids under 3 - I'd have no hair by the end of it, New shampoo can't handle that one;) *virtual massage*

Ness wrote: "I was wondering where you'd both gone. Great to have you back :)

... and brilliant that you're settling into your new job Sarah. x"

I'll just have got comfortable with it, and then I'll have to leave...hopefully some experience will make it easier to find another job, though :)

Thank you all for your congratulations. Some days it felt like I was never going to get anywhere, so having somewhere to talk about something else was really nice. I'm not about to abandon it now :)

I've finally managed to start on my 12+3 TBR challenge again this month. I finished last week, and I'll be starting next. I'm almost finished re-reading the Sookie Stackhouse books, too, so I'll finally be able to start . I'm glad I took the time to read the series again, as there were a lot of things I'd forgotten about it that I really enjoyed picking up again. And, of course, Sookie is such a great character.

I've just finished . I have to say, I really loved it. I think a few of the preceeding books lacked a bit of plot, but this has really renewed my faith in the series. I've always enjoyed them, but this one just seemed to have more sparkle, somehow. The ending made me cry a bit :) I have such high hopes for the last book now!

On my to read list this month are:

The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue


and

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller


Then, I've chosen to try:

Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde (from my 12+3 TBR Challenge)


and

The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis (from my Long Term Unread List)


If I read these this month, I'll be happy with the progress I'm making. I'm actually really pleased that I'm making a conscious effort to read the books I've had for ages. I've had some really wonderful reading experiences that I would have missed out on otherwise. I mean, I probably would never have got around to reading , and yet I'm really enjoying it. I remember my tutor at university saying it was gorgeously atmospheric and beautifully written, and it is. I love a good vampire story, too, so it's exactly my kind of thing. I did find it a bit slow to start with, but I think I passed some critical point yesterday, and now I'm absolutely hooked. In fact, I think I'll go and read some more now... :)

I've been offered some more temporary work at my old university, so that's really slowed my reading down this month lol. I found pretty hard going, so I've just started (from my 12+3 challenge) to give myself a bit of a break. I might also start this week. People in my office keep talking about it, and I honestly just want to know what all the fuss is about!

Just finished . I absolutely loved it -- the writing style is beautiful, almost poetic, and I think he writes amazingly about childhood and fear. It reminded me very strongly of Stephen King, particularly (which I badly want to read again now!). I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this, and I know I'll definetly read more Bradbury in the future.


At the moment, I'm trying to finish , which I can't claim to be enjoying. I don't understand what it is that has people so worked up. As far as I can see, it's just badly written and poorly plotted. I've also started . It's the only one of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books that I hadn't re-read, and I felt like a little bit of light relief this weekend. I always enjoy these books, and I can't wait for the final book to be released next year. I'll be sad to see the end of the series, but I want to know what happens!

Sarah, The Moth Diaries is 99p on Kindle today. How much did you enjoy it? Do you think I'd like it? We seem to have very similar taste so I value your opinion :) x

I did enjoy it a lot. It's one of those books where you never really know what's real and what's just the narrator's imagination, so it keeps you guessing. It's basically a girl's boarding school story, but with a supernatural twist. For 99p, I'd say go for it.

I really enjoyed . Every time I read one of Charlaine Harris' books I'm surprised all over again by how much I love them. I finally gave in and bought True Blood 1-4 DVDs from Amazon. I only saw the first series in its entirety, so I'm looking forward to watching these, seeing how they differ from the books, and finding out what I think about that :) I also bought from The Book People for £3. You can never have too much Sookie!

At the moment, I'm reading from my long term unread list. I've read a lot of Douglas Coupland's books, and while this is a different kind of story for him, the tone is just the same. It's turining out to be a quick read, even though it's pretty tragic in places.

I think I'm going to read next. I've been promising myself this for a while!

I have the flu at the moment (again!), and so I started yesterday evening. I wanted a page turner that wouldn't be too heavy going, and this fits the bill perfectly. It takes my mind off feeling ill.

Over the last couple of days, I've finished and . The Sookie Conpanion was exactly what I expected it to be, and that's fine -- I'm glad to have it on my shelves for future reference, and it's inspired me to seek out the three or so Sookie short stories I've not read yet.

I, Lucifer was a completely different story. I was recommended this years ago by an old boyfriend, but I didn't actually get around to reading it. I wasn't sure whether I really liked it at first. It seemed to have the same tone all these kind of books adopt when they're trying to make the devil seem cool. I liked it more as it progressed, though, and the feeling that I never knew whether I could trust what he was saying -- talk about unreliable narrators! The idea of the devil being in constant pain was interesting, too.

If I understood the ending (after Raphael turns up) correctly, then that's actually what I liked most about it. The thought that Heaven would try and trick/tempt the devil turned the whole thing on its head, which was pretty clever.I was sort of reassured that he couldn't be beaten, though.

I thought it a strange book, so I'm not 100% sure whether I liked it or not. Definetly thought provoking, though -- and it has made me want to read more of Glen Duncan's books.

I'm going to try and read next, for my 12+3 Challenge. That's where I really need to make some progress!

when I first read it had come to my attention because they were going to turn it into a movie. it was supposed to be Daniel Craig as Lucifer and Ewan McGregor as Declan Gunn.
there's still a page dedicated to it up on imdb, but with no info on casting or when it will be made.

I liked it a lot, I've read it twice now and I just couldn't put it down both times.

morgaine_cat wrote: "when I first read it had come to my attention because they were going to turn it into a movie. it was supposed to be Daniel Craig ..."

I didn't know there was going to be a film, but I can actually see the Daniel Craig/Ewan McGregor thing working quite well. I hope it does eventually get made...it's a film I would definetly go and see!