Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library discussion

Welcome! This ongoing discussion is your place to share what you are reading and what you think about it!

I recently finished the excellent memoir Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed. After the death of her mother, a painful divorce, and a short fling with heroin, Strayed decides the place to find herself is out in the wilderness. The book chronicles her 1100 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, accompanied only by her overstuffed backpack she dubs Monster. It was a great story of grief and endurance.

I am also reading the new graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel,Are You My Mother?. Bechdel's Fun Home is my favorite graphic novel. While the earlier book is about her father and discovering his secrets after his death, Are You My Mother? tries to do the same for her still-living mother. Bechdel's experiences with psychoanalysis, and the work of psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, frame the book, but Bechdel also draws upon the works of Dr. Seuss and Virginia Woolf among others. I still have a chapter to go, but so far I find most affecting how the writing of Fun Home, which tells her father's story, affects the relationship between her and her mother.

I am also just beginning the new 2012 O Henry Prize Stories. This year's collection includes stories from some of my favorite short story writers, including Yiyun Li, Kevin Wilson, Miroslav Penkov, and Anthony Doerr, and I'm eager to potentially discover some new-to-me writers and stories as well.

I read a review of Are You My Mother over the weekend in the newspaper and literally yelled out "quick, bring me my phone, I've got to put this book on hold!" I was so excited!

Reading-wise I've been working my way through all of the light/happy/non-dystopian teen romance ebooks at http://ebooks.tscpl.org, I think the last one I read was Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story edited by Kelly Milner Halls, which was EXCELLENT. It was pairs of short stories written by great YA authors, telling both sides of the same story. Interesting, with more depth than my typical favorite light reading, but highly recommended!

I've got 229 pages left to Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. It is a great book, but I had others pop up in between when I started it to now. It is well written, and he is an intersting man. My mom is in the hospital so this will be good reading time while sitting with her because she falls in and out of sleep right now.

I am currently reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer which offers some history on the Morman faith and explores the fundamentalist sects that have broken away from the church. Ultimately, he tries to understand how fundamentalism occurs, it dangers, and discusses its reach across all faiths.

I enjoy Krakauer's writing. His books are informative, thought-provoking, and yet easy to absorb.

Kelli wrote: "I am currently reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer which offers some history on the Morman faith and explores the fundamentalist sects that have broken away from the church. Ultimate..."

You might want to read the The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff if this is a subject that interests you. While it is fiction everyone I know that has read it (book club) has enjoyed it. There are 2 stories - Ann Eliza Young - Brigham Young's 19th wife along with a modern day 19th wife accused of murdering her husband. Lifetime did a movie that should be airing on May 19th at 1 or 2 pm.

Just finished reading Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. A very good book and he was an interesting man. While far from being perfect he was the right man to lead our country. It is a huge book but once I focused on reading it - it really didn't take that long. Great book for those participating in the 50 state reading challenge!

I've just started Reading Lolita in Tehranby Azar Nafisi. A couple people I know didn't like it but several did enjoy. 9 pages into it I'm enjoying.

It is nice to have a book that you are not getting a work carrying around.

Yeah, I picked up Insurgentby Veronica Roth. The sequel to the infamous Divergent which one goodreads best book of the year. In my experience with sequels, they're bad. Some of the few exceptions were Catching Fire and The Wise Man's Fear from last year. So far I'm impressed. The characters are maturing like I like them too, and the relationship between Tris and Four is about as complicated as a real relationship goes. Not to mention the whole war thing, but you all don't need to know about that.

Realized the book club I lead is meeting on Sunday so I've put Reading Lolita in Tehran on hold to read Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island. I really hope to have both finished by this time next week, because I will be in Columbus for a conference and really hate taking library books with me when I travel.

Kara wrote: "Yeah, I picked up Insurgentby Veronica Roth. The sequel to the infamous Divergent which one goodreads best book of the year. In my experience with sequels, they're bad. Some of the few exceptions w..."

My reaction to "Divergent" was tepid, but I plan to read "Insurgent." Let us know what you thought of the sequel when you're done.

Angie wrote: "I recently finished the excellent memoir Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed. After the death of her mother, a painful divorce, and a short fling with heroin, Stra..."

I can't wait to read this I gave it to my sister for her birthday.

Kara wrote: "Yeah, I picked up Insurgentby Veronica Roth. The sequel to the infamous Divergent which one goodreads best book of the year. In my experience with sequels, they're bad. Some of the few exceptions w..."

I recently finished reading "Insurgent" and I enjoyed it. It liked that the characters developed and there was a twist at the very end of the book that I definitely didn't see coming. I thought that it lived up pretty well to the expectations that I had set for it when I finished reading the first book. I'm looking forward to when the next and final book comes out.

The sequel was beter than average for a sequel, but still left more to be desired. I finished it in six days, which is really good considering my Mini-Me takes up a lot of time. I'm on City of Lost Souls now, and am apprehensive about it. We'll see if I lay awake at night at this one like I was with every single one of Clare's books.

I am revisiting the Ethan Gage series by William Dietrich and am currently reading the third book, The Dakota Cipher. Ethan Gage is not a redeeming character at all. He loves gambling, women, but ultimately himself and will do what he needs to in order to stay alive. The previous two books in the series take place in Egypt and have him flip-flopping alliances between France and Britain as a spy even though he is an American. The third book actually brings him back home to America and he gets caught up in another Masonic adventure. But it seems that his old enemies from Europe and Egypt are still out to get him and may have followed him to his new home.
Overall, I really enjoy this series. It has a lot of history jammed into it as well as some cheeky humor.

Finished reading Reading Lolita in Tehran today. Not a bad book, but a bit disorganized. Started Divergent today and already 1/2 finished and really enjoying. I only read this because of the high praise received from the TSCPL Goodreads page. Keep the recommendations coming!

Rosemary wrote: "I am currently half way through "11/22/63" by Stephen King. It is amazing and well thought out. I don't know about you guys, but I've been disappointed with some of his recent work and this book ha..."

I just finished Divergent and on the second chapter of 11/22/63 So far I'm enjoying.

Melanie, Insurgent is the second book in the Divergent series and was just released. Hopefully my link works so you can put yourself on hold for it if you want. I can't wait to read it!

Melanie wrote: "Finished reading Reading Lolita in Tehran today. Not a bad book, but a bit disorganized. Started Divergent today and already 1/2 finished and really enjoying. I only read this because of the hig..."

Thanks for reading it and being a part of our discussion!

Rosemary wrote: "I am currently half way through "11/22/63" by Stephen King. It is amazing and well thought out. I don't know about you guys, but I've been disappointed with some of his recent work and this book ha..."

I had the same reaction to this book. I used to really like Stephen King but I had stopped reading his new books because I wasn't crazy about them. However I really liked 11/22/63. I've also been disappointed with some of the endings to his previous novels, but I thought the ending of this book was extremely satisfying.

Kelli wrote: "Melanie, Insurgent is the second book in the Divergent series and was just released. Hopefully my link works so you can put yourself on hold for it if you want. I can't wait to read it!"

I put myself on hold for it as soon as I finished Divergent.

Rosemary wrote: "Oh my Melanie it gets so much better! It was taking up so much of my time during the school year that I had to stop reading it for a little while. There are some parts that made me cry. I wont spoi..."

One year ago if anyone said I would read a Stephen King book I would have said you are crazy. I'm on page 326 now and really want to read, but don't want to get in trouble at work. I've been told that I need to read The Stand.

I'm not the kind of person that like "Horror". I enjoy suspense but not gore. I've also been told to read The Stand and it was one of the sections for World Book Night.

I do know that King wrote The Shawshank Redemption which is one of my favorite movies.