Summer Reading

DrummerDeanna · #1 08-03-2006, 02:34 PM

So read any good books lately?

I've been on an Adriana Trigiani kick - she has authored such books as Lucia Lucia, Big Stone Gap Trilogy and Queen of the Big Time. She's a fun light author, and I enjoy her books.

Currently I'm reading a very good and compelling book called Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. SO good so far. Usually I take my sweet time reading books because I hate when I finish them...but I'm ripping through this one - it's just a really riveting story. I'm not looking forward to finishing it because it's always hard to follow up a really good book.

So what are Ledgies reading?

skcin · #2 08-03-2006, 02:41 PM

The Barrens by Joyce Carol Oates ("writing as Rosalind So&So" why do authors do that? I don't get it....) It's pretty good. Some of her books are fab (like We Were the Mulvaneys; Rape: A Love Story) others I can't get into at all (I'll Take You There, Blond.)

Read the new Mary Higgins Clark book, Two Litle Girls In Blue, I always enjoy her writing.

I bought a few from a used book sale, haven't had a chance to read most of them though. I did buy Drowning Ruth even though I've read it before, I like that one. I do have to get a few good ones for the upcoming camping trips.

hayley · #3 08-03-2006, 02:49 PM

I'm reading the Dune series. Yeah. They're my boyfriend's favorite books, and in return he's going to read Francesca Lia Block. Haa! I actually like the Dune books- but I'm liking them less and less as I get further on. They get so much more technical and so much less interesting.

Paula- the only Joyce Carol Oates book I could never get into was Middle Age- have you read that one? I put it down about a third of the way through and never finished it. And I never do that.

skcin · #4 08-03-2006, 02:58 PM

^ Nope, never did. I'll be dure to avoid that one. I used to always finish books whether or not I liked them or not. Now, I don't waste my time.

She's one weird lady. I actually have her autograph (I won a signed poster from the university's distinguished speakers series & she spoke that year, so her sig is there along with the other 7 speakers from that year. Of course, Bill Cosby put his big fat sig right over Joyce's poor face

)

jannieC · #5 08-03-2006, 03:14 PM

I'm reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It's pretty good. I'm trying to get in as much pleasure-reading that I can before school starts.

sparky · #6 08-03-2006, 03:35 PM

I have been on a major reading jag. So many I think I forgot a few. I have been hitting thrift stores and getting good books for a buck or so apiece.

So far, I have read..

A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice (yeah, Anne's kid).
It had a messy as hell overdone plot, too many characters, and every soap opera twist imaginable. But, I kind of liked it. The pace was quick, and I found the characters interesting if not always likable. I needed to read another coming of age story like I needed a hole in the head. But at least this one had murder, gay high school jocks, and was set in New Orleans.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Another older book, but absolutely great. Darkly funny and compellingly matter of fact. I found it fascinating to read a book from the POV of a teenage girl who becomes extremely obese, and has such a rollercoaster of a life. It tracks the misadventures of Dorothy Price for forty years. The ironic thing ? A man wrote it. One of the best books I have read in ages.

Looking For It by Michael Thomas Ford. I like this guy. His first books were collections of hysterical essays like Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me and That's Mr. Faggot To You. Lately he has been cranking out fiction, and it's a big surprise. This one is about 7 homos in a tiny town in northern NY. They are all different types of people. Old, young, single, paired off, in the closet and freshly out. This is gay life as I know it. These guys are just living ordinary life and it is anything but ordinary. He creates lovable and complex characters.

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All by Alan Gurganus. I am about 100 pages into this brick. It is 700, I think. Been meaning to read it for over a decade. It took about 40 pages for me to get used to the cadence and voice of the main character, but now I have. And the book has taken off like a house on fire. It is turning out to be a real corker. Like the Lamb book, quite a few dramatic incidents are happening, but the writer is not sentimental. That is a big plus in my world. It's the South, it's the Civil War, it's told in the voice of a 99 year old woman. What's not to like ?

Earlier in the year, I read all the Harry Potter books in a fevered and frenzied few weeks. I had resisted them like nuts. But my sister gave me all of them and hammered away at me till I gave in. It was a thrill ride. I loved those books. Far better than the 2 movies I saw.

I know I have read about 7 others since June. I will have to rifle through the done stack when I get home from work. It's been a hell of a summer for reading. Lotsa good stuff.

p.s. OMG. The construction guys downstairs at work just caught a tarantula next to the coffee machine.

They put it in a big Arrowhead water bottle with bunch of dirt. I petted it ! It was kind of soft. Fuzzy but brittle. My job is ridiculous. Put of bunch of boys together and they catch bugs and play with them. Some things never change.

amber · #7 08-03-2006, 03:35 PM

My favorite authors have a new book out in my favorite series, this one is called "People of the Moon". It's the historically accurate Native American fiction series that I love. I'm going to buy it this week, though I shouldn't. But they are really thick, so it's worth it.

Also, the lady of the couple who writes those has a series I just read the first book of (It Sleeps in Me) and I want to get the next one (It Wakes In Me) - they are also Native American fiction, this one deals with a priestess who has mental illness. But of course, in the 1400's in Native cultures, they didn't know as much about it. There is intrigue and mystery and sex as well.
I finished 3 mysteries this week, one of which was really good, and two of which were funny.

DrummerDeanna · #8 08-03-2006, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparky

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Another older book, but absolutely great. Darkly funny and compellingly matter of fact. I found it fascinating to read a book from the POV of a teenage girl who becomes extremely obese, and has such a rollercoaster of a life. It tracks the misadventures of Dorothy Price for forty years. The ironic thing ? A man wrote it. One of the best books I have read in ages.

Earlier in the year, I read all the Harry Potter books in a fevered and frenzied few weeks. I had resisted them like nuts. But my sister gave me all of them and hammered away at me till I gave in. It was a thrill ride. I loved those books. Far better than the 2 movies I saw.

She's Come Undone - I enjoyed it but it depressed the hell out of me

And I'm always so pleased when I hear that someone else has been put under the Harry Potter spell - I so love those books and I'm glad when others enjoy them

After I finish my current read I may go back and re-read Half-Blood prince...LOVE that little wizard!!!

amber · #9 08-03-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparky

Looking For It by Michael Thomas Ford. I like this guy. His first books were collections of hysterical essays like Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me and That's Mr. Faggot To You. Lately he has been cranking out fiction, and it's a big surprise. This one is about 7 homos in a tiny town in northern NY. They are all different types of people. Old, young, single, paired off, in the closet and freshly out. This is gay life as I know it. These guys are just living ordinary life and it is anything but ordinary. He creates lovable and complex characters.

This guy sounds good, I think I'll check him out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky

p.s. OMG. The construction guys downstairs at work just caught a tarantula next to the coffee machine.

They put it in a big Arrowhead water bottle with bunch of dirt. I petted it ! It was kind of soft. Fuzzy but brittle. My job is ridiculous. Put of bunch of boys together and they catch bugs and play with them. Some things never change.

A)I didn't know you guys had tarantulas!
B) Boys, and bugs, are gross. However, I like tarantulas more than many bugs. Hard to be sneaky when you're that huge. Also, fuzzy, can pet them. Still pretty gross, though.

C) She's Come Undone is awesome.

amber · #10 08-03-2006, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

The Barrens by Joyce Carol Oates ("writing as Rosalind So&So" why do authors do that? I don't get it....) It's pretty good. Some of her books are fab (like We Were the Mulvaneys; Rape: A Love Story) others I can't get into at all (I'll Take You There, Blond.)

Read the new Mary Higgins Clark book, Two Litle Girls In Blue, I always enjoy her writing.

I bought a few from a used book sale, haven't had a chance to read most of them though. I did buy Drowning Ruth even though I've read it before, I like that one. I do have to get a few good ones for the upcoming camping trips.

What about Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates? You must have read that. It is really good.
I read a really weird older book by her called "Do With Me What You Will". Sometimes I don't get her.

hayley · #11 08-03-2006, 03:55 PM

She's Come Undone is one of my favorite books of all time. I cry every time I read it, and I don't do that. I hate that it was one of the first Oprah books.

skcin · #12 08-03-2006, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jannieC

I'm reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It's pretty good. I'm trying to get in as much pleasure-reading that I can before school starts.

Fan****ingtastic book!!!!!!! I love Dave Eggers! Get his other book as soon as your done with that, I can't think of the name....

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

What about Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates? You must have read that. It is really good.
I read a really weird older book by her called "Do With Me What You Will". Sometimes I don't get her.

Don't think I have read either. I read Mulvaneys & loved it, so when I tried some of her other stuff, I was like wtf? She's a hard read sometimes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayley

She's Come Undone is one of my favorite books of all time. I cry every time I read it, and I don't do that. I hate that it was one of the first Oprah books.

I hate it too. But I will admit that Oprah's book list did actually get me into several authors (Alice Hoffman, my absolute favorite author now, for one.) I've read many of the books on her list & most were good. Damn you Oprah!

sparky · #13 08-03-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

She's Come Undone - I enjoyed it but it depressed the hell out of me

It's odd. It didn't depress me at all. Mostly because the main character never got visibly upset. Her reaction was so much more subverted. And I loved her sense of humor. Maybe it was the unsentimental writing that allowed me the emotional distance.

Quote:

And I'm always so pleased when I hear that someone else has been put under the Harry Potter spell - I so love those books and I'm glad when others enjoy them

After I finish my current read I may go back and re-read Half-Blood prince...LOVE that little wizard!!!

I was so into those books. I think my favorite character is probably Dumbledore. But I also love Hagrid and am tickled to death by Ron's second Owl Pigwidgeon.

sparky · #14 08-03-2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayley

She's Come Undone is one of my favorite books of all time. I cry every time I read it, and I don't do that. I hate that it was one of the first Oprah books.

OMG. I didn't know it was an OKRA book. Oh well, she does pick some good ones. What is it with me that I didn't cry while reading this book ? I rarely cry in real life, but books can really do me in. I mean, if I read Charlotte's Web again tomorrow I'd probably have a nervous breakdown when the friggin' spider dies.

hayley · #15 08-03-2006, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

I hate it too. But I will admit that Oprah's book list did actually get me into several authors (Alice Hoffman, my absolute favorite author now, for one.) I've read many of the books on her list & most were good. Damn you Oprah!

It brought a lot of great books a lot of attention- I'm not some elitist that thinks that a book sucks once it's picked by Oprah. My problem is with the people who do think that- who turn their noses up at a book if it was picked by her. Then you have to justify reading it to those snots.

Or maybe I just know a lot more snotty people than normal ones

I love Alice Hoffman, btw. My favorite is actually Practical Magic. I love her writing. If you ever want to try something in a similar vein... although it's still way nuttier and more abstract, try Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block. I love her novels, even if it's totally emo.