What are you reading?

[Critical]

I'm trying to blow through some of the books I got last fall and picked up what I thought would be a quickie, Ashton Lee's Cherry Cola Book Club. I just finished a rather dense book on the LA art scene in the 60's and wanted something fun and fluffy. This one is a first novel and, boy, does it show. Clunky and just not very well-written. I keep reading and then wondering why I don't just put it down and read something else. Basically, it's about a small town librarian whose library is threatened with closure(by some local politicians who are only missing Snidely Whiplash mustaches to twirl), so she decides to start a book club to save the library.....because that's how you save a library. There are PAGES on how to form a book club, which the librarian seems completely ignorant of.

I may not finish it. I'm still debating. Life's too short to read crappy books.

[libgirl2]

I may not finish it. I'm still debating. Life's too short to read crappy books.

I completely agree. Why waste the time?

[Critical]

I completely agree. Why waste the time?

Sadly, I did end up wasting the time. Pretty much wish I hadn't. I finished it a little while ago and UGH. It did not improve. Apparently, it's going to be a series, so beware. I'm as close as I've ever been to writing a letter to the editor, not because the book was so bad (I just wouldn't waste my time), but because the author grossly misused a word. He used the word "recanted" where he should have used "recounted." I can't believe I would have to explain to a book editor (much less a published writer) that one does not recant the events of their day ....unless they robbed a bank or killed someone.

I just picked up Will Schwalbe's The End of your Life Book Club a book that I'm fairly certain will be a) VERY good and b) well-written. Several publishing reps have recommended it to me and it's gotten very good reviews. Basically, it's a memoir of a mother and son and the books they read while she was going through cancer treatment during the last year or so of her life. I'm expecting to go through some tissues, but I think THIS book club book will be a lot better than the last one.

Okay, and I totally didn't make the connection that I was reading another book about a book club until I wrote that last sentence. Weird. I do that all the time....I mean unintentionally read a series of books with some sort of thematic connection.

[Critical]

I stayed up very late (and very early) to finish The End of Your Life Book Club. It was so good. Very poignant, because his mother is dying of cancer, but comforting as well. I consider myself fairly well-read, but they read authors and books I'd never heard of. A number of the books they read were ones that I own but haven't gotten to yet, including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, O'Hara's Appointment in Samarra and The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

I think the next book up is Gone Girl. I've had it for months and haven't read it yet. Feels like time.

[Critical]

Here I go again with the triple posting....

I finished Gone Girl last night. It was a fast read, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It definitely wasn't what I expected. I guess I'm still digesting it.

I also read Jonathan Dee's A Thousand Pardons last night (actually finished it early this morning). It was a quick 200 page-ish novel about the unraveling of a marriage and how they, particularly the wife and daughter, deal with the aftermath.

Not sure what's next. GIANT stacks to choose from!

[JavaJo]

I started Pines yesterday and I cant put it down! Although I'm not feeling well and keep falling asleep, but that's not because of the book.

[Critical]

OH, thank GOD. I was about to quadruple post here! I guess it's been a productive week, reading-wise.

I stayed up all night to finished Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge, one of my favorite writers. Obviously, I loved it. I started it last night and then couldn't put it down. The book begins with a Seattle woman being found knee deep in the SF Bay with amnesia. Her fiance comes to get her and she begins the journey to finding out what happened to her and reclaiming her life. I just love how Shortridge gets to the heart of people. She's sort of my new Maeve Binchy. Total comfort food.

I just started The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma. It's hard to even describe what the book is about, but I found this quote:
"An inventive and witty debut about a young man’s quest to become a writer and the misadventures in life and love that take him around the globe."

Several publishing reps I know are practically evangelizing for this book and I can see why. I'm only 40 pages in, but I love it.

[AJane]

I started Pines yesterday and I cant put it down! Although I'm not feeling well and keep falling asleep, but that's not because of the book.

I want to read this, but our library hasn't got any copies yet. Is it similar to Desert Places and Locked Doors? That's all I've read of Blake Crouch and I did really enjoy those two books.

[waywyrd]

This week I've read On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, about a teacher and student that get stranded on a remote island after their plane crashes. It turns into a love story. I thought the age thing would be a little icky, but the way it was told, it didn't really bother me. Good read.

Also finished Liquid Fear by Scott Nicholson, a government conspirary/mad scientist/mind controlling drug concoction that was quite fun. There is a sequel I'll be reading later, after I finish Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End. Another zombie book, one of my guilty pleasures.

[Gutmutter]

I'm re-reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I love that book so much! My daughter couldn't get into it which just makes me scratch my head about her. I want to recommend it to my son who is more my match in books, but both protagonists are female. What do you think? It's not like it's a chick book.