What are you reading right now?

I think it would be neat to have a book club on here. Wouldn't have a clue where to start , but it would be neat to have someone to talk about the same book we're reading.

we would start with a vote on the book of the month ( I guess we could nominate or go with the top 10 bestsellers?) Then choose a month to begin. Anyone else want to?

If the media forum is reactivated, there are a few book discussions posted on it. I know we read Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! by Fannie Flagg and Silas Marner by George Elliott. There are lots of great book club resources available online, including questions for groups to discuss.

How is Fannie Flagg as a writer? I loved the movie fried green tomatoes but never have read anything by her yet...

She is fantastic! IMHO....her whit and style are amazing....again IMHO :-)

Aside from photography magazines,mysteries by J.A. Jance and Sue Grafton,I'm working on Maya Cosmos by Schele,Parker and Freidel;From the Mouth of the Dark Cave by Bassie-Sweet;Wind in the Willows by Grahame,and Why We Garden by Jim Nollman."working on" is key since I can seldom sit and read for any length of time.

"Slowly,but with no doubt or hesitation whatever,and in something of a solumn expectancy,the two animals passed through the broken,tumultuous water and moored their boat at the flowery margin of the island.In silence they landed and pushed through the blossom and scented herbage and undergrowth that led up to the level ground,till they stood on a little lawn of a marvelous green,set round with nature's own orchard-trees-- crab-apple,wild cherry,and sloe.
'This is the place of my song-dream,the place the music played to me',whispereed the Rat,as if in a trance.'Here,in this holy place,here if anywhere,surely we shall find Him.' "
That seems to say 'garden' to me.

I second what Rikerbear said about Fannie Flagg. I have read three of her books and love her style. She is one of the best Southern writers.

GrannyLois, you are going to LOVE Janet Evonovich's Stephanie Plum series. That is one of my all time favorite series. They are so funny.

Joan, I'm almost done with the 1st one and DO **love** it - she's GREAT. My friend who recommended Evanovich as a writer is reading her latest, the 10th of the series. How many have you read?

I've read all 10. LOL I loved each and every one of them. Try to read them in order if you can. They kind of carry forward from one book to the other.

This thread is still going? I'm reading "Laternous used auto parts" by Carolyn Chute. Kind of a sequel to "The Beans of Egypt Maine" Both are novels about being poor in Maine. I can recommend a non-fiction called "Death's Acre" by a scientist who wants to know what really happens to dead bodies. His work has really help law enforcement determine time of death. Real life CSI. Frank

I've heard of a place like that, where people test what happens to bodies under different circumstances. I didn't know there was a book about it! I get scared easily, but this one sounds pretty interesting...

Another good nonfiction choice is called When Elephants Weep. It's written by scientists and includes stories that provide evidence for emotions in animals. It's very interesting, and touching!

Frankay, that sounds fascinating! One of my favorite non-fiction books last year was Stiffs: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach. Forensics fascinate me. It's one of the most well-written books I've read, and parts of it had me laughing aloud...She's very funny without being unkind about the deceased.

I second the recommendation for Death's Acre. Dr. Bass is well known in the forensic community and his body farm here at UT was among the first established. It is gross in places, but that is the nature of it.

Yep, that body farm is right in Knoxville, TN. I should read that book sometime. I'm glad to know the name of it - thanks Frank.

Patricia Cornwell's books are interesting to read, too. I want to read her research one in which she figures out who Jack the Ripper was.

Those books fascinate me - as do forensics. "The Boston Strangler" is another and what's the one on the Manson family - I see the book cover but the name won't come to me. grrrrr!

Helter Skelter, Vincent Bugliosi wrote it I think.

Another oldie, but probably scared me the most, was "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. It is a true story and made his reputation as a writer. I think what made it so terrifying was that it was in a rural setting, and happened just by chance.
Pati

"In Cold Blood" was a good one too. I had heard about Capote in all these various articles and finally picked up that book last year. It was a perfect book to read on my week long cruise last summer.

I usually take along an old favorite that I haven't read in awhile. There's usually so much going on that I have trouble following along in a new book.

GW, what's the name of the new Patricia Cornwell book about Jack the Ripper? Sounds like something I would like to read. Forensic pathology is fascinating.
Pati

TammyTN - YES! grr!!!! hate it when that happens! Scary things happening in some of those warped minds - I think that's what fascinates us about terrible acts - what makes them different from us who don't and can't even imagine doing terrible things. Read somewhere about scientists doing tests on the brains of murderers (after they die...) and seeing defective similarities between them or maybe it was MRIs when they were in prison - I forget the exact story, but drs were speculating about the future and possibly seeing brain irregularities in children that they then could predict would be murderers. Scary stuff - brave new world?

Gonna have to check out the Truman Capote one.

I'll have to get In Cold Blood, too. Pati, the book is Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed. It has its detractors, as would be expected: http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/dst-pamandsickert.html

GW, that web site is truly amazing! I had no idea that there was that much ongoing interest in Jack the Ripper! Apparently it's an obsession with some people.
Thanks
Pati

What a neat thread. Hope we keep it going. Surprised to see my fave author of all time isn't read by anybody.

Patrick O'Brian. Died in 2000 -sob- before I had a chance to meet/hear him. Was a translator and wrote naval books around Napoleonic times. A recent film ws made, using bits of various books Master and Commander. Very clever writing. You can read many things into his writings. So read the 21 books first for the story, then again for characters, then again for .....

I love childrens books too. My most precious object is a reply I received to a fan letter I wrote to Arthur Ransome.

Other books I'm reading at the mo are Harry Potters -again - History of Exploration - Percy Sykes, Tournament of Shadows - Meyer & Brysac, 2nd. chance - Patterson, devoted to him, and a new one - Sandra Brown - The Alibi.

Could go on and on about books. Of course am reading Derek Fox - Growing Lilies - for the umteenth time.

Used to belong to a book club. We would all get a copy of a book, read and then discuss it on-line. Great fun. Here I met Marjory Fyshe - a really great gardener.

Then you have Vita Sackville-West, which leads you to the Nicholsons and so on and so on.

Spend far too much on ABE, hunting -and sometimes finding - books.

Inanda

I just finished "The Sunne In Splendour" by my new favorite author, Sharon Kay Penman. This was her first book, and an absolute "can't-put-it-downer"!!! You know she must be a great historical fiction writer to keep you glued through 1,000 pages of the life of Richard III. LOL
Pati

I have been cleaning out my bookshelf and I've found several duplicate copies of books in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Three are used softbacks I bought from a used bookstore and one is a hard copy purchased at Wal-Mart. The books are:

The Mark (hardback)
The Indwelling (soft cover used)
Apollyon (soft cover used)
Assassins (soft cover used)

Does anyone want these books? I have no use for them and I hate to throw them away and I'd rather mail them to someone than take them than take them to Goodwill or Salvation Army where they might not get picked up and taken home and enjoyed. If anyone wants these please just email me and I'll stick them in the mail on Friday when I do my errand.

Saint

I just finished a very good book.
One Thousand White Women (The Journals of May Dodd).
By Jim Fergus
I gave it to my dad to read. We trade books all the time.

Just finished back to back but not in order of her writing them Tess Gerritsen's books Harvest, Body Double and The Sinner. All were a good read but I particularly enjoyed Harvest, her first novel.
DH and I have found an amazing used book store that we visit once a month and load up - they will even track down titles for you at no extra cost.
Dianne

For people who want to have fun with books, have you ever joined
http://www.bookcrossing.com

Much better to release your books into the wild this way than throwing them away

Inanda

Inanda are you a member or bookcrossing? I'm joining and it's asking if someone referred me. If you have a screen name pass it along and I'll list you.

I love reading the "Chicken Soup" series...They just give me so much hope and love that i just cant stop reading them...Although i am not a fast reader, i read one or two stories from them nightly....

However i also receive my "girly" magazines in the mail and love to read them...Family Circle,Parents,Good Housekeeping, and a couple more.

Have a nice day,

Char

With all the chat about religion in this discussion, has anyone ever read Exodus by Leon Uris? Just got done with it and it is a tremendous eye opener about the "situation" in the Middle East. Great book, great author. Just gives you a different viewpoint. And really says alot about karma! I'm very much a "non" religious person, believe strongly in karma and reincarnation. How's that for throwing a wrench in this conversation???

By the way, araness, have you thought of donating your books to your local public or school library? If they don't keep them, they usually have a book sale every now and then. NEVER, NEVER throw away a book (unless it's so battered you can't read it:)!!

I just finished my book. Can anyone recommend something that I might could check out from the library? I don't like to buy books because I never read one twice. I like mysteries.

Nora Roberts wrote a great mystery called "Birthright" - not a romance, but does have romance in it somewhat.

Lantanalover, I just looked that book up on Amazon. I'm surprised I've never heard of it, or even of the author. It sounds quite interesting, and was apparently quite popular when it was written-- I'll have to check it out!

Leon Uris? read just about every one of his books in highschool - great author!

I've heard of Nora Roberts, but I've never read anything by her. The covers of her books look like sappy romance novels to me, so I've never been interested. Now that I know she writes mysteries, I'll have to check them out. I read a lot of Mary Higgins Clark. Is it kind of like her books?

There are several romance authors who segued into the mystery and thriller genres. Nora Roberts is one and darned if I can think of the others, though I've read some of their books. One is an Asian-American author.

Just finished Nora Roberts Divine Evil....Wasn't sure that I'd like it since I'm a real wimp about anything remotely scary/creepy but this was good, I couldn't put it down. Of course she's one of my favorite authors and it was the first time I've been able to pleasure read since Christmas, so it might not be as good as I think. ;-)

It has romance, mystery, murder, evil sinister characters, a troubled teenager all rolled together in a small town where everyone knows everyone else...or at least they think they do... I don't like how the book ended.... hopefully there will be a sequel.... but don't want to spoil it for anyone who is planning to read it.

I stopped reading Danielle Steele because she got too sappy for me... Nora has a lot of romance... but there is always a fantastic story line to go along with it so it's tollerable.