What Are You Reading?

[ValerieA 350]

Hubby got me The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (leather-bound, all the books included + a short story in there I had never heard of before) for my birthday, so I am re-reading H2G2 for about the 5000th time. It ties with To Kill a Mockingbird as my favourite book of all time (although it is 5 books...oh well).

[Bern. 3]

Currently reading The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. He wrote the Lightning Theif series, which, was AMAZING.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Hubby got me The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (leather-bound, all the books included + a short story in there I had never heard of before) for my birthday, so I am re-reading H2G2 for about the 5000th time. It ties with To Kill a Mockingbird as my favourite book of all time (although it is 5 books...oh well).

I had read the first book a few times and picked up the complete guide a few years ago. I absolutely loved them all, even the wonky love story one (I believe that was the 4th one).

[Nina~ 431]

I have been reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels. The TV series is so completely different from the books.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I'm reading Assholeology.

It's pretty funny

[Peachey 10]

I have been reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels. The TV series is so completely different from the books.

I love the books so much I'm afraid to watch the show. I looked at some of the stuff on the HBO website and I was like "WHO IS THAT??" when i saw some of the characters on the show.

It's somewhere in my netflix queue, I'll try it out.

[Nina~ 431]

I love the books so much I'm afraid to watch the show. I looked at some of the stuff on the HBO website and I was like "WHO IS THAT??" when i saw some of the characters on the show.

It's somewhere in my netflix queue, I'll try it out.

For the first time ever, I thought that the show was way better than the book. But then again, I think I am being biased because I generally tend to dislike books that are written in first-person. Sookie's friend Tara & La Fayette are given way more importance in the show unlike the book. Season 3 begins next week, I cant wait!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I have discovered a new author (new to me anyway) who has me mesmerized! Lisa See. I picked up Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - and half way through it, I had to go out and get Shanghai Girls . They were both on sale at Costco. I started Shanghai Girls and knew I would want to read more so went on line and ordered Peony in Love , which I am now half way through. It is my favourite one yet! This writer is remarkable - she writes about Chinese women from their perspectives and she totally captures whatever time period she is writing about. Her research is impeccable, her writing style very easy and her stories captivating. You enter their lives, their emotions, their reality - I can hardly put the books down while I am reading them! I can't begin to recommend them enough!

Now, I need to go on line and track down some of her other work - Flower Net, The Interior, Dragon Bones and On Gold Mountain . Lisa See was named National Woman of the Year in 2001 by The Organization of Chinese American Women for her novels.

By the way, Shanghai Girls will give you a very different view of US Immigration and is incredibly timely considering the current concerns about illegal immigrants. It is set in the early and mid-20th century before and after the Chinese Exclusion Act in Shanghai, Hong Kong and the US. Disturbing, inspiring and emotionally demanding - it is an excellent novel based on historical fact. All of the books are.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Nik+Heather 121]

Hubby got me The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (leather-bound, all the books included + a short story in there I had never heard of before) for my birthday, so I am re-reading H2G2 for about the 5000th time. It ties with To Kill a Mockingbird as my favourite book of all time (although it is 5 books...oh well).

Is this the one with gilded edges on the pages? I have the regular old paperback, but my sister was presented with the fancy one for a birthday or Christmas or something. I have to say that when I was depressed and physically homesick away at college, that book got me through a lot of tough times.

I have discovered a new author (new to me anyway) who has me mesmerized! Lisa See. ...

...

By the way, Shanghai Girls will give you a very different view of US Immigration and is incredibly timely considering the current concerns about illegal immigrants. It is set in the early and mid-20th century before and after the Chinese Exclusion Act in Shanghai, Hong Kong and the US. Disturbing, inspiring and emotionally demanding - it is an excellent novel based on historical fact. All of the books are.

There is such a mixed bag on the books offered even on just one page of this thread! Your books sound pretty interesting. I might see if I can pick one up today - I'm looking for the next read at the moment!!

I have a difficult time picking a favorite, myself. I usually read the fantasy genre, and I've read all the popular ones. Stephen King wrote one which I would put into that genre rather than his usual, the Dark Tower series. It had a lot of more philosophical types of questions which I found interesting, plus it's a good, classic quest story. I liked Twilight - probably for exactly the same reasons that the people hate it hated it. I also like mystery novels - Dorothy Sayers is my particular favorite, and I'm getting into some PD James after hearing an interview with her on NPR saying she was inspired by DS.

Nik's favorite is hands down Katherine Kerr's Deverry series. He's been introducing me to more Scifi, Catherine Asaro and David Weber, which I really enjoyed.

[Y&E 12]

I have discovered a new author (new to me anyway) who has me mesmerized! Lisa See. I picked up Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - and half way through it, I had to go out and get Shanghai Girls . They were both on sale at Costco. I started Shanghai Girls and knew I would want to read more so went on line and ordered Peony in Love , which I am now half way through. It is my favourite one yet! This writer is remarkable - she writes about Chinese women from their perspectives and she totally captures whatever time period she is writing about. Her research is impeccable, her writing style very easy and her stories captivating. You enter their lives, their emotions, their reality - I can hardly put the books down while I am reading them! I can't begin to recommend them enough!

Now, I need to go on line and track down some of her other work - Flower Net, The Interior, Dragon Bones and On Gold Mountain . Lisa See was named National Woman of the Year in 2001 by The Organization of Chinese American Women for her novels.

By the way, Shanghai Girls will give you a very different view of US Immigration and is incredibly timely considering the current concerns about illegal immigrants. It is set in the early and mid-20th century before and after the Chinese Exclusion Act in Shanghai, Hong Kong and the US. Disturbing, inspiring and emotionally demanding - it is an excellent novel based on historical fact. All of the books are.

That sounds really good. I'll have to search out some of her books.

[OBX 51]

I have discovered a new author (new to me anyway) who has me mesmerized! Lisa See. I picked up Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - and half way through it, I had to go out and get Shanghai Girls . They were both on sale at Costco. I started Shanghai Girls and knew I would want to read more so went on line and ordered Peony in Love , which I am now half way through. It is my favourite one yet! This writer is remarkable - she writes about Chinese women from their perspectives and she totally captures whatever time period she is writing about. Her research is impeccable, her writing style very easy and her stories captivating. You enter their lives, their emotions, their reality - I can hardly put the books down while I am reading them! I can't begin to recommend them enough!

Now, I need to go on line and track down some of her other work - Flower Net, The Interior, Dragon Bones and On Gold Mountain . Lisa See was named National Woman of the Year in 2001 by The Organization of Chinese American Women for her novels.

By the way, Shanghai Girls will give you a very different view of US Immigration and is incredibly timely considering the current concerns about illegal immigrants. It is set in the early and mid-20th century before and after the Chinese Exclusion Act in Shanghai, Hong Kong and the US. Disturbing, inspiring and emotionally demanding - it is an excellent novel based on historical fact. All of the books are.

Thanks for the suggestion Kathryn. I just signed out all three from the library!

[knnth 0]

For Christmas, Katie got me a 1st edition 2nd print hardcover of DUNE (!!!) which I read in Janurary. Since then I've read a Dune book every month. Currently on the last one in the series of six, Chapterhouse: Dune. It is epic

[pasht 0]

Currently reading Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett. 3rd in the Discworld series, which so far has been a fun read.

My favorite book is Fluke by Christopher Moore. He also wrote Lamb, which is also in my top 5. Another really fun read is The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein.

All highly, highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in their reading.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thanks for the suggestion Kathryn. I just signed out all three from the library!

Youre' welcome. I think you'll enjoy them. Peony in Love turned out to be my favourite of the three - they are all so different even though so many elements are the same. See is an amazing writer!

I'm just starting Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, translated from the French, about two educated City boys who are sent into the isolated and rural mountains of China for 're-education' from their flawed, 'intellectual ways' by the Communists. I have just started it so don't have much more than that yet but so far I am also enjoying it. I've just finished Fallen Leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter by Adeline Yen Mah which was also absolutely incredible. It is a true story of the 5th Chinese daughter in a well to do Tianjian/Shanghai/HongKong family whose father re-married shortly after her birth. It too is set in the early 20th century and takes you through the years of changes in China from Shanghai as an international center through the Japanese invasion and the growth of HongKong through the arrival of Communism and the Cultural Revolution right up to today, from a personal as well as a cultural level. Another book that I also highly recommend.

So, yeah, I am definitely on some sort of a 20th century Chinese theme - no idea why except that the books by Lisa See seemed to have kicked it off. I am fascinated.

[Y&E 12]

Youre' welcome. I think you'll enjoy them. Peony in Love turned out to be my favourite of the three - they are all so different even though so many elements are the same. See is an amazing writer!

I'm just starting Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, translated from the French, about two educated City boys who are sent into the isolated and rural mountains of China for 're-education' from their flawed, 'intellectual ways' by the Communists. I have just started it so don't have much more than that yet but so far I am also enjoying it. I've just finished Fallen Leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter by Adeline Yen Mah which was also absolutely incredible. It is a true story of the 5th Chinese daughter in a well to do Tianjian/Shanghai/HongKong family whose father re-married shortly after her birth. It too is set in the early 20th century and takes you through the years of changes in China from Shanghai as an international center through the Japanese invasion and the growth of HongKong through the arrival of Communism and the Cultural Revolution right up to today, from a personal as well as a cultural level. Another book that I also highly recommend.

So, yeah, I am definitely on some sort of a 20th century Chinese theme - no idea why except that the books by Lisa See seemed to have kicked it off. I am fascinated.

Not 20th C China but I think you might enjoy the two Empress Orchid novels, Kathryn. I can't remember the author but one of them is entitled Empress Orchid. I think the other one is the Last Empress. Anyway, they are really good.