What are you reading?

OK Natalie, I will check it out.

Theres fantasy author I like, but I can't remember his anmes, and the books are in Milos room so I can't check. Oh well I will check tomorrow! Ian someone.

I love anything fantasy; am currently reading Sara Douglas, David Eddings, Robin Hobb, Ian Irvine, Juliet Mariller, J.V.Jones, Cecilia Dart Thornton - any good fantasy basicallly. And of course anything by Janet Evanovich, her new series Metro Girl promises to be just as good as the stephanie plum saga - who do you reckon poor steph will end up with? Ranger or Morelli?

I am a fantasy nut as well... I have the whole Belgariad and Malloreon series by Eddings, plus assorted other ones of his.
I just remembered that I bought Darkwitch Rising (book 3 of the Troy Game) by Sara Douglas 2 months ago... and it is sitting on my shelf unread... I totally forgot about it! :eek: Gosh thats just unheard of... before motherhood and uni I used to read constantly... Hmmm... maybe in retirement I can do that again? LOL ;)

Oh and I recently read Shadowmarch by Tad Williams.... first book of his I have read, he is really good, and am waiting for the next one to come out!

Isobelle Carmody would have to be my favourite though... got onto her whilst I was in highschool, and it made such a huge impression....

I am reading "Room Full of Mirrors: A biography of Jimi Hendrix" by Charles R. Cross. It is brilliant.

I just started the new Ruth Rendell. Its called The Water's Lovely. As usual its really enjoyable. RR is one of my favorite authors. She's so easy to read and she builds suspense so well - she can write about the most mundane things yet make them seem so creepy.

Ive always wanted to read her books, Chloe. I don't know why I haven't - I think its because of the TV series. Are they the ones with Helen Mirren?

I am going to get the Magic Pudding books for Maddy for Christmas......
I know not as exciting as your discussion, I just dont hace 5 mins to read anything except BB!

Nat, I think the TV series with Helen Mirren is the Lynda LaPlante books (Prime Suspect). Lynda LaPlante is also a great writer but sometimes kind of violent.
I think some of the Ruth Rendell books about Inspector Wexford have been translated to TV.
My other favorite crime writer is Minette Walters. She kind of focuses on the psychological aspects of her characters too.

Tracey, I collected a lot of kids books when I was about 19 - I just liked them. Fortunately it's been a blessing cause Viv loves them. Amongst others, I bought The Magic Pudding, Snugglepot & Cuddlepie, The Muddle Headed Wombat and ... BRB can't remember the last one!... Blinky Bill.

Hope Maddy enjoys them too.

Ok, yeah I remember. He was the chubby guy with the moustache and wicked sense of humour? Or am I wrong again, lol??

Cool, I know We had heaps of books, now I hope maddy enjoys them too, although I am certain she will! The books she gets from school for reading are kinda dull & boring!!!!

Right now im reading Where did we come from?- Carl Zimmer. Very easy to follow guide to the latest discoveries in human origins (paleoanthropology). Loving it cos its easy to read but not dumbed down IYKWIM.

I am reading "The Meaning of Wife" by Anne Kingston. It "delves into the complex, troubling and sometimes humorous contradictions and realities of contemporary wifehood", or so the blurb says. I have read the first two chapters and am really enjoying it. The part I have enjoyed the most so far is where Kingston talks about how on the one hand women are free to be independent within marriage and are not our husbands' chattels any more, but still, the concept of what a wife is remains strong. (Even women sometimes joke that they "need a wife". To quote:

"There is only one problem, a massive one. Legislation has freed individual women from the shackles traditionally associated with the role of wife. Yet the need for the wife has not been removed from corporate, economic and political infrastructures. It is as if the wife has been left by the raodside (circa 1965), her important, if invisible, social and economic contributions marginalised. Women assume they have been freed from wife, but wife hasn't been freed from women. Individual women may have been untethered from the wife role, but the structural need for a wife remains entrenched in the culture; and this, in turn, remains tethered to women like an invisible anchor."

Wow..theres so many great books here..ive gotten some ideas lol. Ive just finished 'Ugly' by Constance Bristoe...quite inspirational but terribly sad....but definately worth a look.

Jo

Amongst Active Birth, Up The Duff and What to Expect When You Are Expecting - lol...can't tell i'm pg huh!!! I'm reading Patricia Cornwell's Predator. Nearly finished and it's great! Love a good thriller.

I'm also a fan of Kathy Reich and love Nicci French. Used to like David Eddings but have gone off Fantasy for the time being. And my all time fave series is Clan of the Cave Bear by ????? sudden attack of pg brain....omg how can this name escape me? It's a brilliant series!

Clan of the cave bear is by Jean M Auel (I think!!!)
I read the first few of those when I was a teenager, but havent caught up on the most recent ones she has brought out...

YES -Ambah - that's it!!!!!!!! I've read them all...and am waiting for her to finish the next one as there's supposed to be 7 and i think there's only 5 so far. Oh thankyou - it's been bugging me :D

Share the book that you are currently reading

Im reading Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren... I had just finished last february the book wrote by Robert Kiyosaki "RichDad Poor Dad"

I'm reading "2nd Chance" by James Patterson. I love crime/mystery novels, and the first one in the series, "1st to Die" was great so I thought I'd read the series (luckily for me, my ister owns them all :D)

I am about to begin reading the Bali Nine book!

Just had a flick through the latest Coles baby mag??!!!

Just finished Cecilia Ahern's latest offering 'A Place called Here'. :) Took me ages this time around.

Two books at once -

Kaz Cookes 'Up The Duff'
and
'Baby Love'

Both given to me from friends as Xmas presents

I've just started Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold! by Terry Brooks :)
Just finished the Sword of Shannara by the same Author.

Tanya

I've just finished reading Da Vinci Code & he one prior which is called Angels & Demons (both by Dan Brown). I'm hoping to get the next two for my birthday in a few weeks.

Tanya - I love the Shannara series!

As I've posted in another thread, I'm reading Anthony Kiedis' (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) Scar Tissue and I love it (and him, lol). He is very inspiring.

I'm also reading Think and Grow Rich, by Napoeon Hill, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Kiyosaki.

:clap: Yes I know, who has time to read? I read in bed at night because my husband goes to bed at the same time as the kids and I can't usually fall asleep at that time. I thought it might be good to review books recently read so if anyone is thinking of reading a particular book or looking for a book to read this could help them.
I'm going to start by reviewing Sylvia by Bryce Courtney, which I have just finished. It is the story of the Childrens Crusade set in the 1700's from the perspective of Sylvia, an educated orphaned peasant girl. As Bryce Courtney is a good story teller it is a readable book but unfortunately just doesn't satisfy. The character of Sylvia isn't believable, the story is quite pretentious and it doesn't round out in the end. He seems to be trying too hard with this one and his characters aren't fleshed out enough and the interpersonal relationships have no real connection or depth, I was quite dissappointed, to say the least. If you are a Courtney fan you will probably read it anyway but if not don't bother.
I would love to read other peoples opinions on this and any other books recently read.

Penny, I think you about summed up my feelings on Sylvia. I was so looking forward to it and then when I read it found it to be really hard work. I had to force myself to finish it off.

I'm glad I'm not the only one, my FIL raved about it.

Well people are reading if not posting so I'll continue with my reviews. Last night I finished reading Next by Michael Crichton. It's yet another comment on the ethics and morality involved in, or lacking from, genetic research. I, personnally, am facinated by this subject and he writes very knowledgably about it, being a doctor. On this level it was a very interesting book however his story is written very disjointedly, a bit like a jigsaw with too many pieces. He tries to incorporate too many story lines and characters with not enough cohesion and you feel quite let down by the ending. If you are looking for a good story, this is not the book for you, but if you enjoy Michael Crichtons views on scientific research then give it a read.
Thanks for reading and I'd really like to hear others views.

written by Raymond Feist, this is the next installment in his on going story of a world called Midkemia. If you are a fantasy lover and have never read any of his books I advise you rush out and get a copy of The Magician asap. Raymond Feist is probably my favourite author and Into a dark realm does not dissappoint. The story continues with well loved characters travelling to another realm to save their own and the introduction of some new a interesting ones, both friend and foe. Magic and Mayhem with romance and adventure, these books have it all.

I just finished reading Dry by Augusten Burroughs & really loved it :) I enjoyed Running with Scissors & so I decided to get this one as well & I must say it was just as good. This one is when he's an adult & trying to rehabilitate himself from alcohol. Very well worth the read, but I think you need to have read the first memoir to understand some parts of this one.

Just going to combine this with our other book thread ;)

Im reading schapelle corby's My story. The jail conditions sound terrible!

I am reading the same as well Caddie, as well as a pregnancy book!

Sarah - I loved Running With Scissors and Dry too! I think I read both of them in 2 days - couldn't put them down.

I'm reading "The Zahir" by Paul Coehlo at the moment. I read another one of his, "The Alchemist" for a book club that I'm in, recently, and really enjoyed it so I thought I'd try this one out.

Cherie, The Alchemist is great, hey?

I'm currently reading a Maeve Binchy book, nice light reading for my new mummy brain while I'm BFing! DH was so excited when he came out the other night and saw me reading....he said "oh good, life is back to normal, you're reading again" LOL! I've got such a big pile there waiting to be read, I thought I was going to be home heavily pg, with a broken foot, for at least a few more weeks :rolleyes:

I'm so excited, I didn't think I get to read a book for another 10 years! BFing is certainly a good time to do it :)

I think I might have to get running with scissors. I love reading but I am very annoying in that if I can tell whats going on, or if I've read too many other books similar to the one I'm reading I get bored quickly. I like a book to escape with. Fantasty doesn't do it for me anymore because I read so many of them in my youth I just can't get into them anymore, I don't know why its weird. I love human stories. I tried to read Marian Keyes but found it too predictable and I just couldn't get into it, too much like reading a gossip column. So I felt like a reading failure LOL! One of the most easy to read books and it did nothing for me LOL! How am I going to stay captivated in anything else?!?! But I'm like that with movies too, I hate things that don't get me to think and are predictable. I am notorious for reading half way through a book and getting bored and not picking it up again. It annoys my husband, who is an avid reader, to no end. I also didn't finish reading the da vinci code coz it got boring and predictable (to me). That one REALLY annoyed Marc.

So apart from running with scissors if you think you can help me find a book I won't give up on I would be eternally grateful ;) The book club book we read on the boy with aspergers was good I read that cover to cover but in a few days so I'd like something a bit bigger ;)

*hugs*
Cailin

Cai Running with Scissors is a memoir, would that be something you're after. It truly is strange all the things that happened to this man & definitely not predictable! I'll think of something else as well....

Cai theres a brilliant fantasy series by George RR Martin. The series is called A Song of Ice and Fire and it surpasses by far any fantasy novels Ive read before. He's so slooow with his writing though - Ive been waiting for ages for him to finish. But its very unpredictable - key characters die (you gotta love that ;) ) and its fast paced.