What are you reading right now? Come in and tell us!

[Miss.September]

Ahh Poisonwood Bible, always wanted to read that and forgot!

I'm reading Quentins by Maeve Binchy. Its about a high end restaurant in Dublin and the stories of the patrons there. And about a woman who falls in love with a married man and it ends badly, where she and her family lose everything. She gets a job helping a friend who runs a production company and they decide to do a documentary on the restaurant. It's an easy, light read, one I've read before and enjoying again.

[Cranky Kitten]

Reading Game of Thrones - better than the TV series and quite addictive.

[Cassius2]

i am currently reading huxley's "brave new world". saw it at the airport and was only $11 and i remembered that it was on a reading list at highschool but at the time i chose to read 1984 instead...so here i am 10 years later back to that old reading list

loving it. it is a book written at the very beginning of WWII and the influences of the times are heavily apparent with concepts of creating a perfect society with perfect people (explorations of eugenics and social modelling techniques etc).
the story itself is set in the far away future where babies are created in labs and grown in bottles and the concept of a mother and a father is nothing more than smutty pornographic thinking lol. it follows the story of two main characters that one day go and visit the "savages" (those that live without civilisation and give birth to their babies and farm their own food and have free thought) and how they deal with experience once they go back to "civilisation".

very cool and not a long book, so good to read with kids and other life stuff going on that might not allow for an intense literary journey.

[~Kaz~]

I am reading a few books at once (which I have a terrible habit of!).

1. Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn. It's about an approach to parenting that avoids using rewards/praise/punishment and focuses more on the relationship with the child. Its very interesting and possibly the best parenting book I've ever read! I am loving it as it is really challenging me to think about my automatic reactions at times with DS which are based on power and control.

2. Raw Deal by Wayne McKay. It's a kind of autobiography. McKay had a troubled childhood, lived on the streets and did lots of gaol time. It's about how he turned his life around. It's quite annoying and I am not enjoying it. He just raves on and on and kind of big notes himself a lot. He still has a lot of the criminal way of thinking (IMO) but he is an awesomely talented artist. It's not the book I thought it would be though.

3. The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver. Started this a couple of months ago but still in the early stages of the book. I loved We Need to Talk About Kevin so have high hopes for this book. So far it's really good. Its about a married woman who, over time and to her surprise I think, develops a relationship with another man. So it's about the choice she makes after they first kiss. (I'm not up to that bit yet!).

4. The Complete Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali. It's three books in one and uses Buddist teachings and principles in thinking about parenting and self identity. I have only just started this (page 21!) but plan to spend much more time reading it when I finish books 1 and 2 above.

[Beach Mama]

OOOH Kaz I read Buddism for Mothers a while back and really loved it, might have to hunt it down at the library again! Unconditional Parenting sounds great too - my automatic reactions are shocking and I need some strategies in place for when I am tired and cranky in particular - Im so quick to react at times..

[Sibbie]

Cassius2 - I love Brave New World! I have been meaning to re-read it, that and 1984.

AFM - I have been trying to read Frankenstein, but I just suck at concentrating at the moment. Thinking of picking up an old favourite - most probably Hitchhikers Guide or maybe I'll read High Fidelity again. Can't decide.

[nurseymum]

Just read "First & Only Women" - about some of the great women of history, really interesting - who would have known there was a female pope?! They only found out she was a woman when she gave birth...on a horse...!!

Also just re-read To Kill A Mockingbird, my all-time favourite

[kitten2b]

A Season To Remember by Sheila O'Flanagan, easy to read whilst breastfeeding.

[krysalyss]

I just finished water for elephants and oliver twist. It was my first ****ens book. I loved it. Can't believe i haven't read one before. Will definitely be going through the rest.

[Glamourcide]

Kaz, I'm another bad one for reading several books at once Right now, I'm getting through Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of the United States', 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins (and so far, not understanding what all the fuss is about, I'm not religious but I'm finding the tone of this book to be a tad arrogant, it's hard to keep reading when I feel like I'm being 'talked down to'), and just for fun, I'm catching up on Lucky Santangelo's latest adventures in 'Goddess of Vengeance' by Jackie Collins

[krysalyss]

oliver twist. It was my first ****ens book

Oh no! Poor Charles. He provides such important commentary on social reform back in the 1800s and then gets blocked by the BB swear censor. What would he think?!?!

[Jewel]

I've just started Water for Elephants.

[peanutter]

I've just finished my first Jackie Collins book!

So now it's a big decision about what's next ... I've got a book about human trafficking waiting, and the Millenium trillogy, and also Raising Boys.

Decisions, decisions, decisions ...

[Gigi]

Corinne Grant's funny book on Decluttering. Very easy to read, and did make me LOL. First time in over a year, that i've read a book for me.

So little on telly that interests me, would be great to find some good books to read (i'm sure i'll find some titles by reading this thread). i love historical novels like Geraldine Brook's "year of wonders".

i would like to find novels about the post WW2 period in Germany. I'm so curious, what life was like then, rebuilding a war torn country, what happened to the people who survived the concentration camps, how they re-intergrated back into life. I know many emigrated, but i'm guessing not all were able to do that.

[Sibbie]

Oh no! Poor Charles. He provides such important commentary on social reform back in the 1800s and then gets blocked by the BB swear censor. What would he think?!?!

:Rofl:

[Gigi]

i heart ****ens.

[Miss.September]

I've just finished Maeve Binchy's Nights of Rain and Stars. Been sitting on my bookshelf unopened for too long. I really enjoyed it. It's about four travelers who are thrown together on one of the Greek Islands due to a boat fire unfolding. Each is running away from home for one reason or another. Really easy read.

Now I'm on to the Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans. Loved it the first time I read it, but I can't really remember much about it this time around.

I'm so tired, easy reads are great and help my mind settle at night.

[Glamourcide]

I've just finished my first Jackie Collins book!

Oh, you're in big trouble now They're sooo addictive! I've read pretty much everything she's ever written, I love her novels so much They're predictable and trashy but oh so much fun! If you haven't already, get onto 'Chances', it's the beginning of the Santangelo saga - her best stuff, I reckon! Lucky is my hero