Page 2 of 4

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 8:45 pm
by Devil in the Blue Dress
DukePA wrote:Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells. This is the first Ya Ya book. I re-read her books every few years. She and Pat Conroy are my favorite authors.
Amen, Sister! I have my own tiara, too!

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 9:27 pm
by TillyGalore
Devil in the Blue Dress wrote:
DukePA wrote:Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells. This is the first Ya Ya book. I re-read her books every few years. She and Pat Conroy are my favorite authors.
Amen, Sister! I have my own tiara, too!
I have a whole collection of tiaras. :royalty-queen:

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 9:27 pm
by TillyGalore
ArkieDukie wrote:My current read is "Midwives" by Chris Bohjalian. Great book so far. I believe I ended up looking at it due to Tilly's rave review in another thread.
That is a great book!!! Glad you are enjoying it. :D :D

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 9:36 pm
by Lavabe
YmoBeThere wrote:
Lavabe wrote:"Man the Hunted: Expanded Edition:" A book that reviews the role predation has had (and still has) on human evolution. Probably the easiest primatology book to read. :twocents:

Say, which predator would you think has the easiest time offing humans for lunch?
:-B
Lions? Tigers? Bears?

(Oh my!)
That's one of the chapter titles. I'm not joking!

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 9:41 pm
by Lavabe
windsor wrote:
Lavabe wrote:"Man the Hunted: Expanded Edition:" A book that reviews the role predation has had (and still has) on human evolution. Probably the easiest primatology book to read. :twocents:

Say, which predator would you think has the easiest time offing humans for lunch?
:-B
Easiest time? Modern humans or our ancestors...our ancestors I'd say one one of the big cats..lion? tiger? Modern humans..hmmm if it was just killed I think it is deer of all things (read that somewhere) but they aren't having us for lunch...ditto rattlesnakes and the like..domestic dogs may kill you but they won't eat you...so shot in the dark...what the hell...I stick with the big cats...can I have 'leopard' for 500 Alex?
Leopard is a quick ambush predator. Crocodiles are pretty quick as well. Pack hyenas (in the fossil record, some are more than twice as large as their modern relatives) can hunt humans very effectively.

However, the chapter on large snakes gives me pause to wonder. Being attacked by a Komodo Dragon really stinks.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 10:04 pm
by gadzooks
TillyGalore wrote:I'm reading The Help. http://www.amazon.com/Help-Kathryn-Stoc ... 231&sr=8-1

I am loving this book and have a hard time putting it down. This is the first book I've read in a long time, if ever, that has made me look at myself and what I do, or don't do.. I had a long talk with a black friend yesterday about her experiences as a black women. It was a very interesting and enlightening conversation. I kind of wish I was in a book club as I really want to talk to other women who've read this book and get their thoughts.
I think this is the book I heard a story and interview with the author about on NPR a few months back. It sounded so interesting, but because I was driving I couldn't make a note of the author and title. That's going on my to-read list.

Right now I'm reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; I'm only a short way into the book and finding it slow going so far, but a lot of friends have recommended it, so I'm going to keep trudging along with it in hopes it gets better.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 11:00 pm
by ArkieDukie
Here's another recommendation, but it's a few years old. I absolutely loved "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. I read it last year. Long book, great story.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 17th, 2010, 11:11 pm
by YmoBeThere
I'm trying to read my cat's mind...all I'm getting at the moment is will he stay or will he go? I think he's referring to Kyle. That or whether to get up now and go to the bathroom.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 18th, 2010, 2:42 am
by colchar
What am I reading? Well, besides a whole bunch of journal articles the books I'm reading at the moment are The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 by Christopher Andrew (for my dissertation), Whitewashing Britain: Race and Citizenship in the Postwar Era by Kathleen Paul (for my dissertation), London: A Social History by Roy Porter (for pleasure), and Austerity Britain 1948-51: Smoke in the Valley by David Kynaston (also for pleasure).

That last one is the second half of a larger volume (the larger work was broken down into two paperbacks) that is a social history of Britain from 1945-51. The next volume in the series has just been released (Family Britain 1951-57) but I will wait until it, too, has been divided into paperbacks before I buy it. The intention of that series is to trace Britain's history from the end of WW II until 1979 and the first two volumes are excellent. Peter Hennessy has undertaken a similar work that started with two volumes - Never Again: Britain 1945-51 and Having it so Good: Britain in the Fifties which are political histories (they are supposed to be the first volumes in a multi-volume series but I haven't heard anything lately about any new volumes being released). Both Kynaston's and Hennessy's books (all of which have won awards) are very good - they take different approaches to the same subject and era but are both good reads and, taken together, they paint a very thorough picture of post-war Britain. If anyone here has any interest in the subject matter I highly recommend them.

Then again, I doubt anyone here is enough of a history geek to be interested in any of these except, of course, for Wilson but none of the titles mentioned above are in his area of expertise.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 18th, 2010, 6:01 am
by bjornolf
ArkieDukie wrote:Here's another recommendation, but it's a few years old. I absolutely loved "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. I read it last year. Long book, great story.
My wife really enjoyed that one, too. She's recommended it to several people.

%%-

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 18th, 2010, 9:38 am
by Ima Facultiwyfe
ArkieDukie wrote:
TillyGalore wrote:I'm reading The Help. http://www.amazon.com/Help-Kathryn-Stoc ... 231&sr=8-1
What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams.
I am loving this book and have a hard time putting it down. This is the first book I've read in a long time, if ever, that has made me look at myself and what I do, or don't do.. I had a long talk with a black friend yesterday about her experiences as a black women. It was a very interesting and enlightening conversation. I kind of wish I was in a book club as I really want to talk to other women who've read this book and get their thoughts.
I finished this book recently on my Kindle and LOVED it. Like Tilly, I had trouble putting it down. In fact, I was going to suggest this book to you, windsor. Tilly beat me to the punch! Anyone, everyone, read this book. It's amazing.
I started this one a few weeks ago but have gotten sidetracked with so much going on around here. We're renovating the kitchen and doing the contracting ourselves. Meanwhile, no stove, no fridge, no sink--nothin' but debris and drywall dust to go with all the pollen and dog hair. I can't find a place to sit down and read a book. What I HAVE read of it is terrific, though. It's written in a time frame and setting that I grew up familiar with. I find it very realistic so far. When you get that book group going, Tilly, count me in. I'd have two cents worth to contribute. ~O)
Love, Ima

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 18th, 2010, 8:34 pm
by Rolvix
Frankenstein.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 18th, 2010, 11:06 pm
by EarlJam
windsor wrote:Just finished the last download book on my Nook (I love..and I do mean Love :x :x :x my nook!)

Wondering what CTNers are reading right now...need to download a few more.

Just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks...thought it was awesome. Any of you science geeks who are familiar with human cell lines, Henrietta Lacks is HELA.
Just finished up a couple of books: Dry by Augusten Burroughs (sp) and Have a Little Faith by Mich Albom. Also, just took a part-time job at Barnes & Noble. I sell "The Nook" and am happy you are loving yours!

-EarlJam

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 19th, 2010, 10:24 am
by shereec
gadzooks wrote:[
Right now I'm reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; I'm only a short way into the book and finding it slow going so far, but a lot of friends have recommended it, so I'm going to keep trudging along with it in hopes it gets better.
I really enjoyed this one and the next (The Girl Who Played With Fire). I'll be picking up the third in the series at the library soon. These are the only 3 books by the author - he died before they were published.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: April 19th, 2010, 7:59 pm
by windsor
shereec wrote:
gadzooks wrote:[
Right now I'm reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; I'm only a short way into the book and finding it slow going so far, but a lot of friends have recommended it, so I'm going to keep trudging along with it in hopes it gets better.
I really enjoyed this one and the next (The Girl Who Played With Fire). I'll be picking up the third in the series at the library soon. These are the only 3 books by the author - he died before they were published.
Just finished Dragon Tattoo...downloaded Played with Fire, but I have several other recommendations to get through first.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: March 23rd, 2014, 4:08 pm
by windsor
Decided to drag this thread back from the dead. I have a bunch stacked up on my nook...(newer one than the one I mentioned at the start of the thread)

So what are YOU reading?

I

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: March 23rd, 2014, 4:37 pm
by Ima Facultiwyfe
Not reading one I'd recommend right now. But the best book I've read in that last year by far is "Rules for Old Men Waiting". I thought it was a masterpiece.
Love, Ima

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: March 23rd, 2014, 9:25 pm
by IowaDevil
Just finished "Cell" by Robin Cook. Enjoyed it but his fiction sometimes is dangerously close to reality and this book was one of those!

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: March 23rd, 2014, 9:27 pm
by ArkieDukie
I'm currently re-reading "Give and Take" by Adam Grant and realizing how many taker tendencies Road Runner has.

Re: What are you reading?

Posted: March 23rd, 2014, 9:41 pm
by TillyGalore
I am reading The Avengers, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158046.The_Avengers and Powerful Techniques for Teaching Adults. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/162 ... earch=true.

The former is because I want to and the latter because I have to.