The Book Thread - What You've Read, What You're Reading, What You Want to Read

[tuneful87]

I thought it might be nice to have a thread devoted to books - what we've read and would recommend, what we're reading, and what we want to read in the future. I try to research books before I buy them, but it can be quite overwhelming once you start to search online or at the library, read reviews, etc. So, I think it would be nice if we each list the types of books we are interested in reading, and subsequent posters offer recommendations based on what they've read in addition to listing the types of books they are interested in.

I guess I'll start us off with a few selections!

What I've Read:

The Next Queen of Heaven - While the book got mediocre reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's bizarre, it's vulgar, it's full of unusual characters and situations - a gay singing group teams up with an order of nuns, a staunch Protestant loses her mind when hit on the head with a statue of Mary and her foul-mouthed, promiscuous daughter must keep the family together, etc. This is by the same author of Wicked, but quite different than his other works.

Travels with Lizbeth - This is a true chronicle of a gay homeless man and his dog in the 80s traveling from Austin to LA and back again. It's a fascinating look into the world of homelessness, not to mention the 80s and life in the Midwest.

Dragon Seed - One of my favorite books by Pearl S. Buck, this novel is about the experiences of a family in China during World War II. The writing itself may seem a bit dated, but it's a powerful and harrowing story. I think I've read it three times now.

What I'm Reading:

I just ordered Closet, the first novel in a gay mystery series. I already read the last book in the series, Innuendo, when I found it at my library. I'm looking forward to reading the whole series.

What I Want to Read:

I love monsters, but I'm not all that interested in series like Twilight or True Blood, or classic monster stories either for that matter. There are a ton of supernatural books out there, but a lot of them seem to be a bit too cliched for my tastes. I read a werewolf story a while back called Dark Cry of the Moon that I liked, and I also enjoyed The Moth Diaries. This is one genre so big that I don't know where to start!

I'm also interested in good science fiction as well as novels featuring gay protagonists but where the story does not hinge on sexuality. A little romance never hurts, but I'd rather that as a subplot to the story rather than the meat of it. Oh, and I am all about strong female leads. When it comes down to it, I'm pretty open-minded with genre as long as the piece is well-written, thought-provoking, and keeps my interest. Graphic novels are something I enjoy as well.

[Leave a Whisper]

What I've Read-Howl's Moving Castle

What I'm Reading-Vertigo an excellent fanfic by an amazing authoress

What I Want to Read-um nothing I can think of atm

[Miniature Sheep]

What I've Read - Most recently I got Haruki Murakami's new book. It's a major return to form after 1Q84 proved to be *just not for me*; it reminds me a bit of his older work like A Wild Sheep Chase and South of the Border in terms of atmosphere. It's not something I can readily put into words but something about it really appealed to me; it was somehow quite calming to read.

What I'm Reading - Currently revisiting a Jorge Luis Borges collection that I read last summer. This is one of my favourites; I love how every story is something of a philosophical puzzle.

What I Want to Read - I'd like to find some of Borges's poetry, or just some more poetry in general. Preferably something with a surreal vibe.

[Rosencrantz]

What I've read:

A whole ton of comics, Batman: Arkham Asylum and The Long Halloween, Genkaku Picasso, Case Closed!, and She-Hulk. Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones. I really loved all of the previous, except Arkham Asylum. Grant Morrison doesn't play well with others toys and his writing is just grating and kind of sickening.

The Long Halloween is probably my favourite Batman miniseries ever. It's one of the 'early' cases, which has Harvey Dent, not Two-Face, as a main character with Batman and Gordon trying to stop a serial killer going after mobland connections.

Genkaku Picasso is about a boy who somehow doesn't die when he and his friend are hit by a helicopter, but it turns out that when she went to the afterlife she prayed for his life to be spared and now he has to help people solve their problems and draw the problems in their hearts. It was really good and well drawn and parts made me cry.

Case Closed! is a mystery comic, I read it for the same reason I watch crime shows.

She-Hulk is a lawyer.... to superheroes and space and beyond! It's a cool comic, and pretty funny. I'm reading the 2004-2005 series by Dan Slott.

And Homeward Bounders is a reminder of how much I love Diana Wynne Jones. It was a reread, but it was as good as the first time. A young boy sees something he shouldn't and ends up being forced to go from dimension to dimension trying to find his way home.

What I'm reading:

Fake ID by Lamar Giles which is about a kid in the witness protection problem who ends up solving the murder of his first friend in his new town. It's a good read so far.

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce which is a universe that's so magical you don't realize how magical it is until you're halfway through and it's gone full fantasy on you. It's in a world where Spain is in charge, but it's not our Spain, or the Spain of the past. Flora just wanted to get to school on time and from there she gets deeper and deeper into new problems into right now she's imitated a soldier and is on the run from a cannibal ghost.


What I want to read:

Detective mysteries involving ghosts!

[kaoskat]

What I've read?.......Ummm.......Too many things to list?
What I'm reading? City Of Lost Souls
What I want to read? Again, too many things to list.

[Koudoawaia]

I'm reading Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury. It's the sequel to One Tuesday Morning which is Christian historical fiction about 9/11. It really made me appreciate my husband even more than I already do and that's all I'll say about that. You'll have to find out why.

[DazzleKitty]

I've read way too many things to list. I am on an Amish fiction kick and have been ready lots of novels based off Amish characters.

I can tell you what I am reading right now, though. Someone here recommended it to me but I can't remember who it was (I need to find out and thank them!). I am reading the Sisters of the Quilt trilogy by Cindy Woodsmall. I am on the second book and am totally hooked. I cannot wait to see how everything turns out in book three.

I am wanting to check out more of her series after this one.

[little.fox]

The last thing I read was "Brilliant", a kids book by one of my favourite authors Roddy Doyle. It was cute enough, but I much prefer his adult stuff.

I haven't started a new book yet, my to-read list is a mile long so I can't really decide where to start. I might go with the Earthsea Quartet by LeGuin. I have been meaning to read it for donkeys years as it's supposed to be one of the best fantasy series ever, so it seems like a good place to start. I am a little scared of being disappointed though..

I'm also really wanting to read the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, as I've heard so many rave reviews on that one. Oh and the latest one by Oates as well. *sigh* So many books, so little time!

[mlp4me]

It takes me months to finish a book. I'm a big fan of YA, easy (quick) to read stuff. I tend to read the same books over and over again.
Over the summer and into fall:
Reading: The Giver (3rd time), Eldest (2nd time)
Read: Eragon (2nd time around)
Want to read: Bruce Coville, something, anything new from him... sometime this century...

[pinkaurora]

Can I show you guys a really cool site for book lovers?
https://www.goodreads.com/

The last book I read was Turning the Tables: A Novel by Rita Rudner. I get most of my books from thrift stores (because books are so expensive).
Books I currently have in my possession to read are
Trans-Sister Radio
by Chris Bohjalian

A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America
by David K. Shipler

Dear John
by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song
by Nicholas Sparks

Leaving Normal
by Stef Ann Holm

Black and Blue
by Anna Quindlen

Specials (Uglies #3)
by Scott Westerfeld (I will have to read the first two books again and then read the third now that i have all three)

Firefly Beach
by Luanne Rice

[Nekoi]

I'm big on reading, and read around 50-60 books each year, this year I might set a new personal record close to 70 books. Big fan of Goodreads

I just finished a couple of Swedish books - so I won't bore you with the titles haha

I'm just now starting with a chic lit classic "Sex and the City".

And I'll be moving from there to a couple of books by Jane Green, towards the fourth installment of A song of Ice and Fire.

It's becoming time to choose my Christmas books for this year

[cuddlebuggy]

I read hundreds of books each year. Top recommendations: The Princess Bride, The Golden Compass Series, Life of Pi, The Last Lecture, A Wrinkle in Time, etc...
Currently rereading The Sherlock Holes Series.
Want to reread Great Expectations and then Tonto and The Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie as my banned book this month.

[pinkaurora]

Could/Should we start an arena group on good reads?

[Nekoi]

I think that could be really fun!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I use this site to help me keep up:  http://50bookpledge.ca/

What I'm Reading:
1.  Down to Earth: Speeches and Writings of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on the Relationship of Man With His Environment
2. The Coming of the King: by Nikolai Tolstoy