What are you reading the week of September 19, 2010?

[hippywife]

DUGosh was called away unexpectedly and has asked me to host the next two Sundays.

I'm still reading The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais. It's not a large book and shouldn't have taken me more than a few days but haven't gotten to read that much this week.

So, what are you reading this week? :D


DuGosh didn't say why she had to be away but wishing her good vibes just in case. She does a great job of keeping this going every Sunday.

[babylonsister]

1. Slowly working my way through 'A Fine Balance' by

Rohinton Mistry. Life in India makes me appreciate living here. We take so much for granted.

[exboyfil]

2. Just finished "The Eerie Silence" by Davies

and "The Inverted Bowl" by Cole and I am depressed. Growing up on Sagan I came to think that complex and even technological life would be ubiquitous in the galaxy. These books reinforced my growing suspicion that, if we are not alone, we might as well be alone given the enormous galactic distances. Davies makes the point that either complex life is very common or it is exceedingly rare (confined to a single planet in this case). He says no ultimate organizing principle is in place (or has yet to be found). He also discusses that since no shadow life (evidence of a second genesis so to speak) exists within our own biosphere that it makes the case for the formation of life to be a cosmic accident. The time span from microbial life to complex life, and the actual time available on a main sequence star really demonstrates technological life does not have much time.

Cole is not so pessimistic, but he feels that only complex life can occur within a 3rd generation Solar System, and we are about at the earliest point for that to occur. He does have a Sagan belief that the conditions are right, then life will develop. Also if life begins, then evolution by natural selection and the propagation of beneficial mutations will occur.

I have started "Drawing the Map of Life" by McElheny which is about the history of the Human Genome project. Too many books and not enough time.

[fadedrose]

3. Finished BLUE DEER THAW by Jamie Harrison (eom)

[abluelady]

4. Started "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen

[azmouse]

5. 'The Passage'

I don't think it's near as bad as some reviews I've read. Not the best book ever but interesting.

[matt819]

6. Think of a Number, by John Verdon (nt)

[japple]

7. Children of God (sequel to The Sparrow) by Mary Doria Russell.

Only a short way into the book, but already hooked.

Thanks HW for hosting this thread. I always enjoy them.

[Little Star]

8. "Walt Longmire Series" by Craig Johnson

Just started the first book in the series(The Cold Dish)tonight and I am really enjoying this western mystery that is set in Wyoming. I'm hooked!

I love a good mystery series where I can get to know the characters and watch them develop. They become like old friends. This series was recommended to me by a friend who knew that I had really enjoyed C J Box's "Joe Pickett Series".

I think this Massachusetts gal needs to visit Wyoming! lol

Both Craig Johnson and C J Box can tell a good story!

[fadedrose]

10. You got a good one!!!

I've read all of them and can't wait till he comes out with another. I loved all of his books. He writes the kind of book you hug when you're done with it. All are good, some are better.

After you're done with Craig Johnson, try James D. Doss - start with the first one. It's not real funny but it has its moments; but the ones that come after have a lot of humor, and some scares, and a tear here and there.

I've read all of C. J. Box's books and he's great too.

You might like William Kent Krueger.

(Edited to correct a sentence - was so excited to see someone reading Craig Johnson)

[Little Star]

12. Thanks for the new recommends!

I will try both James D. Doss and William Kent Krueger. In fact, I'm going over to Amazon right now to see if I can get a feel for them.

[Little Star]

13. PS:

Just got back from Amazon!

Both, The Charlie Moon Mysteries and The Cork O'Connor Series, look right up my alley. Thanks again.

[MountainLaurel]

9. The 900 Days

by Harrison Salisbury, about the siege of Leningrad.

[Onceuponalife]

11. In The Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen

The story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI's war on the American Indian Movement (AIM).

[LWolf]

14. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.

by Seth Grahame-Smith.

I just finished it.

I'm not a regular reader of vampire stories. Vampires just don't interest me that much. The title of this book caught my attention at the library, though, so I took it home.

It was a worthy read. A rewriting of Lincoln's era in U.S. History and of his role in the events that played out that was amusing, to say the least.

[peaches2003]

15. Bad Boy by Peter Robinson

#19 in his Inspector Alan Banks series and one of the best. I've read them all in order and PR is one of the best police procedural authors around. I just hate the thought of having to wait a year or more for #20 though.

[fadedrose]

16. Just started SHOOTERS & CHASERS by Lenny Kleinfeld

SHOOTERS & CHASERS - am on page 50 or so. It's good.

A lot of swearing when the "bad" guys are thinking or talking, but the cops are pretty okay - and it moves along nicely. Don't know why the book hardly sold any copies. Takes place in Chicago.

If anybody in a state other than Michigan has the time, I'd like to request a favor. Try your local library website and see if they have a copy. There's at least 1000 libraries in MI and I was able to get only two copies to show at our Melcat site (other site borrowing). I got the one they had in Ann Arbor. I can't figure out why it hasn't become popular.

Only thing that bothers me is that the paper is stark white. I prefer a bit of beige, just a bit, off-white.

Even my two favorite sites for looking up mysteries don't have this book or author listed: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/

And that's weird..one or the other always has what I'm looking for.

Thanks.

[fadedrose]

24. Finished - Finally, whew...

Book is too long. Some 440 pages could easily have been cut to 350 and made a better book. It is not hilarious as described on the cover, it is fairly serious, but told by a wise-guy type who makes cracks now and then that sometimes are mildly humorous, but never hilarious.

Cops are likable, plot is okay, and if there's a sequel, I'd go for it but won't hold my breath waiting for it. Just hope the pages aren't stark white - hated that.

[Red Riding Hood]

17. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

first book that I've read by her. A light read. I loved it!

[MrCoffee]

18. Kraken by China Miéville

His books are so weird, I love them.

[pscot]

22. I tried to read The City and The City

but couldn't tough it out. The style was too claustrophobic. Airless.

[Broken_Hero]

19. Wizards First Rule by T. Goodkind, nt

[JitterbugPerfume]

20. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich by PKD

it is a strange book by a strange author

Philip K Dick

[hippywife]

21. I just finished this book.

It was enough to keep me, as a foodie, interested but I didn't find it terribly riveting. There were some descriptions of dishes that had me going, "Wha..wha..what?" Like sea anemone eggs as an ingredient. I had to look up how they even lay their eggs. I can't imagine there is any way to harvest them except from ones in captivity, and who the hell would want them, really? Some of the food was a tad on the esoteric side to say the least. LOL

Anyway, the last quarter of the book was the best of the whole really and worth the sort of ho-hum I felt about the rest of it. The writing seemed to get better, more tender, I think.

[LWolf]

23. Bamboo People

by Mitali Perkins.

http://www.bamboopeople.org/

[MaineDem]

25. "Rules of Betrayal" by Christopher Reich

Third in a series. A bit far-fetched as to how he gets out of jams but a good read.

[kcass1954]

26. I just finished Nature Girl - the first of Carl Hiassen's books I've read.

What a hoot that was!

I'm about a third through The Eyes of Willie McGee - and I'll start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sometime next week.

[krispos42]

27. "Practical Demonkeeping" by Chris Moore

I also read "Earthgrip" by Harry Turtledove and finished "The Big Over Easy" by Jasper Fford.