I have sitting on my night stand ready to read one of the Clan of the Cave Bears books. Can't remember the title. But that is next. I have enjoyed reading this series now and then over the past 15 years or so. Found this one at the library re sale shop.

I love the mystery/thriller genre and I am currently reading Ridley Pearson's Parallel Lies. This one is a little on the technical side for me but Pearson is one of my all time favorites.

Just finished Light Between the Oceans, for our book club.
Should be a good discussion, with differing opinions.

I just finished Resting in the Bosom of the Lamb by Augusta Trobaugh.
It is about four elderly women who share a house, history and memories. It takes place in the South. It was very good.

What am I reading? I keep looking at the pile of books and sighing heavily. Aloha Quilt is almost done. Book Thief was a gift and it's still sitting there. There are more. Dunno even know what they are! I think I get a break in another week?

_________________on a silly note...
Someone tell me how to get my son "off" a series? He refuses to move on now that his series has ended. He loves fantasy and scifi, but won't start any classics, like say, The Foundation or The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Although, he did receive a book about Cats recently (his series was about cats and their clans), that he read voraciously day in and day out! UGH!!! Slurpped it up. Took it on the bus and to school and all the kids/teachers oohed and ahhed over it. I think he separated the back cover from it. I hope the person who loaned him the book doesn't mind? I might be able to send it back at some point? The coolest part is, it's about real cats, their temperament, their genetic makeup, etc. and the class was dissecting (the school is a math/science focused school) a cat at the time. He even has another cat fantasy series he won't start. Just wants the other writer to write more books, even though they've moved on.

I am reading Chicken Every Sunday now. It is an old bookbook, but interesting. It takes place in Arizona and It is about boarding houses.

I'm reading the geriatric cozy mystery series by Mike Befeler. Retirement Homes are Murder was the first one and I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. It is an easy read. Humorous too. Now I reading the second in the series. I think there are six books that he has in this series.

I read commercials on TV. Before falling asleep.

Currently reading "Doing Hard Time" by Stuart Woods. It is one of the Stone Barrington series. I love Stuart Woods' books!!!

Ruth Rendell's "A Site for Sore Eyes". I always think I have read all of her's, then find another at a book sale. This one is good, of course.

Just finished John Grisham's "Sycamore Row."

I remember I also recently finished "Code Talker," about the Navajo's role in developing a successful communication code in WWII. I would recommend that book. The man the book is about recently died; he was the last living Navajo involved in developing the code.

I'm in the middle of Julia Spencer-Fleming's mystery series about the female Episcopal priest and the Chief of Police in a small Adirondack town. I love these books, so I'm forcing myself to alternate them with others as I go through the series, to make it last. The next book I have planned is the nonfiction A Midwife's Tale, which is based on a 1785 - 1812 diary.

Meanwhile, I'm taking notes on authors mentioned in this thread.

Another good one for fun is,
"The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared." by Jonas Jonasson
It's very good and fun to read.

I just finished "Gone Girl", don't remember the author. It was ok...they made a movie out of it and that's why I was interested. The previews on the movie looked good.

I'm now reading "Summer Girls", which is another ok book, by Mary Alice Monroe.

I also started the 2nd Outlander book, which I finally found a copy to at Joseph-Beths last week. I'm kind of confused, since the main character went back to her time, pregnant with her new husband the the second book starts with her and her grown daughter years later??? I thought I was reading the books out of order at first.

I bought Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King at Costco. It's very good, a great tale and scary! I'm savoring it.

I'm reading Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones. It's interesting, and not a book I'd likely have chosen to read if not for a book club. That's a large part of why I like book clubs, trying new books/authors.

Just finished David Baldacci's The Target and I think this is his best book yet! I started Harlin Corbin's Missing You and so far it's a winner.
Eileen

Anyone remember and still love Phyllis Whitney? Or the Mrs. Pollifax books? I'm currently reading several books and have a few DVD's on the life of Butch Cassidy. His real name was Bob Parker. His great-nephews are Facebook friends so that makes it all the more interesting.

I was reading Phyllis Whitney probably before some of you were born. In the early 50's my mom enrolled me in a book of the month club. Whitney's "Step to the Music" was one of my first books from the club. When I think of books, it is always at the top of my 'great reads' list.

I'm reading Paris by Edward Rutherfurd. Good characters, interesting to read some of the history of France.

Rob333: I wouldn't worry about your son as long as he's reading something. You don't mention his age, but I'm sure his tastes will mature along with him.

I'm just finishing The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. Its been pretty good but as I get closer to the end, it's getting rather unrealistic. Next up is Orphan Train (author?) which is my book club book. It tells the story of a girl who is aging out of foster care and an older woman who as a child rode on the orphan trains that took children west to be "adopted" -- a euphemism for slave labor in many cases.

Our previous book was The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. I liked it, didn't love it. It's the story of a Quaker girl from England and the challenges she meets in America. Has a lot of quilting in it.

maxmom-It's just so funny he'd pout about something like a book series. Makes me giggle! I'm actually not all that worried. He's now at a "stubborn age" (14, going on 15 in another handful of months). UGH! I love my sweetie pie, but he's turning into a teenager. No worries though, I have embraced the good and bad of every age, and this is likely to be just like that. Self-sufficiency on the precipice of adulthood is really interesting to watch. They make really interesting decisions right about now. Life changing ones. Could still go either way? We'll see...

Written in My Own Heart's Blood, Diana Gabaldon. It's her latest and just release today. It hit my Kindle at midnight and I read 6 chapters before I had to give up and go to sleep.

Best author ever IMO.

jkayd - I love Maeve Binchy books. A Week in Winter was good. I did not care for her most recent, Chestnut Street, published after her death. It is a book of interesting but incomplete short stories.
I recently finished When I Come Home by Michael Grant. You might like that, it is about a young Irish family living in New York in 1940s. I have also recently finished Upstairs at the White House by JB West. He was Chief Usher at the White House and talks about his job and working with the First Ladies, etc.
Next up is Special Heart by Bret Baier.
I, too, need to find a REALLY GOOD book!

I think it's probably just me...but...I'm sick to death of four letter words and bloody/gory descriptive crime scenes. I love mysteries so it became imperative for me after finishing all of P D James books to find a comfortable fit with authors that I could enjoy. Thus...the following authors took up residence on my book shelves. I've read everything in the noted series and highly recommend them all.

Anne Perry - The Thos & Charlotte Pitt series
Tasha Alexander -Lady Emily Ashton series
Victoria Thompson - Gaslight Mystery series
C.S Harris - Sebastian St.Cyr series

And...I'm currently making my way through Martha Grimes Richard Jury series. Ms. Grimes has a wonderful dry wit [which often produces loud guffaws in the middle of my reading evening] as well as a wonderful writing talent.

IMO...you won't go wrong with any of these above listed authors if you enjoy what's referred to as the "cozy" mystery genre.

Anne

Anne, I think you would enjoy mystery series by my favorites: Louise Penny, Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George and Julia Spencer Fleming.

I am re-reading the Miss Read series (both Fairacre and Thrush Green), plus a really interesting mystery called Down Dog Diary, by Sherry Roberts.

Lindyluwho, I'm reading MOBY, too. Only a few chapters in because I had to work. So excited!

Gazania, now nice to meet another fan. I used to also like Dorothy Eden and Victoria Holt. Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series was and is pure delight.

I'm loving this thread, since I've been in a reading slump lately and am looking for ideas. Didn't have much time to read while on our holiday, and I haven't found a book that really grabs hold and won't let go. I love a book like that.

However, I have a couple of promising items that I had on hold at the library and fingers crossed that they will be good. They are both set in Venice. One is The serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore. This is what Carl Hiaasen says, "Shakespeare and Poe might be rolling in their graves, but they're rolling with laughter. Moore is one of the cleverest, naughtiest writers alive." I agree that he's pretty naughty and outrageous as a writer, but the books that I have read are not mean or nasty. A dirty job comes to mind.

The other book I had on hold is By its cover by Donna Leon, a Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery. I've just read the first few pages and the mystery is why and how some books in a prestigious library in Venice had pages ripped out of them. Then there is a death of a supposedly innocent person.

I also have Careless people : murder, mayhem, and the invention of The great Gatsby, but I will have to brush up on The great Gatsby first. I have never formally studied the book, so perhaps my understanding of it won't be the same as expected from other readers of the book.

Maxmom - I have the book Paris by Edward Rutherfurd; perhaps I`ll give it a try.

Deeby, I love the Mrs. Pollifax books, especially the first five or so. I'm just about to start the latest Clive Cussler, Ghost Ship.

I haven't been reading as much lately as I have been watching Fringe, Eureka and The Killing in my free time.

Thank you, Pam. I've read all of Crombie and George [last year]. I forgot to add them to my list. :-) BUT...Louise Penny and Julia Spencer Fleming are new to me. You can bet I'll be looking up their literary contributions A.S.A.P. I'm very appreciative of your suggestions.

I have some pre-orders of old favorites Daniel Silva and Ken Follett coming in the next couple of months...as well as new Debra Crombie and Tasha Alexander autumn additions to their series. However...all those considered...if I don't find new authors soon...I'll be twiddling my thumbs in the evening. And...that's never good. LOL Free time only encourages projects I can little afford. LOL So your recommendations are very welcomed.

Anne

Just downloaded "Written in My Own Heart's Blood" too...can't wait to start reading it. I love the "Outlander" series.
I find that the gory crime novels disturb me too much...I used to like Tess Gerritson and Patricia Cornwell, but not so much anymore.
I do like Maeve Binchy and Julia Spencer-Fleming books.
peg08, "When I Come Home" seems like one I may have to read soon.
Thanks for the recommendations everyone!

This post was edited by rose on Tue, Jun 10, 14 at 22:43

Fun2BeHere, yes, the first few Mrs. Pollifax were the best. I hate to say it but after the safari one the quality of the stories just didn't seem to be there. I also really loved A Nun in the Closet. There was another book by Dorothy Gilman about her year in Maine, I think it was. I learned to love and grow herbs because of those two books.

I picked up "Olive Kittridge" in a thrift shop and really enjoyed it. Can't remember the author.

I just finished Gone Girl and The Fault in Our Stars. I didn't care for either of them. I am just finishing Sugar Blues right now. It details the history of sugar, the addictive properties, how it is in everything, the negatives it causes in health, etc. That one I would recommend.

I just finished "Twelve Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup and "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. I considered both thought provoking. Twelve Years is a true story and there is a movie that came out a while back.

I am currently reading "The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even The Toughest Times" by Jean Chatzky. I haven't really come across anything I didn't already know, but sometimes I like to remind myself of what I do know.

My kids love to read also. It's hard to keep them in books. There are four of us who usually read each book so I go ahead and buy them. Plus, the library never seems to have the complete series. I just bought my boys "The Giver" series by Lois Lowry and "Ender's Game" series by Orsen Scott Card. Dd is currently reading the Harry Potter series and the latest "Dork Diaries" book.

I want to read A Handmaid's Tale. I should put a hold on it. I took it out one time but wasn't able to get to it when I had it. I love dystopian fiction.
A neighbour lent me The Crane Wife and The Unlikely Pilgrimage but I am having a hard time getting started on either of them.

I'm about 50 pages into A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 . It was published in 1990, and won a Pulitzer.

It is slower going than my usual mystery fare because there's so much information to take in, but it's still a page-turner. So far no details about the childbirth practices of the day (a subject that interests me), but what a fascinating look at life during that period. And death too . . . this was a time when several members of a family could die from strep throat, among other things.

I can see why the book won a Pulitzer. In addition to interpreting Martha's diary entries, the author fills in details in a way that must have taken a staggering amount of research.

I did buy Maeve Binchy's book A Week in Winter and enjoyed it. I like to get into a person's thoughts and understand why they act the way they do and that's what Maeve Binchy books do. I said here one time I would have liked to be a Psychologist.

Fran 1523 I read Olive Kittridge a few years ago and it was a good book.

I just finished By its cover, "a Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery" by Donna Leon. It began very slowly and I wondered if I should keep reading, but then it picked up its pace and turned out to be a book that I really enjoyed. The events take place in Venice and the author has lived there for thirty years, so her descriptions are likely pretty accurate. I have put a hold at the library for the first Commissario Brunetti book Death at La Fenice.

Read this thread for future reference. Little time to read now, as this is heavy gardening season. However, I found myself nodding when 2 other posters did not much care for Gone Girl. I read it quite awhile ago when it was on the national best seller list for many many months. It was one of those books that, even though you can see it going downhill, I wanted to see how the mystery was resolved. The only reason I remember it at all was that it stayed on the top 10 for so long after I'd read it, I felt a little depressed about America's dumbed down literary appetite. I was astonished that there were really so many who considered it a great read.

I am reading the new Janet Evanovich book that just released at midnight. I had it pre ordered. I always get her new book as soon as possible and it always comes out right around my birthday. Her Stephanie Plum series is one of my top faves. She can always make me laugh. Perfect timing since we head to the beach for vacation soon.

I have Janet Evanovich's new book too. I can't wait to start it but I am making myself do needed housework first.

lol I have 65 erotic romance novels on my kindle-+

Leaving my usual mystery/thriller fare, I picked up a historical novel from my library's Read Alabama shelf entitled Foundation Stone. According to its foreword it spent several months on the bestseller list in the 40s; however, it is new to me. The story is set in the early 1800s in South Alabama and gives me a glimpse of what life must have been like for my great-great grandparents in this time period. I am enjoying this book very much.