<p>I know we have the other book thread about the best book you’ve read but I thought it might be interesting to see what people are reading now. Some spontaneous discussions might happen. </p>
<p>Right now I’m reading two books:</p>
<p>Moonwalking with Einstein by Josh Foer </p>
<p>Power vs Force by David Hawkins</p>
<p>CC, of course :)</p>
<p>How The Hippies Saved Physics - David Kaiser</p>
<p>Physics of The Future - Michio Kaku</p>
<p>The 4% Universe - Richard Panek</p>
<p>Just finished Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. </p>
<p>Starting Kate Morton’s The House at Riverton. </p>
<p>Skimmed through Beyond the Mommy Years: How to Live Happily Ever After - After the Kids Leave Home by by Carin Rubenstein in honor of my newly empty nest (Took S1, a senior back to college on Sunday, and left S2, a freshman on 8/22). Some parts interesting, much irrelevant to me.</p>
<p>Just finished Under Heaven’s Banner and started Sarah’s Key. I’ve enjoyed both of them.</p>
<p>The Help - I know, I’m a bit behind most everyone else!!!</p>
<p>“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” a Novel by Jonathan Safran Foer (author of “Everything is Illuminated”).</p>
<p>I picked it up because the 9/11 anniversary is upon us.</p>
<p>Science fiction and fantasy- my staples. Have branched out into mysteries in recent times- have read so many sci fi/fantasy available at public library some days (I find most books not worth owning- will buy titles not in library and donate after reading). Waiting for several “next installments” by various authors. I even took a college course in Sci Fi and Fantasy for the excuse to read it- it is just as good as literature as other genres, despite my H’s opinion.</p>
<p>H only reads nonfiction. I read many of his biology/medicine based library books but dislike physics (a necessary evil for my chemistry major back when). I did so much nonfiction studying I like dessert, not meat-and-potatoes, reading. I have been exposed to more math and physics literature than I ever expected due to H’s (and son when he was here) interests. Michio Kaku- familiar with his works…</p>
<p>I tend to avoid regular fiction- usually can’t get into current society lives. Couldn’t care less what is on best sellers’ lists.</p>
<p>Ask me tomorrow it may be another book than my current one- I devour books and read one at a time (H and son can have several going at once).</p>
<p>Last week’s haul from the library:</p>
<p>The Dive from Clausen’s Pier, Ann Packer (don’t recommend)</p>
<p>Archer in Jeopardy/Three Novels By Ross Macdonald: The Doomsters, Zebra-Striped Hearse and Instant Enemy (The first one was the best)</p>
<p>Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain’s Visionary Music, Rob Young (not read yet)</p>
<p>The Use and Abuse of Literature, Marjorie Garber (only a few pages in)</p>
<p>I still seem to be in “summer reading mode”, so don’t judge:</p>
<p>Charlaine Harris mystery, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
John Grisham, The Confession</p>
<p>I’m currrently reading The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson. It’s a first novel. It’s historical fiction about a murder trial in Richmond, Va. in the years following the Civil War.</p>
<p>the snowman, kill me if you can, this is where i leave you, and finally (and most awful) a discovery of witches.</p>
<p>Book three of The Hunger Games. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this series. It is not deep but very quick to read.</p>
<p>Faithful Place by Tana French. I enjoyed her two other books, In the Woods and The Likeness. The Likeness is somewhat of a sequel to In the Woods but Faithful Place is a story apart from those. All three are murder mysteries that, I feel, are a step above most others of the same genre. French manages to really flesh out the characters and the settings in a way that makes them as important to the stories as the plot.</p>
<p>IloveLA,
I loved The Dive from Clausen’s Pier.</p>
<p>The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. Savoring it.</p>
<p>This I Believe, essays by many. So-so. Enjoying some of the essays, but it’s a lot of starting/stopping. Prefer one story. (required reading for student I tutor)</p>
<p>Right now I’m reading a bunch of things.</p>
<p>rereading - *War and Peace<a href=“I’m%20on%20page%20450%20and%20it’s%20less%20than%20half%20way%20through!”>/I</a>
started - Bomb Power by Gary Wills, so I can talk intelligently to S2
pretending to read - Dreams from my Father - Obama (for some reason I got stuck when he got to Kenya which should have been the most interesting part of the book for me having grown up in East Africa.)</p>
<p>I read some nice fantasy over Labor Day weekend though: A collection of short stories by Peter Dickinsen and Robin McKinley called Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits. Really enjoyed some of the stories. I also read a stand-alone fantasy by Robin McKinley called Chalice, nice world building, not sure how I missed it as it came out several years ago.</p>
<p>EPTR, I love Tana French! I’ve devoured her books. Do you know when her next one will be out?</p>
<p>I usually “read” fiction by listening to MP3 recordings on my phone or CDs. That way, I can “read” while cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry, and while going to sleep. Her books are narrated by people with wonderful Irish accents.</p>
<p>Just finished When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka (liked it very much) and Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich (amazing true story about a NASA intern who stole a safe full of moonrocks). </p>
<p>Currently working my way through Robin Hobb’s Liveship Trader’s series (finished her Farseer books about a month ago). </p>
<p>On deck: </p>
<p>The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice by Sandra Day O’Connor (read Lazy B last year, written by her and her brother about growing up a ranch, and liked it)</p>
<p>No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale (sort of a coffee table type book, didn’t realize until I picked it up from the library tonight, but it looks fascinating)</p>
<p>Lucky me, I recently started a new job that I love, and one of their rules is no eating lunch at your desk. So I am forced to settle in at a cafeteria table with a book while I eat – darn ;)</p>
<p>Just finished and recommend:</p>
<p>Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford</p>
<p>Just started:</p>
<p>The Paris Wife by Paula McLain</p>
<p>Finally reading “Middlemarch” by George Eliot :)</p>