What book are you reading? AND the book review thread!

[petal10]

Hey everyone,

I thought it would be fun to start this thread for any one else who is a book lover like me... Please post the title and author of the book you are currently reading, and feel free to make a few comments about what you think of it so far. This can also be a thread for book reviews!

The only rule is: if your post includes any spoilers, please put a spoiler warning at the top of your post. The warning should be very clear as we all know how annoying it is to find out the ending of a book before you've even started.

So I will start:

I am currently reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I am only a few pages in but enjoying it so far - I like the sense of mystery and also the narrative voice. I started reading a different book a few weeks ago but couldn't get past the first few pages - I think the narrative voice, and whether you like the 'person' who is telling the story, makes a huge difference.

[HollyHamster]

I absolutely love to read!! I have a Kindle Fire and read books on it a lot. Now, I am reading the book Pines by Blake Crouch. Its a suspense thriller and so far it doesn't disappoint! I haven't gotten through all of it, but supposedly the ending is a real twist.

So far, I've gotten through the part where the man wakes up, not knowing who he is or why he is in this town, and then, after trying to figure out who exactly he is, he passes out. He comes to in the town's hospital, remembering that he's a Secret Service agent and that he was on his way with his new partner to search the town for two missing Secret Service agents. Unfortunately, he was in a serious car accident, during which, his new partner died. He has no phone or wallet, so he is stranded in the town. Scrounging around the town for help, he stumbles upon the badly decomposed remains of one of the agents he was sent to find.

Meanwhile, his wife and young son are mourning what we soon find out is the man's 15 month absence and assumed death back in New York City. Apparently, during the accident, the emergency personnel couldn't find any trace of the man in the car, or nearby. In fact, there is no evidence that he was ever in the car in the first place.

That's as far as I've gotten. I highly recommend it if you're into suspense thrillers.

[DrKMcK]

I absolutely love to read!! I have a Kindle Fire and read books on it a lot. Now, I am reading the book Pines by Blake Crouch. Its a suspense thriller and so far it doesn't disappoint! I haven't gotten through all of it, but supposedly the ending is a real twist.

So far, I've gotten through the part where the man wakes up, not knowing who he is or why he is in this town, and then, after trying to figure out who exactly he is, he passes out. He comes to in the town's hospital, remembering that he's a Secret Service agent and that he was on his way with his new partner to search the town for two missing Secret Service agents. Unfortunately, he was in a serious car accident, during which, his new partner died. He has no phone or wallet, so he is stranded in the town. Scrounging around the town for help, he stumbles upon the badly decomposed remains of one of the agents he was sent to find.

Meanwhile, his wife and young son are mourning what we soon find out is the man's 15 month absence and assumed death back in New York City. Apparently, during the accident, the emergency personnel couldn't find any trace of the man in the car, or nearby. In fact, there is no evidence that he was ever in the car in the first place.

That's as far as I've gotten. I highly recommend it if you're into suspense thrillers.

I am also a reader. My entire library is in the process of being put on my Kindle. I have over 3,000 books on it. I have 11 of Blake Crouch's books and I just this minute bought Pines. All of his books have very creepy characters in them. His "Serial Killers Uncut" was terrifying. I also love Sci-fi/Fantasy and am currently reading the 5 book series by Philip Jose Farmer...The World of Tiers. It's an older series that I am re-reading and enjoying all over again. It takes place in a created world that has been built as a group of tiers, one on top of the other, each step up getting smaller, with the Lord's tower at the very top. Basically, the story revolves around an earthman being drawn into this other world and fighting his way to the tower to rescue a beautiful woman and over throw the Lord who usurped the original Lord's world and has been cruel to all the inhabitants of the tiers. Excellent story if Sci-fi/Fantasy is to your liking.
I love the idea of a book thread. :-)

[petal10]

I'm glad you guys like the idea of a book thread :) How funny that you guys both like the same author! I studied English at uni, and I do have a Kindle too - they are brilliant for older books in particular, as you can often get them for free, and they are great for travelling. However, I do love having a paper version of a book too - there's just something about it!

Just a little reminder to put in a spoiler warning if you are going into detail about the book... as a rule, it's ok to say about the general gist of the book, but NOT specific details. To take the example of Harry Potter, it would be ok to say "this book/series is about Harry Potter, who finds out that he is a wizard, and the series follows his adventures at the wizard school and fighting his arch enemy Voldermort" etc, but you would need to put a

*SPOILER WARNING* (and this does apply since I am about to spoil the plot!!)

... if you were to go on and say "Dumbledore gets killed and Sirius is Harry's godfather" etc. etc.

So just to summarise, please think carefully about whether you are about to spoil the book, as we want everyone to be able to enjoy reading the book for themselves :)

[HollyHamster]

I am a huge HP fan, now that you've mentioned the books. ;)

**SPOILER WARNING**

Who else thinks that Serverus Snape is the best ever character to grace the world of HP? I can so identify with him and almost feel his pain through the Harry's trips into his pensieve aka his painful childhood (and some adulthood) memories.

Truly, his pain and suffering and his selfless acts are the most memorable out of the series. Never was there a greater hero.

[iamtsunami]

I'm reading the Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Well, actually, I was reading. I finished. And I have been crying ever since. It is way too good and way too sad.

[petal10]

iamtsunami, thank you for the recommendation. I am quite a fan of emotional-type books, and I am always amazed by how much a good book can get to you!

I read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards recently - has anyone else read it? It is another one that draws you in...


*Harry Potter spoiler warning*

HollyHamster, this may be funny in light of my post just now, but I haven't actually read the whole series... only up to the end of the 6th book, haha! I'm pretty intrigued though to see what Snape's full role is, so I may just crack on with the 7th book soon.

[HollyHamster]

Speaking of great and terribly sad books, whose read "Flowers for Algernon"? I can't get enough of this book. Its written so well and so sadly that its essentially an emotional roller coaster.

**SPOILER ALERT**

I cry every time I read the part where Algernon the mouse is laid to rest and Charly and Alice go and lay flowers on his grave. Its like they are mourning both the loss of the mouse and the loss of Charly's intelligence and therefor, his independent life. Its so beautifully sad I can't stand it.

[DrKMcK]

Flowers for Algernon is fantastic. I've read it at least 3 times and just put it on my Kindle. Now there's a heartbreaker! :-D

[HollyHamster]

I need to put Flowers for Algernon on my Kindle. Maybe when the next paycheck comes in. Little low on the fundage right now to do so.

[petal10]

Ooh I haven't heard of that one but will have to give it a try :)

[DrKMcK]

Ooh I haven't heard of that one but will have to give it a try :)

It's a really quick read. You'll enjoy it. But have a box of tissues around.

[HollyHamster]

Make that a couple of boxes. And maybe a good shoulder too. Preferably, after using the tissues.