What book(s) are you reading or listening to at the moment?

[ForestWomble]

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I thought it'd be nice to have somewhere we can share what book(s) we are reading or listening to at the moment.

I'm always on the lookout for recommendations and it'd be fun to share thoughts about books.

So, over to you, whatcha reading?

 

[ForestWomble]

Reading: Fat Dogs and French Estates Part 5 by Beth Haslam

These books are the true story of Beth and her husband Jack. The first three books tells their story travelling around France looking for a country estate, then 4 onward their life there.
These books have had me laughing and, sometimes, crying. It's a great read.

Listening: Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries by Danielle Garrett
Just finished book 2, this is a cozy mystery series in a magical community.

 

[JudyN]

Good idea for a thread - I get through a lot of books! I'm currently reading The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. Amazon blurb: 'Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back with him from northern Europe to decorate the walls of their family chapel in their Florentine palazzo. Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter's abilities. As Medici Florence is threated by the hellfire of the monk Savonarola, the painter and his dazzling art exert an ever more powerful and erotic pull.'

It's a fascinating book and I'd recommend it highly. Only I have to keep reaching my phone to look at some of the artwork that is mentioned.

Work book (I'm a copy-editor and proofreader) is about challenges for mixed and multiracial people and how they - and society - can improve their wellbeing. It's very interesting and has given me plenty to think about.

 

[Mad Murphy]

Reading Inspector George Gently collection.
It strikes me that the George Gently from the novels has very little in common with the TV incarnation.

Not much use talking to me about popular books I generally get mine from secondhand stores or community libraries along the side of the road so it's whatever takes my fancy.

 

[Flobo]

I've just finished reading 'Reasons to Stay Alive' by Matt Haig. Basically it's the author's true story of recovering from a breakdown/mental health crisis and living with and managing anxiety. It's actually a lot more light-hearted, in parts and life affirming than it sounds! I would highly recommend it!

Currently reading 'The Man Who Couldn't Stop, OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought' by David Adam. A fascinating read so far!
(yes I have a bit of a theme going on here, I know...)

 

[lorilu]

I recently finished 'Iris and Ruby' by Rosie Thomas and I liked it so much (one of those books you hate for it to end because you feel like you are losing your friends) I went looking for more. I am currently reading 'Lovers and Newcomers' which I am enjoying just as much, and she has a whole slew of others, much to my delight and anticipation.

Also on my stack -half finished- at the moment is Digging to America-Anne Tyler, and To Ride Pegasus-Anne McCaffrey. These authors are regular rereads, I own almost everything they've written, I only started each of them when I ran out of library books or just wanted something familiar. I mark the date last read in my old favorites so I am careful not to read them too often, I don't want to spoil them for myself. 'Digging to America' is not one of my favorite Anne Tyler's, but I've read all the others so recently, except this one. Now I remember why, I don't like it nearly as much.

 

[Torin]

I've juuuust finished listening to Air by Monica Roe. It's a children's book about a girl saving up for a BMX wheelchair, fighting abelism at school along the way. I listen to books with easy plotlines while doing household tasks as they're interesting enough but don't require 100% of my concentration! I tried with podcasts for this, but generally tend to miss a vital sentence or two and spend my life rewinding.

My next audiobook is Equal Rites by Pratchett. We have ALL of the Discworld books in hard copy (bought the last missing one this spring, challenged ourselves to source only from friends and local charity shops), and sometimes I want the physical book vibe, and sometimes the listening vibe.

 

[BKayHol2]

I'm currently being fascinated by a book that was given to me recently called 'Night Magic: Adventures among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark' by Leigh Ann Henion

 

[ForestWomble]

Good idea for a thread - I get through a lot of books! I'm currently reading The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. Amazon blurb: 'Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back with him from northern Europe to decorate the walls of their family chapel in their Florentine palazzo. Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter's abilities. As Medici Florence is threated by the hellfire of the monk Savonarola, the painter and his dazzling art exert an ever more powerful and erotic pull.'

It's a fascinating book and I'd recommend it highly. Only I have to keep reaching my phone to look at some of the artwork that is mentioned.

Work book (I'm a copy-editor and proofreader) is about challenges for mixed and multiracial people and how they - and society - can improve their wellbeing. It's very interesting and has given me plenty to think about.

The birth of Venus sounds interesting, I'll have to look that up.

I recently finished 'Iris and Ruby' by Rosie Thomas and I liked it so much (one of those books you hate for it to end because you feel like you are losing your friends) I went looking for more. I am currently reading 'Lovers and Newcomers' which I am enjoying just as much, and she has a whole slew of others, much to my delight and anticipation.

Also on my stack -half finished- at the moment is Digging to America-Anne Tyler, and To Ride Pegasus-Anne McCaffrey. These authors are regular rereads, I own almost everything they've written, I only started each of them when I ran out of library books or just wanted something familiar. I mark the date last read in my old favorites so I am careful not to read them too often, I don't want to spoil them for myself. 'Digging to America' is not one of my favorite Anne Tyler's, but I've read all the others so recently, except this one. Now I remember why, I don't like it nearly as much.

I love Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, I've just had a look to see if I can get To Ride Pegasus and I can, that's going on my wish list.

I'm currently being fascinated by a book that was given to me recently called 'Night Magic: Adventures among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark' by Leigh Ann Henion

That sounds interesting.

 

[lorilu]

I love Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, I've just had a look to see if I can get To Ride Pegasus and I can, that's going on my wish list.

I remember! hope you like the Pegasus series, called The Talent Saga, just as much. And if you like those, you'll next want to explore the Tower and the Hive series which begins with The Rowan. I would be very excited to hear from someone else about these story lines! I love them. Then there is the Catteni series, which goes in a very differnt direction lol.

My sister likes the Pern books, but hasn't read anything but the original books, and isn't interested in the Pern books written by son Todd McCaffrey (some are collaborations between Anne and Todd), and one by daughter Gigi McCaffrey.

Interesting (at least to me) story: I got started on Pern and Anne McCaffrey in 1972 when I bought the first firelizard book for my sister for Christmas. "Dragonsinger". She devoured it on Christmas Day, and of course since she was so glued to it, I had to read it too, and we were both hooked on Pern from that point on. I didn't remember this little bit of trivia until once a few years ago we were talking about Pern and I wondered sort of rhetorically how we ever got started on them and she said "you gave me Dragonsinger for Christmas". In an instant the entire memory came back to me. There was a new shopping mall being built on what used to be farmland and one of the only stores in it so far was this open book stall near the main entrance, and that is where I found and purchased the first fateful book. I remembered it all after that.

 

[ForestWomble]

I remember! hope you like the Pegasus series, called The Talent Saga, just as much. And if you like those, you'll next want to explore the Tower and the Hive series which begins with The Rowan. I would be very excited to hear from someone else about these story lines! I love them. Then there is the Catteni series, which goes in a very differnt direction lol.

My sister likes the Pern books, but hasn't read anything but the original books, and isn't interested in the Pern books written by son Todd McCaffrey (some are collaborations between Anne and Todd), and one by daughter Gigi McCaffrey.

Interesting (at least to me) story: I got started on Pern and Anne McCaffrey in 1972 when I bought the first firelizard book for my sister for Christmas. "Dragonsinger". She devoured it on Christmas Day, and of course since she was so glued to it, I had to read it too, and we were both hooked on Pern from that point on. I didn't remember this little bit of trivia until once a few years ago we were talking about Pern and I wondered sort of rhetorically how we ever got started on them and she said "you gave me Dragonsinger for Christmas". In an instant the entire memory came back to me. There was a new shopping mall being built on what used to be farmland and one of the only stores in it so far was this open book stall near the main entrance, and that is where I found and purchased the first fateful book. I remembered it all after that.

Thank you, I'm able to get all those series so will put Catteni and The Talent Saga on my wishlist.

Being able to remember when you got hooked on a series can be a good memory. I remember when I got hooked on Pern, my (at the time) Uncles girlfriend had all the Pern books and she suggested giving it a go, I was in hospital at the time and those books helped me through a long, difficult time.

 

[lorilu]

Thank you, I'm able to get all those series so will put Catteni and The Talent Saga on my wishlist.

Being able to remember when you got hooked on a series can be a good memory. I remember when I got hooked on Pern, my (at the time) Uncles girlfriend had all the Pern books and she suggested giving it a go, I was in hospital at the time and those books helped me through a long, difficult time.

Don't forget the Tower and the Hive series too. It starts with The Rowan. It's a family saga, from The Rowan to her children to her children's children. It takes place far far in the futre AFTER the Talent Saga, which begins with To Ride Pegasus.

Another book of hers I love is The Ship Who Sang. She did a few more brain ship stories in collaboration, but I only like the original story, and there's a sequel in to it in one of her anthologies. If you ever get that far, tell you the name of it.

I love your memory of how you came to the Pern books. I tried to interest a friend of mine but she gave it up after a few pages and said her husband didn't lie it either. <shrug> she and I have very different tastes in reading material. Once in a while there is something we both love (Gone with the Wind for instance, which we read so many times when we were teenagers lol)

 

[ForestWomble]

Don't forget the Tower and the Hive series too. It starts with The Rowan. It's a family saga, from The Rowan to her children to her children's children. It takes place far far in the futre AFTER the Talent Saga, which begins with To Ride Pegasus.

Another book of hers I love is The Ship Who Sang. She did a few more brain ship stories in collaboration, but I only like the original story, and there's a sequel in to it in one of her anthologies. If you ever get that far, tell you the name of it.

I love your memory of how you came to the Pern books. I tried to interest a friend of mine but she gave it up after a few pages and said her husband didn't lie it either. <shrug> she and I have very different tastes in reading material. Once in a while there is something we both love (Gone with the Wind for instance, which we read so many times when we were teenagers lol)

I won't forget
I've just been looking through all the Anne McCaffrey's I can finally get and have a list of a few I want to try, so as well as the ones you've already mentioned:
The Crystal singer trilogy
The Petaybee trilogy
Doona

 

[lorilu]

I won't forget
I've just been looking through all the Anne McCaffrey's I can finally get and have a list of a few I want to try, so as well as the ones you've already mentioned:
The Crystal singer trilogy
The Petaybee trilogy
Doona

Oh goodness how could I forget The Crystal Singer! Killashandra is my favorite lol. And the Petaybee books are wonderful too, especially the first one. All my McCaffrey books are falling apart from rereading, because I usually wait for the paperback, but I do have a few of them in hardcover. I have all the companion books too. I never read Doona. I'm not sure why. When you get to it, tell me what it's about, maybe I should try it.

 

[ForestWomble]

Oh goodness how could I forget The Crystal Singer! Killashandra is my favorite lol. And the Petaybee books are wonderful too, especially the first one. All my McCaffrey books are falling apart from rereading, because I usually wait for the paperback, but I do have a few of them in hardcover. I have all the companion books too. I never read Doona. I'm not sure why. When you get to it, tell me what it's about, maybe I should try it.

I'm so glad I started this thread, without you mentioning Anne McCaffrey's To Ride Pegasus, I'd not have looked it up and discovered I can finally get her other books.
I'd looked them up before, but could only get them from USA for ridiculous prices, but now I can get them easily.
Might sound silly but it's made me really happy, I just don't know which to try first! (I'll have a wait though as it'll be Christmas at the earliest before I can get one)

I'll let you know about Doona when I get to that one.

 

[SbanR2]

Gosh, the two of you have triggered memories.
Loved the Pern series. Tried reading one by her son but didn't like it and that put me off the spin off series by son and daughter.
Enjoyed The Crystal Singer, The Ship Who Sang and Petaybee.
But I'm a cheap skate and only get books from the library.
Just recently started buying secondhand books from online shops.

Lorilu, did you ever manage to get hold of Rose Daughter by Maria Lewis? What did you think of it.

Recently came across Jim Butcher. He writes Urban Fantasy. I'm reading Brief Cases. Short stories from characters in The Dresden Files.

 

[O2.0]

These series are making me remember a series I read as a kid, "The Dark is Risin" by Susan Cooper? Loosely based on Arthurian Legends, anyone read them?
I really enjoyed them, may have to re-read them.
I'm still plowing through the Wheel of Time series but I've slowed down a good bit. Then I have a fluff book "the House Across the Lake" that I've started 3 times now and just can't seem to get into.

 

[lorilu]

hese series are making me remember a series I read as a kid, "The Dark is Risin" by Susan Cooper? Loosely based on Arthurian Legends, anyone read them?

Hmm, never heard of that. I might have to check it out! I love Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga, The Crystal Cave etc.. Only just re-read that last year. And I like children's fiction.

 

[lorilu]

Lorilu, did you ever manage to get hold of Rose Daughter by Maria Lewis? What did you think of it.

I forgot about it I think. I've just looked it up. It's not available at my library system. So I probably tried to find it then,, too. The system doesn't have any books by Maria Lewis. I wonder why.