Friday, June 4, 2010

spring reading list





I was sort of all over the place with this list.  When I couldn't get to the library I reached for whatever was at hand.  We still have quite a few of the books that were dumped on us by the SIL though I've given most of them to the library for their book sale/fund raiser by now.


These Foolish Things by Imogene Parker – three women due to give birth in a matter of weeks meet and become friends. Although the husband of one and one of the women were lovers in the past, they try to keep it secret but are still attracted to each other.

Gone by Jonathan Kellerman – since I didn't write anything down and I don't remember what it was about I guess it wasn't too great or too terrible either.

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin – a series of short stories whose characters are all connected by a landed family in India which I enjoyed a lot.

Breathless by Dean Koontz – dumb. I like Dean Koontz for the most part but he developed all these interesting characters who had nothing, or very little really, to do with the story and he tied it all up in the last few pages very unsatisfactorily.

True Evil by Greg Iles – a stressed out FBI agent goes out on her own to catch a serial killer who has figured out a way to give people virulent cancer as she tries to save the life of his next victim.

Black Hills by Nora Roberts – yeah, her again but I think this may be the last time I pick up one of her books. Her male and female characters have gotten so crystalized that they are all the same, identical in every book. They have the same personalities, they have the same dynamic, they have the same conversations, the same push me pull you, only the details of the settings are different. And you know what? Real people don't act that way, don't have those conversations.

Heart And Soul by Maeve Binchy – another excellent read from Maeve about a heart clinic, it's employees and patients. As usual it ties in with characters from her previous books.

Remains Silent by Dr. Michael Baden and Linda Kenney Baden – a fairly entertaining little murder mystery although the initial murders are 40 years old and the bones were discovered. New murders follow.

Starbound by Joe Haldeman – the sequel to another book which I haven't read but it gives a quick synopsis. The first book is about first contact with aliens on Mars and this follow-up is about a joint effort to reach a third life form outside the solar system that has been manipulating both earthlings and martians. It was pretty good with a sort of surprising ending.

Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist – a good read about a family who encounters the dark side of the Faie.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan – a young adult novel (first of a series) about a modern day demi-god and his adventure.

Dark House by Teresa Monsour – an OK read, a detective/murder story involving a homicidal/suicidal young man and the crazy woman he hooks up with. 


12 comments:

  1. on no! my list needs to get longer now
    a few of these sound really good
    love the photo, it's perfect for a spring reading list

    I caught up on old posts
    Hope your daughter is feeling better

    I love your new 'do' - the feathery effect in the back is really pretty

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  2. Wow, that's quite a varied list, you've covered a lot of genres! Something for everyone. I haven't read a Maeve Binchy in a long time, maybe I'll give this one a try.

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  3. Great list. If you are looking for a new one for the summer try The Eighth Scroll . It was really great, and hard to put down.

    Also, I love the picture.

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  4. I don't recognise a single name apart from Binchy's.
    I think I may have heard of Robert's too. I am a keen, if slightly indiscriminate reader - permanently on the go are literature, thrillers, novels, poetry and non-fiction in a mad scramble, often all at the same time - but it is amazing how reading lists vary, even among those who share a common language (Well, almost) if they live on different continents.
    My favourite book of the moment is an oldie, Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, I could almost say that I like it even better than The Poisonwood Bible.
    I don't get to read many books the minute they come out because I usually wait for them to appear in the 2nd hand shops.

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  5. My list is so long it has become obscene. HA! I don't read Nora Roberts but I do enjoy JD Robb. Still!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  6. Have you heard about the Stieg Larsson books? I was listening to NPR yesterday about them, supposed to be wonderful detective books. The third was just released, even though he died in 2004 suddenly.

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  7. Great reading list. Love yesterday's post with the beautiful garden pics. And you! Your haircut is fabulous and you are gorgeous. Thanks so much for these images. Love those waves on the back of your head!

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  8. I really wish I had the patience to sit down with a book... I'm rubbish at reading ... OCD won't let me!

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  9. hey ellen - my grade 6 class is all over the lightning thief series. i read through the year - adult and kid books - and lately i've been reading the bicycle diaries by david byrne of talking heads fame. it's really good and has next to nothing to do with bicycles. i like to compile my big heaps of books for the summer when technically i have less to do. not so this summer as it's working out to be a bit more detailed than others. steven

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  10. Great idea to critique your have-read list like that. I think I'll add a couple to my to-read list. Thanks. :)

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  11. Have you read Lonesome Dove? That is the one three people have told me is must read.

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