This weekend I’m off to visit my parents. I’ve finished the King and will probably pass it along to my mom. Two other books will accompany me:
Margaret Drabble’s The Garrick Year. Just days after reading Roger Angell’s essay about this 1964 novel in the New Yorker, I found a copy for a $1 at the Salvation Army. Serendipity!
Emily Arsenault’s The Broken Teaglass, a debut novel coming out in October that I’m considering reviewing for BookPage.com.
Will I finish one? both? neither, instead opting for one of the old favorites that still line the shelves of my old bedroom? I’ll let you know on Monday.
What books are on your nightstand?
Right now I’m reading:
My Life in France by Julia Child
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith
Just finished Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh), now embarking on All the Pretty Horses (Cormac McCarthy).
I think I’ll start Richard Russo’s That Old Cape Magic.
Going to read this weekend:
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
This weekend is taken up with finishing Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger. Then James Scudamore’s Heliopolis.
Really enjoying the responses so far. Most of these are books I haven’t read so I hope you’ll all come back and let me know what you thought of what you read.
@WitchyEditor: have you seen our BookPage interview with Julia’s grandnephew about My Life in France?
@Stuart: Oh — I really enjoyed TLS although I wasn’t sure what to make of the ending. Don’t know a thing about Scudamore; will have to look that up!
I just love this site. I get so many good ideas for books.
I am just finishing The Angels Gate and read
his other one before it (The shadow of the Wind.) I love this author.
I am also listening to a book on tape by Rebecca Wells. Such a innocent time in the South.
Just started ARC of The Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving.
Plan to read a bit more of L.J. Smith’s The Vampire Diaries & also begin C.J. Cherryh’s Cyteen. Apparently I’m in the midst of “female authors who use their initials” phase.
I need to finish Part 3 of 2666 by Roberto Bolaño for an online read-along I’ve been doing, so that’s featuring heavily in my reading at the moment… After that, who knows? That’s part of the fun, right?
You’re such a heavyweight, following Atwood up with Bolano.
I just finished reading a classic, Testimony of Two Men by Taylor Caldwell a book club choice). Altho it was written 50 years ago it is so true of today it was scary! BookPage is one of my favorite places to find new authors.
Books I’ve enjoyed: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (his second book, The Girl Who Played with Fire just came out); the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer;another classic, The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher; The Angel’s Game by Carlos RuizZafon.
Would enjoy comments if others read these novels.
So many people are telling me about the Larsson books. I guess I need to pick them up!
I’m finishing a superior Barnes and Noble First Look titled Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell, soon to be published. I”m also struggling through Lorna Landvik’s Welcome to the Great Mysterious for my in-person bookclub. I’ve enjoyed her other books, so I may just not be in the mood for this one.
I’m reading “Girl in a Blue Dress” by Gaynor Arnold and am loving it. Of course, Dickens is my all-time favorite author so this look into his life and marriage is fascinating, even if it’s not completely fact based.
As soon as all my company leaves, I am going to immerse myself in the new Anne Tyler book, which I bought from a bookstore in the UK. It was released there this past week and I just could not wait until January to read it (Noah’s Compass).
Meantime, I am finishing up “Come Back: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey through Hell and Back” by Claire and Mia Fontaine. A chilling book about drug addiction and a life out of control – at 15.
This weekend I am reading the classic by Jane Austen, Sense and sensibility. Nice to see that you enjoy our swedish crime writer Stieg Larsson!
I just finished “Boneman’s Daughters” by Ted Dekker. It’s the first one of his I have read. It was not an enjoyable read but sinse I knew the ending was good,I finished it. I’ve just started “Black Hills” by Nora Roberts. It’s already good. An easy read for the weekend.
I am going back to an old favorite, “The Etruscan” by Mika Waltari. I love reading about ancient times and this book is so well written that you feel as if you are walking in their footsteps. After this book I would like to read Pat Conroy’s new book, “South of Broad”.
My list is too long and my nightstand stack too high! I’m dipping back into Looking for Alaska by John Green (for the fourth time), reading bits and pieces of Writing Down the Bones … and then last night I bought 15 books at the library book sale. (Oops.) Some highlights: Southern Living’s 1981 cookbook (I lost mine years ago, a casualty of moving too many times), Pat Conroy’s The Losing Season, the newest Tim Keller book, The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing, a 1986 guide from Little, Brown (I’m a nerd, thanks), a Charles Schultz biography for my baby brother, and many more.
PS Marjorie, I hope you caught the BookPage review of Girl in a Blue Dress. I liked it, too!
I need to read that John Green book, obviously. Perhaps I’m the future owner of one of your four remainder copies?!?
Yes, I did read the Book Page review of A Girl in a Green Dress. Actually, that’s how I found out about the book! Thank you!
I just finished reading “The Lost Choice” by Andy Andrews, and I’m about to start “Island of Saints” also by Andrews.
I’m currently reading “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love this book!
I just finished “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, a beautifully told story that will stick with me for a long time.
I didn’t love the Gilbert — but found the Zusak haunting.
Okay. I finished Landvick’s The Great Mysterious and it did get more interesting, but still not one of my favorites. ~ I also finished Under the Unbroken Sky – good, but dark, story.