I just finished 2 book on polygamy... I find it interesting. Anyway, they were written by 2 wives of the same man - His 2nd and his 6th.

The one by his 2nd wife, Irene Spencer, is Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife.

And the one by his 6th wife, Susan Ray Schmidt, is Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy.

Both were good reads.

I am listening to Liberal Fascism. By I forget because the CD is in the car. Very interesting, the auther's premises is that liberalism has a lot of the ideas of fascism (not the holocost(sp)) but other aspects. Not a slam against liberalism, just shows comparison.

After this I will need something lighter to listen to. I think I will try some of Mary piper's selections.

I read Michael Perry's "Truck" -- library copy -- and liked it so much I bought it as a keeper.

I just got Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! over the weekend.

I'm pretty excited to start reading it (but I left it down in the car today!)

Here is a link that might be useful: by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I just picked up a Terry Pratchett book that had been sitting in the TBR pile for awhile and am wondering why it sat so long. I love this guy. Haven't read everything he's written but if you like his type of book, which ever book you read, you'll love. They aren't really science fiction, not really fantasy, but are just plain well written and funny as heck. Don't let my description scare you off -- try one.

A short quote: "Nature had blessed him with the ability to be a face in the background, even when he was standing only a few feet away. He wasn't ugly, he wasn't handsome, he was just so forgettable he sometimes surprised himself while shaving."

I've never read Pratchett but know he is well liked.His Nanny Ogg's Cookbook always appealed to me and I should get it. I've been reading The Great Bridge my McCullough,the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. He is a wonderful author. I've also just read Julie and Julia which I didn't like...too much swearing with every other word being F or S. If Bill doesn't wreak havoc ,we are heading out for a week on the NC coast with our son and family and my brother and SIL. I always take lighter books then and am taking some Alice Hoffman. I really like her mixture of whimsy and reality.

"The Nose knows", an at least partially interesting look of the sense of scent. I can't say it was an in-depth inspection, but it was a reasonably well-written expression of a different viewpoint.

The rest of my recent reading has been light and fluffy. I'm enjoying the mysteries by Joanne Pence. Not enough to buy, but a good borrow from the library.

Oh Terry Pratchet, I get the biggest kick out of his stuff. They are especially good to listen to on tape. And the charactery described by Nora is Captain Sam Vimes of the Night Watch, one of my favorite characters. I have only read about a third of his. Love Good Omens with oh the guy who is famous for the Watchman series of illustrated novels. Nail Giamond, I think.

My error, the Terry Pratchett character discribed is Moist Von somehting. Also one of my faves.

Why start another thread? Ok, so I bought a book. A real book, not a textbook! And I couldn't put it down. For the first time in over a decade. I'm not done by any stretch of the imagination, but I like it. It's fluff. I admit it, but that's about all I can handle for now.

Comfort me with Apples, by Ruth Reichel. I was in the bookstore and found myself, still standing in the cookbooks (that's all I've been able to read with any frequency for years), and there she was. It's a book written by a foodie about food, but at least it isn't just about cooking.

I'm so happy that I might get my brain up and running again!

I luv fluffy and mystery theme novels. Especially when I'm familiar with the theme. A setting in the ski country will get me going, tennis, gardening, who done it in the knitting room when there were only 4 dpns.(Double Pointed Needles. They come five in a pack. Lol, I actually read a mystery novel about a missing dpn. Computer themes, and some of the Who Dunnit mysteries. I'm a foodie myself so I'll check out the book.

Some time ago, I bought a book called "The New Orleans Cookbook".
The author's are Rima and Richard Collin. They write about and give their recipes for the down home cooking in New Orleans. I think of this as a history book about food in the gulf region. Who knows when if we will ever we'll be able to get back to then good old days.

Books in English are hard to come by around here. There is a used bookstore in a nearby village, most of the books come from tourists who trade in their books for something different to read on the rest of their travels. So the selection is limited, I can't just go and pick up a specific book I'm looking for. But sometimes there are real gems to be found. I recently finished reading ¨His Natural Life¨ by Marcus Clarke, first published in 1870. It's about Botany Bay and the convicts who were sent there from England. Parts of it are pretty grim, but it was a good story and I enjoyed the writing. It was easy to forget that the book was written 140 years ago!

rob, I checked out the book from the library and I'm reading it now. I'm enjoying it very much, especially when she describes the the dishes she was served. I've eaten a lot of the dishes in restaurants and it brings back memories while my mouth is watering.
I see that she has written another book called "Tender at the Bone". I can't wait to read that one.
Thanks for posting.

Oh,I can't help it, but I have to comment on her seduction of food and wine on p.29, where she ends up in bed with a one night stand, with a business associate of all people. I'll keep reading.

Testing--I got locked out earlier and want to see if I can post today.

Karl Marlantes, Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, starting The Lotus Eaters by a woman writer, Soli is I think her last name, also about the Vietnam War. Not exactly light reading but part of my summer reading group.
I can't wait to dig into Justin Cronin's The Passage, however. Justin was my colleague for a long time. I love that the epigraphs are Shakespeare's sonnet 64 and a passage from Katherine Ann Porter and that he pays tribute to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in the book's second paragraph. Justin's son is named Atticus for Atticus Finch, a character Justin greatly admires for his ethics and devotion to justice. This book will be my reward for getting through all the war literature.

Yeah west, I'm hoping it's not all about that! I'm a bit further and she's moved on from him, I think. She chases after him to France, and I love her description of her friend's place, her mornings there... it's a beautiful picture. I'm at the part where Calfornians decide it's time to showcase their bounty, rather than the trite fare French cuisine has become.

Pidge, war literature?! Who picks the material? I can't imagine why they'd pick that; they must've had their reasons. But your second book sounds delightful.

Rob,I've been part of a reading group that has met in the summer for 10+ years discussing the literature of trauma: war, holocaust, abuse lit. It's all about how people survive trauma, or don't, and how writers represent that. I've always thought that because this country is almost always at war someplace that reading about what happens during it, what happens after, and how any of that affects public policy or how ordinary citizens like me deal with the consequences is really important.
And then I'll read Justin's book about virals and vampires and a little girl named Amy copes with apocalyse.
The only fluff I read is Terry Pratchett, whose satire is really not all that fluffy, ha ha.

I put "Comfort Me With Apples" on hold, yesterday and the library called to say I can pick it up, anytime. I forgot to have it sent to my local branch, so it's going to be sent there and I'll get it on Tuesday.

At the moment I'm reading "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch; it's the book for this month's discussion group. I'm finding it inspirational but emotional. In addition to the book, the actual lecture may be accessed on YouTube.

I just finished "Dog On It", one of Mary's recommendations. The premise sounded sort of cheesy, but it was so well written from the point of view of the dog. Chet -- the dog -- will be thinking deep thoughts about the case and suddenly be sidetracked by a cheerio on the floor or the scent of a cat. Very clever.

If you like books about cheese making, try "Blessed are the Chessemakers" by Sarah-Kate Lynch. It's fiction with a touch of magic which I'm finding I like in a story.

Our book group recently read "Water for Elephants". It was one I would never have picked up on my own and I loved it. The group also picked "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" which I did not read. Little boys being killed in concentration camps is not my cup of tea.

I'm also reading "Night Night Little Pookie" three or four times a day to the year old grandson. He likes it as much as I do!

The most recent: Just finished two by Jon Katz, "The Dogs of Bedlam Farm" and "Izzy and Lenore". They were better than watching TV, but not by a lot.

Also read "Marley's Door" which was very good throughout, although I cried at the end (a very rare occurance, so kudus to the author).

"Outwitting your Cat" was excellent: I didn't really learn anything new, but it made a good read anyhow. I retract -- I wasn't aware that onions were on the no-no list for cats.

Prior to the above books, I've been reading various craft books, especially on quilting.

Our library is getting remodeled and has just a limited number of books to offer, mainly kids books and a lot of professional material. So I am re-reading some oldies.
Right now I am reading "The Naturalist buys an old Farm" by Edwin Way Teale, next is his American Season series.

any thought on purchasing a Kindle or other book reader? I know Kindle is international now, not sure about the others. My brother has one and he spends winters in Mexico, all his reading material is in one little Kindle. He loves it.

Sorry I spelled your name wrong in previous post.