"True Compass" Teddy Kennedy Memoirs
and "High Profile" an older Robert Parker -
Jesse Stone Series.

Sixth Covenant by Bodie and Brock Thoene. It's religious fiction, but based on truth. This is a series of 8 or 9 books and this is the 6th one. Very good reading if you like Christian novels.

Dee in Michigan

Was in the dollar store last week, and saw a big, thick hardback book called Kept-A victorian novel by an author I'd never heard of. I know--you get what you pay for, but at the moment, we're supporting 2 homes, and I've cut back my reading budget to what I can pick up at either the dollar store, Christmas Tree Shops or the used book store.

So anyway, this one's a bit plodding, but it is interesting. I am having trouble sitting down and reading for hours, but I think I want to see where it goes. So far, looks like we have a couple of murders, a crazy woman who is hidden away, and a guy who makes his living stealing rare bird eggs from their nests to sell to nutty collectors. Now, how do things things all relate is the question. Hope I know by the time I get to the end.

Currently reading "Loitering with Intent" by Stuart Woods (a Stone Barrington novel). I love Woods' books--they are all excellent. I especially like series of books about the same character(s), and Stone Barrington is one of my favorites.

Just finished one of the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" books; flipping through "Don't Get Scrooged" now (about how to not let the crazy, inconsiderate nuts of this world get to you).

I have 3 books (Christmas gifts) that I need to START reading. The Lucky One & Dear John (by Nicholas Sparks) and Heaven by Randy Alcorn!

I had been trying to find Heaven for a couple of months, with no luck. Then, 2 different friends (that don't really know each other) both found it and got it for me. One friend gave it to me early..other friend found out, took hers back and got the Nicholas Sparks books! lol

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Jodi-

Two nonfiction: The Autoimmune Epidemic and Secrets of Finishing Hooked Rugs

"Chicken Soup For The Mother and Daughter's Soul". I have read every one I can get my hands on - these books are FULL of wonderful, inspiring, all-true stories. I have read about 15 titles in this series - I highly recommend them for anyone needing a spirit lift.

I started "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" but my choice from the library came in so I'm going to finish that first. It's "All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy. I love how he writes, the characters and scenes just jump off the page to me.

Susan

Hey Bump, Dear John is a good read!
DD#1 bought it home over Christmas when they came. when she went home she left it here. She was up half the night reading it one night! LOL
It starts a little slow and I couldn't figure where it was going, but then it got good fast and I found myself doing the same as DD!
Going to have to come back and list the books I've read lately. No time right now.

Half way through book 6 of the Harry Potter series. I had hoped to finish all 6 books by Christmas, but alas, it was not to be. My friend has book 7 she'll loan me if she can find it, if not, there is always the libray. My grandson is waiting for me to finish so I can start the Fablehaven and Pendragon books. (He has read them so fast my head is spinning!) I have two audio books I'm listening to, and just purchased 2 more audio books from the library. Get this, they were 10c each!! A bargain at twice the price! I cleaned out my gardening and dog training books and donated them, so that's why I think she sold me the audio books so cheap. Still have to do a major purge of all my other books, some I know I will never read, they are catching dust and taking up room.

Just finished "Cross" by James Patterson.
Decided to read Patterson's "Woman's Murder Club" series...started "1st to Die" yesterday.

Just finished "Typhoon" by Charles Cummings. Enjoyed his two earlier novels: "A Spy by Nature" and "The Spanish Game". The earlier two had a continuing main character. "Typhoon" is a stand-alone.

DH is starting "Berlin Trilogy" by Philip Kerr. I enjoyed that three-in-one last year. (Another 'continuing character' group.) He has a paperback, so will take it along on the plane.

I'm plowing along in "The Kingdom of Ohio" by Flaming. I don't know if it's the fake 'research' in the book or the author's writing style, but it's slow going. He has a story there, or several, but it sure doesn't 'flow'. LOL

The non-fiction book Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born. Took a couple chapters for me to get into it, but now I'm finding it very thought provoking.

I just finished reading The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett. When I went to Florida to visit my sister a few weeks ago, the book was on the nightstand in my room. My BIL had got it for me. He is a collecter of old first edition, signed books and has given me many books on that subject. They have been fascinating and fun reads. All have been fiction until this last book and it was a true story about a man who stole books from the book stores who specialize in old valuable books. Many are worth in the $10,000 and up range. He thought it was perfectly okay to steal them. I really enjoyed reading it.
I don't read as much as usual when I'm on chemo. So it is taking me a long time to get any book read. I may read the last Stephanie Plum book next.

Azzalea--have you considered getting your books (and DVDs) from your public library?

I'm reading an oldie, The Green Years by A. J. Cronin. It takes place in Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century. I saw part of the movie on TV and liked it, so I got the book. So far, I am enjoying it.

I read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and The Help by Kathryn Stockett for my book club. I really liked "The Help" very easy to read and interesting subject. NOw I have a stack of my own to think about. I'm rereading the Lovely Bones, may go see the movie when it comes out. Speaking of, just saw the previews for Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. The lead girl from Mamma Mia was in it and looks good.

I also have The Other Boyeyn Girl by Philippa Gregory and Gods in Alabama to read. Next month's book club choice is "Her Fearful Symmetry".

I'm also trying to start a book journal to log all the ones I've read and list all the ones I'd like to read. But I'm not sure how to set it up? Any ideas?

Most of my reading these days is for my book clubs. Since Christmas I've read "Thrones, Dominations" by Dorothy Sayer/Jill Paton walsh. It is slow to start but picks up once the murder takes place. I also read "The Birth Of Venus" by Sarah Dunant. It was OK, predictable and a bit strange at the end, like the author had reached her limit on pages and had to finish the story.

I'm now reading "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill. It is fast-paced and a good read.

On my To Be Read shelf for one book club are "Rosewater and Soda Bread" by Marsha Mehran, "By The Rivers of Brooklyn" by Trudy Morgan-Cole (local writer), "The Shack" by William Paul Young, "The Cellist of Sarajevo" by Stephen Galway and "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. I can't remember all the ones for the other book clubs.

I think I'll start keeping a record of books I'm reading, and likes and dislikes.

Ones I've read and enjoyed recently are The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Cage of Stars, and Edgar Sawtelle. I always have two or three going at a time.

I just finished U is for Undertow and now I am reading
The Shack.

"The Treasure of Lemon Brown" short story by Walter Dean Meyers, in the 7th grade literature text book. ;o) Seriously, that's what I've been reading (5 times a day) this week. I am lamenting my lack of adult reading now that I have this job. ;o)

For my own reading, I decided to squeeze in short stories instead of trying to read a novel right now. So this weekend I read a couple from the collection by Jhumpra Lahiri (wrote the novel The Namesake) called "Interpreter of Maladies." This way I can finish one in an hour, and it doesn't matter if it's 3 weeks before I get back to *my* book.

I really wanna read what Jodi is reading, "Girl With the Dragon Tatoo." I've picked it up and put it back at the bookstore a couple times lately. I have a stack to be read, can't justify buying it right now. Maybe I'll see if I can get it later from paperbackswap.com.

I'm about halfway through Sins of the Wolf by Anne Perry. I usually don't like period novels but this one is pretty good.

Just finished "The Survivors" by Lisa Gardner and "Rogue" by Danielle Steel...I decided after some of the bizarro murder mysteries I've been reading I needed something light so always go to a Romance like Steel...I just started "Murder List by Julie Garwood..and underneath it is Iris Johansen's Quicksand and Patterson's Hide and Seek...I think I'm gonna take the last three back and get the two that are on my Hold list...U for undertow by Grafton and Swimming Lessons...I've also been muddling thru Change Your Brain...Change Your Life by Dr Dan Amen and "living with a mentally ill person...(one of my DS's is Bi-Polar)...it's helping immensely!

I'm reading The Shack. It's taking me awhile to read.

I read The Shack and loved it!

Just finished a murder mystery called "Death By Inferior Design". Can't remember the author's name offhand and the book is in the kitchen. LOL

"Centurion" by Simon Scarrow. It's the 8th.book in his series "Under the Eagle", historical fiction. Takes place in the 44AD - 1st.century era of Rome's conquests of Britain; the 7th and 8th books take place in the East (Syria,ect). Sometimes there is a little too much blood and gore for me and I've been skipping many of the battle scenes by book 8, but other than the books are pretty good.

Haven't read much lately but am taking "Water for Elephants" and "The Blind Side" with me on my Hawaiian vacation.

For those wanting to start a record of books:
You could start with an address book (will allow you to list alphabetically by title; use a red pen for the "already read" books and a blue pen for the want-to-read titles; you could also devise your own symbol system to let you remember whether you liked the book or the author).

You could take two small spiral memo pads -- one to list "the already reads" and the other for the "want to reads" -- and keep them together with a rubber band.

If you have a BlackBerry or similar, there's loads of space there to keep your info.

But after considering these and a few other options, I just did this: I created a Windows file on my computer and just list titles w/authors' names. When complete a book, the title is added, if it's not already there, and I highlight it in yellow, my symbol that I've already read it (for a while, I was having trouble remembering which book in a series I'd read, like the Evanovich or Diane Mott Davidson mystery series books).

When I decide I want to continue reading other books by a certain author, I'll take a few minutes and go over to Amazon, click on the author's name to get all the titles, arrange them by publication date and copy all the titles over to my Windows file.

I get all my books from the library (and have a stack of about 2 dozen purchased at the library's used-book sales). On the occasion that I stop at a bookstore to see if there are any good magazines, I'll browse the new fiction/etc. If something looks good, I'll make a note in the "organizer" feature of my cellphone. When I get home, I'll add the title to my book list on my computer.

A record of books on your computer also is good for noting whether you've lent something out, and to whom. Beats trying to rely on memory or a scrap of paper.

I read After by Amy Efaw around Christmas. It was pretty good, bit draggy in spots, but interesting enough that I wanted to know the outcome.
Just finished First Impressions by Nora Roberts, got it for Christmas, it was predictable and a light, mindless read.
Now, I have no books other than my textbook to read! Must go on a book hunt this weekend.
Suzan J

Just finished The Terror. I liked it, but it was too long.

Now reading The Last Juror by Grisham. It's OK.

"Inside of a Dog". Mostly boring, scientific stuff, but some interesting things every now and then.

Foxfire Christmas. I love to read how people celebrated Christmas years ago especially when I was a kid.

I also loved "the Help", I'm looking for similar stories.

This week, I read "no time to wave goodbye" by Jacqueline Mitchard, it's a sequel to a novel of years ago where a woman loses her little boy in a crowd.
It was very entertaining, though kind of light. Sometimes that's all I want in a novel.

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz
The reader by Bernard Schlink

I'm reading "the Last Juror",by John Grisham.Took me a few chapters to like it,but it's better now.
Kathi

Devil's Claw, by J.A.Jance. It's part of a mystery/thriller series about a lady sheriff in Bisbee, Arizona. I lived in Tucson for ten years and enjoy reading about the area.

Next up - Game Change, the just-published book about the 2008 presidential election.

I love John Sanford's books. I have read about a dozen of his mysteries.Like the Stuart Woods books, Sanford carries the same character through different books.
I have Blood Orchid cds for my car and am going to start Hot Mahogny, both Stuart Woods books.

Kathi, I just finished The Last Juror. Grisham's books are not my favorites, but he does write well and some parts were funny, little comments.

Just finished Who Invited the Dead Man by Patricia Sprinkle. I liked it pretty well. I have the next two in that series.