I'm reading My First Cousin Once Removed: Money, Madness, and the Family of Robert Lowell, by Sarah Payne Stuart. A serious subject handled with a lot of clever wit. Interesting!

I'm reading The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew M Quick - his first book, and has been given very good reviews.
It's set in the town I grew up in, Collingswood, NJ and is a fascinating little story, a fictional diary by a man that begins with his release from a mental health facility.
Since i'm only half through it...I can't even begin where it's going, but it is really good so far.

Just finishing up Anita Shreave's The Weight of Water.

Jodi-

The Shack, by Wm Paul Young. Loving it!

The Middle Place by Nancy Corrigan.
I enjoy her style. And if you haven't seen her video being e-mailed all about, I'll post this link :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Transcending

I just finished "Melancholy Girl" by Robert B. Parker and will finish "Chance" by the same author before I leave for the New Year's Eve party. I have enjoyed everything I've ever read by him. Highly recommended!!

bunny, everyone has talked about The Shack, I might read it.

I got Dewey as a gift plus a PBS book on the Storycorps Project, so I'm reading both of them downstairs, and in bed I'm reading P.D. James' Death in Holy Orders and another which I don't recall the title!

I am not reading anything right now. I have read Dewey, Phyllis you will love it . I got The Shack for Christmas, both my sisters say it is really good. May read that next. I just finished A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kinkaid a cute little Christmas story a quick read.
Kittywhiskers

I finished The Shack recently and couldn't wait to get to the last pages. I could sorta see where it was going so long before it got there, guess I was impatient. Interesting book, but not a favorite for sure. Jodi Picoults' latest "Change of Heart" was super great. The background/research of her books almost always give me ideas that I really need to understand better. She is a brilliant writer and her topics amazing sometimes.

Alisande, I read that a few years ago and enjoyed it. I just finished 'River Town' by Peter Hessler. It is about his experiences in China while teaching for the Peace Corp.

I read Montana 1948 by Larry Watson. It was good and very thought provoking.
I am now reading Codex by Douglas Preston......not very far in to it but so far I like it.
I also am reading, in between fiction, State of Denial by Bob Woodward.
Last week I read Water for Elephants. I liked it but found it disturbing, too.

I'm reading Scott Turow's "Ordinary Heroes" and it's very good. I'm listening to "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini. The only thing I have against books on tape is that you can't go back and reread about a character. I'm also finishing one called "The Game of Thrones". I'm not much for fantasy, but this one really grabbed my attention.

I am reading "A Cedar Cove Christmas" by Debbie Macomber. Its a good book !

I just finished "Comfort & Joy" by Kristin Hannah. I really enjoyed it.

From the books listed above that I've read:

The Shack, by Wm Paul Young - I didn't really care for it. The first part of the book was believable, but once the main character went to the shack, it lost me as it just wasn't believable. I do think I'm in the minority.

Montana 1948 by Larry Watson - I really enjoyed this book. I read it right after our vacation to Yellowstone and into Montana.

Water for Elephants - I also enjoyed this book.

I was reading The Wednesday Letters, but had to put it down to start our GRINS Book Club book for January, Second Glance by Jodi Picoult. I've only read 1 page so far, but have loved the other Picoult books that I've read.

I'm reading the last quarter Wally Lamb's new book, "The Hour I First Believed". I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about this book yet.

Susan

I just finished "Strange But True" by John Searles.

The best way I can describe it is that it centers around a couple of very disfunctional families and has lots of twists and turns. It was a real page turner.

I am in the middle of a book by Chris Bohjalian, called Mid wives. It started out slow but now that I am in the trial phase of it, it is more interesting. Vique.

Vique, I read Midwives and enjoyed it. I read another one of his Double something, and was so shocked at the way it ended I felt like I'd been tricked. It was for our book group. Strange

I went to the library today. They keep some of their newer books near the front door on a couple shelves. I found The Shack and brought it home. I probably would have overlooked it if you people hadn't mentioned it. I am going to start it tonight. Will let you know if I like it, I can be picky about books but we'll see. Thanks!

Ann Rule has a new book out, that I got for Christmas. I am fixing to get started on it.....

Trin

I just started Merle's Door, Lessons from a Free thinking dog by Ted Kerasote. So far it is wonderful.

If you like the Shack or books like that, I would recommend Room of Marvels by James Bryan Smith.......

I had to go digging for this post. I knew it was here, but I went out of town and didn't get a chance to post.

Pawsitive, We just drove to Florida and back (9 hours each way with 4 kids age 6 to 15) and listened to most of "Eldest" on CD, too! Listening to books on CD is the best way to keep my crew quiet and happy on a road trip. The trip actually wasn't quite long enough for the entire book, we have 4 CDs left. Long book!

I recently read Twilight and New Moon (the first two) b/c that's what's out in paperback. I had to find out for myself what the excitement is all about. I like to keep up with what the middle school crowd is reading. Whatever makes them read, but I was not impressed. Still, I will read the others when they are out in paperback. When I'm teaching again, they'll go on the classroom bookshelf.

I have never read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," so I picked it up with my gift card and I am starting it now.

I read this a few months ago, but still keep recommending it. "The Book Thief." Technically on the young adult shelf, but a quality piece of literature. It was original. If books have had a positive influence in your life, you will relate to the characters.

I think everyone who works in nursing homes should have to read Water for Elephants. It did definitely have some disturbing parts, but I thought it was very good.

I'm reading my third Mary Roach book in 3 or 4 weeks, Spook. The other two were Bonk and Stiff. They are all non-fiction, fascinating, and funny. They are not for the very conservative or the very religious though; Bonk is about sex research and Spook is about research for evidence of an after life. Stiff is not for anyone who is the least bit squeamish; it's about cadaver research and got pretty graphic at times.

Obviously I'm enjoying them since I have hardly been reading anything else. She only has these 3 tho :-(

I am reading "Eyes at the Window" by Evie Yoder Miller. It is about a Amish baby being murdered in the 1800's and not being solved until some 50 years later. Based on true events. I ordered it off of amazon.com. Pretty good read. Since retirement I seem to be a reading fend. I rarely watch t.v. I rekindled my love of reading when I had surgery this summer and was immobile for a long spell. Now I can't seem to put the books down, although I am up and about quite nicely now. I have read over 28 books since June!!!

Finished "Dewey" last week -- an Xmas gift from my sister. Good read, sweet story. Currently reading "Godchildren" by Nicholas Coleridge, a pretty good read, but not riveting. Oh deck/or started:

The Crimson Petal or the White by Michel Faber
The Blind Watchmaker (nonfiction) by Richard Dawkins
Wicked by Greg Maguire

and a few others from the library that may or may not hold my interest.

BTW, I am not promoting here for personal gain...I've found paperbackswap.com not only a great source for swapping books, but also as a venue to get feedback on the books in the genres you like to read. I was turned on to PBS by someone else here at the KT. You can get the feedback, I believe, even if you are not a member.

They also have a CD and DVD sister sites, which I have not yet joined.

mtnwoman, what condition do you find the books on Swap to be? Also, how current? I keep wanting to join but haven't pulled together 10 that seem good enuf. I don't know if maybe I'm setting my standards too high.

sarah

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco, an Italian author.

It's about sixty-ish rare-book dealer in Milan, who has has a stroke and wakes up with a loss of memory. He can remember the plot of every book he has ever read, every line of poetry, but he no longer knows his own name, his family or remember his past.
***

Jodi-

I'm in the middle of T Is For Trespass by Sue Grafton. This one is much better than her last few books. She's gotten her touch back.

I read "The Shack" and liked it but I think I would really need to reread it to understand everything wrote. I consider myself to be pretty religious so don't know if I agree with everything but it does give you a lot to think about. Last night I finished "Off Season" by Anne Rivers Siddons. I think it is one of her best books. I am on the list to get "T Is For Trespass" by Sue Grafton next. I love the way she writes.

I just got Twilight from the library last week. I should be starting it tonight! Took forever to get it. One of the longest waiting lists I have ever been on for a book. I sure hope I like it!

Trish

I'm reading "The Negotiator" by Fredrick Forsyth. It was wrote in 1989. Very good thriller.

Vique, I read Midwives, and liked it so much that I emailed the author. Got back a nice, friendly response. I'll have to look for another book by him.

This past month my book club read Mary Modern. It was good, but the subject is a bit strange. A female scientist who really wants a baby, can't, so she ends up cloning her own grandmother...

A little strange, but interesting! Some good twists in the end!

I read Midwives and loved it. I took special interest since I've been present at two home births.

The story was made into a TV special in 2001 and followed the book pretty well though it only gets 5.8 out of 10 stars on IMDB.com. It featured Sissy Spacek.

The woman who wrote the screenplay for the Midwives TV special lives next door to a friend of mine here in Orange County, CA.

Jodi-

Here is a link that might be useful: Midwives.

I was given "Dewey" & "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" for Christmas, & have just finished both. Dewey is sweet & touching, of course. TGLAPPPS is absolutely wonderful  one of the best books I have read. VERY funny in places & solemn in some parts. This one is a keeper & a re-read for me.

Kathleen

Over the weekend I read Web of Evil by J.A. Jance. It's about a woman who's in the middle of a divorce so that her husband can marry his very young, very pregnant fiancee. He is murdered and, of course, she is the prime suspect as his will has not yet been changed. Good one, with lots of twists and turns.

Yesterday I read Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark. It's full of sassy, sarcastic southern humor and it a quick, entertaining read.

Marcy, I am a huge fan of Fredrick Forsyth ... so much so that I have almost every one of his books, I am missing his first titled: Biafra. As you knoow, these are not light reading but he tells such powerful stories I've never failed to appreciate his books.

thunderboltlee,I sure agree with you! After reading the Lee Child books it took awhile to get into Forsyth but so worth it. I have "The Fist of God' to read next. What did you think of that one?

Just finished re-reading my all time favorite book, "Master of the Game" by Sydney Sheldon. Loved each and every one of his books but, in my opinion this is his best.

I'm reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez's autobiography, LIVING TO TELL THE TALE.
Wanda in South Texas

Here is a link that might be useful: The Bee Hive - My Blog