D.C. Area Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
QOTD Wednesday (Books)
What are you reading right now, if anything?
If you're not reading anything right now, what was the last good book you remember reading?
Re: QOTD Wednesday (Books)
I'm currently reading The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan. It's pretty good, my mom recommended it to me.
I also really liked the last book I read, which was Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King.
We make the rockin' world go 'round.
I'm currently reading Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. It was an Oprah book pick from a while back. It's pretty good so far. I had picked it up once before, but it was too close to when my son was born and I couldn't emotionally get into it.
The book I read just before though was a big departure from my normal type. It was The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. It was a memoir of sorts about his experience as a foot soldier in Vietnam. It was moving and disturbing and provocative.
I'm reading the Glass Castle right now and it's really, really interesting. It's the memoir of a woman who grew up with very "off" parents.
Some of my recent favorites:
Daughter of Fortune
The Help (like everyone else and their mother)
I buy almost all of my books at used book sales, which means they're generally a good couple of years old by the time I get to them!
ETA - I'm looking forward to reading what Wines and QueSrah have to say! I get all my favorite book titles from them!
i just started reading "it looked better on the model" by laurie notaro
before that, i really liked the distant hours by kate morton
I am currently reading "Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination" by Helen Fielding (of Bridget Jones' Diary) and it is HYSTERICAL. I started it two days ago and I'm almost done.
I just finished "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbo and LOVED it. He is a Norwegian crime writer who writes in a similar style as Stieg Larsson. I just ordered two more of his books - can't wait to get them!
Since I went back to work after maternity leave, I have not made time for reading at all. It makes me sad :-(
I don't have a book in progress now, but I did just re-read The Help, and then Lee Child's latest novel.
Maybe I'll try to go to the library this weekend.
I just finished re-reading a collection of short stories called "How to Breathe Underwater," which I really like.
Other than that I haven't read anything great lately except two books on my Kindle (the only two so far!), Bossypants and Spoiled by the fuggirls.
On my Christmas list are:
Cutting for Stone
Room
State of Wonder (by Ann Patchett, who wrote one of my favorite books, Bel Canto)
Dovekeepers (by the same author as The Red Tent, which I *loved*)
TTC #2: BFP 12/17/11, m/c 1/7/12 and D&C 1/12/12
baby blog/cooking blog
I'm currently reading "Telex from Cuba," which is about (fictional) Americans in Cuba leading up to the Castro regime. I recently read "The Laguna" by Barbara Kingsolver, which is about an (another fictional) American working for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Mexico. Both are very interesting and well-written.
Jeanette Walls also wrote a biography of her maternal grandmother called 'Half Broke Horses"; it's also quite good.
Baby248 - ETA 1/10/13
The last good book I read was Room by Emma Donoghue. It's about a woman who was kidnapped as a teenager and who had a baby while she was in captivity. It's told from the perspective of her son when he's 5 years old. It's really sad at points, but well-written and interesting.
I also really liked The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which is about a woman from Baltimore whose cancer cells were used (without her or her family's consent or knowledge) to grow a famous cell line that is used in medical research.
i just got the Help from a friend so excited to dig into this during thanksgiving
last really good thing i read was the Girl with Dragon Tattoo series. freakin loved it.
want to read Devil in White City next
I'm reading two books right now. One is North and South by John Jakes. It's about the time leading up to the Civil War. I am LOVING it. I should finish it soon. It's the first in a trilogy and I'm looking forward to reading the other two as well.
The other is Dragonfly in Amber, the second book in the Outlander series. I'm enjoying it, but it's kind of a slow read and a LONG book. I've been reading it for more than 2 weeks now. Hopefully I will finally finish it this weekend.
Currently reading a mystery novel, Bones to Ashes, by Kathy Reichs (The tv show Bones is based on her books, supposedly)
It's pretty good so far. Recently I read Anna K, A modern retelling of Anna Karenina which was very good.
Last weekend, I finished In the Garden of Beasts by the same author as Devil in the White City. Not nearly as good as DITWC, but I did learn a lot about the lead up to World War II.
I'm currently reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen for book club. I'm 18% done with it (thanks, Kindle) and I like it so far.
About a month ago, I finished The Autobiography of Henry VIII. It's long (almost 1,000 pages) but I really liked it. If you like historical fiction, you'll probably enjoy it.
Currently I'm reading "Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? And Other Concerns" by Mindy Kaling of The Office. It's pretty funny and a quick read.
This was the role that made me fall in love with Patrick Swayze. We used to watch the mini-series every time it came on TV. My mom, grandma and I were in love... I wanted to read the books when I was a young teen, but couldn't get past the bad word that was one of the books title (The Bastard). My goody two-shoesnes is showing through. I should read them now. The title no longer bothers me...
The House in France by Gully Wells
It's a little slow. I just finished reading The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly and I couldn't put it down! It was so good.
Off to the beach
DS 7/18/2010
Handy 2.0 Due Early August
2011/2012 Races
12/17/2011 Christmas Caper 10K
2/11/2012 Have a Heart 5K
3/17/2012 DC RNR Half Marathon
4/22/2012 10M Parkway Classic
10/28/2012 Marine Corps Marathon
Currently reading: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. It's the fifth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series that the HBO show Game of Thrones is based on. Absolutely love this series.
Previously read that I liked: Devil in the White City, Some Guys Have All the Fun (it's the history of ESPN)
Next up: The Litigators by John Grisham (it's his newest) and then I think I'm going to check out the hype about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy and the Hunger Games series.
i am getting this for kindle before our trip next week. i love mindy kaling.
I'm currently reading The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell - it's supposed to be very Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-ish.
Recently finished The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Love him, loved the book.
I am currently blowing through the kindle's free books.
right now, i'm reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. I like it, but not as much as North & South (also by Gaskell. And about the English industrial north vs. bucolic, aristocratic, agricultural south, not the US Civil War). North & South is kinda like Pride & Prejudice except better b/c you get to see inside Mr. Thorton (Darcy-esque character) head.
I've also re-read the Anne of Green Gables series. Such good books!
And, Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne Bronte) is off.the.hook.
Just finished the audiobook for Anna and the French Kiss. YA - girl gets sent to Paris (from Atlanta) to boarding school for her senior year. The usual angsty relationship issues ensue. It was cute.
Listening to Bossypants now. I love it. I want to hang out with Tina Fey.
In terms of actual reading, I just finished The English American. Girl is adopted from the US by British parents as an infant and as an adult seeks out/gets to know her birth parents. I didn't love it, but it's not bad. I wanted to shake the birth mother half the time.
I'm going to start Salman Rusdie's Enchantress of Florence as soon as I can get away for lunch. Has anyone here read it? Thoughts? (It's been ages since I've read any of his books, so I don't know what to expect from it.)
Aw, shucks.
I just started 'A Visit from the Goon Squad'
I have been reading lighter books lately but recently enjoyed 'Girls in White Dresses' (local author), 'One Day' and 'Then Came You'
And, definitely recommend 'the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,'- great book!
I'm reading "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan- it's the second in the Heroes of Olympus series, which fuses Greek and Roman mythology with modern times. I'm just getting into it, but I think it'll be a good one.
After that I want to tackle Lord of the Rings. I've never read any of the books nor seen the movies. Yes, I may live under a rock.
Planning Bio
I'm currently reading The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. It's ok, nothing amazing, but interesting enough.
Before that I read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. It was great, very very sad though. I thought it was a bit overly dramatic and predictable in parts, but overall I really liked it.
And, before that I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I loved loved loved it. So engrossing.
I am listening to the American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield - interesting but not great.
I am reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - my first from him and I really like his writing style, will definitely be reading more by him.
My recent faves:
The Help (of course)
A Discovery of Witches
Shadowfever
The Thirteenth Tale
I feel as though I have nothing to add to this thread as what I have recently read does not seem worthy. I'm trying to get through a book my dad sent me, "The Substance of Civilization". It tells about how the discovery and abilty to manipulate materials caused the advance of civilization through out the various ages. Sounds like a great concept but it's not very well written.
The last book I finish was a bodice ripper by Stephanie Laurens "Captian Jack's Women". It's historical so I feel as though I'm learning some things! And I love, love, love her novels. I think I've read 10 of them over and over!
I recently bought 35 books when Borders was going out of business ... they were about a dollar each. Awesome. I think 2 were fiction.
I finished 2 books this week ... tore through "Inconceivable" by Julia Indichova (very easy read about different holistic approaches to fertility) and also finished a somewhat dense read of "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes (the science behind low-carb eating). Looking forward to starting "The Uncoupling" by Meg Wolitzer - fiction about a town that starts mirroring the actions of a high school play (Aristophanes' Lysistrata), where women stop having sex with their men in order to stop a war.
I'm reading Lost heros? Its the newer series of the Percy Jackson one.
I love it.
I've also read about 4 of the 7 Elemental Assassin Books recently. I just tear through them.