What Are You Reading? - #2

Status
Not open for further replies.
I've finished A Faint Cold Fear, and I'm starting to read Animal Farm for English class. I need to go to the library today to get a new book for myself.
 
At the moment I'm reading Lisey's Story by Stephen King. So far it's okay, I'm hoping it will pick up a bit more as I'm finding it hard going at the moment. :)
 
Muzzy_Olorea said:
Hormiga said:
I'm reading Catilina's Riddle by Steven Saylor.
It's the third book featuring Gordianus the Finder,a detective in the ancient Rome.
"Gordianus becomes enmeshed in the conspiracies of Cicero (on the right) and the charismatic radical Catilina (on the left). Why do headless bodies keep turning up on Gordianus’s property? Which side in the bloody conflict will he ultimately choose?".

I should probably read that since I'm studying Latin and Ancient Rome!! I've got to spend a whole semester on Cicero next. Joy. :rolleyes:
I studied Latin for 3 years at HS,we had to translate Cicero's Catiline Orations ("Quousque tandem abutere,Catilina,patientia nostra?"). :rolleyes:

But this book is just a mystery book,not much to do with real Catiline though.
 
OK, I've been making my way through the Kathy Reichs novels and I'm thinking that reading them all in a row may have been a big mistake.

First off, let me just say that she's actually quite a good writer, and while I think she gets a little carried away with all the forensics explanations, I have to accept that these are forensic thrillers after all, and so that plays a large role, naturally. I guess I have to accept that there are people out there who don't have 7 years of CSI behind them and therefore actually need all the explanations! :lol:

But that's not the problem I'm having... my issue is with her seemingly strict adherence to formulaic plotlines. Pretty much every one of the 6 or 7 books I've read so far have involved the following:

1. A crime which the main character, Temperance Brennan, has accidentally stumbled upon.

2. A cop who doesn't like her/she doesn't get along with.

3. A friend or family member of hers somehow gets involved with the crime.

4. This same friend or family member becomes quickly endangered and at risk of dying.

5. Temperance remembers some obscure fact from the past which is the clue to solving the case.

6. Temperance is either called by someone involved in the case to come and meet them or follows the last important clue to solve the crime, invariably goes there alone and ends up mortally in danger EVERY TIME.

7. She survives her own carelessness YET AGAIN, and everyone grudgingly says she's done a great job, despite the fact that she never calls anyone for back up or leaves messages with anyone about where she's going just in case.


Honestly. Every book is almost predictably the same in these respects. I think I definitely finally need to take a break before reading the last two! :lol:
 
'Eldest', book two of the Inheritance trilogy. They recently released a movie of the first book 'Eragon'.

If you're not familiar with the series, basically it follows the life of a young man, Eragon, who finds a dragon egg which hatches and he becomes the newest member of an ancient order called the Dragon Riders. The trilogy chronicles his journey from simple farm boy to the one who is to stop the evil king who was instrumental in the initial fall of the Riders.

I was at first skeptical about the book, but once I read 'Eragon' I couldn't put the book down. The second book is much better, and I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the third book, still untitled as of late.
 
I'm reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
she wrote The Mermaid Chair

I like the Bees one better

anyone else read either of these?
 
Im reading new Found Land currenly by ____Wolf, sry I don't have the Book in front of me. its really good, its like in diary format of the Lewis and Clark journey but it has accounts from the enitere crew, sacajawea, Lewis and Clark, and Lewis's dog even. its REALLY good! I recommend it!
 
I'm reading a really god book called Dance of the Gods, the second book in the circle series by Nora Roberts. It's soo awesome!!!! It's about vampires :p
 
BabaOReilly said:
OK, I've been making my way through the Kathy Reichs novels and I'm thinking that reading them all in a row may have been a big mistake.

Yes, reading them all in a row could be the mistake. I quite like Kathy Reichs (it's very readable stuff) but I tend to just read them every now and then, makes it much better, partly because I find Temperance Brennan to be a bit annoying. Crime/thriller type books are the main ones I read, and I tend to find they all merge into one after a while, so it doesn't help if the plots are similar in them as well. :lol:

Anyway, having just been on holiday (and I always take loads of books) I have just finished two.

Firstly, Panic by Jeff Abbott. A really easy read, doesn't require any effort apart from the ability to ignore the leaps in character development and unlikely escapes...Second was Mary, Mary by James Patterson. If you've liked any of his other ones, then you will like this. It is an Alex Cross book, pretty good but again fairly instantly forgettable. Also, seemed to end quite abruptly but gets bonus points for me not being able to guess the ending, which I normally can.

Now I am re-reading The Testament by John Grisham. I quite like this book. :)
 
BabaOReilly said:
OK, I've been making my way through the Kathy Reichs novels and I'm thinking that reading them all in a row may have been a big mistake.

First off, let me just say that she's actually quite a good writer, and while I think she gets a little carried away with all the forensics explanations, I have to accept that these are forensic thrillers after all, and so that plays a large role, naturally. I guess I have to accept that there are people out there who don't have 7 years of CSI behind them and therefore actually need all the explanations! :lol:

But that's not the problem I'm having... my issue is with her seemingly strict adherence to formulaic plotlines. Pretty much every one of the 6 or 7 books I've read so far have involved the following:

1. A crime which the main character, Temperance Brennan, has accidentally stumbled upon.

2. A cop who doesn't like her/she doesn't get along with.

3. A friend or family member of hers somehow gets involved with the crime.

4. This same friend or family member becomes quickly endangered and at risk of dying.

5. Temperance remembers some obscure fact from the past which is the clue to solving the case.

6. Temperance is either called by someone involved in the case to come and meet them or follows the last important clue to solve the crime, invariably goes there alone and ends up mortally in danger EVERY TIME.

7. She survives her own carelessness YET AGAIN, and everyone grudgingly says she's done a great job, despite the fact that she never calls anyone for back up or leaves messages with anyone about where she's going just in case.


Honestly. Every book is almost predictably the same in these respects. I think I definitely finally need to take a break before reading the last two! :lol:

I know, I know. Im beginning to realise that after reading three of her books in a row. She's very irritating, she makes quite lame jokes, she's perfect, she's so attractive she's batting off this Ryan. Yeah...right.

I think I'll start reading other genres other than crime/because..like a fellow poster said below, it tends to get samey. :rolleyes:
 
^^^ Yeah, actually that was something I forgot to mention... I prefer the incarnation of Temperance Brennan on the show Bones over the book version. The book version is a bit of a "Mary Jane":lol: Even when she's screwing up, she's still not wrong somehow; it will end up solving the case or something. I wish she'd fall off the wagon or something. Now that would make her more interesting, and more human

The TV version is far more flawed and interesting, I think. :)

I have taken a break and I'm reading "The Undomestic Goddess" by Sophie Kinsella. I rarely read these sort of "women's books" but this one's pretty entertaining. I frequently find myself laughing out loud. I think if you enjoyed Brigitte Jones' Diary, you'll probably like this book as well. :)
 
I've finished The Magic Circle from Katherine Neville..I've read another book from the same write,liked it and bought this too!..Is a nice book..
 
I'm reading 'Dream Country' by Luanne Rice now. I never thought I'd read one of such books. I always thought they're boring and kitschy. But I changed my mind. Some books are cool. :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top