What Are We Currently Reading?

[wingster55]

I recently finished Beach Read and In the Dream House. Two very different books but both intriguing and compelling in their own right. 

[Luckylyn]

I’m reading The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory .  This book features Carlos who was one of the friends in The Wedding Date.  I’m really enjoying it so far.  Lots of humor and characters with personalities I find interesting.  

I agree that learning about Henrietta Lacks shows so much about the inequalities in how patients are treated and how easy it has been for people to be taken advantage of by doctors they should have been able to trust.  They used her, profited, and she wasn’t informed or allowed to benefit  from the contribution of her cells that was basically stolen from her. 

 

[Katy M]

I just finished Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.  I thought it would either be funny or a good snark read, but it wasn't really either.

[Pickles Aplenty]

I'm reading The Stepford Wives, by Ira Levin.  I read Rosemary's Baby a few years ago, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to this one.  It's a great piece of satire.

[surreysmum]

Just arrived in my mailbox, an elegant little chapbook from Faber called "The Part-Time Job", containing two items (previously published but not in book form) by P.D. James, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her birth. The first item is a short story with the same title as the book; the second is a brief essay , "Murder Most Foul", on murder mystery writing and writers (dates from 1982).

I'm looking forward to devouring this tomorrow morning as soon as I've had my breakfast!

I

[GaT]

5 hours ago, Billina said:

I'm reading The Stepford Wives, by Ira Levin.  I read Rosemary's Baby a few years ago, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to this one.  It's a great piece of satire.

Interesting. The movie (the original, not the God awful remake) is strictly a horror movie & one of my favorites. I never read the book, so I didn't know if was a satire.

I'm currently reading The Jackal by J.R. Ward, the first book in the Prison Camp series spinoff from The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, & it's a real slog. I usually enjoy BDB books, but this one is just not holding my interest, & I can't understand how this is the first book in a series, are all the books going to take place inside the prison? Yuck.

[Bort]

4 hours ago, GaT said:

Interesting. The movie (the original, not the God awful remake) is strictly a horror movie & one of my favorites. I never read the book, so I didn't know if was a satire.

I was on vacation many years ago and picked The Stepford Wives book up at a supermarket. I was riveted by it. Can’t really say I liked the 70s movie, though, I thought the director kind of ruined it by casting his frumpy wife.

[partofme]

I just finished His & Hers by Alice Feeney.  I really liked it and it had a good twist. 

[helenamonster]

18 minutes ago, partofme said:

I just finished His & Hers by Alice Feeney.  I really liked it and it had a good twist. 

I'm halfway through this right now! Really enjoying it so far. It's like Se7en meets Heathers/Mean Girls.

[Luckylyn]

I’m reading At All Costs by David Weber.  It’s part of the Honor Harrington series of books.   The series is fascinating.  The conflict gets more interesting over the series because initially who the good guys were was more clear but as things have progressed there are good and bad people on both sides of the conflict.   It’s been frustrating and enthralling to see the conflict continue because of manipulations, miscalculations, bad luck, and mistakes.  The only thing I don’t love is the lengthy tangents describing the tech.  I understand that the tech is important to the story because technical advantages/disadvantages do effect outcomes. I’m sure there are fans who really appreciate Weber’s attention to detail.   I just think those parts go on a bit too long.  I call those tangents “Tech Porn” and I’ve gotten used to it.  

[dubbel zout]

54 minutes ago, Luckylyn said:

The only thing I don’t love is the lengthy tangents describing the tech.

I feel that way about Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennan series and the science. At first I kind of enjoyed it, but now it's gotten a bit out of hand for me. I'm also kind of tired of Brennan always getting knocked unconscious and having to extract herself (or get herself extracted). The stories are becoming too similar from book to book.

[proserpina65]

On 8/28/2020 at 3:54 PM, Luckylyn said:

agree that learning about Henrietta Lacks shows so much about the inequalities in how patients are treated and how easy it has been for people to be taken advantage of by doctors they should have been able to trust.  They used her, profited, and she wasn’t informed or allowed to benefit  from the contribution of her cells that was basically stolen from her. 

To my knowledge, no one gets a say on what happens to what is considered medical waste removed from their bodies.  Doesn't excuse the medical establishment treating anyone differently because of race, ethnicity or class, but it's not like white people get paid for the use of tumors they have removed either.

[tres bien]

I just finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

I'm  probably in the minority.  I didn't like it. I found it slow and tedious.

[Pickles Aplenty]

On 8/30/2020 at 5:56 AM, kariyaki said:

I was on vacation many years ago and picked The Stepford Wives book up at a supermarket. I was riveted by it. Can’t really say I liked the 70s movie, though, I thought the director kind of ruined it by casting his frumpy wife.

I think it worked to cast a frumpy-ish woman to play Joanna, though.  The point is that Joanna is NOT a perfectly put together, big boobed 10 of a woman, which is what all the men in Stepford want.  I still think Katharine Ross was a pretty woman, though, and not really "frumpy", but to each their own.

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, tres bien said:

I just finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

I'm  probably in the minority.  I didn't like it. I found it slow and tedious.

I didn't like it either. I did like the descriptions of Savannah though.

[Bort]

48 minutes ago, Billina said:

I think it worked to cast a frumpy-ish woman to play Joanna, though.  The point is that Joanna is NOT a perfectly put together, big boobed 10 of a woman, which is what all the men in Stepford want.  I still think Katharine Ross was a pretty woman, though, and not really "frumpy", but to each their own.

Not her, the actress who played Carol Van Sant was the director’s wife. Katharine Ross was smoking hot as Joanna.

[GaT]

2 hours ago, Billina said:

I think it worked to cast a frumpy-ish woman to play Joanna, though.  The point is that Joanna is NOT a perfectly put together, big boobed 10 of a woman, which is what all the men in Stepford want.  I still think Katharine Ross was a pretty woman, though, and not really "frumpy", but to each their own.

 

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

Katharine Ross was smoking hot as Joanna.

I didn't realize that Katharine Ross was supposed to be "frumpy", because I thought she was a very good looking woman. If that's what they were going for, then she was miscast.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

 

I didn't realize that Katharine Ross was supposed to be "frumpy", because I thought she was a very good looking woman. If that's what they were going for, then she was miscast.

She wasn't. OP was referring to Nanette Newman who played Carol Van Sant. She was married to director Bryan Forbes.

[Crs97]

Just finished Across the Winding River by Aime Runyan.  Newly divorced Beth is helping her 90 year old father go through his photos and other keepsakes when she finds a photo of him in WWII with his arm around a pregnant German woman.  The story shifts between present, her father’s time as a medic in the war, and the tale of two German sisters during the war.

It was enjoyable, but I feel like I have read this story and its variations before.  It was a free book through Amazon prime, and I am not sad I picked it.

[Spartan Girl]

Just finished Aria by Nazanine Hozar. Damn. Every bit as intense as A Burning. A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Kite Runner.

[proserpina65]

On ‎08‎/‎31‎/‎2020 at 1:59 PM, peacheslatour said:

I didn't like it either. I did like the descriptions of Savannah though.

Yeah, that was pretty much the only good thing about the book.

[DearEvette]

On 8/30/2020 at 7:18 PM, Luckylyn said:

I’m reading At All Costs by David Weber.  It’s part of the Honor Harrington series of books.   The series is fascinating.  The conflict gets more interesting over the series because initially who the good guys were was more clear but as things have progressed there are good and bad people on both sides of the conflict.   It’s been frustrating and enthralling to see the conflict continue because of manipulations, miscalculations, bad luck, and mistakes.  The only thing I don’t love is the lengthy tangents describing the tech.  I understand that the tech is important to the story because technical advantages/disadvantages do effect outcomes. I’m sure there are fans who really appreciate Weber’s attention to detail.   I just think those parts go on a bit too long.  I call those tangents “Tech Porn” and I’ve gotten used to it.  

Yeah, I glaze over those parts.  I am sure Nimitz-class this and Warchawski Sails-that is important...whatever.  But boring and I don't get it. Brain hurt.  But I agree the human story such ripping good space opera -- the interaction, the conflict, the personalities, the battles  -- that you live with it.

[Rilla-my-Rilla]

On 8/30/2020 at 7:17 PM, proserpina65 said:

To my knowledge, no one gets a say on what happens to what is considered medical waste removed from their bodies.  Doesn't excuse the medical establishment treating anyone differently because of race, ethnicity or class, but it's not like white people get paid for the use of tumors they have removed either.

I work in medical research, currently with kidney stones, and patients do get a say now. Even a stone surgically removed (basically medical waste like you said) can't be used without permission. We have to get consent to study the stone and tell them what we plan to do with it. We also ask a separate permission for tissue banking and future experiments that we may think of. But we aren't going to make billions of dollars off patients like in the HeLa situation. A patient can revoke their consent at any time. We would just stop using their sample from that time forward. Studies, consents, and protocols go through committee reviews and audits. If someone or an institution is found to be misusing patients or their samples, labs can be shut down or even all clinical research at a certain institution. 

Tl;dr: We have to get a multi-page consent signed to be able to just see what a kidney stone is composed of (consent for actual medical waste)

I don't think a similar situation like HeLa could happen now (making billions from using something without permission) Someone and/or some place would get sued for some of that money I'm guessing and places shut down.

[Haleth]

On 8/31/2020 at 10:10 AM, tres bien said:

I just finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

I'm  probably in the minority.  I didn't like it. I found it slow and tedious.

I loved, loved MitGoGaE.  Thought the anecdotes about the quirky characters living there were amusing and the snippets of history were interesting.  And then there was the glorious Lady Chablis (RIP).  His other book about Venice was good, but not as entertaining.

[Crs97]

I think what bothered me most about Henrietta Lacks’ story, and there was so much, is that it was continuing to this day.  Scientists are still calling the family to ask for samples for comparison.  IIRC (and I read it years ago so may be misremembering), one family member didn’t understand and thought a scientist was telling him that he had cancer and needed bloodwork done for his treatment.  Once she took the sample, she never returned his frantic calls.  When the author told the scientist how scared he had gotten, the scientist’s response was basically that she needed more samples from him for her research and suggested the author ask him for her.  I know by the end I was secretly a little gleeful that carelessness with HeLa cells ruin millions of dollars worth of experiments each year.  
 

[proserpina65]

21 hours ago, Rilla-my-Rilla said:

I work in medical research, currently with kidney stones, and patients do get a say now. Even a stone surgically removed (basically medical waste like you said) can't be used without permission. We have to get consent to study the stone and tell them what we plan to do with it. We also ask a separate permission for tissue banking and future experiments that we may think of. But we aren't going to make billions of dollars off patients like in the HeLa situation. A patient can revoke their consent at any time. We would just stop using their sample from that time forward. Studies, consents, and protocols go through committee reviews and audits. If someone or an institution is found to be misusing patients or their samples, labs can be shut down or even all clinical research at a certain institution. 

Tl;dr: We have to get a multi-page consent signed to be able to just see what a kidney stone is composed of (consent for actual medical waste)

I don't think a similar situation like HeLa could happen now (making billions from using something without permission) Someone and/or some place would get sued for some of that money I'm guessing and places shut down.

Good to know.  I don't remember being asked about my gallbladder when it was removed, but it was decades ago so either they didn't then, or I just don't remember.

[Minneapple]

Just finished The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a new YA that's kind of like Knives Out. I wasn't expecting a whole lot but I was pleasantly surprised. A solid main character (good characterization all around actually) and a fun mystery/quest with puzzles and riddles to entertain the reader along the way.

[helenamonster]

Just finished: His & Hers by Alice Feeney. Incredibly dark and well-told murder mystery--upthread I mentioned it was like Se7en meets Heathers/Mean Girls and that stayed true to the end. I was not totally bowled over by the twist--I actually found the climax a little messy as the author kept trying to keep all the suspects in play as possibilities. But the overall tone/mood was very gripping.

Definitely not recommended for those who don't like things too intense. I can usually self-censor when books like this get detailed, but a lot of it had me squirming. It's mostly the murder parts (like I said, Se7en is a good reference point), but also a lot of other elements are pretty gruesome.

Next up: Playing Nice by JP Delaney.

[Haleth]

Late to the party but I just read Dark Matter (Blake Crouch).  It's my habit to read at night until I get drowsy, but this book?  Like a shot of adrenaline.  Holy moley, it's nonstop frantic action.  (It would make an awesome movie).  Good story, but definitely not something you want to read right before bedtime.

[partofme]

15 hours ago, helenamonster said:

 

Next up: Playing Nice by JP Delaney.

I really want to read this but the NYPL doesn’t have it in ebook yet. 😢

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, partofme said:

I really want to read this but the NYPL doesn’t have it in ebook yet. 😢

I saw it on the NYPL overdrive site.  There is a 7 week waitlist for it.

[partofme]

7 hours ago, DearEvette said:

I saw it on the NYPL overdrive site.  There is a 7 week waitlist for it.

Thank you!   I’m sure it wasn’t there yesterday.  But NYPL is being annoying now and only allowing me to have 3 books on hold at a time in Overdrive and 3 in CL when I used to be allowed ten holds meaning I had to cancel another book I had on hold, which is especially annoying when the holds are all at least a month out.  

[MargeGunderson]

I just finished the latest by Louise Penny, All the Devils Are Here. Good, but I think her intrigues are getting too complicated. I’m getting weary of the powerful forces trying to take Chief Inspector Gamache down. Just let the man be a hero, not a martyr, for a few books!

Edited September 5, 2020 by MargeGunderson

[tres bien]

I'm currently reading The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.

Athough I've only only read about a third of the book so far, this is the best novel I've read this year.

[cherrypj]

16 hours ago, partofme said:

But NYPL is being annoying now and only allowing me to have 3 books on hold at a time in Overdrive and 3 in CL when I used to be allowed ten holds meaning I had to cancel another book I had on hold, which is especially annoying when the holds are all at least a month out.  

Pro tip: I use my sons’ accounts to park my overflow requests. 😏

[partofme]

25 minutes ago, cherrypj said:

Pro tip: I use my sons’ accounts to park my overflow requests. 😏

Unfortunately I only have the one account and my mom who lives in NJ reads books from my account.

[Minneapple]

Weekend road trip! So far I read We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin. It was very creepy, gothic style, great atmosphere. An interesting twist but not a "gotcha" twist, and a good mystery. I would definitely recommend it.

[peacheslatour]

17 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Weekend road trip! So far I read We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin. It was very creepy, gothic style, great atmosphere. An interesting twist but not a "gotcha" twist, and a good mystery. I would definitely recommend it.

Have you read any of her other books? I have Lie Still in my cart.

[Minneapple]

On 9/6/2020 at 12:34 PM, peacheslatour said:

Have you read any of her other books? I have Lie Still in my cart.

I haven't, but I'm putting her books on my Want to Read list on Goodreads. They sound pretty good, particularly for Halloween time. Nice and creepy.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Because I’m finally able to adopt a 🐶, (I think I mentioned this up thread), I’ve been rereading all of Nora Roberts’ books that feature them as supporting characters! I’ve read The Obsession, The Search (Newman, Bogart, and Peck going to the Vet always makes me 😂😂😂😂😂😂, especially Newman!); just finished Whiskey Beach, and started The Witness. 

[OtterMommy]

I finished Pretty Things by Janelle Brown last night.  It was...fine.  I enjoyed it, I didn't see some of the twists coming (but I did see others coming) but it isn't something that I found especially memorable.  I did feel like it lost me in the epilogue, though. The book would have been better without it.

I started You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.  Normally, I would not read two thrillers back to back, but there are holds on this one and I won't be able to renew it.  I wasn't wowed by the first of their books that I read (The Wife Between Us), so the bar is a bit low.

Still working through my re-read of The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfield (for my book club) and my listening to From Scratch by Tembi Locke.

[truthaboutluv]

1 hour ago, Minneapple said:

I haven't, but I'm putting her books on my Want to Read list on Goodreads. They sound pretty good, particularly for Halloween time. Nice and creepy.

That's me and Riley Sager. Every one of his books sound right up my alley and I know they have all been bestsellers and he's quickly built a pretty good reputation for himself but I just haven't gotten around to reading even one of the books. They're all still in my Want to Read/TBR list. 

[Haleth]

5 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Because I’m finally able to adopt a 🐶

Congrats, Scorp!

[SusieQ]

On 9/5/2020 at 8:18 AM, tres bien said:

I'm currently reading The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.

Athough I've only only read about a third of the book so far, this is the best novel I've read this year.

OMG, I loved this book! Also read by Boyne "A Ladder to the Sky". The protagonist in that one was HORRIBLE! But you couldn't stop reading.

[Minneapple]

22 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

That's me and Riley Sager. Every one of his books sound right up my alley and I know they have all been bestsellers and he's quickly built a pretty good reputation for himself but I just haven't gotten around to reading even one of the books. They're all still in my Want to Read/TBR list. 

I always put books on my Goodreads list and then realize months later that...I've got a long list of books to read on Goodreads! At least it's a resource I can use when I'm in a reading funk (when I remember that it exists).

[GHScorpiosRule]

Shadows in Death!!!!!!

Not spoilery at all, but the "whole gang" will in this! Paging @DearEvette!!!!!!

And what a way to just let jump back, or rather, be pulled back into Robb's world! Both Roarke and Eve from page one!

And really, "Tween" had me rolling. 😝😂Why? Because that's the surname of the

victim's husband

!!!

But I'm loving how I'm we're in Roarke's head from the first line. I think that's a first.

What?

[Minneapple]

The second book of my road trip was Majesty, the sequel to American Royals, by Katharine McGee. I wasn't going to read Majesty because I was meh on American Royals, but it was available from my e-library and I wanted something that didn't require much thought. I actually liked Majesty much more than American Royals. The characters are more likable and have a bit more depth than they did in the first book. And the relationships make more sense, they are deeper, they involve the characters actually getting to know each other rather than fleeing romance at first sight.

There will clearly be another novel in this series. I hope it's more like the second book than the first.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Minneapple

[MaggieG]

On 9/7/2020 at 2:45 PM, truthaboutluv said:

That's me and Riley Sager. Every one of his books sound right up my alley and I know they have all been bestsellers and he's quickly built a pretty good reputation for himself but I just haven't gotten around to reading even one of the books. They're all still in my Want to Read/TBR list. 

I recommend him. I've read all of his and they were all pretty good. The only one I didn't really enjoy was The Last Time I Lied. It was a bit meh. I like that his books have a theme of sorts. Final Girls (my favorite of his) has slasher movie theme, Lock Every Door has Rosemary's Baby vibe just because it takes place in a NY building like the Dakota, The Last Time I Lied has a summer camp vibe and his latest one, Home Before Dark has an Amityville Horror vibe. 

[DearEvette]

9 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Shadows in Death!!!!!!

Not spoilery at all, but the "whole gang" will in this! Paging @DearEvette!!!!!!

And what a way to just let jump back, or rather, be pulled back into Robb's world! Both Roarke and Eve from page one!

And really, "Tween" had me rolling. 😝😂Why? Because that's the surname of the

  Reveal spoiler

victim's husband

!!!

But I'm loving how I'm we're in Roarke's head from the first line. I think that's a first.

What?

Yup that showed up on my Kindle on Tuesday.  I have it next on deck.  I saw they are going to Ireland and I am looking forward to Roarke interacting with his family.  I hope he gets to beat somebody's ass.  Last time he went to Ireland he beat up people to find out about his mother.  Ah... good times!

Right now I am buddy reading two books:

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole which is her first foray into thriller/suspense.  I love her she is so versatile.  She has written post-apoc fiction, Civil War era romance with black women spies, contemporary romances that span the Civil Rights era up through the present, and even a book with an A.I. main character.

Also reading Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center.    I read another book by her a few months ago,  What You Wish For and really enjoyed her voice, so I am following up with this one.

 

[Bort]

I’m about to start The Boys Club by Erica Katz. I have a feeling I’m going to like this book based on the dedication that cracked me up before I even got to the first chapter.

Quote

To my mom and dad, for this amazing life and their unwavering support each and every day of it. (I’m begging you to skip over the sex scenes when you read this.)