A list of what you're reading or have recently read

[Paula]

I recently finished Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and it was rather amusing. It takes a while for anything to happen, but if you're a gorehound like me, you won't be disappointed. I'm curious to see if the movie version will tackle what happens in Chapter 30. Since I'm not too sure about the spoiler policy, I won't go into detail. I sure hope they don't omit it or sugarcoat it. I also like the discussion questions that are found at the back of the book. Certainly reminded me of my days as an English major putting up with some ridiculous pontification from professors.

[Myth]

Recently got back from Florida where I froze my arse off and then came down w/ a horrible head cold....probably picked up the germs on the plane. Although one of my favorite things to do is sit under the umbrella on the beach and just lose myself in a book, I still read the following:

TURN COAT - Harry Dresdan of course. Still loving this series and the characters although I sure wish Harry could find a lady love. If it is finally going to be Murphy then please let it happen.

THE HELP - I call this a 'straight' book because I tend to only read supernatural, horror or thrillers. I have got to say that I was totally absorbed in this novel and the characters. I didn't want to put this book down. There is sadness and yet triumphant. To be black help in 1960's Mississippi....daaaamn!

BLACK MAGIC SANCTION - The new Rachel Morgan book by Kim Harrison. Don't know what to say here. I liked it and yet I get upset w/ Rachel. Harrison threw enough new things in this book to keep the series going for years....the only problem w/ this for me is that I'll probably be dead before the series ever ends. I liked being a Rachel/Trent shipper but now I don't know because Rachel could possibly end up w/ Demon Al I'll keep reading when the new books come out every February if for no other reason then to see how Jenks and Bis continue.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES - Started it and I just hope I can keep reading w/o thousands of interruptions because I am enjoying it thus far.
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"The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope".

[Paula]

Myth, I can't wait to hear what you think about Chapter 30 of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". Sure hope they do it justice in the movie version. I'm worried with Natalie Portman (yuck!) playing Elizabeth Bennet.

Does anyone here dabble in non-fiction? A couple of weeks ago, I read "The Monster of Florence" by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi. It's about the search for a serial killer in Italy. Fascinating stuff.

[cindy253]

[Myth]

**SPOILER ALERT**

Hey Cindy!! I too was saddened by that 'one part in the book' but I am tickled that we get to see more of one character and I think it was clever of KH w/ the way she worked that out.

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It's funny but I can read series like DARKSIDE and the Dresden Files and not get tired or frustrated w/ the main characters like I do w/ the female protagonists in their series. I tend to get very annoyed and/or frustrated w/ them due to their jumping to conclusions and their emotional issues. I get that they have to have issues but it can be exhausting especially when you have to wait a whole year to see if the character has grown emotionally. I like to call this the "Joss Whedon Effect'....you can't have the characters be happy, stable etc w/o something bad or negative happening the next day/page. Like I said, I'll continue to read this series but mostly for some of the supporting characters because I can't depend on Rachel being a more 'settled' character. Hope that makes sense....it's just one of my many quirks.

Paula- I read the cover on the new Douglas Preston book and it looks interesting. First...wow w/ DP moving his family to a farm in Florence and Two....imagine buying a home w/ such a horrible history I have always loved Douglas Preston on his own or collaborating w/ Lincoln Childs. I remember picking up THE RELIC years ago 'just because' and this book has remained one of my favorite fictional books to this day.
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"The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope".

[cindy253]

Well, I've been reading a bit here and there in the last couple of months, and it's an odd assortment, that's for sure. In no particular order:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I can't remember who recommended or where this was recommended, but I did enjoy it. I wasn't so sure for the first couple of pages, but then I got sucked right in.

I've finally realized that I don't need to buy and read so many hardback books from certain series, so I'm starting to catch up on a few from the last couple of years that are now in paperback. For example: Cross Country by James Patterson (An Alex Cross thriller), and Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell. I found the beginning of Scarpetta to be too 'angsty' for my taste, and I know that sounds shallow, since the characters have gone through so much together and are changing... But once the murder investigation got going in earnest, I did enjoy it. Cross Country is very different than most in this series. It's gotten pretty bad reviews on amazon.com, but I don't think it was quite as bad as some seem to think. (I do agree with one review that commented on the excess use of exclamation points; that caught my eye too and was annoying.) It just doesn't seem likely that a seasoned professional would head to Africa, as Alex does in this novel, with no plan and assume that he had any authority to do anything when he got there. It deals with serious topics such as Sierra Leon diamonds, fighting in Darfur, and the oil conflicts in Nigeria.

I did read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; the illustrations were my favorite part, I believe. I also picked up Vampire Darcy's Desire by Regina Jeffers, and boy, did she 'sex up' Elizabeth. It should have been titled "Elizabeth's Desires", IMO.

Someone at work gave me One Dance in Paris by Julia Holden fo Christmas, and I just read it. It's a bit of 'fluff', romance novel, I guess you'd say, but it had a few scenes that even touched my hard heart, and I liked the main character.

While on vacation, I read Charlaine Harris' latest Sookie book, Dead in the Family. It's a good one if you're an Eric fan, and without any spoilers, we meet Eric's maker, Appius Livius Ocella, and Eric's new 'brother', Alexei. It also deals with some of the aftermath from the Fae War that occurred in the previous novel, Dead and Gone.

I also read Evidence (an Alex Delaware novel) by Jonathan Kellerman while we where gone; the resort has a 'lending library'/ book exchange (you can leave and book and take one of theirs, if you prefer). I like the rapport between Alex and Milo Sturgis, the L.A. police lieutenant.

I'll have keep a better list of what I'm reading and actually jot down what I liked or didn't like about them. I've always been awful at 'book reports'.