Books! How do you read and what do you read?

Recently I've read two very different books with the same title, "The Return" but different authors. Nicholas Sparks does his best once again in this moving story, and Rachel Harrison scares the bejesus outta me with her new book. Both are excellent reads-I had to finish Harrison's book in daylight as it wasn't one to finish alone at night in bed.....with creaks and sounds about.:oops:
 

Just finishing up, The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, who is in real life, J. K. Rowling of the Henry Potter series. How, I go through this garbage is beyond me. No plot, really, just trash, filthy talk throughout. But, it is a whodunit and I wanted to find out who the bad guy was. No more of her books and from the language in this book, I can only imagine what a conversation in her home is like. Into the trash it will go, where it belongs.
 
So impressed was I by your reviews @StarSong and @JonDouglas that I just asked for, and received instantly from my library the ebook Rules of Civility. If I hear good stuff about an author I try to start with the first book.

I'll let you know & thanks for your reviews!
 

I just started Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, about Americans, including Ernest Hemmingway, who tried to help save democracy in Spain during the 1930s.
 
I usually stick to old classics (am a former English/Liberal Arts major in college). A few months ago I re-read Melville's Moby Dick. Truly one of the greatest novels ever written. Am so awestruck by it that I can easily write a 30 to 40 page essay on this classic.
 
Just started Free Country by George Mahood and his friend Ben taking off on their LEJOG journey wearing only a pair of Union Jack boxer shorts. Promises to be rather hilarious and I can believe that. Need this after that mess I just finished.
 
I'm reading Advertisements for Myself by Norman Mailer on OpenLibrary -- mainly to look at his writing style. I made it halfway through The Executioner's Song but got tired of the characters, so I returned it. I need at least one character that I care about in order to get through a book.
I worked through Mailer's The Armies of the Night - his so called non-fiction novel which followed the events leading up to the mob storming of the Pentagon. I was thinking of trying The Executioner's Song (I had seen the film many years ago). Maybe I'll try one of her earlier works like The Naked and the Dead. Thanks for the heads up.
 
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Yesterday,I finished book'Breaking The Code' by Karen Fisher-Alaniz
This was a terrific book about Karen's father,Murray who was in the Navy during WWII and never spoke about what his secret job was ,keeping it a secret for over 50 yrs
On his 81st birthday without any explanation,gave Karen 2 weathered notebooks which contained all the letters he wrote to his parents when he was stationed in Hawaii 1944-1945.Karen begins to transcribe the letters,they met every week as she tries to get him to remember certain details
Murray was in Navy intelligence how he helped break Japanese code'Katankana'
Karen and her dad become closer than ever after she helps him
 
Always enjoy accounts of people who journeyed out the comfort zone.

"Endurance-Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing
"How I Found Livingstone-Travels, Adventures and Discoveries in Central Africa" by Henry M. Stanley
"The Voyage of the Beagle" by Charles Darwin

To name just a few.
 
The majority of the books I buy are by mail, a catalogue I've used for yrs,Edward R.Hamilton, in Conn.You can get all sorts of books at a discount,gives a brief description of the books
A couple weeks ago I was looking in the 'fiction section' came across a book by author I've never heard of,Karen White
The book I bought is 'The House on Tradd Street'.The story is set in Charleston,SC a local real estate agent Melanie Middleton who loves old houses,secrets about them.She also has the ability to see ghosts.A client she just met,dies and leaves his historic home,'Tradd St' along with a housekeeper,,dog, ghosts who have stories to tell to her.The stipulation in the man's will is she has to live in the house for a yr.
I started this book a couple days ago,I can't put it down
This is the 1st book ,there are 5 others in this series,I may buy them as well
 
The majority of the books I buy are by mail, a catalogue I've used for yrs,Edward R.Hamilton, in Conn.You can get all sorts of books at a discount,gives a brief description of the books
A couple weeks ago I was looking in the 'fiction section' came across a book by author I've never heard of,Karen White
The book I bought is 'The House on Tradd Street'.The story is set in Charleston,SC a local real estate agent Melanie Middleton who loves old houses,secrets about them.She also has the ability to see ghosts.A client she just met,dies and leaves his historic home,'Tradd St' along with a housekeeper,,dog, ghosts who have stories to tell to her.The stipulation in the man's will is she has to live in the house for a yr.
I started this book a couple days ago,I can't put it down
This is the 1st book ,there are 5 others in this series,I may buy them as well
Sounds like you found a great author and book. I'm surprised this book was filed under SF. I assumed ghost stories would have their own category.
 
In my previous post the book I was reading"The House on Tradd St' by Karen White was terrific,couldn't put it down
The book I'm about to read is'The Lost&Found' by Susan Wiggs The story is about Natalie Harper who inherits a financially strapped bookstore in San Francisco,also becomes caregiver for her grandfather who grew up in the building where the bookstore is located
I've never hear of the author or read any of her other books,this has received good reviews.I always like to read books featuring bookstores
 
I am reading and enjoying Hard Times by Charles Dickens. I am also reading and not particularly enjoying My Struggle (Book 1) by Karl Ove Knausgaard.
 
@JimBob1952
Karl Ove Knausgaard. Never heard of him so looked him up. My, my he looks like a self-satisfied, arrogant jerk, smug. That's just looking at his picture, I still know nothing about him or why he is famous. Also, looks can be deceiving, but I have a feeling I'm right. Somebody set me straight.
 
I just finished ready Earth's Last Empire by John Hagee. It was really an eyeopener! Now I am off to look for something new to read.
 
I'm currently reading The Spiritual Doorway In The Brain by Dr. Kevin Nelson.

This is a book I've mentioned in a thread about those from our past visiting us when we pass, but I didn't know the name then. I read the book about 8 years ago and thought it was great then as well.

The book is by a neurologist who was intrigued by on particular patient's near death experience. He started looking into those who experience near death experiences and tried to see what mechanisms in the brain might cause them. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and he's exploring and explaining what we know about consciousness and our sense of self. It's a fascinating book and I'm looking forward to the sections I remember where he explains how various portions of near death experiences can be triggered in those not facing death.
 


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