The Quasi-Official September Book Reading Game

[Berrytastic]

So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Jeff. I guess the question is will you continue reading the series ?

Peter

[Geoffrey]

I finished Catch Me If You Can.  From the movie, I had no idea this was a True Crime story instead of just a strange fanciful tale.   After reading the book, I believe it's true ... which just makes the story odder.  I do think, though, that Frank Abagnale was doing a bit of showing off and embellished his story a bit.  But, whether he did or not, it was a good read and kept me thoroughly entertained. ...

[Jeff]

So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Jeff. I guess the question is will you continue reading the series ?

There are too many books in my preferred genres, but I thank you for recommending Game of Thrones. George R. R. Martin is lucky to have such a devoted fan as you.

[imallbs]

djgross, I started Rosemary and Rue today and am about 30% into it.  Surprisingly, I'm enjoying it.  I looking forward to the rest of the story.

[Annalog]

Basilius, I finished reading Boneshaker by Cherie Priest Saturday and definitely enjoyed it.

I also finished listening to The LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow. I think this is a book that everyone should read. I mentioned the book to my daughter and learned that she had purchased and read it when it was first out in hardcover, after my mom's cancer surgery and chemo but before my brother's diagnosis with cancer. By the time I learned of the book my brother had passed away just three months after diagnosis of anaplastic thyroid cancer, another rare and deadly cancer that must be treated aggressively. I kept putting off reading The LAST LECTURE until now. Thank you for suggesting it.

I have started listening to The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and am enjoying that book as well.

[Emily King]

I finished Season of the Harvest... very enjoyable read.  It seemed to go on with me thinking, surely this is the end?  Thanks for the suggestion!

[ciscokid]

Emily King, I finished Tears of Requiem yesterday.  Thanks for recommending Blood of Requiem.  I have throughly enjoyed both books.  Now I just have to patiently wait for the third one in the series to come out. 

Toni

[KingAl]

I finished Catch Me If You Can.  From the movie, I had no idea this was a True Crime story instead of just a strange fanciful tale.   After reading the book, I believe it's true ... which just makes the story odder.  I do think, though, that Frank Abagnale was doing a bit of showing off and embellished his story a bit.  But, whether he did or not, it was a good read and kept me thoroughly entertained. ...

Glad you liked it. I also thought some parts were embellished (especially the tales involving the girls...) but it was a very interesting read.

[Jeff]

I finished Season of the Harvest... very enjoyable read.  It seemed to go on with me thinking, surely this is the end?  Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm glad you liked it. It's quite a change from Mike's other books so I wasn't sure.

[KingAl]

KingAl,

You get a dystopian ya month because this is my favorite genre right now and it happens to be extremely popular.

My first recommendation for you is:

I just finished this book last Saturday. I read it all in one sitting and my mind was blown. I was equal parts terrified and interested. The premise is very scary. It is dystopian and not so far out of your regular reading. It is ya, and is told in diary form from a 16 year old girl's perspective. And while there is a little romance, I would not call it a romance at all.

fadedrainbows, I'm about 50% through Life As We Knew It, and am really enjoying it. I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series. Thanks for the pick!

[djgross]

djgross, I started Rosemary and Rue today and am about 30% into it.  Surprisingly, I'm enjoying it.  I looking forward to the rest of the story.

I'm glad you are enjoying Rosemary and Rue so far!  If you end up wanting to read on in the October Daye series, there are four additional books available (and Seenan's under contract for two more).   I finished book five in the series,  One Salt Sea ,last week and adored it.   

Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

DJ

[djgross]

My read for the month was also Catch Me If You Can.

A fast entertaining read I would not have chosen on my own.   King Al, I'm with you on Frank's romantic escapades.   At least, I hope he exaggerated.   

[fadedrainbows]

Hi fadedrainbows: I decided to go for "Life As We Knew It."  Sounds fascinating. Thanks for the pick (the other ones sound fascinating as well, and I may eventually get to them.)

Yay, sorry I'm so late in responding. I wasn't getting emails and then the new semester started so I've been really busy!

[fadedrainbows]

fadedrainbows, I'm about 50% through Life As We Knew It, and am really enjoying it. I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series. Thanks for the pick!

Ahhh, you may want to look into it before you do that, lol.

It's a series, but not in the traditional sense. The second book follows a boy in New York and he survives flooding there. Then in the third book he meets up with the girl from the first book (Miranda). I'm only warning because many many people have said they wish she would have stopped at this story. They did not like the other two books in the series. I've been kind of holding off because of the not-so-great reviews and because I'm reading other things. I'm not trying to warn you off, but just make you aware

[KingAl]

Ahhh, you may want to look into it before you do that, lol.

It's a series, but not in the traditional sense. The second book follows a boy in New York and he survives flooding there. Then in the third book he meets up with the girl from the first book (Miranda). I'm only warning because many many people have said they wish she would have stopped at this story. They did not like the other two books in the series. I've been kind of holding off because of the not-so-great reviews and because I'm reading other things. I'm not trying to warn you off, but just make you aware

Thanks for the warning. I noticed that the 2nd book involves different characters. I wonder how much I would miss if I jumped straight to the 3rd book  

Edited to add minor spoiler:  Some reviews complained that the main character is whiny. Unless she starts whining in the last half of the book, I don't agree with that characterization.

[fadedrainbows]

Thanks for the warning. I noticed that the 2nd book involves different characters. I wonder how much I would miss if I jumped straight to the 3rd book  

Edited to add minor spoiler:  Some reviews complained that the main character is whiny. Unless she starts whining in the last half of the book, I don't agree with that characterization.

I didn't think she was either. I think a lot of people don't like ya or narrators that are 16 so that colors what they feel

[kaotickitten]

To the ones reading the Life as we knew it series,  I actually have read the whole series.  While it is diffrent characters in the second they do tie up nicely in the third.  I actually wish there were more books in this series. If you go in knowing what you know from the first book and want the caracters to act exactly like thefirst than don't read the rest.  I love how there are more than one veiw points to this situation.  Just like there really would be.  As to the whinyness of the character, I thought she was more real tha way.  How many who live the way they do now would be able to be thurst into what she was and not get upset over the change.

[Tripp]

I just finished My Best Friend's Girl. I liked the interactions between Tegan and Ryn, but had issues with the love triangle. I think I've learned in this that I just don't enjoy reading about love triangles because they're so nonsensical to me. I strongly preferred the beginning over the end - the growth of the Tegan/Ryn relationship and the growth of them as individuals was good. The soap opera love triangle, was just frustrating.

Tuttle, I just saw this.  I have been kinda off the grid Internet-wise for the last couple of weeks.  I actually think your critique is fair.  I found the Tegan / Ryn relationship the most interesting.  Glad it was a moderate success.

[KingAl]

I finished Life as We Knew It. Great book, and I'll be reading the next book (yes, I know that the second book has different characters.) Maybe it's just me, but  I thought Miranda was a little too "perfect" given the situation she was in -- I'm really not sure how anybody could have done any better.

[Tuttle]

I finished Regression just now. It was a good book. I didn't like the focus on female as mother, male as scientist; female as emotional, male as logical; female as generalist, male as specialist. However, the characters had more to them than these details, so it was not a large issue. I'd consider this one a winner, and I'm buying Evolussion now.   

[imallbs]

djgross,  I finished Rosemary and Rue last week and enjoyed it.  It was a pretty good book but there was a lot hanging out.  From the way it ended it is obvious it is a part of a series.  At least it tied up the central story.  I don't know if I'll read any more of the books.  I don't usually seek out fantasy books but...
Thanks for the recommendation

[djgross]

djgross,  I finished Rosemary and Rue last week and enjoyed it.  It was a pretty good book but there was a lot hanging out.  From the way it ended it is obvious it is a part of a series.  At least it tied up the central story.  I don't know if I'll read any more of the books.  I don't usually seek out fantasy books but...
Thanks for the recommendation

Glad you enjoyed Rosemary and Rue!   The subsequent books in the October Daye series spend even more time world-building and introducing characters, so they may not be a good fit.     

[Basilius]

Basilius, I finished reading Boneshaker by Cherie Priest Saturday and definitely enjoyed it.

Yay! Glad you enjoyed it! That series has turned out to be simply fun reading.

I also finished listening to The LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow. I think this is a book that everyone should read. I mentioned the book to my daughter and learned that she had purchased and read it when it was first out in hardcover, after my mom's cancer surgery and chemo but before my brother's diagnosis with cancer. By the time I learned of the book my brother had passed away just three months after diagnosis of anaplastic thyroid cancer, another rare and deadly cancer that must be treated aggressively. I kept putting off reading The LAST LECTURE until now. Thank you for suggesting it.

(Emphasis mine.) Glad you were able to enjoy Pausch's book given your loss. The book hit me more as the father of two younger children, and gave me some good perspectives on how to approach parenthood. It's the kind of book I'll probably read every couple of years.

I have started listening to The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and am enjoying that book as well.

I'm interested in what you think of this one. It was a reading game recommendation to me, and it's definitely one I'll consider recommending to anyone that shares primary reading genres with me.

[Basilius]

ciscokid,

Just wanted to let you know I finished Nightfall a few days ago. I found the premise fascinating, but I had a few beefs with the amount and scale of the deaths the morning after nightfall. It just seemed a bit too much so soon. That, and I'd love to see that planetary system modeled. It's unlike Asimov to propose something patently impossible, but six visible suns? Sounds a bit over the top.

Certainly a good read, though. I'll have to dig up the shorter work it was based on to compare the differences. Thanks for the recommendation!

[ciscokid]

Basilius, I'm glad you enjoyed Nightfall.  Its been one of my favorites for a long time, although I agree that there are a few questionable things in the novel......its still one of those that has stayed with me all these years. 

I've read the shorter work and I don't think the main plotline varies that much from the novel.  Mostly its just missing a lot of the background story.  At least that's what I remember.  Its been a LONG time since I've read the shorter version.