What are you reading?

[iheartgranola]

Have you read Salinger's Glass family stories? I've always preferred them to The Catcher in the Rye.

I've never even heard of them! But a cursory search on Goodreads didn't turn up anything... Is this part of a bigger collection or something? I'd love to read more Salinger.

There are two major collections, each with two Glass family novellas in them: Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Both are excellent. There's also a story about Seymour Glass in Salinger's short story collection Nine Stories, but that book is recommended for all nine stories, not just that one ("A Perfect Day for Bananafish").

Thank you! Adding these to my list!

[Chris L]

Trying to get through Gaiman's American Gods before I watch the miniseries, but I haven't been very dutiful in my reading.  I'm going to have a LOT of idle travel time over the next week and a half (see my "What's Been Going On ..." post in General Discussion), so I expect I'll be catching up!

It's a beast, but it's worth it! I read it back in January before I knew about the series... And I have to say that the first season is a damn good adaptation, but I guess that's for another subforum

You can talk about the TV show here (because it's relevant to Books) or start an American Gods thread in TV. I was thinking of starting one myself.

[Chris L]

And great to see you here, @nulipp!

[iheartgranola]

Trying to get through Gaiman's American Gods before I watch the miniseries, but I haven't been very dutiful in my reading.  I'm going to have a LOT of idle travel time over the next week and a half (see my "What's Been Going On ..." post in General Discussion), so I expect I'll be catching up!

It's a beast, but it's worth it! I read it back in January before I knew about the series... And I have to say that the first season is a damn good adaptation, but I guess that's for another subforum

You can talk about the TV show here (because it's relevant to Books) or start an American Gods thread in TV. I was thinking of starting one myself.

You can go ahead and start it then, I'm off to change diapers and have my nightly bedtime fight with the natives.

[Chris L]

You can go ahead and start it then, I'm off to change diapers and have my nightly bedtime fight with the natives.

Not exactly a glowing endorsement of parenthood, Bevan.

[Chris L]

Okay, I started a discussion of the TV show American Gods over in the TV section. My opening message is spoiler-free, so it's safe to read even if you aren't up to date with the show or haven't finished the book yet. Feel free to be more specific in your responses.

[Bakers_Wife]

Currently reading some summer fun, Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes.

[DiveMilw]

For the past few months I've been making my way through the "Game of Thrones" books.  I think I'm in the middle of book three.  When they are all one collection in e-book format it is difficult to keep track of them.  It has been really interesting to see how the HBO series followed (or not) the books.  Normally I'm a proponent of reading the books first but in this case I'm glad I watched the series first.  It is helping me keep track of the all the characters, especially the featured ones who don't get there own chapters but constantly make appearances. 

[KathyB]

For the past few months I've been making my way through the "Game of Thrones" books.  I think I'm in the middle of book three.  When they are all one collection in e-book format it is difficult to keep track of them.

Do you feel like you're crawling along with no end in sight? I feel that way when reading the books individually; I can't imagine how it feels when you're reading them as a collection.

I haven't watched any of the TV series yet, and I don't think I have the stomach for it anyway.

[JustTheOneAnne]

I just finished Swing Time by Zadie Smith. I sort of enjoyed it.

[KathyB]

I just finished Swing Time by Zadie Smith. I sort of enjoyed it.

So did I. Emphasis on "sort of."

Currently I'm reading The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti.

The best book I've read all year has been The Nix by Nathan Hill. I may post a long list of everything I've read in the past six months or so, if I get really bored (and if I can remember what I read when).

[Chris L]

I need to create a list of all the books I've started and not finished over the last year. It would include American Gods. Not because it wasn't good, but because I put it down so long I forgot what was happening.

[Diane]

I just finished Swing Time by Zadie Smith. I sort of enjoyed it.

So did I. Emphasis on "sort of."

Currently I'm reading The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti.

The best book I've read all year has been The Nix by Nathan Hill. I may post a long list of everything I've read in the past six months or so, if I get really bored (and if I can remember what I read when).

I also liked The Nix a lot.

The book I am not recommending to people is A Little Life  by Hanya Yanagihara.   It starts out promisingly, but becomes misery porn, IMO.

[DiveMilw]

For the past few months I've been making my way through the "Game of Thrones" books.  I think I'm in the middle of book three.  When they are all one collection in e-book format it is difficult to keep track of them.

Do you feel like you're crawling along with no end in sight? I feel that way when reading the books individually; I can't imagine how it feels when you're reading them as a collection.

I haven't watched any of the TV series yet, and I don't think I have the stomach for it anyway.

@KathyB Yes, it does feel that way.  I've been reading for at least three months.  I think I am almost done with book #3.  Kindle says I'm 62% done with the four book series.  Then I will have book number 5 to read but that isn't part of this collection.  

I haven't always been devoting much time each day to reading but I do read at least a few pages every day.  And when I was on vacation I read a lot on the plane (when I wasn't catching up on movies).  I have been fortunate that except for one time I've been able to continuously renew the ebook from the library.  One time I had to wait a week or two but since then, even when I've reached the max number of renewals, the book has not had a hold on it so I didn't have to wait.  

[Chris L]

For the past few months I've been making my way through the "Game of Thrones" books.  I think I'm in the middle of book three.  When they are all one collection in e-book format it is difficult to keep track of them.

Do you feel like you're crawling along with no end in sight? I feel that way when reading the books individually; I can't imagine how it feels when you're reading them as a collection.

I haven't watched any of the TV series yet, and I don't think I have the stomach for it anyway.

When my attention span was better (i.e., 2010), I plowed through the whole series in a few weeks. I had to put the third book down almost halfway through out of exhaustion, but when I came back to it a week later they hit the Red Wedding scene and I couldn't stop reading it. That book gave me enough momentum to make it through the dull fourth book, after which I swore I was going to take a break before I read more. But two weeks later, when A Dance with Dragons came out, I couldn't stop myself from reading it. I was addicted.

Tom (DiveMilw) mentioned that seeing the TV show helped him follow the books, but I found that having read the books helped me follow the TV show. Works both ways, I guess.