What BOOK are you reading right now?

The Information by Martin Amis. Great book.

Enjoying sitting on my patio reading "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes. Love this book, which is so much richer than the movie. Now, I know what osso buco means. Went right out yesterday and bought some items for those Italian recipes.

At the same time am reading for 2nd time this summer, "Gnostic Secrets of the Naassenes" by Mark H. Gaffney. Good book for those who would like to understand why American religions don't make sense. Gaffney gives Dan Brown's book about one page.

I'm finishing reading French Lessons, a memoir by Alice Kaplan.

It says on the back that it is among the NYTimes Notable Books of 1993...

I find it interesting, even though I am completely ignorant about the French language. It is a personal memoir set around an american girl's learning of a second language, over many years and to great depth.

I was reviewing the thread here, sunlover, to see what I had said about Under the Tuscan Sun - couldn't find it, but did run across Lion Tamer mentioning reading Celine. Alice Kaplan does include a whole chapter on Celine, whom I had not known much about, in French Lessons.

I like French Lessons, but it is a little hard to recommend to others - it would interest people with my particular interests...

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I'm in the middle of "Through the Looking Glass" and "The Arabian Nights". I'm also slowly re-reading "Little Women".

Actually, the question should be posed as a plural: "What books are you reading right now?"

I'm trying to read five books right now. The first one, "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Roinpoche was a birthday gift from my son. The second book is titled "SECRETS" written by Daniel Ellsberg. The third book, "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin measures 4X6.25" to bring on my next trip as reading material. The forth book is "Bali & Lombok" by DK Eyewitness Travel Guide, and the fifth "Singapore" by the same publisher. The last two takes up most of my reading now to prepare for my trip to Bali and Singapore at the end of this month.

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The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.

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Just finished Andrew Klavan's "Hunting Amanda" (I like his writing - bought two more tonight), and am wending through Dean Koontz's "Frankenstein - Book One" with Book #2 and his other new book "Velocity" waiting in the wings. I also picked up five Lisa Scottolini novels. Those'll all keep me busy for a few weeks.

I'm reading The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1)

I'm reading the latest Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) book, called "Haunted." So far, I'm underwhelmed. It's a strangely structured book to begin with, and the style is not doing it for me. It's hard to describe what it's about, but it contains a main story tied in with a bunch of short stories by the writers/characters in the main story.

That first story might have been worth the price of the book alone though. It's called "Guts," and it is shocking and disgusting in the best way. I was reading it at the park, and people must have noticed my mouth dropping open and the squirming I was doing as it got worse and worse. If you see the book in the book store, I recommend picking it up and just reading that story. It's only a few pages long. Well worth the time, if you like horribly revolting masturbation fantasies.

I thought about checking out the Koontz Frankenstein books, even though I'm not really much of a Koontz fan. Looks interesting. How is that first one?

Desert Solitatre by Edward Abby

kickyc - I liked it, but I am a Koontz fan! I am now in the second, but I don't look forward to waiting until summer of '06 for the third part.

It is still a light read (compared to Shelley's philosophy), but if you aren't a Koontz fan, you may not like it. Try reading a few reviews on Amazon for some details.

Read Book-of-the-Month Club choice for last month, The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawks, in about 5 days. I guess you could describe this sort of novel as "spiritual intrigue/suspense." Strange, but there was no bio of the author, no picture on the cover flap. At the end of the last page, it read: Book I of the Fourth Realm. So, more coming I guess.

Still reading Under the Tuscan Sun, on the patio with my bare feet propped up on the table.

The best thing about "Under the Tuscan Sun" was the recipe for a white lasagna.

Thanks for the tip. I'm thinking of trying this book next.

I saw some girl reading it on the train tonight. I read a paragraph or two over her shoulder, and it looks so far removed from my white upper east side world that I thought, "Hey, I should read something like that, just for the hell of it."

Is that just dumb?

I still need to find where I talked about Under the Tuscan Sun. Mostly I am, eh....., except I like the food paragraphs.
But I'm pretty hooked on the land and long times of tuscany.

But I liked Mayes' first book more than the second.

And... if I'd never ventured into italiphoria, and Under the Tuscan Sun was the first I'd read of its kind, I'd be a goner for it too. So, I don't mean to dump on it, exactly, just to clarify where I stand. (Which is, it's ok.)

For a tougher read, less charming, but deeper history, read Raymond Flower's Chianti. He instigated, or reinstigated, the advent of Chiantishire, the British in Chianti, which I am not sure was a favor to Chianti or the opposite or something in between...) with his renovation of a castle in Panzano.

le petit prince

"Dessine moi un mouton!" Just Great!
I'm still in the Arabian nights, and started "What we talk about when we talk about love" (R. Carver).

kickycan - I am about two-thirds through Koontz's Frankenstein - Book 2. I am not yet sure why, but there's something lacking (a bit off). It is still okay, but the reasoning processes of the "New Race" members seem to be an area I struggle with.
Maybe it will all pull together or resolve. I will read the other two books when they are relased, but, as of now, not enthusiastically.

Also, the two parts were co-written with different names - perhaps that adds to the "problem.