What BOOK are you reading right now?

Marquez won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982, however he was not granted a visa to visit the US until Bill Clinton took office. Clinton said the book you're reading was his favorite book

I'm halfway along in the Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson - not a tale of a princess in africa, but a police procedural set in Uppsala, Sweden. Quite good so far; I'll be checking to see what else Eriksson has written.

I've just finished reading 'Richard M. Nixon' by Elizabeth Drew. I reccomend it very much. It gets into the true essence of Nixon and is very short, therefore, not boring, cause it does dwell on anything long. I am also reading two short story books, one on American Short Stories and the other the full, unabridged Edgar Alan Poe and I also have 'The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky started.

Just finished " Belong to me " by Marisa de los Santos.
Now starting The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

BillW, your signature reminds me of that old saw about which is more often accurate...a stopped clock or a clock that runs slow? A stopped clock is right twice a day...while a slow one is never right.

I'm going through a time/stage of life when I bob from book to book...each one enticing but unable to engage me for long. However, I have been sticking with a current non-fiction read: Change Your Mind, Change Your Life...the author is Begley.

The studies in this book about how we learn, what parts of our brain are engaged, whether our brain has neuroplasticity past earliest childhood, etc....the book is fascinating.

Finished Princess of Burundi, a title you don't begin to get until about half way through the book, and recommend it to police procedural enthusiasts. It says on the cover that it is reminiscent of Maj Sjovall and Per Wahloo (whose books I read all of) , and Henning Mankell (whose books I've read a good portion of), and I'll agree somewhat, but it's interesting on its own.

Now I'm back to Stalin's Ghost by Martin Cruz Smith, half way through.

Well, I mean, I don't want to judge a book by it's cover, but Jaysus! that looks great! LOVE the title.

Enjoying Stalin's Ghost, Osso? I just read it about a month ago. Would never miss a new Arkady Renko tale. And this one's right up there with the better ones.

It's another great book by Hijuelos. I can't recommend it enough. I'll bring it downtown for you

DO it.

I understand this. I sort of wane, even with favorites, about half way through. I read both fiction and non fiction, but on non fiction, I'm better on, say, new yorker articles than an entire book. My non fiction stack is taller.

Yes, although, being me, I get crabby with the ghost bit. But that passes. I'm a long time Cruz/Renko fan, even stayed with him on that bleak book with all the fish (whatever it was).

I didn't stop the book on purpose, I lost it in the bedclothes.

I think I've read Hijuelos..
blanking.
Of course, with me, it might have just been a review.

Mark Pagett: What Shat That?: A Pocket Guide to Poop Identity is an interesting book. First, it reels you in with a title that shamelessly appeals to your inner three-year-old. Then, once you're inside, it presents you an encyclopedic catalogue "matching the feces to the species", as the the back cover puts it. And that, in turn, opens a window to some fascininating insights for the budding naturalist. I will never look at a forest floor in the same way again.

This book is the ****!

I missed out on PG wodehouse growing up. Lately I keep hearing about him. My Library did not have anything by him but thankfully they got it from another county so today I got "Catnappers" and "The girl in Blue". Just started the latter. Someone said PGwodehouse could change the sour mood in minutes which is what I am hoping to accomplish. Do all of his books do that ? Insights from seasoned readers in this thread would be appreciated.

I don't think I've read Wodehouse, or if I did, I forgot, and am not now clamoring to do so.

That sounds snotty, and I don't mean it that way, but I do have room for someone to tell me why I might like PG.

Thomas - sounds like a ripoff the the early 90s book 'What bird did that?' which used images to identify birds by poop on windscreens. I think you can still get it on Amazon.

That comes to me as a surprise and relief at the same time. PG Wodehouse was honered by the Queen of England as "Knight " in Jan 1975 and he died in his sleep in Feb 1975. This I just read off of his book.
This is what Eh Beth said:

Another one of my friends who is an academic said she goes back to Wodehouse again and again so I always felt kind of idiotic for not reading him. you made me feel better Osso.
I believe most of his writings are about the British Aristocratic society but the sense of humor has been appreciated by many. Will let you know when I know more.