Fear in Writing: Books and Books: What are you reading?

Today in Literary History

Today in Literary History...December 14, 1907: Rudyard Kipling receives the Nobel prize for literature, the first English-language writer to do so.ud

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Books and Books: What are you reading?

I don't ask this question very often because I try to concentrate on the writing craft on this blog (and some other fun stuff), but I saw a few Mailbox Monday posts yesterday and it got me thinking...What are you reading?

I am always reading.  I have heard writers say they don't read other's works while they're writing for fear of mixing up fantasy worlds.  But, I don't know if I can ever not read.  Can you?

So here is what I am reading now, and what I have in cue.

Currently reading...
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (hey movie lovers: check out the 1948 version with Gig Young and Eleanor Parker, and great shapeshifter Agnes Moorehead) (and I found a cool Wilkie Collins site)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

Just finished:
Moonlight Falls by Vincent Zandri (Zandri interview at SouthernCityMysteries February 26th)

Stacked and waiting:
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (February's Thriller&Suspense Challenge book)
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
Dot Dead by Keith Raffel (March's challenge book) (Keith contributes to Inkspot and has his own blog, Dot Dead Diary)
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Your turn!  What are you reading-Just finished-Ready to begin?

If you love silly quizzes, I posted a bunch on my other blog today.  I think I'll make a standard 'Silly Quizz Day' over there.  Click on over and test your star style or find out what kind of adventurer you are!
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17 comments:

  1. I'm also always reading! Of course for my job, and recreationally. I LOVE reading! In that case, I've got a great job, wouldn't you say? There's NOTHING as wonderful as loving what you do!

    Currently I'm reading The Circle of Friends Series by L. Diane Wolfe, Immortal by P.C. Cast, The First Thirty Seconds by Stephen M. Armstrong and The Grammar Devotional by Mignon Fogarty (yes, I read grammar books like I do fiction books. I'm hopeless, I love grammar and *all that*)!

    I have so many books in my *to be read* pile, can't really answer that one! It depends on my mood at the time. One of the reasons I'm usually reading more than one book at a time!

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  2. Crystal- You definitely DO have a wonderful job! I wish people paid me to read. :)
    I've been intending to pick up one of Diane's books for a while. Honestly, I don't usually read YA, but I am such a fan of Diane! Hopefully she will be guest blogging here soon...And grammar books! How fabulous! I haven't read any since college, but I'm really enjoy Grammar Girl.
    And I know what you mean about the TBR pile! I actually added one after you commented (Rushdie) because I had forgotten it! This is just my immediate pile...I go through books so fast I will be through these by the end of February.

    Michele

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  3. Currently reading Glass Houses in the Morganville Vampire series. Hope to have a review up in two weeks!

    And yeah, I do more writing than reading these days...

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  4. Currently reading: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

    This, of course, doesn't count the books I'm reading as research or the old ones I pick up just to revisit old friends.

    Elspeth

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  5. Just finished - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Our Kind by Kate Walbert and Donna Morrissey's What They Wanted. ALL fantastic and different! Now I'm reading Hilary Mantel's book A Place of Greater Safety - set in the French Revolution. I'm also reading Neal Stephenson's Qucksilver, the first in his trilogy The Baroque Cycle. I loved Diamond Age by him so am looking forward to this. I also have Michael Crummey's Galore on my bedstand. I'm dipping into Joseph Sestito's book Write For Your Lives - which is essays on Buddhist thinking and writing from a therapist point of view.

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  6. Just finished "Faces of the Gone" and about to pick up "The Help."

    Love your new blog! Wow....

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder
    Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen

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  7. Love the new look. Do miss the skyline, but the texture of the leaves is interesting. Like the new items too.

    I have to admit I haven't finished reading anything this past week. Time went by too fast. But I am really into "The Bone Chamber" by Robin Burcell. Very good book and a pager turner with the suspense, mystery and drama so far.

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  8. Coincidentally, I've been reading "Suspicions of Mr. Whicher" myself. (The Constance Kent case has long fascinated me.) The book was interesting, but I found the author's analysis of the murder to be completely unconvincing, and I do not believe Whicher truly was the hero depicted in the book.

    If you're interested in the Kent mystery, a number of years ago Yseult Bridges wrote a book about it entitled "Saint--With Red Hands?" that is probably as close as we'll ever get to a definitive account.

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  9. Diane- Good for you for doing more writing than reading! I'll look for those reviews.

    Elspeth- I haven't heard of those books and am now curious!

    Jan- Elspeth is reading Wolf Hall right now...Interesting connections going on here. You have some other interesting ones listed as well.

    Elizabeth- You all are giving me so many new titles to check out. And thank you!

    Mason- I may put the skyline back, but I have to find one that is the right width. This blog has a specific size request for that location. Ugh. THAT book sounds good to me! Is that your January Challenge book?

    Undine- I haven't gotten into too much of her analysis. I will admit I am reading it slower than my other current books. Thanks for the other recommendation! Sounds interesting.

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  10. I'm in the middle of Michael Connelley's ECHO PARK and I have Dave Cullen's COLUMBINE on the end table just waiting for me. When will they event the 30 hour day?

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  11. Great new look for the blog--very professionsal! I finally finished "Liar" by Justine Larbalestier. Wow. It left my head spinning. Before that I read "The Alchemist" and "The Tropic of Cancer"--very opposite views of the world. I prefer the optimism of "The Alchemist" but "Tropic" had some poetic grittiness. Now, I'm going to read a straight up fantasy by Morgan Howell.

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  12. Hey, just found your blog. I really enjoy it. As for what I'm reading, I'm in the middle of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan. Long title, but very good read so far.

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  13. It is my January challenge book, plus I have Robin Burcell guest posting Thursday.

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  14. I'm currently reading Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. Like the new look :)

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  15. I'm reading Barley Patch by Gerald Murnane. I must put in a plug for this great Australian writer, whom most likely none of you will have heard of, but in 2006 he was long long listed for the Nobel prize for literature. His writing is extraordinary and wonderful. He's one writer that others will be reading long after we're all dead.

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  16. More good reads! Welcome newcomers! I am always excited to meet new people, and honored when you choose to stay at my blog.

    DL- Anythiing by Connelly is great.

    Lorel- Talk about crazy combinations!

    Voidwalker- If you like fiction as well, and in keeping with the Asian theme, you might try John Burdett.

    Mason- I will come by for that!

    V.S- I won't pretend to read Sparks, but I know lots of people love his books and movies. I am a romantic, but can't read them - does that make sense? And thank you!

    Elisabeth- I LOVE new-to-me writers! Thanks for the plug.

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  17. Thanks for stopping by my blog. :)
    I'm currently reading MERIDIAN, and LOCK AND KEY. I"m also working on my WIP. No chance of confusing worlds because my story isn't similar to either book. :)
    Click for My Blog

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