What book are you currently reading?

[Cordelia]

I'm reading "Natalie Cole" Love Brought me Back-A Journey of Loss and Gain.

It's her autobiography. It's very interesting.

[AnnieB]

I picked up two mysteries, but haven't started either of them yet. James Patterson's "10th Anniversary" and Phillip Margolin's "Capitol Murder".

[CebuShan]

I in-between books right now. I think I may reread the Dan Brown books. Or maybe a trip to Goodwill is in order!

[jbeany]

I vote for Goodwill!

[cariad]

Spanish for Dummies.  I really need to learn - the last three jobs I interviewed for were all looking for someone with at least basic Spanish skills.

I read that book (skimmed) many years ago. Whether it will be of any use will really depend on your past experience with foreign language. Have you taken one before or are you starting from scratch?

Hope you don't mind some suggestions since I am always looking for opportunities to explore foreign languages, Spanish has been a big language in my life, and of course I live in a bilingual house. Check if your local library gives you online access to Mango. Mine does and it's free if you go through them. I have yet to throw myself into it (I want to learn Arabic), but basically you can create your own documents/videos in Spanish for others to give you feedback on while earning some sort of credits by critiquing submissions from English-learners. Or, if you're braver than me, join a Meet-Up for Spanish speakers in your area. What I did to learn Welsh initially was type 'learn Welsh' into Google and I came upon a fantastic (free!) course through the BBC, complete with a radio drama in Welsh. They offer something similar in Spanish and although it says the page is old, the links seem to still work: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/

There was also a site that used to link people who wanted to learn Spanish with people who wanted to learn English and you could become email penpals. I never tried it, but some day I would like to. I would also look into books or online resources geared specifically toward la ley since the legal field is going to have its own vocabulary.

Buena suerte, jbeany!

[jbeany]

I got the book on my swap site, and I was happy that it included an audio CD.  I need to start popping that in while I'm on the tread mill.  I'm sure there are better ones out there - but this was available on the site and didn't cost anything!

I've taken German and French in high school and college, respectively - but it was a very long time ago.  I do know I'm not particularly adept at languages!  I got good grades, but it was not something that came naturally.  I really just need to know enough to take a basic phone message for the translator.  That alone would help in my job search.   My pro-bono clinic has some resources for the legal terms - but no one who speaks Spanish on staff.  The students rotate every term, so I'm not sure if we'll have any Spanish speakers this time or not.

The links look good - I need to start marking off a set time to study, or I'm not going to get anywhere.

Once I get some basics, I'm thinking of putting a "I'm trying to learn Spanish - please talk to me!"  button (in Spanish, of course) on my jacket.  I ride the bus to the clinic all the time, and there are plenty of people on it who I think would do that.

And I will need all the luck I can get!

[Jean]

Currently reading " The 36 Hour Day". It is about dementia. My very dear friend has it and I wish I had that book when she first started down that dark path.

[AnnieB]

I just finished reading "The Donor" a thriller about someone who was harvested for his kidney without his knowledge.....the plot wasn't too hard to figure out, but it wasn't half bad as far as writing. I am getting ready to start on a book by Ridley Pearson, "The Angel Maker".

[Riki]

I attempted to read The Hobbit, since my mom gave me the set for Christmas, but the print is too small for me to read.  I'm kind of disappointed.  I was really looking forward to reading it

[Cordelia]

I'm currently reading one of Ann Rule's books. "The Death of Rhonda Reynolds"  I love true crime!   Good book!

[gothiclovemonkey]

Weird Illinois

[jbeany]

Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried."  It's amazingly good, and I was trying to figure out how come I'd never heard of it until I looked at the release date.  In 1990, when it was first published, I was knee-deep in a liberal arts program taught by every stray feminist who'd ever fought for women's rights in the 60's and 70's.  They were powerfully pushing to include female writers in the canon of English lit that was taught at the university.  I understand their desire to broaden the gender line of "important works,"  but it did tend to edge out any newer works by male writers.

[cassandra]

Kathy Reichs, Break no bones

[Kitty Cat]

I am more than half way through Girl In Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland.  Very awesome book, it's about a painting and it's going backwards through the history showing how the painting ended up with the next person. This isn't my normal type of read, but it really is interesting and hard to put down.

[YLGuy]

Just read The Hobbit again.  I have read it a number of times but it has been many years.  After seeing the first movie I had to go back and read it again.  It is a very quick read and still as good as ever.

[Joe]

Just started on Java for Dummies. Learning a new language seems like a fun thing to do right now.

[monrein]

I am more than half way through Girl In Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland.  Very awesome book, it's about a painting and it's going backwards through the history showing how the painting ended up with the next person. This isn't my normal type of read, but it really is interesting and hard to put down.

I really loved this book.

[MooseMom]

I've just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  It's a brilliant mix of a fictionalized search for Dracula and the clash between the Ottoman Empire and the people of medieval Christian eastern Europe.

I've just started Absent, written by an Iraqi authoress who chronicles life in bombed out Iraq.  To read this book is to understand how our wars affect the daily lives of regular people who used to live in beautiful, vibrant cities but now have to sell everything they own just to buy food.  There is even a character who is on dialysis.  During the period of late Jan/early Feb 1991, so many bombs were dropped on Iraq that it was the equivalent of dropping an atomic bomb on the country once a week.  We think of bombing armies and armaments, but what really happens is the destruction of basic facilities like nursing homes and hospitals and water purification plants and power grids and all of the things that enable us to live in a world where when we turn on the faucet, we assume that water will flow. 

[Kitty Cat]

monrein,

I am having such a hard time putting it down and while at the library yesterday, I found one called The Passion of Artemisia, same author. I figure if this one is so good, that one has to be as well. Can't wait to get started on it as I'll be done with the Hyacinth within in the next couple days.

[cattlekid]

I am reading The Lemonade War.  It's a young adult book, but has some really great business lessons for kids as well. 

I am also reading a non-fiction book called "Overdiagnosed" - just started it yesterday, it is about how the advent of more medical testing has actually made us "sicker".

[MooseMom]

monrein,

I am having such a hard time putting it down and while at the library yesterday, I found one called The Passion of Artemisia, same author. I figure if this one is so good, that one has to be as well. Can't wait to get started on it as I'll be done with the Hyacinth within in the next couple days.

ooooh, these books sound really good!  I'll put them on my Nook's wishlist.

[Kitty Cat]

MooseMom,

You definitely won't regret it. I've been trying to read the Hyacinth book at work during break & lunch, I have been interrupted during each!!! I have only about 50 pages left, so tonight, I am going to sit on the couch and read!!! lol

[Leanne]

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.  Had it for a while justnever got to it. 

[Riki]

I really feel out of my depth when I look at some of the books that you guys are reading.  I don't think I'd be able to read a lot of those books, because they are just too out of my depth.  I don't think my reading comprehension is good enough to read something that is meant for someone in my age group, which is probably why I read a lot of YA.  It's written for a younger audience, when makes it a little easier to follow.

I bought Drift, by Rachel Maddow, because I'm a huge fan of hers, and only got through the first few chapters because I had to go back and reread things, because I didn't understand what was going on.  I bought the audio book, thinking that maybe it would be easier to understand with her reading it to me, and fell asleep after the first few chapters.. *L*

[jbeany]

The only way to get more reading comprehension is to keep reading, Riki.  Nothing wrong with YA books, either.  I've got a degree in English, and I read them all the time for pure pleasure. 

I'm reading Mercedes Lackey right now - in the midst of a long chunk of the Valdemar series.  After legal documents all day, it's a welcome relief.