What book are you currently reading?

[AnnieB]

I usually am reading multiple books at any given time. Some of the ones I am reading now are The General's Daughter, a mystery later made into a movie starring John Travolta; FlyBoys, about WWII pilots in the Pacific theatre; The North American Martyrs - Jesuits in the New World; The Renal Patient's Guide to Good Eating; Band of Brothers; First, Do No Harm about a hospital in Houston; my Breviary. My house is as usual loaded with books in varying stages of being read. I tend to go through phases of what I like to read, but mysteries and religious books are generally on the list.

Anne

[Poppylicious]

Have finished Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.  I really enjoyed loved it and NEVER would have chosen to read it myself so BIG thanks to cariad for suggesting it. (At least, I think it was cariad!)  I know my local library doesn't have any Vonnegut books (indeed, this one is an American edition which was donated) so whilst waiting for one to come from elsewhere (suggestions welcome) I'll probably revert back to something a little easier to read, no doubt involving smoulderingly ancient teenagers and spells.

 

[AnnieB]

Never read Slaughterhouse Five, what's that about?

I'm an ancient teenager. 

[billybags]

I have nearly finished the last book Fifty Shades of Grey I can not wait.What a load of hype. or should I say tripe.

[jbeany]

Finished "As Nature Made Him" by John Colapinto.  It's the fascinating and true story of David Reimer, the twin boy whose parents agreed to perform a sex change operation on him and raise him as a girl after a botched circumcision.  It's both a biography and a scathing look at the doctor, John Money, who lead the charge to surgically alter any child with abnormal genitals, either through birth defect or accident, and raise them as whatever gender the parents saw fit to choose, regardless of what their genetic make-up.  Money reported the case as a raging success, which fueled the  belief that nature was a distance second to nurture, and what gender and sexual orientation a child was could be changed simply by making them wear pink dresses instead of blue jeans and giving them dolls to play with.  (And also reinforced the belief that overbearing mothers made their children gay by how they treated them.)

[cariad]

Finished "As Nature Made Him" by John Colapinto.  It's the fascinating and true story of David Reimer, the twin boy whose parents agreed to perform a sex change operation on him and raise him as a girl after a botched circumcision.  It's both a biography and a scathing look at the doctor, John Money, who lead the charge to surgically alter any child with abnormal genitals, either through birth defect or accident, and raise them as whatever gender the parents saw fit to choose, regardless of what their genetic make-up.  Money reported the case as a raging success, which fueled the  belief that nature was a distance second to nurture, and what gender and sexual orientation a child was could be changed simply by making them wear pink dresses instead of blue jeans and giving them dolls to play with.  (And also reinforced the belief that overbearing mothers made their children gay by how they treated them.)

Oh, that is a sad, sad story. We watched the documentary on this for our Biological Anthro class "Hormones and Behaviour". Genes will tell you the so-called sex of a baby, hormones, however, have an organizational effect on the brain and are thought to be responsible for the very specific feelings that people have about their sexual identity - males who not only claim they should have been born female, but know that they were meant to be lesbian, for example. I love reading about the biology behind it. I remembered the name Dr. Money because how could you ask for a more perfectly Dickensian villain that that? Did the books mention what happened to the twin boys? I've not read it and did not know the ending until seeing the documentary.

[galvo]

Country Of The Bad Wolfes by James Carlos Blake. An excellent three-generational saga set in the USA and revolutionary Mexico. 'No hay reglas fijas' - a precept of long standing along the lower Rio Grande!

[jbeany]

Oh, that is a sad, sad story. We watched the documentary on this for our Biological Anthro class "Hormones and Behaviour". Genes will tell you the so-called sex of a baby, hormones, however, have an organizational effect on the brain and are thought to be responsible for the very specific feelings that people have about their sexual identity - males who not only claim they should have been born female, but know that they were meant to be lesbian, for example. I love reading about the biology behind it. I remembered the name Dr. Money because how could you ask for a more perfectly Dickensian villain that that? Did the books mention what happened to the twin boys? I've not read it and did not know the ending until seeing the documentary.

The book didn't cover it, but it's a decade old.  I looked them up online.  The twin who was raised as a boy was finally diagnosed as a schizophrenic.  He overdosed on pills.  David, who was raised as Brenda, committed suicide not long after, both over his brother's death and because his wife left him.  Very sad endings to some horribly messed up lives. 

Money was just plain creepy.  He wrote papers claiming that sex between pre/early teens with men in their 50's and 60's was perfectly natural and the relationships between them were healthy and good for them.  Part of his "counseling" sessions with his sex-changed young patients involved showing them porn, describing sex acts that even the least prudish among us would be hesitant to talk about, let alone discuss with children,  and repeatedly asking them detailed questions about sex and their sexual desires, even when they were as young as 6.  Wrong on so many levels....

[CebuShan]

I'm reading "Pirate Latitudes" by Michael Criton. It was a completed manuscript discovered after his death.

[jbeany]

"Beauty and the Werewolf" by Mercedes Lackey.  Meh.  Not as amusing as her other stuff about The Tradition in the Five Hundred Kingdoms.

[AnnieB]

Just finished Bob's book ABCs of the Big D and all I can think about now is <drum roll> CORNEY DOGS!!!!!!

[cariad]

American Pastoral by Philip Roth. I cannot say exactly why I like it but I do. The story speaks to me and while his writing can seem artless, it actually takes on this subtle lyrical quality that sort of sneaks up on you. It is nothing like Portnoy's Complaint which is a relief, although there has already been a ghastly, horrifying seduction scene which will be difficult to put behind me. I can relate to the feeling of trying to act like you are OK, like your mind is not a thousand miles away, like you are not utterly heartbroken and disinterested in life. That partcular scene was simply breathtaking. It is a story of what lives behind the facade of a perfectly happy person, and I think we can all guess that it is not terribly pretty.

[gothiclovemonkey]

Im not even sure i can post the name of the book i just read....
but i dont know if id even recommend it, im still a bit baffled. I couldnt put the thing down, and when it was done... I sat there, my jaw still dropped, and im still confused, bewildered, and i almost feel dumb having read it. I read this book in 3 days, it was that odd i couldnt put it down.... but it really wasnt very well written, and the ending made it...... stupid. but i admit it kept me turning the page... so im going to try to put the name while not actually putting it, because its mostly a cuss word........
F**KNESS
im sure u can catch my drift, right?

[WishIKnew]

Just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  I highly recommend it.  Particularly relevant now!

[AnnieB]

Just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  I highly recommend it.  Particularly relevant now!

I read that a long time ago. Have you ever read anything by Doris Lessing? Just found her website: http://www.dorislessing.org/ . Will have to look through it. I read the Golden Notebook, also some time ago. It was pretty good.

Anne

[Rain]

I am reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Everyone should read this book, it's because of this woman's cells that have advanced in medicine. They were the first cells grown in culture.  He cells helped test a polio vaccine and others through out the years.  Just amazing.

[Sweet Blood]

Abraham Lincoln-The Bounty Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

[cariad]

Finished American Pastoral. Such ambitious scope to the novel. I admire his ability to write such a book without ever having had his own children. A particularly odd book to read as I'm moving to Enlgand as it follows the climb up and down the American class system in a sort of universal circle of struggle, reward, rebellion, demise. It is steeped in what it means to live through the changes that the country has undergone.

(Re)reading Flaubert's Parrot - I know I was meant to have read it before but I remember almost nothing so wonder if I skipped that assignment in school. Regardless, I did not read it carefully if at all. It makes me want to revisit Madame Bovary (which I know I've read but also remember very little of).

The four of us are reading Journey to the River Sea as a family. It is a marvellous story so far and we are only a few chapters in. Funny and has female protagonists, which I think is good for the boys. I recommend it if you are in search of a kids' book. Also a strange book for us to read so fresh off the move, as it's about a young English girl who is sent overseas to live by the side of the Amazon. English life is discussed frequently.

[WishIKnew]

Just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  Very Thought provoking.

And starting The Hangman's Daughter.

[cassandra]

Just finished The Fear Index by Robert Harris. Loved it. Never completely understood what hedgefunds were, now I do.

[galvo]

Am reading Lone Creek by Neil McMahon. " postmodern contemporary western noir'" says a reviewer. "bloody good read" says I.

[Rerun]

I am reading our member, BobN's book that he wrote "The ABC's of the big D"  It is pretty funny how he goes through some of his experiences on Dialysis.

       

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=27400.msg438282#msg438282

[jbeany]

The kid's series called Charlie Bone, which my nephew gave me. 

The Pern series, now that I have it in order.  I have two new ones, but the books are not written in chronological order for the fictional history, so I'm starting at the beginning before I read the new ones.

The Michigan Court Rules - every day at the clinic. 

Whatever floats to the top of the pile first from the huge stack I bought today at the 4 thrift stores I visited.   

[Annig83]

FINALLY! I started a new book: "Damaged" by Pamela Callow- It's pretty predictable- serial killer meets young girls and kills them... heroine and hero are old lovers and are working the case simutaneously while attempting to re-kindle what they used to have...the only twist is the connection between the serial killer and heroine and a tissue-donating company that assists in creating prothestics and other medical equipment with living tissue... I'm hooked and can't put it down!

[AnnieB]

"The Way of Perfection", by St Teresa of Avila (Good stuff, even if I am probably a hopeless case myself). And "The Rule of St. Benedict in English", because my pastor said I knew nothing about St Benedict and he pissed me off.

"Damaged" sounds interesting. I love mysteries and police/legal thrillers.