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Please use this ongoing thread to talk about any books you are reading or any books you have read or heard about.

My wife got me an Amazon gift card for Christmas, and I went bonkers scoring discounted books off Amazon and Book Bub. Right now, I'm working on "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," by Ben Fountain; "The Orchardist," by Amanda Coplin; "Vanishing Act," by Jodi Piccoult; "Spider Woman's Daughter," by Anne Hillerman and "Devil in the Grove," by Gilbert King. I'm one of those ADHD people who have to read multiple books at once.

Too many books, too little time.

BTW, I invite all of you to check out Snowflakes in a Blizzard (snowflakesarise.wordpress.com), a free book marketing site that I started. You might find some good, under-the-radar work there.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Darrell. Thanks for posting at this new thread. Enjoy your reading.

Darrell, the link you cited isn't clickable. I checked your site out at , and will definitely visit again!

As mentioned on last year's thread, here's the link to my 2015 Year in Books: www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/... . I guarantee that it won't change any between now and midnight! :-)

Werner wrote: "As mentioned on last year's thread, here's the link to my 2015 Year in Books: www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/... . I guarantee that it won't change any between now and midnight! :-)"

Thanks, Werner. Good idea. Here's my link too:
/user/year_i...

PS-As a point of general info, in order to access your "year in books". go to "My Books". The link is at the top of your screen.

Joy H. wrote: "PS-As a point of general info, in order to access your "year in books". go to "My Books". The link is at the top of your screen."

There's also a link at the top of your homepage screen. (The Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ management wants to make sure you don't miss it! :-) )

Thanks for telling us, Werner. I hardly ever look at my "Home" screen. In fact, I hardly ever look at my Profile Page. LOL I notice that it lets me know I'm 81 years old. LOL Just in case I should forget. Sometimes I can't keep track... the years go by so fast these days! :)

Joy wrote: "...the years go by so fast these days! :-)" Yes; I can remember that when I was a child, it seemed that a year passed SO slowly, and time seemed almost infinite. Now, a year seems to fly by in a heartbeat. It's all in our perspective, of course!

Werner wrote: "...Now, a year seems to fly by in a heartbeat...."

So true. The other night, on a talk show, 82 year old actor, Michael Caine, said that he asks himself "how did I get here?" It's seems as though one day you're 30 and then next day you're 82! :)

Michael Caine:

Joy H. wrote: "Werner wrote: "As mentioned on last year's thread, here's the link to my 2015 Year in Books: www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/... . I guarantee that it won't change any between now and ..." A wide variety of books, Werner. Interesting to see the titles. I especially liked "The Dark Horse," by Rumer Godden. I thought I had read everything she had written but obviously I hadn't as that is one that escaped me.

I am reading "Gracelin O'Malley" trilogy by Ann Moore. It is about the Irish during the potato famine and the terrible mistreatment of the Enlish landlords etc. Almost half the population died before they came to America. Sad, but very absorbing. I will list the books on my goodreads and the date I finish them as Werner told me how to do.

Not New Year's for another hour and a half here but I'll wish my Goodread friends a Happy New Year and lots of good books to enjoy in 2016. It has been a pleasure "visitng" with you in 2015 and even earlier. To your good health, Cheers!

Thanks for posting, Nina. Thank you for the gracious wishes. We watched the ball come down in Times Square almost an hour ago. The best part of the night for me was watching "Michael Feinstein New Year's Eve at the Rainbow Room" on the PBS Channel. Listening to him harmonize with Darren Criss was heaven.

Feinstein sings all the lovely old classics. Very nostalgic. Great band with terrific arrangements too!

Years ago Eddie and I went dancing at the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center. A precious memory. From the windows there you can see the Empire State Building all lit up in different colors. What a sight! I've never forgotten it. I saw it again during the Feinstein show tonight. Memories...

PS-Happy New Year! Hope we will have a peaceful 2016.

I'm carrying over 3 books from 2015:

Gun Work by David J. Schow is a Hard Case Crime book bought mostly to complete my paperback collection & for the fabulous cover art. It's not awful, but extremely violent.

I'm halfway through listening to How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson. It's yet another look at our history, this time through 6 different fields: glass, cold, sound, clean, time, & light. It's very interesting as spin-offs & unintended consequences pile up with a lot of hard work.

The last is The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook which I've been working on for months. It keeps floating to the bottom of my 'read now' stack, though. It's a big, thick reference book that discusses the origins, uses, & working properties of all the various sorts & there are a lot. I don't intend to read every page, just get well acquainted with it. There are some articles in it that are interesting, too. The subject is amazingly complex with a very long history.

Nina wrote: "Not New Year's for another hour and a half here but I'll wish my Goodread friends a Happy New Year and lots of good books to enjoy in 2016. It has been a pleasure "visitng" with you in 2015 and eve..." Nina, I echo your wishes and sentiments!

The Dark Horse is one of Godden's later works, first published in 1981, when she was in her 70s. It was one of my top favorite reads of last year.

Joy what a memorable re-visit to the past. It sounded enchanting. I never saw the Empire state building lit at night. I was mesmorized by the Brooklyn bridge at night. We once took five of our children to NYC to visit and that was an adventure in itself.

Jim, Werner and Nina, thank you for posting.

I just finished How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson who is also the author of The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World. It was yet another way of looking at our weird development, an interesting one, too. I gave it 5 stars in my review here:
/review/show...

Thanks for posting, Jim.

Taylor Stevens' series opener The Informationist has been on my to-read shelf ever since my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friend Seeley James warmly praised it in a blog post. A couple of years ago, I experimented with trying to read it in the public library at Harrisonburg, VA, during Barb's and my visits there during the summer. But I couldn't read it all that summer, and by the next year my memory for the details had deteriorated enough that I couldn't remember exactly where I'd left off. So the experiment of reading a novel that way had to be pronounced a failure. :-(

Recently, however, I was able to get a free copy through BookMooch. So, this seemed like a good time to give it another try, and I started on it on New Year's Day.

Looking back to the year just past, as promised, here's the link to my review of 2015 on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ; www.goodreads.com/review/show/1468430582 , for anyone who's interested.

I read some parts of your reviews, Werner. The ones I thought I might be interested in reading. You have such an informative way in your reviews it makes me think I am sitting there listening to you. Keep up the good work this year and beyond. nina

Jim, was it the Plague that almost wiped out London?

Nina, thanks for the kind words!

Thanks for posting, Werner.

Werner, my words were my honest opinion of your reviews.

Nina wrote: "Werner, my words were my honest opinion of your reviews."

I know they were, Nina --that's why I appreciate them!

A friend gave me this book, "The Street Lawyer," yesterday. It is by John Grisham. Have any of you read it?

Nina wrote: "A friend gave me this book, "The Street Lawyer," yesterday. It is by John Grisham. Have any of you read it?"

Haven't read it, Nina. Grisham's book, _The Firm_, stressed me out so much that I've never wanted to read another book by him.

No, but I've read several of Grisham's books. They're OK, twisty lawyer tales with some suspense. A bit formulaic & long, but enjoyable.

Nina, I've never read any of Grisham's work (though I have The Testament on my to-read shelf).

My friend said it was good so I guess I'll try it after I finish my very excellent Irish trilogy, "The Gracelin O'Malley" trilogy. I think I read his earlier books and some I liked and some not. We'll see. I will let you know what I think.

A belated but well-meant 'Happy new Year' to all!

I am starting the New Year off with a historical novel,Panther in the Sky. It is a fictional novel based on the life of the Shawnee Chief, Tecumseh, who tried to unite the Native American tribes against the invading white settlers.

The author, James Alexander Thom, does good historical research on his fiction; this is the second book I heave read by him. Starting off well.

Mary JL, thanks for the interesting post... and the link too.

PS-Happy New Year to you too. :)

I just finished The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher & gave it 4 stars. The narrator was great, really added to it. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. My 4 star review is here:
/review/show...

I tried Dataclysm: Who We Are by Christian Rudder. Great premise, but audio didn't fit the contents well & it was just too fuzzy: the data, premises, & conclusions. I abandoned it a couple of hours in.

Thanks, Jim.

Just read a review of a gossip book about the old Hollywood stars by Jean Stein, "West of Eden." Sounds quite interesting. The review was in "Town and Country" magazine.

Nina wrote: "Just read a review of a gossip book about the old Hollywood stars by Jean Stein, "West of Eden." Sounds quite interesting. The review was in "Town and Country" magazine."

Here's the link, Nina. West of Eden: An American Place

Thanks for the review Joy and now that I read it I might not take the time from other books to read that one. I am glad to have that review.

It was the GR description, Nina, not actually a review. Glad it helped.

Just finished, "The Street Lawyer," by John Grisham and I could hardly put it down. Good writing and a hook right at the beginning and not so many characters you couldn't keep them straight. No, I don't like all of his books but this one is worthy of your time.

Thanks, Nina.

Joy, I am reading a book you might enjoy. I am thoroughly liking it. Not great literature but just a fun journey with the main characters. Check it out. "The Ingredients of Love," by Nicolas Barreau. Also, wondering what has happened to Jackie. I never see anything from her recently.

Nina wrote: "Joy, I am reading a book you might enjoy. I am thoroughly liking it. Not great literature but just a fun journey with the main characters. Check it out. "The Ingredients of Love," by Nicolas Barrea..."

Thanks, Nina. The Ingredients of Love

Joy H. wrote: "... Also, wondering what has happened to Jackie. I never see anything from her recently. "

PS-You can find Jackie at her GR group here: /group/show/...

Nina wrote: "Also, wondering what has happened to Jackie. I never see anything from her recently."

PS-You can find Jackie at her GR group here:
/group/show/...

Thanks, Joy. Even the author of "The Ingredients of Love," has a different name as does the translator. Just like the story.