pontalba

thanks Kylie. You mean The Passage I take it? I noticed Pixie is starting another Cronin...I'll have to investigate more of his earlier books.

Both that and The Summer Guest sound like excellent reads. I've added Cleopatra, A Life by Stacy Schiff to my present reading. Blackout is ok, but the first two chapters are a bit much, so I switched over to the Schiff for the time being.

I finished The Passage last night and I have started Blackout by Connie Willis . Forgot to mention, we bought Under the Dome by Stephen King today on sale.

In-between Ghost Road and The Passage I needed something light and sweet to clear my head. Cat Coming Home by Shirley Rousseau Murphy filled the bill admirably. Murphy came through again with Joe Grey, Feline Private Eye. The bad guys will never catch our Joe or his pal Dulcie flat footed. They skewer the bad buys, with a little help from their humans. Murphy catches all the nuances of catly behavior beautifully. This woman knows cats. The whole series is great, the first one Cat on the Edge tells how Joe Grey comes to be able not only talk, but understand and develop a very uncatly empathy with people of all things! One of my favorite detectives in fiction.

Last night I finished The Passage by Justin Cronin. Something about this story drew me from the time I read an article on Cronin before the book was released. I did however, see it as a "vampire" book, and ordinarily that is not my cuppa. I continued to hear good things about it, and it was Mac's glowing review that 80% convinced me to read it. I thought I'd wait till the paperback came out, but after looking it over in B&N one evening, and showing it to my OH, I again put it down, saying, well lets wait till the paperback comes out. I walked around the corner to look at something else, and when I returned my OH had it in his hand saying "lets buy it now". Happy Days! I read it in a 3 days, could hardly put it down. I love post-apocalyptic fiction, and this qualifies as the mother of same. The detail that the author goes to in each time frame, and characterization of a grieving scientist, to an FBI man, to a young woman that is going through her own hell. Then the details of "frontier living" in an odd mix with modern, or lack of modern conveniences was done perfectly. Cronin's taking of all the vampire legends down the centuries and making them eerily believable and truly logical, with a mix of militarism is breathtaking. I've read that the second one won't come out till 2012, but will begin almost at the beginning [for those of you that have read it, ]. I can hardly wait! Highly Recommended.

I'm about 2/3rds of the way through The Passage by Justin Cronin. Phew! What a ride this is. And two more to follow!? Write man, write!!

The Next Three Days Hard to call, I liked it, good action, but was still somewhat disappointed in it.

I've just started The Passage, so more than likely will read The Sea, The Sea directly afterwards.

moat

I am starting that this afternoon as well. I just finished the Regeneration Trilogy. The Ghost Road was the last, and packed a real punch. Good Stuff.

I've seen the first two at least, and thought the second was better, it had some absolutely great scenes. Regarding Alien though, at least . When I saw it the first time on television I was watching with my first husband...he turned to me and said..."you'd do something like that!". The other night we watched The Girl Who Played with Fire, and also are working our way through the 4th season of Alias.

I've used both.....done both..

Inadvertently bought: Remainder by Tom McCarthy The End of the World compiled by Michael Kelahan

We have both at present. Living more than 10 miles from the small town as we do. As luck would have it, we are in-between cell towers. Now, I'd have thought that would make for twice the coverage...NO! We have spotty coverage for cell phones from both towers. So we keep the land line for present and AT&T rakes in extra. I'd never had a cell phone till we moved up here from New Orleans, but it was a safety thing. If you're on a fairly deserted highway at night, believe me, that cell phone is a lifeline. Also, I need to be reached for business purposes, if a tenant needs me for an emergency, they are able to reach me anytime, anywhere. It seems the coverage is improving, so when we feel fairly safe with it, I'll cancel the land line in a flash! I know some people use a cell phone inappropriately - while driving, or loudly in public discussing their private matters. Boy, it irritates me no end, I really don't want to know about their operations, or aches and pains, or indiscretions for that matter.

Yays on Nesbo..... Oh fiddlesticks! Nothing to be ashamed of a'tall! In fact I've only read the last one...didn't see much to it, BUT, I know that's mostly because I didn't read the first 6. Heh I have them in the stack. Someday.

I've only read Restless and Blue Afternoon by Boyd, and enjoyed both. I have to say, even though your rating is only a 3, you've peaked my curiosity. Saw the film, bought the book on strength of the film....still in the TBR stack. hmmmmm Love LeCarré, am working my way through in order slowly but surely. Agree re Laurie King's Mary Russell series, although I have to admit the last several have suffered, at least for me, from a lack of Holmes himself. I like Russell, but prefer her in combination with SH himself. Also agree, the ending of Company of Liars was a disappointment for me. To.......easy. Shudda been more to it.

Totally unplanned....bought: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson Tales of the City Further Tales of the City More Tales of the City Babycakes all by Armistead Maupin Oh, and a few days ago we bought...iPhone, The missing Manuel by David Pogue. He writes the Tech column in the NYT, smart as a whip always with good ideas.

I'm not sure exactly when I'll read it, but read it I shall. More than likely it'll be next month, unless the mood moves me earlier. I don't seem to be able to schedule too well. I see a book, and naturally gravitate. Hardly any planning involved.

Kylie and Mac, You're welcome! Only thing is, for me at least, to read them all together. They flow into one another so smoothly and easily...they easily could have been one book.

They are, I just finished The Eye in the Door, and started on The Ghost Road...I'm glad I bought all three at the same time as I find it very necessary to read them all together. I'll have to investigate her other titles.

Thanks Kylie, I'm almost finished the second one, and looking forward to the third. I have to highly recommend the whole thing!

I've made good progress in The Eye in the Door, page 228, probably will finish later tonight if I don't overdose on the 4th season of Alias.

Regeneration by Pat Barker, the first of an anti-war trilogy based on true First World War events was not a revelation to me, I've read a few books on WWI, and too many concerning WWII. Regeneration does not take place in the trenches, instead focusing on the aftermath, the detritus if you will, of trench warfare. We are not directly exposed to the actual fighting for the most part, but hear of what caused mental and emotional breakdowns in various soldiers. Barker focuses on a main character one Sigfried Sassoon, a real person that interacted with and knew the poet Robert Graves well. This is based on actual events and interactions between Sassoon and Rivers, his doctor. The cover of the book compares Barker to Hemingway and Fitzgerald. I've only read a slight bit of Fitzgerald, and part of Hemingway.......whose Farewell to Arms came dangerously close to being flung across the room by me for it's reporter-like wooden prose. I can't speak for the Fitzgerald comparison, but as to the Hemingway comparison, I say PAH! No way, Dick Tracy!! Barker's prose is clean, elegant and inventive. Highly recommended. 5/5++

I just this moment finished Regeneration by Pat Barker, loved it, loved it, really loved it. I think I have to continue with the trilogy, so my next read is the next in trilogy, The Eye in the Door.

Arrived in the mail today...... Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane Cat Coming Home by Shirley Rousseau Murphy Cleopatra, A Life by Stacy Schiff Schiff wrote an excellent bio of Vera Nabokov, Vera...well written and well researched. It was as much a bio of Vladimir as Vera in reality as they were the two sides of the same coin in life. I look forward to her "take" on Cleopatra.