Just finished Tina Brown's 'The Diana Chronicles', which explains everything we didn't understand on August 31, 1997. Also just finished Bernard Lewis's 'The Crisis of Islam', which partially explains everything we didn't understand on September 11, 2001. Currently reading 'Down River' by John Harte (ARC from BEA) and cannot understand why this man's work was previously on the NYT bestseller list. Still, I struggle on.

I'm working on The Historian, and on my nightstand is George RR Martin's Storm of Swords, which I'm reading to my daughter. That's right, she's sixteen and we so enjoy our reading time that I still read to her.

John Banville's Christine Falls (written under the name Benjamin Black); JM Coetzee's Waiting for the Barbarians; Seek by Denis Johnson; and Making Friends with Hitler by Ian Kershaw. All compelling in very different ways.

On my nightstand is Ridley Pearson's Killer Weekend,in my car, HP and the Deathly Hallows on CD, and at my desk is a galley of Deadline, Chris Crutcher's new book... I'm a bookseller so I can read at work.. tough job!

Dead Boys is a wonderful collection by debut author Rich Lange about men struggling with the day to day in LA; also reading a hot off the presses ARC of The Delivery Man a debut by joe mcginniss jr. that is absolutely riveting. Invovles a multicultural cast of Las Vegas twentysomethings and myspace teens caught up in of all things a teenage escort ring. And the paperback of A Little Love Story by Roland Merullo that is really quite moving.

Southland by Nina Revoyr, a sometimes well written but always engrossing look at a time in our history most of us know little about. It's about a Japanese American girl in early 90s LA investigating her grandfather's past, which includes the Watts riots, Japanese internment camps, fighting in WWII. Shocking, fascinating stuff!

Q & A by Vikas Swarup is a blackly funny portrait of modern India that was allowed to die on the vine a couple of years ago (never went into paperback) by the clueless gang at Simon & Schuster, but is a nice rowdy read if you can track it down...

3 Laurell K Hamilton books, last 2 of the Meredith Gentry Series and Harlequin of the Anita Blake series(absolutely can't wait for the next additions to both series!) All 7 of the H.P. books - I've made the commitment to catch up with 20% of the US population by the end of August. I have no doubt that I can do it!

Just finished State of Denial by Bob Woodward. It tries to explain some of the cluelessness re: the Iraq War. To alleviate the depression from reading that, I'm now reading the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, one of the best fantasy novels I've read in the last 5-6 years.

Bethanne: I always LOVE this question -- what's on your nightstand -- one of my favorite interview questions. Thanks so much for asking! I think it's because I'm so geeky and such a bookworm and love to share with other bookworms (which, by-the-way, I have decided is why we all love Harry Potter so much because it's about geeks and misfits who turn into heroes -- and I think children resonate with the strong anti-bullying themes in the book -- huge concern for us geeks -- but here I am talking Harry again). Anyway, I confess I'm rereading the last 300 pages of Harry Potter 7 because I read it too quickly the first time, and am picking up lots more details. I am also rereading Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn because I forgot it (even though I read it aloud to my children and my stepsons years ago). Also reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (never read it). And am rereading A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. I have the Yiddish Policeman's Union (Michael Chabon) on hold at the library, still waiting to get my hands on it (love Kavalier and Clay). I have had so many recommendations to read The Alchemyst by Michael Dylan Scott that I have just put that on hold at the library -- I hear it's a terrific children's fantasy story. Do you know anything about The MoonQuest by Mark David Gerson? Amy (author of The Call to Shakabaz) www.wozabooks.com

currently i'm reading the new translation of anna karenina, raymond carver's where i'm calling from, and the second harry potter book (i'm making my way through all the HP's again). also francine prose's reading for writers or whatever it's called.

The Repo by Bill Eidson The Mayday by Bill Eidson both mysteries from Justin, Charles. yum!

I have two books that were set aside for Harry Potter. One is the latest in the Art Lover's mystery series, Brush with Death by Hailey Lind. The other is Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett, a novel about Sir Thomas More's family. And, I just started Killer Weekend by Ridley Pearson. www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com

I just finished Hennning Manke;ll's Depth. It is very different from his Wallander mysteries -- an almost haunting story that stays with you long after it's over. I am also reading A Woman in Charge and finding myself really liking Hillary. She clearly made a lot of mistakes but her concern for the issues was very real and she seems like a deeply committed person.

Re-reading Awol on the Appalachian Trail for no other reason than David Miller has been kind enough to read through my fledgling debut novel (pre-publisher)and I am hoping for a little inspiration from his views of the early trail in Georgia. Also Anne Lamott's fine Bird by Bird, by far the most inspirational character building book I have read yet.

It never ceases to amaze me that we're all reading so many and such different books -- yet I don't just learn about new ones, but get to hear that blog readers are enjoying some of my favorites. Mark Sadler, describing Anne Lamott's writing as character building is just perfect. She's someone who really *has* learned from her mistakes. Sarina Simon, I am delighted to hear from another Mankell fan -- and now I'll need to add Depth to my nightstand stacks! Lesa Holstine, you've inspired me to look up your titles as well as your blog. Janet Reid, WHAT a surprise to see you're reading mysteries, LOL... yum indeed! Angelle, I have the Prose at the bottom of my pile, mainly because I've been saving it for a rainy day when no other books tempt. Do you like it? Amy, I could practically write a new blog entry based on your picks, but let me just say two things: The Last Unicorn is delicious, and The Yiddish Policemen's Union is worth a little work, IMHO. I'll leave another comment in a bit about everyone else's comments!

I've still got the first three Colin Cotterill Dr. Siri mysteries piled up, even though I've finished the third, "Disco for the Departed," and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the fourth ("Anarchy and Old Dogs"). Also piled up there, threatening both the clock radio and the water glass I have to leave there for the cat (her "high, clear mountain spring") are Van Vechten's "The Tiger in the House" (a birthday present), "Cat Getting Out of Bag," (another present -sense a theme here?) Ariana Franklin's "City of Shadows" (loved "Mistress of the Art of Death," enjoying this one, too), and - yes! - an ARC of my own "Cries & Whiskers." - Clea www.cleasimon.com PS - Enjoyed "Yiddish Policeman's Union," but didn't think it topped "Kavalier and Clay."

I'm working through the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes stories during my lunch hour, and in the evenings I alternate between the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey, The Chronicles of Narnia, and YA/middle grade books for a contest I'm judging. Can I just say how painful it is to read the Narnia books and then read one of the self-published books in my stack to judege?

I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and have moved on to Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. I got hooked on Moore last month with Bloodsucking Fiends and have vowed to read all of his books. Once it arrives from Amazon, Harry Turtledove's In At The Death (Settling Accounts, book 4) will be placed on top of the stack.

My thought on the Menand review was, "Wow, Menand doesn't get Ondaatje at all, does he?" The tip-off was when he described the characters as "ciphers," and expressed preference for the plot-driven aspects of the movie version of The English Patient as opposed to the quartet organization of the novel. The elements of Divisadero he chose to criticize--the use of collage-like imagery to evoke memory, for instance--are exactly what I love in MO's novels, and what has moved me about Divisadero. The specificity and repetition of detail: the blue table, "heroic dogs." I also disagree with Menand's dismissal of MO's work as "experimental." Ondaatje's project--which spans several novels if not his entire work--is far too organic to be an experiment. Yet I respect Menand as a critic and think he represents a certain kind of reader very well; Divisadero and Ondaatje are not for everyone.

I just finished Killer Stuff by Sharon Fiffer, I also have The Quickie by James Patterson, The invention of Hugo Cabret : a novel in words and pictures by Brian Selznick which is very interesting if not a little odd and possibly slightly overdone, and of course I am waiting for a large chunk of time for HP7

I'm reading The Gravedigger's Daughter. Another deliciously grim book by Joyce Carol Oates-- who would think that such a delicate-looking woman could write such brutal books? I am naively hoping for a happy ending.

I am so happy, being Swedish and a fan, to see that Mankell has readers over here! I am reading Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. I recently finished girls in Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea. I am very curious about that part of the world but I was very disappointed by the writing, if not the content. Maybe the use of language was intentional but it was not a good read.

Just finished "In the Woods" by Tana French and found it absorbing. Also "An Irish Country Doctor" by Patrick Taylor. Guess these were in tribute to my Irish heritage. Both are very good reads.

just finished pullman's the scarecrow & his servant (juvie don quixote). just started reading the year of living biblically and always reading answered prayers by julie cameron.

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