Lisa, you're definitely not alone in loving the Harry Potter books! (Stephen Fry or Jim Dale on your audiobooks? I prefer Dale.) JohnR and I had a few "Snape: Good or Evil?" discussions before Book 7 came out.

I just finished a real interesting book called "Twenty Chickens for a Saddle" by Robyn Scott, an autobiography about a British girl growing up in Botswana. Her father's a flying bush doctor and her mother's an unconventional home schooler. It's a really interesting read!

Lisa,

David Sedaris is coming to Houston...I think in November.

Have you heard him read? It makes his stories so much funnier to hear him tell them.

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One of her classes this last semester was in graphic novels (comic books for those of us who lived in the dark ages).

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Was this a program at UT?

Andrea,
Jim Dale. It HAS to be Jim Dale. Best audiobooks narrator on the planet.

RK,
Heard Sedaris in Austin about a year ago - he read several of the stories that are in the newest book - hilarious. It is kind of disconcerting to see a little short guy who just gets up and reads short stories get a rock star reception!

Yes, JB. Especially Monty, Dilbert, and Doonesbury.

[This message was edited by Ken Sparks on 07-11-08 at .]

Shannon, I must really be a white person!

I'm reading The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. It is really really good...and I am NOT a graphic novel person, usually.

FIRST, how about a prosecutor forum book club? Lisa and Andrea, I'm inviting you to be in my group because of your affinity for Harry Potter.
We could start reading something now and then meet at the annual over dessert!?

Currently I'm rereading a series I read in high school. I was at the library and discovered a third book in the series had been written after I graduated, so I went back and reread the first two. Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills. Now am halfway through book 3, the Last Enchantment. It's all about King Arthur and Camelot, narrated by Merlin.

Next I'm going to read Wicked (about the Wicked Witch). I heard some folks talking about it in Austin last weekend. (eavesdropping really)

Then, I might reread the Clan of the Cave Bear series. I think a 5th book was written after high school when I read the first 4.

It's hell getting old, but the good part is that these books are all new again because I've forgotten the details.

Book club meeting at the annual sounds like fun! I've never read the Crystal Caves set, but I like the Arthurian legends, so I might have to pick that up. Clan of the Cave Bear is definitely an old favorite. The fifth book finally came out just a couple of years ago, and I don't think it was as good as the rest of the series.

I haven't read Wicked, but I saw the musical and really enjoyed it. I heard there are a number of big differences between the book and the play, though.

I recently enjoyed The Sixth Lamentation. The lead character is a monk in England who was a criminal defense barrister before cloistering. His Abbot sets him to solving a mystery going back to the Nazi occupation of France. Interesting historical stuff and it moves right along. Also interesting to see insights into the criminal bar of Merry Old England.

I'm also a big Harry Potter fan, and Jim Dale is definitely the "man" when it comes to narrating the audio versions.

Another Texas author I like is Rick Riordan, particularly his Tres Navarre series. Tres runs on the shady side of the law, but they are very entertaining. Recorded Books has most of the Navarre series on audio with an excellent narrator (can't remember his name at the moment).

Janette A

The books of Alexander McCall Smith's "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series are some of my favorites. They center around a woman who is the only female private detective in Botswana. The books have a good sense of humor and interesting picture of Botswana.

http://www.mccallsmith.com/ladies1.htm

ooooh, the Ladies Detective are some of my favorites too!

However, I'm currently immersed in "Under the Banner of Heaven." For professional purposes only......

But if I'm not in trial in January, count me in for the book club!

Hi Lisa and Andrea,

I have an idea for our first book club book. I was talking to the 9th grade librarian and she asked if I had read Twilight yet. It's a vampire book, and I said no but my daughter has it. She told me that she had read it and really loved it.

It's not vampires in the Ann Rice or Stephen King style, these vampires choose not to drink human blood (good vampires?). Anyway, as weird as that sounds, I really want to read it now. The movie is coming out in December. This is the first in a series of books too, I think.

What do you guys think? And J. Ansolberee, you're invited too.

I've been thinking about reading Twilight even though it is directed at teen girls. I bet the movie will be a mega blockbuster. I would love to join all of you readers! While we are talking about vampires, I've read a couple of other series involving vampires. One is the Southern Vampire series written by Charlaine Harris (eight with another out next May). These books are the basis for the new HBO series, True Blood produced by Alan Ball. (The TV series does not follow the books or their characters all that faithfully, however.) Another is a series called the Las Vegas Vampire series. Come to think of it, Las Vegas sounds like the perfect city for those nightloving sorts I imagine Twilight is much more romantic and a great deal less violent than the other two series in which not all vampires are so nice.

Janette A

Twilight is basically Harry Potter for the giggly girl set, but not as well-written. But I've heard that it's got some good language and such in it, so it's not entirely painful. I'll read it for the book club if y'all want. I'm sure it won't be too hard to find a copy now!

I actually just finished "Twilight" last week. My sister made me promise to read it.

It's one of those books that is definitely geared toward young or weak readers. It's fluff for the mind...which, sometimes, we all need.

Don't expect much from it.

If you're looking for a good read, that keeps you hooked, I also just read "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo". It's written by a Swedish guy, who just died. It's kind of a cold case murder mystery. I was surprised by how much I liked it. Definitely worth a read.

If you're looking for something a bit off the beaten path, sorta funny, sorta gruesome, I would recommend "Crazy in Alabama". It's about a boy whose aunt kills her husband and runs off to be on the Beverly Hillbillies. It's really very funny.

Now, if you're looking to acquire more useless information to stun people at the random obligatory cocktail / holiday party, you should read "Freakanomics". I generally hate non-fiction (I get too much of it at work). But this book documented some interesting trends in current events....such as what your name means about you. Why low level drug dealers still live with their mother, despite the increase cost of dope.

....so, that's my two cent book report.

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Originally posted by Lisa Tanner:
However, I'm currently immersed in "Under the Banner of Heaven." For professional purposes only......

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That's a fascinating book. I read it right after the Lege passed a bunch of anti-polygamy laws back in 2005. Could come in handy for you soon!

Dreams From My Father. Usually I am a World War II reader. Or political satire. What a combination?