What was the last book that kept you up at night reading long past your bedtime?
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Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
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I read The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón long into the night. It is one that I am still thinking about, and hope to discuss with others. I plan to buy it in Spanish and read it again.
Mildred M. Espree
The book that kept me up all night, most recently, was Middlesexby Jeffrey Eugenides.
Denise Sebesta Lanier of Fort Lauderdale, FL
The Time Traveler's Wife had me reading with my heart pounding, entranced and enchanted almost round the clock one weekend. In the wee hours of the morning, as I came to the end of the book, I was crying so hard that I woke my husband up from the shaking of the bed! The poor guy thought something horrendous had happened:
"Are you hurt? Did someone call? Did someone die? Oh God, what's wrong, Sweetie?"
"The book," I said, with a catch in my throat. "It was horrible ... It was wonderful."
"But I don't understand. You look miserable. Why are you so upset?"
"Because - it's over! ... snuffle...tears...snuffle."
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The last book that kept me up all night was Sleeping Beauty by Phillip Margolin. That book was really a Wowie!! It had more twists than a maze. I would just love to see this story in a movie; it was just fantastic!!
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Big Russ and Me by Tim Russert. Surprising because it's not a thriller by any stretch of the imagination but it is a good solid book about the time in which I grew up --- I found it very readable and engaging. (By the way, I stay up reading way past my bedtime MOST nights!)
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When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt. After reading it in only a couple of sittings, it is clear to me why she won the National Book Award for this story.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
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Deception Point by Dan Brown
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The Donor by Frank Robinson
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The last book I read that kept me up at night was The Madman's Tale by John Katzenbach. This one is a definite page-turner!
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Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult would not be ignored. I stayed with it until the end. I am fast becoming a big Jodi Picoult fan. She has not failed me so far. May she keep writing forever.
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I am now reading R is for Ricochet and finally had to put it down to get some sleep! Kinsey is a character who you feel you actually know and want to see what is happening with her.
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A recently favorite book that I couldn't put down is Sandra Brown'sThe Switch. Talk about mind-boggling and suspenseful! I carried it from room to room and even took it along in my car to read while waiting for trains or in parking lots or drive-ins. I like all of her books in the last few years but haven't read some of the earlier ones. They need a very good story line with lots of suspense and a little romance to hold my interest, and The Switch certainly does. I thought I had it figured out early on, but I had to keep looking back to see where I went wrong. Read it --- you won't be sorry!
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Watchers by Dean Koontz
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The last book that kept me up late was John Harvey's latest book,Flesh & Blood. I read it cover to cover!
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The clipped chapters with the cliffhanger endings of Dan Brown'sAngels & Demons was the last book to keep me up past my bedtime. Despite his unconvincing characters, questionable events and formula writing, I haven't found another writer who holds my attention as Dan Brown does.
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The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory kept me up way too late reading about the early years of the court of King Henry the VIII. Fascinating reading!!
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Death Match by Lincoln Child … and I am anxiously awaitingBrimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child!
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Judas Child by Carol O'Connell
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Deception Point by Dan Brown
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Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. I finished it in a weekend...with very little sleep. It was great!
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The Vanished Man by Jeffery Deaver. The ending didn't happen as I thought. WOW!
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As much as I loathe to admit it, the last book that really in fact kept me UP ALL night was Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I was one of those who really didn't want to read it, but once I started, I was hooked. With so many books read since then, it still is the one that I remember as actually waking me up in the middle of the night to go back to read!
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Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. This book was recommended by David Sedaris when he was here on his book tour. This is a book that I never would have picked off the shelf --- it's not humorous and I love humor --- but once I got started onRandom Family, I couldn't put it down.
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Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull
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The Taking by Dean Koontz
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The last book that kept me reading well into the night was The Shadow of the Wind. This novel has it all --- history, romance, mystery, a love of books. What else could you ask for?
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I was up late last night reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom! I read it in one sitting last evening. What a fine book. My husband and I have just lost a parent this summer, a month apart. Our pastor had recommended this book when it came out, as he had Tuesdays with Morrie. I am going to pass it on to others in our families.
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No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
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Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner kept me reading late into the night, and I picked it up and finished it as soon as I could the next day. What a wonderful book!! The Kite Runner tells the story of two boys --- one the son of a wealthy and influential businessman, the other the son of the man's servant --- growing up together in Afghanistan, from the final days of monarchy in the '70s through the present day. It's a story of love and loyalty, treachery and betrayal, and, finally, redemption, all interwoven with a fascinating history of a part of the world we Americans knew virtually nothing of prior to 9/11. Beautiful writing, with vivid descriptions that make the characters and their country come to life.
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The Door by Mary Roberts Rinehart
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This is easy. In 1964 I stayed awake all night reading Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
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Say Goodnight to Insomnia by Gregg Jacobs
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All of Dan Brown's books, but mainly The Da Vinci Code. I hope he is busy writing more.
Colleen Goldrick, South Amboy, NJ
Face the Fire by Nora Roberts, the last book of a trilogy about three witches who are more like sisters and their lives on Three Sisters Island. Seeing it was a trilogy of books by the time you get to the third book and know the end is so close, it is so hard to put down at the end of the night, and this book was worth staying up all night to read.
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Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson. I just had to finish.
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The Craggy Hole in My Heart and the Cat Who Fixed It by Geneen Roth
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Dan Brown's The Da Vinci's Code
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Harlan Coben's Just One Look. The tension that he generates as the story unravels is just amazing. If you haven't read his books yet, give him a try! You'll be hooked from the first page.
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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I loved it.
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House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Barbara Rixstine, Lincoln
The last book that kept me up all night was Alex Kava's One False Move.
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I haven't had a book that keeps me up past my bedtime. I always read a set amount, then hold the book for the next reading time.
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The Best Revenge by Stephen White kept me reading way past my usual bedtime. I just had to see what was going to happen next to the victim --- and how fear plays in our minds to make us more afraid than actual things. A really good thriller.
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Live Bait by P. J. Tracy. This mother and daughter team is exceptional, starting with Monkeewrench.
Josephine Anna Kaszuba Locke
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
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Memorial Day by Vince Flynn. Such a great book and, given the events since 9/11, very believable. The book was a bit scary knowing the events written in fiction could turn out to be truth.
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The book that I have recently read and was kind of spooky wasSecret Smile by Nicci French. A book worth reading. I have not, up to this point, read any of her books, but after reading Secret Smile, I have gone and bought her others with the intention of reading them really soon.
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Secret Smile by Nicci French. The suspense held me for the whole book. I had to finish it or else....
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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
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Exodus by Leon Uris. I started at 8:00pm Sunday and finished at 6:00am Monday. I took a shower and went to work at Corning Glass…I was 22 at the time!
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The last book that I just HAD to finish before I could sleep was In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming. A great mystery set in upstate New York with a retired military MP, now a chief of police of a small town, and a female Episcopal priest joining together to solve the mystery of an abandoned baby and the murder of his mother and grandfather. A rousing good story.
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Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate
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Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
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Anything by Dennis Lehane. He really gets you caught up in a mystery.
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The chapters were short enough to read on, and the information was interesting enough, though this was not a well-written book in my opinion.
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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I had to know the outcome and could not put this book down.
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The last book that kept me up reading way late into the night would be Sandra Brown's Hello, Darkness. I became nearly TERRIFIED to shut that book and turn off the light. One of the villains was as smarmy, as oily, as daring as any I've ever read about. And the truth of the matter is, he could be anyone's neighbor...even MINE! But the twist at the end of the book was completely UNEXPECTED. I went without SLEEP to finish that book!
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Two books have the distinction of keeping me awake: Thomas Tryon's Harvest Home and Stephen King's Salem's Lot.
The first to keep me up was Salem's Lot. I have not reread this nor will I watch the movie! I've never been so scared as I was then! Harvest Home did it to me because I know it is possible for what happened to really happen. You just can't put anything past human nature and ingrained beliefs!
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The last book that kept me up all night was Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson. Great book!
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Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. An excellent book.
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The last book that kept me up long past bedtime was Eventide by Kent Haruf. You may know that this is the sequel to Plainsong. If we were to assign stars to this title, I would give it five.
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
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Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs is the latest book that has kept me up and reading. Worthwhile. Ms. Brennan is really something!!
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Insomnia by Stephen King. I read in the 90's.
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Retribution by Jillianne Hoffman
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See Jane Die by Erica Spindler
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Jodi Piocult's latest book My Sister's Keeper kept me reading all night.
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After I got to be 50 or so, no book could be counted on to keep me wide awake, day or night. I am not beyond continuing to read after dozing, though. I answered this question because I am eager to read the other responses!
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Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag. Just last night.
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Middlesex! What a great read. Fascinating and memorable characters, drama, humor and good writing.
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The last book that kept me up until 2 hours before my alarm went off --- I put it down through pure willpower --- was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
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The last book was The Bachelor by Carly Phillips. I kinda knew how the book was going to go and wanted to see if I was right. Unfortunately, it was pretty predictable but it was a good reading book for the night.
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Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. What a story!!
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Tell No One by Harlan Coben
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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
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Dark Harvest by Karen Harper. I just couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing right to the end.
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The Store by Bentley Little.
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One book that kept me up reading very late was The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and a close second wasThe Moment She Was Gone by Evan Hunter.
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The last book to keep me up past my bedtime was My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It was an easy read with a cast of characters I was drawn to from the beginning.
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Walter Falls by Steven Gillis. What a GREAT book!
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Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
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The Poet by Michael Connelly. I loved it and now can't wait to read his other books.
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The last book that kept me spellbound until I finished it was Ann-Marie MacDonald's The Way the Crow Flies. It was just as good as her other novel, Fall on Your Knees.
M. Miller from Tacoma
The last book that kept me up past my bedtime was one I read last night: Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson. My first thought upon finishing this book was: How could this book come from the same author of all those many horrifyingly scary books! This book was so full of love, and the results of finding, losing and keeping love kept you right there where your emotions were getting a big workout. A wonderful book!!
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The last book I read that kept me up all night was Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
John, Chattanooga, TN
Scattered Shadows by John Howard Griffin
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The last book that kept me up reading past my bedtime was The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Loved it!
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I couldn't immediately think of an answer to this question but am so glad I finally remember these two books that I feel were tragically underpromoted. Last year I read two books by Christopher Rice (son of Anne): A Destiny of Souls and The Snow Garden. I found both of these to be so compelling and have been anxiously awaiting a 3rd release. Both stories are very suspenseful and filled with psychological undertones and the angst of young people. Whenever my reading of them was interrupted, I was obsessively thinking of when I could get back to them. I would describe them as gothic but neither contain things such as vampires or other otherworldly apparitions. I especially enjoyed A Destiny of Souls. If you like young adult reads, I think you will really enjoy this one. I am such an avid reader and I loved these two books, so if you haven't read them yet I really encourage you to do so. I would be interested in what other book lovers thought.
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The last book that kept me up reading way past my bedtime wasThe Dante Club. The book currently keeping me awake reading isAngels & Demons by Dan Brown.
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The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
ELS
I just read The Eighth Day by John Case. Think of The Exorcist andAngels & Demons with a section like Prey. I could see it as a movie, and I did enjoy the segments in Italy and Turkey because I have been there.
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Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke, a wonderful cozy culinary read. I went to sleep dreaming of wonderful desserts!
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My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
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Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
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The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson.
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The last book that I read that kept me up all night was 3rd Degreeby James Patterson. As per this series, the women's group once again finds enough clues to keep the reader guessing, wondering and thinking they have the solution -- but not so.
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The Da Vinci Code -- I read it in 2 days and stayed up way too late.
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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. At my local library there are over 25 holds on this book (and we own 10 copies!)
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In the last week I finished reading Ice Hunt by James Rollins. It kept me up late at night reading it. It is loaded with a lot of action. James Rollins tells a good story and he also describes the surrounding areas and makes it like you are there. I could hardly put it down. I was reading it every spare moment I could. I always look forward to when his next new book will come out. His story is so believable that it makes you think it could be happening now as the government never tells everything. He makes the characters come to life and you want to keep reading to see what happens to every one of them. I have lost much sleep over this book.
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Day of the Dead by J. A. Jance. Excellent mystery, gripping characters, wonderful locale with American Indian folklore, and some truly evil villains. A great read!
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The book I read after midnight was The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe.
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Good Grief by Lolly Winston was the best book I've read in a long, long time.
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I think the only book that I ever had to put down or that kept me awake was Stephen King's The Shining.
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The book that kept me up all night reading was The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.
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Quentins by Maeve Binchy was the book that I read long past my bedtime!
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Two books that kept me up until the wee hours are Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver and The Art of Deception by Ridley Pearson.
Tara
Tell No One by Harlan Coben. This was a book I couldn't put down. I found myself losing track of time when reading this book. Great. Quick. Summer read.
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The Craggy Hole in My Heart by Geneen Roth
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The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver
Anonymous
Lucky You by Carl Hiassen
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What book kept me up past bedtime? A Great and Terrible Beautyby Libba Bray. I purchased this book for my daughter (12) and as always, read the book before giving it to her (just to make sure it's age-appropriate). The book was mesmerizing. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and This Day by Joni B. Cole, Rebecca Joffrey and B.K. Rakhra. Both kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning.
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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.
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Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag kept me reading into the early hours.
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The Tarnished Eye by Judith Guest
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I have just completed a three-book series called The Josephine Bonaparte Collection by Sandra Gulland.
This wonderful series includes The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. which covers her youth, early marriage and first child; Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, which exposes Josephine's imprisonment during the time of the French Revolution and her introduction to Napoleon; and finally The Last Great Dance on Earth, which covers Napoleon's victories and her role in his life.
As someone who does research for authors, the historical content of these novels excited me tremendously. I avidly read each novel one after the other in less than two weeks, and then passed them onto my twin who is now doing the same. I haven't enjoyed reading such rich history in years; its an intimate and revealing peek into the lifetime of one of the world's most interesting women.
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The book that kept me up all night? The Adversary by Geoffrey Household. This is the most suspense-building book I have ever read. It certainly should be a movie, except Hitchcock is no longer here to direct it.
There is a story here. I was working with a trucking company in Chicago, and one of the local stops was Bantam Books. The truck driver asked if I would like to have some books. "They always have a lot of returns they will give us," he said. I expected maybe 10 or 12 books. I got a box of at least 200. It STARTS out, in a prelude, "He had to go on, without gun or knife, and whether or not she was already dead when he took her in his arms, we will never know."
I read on until 3 in the morning, then I found out why it had been returned. The last 18 pages were missing. The Pocket Book title was different from the hardback issue, and it took me 5 years to find the last 18 pages. It was worth the extended search.
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The first book that I read that kept me up all night was Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. I started it on a 10-minute break and could not put it down. I bought the book, and read it until I finished it. The last two books that I couldn't put down were James Patterson's The Jester and Sam's Letters to Jennifer. There is something about Patterson that I just cannot put his books down once I start reading them. Now I read The Jester recently. I have been on a hiatus from reading for about six months and now I am catching up with all the books that I have in my collection that I have yet to read. In the last month and a half, I have read about 20 books and have a lot more to go.
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The last book that kept me up way too late was Angels & Demons. Ironically, I had a very hard time getting through The Da Vinci Code!
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The last book that kept me up way past my bedtime was Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman.
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The last book that kept me up all night was Harlan Coben's latest,Just One Look. But then I expected that --- his books always do!! I just CAN'T put them down till I finish!
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The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbader. I was pleasantly surprised that Lustbader kept the integrity of the character Bourne that Robert Ludlum had established in the previous three novels. Although the plot was bumpy, the pacing was great. Nicely done.
Anonymous
The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer
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Valentine by Tom Savage
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The Tarnished Eye by Judith Guest. I don't usually read much past 11:00 PM because I get so sleepy that I have to reread everything the next day. I was actually up until past midnight with this one. I had to finish it. It is extremely compelling and impossible to put down.
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The last book that kept me up all night was Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. It was by far the best thing I've read in years. The development of the characters was so complete I felt as if I knew them intimately. I cared about them and wanted to know what would happen to them. It was also a whodunit. And I didn't know until the end who had done it. It was the first thing I've read by Lehane, but it won't be the last. I've picked up Shutter Island and will read that next.
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A Widow for a Year by John Irving. So well-written. He's a genius, and you want to savor every word, every phrase.
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The last book that kept me up all night was The Da Vinci Code.
Linda, in Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Out, a Crime novel by Japanese author Natsuo Kirino. This winner of Japan's top mystery award, the Grand Prix, was so shocking and, yes, gruesome that I couldn't put it down. Four co-workers in a Box lunch factory come to the aid of one of their group when she murders her abusive husband. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is squeamish, but if you want a gripping read this is certainly that.
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From Potter's Field by Patricia Cornwell. 4 stars.
If you like Ms. Cornwell's work, this is a very good mystery that left me with some unsettling thoughts about sibling rivalry.
The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool, both by Philippa Gregory. I kept turning off the light and trying to sleep, and then turning it back on and reading some more!
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Indelible by Karin Slaughter. I couldn't put it down and read it all in one sitting, until I finished at about 1:30 a.m. The whole Grant County series is great.
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Second Chance by Danielle Steel. I always seem to read her books without stopping.
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Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag. I hadn't read her books for a while but will go back and catch up. This one was great.
Kathy Jones, Kathleen, GA
Double Deal by Michael Corbitt and Sam Giancana kept me up nights.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
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The last book that kept me up late is Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver.
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A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks
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The last book that kept me up at night past my bedtime wasMonkeewrench by P. J. Tracy. And now I'm reading Tracy's second novel, Live Bait, and loving it too. Great new author!
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Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Mary from Macungie
I last read Irish Born by Nora Roberts. She has a brilliant way of writing about a love relationship that makes it very meaningful to read. Her breathtaking accounts of Ireland are exquisite. Thank you for letting me express myself.
