Name the last book that kept you up reading a lot longer than you planned.
Roscoe@drizzle.com
I was very surprised to find myself totally enchanted readingCryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. I stayed up way late to read this amazing (long) funny (long) complex and very long book. I heard the author at the 2004 Nebula Awards and he grabbed my attention, but I had not expected to find myself laughing so much at this book.
Jdunkie@aol.com
The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King. This author is Pat Conroy's wife and I really enjoyed reading it. It is set in the panhandle of Florida and is about a Methodist minister's wife. The characters are well developed and the story is funny but also touching.
Connie Tritt, Carlisle, PA
I could tell you several that fit this category, but the best includesThe Exile by Allan Folsom, which is very gripping from the first paragraph and does not let up in suspense and intrigue until the very end, and then it leaves you wondering what's next.
Another one that had me up until way beyond bedtime was Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon. Very suspenseful all the way through.
Songbird by Walter Zacharius is also an excellent read, about a Polish Jewish girl in the grips of WWII and her escape and revenge. Excellent story.
txtiger02@msn.com
The Big House by George Colt
siamese2wise@cs.com
Last night the book I was reading was Cat Scratch Fever by Tara K. Harper. I gave up at almost 1 am and still haven't finished the book. I had read it years ago but every once in a while I like to read my old favorites.
Sarah Thring
I adore Phil Rickman and his novels about Merrily Watkins, an English vicar. He can keep me awake, worrying about Merrily's challenges, and her daughter Jane.
Also Sara Douglass and Manda Scott's novels about Boudica.
Deborah E. Moore
The last book that kept me up reading a lot longer than I expected was The Da Vinci Code.
GLev@aol.com
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
madtramp@frontiernet.net
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
vicklea@earthlink.net
The last book that kept me reading late was Just One Look by Harlan Coben. It will keep you awake and your heart racing!
jzquilter@comcast.net
I just finished reading Sara Paretsky's book Blacklist, which kept me reading late into the wee hours. Wonderful.
Anonymous
The book that kept me awake at night was Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon. Excellent book!
Lorraine, Ottawa ON
The book that kept me up reading later than planned was Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton.
began0214@webtv.net
Chronicles, Volume I by Bob Dylan.
There were many times during the reading that I had to stop to hear the music. Wow, what a combo!
mnr@atlantic.net
There have been so many books that have kept me up longer than planned, but the most recent fiction was Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman. In nonfiction, Bob Woodward's Bush at War.
Ann Bowen
The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson kept me up. I kept reading and reading and wondering how it was going to end.
The next book that did that was an advance reader's copy ofBaker Towers by Jennifer Haigh. It was wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone once it is out for general consumption.
Marlie Warren, St. George, Utah
Not just one but two books have kept me up all night reading them. They are The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd andShe's Come Undone by Wally Lamb.
Others have as well but these two have REALLY stuck with me. If you've not read them, you've missed out and should make it a point to get a hold of BOTH of them!
Patricia Moore
The most recent book I read that kept me tied in so many knots I couldn't put it down until the end was Screams From the Furnaceby Marjaree Mayne. Her vivid descriptions of life on the streets and her seemingly intuitive grasp of the mind of a serial killer will give you goosebumps on your goosebumps.
CPWool@aol.com
I just picked up Richard North Patterson's Silent Witness. Could not put it down for a day and finished it!! Fun, fast moving book.
Beverly Rowe
Dunnottar by Janet Elaine Smith kept me up way too late.
MKaspari@aol.com
My last late night read was The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg.
Marsha
Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
expresley@comcast.net
A Perfect Day by Richard Paul Evans
Sheila5199@aol.com
Years ago it was always a Robert Ludlum book that kept me up reading half the night. I remember once reading until the wee hours of the night before I moved and another time when I had a newborn and should have been catching sleep while I could. However, the very last book that kept me up reading half the night was Silent Witness by Richard North Patterson.
Bjglu@aol.com
The last book that kept me up at night (many years ago) wasJurassic Park.
Moosewj@aol.com
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
kathielab@charter.net
It was The Time Traveler's Wife. It was fascinating, though sometimes hard to keep track of chronologically.
pdcleff@yahoo.com
We Need to Talk About Kevin was very disturbing and the last 100 pages kept me reading long past my bedtime.
johnsmit@tiscali.nl
Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell
Butterfly4Shelly@aol.com
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson is the book that kept me up longer than I planned.
JBrown2511@aol.com
The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood and The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates.
ragsk2743@aol.com
See Jane Die by Erica Spindler. I read the entire book in one sitting (very late into the night).
Annabelle973@aol.com
The book that kept me up very late is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Also, The Distance From Normandy by Jonathan Hull.
Kate35@aol.com
East of Eden by John Steinbeck kept me up late night after night. What an incredible book! It was an Oprah pick some time ago, but I just finished it recently. Definitely a 5-star read! I also recently read The Smoke Jumpers by Nicholas Evans and had a hard time putting that one down at the end of the day!
Lisa
A Fine Balance kept me up until 1 a.m. I can't remember the last time I stayed up that late!
TheOwl64@aol.com
The last book that I was totally engrossed in was Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. This story is fictional but based on true events. It follows a young girl who has Hansen's disease in the 1800s. It portrays how life was and how her life played out. Very good read.
Elliesara@aol.com
The last book I read that I loved and kept me up all night was The Kite Runner. Try it and enjoy!
roxannemoore@wyoming.com
The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Cathy T.
The last book that kept my up at night was Darkly Dreaming Dexter.
lawrncet@nccray.com
Events in my life have caused me to search for truth this summer when my life partner of 45 years died. Dakota Bones, written by Linda Hasselstrom, has been by my side to read when sleep evaded me. My sister read it to me on our 500-mile drive across Dakota after the service. We could not know that two months later (to the day), her husband would also die. Reading plans are like other plans, something to keep us busy while we are not living.
Donna from New Berlin
The last book I read that kept me up late is Sleep No More by Greg Iles. It was very good and I just couldn't put it down until I got to the end.
fourpawspetportraits@msn.com
The last book that kept me up late was Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy. I loved it! I am a bookseller and recommend it all the time to customers and they always come back to buy the second book in the series. Terrific writing, interesting characters and a fast moving plot make it a wonderful debut.
Trudy, Marin County, CA
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. 5 stars.
When I finished this book I couldn't wait to tell others to read it. Not something I do very often. The ending was unpredictable and stunning.
Mrsdkip@aol.com
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Deborah Duttge
lost boy lost girl by Peter Straub
Peggy from Succasunna
The book that has kept me up longer than I planned is Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. This book can be horrific, heartbreaking and funny. Written as if he were still that child, Augusten brings his childhood to us.
Don
The Rainmaker by John Grisham. I just finished it last night at 2:45AM
S. Weber
I have been bleary eyed in the morning from The Da Vinci Codeand The Time Travelers Wife. Also, The Family by Kitty Kelley for sheer trash delight.
China Duncan
The latest book that kept me up reading until 1 a.m was Fallen Idols by J.F. Freedman. It was surprisingly better than I had originally thought and it was a great read!
redheadreader@hotmail.com
I must admit that the books The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons kept me up way past my bedtime!
Debbie
This book would be The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I didn't much care for the beginning of the story, but about halfway through, it picked up and has turned out to be a great read.
smlett@comcast.net
I Wish I Had Waited by Sylvia Willis Lett
krstn23@excite.com
The last book that kept me up unexpectedly longer than I planned was Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. I had seen the movie, which was just all right, but the book surprised me by being very good.
Kathy from Severna Park
The last book that kept me reading far longer than I ever anticipated were Nora Roberts's trilogy (Key of Valor, Key of Knowledge and Key of Light). Once I began the first book, I could barely stop before finishing the last. The books are truly well written and captivating. I have read all her books, and I am sure these three are the first that have ever kept me awake at night reading to see the outcomes, as well as driving all over the area to find them in bookstores (the stores were constantly selling out). It may have been the way she wrote or the characters, but I think it was the central theme and the way she mixed the mystical/fantasy with reality while developing the friendship among the three women and three men throughout the stories. I felt as if I knew each one well --- as if they were individuals I knew in life rather than just in the novels. Even though the stories' plot is a bit far-fetched, she made it seem so real that I could almost see myself going on a similar search to find a clue. Fantastic job.
Lori T.
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.
ATESSL@aol.com
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Janetmmoore@aol.com
The Exile by Allan Folsom
FalseMillennium@aol.com
Brimstone by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston
monysmom@comcast.net
Two books have kept me up this past week: Good Grief by Lolly Winston, and one of my very favorites (the first of a wonderful trilogy), Here Be Dragons, by Sharon Penman!
animvet@yahoo.com
The last books that kept me up a lot longer than I expected wereThe Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
RBailleu@aol.com
This is sooo easy: The Da Vinci Code. My book club chose this read for the month of October. Started on Monday, finished 2 a.m. Thursday morning. I was not a very good worker on Thursday. Could not put that book down!
MSmith2957@aol.com
The last book that kept me up reading all night was The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down by Neta Jackson. It's an awesome, don't-really-want-to-put-down kind of read. I borrowed it from the library and ordered a copy to reread as well as a copy for a Christmas gift. Yes, it was 'that' good
KuniP@aol.com
I stayed up reading Joy by Victoria Christopher Murray. I could not put it down until I finished it at 3:30 am.
L.George Alexander
The latest book that kept me awake at night was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron. Wow, this was one great read and I cannot remember being so excited by one book for a long time. I read all of the time and enjoy it, but when a book like this comes along I want to sing...
Gabriel from Vancouver, Canada
The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbader
anitagraham@comcast.net
Lonesome Dove kept me up more than one night. A book not for the squeamish. Even if you don't think a cattle drive, massacring natives, and rough and tough cowboys are for you, this book is an excellent read. Give this Pulitzer Prize winner a chance and you will be thanking me.
Ebookjunky@aol.com
Just about any book I get really involved in does that to me. The last one was Catnap by Carol Nelson Douglas.
ritahunt1@verizon.net
Act of God by Susan R. Sloan, a real page-turner!!
Sharon
Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank kept me awake reading! It is a woman's book though not in the "romance" category. It chronicles a family and especially one woman during the 1960s until the 1990s and her attachment to life on Sullivan's Island and Charleston. It is delightfully written by Ms. Frank who grew up there.
hawkes@citlink.net
Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
ellenjer@execpc.com
Haunted Ground by Erin Hart and The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.
Comella2729@aol.com
An Unfinished Season by Ward Just. Brilliant writing and characterization. Takes place in Chicago in the 1950s.
Dawnymae5@msn.com
Just recently it was Sidney Sheldon's Are You Afraid of the Dark?It was excellent suspense, plenty of drama, and I did not have the ending figured out at all. It is great to have such as excellent writer back on the scene.
began0214@webtv.net
Checkpoint by Nicholson Baker. I had to prop my eyelids but could NOT close the book until finished. I'm not much of a conspiracy type but this one had me on the edge of my seat to learn the ending.
Jayne D.
One of my favorite books that kept me up at night was The Pactby Jodi Picoult. She is a favorite author of mine.
mvshell1977@msn.com
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
tripgirl1@aol.com
The Dark Tower VII by Stephen King, the culmination of the series and I almost hated to come to the end, but glad for the resolution (sort of) of the story :)
TerraComs@aol.com
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Beverly DeFabio
A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena De Blasi.
RSteele124@aol.com
Two actually: The Master Butchers Singing Club and Under the Banner of Heaven. Both were quite good.
ELLERBAKER@aol.com
Gone for Good by Harlan Coben. What an amazing journey this book was. You never knew in what direction he was leading you next.
Philanina@aol.com
The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty
J. Moore
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
Lisa
That would be Gerald's Game by Stephen King since I just finished that book. I just could not put it down. I stayed up almost all night and totally lost track of time. Of course, most books can do this to me since I just love to read and find it hard to put my books down.
Leigh from Decatur, GA
Currently Playing with Boys by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is keeping me up at night!
DaraXact@aol.com
The book that kept me reading longer than planned was Karin Slaughter's new one, Indelible. It was so good.
Judyal7@aol.com
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. A lot of this writer's books have kept me up until the wee hours!
miramah@att.net
The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings
Nana
The last book that kept me up all night was An Accidental Womanby Barbara Delinsky, another "can't put it down" book by this favorite author of mine.
ygrisafi@adelphia.net
The Last to Die by James Grippando was one book that I just couldn't put down. I read and read and read and was very sorry to have it end.
HarvelRx@aol.com
Another wonderful book by Daniel Silva, A Death in Vienna.
tonia.d.secanti@co.multnomah.or.us
The last book that kept me up all night was T. Jefferson Parker'sCalifornia Girl. What a great book. Three-dimensional characters, good plot, and beautiful writing. He just keeps getting better and better.
SunnyPuchi@aol.com
The Bridges of Madison County. I cried so much that night.
janethelmer@yahoo.com
Jemima J by Jane Green kept me up late.
ktbos@hargray.com
Mary Kay Andrews's latest book Hissy Fit kept me up way past my normal bedtime! I just could not put it down. It was so easy to slip into character and get lost --- away from the doldrums.
Kathryn Bagg
The Lost Legends of New Jersey by Frederick Reiken.
Anonymous
Patricia Cornwell's Trace and Jeffery Deaver's Garden of Beasts --- great books!
Carseatdeanna@aol.com
How to Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward
NEPR@aol.com
Lancelot by Walker Percy
isang4joy@yahoo.com
I stayed up quite late recently reading Anita Shreve's The Last Time They Met. It had come highly recommended to me. Shreve shares the tale in a very clever style and I was left with a sense of longing for times past, for dreams lost that I'm sure many of us know all too well.
As I thought more about this question a bit more, though, Richard Matheson's What Dreams May Come came to mind. If you've ever seen the movie, please read the book as it is much better and far more compelling. I knew the night I started reading this book that I would not stop until I finished it (it's not particularly long); what I didn't know was how many other nights I would stay up and muse over the intriguing thoughts and perspectives that he shared through his novel.
Dawn, Phoenix
Replay by Ken Grimwood
