Book a Week in 2013 - Week twenty nine

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 29 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks.  Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress.  Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews.  The link is below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - Calvino Readalong:  If not for Susan Wise Bauer's Well Educated Mind, I would have never heard of Italo Calvino's 1979 novel If on a winter's night a traveler.  It is another one of those intriguing, weirdly written books that I seem to gravitate to every few weeks.  According to Amazon:

 

If on a

Winter's Night a Traveler

turns out to be not one novel but ten, each with a different plot, style, ambience, and author, and each interrupted at a moment of suspense. Together they form a labyrinth of literatures, known and unknown, alive and extinct, through which two readers, a male and a female, pursue both the story lines that intrigue them and one another.  

 

 

 

 

 

It's a story within a story and begins with the narrator telling you how to to read the book.  The odd chapters are from a second person point of view with instructions or preparation for the next chapter and the even chapters are the story and in a variety of points of view. I'm going to be diving into the story within the next week or so. 

Books like these always remind me that reading is a visceral experience, a journey through a writer's creative mind and sometimes I just need to take the time to slow down, absorb, and enjoy the ride.  I was thumbing through the book and saw this sentence "An odor of frying wafts at the opening of the page, of onion in fact, onion being fried" and immediately upon reading the word wafts smelled onions even before getting to the end of the line. Now I'm hungry.  *grin*

Come along and join me in reading If on a winter's night a traveler.

 

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 28

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for starting this thread, as always. :)

Love your description of the waft of onions.  :D

 

In the past few weeks, I read:

Wife 22 - 4 Stars

Sweet and easy read - poolside/beach book. I haven't read this type of book in the longest while. It was a nice and refreshing change.

 

Some Kind of Magic - 4 Stars

I guess I was in the mood for some lightness and a bit of fluff and romance. I liked this one a lot. Light and easy read.

 

Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger - 4 Stars

I absolutely loved this. I could relate so much to all the British food. Most of his descriptions were an absolute riot. Some were sad and nostalgic. I love his style of writing and look forward to reading more by him. He's so British and I love that!

 

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me - 5 Stars

Fabulous consumer-reports type of book on all skin care and make up products. 

 

 

 

 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

[Robin M]

On the nightstand for this week:  Justin Cronin's The Twelve and Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler.

[mlbuchina]

Since we have been camping for the past week, I have been quite busy and not been able to read as much as I want to.  So, that is my excuse for not having finished anything this past week.  That, and I haven't found anything that is really holding my interest.  I have a few things started, so maybe I'll finish one of them this week.

 

I've mostly stuck to reading Getting Stoned with Savages, by J. Maarten Troost.  It has been enjoyable, and I've laughed out loud at a couple of passages.  However, it isn't "can't put it down" reading, so I'm having to kinda make myself read.

 

With the news that my favorite book series of all time is being turned into a TV series, what I really want to read is that.  So, once I finish Getting Stoned, I think I will.

 

 

The Round Up
42. The Girl Who Chased the Moon
41. The Sugar Queen
40. 1Q84
39. The Long Winter
38. Warm Bodies
37. Garden Spells
36. The Peach Keeper
35. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
34. The First Four Years
33. These Happy Golden Years
32. Little Town on the Prairie
31. Amglish, in Like, Ten Easy Lessons: A Celebration of the New World Lingo
30. The Call of the Wild
29. By the Shores of Silver Lake
28. Pippi Longstocking
27. On the Banks of Plum Creek
26. Hiroshima
25. Farmer Boy
24. 1984
23. This Book is Full of Spiders
22. Little House on the Prairie
21.  Evolutionism and Creationism
20.  John Dies at the End
19.  Much Ado About Nothing
18.  Little House in the Big Woods
17.  Hooked
16.  Anne of the Island
15.  Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
14.  Anne of Avonlea
13.  Anne of Green Gables
12.  The Invention of Hugo Cabret
11.  The Swiss Family Robinson
10.  Little Women
9.  Why We Get Fat
8.  The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye
7.  Outlander
6.  The New Atkins for a New You
5.  A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
4.  Liberty and Tyranny
3.  Corelli's Mandolin
2.  The Neverending Story
1.  The Hobbit

[Pawz4me]

I forgot when I last checked in!  In the past couple of weeks I've been taking a break from all the chunksters that seem to be calling to me this year.  I dove into Mason's Daughter, Spare Change, Stealing Jenny and Anthem (all books I downloaded as Kindle freebies), as well as the "real" book version of Yoga for Life.  I'm currently back on the chunkster binge with The Wheel of Fortune.  That will likely keep me busy for awhile!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Kareni]

With the news that my favorite book series of all time is being turned into a TV series, what I really want to read is that.  So, once I finish Getting Stoned, I think I will.

 

Get stoned?!

 

What is the favorite book series?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Onceuponatime]

This week I read Dragon Slippers and I started on If On A Winter's Night a Traveler. It starts out as a book about a book then becomes a book about multiple books and about itself. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

[Kareni]

I've finished a few books lately.

 

Rising Darkness (A Game of Shadows Novel) by Thea Harrison

 

I very much enjoyed this author's book Dragon Bound and her other Elder Races books.  Rising Darkness is the start of a much different paranormal series, but I also enjoyed it.

 

"USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison begins an all-new, darkly romantic paranormal saga, in which the fate of existence itself lies in the balance—and the key to victory may rest in the hands of two eternal lovers…

In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…

Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.

Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I also read with pleasure The Books They Gave Me: True Stories of Life, Love, and Lit by Jen Adams. 

 

"THE GIFT OF A BOOK BECOMES PART OF THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE. Perhaps it came with a note as simple as “This made me think of you,†but it takes up residence in your heart and your home. The Books They Gave Me is a mixtape of stories behind books given and received. Some of the stories are poignant, some snarky, some romantic, some disastrous—but all are illuminating.

 

Jen Adams collected nearly two hundred of the most provocative stories submitted to the tumblr blog TheBooksTheyGaveMe.com to capture the many ways books can change our lives and loves, revealing volumes about the relationships that inspired the gifts. These stories are, by turns, romantic, cynical, funny, dark, and hopeful. There’s the poorly thought out gift of Lolita from a thirty-year-old man to a teenage girl. There’s the couple who tried to read Ulysses together over the course of their long-distance relationship and never finished it. There’s the girl whose school library wouldn’t allow her to check out Fahrenheit 451, but who received it at Christmas with the note, “Little Sister: Read everything you can. Subvert Authority! Love always, your big brother.†These are stories of people falling in love, regretting mistakes, and finding hope. Together they constitute a love letter to the book as physical object and inspiration.

 

Illustrated in full color with the jackets of beloved editions, The Books They Gave Me is, above all, an uplifting testament to the power of literature."

 

Regards,

Karen

[Kareni]

For the adult summer reading program Bingo game at my local library, I needed to read a memoir.  I chose:

 

Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days: An Almost Completely Honest Account of What Happened to Our Family When Our Youngest Son, His Wife, Their Baby, Their Toddler, and Their Five-Year Old Came to Live with Us for Three Months  by Judith Viorst

 

It was light, amusing, and a quick read.

 

"Judith Viorst's most adored book is undoubtedly the children's classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. In this new book, fans will recognize and be drawn to the Alexander they know and love-only now he's all grown up, with three kids of his own.When Judith's son Alexander announces that he, his wife, Marla, their daughter, Olivia (age five), and their two sons, Isaac (age two) and Toby (four months), would be staying with her and her husband for ninety days while their house was being renovated, Judy doesn't know quite how to repond. "I tried to think of it as a magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only to strengthen family ties and not only to really get to know the grandchildren, but also to further my personal growth while also achieving marital enrichment." She decides that she'll have to learn to let go of her excessive devotion to domestic neatness and adherence to carefully planned schedules.As Judith's tightly run home turns into a high-octane madhouse of screaming grandkids, splattered floors, spilled milk, and tripped-over toys, she begins to understand that, despite the chaos, what she's been given truly is an amazing thing, an opportunity to know her children and grandchildren a little better than before, but also to reconnect with her husband as they hold hands, close their eyes, and wait patiently for move-out day.When the "Alexander Five" make a final departure to their newly refurbished home, Judith realizes that Alexander's wonderful, marvelous, excellent, terrific ninety days might have been the greatest gift her son could have given her-the gift of discovering forgotten memories, making loving families, and a chance to live life a little more deeply."

 

I also skimmed the book The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alica Ozma.  I enjoyed those parts that I read.

 

My daughter, who departed this morning to teach English in Korea, left without finishing a book that she was enjoying.  (So many books, so little time.)  I'll mention it in case others might be interested:  Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos.

 

"An NBCC Award and Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist

A New York Times Notable Book for 2011

One of The Economist’s 2011 Books of the Year

 

People speak different languages, and always have. The Ancient Greeks took no notice of anything unless it was said in Greek; the Romans made everyone speak Latin; and in India, people learned their neighbors’ languages—as did many ordinary Europeans in times past (Christopher Columbus knew Italian, Portuguese, and Castilian Spanish as well as the classical languages). But today, we all use translation to cope with the diversity of languages. Without translation there would be no world news, not much of a reading list in any subject at college, no repair manuals for cars or planes; we wouldn’t even be able to put together flat-pack furniture.

 

Is That a Fish in Your Ear? ranges across the whole of human experience, from foreign films to philosophy, to show why translation is at the heart of what we do and who we are. Among many other things, David Bellos asks: What’s the difference between translating unprepared natural speech and translating Madame Bovary? How do you translate a joke? What’s the difference between a native tongue and a learned one? Can you translate between any pair of languages, or only between some? What really goes on when world leaders speak at the UN? Can machines ever replace human translators, and if not, why?

 

But the biggest question Bellos asks is this: How do we ever really know that we’ve understood what anybody else says—in our own language or in another? Surprising, witty, and written with great joie de vivre, this book is all about how we comprehend other people and shows us how, ultimately, translation is another name for the human condition."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Stacia]

52 Books Blog - Calvino Readalong:  If not for Susan Wise Bauer's Well Educated Mind, I would have never heard of Italo Calvino's 1979 novel If on a winter's night a traveler.  It is another one of those intriguing, weirdly written books that I seem to gravitate to every few weeks.  According to Amazon:

 

 

If on a

Winter's Night a Traveler

turns out to be not one novel but ten, each with a different plot, style, ambience, and author, and each interrupted at a moment of suspense. Together they form a labyrinth of literatures, known and unknown, alive and extinct, through which two readers, a male and a female, pursue both the story lines that intrigue them and one another.  

 

 

 

 

 

It's a story within a story and begins with the narrator telling you how to to read the book.  The odd chapters are from a second person point of view with instructions or preparation for the next chapter and the even chapters are the story and in a variety of points of view. I'm going to be diving into the story within the next week or so. 

 

Books like these always remind me that reading is a visceral experience, a journey through a writer's creative mind and sometimes I just need to take the time to slow down, absorb, and enjoy the ride.

 

Just finished Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler. :001_wub:

 

Robin, I love your statement that I bolded. So very true.

 

Robin, thank you for starting this thread, as always. :)

Love your description of the waft of onions.  :D

 

Sounds like you've had a few good reading weeks. Glad to see you back, Negin.

 

What is the favorite book series?

 

That's what I was wondering too, mlbuchina. :biggrinjester:

 

I also kind-of read, kind-of skimmed I Have Nothing to Wear! by Jill Martin & Dana Ravich. It was mediocre. I've seen better books about cleaning out your clothing, creaking a 'look', etc.... I'm not counting it, though, since I skimmed parts & also because it would seem entirely ridiculous (imo) to count a book like this after reading Calvino, lol.

 

--------------------------

My Goodreads Page

My PaperbackSwap Page

Working on Robin's Dusty &/or Chunky Book Challenge.

Working on Robin's Continental Challenge.  

Working on LostSurprise's Dewey Decimal Challenge. Complete Dewey Decimal Classification List here.

 

My rating system:

5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Decently good; 2 = Ok; 1 = Don't bother (I shouldn't have any 1s on my list as I would ditch them before finishing)...

 

2013 Books Read:

Link to Books # 1 – 40 that I’ve read in 2013.

 

41. If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

[JennW in SoCal]

I did it!!  I finished Count of Monte Cristo!  :hurray:  The chunkiest chunkster I've tackled, I believe.  And what a payoff -- those last few chapters are deeply moving and profound.  It is ultimately so much more than a story of revenge.  I'm so very glad to have read it, and highly recommend it.   

 

I am about half way through The End of Your Life Book Club, which is about the books the author shared with his mom during her 2 year odyssey battling pancreatic cancer.  It is unexpectedly light and breezy, unexpectedly because the underlying story is the author facing his mother's illness and death.  And while it is light and breezy it isn't fluff, but is a quiet story of the power of books to connect us, to provide a means of coping with or discussing deep issues.  

 

I'm heading to Comic-Con this weekend, though don't know how many book panels I'll get to this year. Kevin Hearne is doing a signing at a local bookstore the week after the convention as is his friend Jason Hough who has a debut novel, Darwin's Elevator.  That will be a more user-friendly event -- don't know if I will catch either of them in the midst of the insanity.    

 

2013 books -- 41 thus far:

 

Fiction:

From the Mouth of the Whale by Sjon

The Spy Lover by Kiana Davenport

 

Classic Literature:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill

Our Mutual Friend by Ch Dickens

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by A Conan Doyle

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

 

Peter Robinson DCI Banks series:

Gallows View

Hanging Valley

Past Reason Hated

Wednesday’s Child

Innocent Graves

In a Dry Season

Blood at the Root

Final Account

Cold is the Grave

Dedicated Man

Playing with Fire

Aftermath

Close to Home

Strange Affair

Piece of My Heart

First Cut (not DCI Banks, but...)

Friend of the Devil

All the Colours of Darkness

 

Other mystery

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson

 

fantasy/sci fi:

Soul Music by Terry Pratchett

Return of the King by JRR Tolkein

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

A Great and Terrible Beauty

 

Non-fiction:

Comic Con and the Business of Pop Culture by Rob Salkowitz

Jungleland by Christopher Stewart

Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R Gaines

The Little Way of Ruthie Lemming by Rod Dreher

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester

Indivisible by Four by Arnold Steinhardt

Bitch in a Bonnet by Robert Rodi

What Matters in Jane Austen by John Mullan

Thatched Roof by Beverley Nichols

End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe 

 

 

[Stacia]

JennW, have fun at Comic Con!

 

And, did I miss your review/comments on the Sjon book? That's one I've been wanting to read. I'd love to hear your comments on it....

 

 

chunkiest chunkster

 

:lol:

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

 

[Stacia]

I love the way you organized your 2013 reads by genre rather than in order completed.

 

:iagree:

[Just Robyn]

I started a bunch of stuff last week, and I'm still working on most of it. I did read all of Brautigan's In Watermelon Sugar last Sunday or Monday. It was poetic and interesting. I liked it better than other Brautigan books I've read. I read about 3/4 of Genesis (as in the first book of the Bible (RSV), not some random SF book), and I thought Genesis was similar to In Watermelon Sugar in rhythm and style.

 

I also completed a book of short stories: The Nimrod Flipout by Etgar Keret. Some really good, imaginative and well-told stories, like moon people who create tangible thoughts with determined shapes. There were also some uninteresting, boring stories, like a dog that keeps coming home. I've been singing "The Cat Came Back" since kindergarten. Turning the cat into a dog and telling the story in prose isn't different enough to be interesting. Other "stories" seemed more like plotless character sketches. Overall - short, simple, fun stories.

 

And I read Natalie Goldberg's book of poetry entitled Top of My Lungs. She wrote Writing Down the Bones, and I could see the Zen influence in some of her poetry.

 

I've enjoyed reading the comments so far on the Calvino book.

[Ali in OR]

Finished two this week, and still reading stuff with my kids in mind. Finally read The Giver by Lois Lowry, and while it's definitely dystopian, it's not as dark and down as some. I think it would be fine for my kids and could lead to some good discussions. I was going to take a break from WWII, but then Anita Lobel's No Pretty Pictures arrived from Amazon and I couldn't put it down. She was Arnold Lobel's wife (of Frog and Toad fame) and an award-winning illustrator of children's books (eg A New Coat for Anna). Someone on this board recommended it for WWII reading and I'm glad they did. It tells the story of how she and her brother evaded the Nazis for several years (ages 5 and 3 at the beginning of the war) with help from their Nanny, staying in country villages, the Warsaw ghetto briefly, and a convent before finally being captured and taken to a concentration camp. The story of how they came through that alive is amazing, and more amazing is that both parents also survived.

 

Working on My Antonia now. I think I enjoy the modern period for history the most as there is much good stuff to read! I have a pile of Russian stuff to look through to see if there is anything short enough and easy enough to do with the girls. I've never read anything by Sozhenitsyn and I'm curious about him. I'll pick up a couple of short story books at the library tomorrow--Tolstoy and something by Chekhov.

 

 

Books Read in 2013

27. No Pretty Pictures-Anita Lobel

26. The Giver-Lois Lowry

25. The Definitive Edition Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank

24. Red Badge of Courage-Stephen Crane

23. Suite Francaise-Irene Nemirovsky

22. Have His Carcase-Dorothy Sayers

21. Cloud Atlas-David Mitchell

20. Busman’s Honeymoon-Dorothy Sayers

19. Strong Poison-Dorothy Sayers

18. The Kitchen House-Kathleen Grissom

17. Code Name Verity-Elizabeth Wein

16. Pandora’s Lunchbox-Melanie Warner

15. The Light Between Oceans-M.L. Stedman

14. Gaudy Night-Dorothy Sayers

13. Warrior Girls-Michael Sokolove

12. The Shape of the Eye-George Estreich

11. The Tiger’s Wife-Tea Obreht

10. The Hare with Amber Eyes-Edmund de-Waal

9. The Panic Virus-Seth Mnookin

8. Chi Running-Danny Dreyer

7. Speaking from Among the Bones-Alan Bradley

6. The Sun Also Rises-Ernest Hemingway

5. North by Northanger-Carrie Bebris

4. Train Dreams-Denis Johnson

3. Northanger Abbey-Jane Austen

2. Sense and Sensibility-Jane Austen

1. The Great Influenza-John M. Barry

[mumto2]

I am mainly posting in order to find the thread easily later. :)

 

My copy of "If on a Winter's Night ...." arrived in just four days. It certainly paid to put it on Dd's card. ;) We couldn't beleive something arrived that quickly. We are still waiting on requests from April. Oddly enough I pulled SWB's book out last week to look up Heart of Darkness and opened to the page for this book. Looking forward to it.

 

I just started "Heart of Darkness" with dd. It has always been my most disliked "important" book. I read it in high school and hated it. I wanted to read SWB's summary before I started. I am not far but like it more than I thought possible. :lol: I have been dreading this book so it has been a pleasant surprise.

[mlbuchina]

Get stoned?!

 

What is the favorite book series?

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

 

That's what I was wondering too, mlbuchina. :biggrinjester:

 

 

Yes, Getting Stoned.  LOL  Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu, by J. Maarten Troost.  I was just too lazy to type it all out!

 

My favorite series of all time ever is the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon.  Not everybody's cuppa, but I just love how well researched and detailed she makes her stories.  I love the history, and how she intertwines her characters into it.  And of course, there is Jamie Fraser.   :001_wub:   It is going to be a series on Starz.  I'm thinking it is going to be the competition to Game of Thrones on HBO?  Not sure, just guessing.

[eaglei]

Finished two light books, Amish fiction:

 

#39 - Hidden (Sisters of the Heart, Book One), by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

#40 - Wanted (Sisters of the Heart, Book Two), by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

Currently about to finish:

 

#41 - Forgiven (Sisters of the Heart, Book Three), by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

Up next, the conclusion:  Grace (Sisters of the Heart, Book Four), by Shelley Shepard Gray

[JennW in SoCal]

JennW, have fun at Comic Con!

 

And, did I miss your review/comments on the Sjon book? That's one I've been wanting to read. I'd love to hear your comments on it....

 

 

The Sjon book is one I plan to re-read before long because I was a bit distracted when I read it.  It is so beautiful and literary that it deserves a little more love from the reader!  It is a saga, in the tradition of Icelandic sagas, and the prose is poetic and elegiac, and it is just a bit, well, inscrutable.  I think I was unprepared when I started it after all those breezy police procedurals I've been reading -- I started reading it as casually as I do those books and it is worth a more focused, mindful read.

 

I think I will have fun at Comic-con -- I usually do.  But.  The crowds are bigger and more frenzied each year, and I'm just that much older each year so I have to really psych myself up before I go.  It is still far more about comics books and art than it is about tv and movies, but the Hollywood stuff is what gets all the press attention and is what makes the crowds so huge.  I love to take pictures, shop for new books, and catch a panel or two on sci-fi and fantasy literature.  

[Kim in Appalachia]

I finished The Dinner.  Loved it.  It was a fun read, which I highly recommend.  I liked it a lot better than The Shining Girls.  I thought it was decently written, the characters were interesting, the plot well paced, and the ending very good.  It was worth the wait on the library list, and if I had a vacation coming up and it wasn't available from the library yet, I would buy it.  It's worth it.  

 

I'm still working on The Innkeeper's Daughter.  It's good, not a page turner, but clever and unique.  

[Hoot]

Today I finished Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare.  It was awesome, as are all his plays.  I'm also about halfway through Shakespeare by Bill Bryson.  So far, it's neither interesting nor entertaining. 

 

Completed So Far

1. Best Friends by Samantha Glen
2. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien
3. The Gift of Pets: Stories Only a Vet Could Tell by Bruce Coston
4. Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess
5. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine
6. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim
7. Beowulf by Seamus Heaney
8. The Odyssey by Homer (Fagles translation)
9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
10. The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling by Quinn Cummings
11. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
12. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
13. Tales of an African Vet by Dr. Roy Aronson
14. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie
16. Kisses From Katie by Katie Katie Davis
17. Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
19. Zoo by James Patterson
20. St. Lucy's School for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
21. Russian Tortoises in Captivity by Jerry D. Fife
22. Leopard Geckos for Dummies by Liz Palika
23. The 8th Confession by James Patterson
24. Leopard Geckos: Caring for Your New Pet by Casey Watkins
25. The Ultimate Guide to Leopard Geckos by Phoenix Hayes Simmons
26. 9th Judgement by James Patterson
27. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson
28. 11th Hour by James Patterson
29. 12th of Never by James Patterson

30. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
31. Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea With Ocean Experts by Ellen J. Prager
32. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication by Kathleen M. Dudzinski & Toni Frohoff
33. The Greeening by S. Brubaker
34. No Touch Monkey! by Ayun Halliday
35. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

36. Beating Dyspraxia with a Hop, Skip, and a Jump by Geoff Platt

37. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

38. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor

39. The Stranger by Albert Camus

40. Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

[Negin]

Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days: An Almost Completely Honest Account of What Happened to Our Family When Our Youngest Son, His Wife, Their Baby, Their Toddler, and Their Five-Year Old Came to Live with Us for Three Months  by Judith Viorst

 

 

Kareni, this looks really good. We've always loved the Alexander series. Added it to my wish list. 

Sounds like you've had a few good reading weeks. Glad to see you back, Negin.

 

 

 

Thanks, Stacia. Nice to be back here. :)

 

Forgot to add that I also read The Snowman: A Harry Hole Novel - 4 Stars. 

 

[Luckymama]

 

I also read with pleasure The Books They Gave Me: True Stories of Life, Love, and Lit by Jen Adams.

Regards,

Karen

Thanks for the recommendation---just requested this from the library. It will make a nice change from all the American history I've been reading in preparation for the school year.

[Hoot]

This morning I finished Shakespeare: The World a Stage by Bill Bryson.  My only review of this book is snoooooooore.  This book was neither interesting nor informative to read.  It was beyond dull and boring with none of the humor and charm that Bryson is typically known for.  The only part that could even be considered mildly engaging was the very last chapter in which he discusses the anti-Stratford arguments.  Very disappointing.

 

I've started Their Eyes Were Watching God, which is amazing and I'm still working on Death at Sea World, which is also very good.

 

Completed So Far

1. Best Friends by Samantha Glen
2. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien
3. The Gift of Pets: Stories Only a Vet Could Tell by Bruce Coston
4. Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess
5. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine
6. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim
7. Beowulf by Seamus Heaney
8. The Odyssey by Homer (Fagles translation)
9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
10. The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling by Quinn Cummings
11. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
12. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
13. Tales of an African Vet by Dr. Roy Aronson
14. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie
16. Kisses From Katie by Katie Katie Davis
17. Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
19. Zoo by James Patterson
20. St. Lucy's School for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
21. Russian Tortoises in Captivity by Jerry D. Fife
22. Leopard Geckos for Dummies by Liz Palika
23. The 8th Confession by James Patterson
24. Leopard Geckos: Caring for Your New Pet by Casey Watkins
25. The Ultimate Guide to Leopard Geckos by Phoenix Hayes Simmons
26. 9th Judgement by James Patterson
27. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson
28. 11th Hour by James Patterson
29. 12th of Never by James Patterson

30. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
31. Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea With Ocean Experts by Ellen J. Prager
32. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication by Kathleen M. Dudzinski & Toni Frohoff
33. The Greeening by S. Brubaker
34. No Touch Monkey! by Ayun Halliday
35. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

36. Beating Dyspraxia with a Hop, Skip, and a Jump by Geoff Platt

37. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

38. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor

39. The Stranger by Albert Camus

40. Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

41. Shakespeare: The World a Stage by Bill Bryson

[Heather in Neverland]

Started Reading:

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexican Author, DD class 800)

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream by David Platt (American author, DD class 200)

When I Don't Desire God by John Piper (American author, DD class 200)

 

Still Reading:

The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200)

 

Finished:

33. The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (Dutch Author, DD class 900)

32. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900)

31. The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer (American author, DD class 800)

30. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (American author, DD class 800)

29.The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (American author, DD class 800)

28. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (American authors, DD class 800)

27. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900)

26. The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800)

25. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Ethiopian author, DD class 800)

24. Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams (American author, DD class 300)

23.The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (American author, DD class 600)

22. The Infernal Devices #3: The Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

21. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (American author, DD class 800)

20. Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill (British author, DD class 200)

19. The Infernal Devices #2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

18. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

17. God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts (British author, DD class 200)

16.The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Canadian Author, DD Class 800)

15.The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 900)

14. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Chinese author, DD class 800)

13. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (American author, DD class 900)

12. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500)

11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600)

10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200)

9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300)

8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100)

7. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800)

6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800)

5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800)

4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600)

3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800)

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800)

1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

[luvnlattes]

I finished a couple of books this past week. Gallows View by Peter Robinson was a slow starter for me but picked up mid-way. Overall, it'd be a 3 star read for me.

 

I also read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.  I'd seen it talked about here on the boards but I didn't realize that the book was going to be completely comprised of a series of letters.  It took a bit for me to get the characters sorted out but once I did it was a quick read that I enjoyed. I'd give this one 3.5 to 4 stars.

 

Come along and join me in reading If on a winter's night a traveler.

 

I'd love to! This is one reason I really wanted to get a Kindle. You all would be talking about reading a book together and when I'd check my library that book would already have multiple holds on it, and the same is true on this one. Now that I can order it, I'll be able to read along with others in real time which makes me happy!

[Stacia]

Anita Lobel's No Pretty Pictures arrived from Amazon and I couldn't put it down. She was Arnold Lobel's wife (of Frog and Toad fame) and an award-winning illustrator of children's books (eg A New Coat for Anna). Someone on this board recommended it for WWII reading and I'm glad they did. It tells the story of how she and her brother evaded the Nazis for several years (ages 5 and 3 at the beginning of the war) with help from their Nanny, staying in country villages, the Warsaw ghetto briefly, and a convent before finally being captured and taken to a concentration camp. The story of how they came through that alive is amazing, and more amazing is that both parents also survived.

 

Working on My Antonia now. I think I enjoy the modern period for history the most as there is much good stuff to read! I have a pile of Russian stuff to look through to see if there is anything short enough and easy enough to do with the girls. I've never read anything by Sozhenitsyn and I'm curious about him.

 

Anita Lobel's story does sound amazing. I'm sure you'll love Solzhenitsyn too. I read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich many years ago. I need to read Solzhenitsyn again sometime.

 

I am mainly posting in order to find the thread easily later. :)

 

My copy of "If on a Winter's Night ...." arrived in just four days. It certainly paid to put it on Dd's card. ;) We couldn't beleive something arrived that quickly. We are still waiting on requests from April. Oddly enough I pulled SWB's book out last week to look up Heart of Darkness and opened to the page for this book. Looking forward to it.

 

I just started "Heart of Darkness" with dd. It has always been my most disliked "important" book. I read it in high school and hated it. I wanted to read SWB's summary before I started. I am not far but like it more than I thought possible. :lol: I have been dreading this book so it has been a pleasant surprise.

 

Hey, two of my favorite books! :thumbup1:  (Glad you're finding Heart of Darkness more bearable this time around.)

 

My favorite series of all time ever is the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon. 

 

Ah, so that's the tv series you meant. It does seem like it may be for competition to Game of Thrones.

 

The Sjon book is one I plan to re-read before long because I was a bit distracted when I read it.  It is so beautiful and literary that it deserves a little more love from the reader!  It is a saga, in the tradition of Icelandic sagas, and the prose is poetic and elegiac, and it is just a bit, well, inscrutable.  I think I was unprepared when I started it after all those breezy police procedurals I've been reading -- I started reading it as casually as I do those books and it is worth a more focused, mindful read.

 

I think I will have fun at Comic-con -- I usually do.  But.  The crowds are bigger and more frenzied each year, and I'm just that much older each year so I have to really psych myself up before I go.  It is still far more about comics books and art than it is about tv and movies, but the Hollywood stuff is what gets all the press attention and is what makes the crowds so huge.  I love to take pictures, shop for new books, and catch a panel or two on sci-fi and fantasy literature.  

 

I'm so looking forward to reading Sjon. Your description matches others that I've read about his works. They just sound so gorgeous.

 

My family usually goes to DragonCon & that's a huge crowd too. Fun, but overwhelming sometimes. My bil & his friends have been doing DragonCon for years, do various group costumes during the week & so on. My sister came for the first time last year w/ the group & had fun. It worked out for me because she came here, helped take care of my dc (including taking them to DragonCon), while I went to her house to pet-sit. So, I had a very low-key, quiet week while she got the crazy crowds & activity level. :thumbup1:  (My sis & bil are in the background photo on this DragonCon page. They are in the upper left corner. :lol: The gal w/ the long blonde hair & the guy w/ black hair.) I think that's the plan again for this year. (But, they're getting renovations done on their house, so rather than having a quiet week, I may be dealing w/ hammering, pounding, etc... all week.)

 

I finished The Dinner.  Loved it.  It was a fun read, which I highly recommend.  I liked it a lot better than The Shining Girls.  I thought it was decently written, the characters were interesting, the plot well paced, and the ending very good.  It was worth the wait on the library list, and if I had a vacation coming up and it wasn't available from the library yet, I would buy it.  It's worth it. 

 

Thanks for the review.

 

For another European read, I'm reading They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books. It's obviously a very quick, quite funny book. This would be a good book to have if you're stuck in line somewhere, stuck in traffic, or when you're sitting on a train.

 

 

I've divorced better men than you. And worn more expensive shoes than these. So don't think placing this ad is the biggest comedown I've ever had to make. Sensitive F, 34.

 

Employed in publishing? Me too. Stay the hell away. Man on the inside seeks woman on the outside who likes milling around hospitals guessing the illnesses of out-patients. 30-35. Leeds.

 

They Call Me Naughty Lola is a testament to the creativity and humor that can still be found among men and women longing for love and allergic to the concepts of Internet and speed dating. Here is an irresistible collection of the most brilliant and often absurd personal ads from the world's funniest -- and most erudite -- lonely-hearts column. The ads have been called "surreal haikus of the heart," and in an age of false advertising, the men and women who write them are hindered neither by high expectations nor by positivism of any kind. And yet, while hopes of finding a suitable mate remain low, the column has produced a handful of marriages, many friendships, and at least one divorce.

 

Here are the young, old, fat, bald, healthy, ill, rich, and poor hoping that they can find true love, or at the very least, someone to call them Naughty Lola.

 

:lol:

[Mothersweets]

 I was going to take a break from WWII, but then Anita Lobel's No Pretty Pictures arrived from Amazon and I couldn't put it down. She was Arnold Lobel's wife (of Frog and Toad fame) and an award-winning illustrator of children's books (eg A New Coat for Anna). Someone on this board recommended it for WWII reading and I'm glad they did. It tells the story of how she and her brother evaded the Nazis for several years (ages 5 and 3 at the beginning of the war) with help from their Nanny, staying in country villages, the Warsaw ghetto briefly, and a convent before finally being captured and taken to a concentration camp. The story of how they came through that alive is amazing, and more amazing is that both parents also survived.

 

I read No Pretty Pictures several years ago and I think I read it all in two sittings! Amazing what she went through - so moving, tragic, incredible.

[Mothersweets]

I have 3 books this week:

 

Adrift:76 Days Lost at Sea - True story of a man sailing alone across the Atlantic. His sailboat sinks after the first fours days of his planned voyage and he ends up drifting across the Atlantic in a small rubber raft for the next 3 and 1/2 months. Oh my.

 

Georgina - fun fluffy Regency. :)

 

and I read this one several weeks ago but I don't think I posted about it - Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Foods, Obesity, and Disease by Robert H. Lustig. This is the same man who has the youtube lecture about sugars and disease. Very good read.

[BigMamaBird]

This week I read Selected Short Stories by William Faulkner.  I didn't care for them at all.  I don't care for his writing style.  The stories were riddled with the N-word, which I get is in the context of the time and place of the stories, but it was constant.  And most of the stories would just stop with no conclusion or explaination.  I'm glad it was a short book because I did not enjoy it at all and was really glad when it was done.  All the lists I've looked at for 20th Century literature have many of his books on them, I don't think I'll read any more of his writing, it's just not my thing.

 

 

1 - All The King's Men â€“ Robert Penn Warren 
2 - A Stranger in a Strange Land â€“ Robert Heinlein
3 - A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
4 - Catcher in the Rye â€“ J.D. Salinger
5 - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
6 - The Grapes of Wrath â€“ John Steinbeck
7 – Murder on the Orient Express â€“ Agatha Christie
8 – The Illustrated Man â€“ Ray Bradbury
9 – The Great Gatsby â€“ F. Scott Fitzgerald
10 – The Hiding Place â€“ Corrie Ten Boom
11 – The Square Foot Garden â€“ Mel Bartholomew
12 - Catch-22- Joseph Heller
13 - Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad
14 - Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie
15 - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
16 -O, Pioneers!- Willa Cather
17 - Miss Marple - The Complete Short Story Collection - Agatha Christie
18 - Ringworld - Larry Niven
19 - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce
20 - Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
21 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
22 - Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin
23 - The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow
24 - The War of the Worlds- H.G Wells
25 - The Girl with the Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier 

26 - The Golden Ball and Other Stories - Agatha Christie

27 - Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

28 - Selected Short Stories - William Faulkner

[Violet Crown]

Ali in OR and Stacia, I would take the plunge and read at least the first volume of The Gulag Archipelago. It's worth it. Great Girl read all three volumes her senior year and was greatly affected by them.

 

Still on Goethe. It's not particularly long; but I keep having to look up classical characters (the dactyls? the cabiri?) and trying to figure out what they represent. An excerpt:

 

PROTEUS: The sophist's tricks remain your cunning still.

THALES: And metamorphosis your favorite skill.

(He reveals Homunculus.)

PROTEUS: A lustrous dwarf! The first to greet my eyes!

THALES: He seeks to be, and needs your counsel wise.

Most strangely made, as I have heard him say,

For birth in his case reached but life's half-way,

No qualities he lacks of the ideal,

But sadly lacks the tangible and real.

Till now the glass alone has given him weight;

But now he longs for an embodied state.

 

-----------

 

You see, the Homunculus is an incipient creation, the ideal without the real or form without matter or the spirit without the body - who has accompanied Faust into the realm of classical Neoplatonic forms in a quest to become embodied, where he has met Thales, the philosopher who understood water to be the first principle, and therefore descended into the ocean to find Proteus, the proto-god of the sea and the principle of change. Got that?

[Ali in OR]

Ali in OR and Stacia, I would take the plunge and read at least the first volume of The Gulag Archipelago. It's worth it. Great Girl read all three volumes her senior year and was greatly affected by them.

 

It's in my pile! Haven't been brave enough to crack the cover yet though.

[Violet Crown]

Trust me, for all its heft it's an easy read. Not like certain German Romantic poets....

[-M-]

These two brought me to 59 for the year.

 

â–  Kiss Me First (Lottie Moggach; 2013. 320. pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Silent Wife (A.S.A. Harrison; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)

 

My daughters, 17 and 15, are wrapping up their summer swim season. Do any other Book-a-Weekers parent swimmers? Our team's foray into USA Swimming has been a true game-changer for the Misses, who until August 2012 only swam rec dual and conference meets. With the addition of USA Swimming meets to the team's schedule came longer, more frequent practices, more competitive meets, and many more opportunities to work on individual goals. My older daughter made a regional cut this past winter winter season and swam at the championship meet, but this season? After a terrific week away at swim camp and three challenging long course meets, both of them are headed to regionals! Miss M-mv(i) has three events; Miss M-mv(ii), one. We are so excited for them.

 

Mr. M-mv and I are also a little surprised by how much time all of this takes: a meet runs three days. Holy moly! Who knew? Heh, heh, heh. And when did we morph into "those parents"? You know: the ones who are at their kids' sporting events for the entire weekend? (*grin*) The nicest thing, I must confess, is that most of the hosts for these meets have lovely facilities, and we can always find a someplace cool and not-too-humid to hide away from the madding crowd and read or chat between events.

 

Yes, I share all this in pride and excitement, but also by way of partially explaining why I have mostly just hit-and-run the B-a-W this year. And swimming isn't the only drain on my time: The Misses are entering their senior and junior years, respectively, on August 1. No, I cannot believe it. I am entering my seventeenth year of homeschooling. Are there any other B-a-Wers with seniors? Whoeee and boy howdy, huh? (*wry grin*) We have no stress (so far) -- just many objectives to meet and more paperwork than you can shake a stick at. It has always taken time to do this right, and I am a fierce proponent of the "Focus on the moment you're in" mindset, but I have grown even more ruthless about distractions these days. This part of the journey is concluding, and I want to be there. Completely.

 

Anyway, I read the posts to these threads with delight -- collecting ideas; wondering if this intersection or that on our lists is related to a post, however hasty, I made; and periodically adding items to my Amazon cart or the (*GASP*) Kindle. I'm so glad for Robin and this thread, and for all of you who continue posting.

 

Enjoy the remainder of your summer! May it be filled with many good books.

 

Edited to append my list, for those who don't visit blogs:

 

Completed:

â–  Kiss Me First (Lottie Moggach; 2013. 320. pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Silent Wife (A.S.A. Harrison; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Comedy of Errors (William Shakespeare (1594); Folger ed. 2004. 272. pages. Drama.) *
â–  The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka (1915); Bantam ed. 1972. 201 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  The Storyteller (Jodi Picoult; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Kill Shakespeare: Volume 2 (Conor McCreery; 2011. 148 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  The Dinner (Herman Koch; 2013. 304 pages. Fiction.)
â–  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (Karen Joy Fowler; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Macbeth (William Shakespeare (1606); Folger ed. 2003. 272 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Run, Brother, Run: A Memoir of a Murder in My Family (David Berg; 2013. 272 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  NOS4A2 (Joe Hill; 2013. 704 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard (Linda Bates; 2013. 304 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Cast of Shadows (Kevin Guilfoile; 2006. 319 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Letters to a Young Poet (Rainer Maria Rilke; ed. 1986. 128 pages. Non-fiction.) *
â–  Much Ado about Nothing (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2003. 246 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Animal Man, Vol. 2 (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 176 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  So Much for That (Lionel Shriver; 2011. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Life Itself (Roger Ebert; 2011. 448 pages. Memoir.)
â–  Saga, Vol. 2 (Brian Vaughn; 2013. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  Animal Man, Vol. 1 (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  Very Good, Jeeves (P.G. Wodehouse; ed. 2006. 304 pages. Fiction.) 
â–  The 5th Wave (Rick Yancey; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Richard III (William Shakespeare (1592); Folger ed. 2005. 352 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked (James Lansdun; 2013. 224 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Harvest (A.J. Lieberman; 2013. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  The Guilty One (Lisa Ballantyne; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 288 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Dare Me (Megan Abott; 2012. 304 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life (Robin Stern; 2007. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Henry VIII (William Shakespeare (1613); Folger ed. 2007. 352 pages. Drama.)
â–  The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald; 1925/1980. 182 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  Attachments (Rainbow Rowell; 2011. 336 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Reconstructing Amelia (Kimberly McCreight; 2013. 400 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers (Margaret George; 1998. 960 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Picasso and Chicago: 100 Years, 100 Works (Stephanie D'Alessandro; 2013. 112 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Measure for Measure (William Shakespeare (1603); Folger ed. 2005. 288 pages. Drama.) 
â–  Wave (Sonali Deraniyagala; 2013. 240 pages. Memoir.)
â–  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death (Jean-Dominique Bauby; 1998. 131 pages. Autobiography.)
â–  The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers (Dick Teresi; 2012. 368 pages. Non-fiction.) 
â–  Human .4 (Mike A. Lancaster; 2011. 240 pages. YA fiction.)
â–  Warm Bodies (Isaac Marion; 2011. 256 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Underwater Welder (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 224 pages. Graphic fiction.) 
â–  After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story (Michael Hainey; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Philip K. Dick; 1968. 256 pages. Fiction.)  *
â–  Accelerated (Bronwen Hruska; 2012. 288 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger; 1951. 288 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes; 1966. 324 pages. Fiction.)  *
â–  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford; 2009. 301 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Dai Sijie; 2002. 104 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Revival, Vol. 1 (Tim Seeley; 2012. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  Saga, Vol. 1 (Brian K. Vaughan; 2012. 160 pages. Graphic fiction.)
■ La Bohème: Black Dog Opera Library (2005. 144 pages. Libretto, history, and commentary.)
â–  The 13 Clocks (James Thurber (1950); 2008. 136 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (Susannah Cahalan; 2012. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2003. 288 pages. Drama.)  *
â–  Don't Turn Around (Michelle Gagnon; 2012. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors (Ann Rule; 2012. 544 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Daddy Love (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 240 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Life after Death (Damien Echols; 2012. 416 pages. Non-fiction.)

* Denotes a reread.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

 

[LostSurprise]

I haven't been posting because I've really been struggling this year. I went through a month or two were I read very little if anything. Then I went through a month were I was reading 3-4 books a week. 

 

I've decided to give up any challenges I had and just try to enjoy whatever gets me through the year. I picked up some non-fiction by EB White (Second Tree from the Corner-collected articles from The New Yorker I think) at the library this week and I'm enjoying that right now. I'm reading a time travel novel to my husband in the car and deciding which book to pick up off my nightstand. 

 

Oh, and I read some list which mentioned Stephen Elliot as a major novelist emerging in the last 5-7 years so I have a copy of The Adderall Diaries waiting for me. 

 

Top Ten *
Best of the Year **

51. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld~youth fiction, dystopia.

50. The House by the Sea by May Sarton~journal, old age.  (Dewey Decimal challenge: 800s)

49. Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis book 2) by Octavia Butler~science fiction, aliens, genetic manipulation.

48. The Tall Pine Polka by Lorna Landvik~small town, friends.

47. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriquez~memoir, Afganistan, women. *

46. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel~magical realism, cooking.

45. Dawn (Xenogenesis book 1) by Octavia Butler~science fiction, aliens, genetic manipulation

44. The Moviegoer by Walker Percy~literature, the search, New Orleans.

43. Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry by Donna Hay~cookbook

42. House of Stairs by William Sleator~youth novel, experiment, conditioning. 

41. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling~fantasy, wizards, school.

40. Jackpine Savages by Frank Larson~memoir, Northern Wisconsin.

39. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King 

38  The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn~non-fiction, cooking, teaching, how people eat.

37. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan~fiction, France, ballet, Degas.*

36. The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chiang~Persian/Arabian Knights-like style, time travel.

35. The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia by Esther Hautzig~non-fiction, WWII, Siberia. * 

34. Old Man's War by John Scalzi~science fiction, war, future. 

33. Blameless by Gail Carriger~steampunk, vampires & werewolves.

32. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger~youth fiction, steampunk, school for female assassins.

31. Timeless by Gail Carriger~steampunk, Victoriana, vampires & werewolves.

30. The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang~speculative fiction, AI.

29. Heartless by Gail Carriger~steampunk, Victoriana, vampires & werewolves.

28. Benediction by Kent Haruf~small town, characterization, cancer. *

27. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz~supernatural thriller, ghosts.

26. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome~classic children's story, boats, pirates.

25. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz~supernatural thriller, ghosts. 
24. The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Danielewski~horror, storytelling, sewing, performance art. 
23. Dough: a Memoir by Mort Zachter~New York, immigrants, family. (Dewey Decimal challenge: 300s)
22. Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman~graphic novel, sleep, quest. (Fiction genre challenge: graphic novels)
21. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz~supernatural thriller, ghosts *
20. The Story of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang~science fiction, short stories (Fiction genre challenge: short stories) **
19. Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols~memoir, gardening, humor (Dewey Decimal Challenge, 600s)
18. D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths by the D'Aulaires~Norse myths (Dewey Decimal Challenge, 200s)
17. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout~fiction, short stories, aging. *
16. Philosophy: a Discovery in Comics by Margreet de Heer~nonfiction, philosophy, comics (Dewey Decimal challenge, 100s)
15. Concrete Island by JG Ballard~fiction, isolation, survival
14. The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis~fiction, coming of age, chess *
13. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine l'Engle~children's fiction, fantasy, coming of age
12. Way Station by Clifford Simak~science fiction, aliens, atomic age (Fiction genre challenge: Science Fiction)
11. Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish~autobiography, Depression, family (Dewey Decimal Challenge, 900s) *
10. Changeless by Gail Carriger~fiction, steampunk, series, werewolves/vampire, Victoriana. 
9. The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman~fiction, family drama, Australia, miscarriage. (Continental Challenge: Australia) *
8. Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card~fantasy, alternative early America, witchcraft/magic.
7. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson~satire, American dream, drug trip. (Dewey Decimal Challenge, 000s)
6. Soulless by Gail Carriger~steampunk, vampires, werewolves, Victoriana. (Fiction genre challenge: Fantasy)
5. Away by Jane Urquhart~Ireland, Canada, emigration, magical realism, family saga. (Continental Challenge: North America/Canada) *
4. Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim~autobiography, Germany pre-WWI, gardening, women's roles
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer~fiction, WWII, letters, humor
2. The Little Book by Seldon Edwards~fiction, Vienna, time travel (Fiction genre challenge: General Fiction)
1. Mad Mary Lamb by Susan Tyler Hitchcock~biography, 19th century, women's roles, mental illness (Finally Finished challenge)

 

Working on: 

Imago (Xenogenesis book 3)

Pastwatch: the Redemption of Christopher Columbus

Second Tree from the Corner

The Adderall Diaries

[mumto2]

I finished "The Heart of Darkness" last night. It definately is not a bad as my memories of it! I still find it very disturbing, so much death and destruction. I know why I didn't like it in high school at least. Oddly enough Dd really enjoyed it. I have moved on to "Things Fall Apart". I am only through the first dozen pages so no real opinions so far.

 

I also finished "The Neighbor" by Lisa Gardner. It was one where everything changed very dramatically at the end. Nothing was as expected.

[MelAR05]

I have been out of town for a wedding and did not get any reading done. Not even on the long drive. :( Visiting family and being a part of a wonderful wedding made the sacrifice worth it though. I did finish (28) Unbroken 2 weeks ago and thought it really was an amazing story. I have a much greater appreciation for what soldiers and POWs went through during WWII. I am now reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and it's a delightful and fun read. The extra bonus is having Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in my imagination as I read. :D

[Hoot]

This morning I finished Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.  There really aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe how much I loved this book.  It is easily the best book I've read all year. 

 

Completed So Far

1. Best Friends by Samantha Glen
2. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien
3. The Gift of Pets: Stories Only a Vet Could Tell by Bruce Coston
4. Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess
5. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine
6. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim
7. Beowulf by Seamus Heaney
8. The Odyssey by Homer (Fagles translation)
9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
10. The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling by Quinn Cummings
11. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
12. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
13. Tales of an African Vet by Dr. Roy Aronson
14. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie
16. Kisses From Katie by Katie Katie Davis
17. Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
19. Zoo by James Patterson
20. St. Lucy's School for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
21. Russian Tortoises in Captivity by Jerry D. Fife
22. Leopard Geckos for Dummies by Liz Palika
23. The 8th Confession by James Patterson
24. Leopard Geckos: Caring for Your New Pet by Casey Watkins
25. The Ultimate Guide to Leopard Geckos by Phoenix Hayes Simmons
26. 9th Judgement by James Patterson
27. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson
28. 11th Hour by James Patterson
29. 12th of Never by James Patterson

30. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
31. Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea With Ocean Experts by Ellen J. Prager
32. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication by Kathleen M. Dudzinski & Toni Frohoff
33. The Greeening by S. Brubaker
34. No Touch Monkey! by Ayun Halliday
35. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

36. Beating Dyspraxia with a Hop, Skip, and a Jump by Geoff Platt

37. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

38. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor

39. The Stranger by Albert Camus

40. Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

41. Shakespeare: The World a Stage by Bill Bryson

42. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

[Stacia]

I finished They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books, edited by David Rose.

 

If you're looking for a quick read & love British humor, this might be the book for you. It would be perfect to have on hand if you're waiting in line somewhere. It doesn't take much concentration to read & most entries are just a few lines each.

Quite a few of these were funny, so I found it an amusing volume overall. I also enjoyed some of the footnotes, especially the ones about Herve Jean-Pierre Villechaize ("de plane, de plane"), Yoda ('Jedi Master'), and the extensive appendix of Evel Knievel's jumps & injuries.

2.5 stars. I would give it a little more, but it just doesn't really even qualify as much of a 'book', imo -- more of a lengthy list.

 

[ChristyB in TN]

Well, hello again! I am back after a long period of 70 hour work weeks while still home (office) schooling my son, I am bringing it all home again. I have missed you all! When I am not checking in on here I feel like I am missing something. If you don't remember me, I have been home schooling since 2000 or 1999, I really don't know... I have 3 kids, 2 are in college, 1 is in the 8th grade. Mind if I jump in here? I haven't completed a book in soooooooooo long!

I am reading Life of Pi because it is on the reading list I have made for my son. I am on chapter 20 and enjoying it thoroughly.

I am finishing up Steinbeck's The Pearl. My son is reading it now and I am trying to stay ahead of him.

After several false starts, I will begin reading How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia again today.Hamid is one of my favorite authors, I loved Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist so I am thrilled to finally be able to relax and enjoy his latest book.

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #45 - "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad.  (WEM)  I read this in High School, though I had mercifully forgotten all the details.  I remember having about the same reaction.  Ugh.  But it did seem shorter this time.

Book #44 - "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown.
Book #43 - "I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't)" by Brene Brown.
Book #42 - "Be Still: Using Principles of the Gospel to Lower Anxiety" by G. Sheldon Martin.
Book #41 - "Daring Greatly" - by Brene Brown.
Book #40 - "The New Testament" - Authorized King James Version (1611). (Inspiration)
Book #39 - "Teachings of Presidents of the Church - Lorenzo Snow"
Book #38 - "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane. (WEM)
Book #37 - "Recovering Charles" by Jason F. Wright.
Book #36 - "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. (WEM)
Book #35 - "Maphead" by Ken Jennings.
Book #34 - "Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James. (WEM)
Book #33 - "Earthly Deligihts" by Kerry Greenwood. (Australian author, Australian setting.)
Book #32 - "The Year of Learning Dangerously" by Quinn Cummings.
Book #31 - "The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #30 - "The Forgotten Affairs of Youth" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #29 - "The Charming Quirks of Others" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #28 - "I am Half-Sice of Shadows" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.)
Book #27 - ""Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs" by Ken Jennings.
Book #26 - "Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales & Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids" by Ken Jennings.
Book #25 - "A Red Herring Without Mustard" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.)
Book #24 - "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" by Tarquin Hall. (British author, Indian setting.)
Book #23 - "The Lost Art of Gratitude" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #22 - "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.)
Book #21 - "Academic Homeschooling: How to Give Your Child an Amazing Education and Survive" by Tracy Chatters.
Book #20 - "The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #19 - "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy. (WEM.)
Book #18 - "The Careful Use of Compliments" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #17 - "The Right Attitude to Rain" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #16 - "Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder" by Shamini Flint. (Singaporean author, Malaysian setting.)
Book #15 - "Friends, Lovers, Chocolate" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #14 - "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.)
Book #13 - "Portuguese Irregular Verbs" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/]Scottish author, German character, German/Swiss/Italian/Ireland/Indian settings.)
Book #12 - "In Cold Pursuit" by Sarah Andrews. (Antarctica setting.)
Book #11 - "Anna Karenina" by Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy. (Russian; or WEM challenge.)
Book #10 - "The Sunday Philosophy Club" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)
Book #9 - "The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection" by Alexander McCall Smith. (]Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #8 - "The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #7 - "The Double Comfort Safari Club" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #6 - " Tea Time for the Traditionally Built" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #5 - "Crime and Punishment" by Fydor Dostoevsky. (Russian; or WEM challenge.)
Book #4 - "The Miracle of Speedy Motors" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #3 - "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive" by Alexander McCall Smith. (]Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #2 - "Blue Shoes and Happiness" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)
Book #1 - "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

[Kareni]

Well, hello again! I am back after....

 

Welcome back!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[ChristyB in TN]

Welcome back!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[ChristyB in TN]

Thanks! :) it is an awful lot of fun to read and catch up with everyone.

[Stacia]

I have 3 books this week:

 

Adrift:76 Days Lost at Sea - True story of a man sailing alone across the Atlantic. His sailboat sinks after the first fours days of his planned voyage and he ends up drifting across the Atlantic in a small rubber raft for the next 3 and 1/2 months. Oh my.

 

Let us know what you think. I was in Charleston years ago when various boats were coming in from the Around Alone competition. Amazing & incredible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velux_5_Oceans_Race

 

Ali in OR and Stacia, I would take the plunge and read at least the first volume of The Gulag Archipelago.

 

-----------

 

You see, the Homunculus is an incipient creation, the ideal without the real or form without matter or the spirit without the body - who has accompanied Faust into the realm of classical Neoplatonic forms in a quest to become embodied, where he has met Thales, the philosopher who understood water to be the first principle, and therefore descended into the ocean to find Proteus, the proto-god of the sea and the principle of change. Got that?

 

For the first part (the Gulag)... will do.

 

For the second part... um, my brain hurts now. :huh: :lol:

 

This part of the journey is concluding, and I want to be there. Completely.

 

Wise words indeed. But, then again, I've always considered you a wise woman.

 

P.S. Yay for your dds!

 

I've decided to give up any challenges I had and just try to enjoy whatever gets me through the year.

 

Sounds like a good plan.  :thumbup1:  Hope things are going ok for you. :grouphug:

 

I am now reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and it's a delightful and fun read. The extra bonus is having Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in my imagination as I read. :D

 

:thumbup1:

 

This morning I finished Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.  There really aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe how much I loved this book.  It is easily the best book I've read all year.

 

Another one of those "I've been meaning to read it..." books on my list.

 

Hamid is one of my favorite authors, I loved Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist so I am thrilled to finally be able to relax and enjoy his latest book.

 

:seeya:  again. Glad to see you!

 

I still need to try Hamid....

[Hoot]

Another one of those "I've been meaning to read it..." books on my list.

 

It was on my list for years before I finally got around to it.  Somehow, I'm not sure I would have appreciated it quite as much had I read it back then though.