Book a Week in 2013 - week thirty one

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 31 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 - 2013 Man Booker Prize Long List:  The long list for The Man Booker Prize for 2013 has just been announced this past week and there are some very interesting books on the list.   The Booker Prize foundation is a registered charity sponsored by The Man Group, an alternate investment management business.  The prize is awarded to the best full length novel written by an author who is a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and published in the United Kingdom for the first time in the year of the prize. The story must be written in English and can not be self published.  The 13 nominee are:  A Tale for the Time Being by  Ruth Ozeki,  Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson, Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw, Harvest by Jim Crace, The Kills by Richard House, The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri,The Luminaries by  Eleanor Catton,The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by  Eve Harris,The Spinning Heart by  Donal Ryan,  The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin,  TransAtlantic by Colum McCann, Unexploded by Alison MacLeod, and We Need New Names by Noviolet Bulawayo.   Many of the books fit in with our Continental challenge and I've already added a few to my wishlist. 

 

 

August is going to be Shakespeare Reading Month, thanks to Shari

 

PBS's Great Performances is finally (finally!!) broadcasting the new productions of Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V beginning at the end of September.  The trailer is here.  I. Can't. Wait!!!  The cast is amazing.   I am determined to read all three plays (or four plays if you count Henry IV parts 1 & 2) before the premiere(s). 

 

 

If you've never read any Shakespeare, now would be a great time.  

 

 

Here's an interesting tidbit of news about Amazon dropping prices with 50% to 65% off on  best selling hardcover books.  Now may be the time to stock on those books you've been wanting to buy.

 

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 30

 

 

[Robin M]

Nothing too terribly highbrow from me this week.  I'm still continuing to reread Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and currently on Burnt Offerings.   Just as good the 2nd time around and picking up on things I missed the first time.

[Kareni]

I've been doing some re-reading this weekend. 

Love Irresistibly (FBI/U.S. Attorney)  and A Lot Like Love (FBI/U.S. Attorney)

These are both contemporary romances by Julie James.   There is lots of witty banter, so these are fun to read (and re-read).

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Just Robyn]

I finished Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin - This is a feminist science fiction novel with lots of linguistics. I enjoyed the story, but I thought the prose needed to be tightened up all the way through - a little too wordy.

 

I also finished The Truth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham - a nonfiction book explaining folk magic and Wicca.

[Stacia]

Well, I'm working on two right now.

 

One (that I had briefly set aside) is The Gargoyle. It seems ok so far, but I'm not totally sure that it's my style of book. I've had it recommended a few times through the years as it seems to be considered an unusual/unique book.

 

The other is Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway (John Le Carre's son). I'm about 1/4 of the way through it and am totally loving it. Unfortunately, I had to return it to the library yesterday as I got it from my sister's library & needed to return it because I'm heading home. I've already got it on request at my library at home, so I hope to get back to it soon! I think this is going to be one of my favorites this year if the rest of the book is as good as the part I've read.

http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/The-Speculator/Angelmaker/ba-p/7293

 

I always love seeing the Booker lists, Robin. I read A Tale for the Time Being this year and would highly recommend it. It has been one of my favorites so far this year.

 

Not sure yet if I'll join the Shakespeare readings or not....

[Stacia]

Here are a couple of items that might interest you...

 

A Brain Picking's post about Edward Gorey's illustrations for Dracula. There's even a playset (aimed for macabre children, perhaps, lol?). When I re-read Dracula a year ago, I got the Gorey version. There are not actually many illustrations, but I certainly enjoyed Gorey's drawings of the characters.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/07/22/edward-gorey-dracula/

 

And, Flavorwire has a fun list of 12 Books That Indulge the Senses:

http://flavorwire.com/406364/12-books-that-indulge-the-senses/view-all

[Negin]

Yoga for Women - 5 Stars - very motivational, lovely photos. This book is a keeper. Great for all stages of a woman's life. I'm smiling at how silly it is that the Kindle version costs more than the paperback. And besides, the thought of a yoga book or any workout book on a Kindle simply does not appeal to me. 

 

You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl - 4 Stars - Hilarious, but also a bit on the rude side for those who may be easily offended. 

 

   

 

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.

[Jane in NC]

I am almost finished with Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo.  This book garnered multiple awards in 2012 (including the National Book Award for Nonfiction) and is nominated for a 2013 Pulitzer Prize.  It is an AMAZING piece of writing.  I give it two thumbs up and five stars.   I downloaded this book on a whim trying to see if I could remember how to transfer titles from my library's ebook collection to my reader, and now I can't believe I waited so long.

 

Next up is Shakespeare's  Richard III  (Richard 3), which is not actually one of The Hollow Crown series movies.  Sorry for the mistake in last week's thread.    (Thanks, Robin, for the shout-out and for fixing my error!)  Regardless, I am going to read this one since I've got it, and since it is on SWB's WEM list.    I understand that Al Pacino does a pretty mean Richard III so maybe I'll watch his version when I'm done.   :D

 

I've also started some Great Britain related nonfiction, Thames: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd.  From the book jacket:

 

"In short, lively chapters Ackroyd writes about connections between the Thames and such historical figures as Julius Ceasar and Henry VIII, and offers memorable portraits of the ordinary men and women who depend upon the river for their livelihoods.  He visits all the towns and villages along the river from Oxfordshire to London and describes the magnificent royal residences, as well as the bridges and docks, locks and weirs, found along its 215-mile run.  The Thames as a source of artistic inspiration comes brilliantly to life as Ackroyd invokes Chaucer, Shakespeare, Turner, Shelley, and other writers, poets, and painters who have been enchaned by its many moods and colors."

 

 Thames is one of my Dusty Books, and I mean that literally.  When I pulled this one off the shelf and blew along the top of the pages, there was a visible cloud   :lol:    This book is a companion volume to Ackroyd's London: The Biography, which is also on my TBR for August.

 

 

Boo's book was in my library bag for a bit but I returned it before reading it. Now to add it back to the library list...

 

Thames: The Biography sounds fabulous. Adding that too.

 

I reread Richard II in recent years so I would prefer to reread Richard III. Thanks for the typo. ;)

 

The other is Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway (John Le Carre's son). I'm about 1/4 of the way through it and am totally loving it. Unfortunately, I had to return it to the library yesterday as I got it from my sister's library & needed to return it because I'm heading home. I've already got it on request at my library at home, so I hope to get back to it soon! I think this is going to be one of my favorites this year if the rest of the book is as good as the part I've read.

http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/The-Speculator/Angelmaker/ba-p/7293

 

Thanks for bringing this author to my attention, Stacia!

 

You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl - 4 Stars - Hilarious, but also a bit on the rude side for those who may be easily offended.

Celia's columns appear in my newspaper. I find her to be amusing but I think your warning is appropriate!

[mumto2]

WOW!!! Everyone has listed some great books this week. My list just grew by half a page.

 

 

I finished "If on a Winter's Night Traveller". I enjoyed many parts of it and probably would be viewing the overall book more highly if I hadn't had some preconceived plot ideas which were just plain wrong! I won't say more because others are reading it.

 

I am 76% completed for "Things Fall Apart" and am really enjoying it. I just requested part two according to the library...about the son or grandson? I am having some computer problems so am afraid of losing my post if I get the title. But looking forward to it. I have also added Eliana's "Hopes and Impediments" to my list. Hopefully a library will have it so will look tonight.

[melmichigan]

We were away on vacation so I didn't get much reading done this last week.

 

Since I last checked in the only books of interest that I have finished are the KGI Novel Series by Maya Banks (http://www.goodreads.com/series/47308-kgi since I'm on my ipad) and the two books I skipped from Robyn Carr's Virgin River Series.

 

I have no budget for books for the next month or two and will be relying on freebies and our library. :( I did put a few books from one of Robin's series suggestions on request for ILL so we'll see how long those take to arrive.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I finished my 31st book this week, Sick of Shadows by McCrumb, and reviewed it on my blog.

 

Books to Read

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Redwall (to preview for kids)

 

Ongoing books

The One Year Bible

The History of the Ancient World by Bauer (I did manage to make some progress in this one again this week)

 

Completed books

30.  The Wrath of Athena by Riordan

29.  The Son of Neptune by Riordan

28.  The Lost Hero by Riordan

27.  The Well-Educated Mind by Bauer

26.  The Last Olympian by Riordan

25.  The Battle of the Labyrinth by Riordan

24.  How to Read a Book by Adler

23. The Titan's Curse by Riordan
22. The Horse and His Boy by Lewis
21. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Lewis
20. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Doyle
19. The Sea of Monsters by Riordan
18. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Stevenson
17. Captains Courageous by Kipling
16. Getting Things Done by Adler
15. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Aiken
14. The Neverending Story by Ende
13. The Coral Island by Ballantyne
12. The Magician's Nephew by Lewis
11. The Children of Green Knowe by Boston
10. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Twain
9. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Fleming
8. Oliver Twist by Dickens
7. The Lightning Thief by Riordan
6. Children of the New Forest by Marryat
5. The Black Cauldron by Alexander
4. Anne of Avonlea by Montgomery
3. Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery
2. Talking Money by Chatzky
1. Pride and Prejudice by Austen

 

[eaglei]

Another very busy week, so I only managed to finish one easy-reading novel:

 

#43 - Sarina, by Francine Rivers.

 

I am still in the middle of the same two nonfiction books from last week, and also started another fiction novel by an author I had never heard of (too tired to go get them to post their titles/authors) . . .

 

At this time last year, I had concluded 40 books, so I am pleased that, with as busy as this year has turned out to be (and also still dealing with some old stressful things as well as some new ones), I am ahead of last year.  :)

[Negin]

 

 

Celia's columns appear in my newspaper. I find her to be amusing but I think your warning is appropriate!

Jane, I didn't know that she writes a column. Yes, she definitely isn't for everyone. :)

[Ali in OR]

Nothing finished this week but a couple in progress:

 

The Gulag Archipelago--this will take me awhile. Hopefully it's not in high demand and I'll be able to keep checking it out from the library.

 

Lies Young Women Believe--Pre-reading this to read through with dds for devotion time. My older dd will head out into the real world in a year (public high school), and I want to help prepare her a bit for some of the things she may find there. This was recommended by a youth pastor only because we've already read Do Hard Things (his top pick). I'm almost done with it and I think we'll get into some good conversations. There are issues that won't apply to her at all, but it may help her to have her radar up, know they exist, and maybe the information could help her be a good friend to someone in that situation. 

[mumto2]

In rereading Sharyn McCrumb's series I have discovered that I normally pick #4 Paying the Piper, #6 Missing Susan, and #8 MacPherson's Lament for rereads. The characters are always a bit over the top but I think the first book may be the worst in terms of obnoxious characters. I am waiting for #3 right now so.... My favorite has always been Missing Susan about Elizabeth's bus tour through the UK based on famous murders.

 

I finished my 31st book this week, Sick of Shadows by McCrumb, and reviewed it on my blog.

 

Books to Read

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Redwall (to preview for kids)

 

Ongoing books

The One Year Bible

The History of the Ancient World by Bauer (I did manage to make some progress in this one again this week)

 

Completed books

30.  The Wrath of Athena by Riordan

29.  The Son of Neptune by Riordan

28.  The Lost Hero by Riordan

27.  The Well-Educated Mind by Bauer

26.  The Last Olympian by Riordan

25.  The Battle of the Labyrinth by Riordan

24.  How to Read a Book by Adler

23. The Titan's Curse by Riordan

22. The Horse and His Boy by Lewis

21. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Lewis

20. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Doyle

19. The Sea of Monsters by Riordan

18. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Stevenson

17. Captains Courageous by Kipling

16. Getting Things Done by Adler

15. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Aiken

14. The Neverending Story by Ende

13. The Coral Island by Ballantyne

12. The Magician's Nephew by Lewis

11. The Children of Green Knowe by Boston

10. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Twain

9. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Fleming

8. Oliver Twist by Dickens

7. The Lightning Thief by Riordan

6. Children of the New Forest by Marryat

5. The Black Cauldron by Alexander

4. Anne of Avonlea by Montgomery

3. Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery

2. Talking Money by Chatzky

1. Pride and Prejudice by Austen

[Violet Crown]

Re: Richard III. When dh and I were newly married and thoroughly impoverished students living in the Bay Area, for his birthday I spent money we didn't quite have and bought a pair of tickets to see Ian McKellen as Richard III in San Francisco. And he did the same thing, my birthday being the same week. We then had to find someone at the last minute to buy the unexpected extra tickets. Now that was a great production of Shakespeare! We happily now take the kids to watch the free Shakespeare in the Park each summer here in flyover country; but the memories of dressing up and going into the City to see McKellen linger.

[Kareni]

Re: Richard III. When dh and I were newly married and thoroughly impoverished students living in the Bay Area, for his birthday I spent money we didn't quite have and bought a pair of tickets to see Ian McKellen as Richard III in San Francisco. And he did the same thing, my birthday being the same week. ...

 

What a fun story; it brought to mind O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.

 

Enjoy those free Shakespeare in the Park performances!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mlbuchina]

This past week I was caught up in a knew knitting project, so I switched from reading Dragonfly in Amber to listening to it on my iPod.   :D  I'm about a third of the way through.  I enjoy listening to Davina Porter reading this series very much, but there is just something about holding the much loved, and well-worn, book in my hands that adds to the experience.

 

I have also started reading a book on my Kindle called Grace Awakening, by Shawn L. Bird.  I stared following her on Twitter for a completely unrelated reason, and then realized she was an author.  This is her first book, so we'll see how it goes.  Here's the blurb about it from Amazon:

 

 

 

Grace Awakening Book One: Awakening Dreams is an urban fantasy YA novel set in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, Greek gods are walking among the population and a battle is unfolding to the destroy love, beauty and radiance that makes all art and music possible. Grace only knows that she is incapacitated by the music of Ben, who seems sure that he's been in love with her forever. She also knows that she has become the target of mysterious attacks in school and around the city. As she awakens to the connection her dreams have to another world, Grace realizes she has a bigger destiny than she could have imagined. In Grace Awakening modern first love is entangled with ancient myth. It's Twilight meets Percy Jackson.

 

The Round Up

44. By Reason of Insanity

43. Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu
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

[Jane in NC]

What a fun story; it brought to mind O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.

 

Enjoy those free Shakespeare in the Park performances!

 

Regards,

Kareni

My thought precisely!

[Onceuponatime]

Finishing up The Water Babies by Charles Kingley, just because I've never read it. Um, weird. Lots of cultural stuff that would be very iffy today, along with the strange morality tale.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Mothersweets]

Finished book #11 of the Aubrey/Maturin series The Reverse of the Medal and am loving it.

 

I am almost finished with this next book - about 30 pages left  - has anyone else read this? Life After Life by Kate Atkinson From Amazon:

 

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

 

I sat down and read the first 450 pages without stopping. I think this is going to be one of my favorites for the year.

 

[Mothersweets]

 

Calico Palace by Gwen Bristow: Bristow's "historical" fiction is, on one level, dreadful, full of stereotypes and soap opera stuff, but at certain challenging points in my life I find her a comforting reread - her characters are gutsy and outspoken, they navigate some hard, painful challenges with grace and compassion and band together to help each other out.  They have no real redeeming literary value, but I 'met' their characters when I was a young teen (and a much less discriminating reader) and they became part of my metal/emotional landscape, and I retain an unreasonable fondness for them.

 

 

 

 

 

I've read this author's other book - Jubilee Trail. I gave it a  2 to 2 1/2 stars. Her heroine does a 180 character change about halfway through the story.  I found some if the story compelling but totally agree with you on the soap opera-ness of her writing. One of my younger teens read it and really liked it.

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm having a good summer, book-wise.  If only there was more time to just read!

 

Last week I finished Hyperion by Dan Simmons.  It was an unexpected pleasure partly because I had never heard of it before and only started it because my ds was enjoying it so much.  It's format was unexpected, too, as it is a sci fi Cantebury Tales.   And, Lost Surprise are you there reading this?  I am glad I knew ahead of time that the story continues in the next book so I wasn't disappointed that there wasn't a resolution and denouement.  That said, I loved the ending!!  It was wacky and surreal and made me laugh.  Great characters, great story, worth reading.    My only fault with the book was with one of the readers on the audio version.  The sole female was read by a poor actress whose voice did NOT fit the character.  But I was so absorbed in listening to the book that I got lots of the hand applique work I'm doing on a quilt!

 

While I was in the library Saturday looking in vain for the next Hyperion book, I saw an early DCI Banks mystery I had missed.  A Necessary End was a quick and pleasant read and renewed my appreciation for the series.  The last one I had read, not the most recent but a recent one, was too formulaic and lacked the heart of these earlier books.  

 

I have some long drives to music gigs this month and am happy to have more good audiobooks to listen to.  Yesterday I started Cukoo's Calling, the first book by Robert Galbraith, aka JK Rowling.  It is terrific!  Wonderful characters, and a decent mystery.  

 

 

[JennW in SoCal]

WOW!!! Everyone has listed some great books this week. My list just grew by half a page.

 

 

I was going to do the whole multi-quote thing, but this sums it up!  

 

Good luck to Eliana in surviving the next few weeks til the wedding and a Mazel Tov!

 

Violet Crown wins on the sweetest story ever on the Shakespeare tickets.  

[mumto2]

Finishing up The Water Babies by Charles Kingley, just because I've never read it. Um, weird. Lots of cultural stuff that would be very iffy today, along with the strange morality tale.

When we first moved to the UK that book was on the library's classic shelf for children so I did it as a read aloud. I kept thinking it would improve. Ds remembers it well but not fondly. Lol

[aggieamy]

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote – I struggle with rating this because at parts the writing was great and at other times the story dragged and I could feel that the author was trying to add tension which took away from the story for me.  BUT – I felt compelled to read it. 

 

In Progress:
 

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (read aloud)

Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse (audiobook)

 

2013 finished books:
 

56. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (****)

55. Decorating is Fun by Dorothy Draper (****)

54. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (****)

53. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman (****)

52. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (** **)

51. Entertaining is Fun: How to be a Popular Hostess by Dorothy Draper  (*****)

50. The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (audiobook) (***)

Amy's Rating System:

***** - Fantastic, couldn't put it down
**** - Very good
*** - Enjoyable but nothing special
** - Not recommended
* - Horrible

[Kareni]

I am almost finished with this next book - about 30 pages left  - has anyone else read this? Life After Life by Kate Atkinson From Amazon:

 

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

 

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

 

I sat down and read the first 450 pages without stopping. I think this is going to be one of my favorites for the year.

 

That does sound interesting!  I'm reminded of a favorite book of mine:  Replay by Ken Grimwood.

 

"Jeff Winston, forty-three, didn't know he was a replayer until he died and woke up twenty-five years younger in his college dorm room; he lived another life. And died again. And lived again and died again -- in a continuous twenty-five-year cycle -- each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, remedy past mistakes, or make a fortune in the stock market. A novel of gripping adventure, romance, and fascinating speculation on the nature of time, Replay asks the question: "What if you could live your life over again?""

 

From the Library Journal's review on Amazon:

 

"The possibility of traveling back in time to relive one's life has long fascinated science fiction writers. Without a single gesture toward an explanation, this mainstream novel recounts the story of a man and a woman mysteriously given the ability to live their lives over. Each dies in 1988 only to awaken as a teenager in 1963 with adult knowledge and wisdom intact and the ability to make a new set of choices."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Rosie_0801]

I'm just finishing up with "This Fool's Journey" by Cynthia Campbell Williams; a collection of short stories and a quick read. I don't usually like short stories, but this was worth it for the one really illuminating one.

[mumto2]

I am on the wait list for Cuckoo's Calling. Glad to hear it will be worth waiting for!

 

I just checked and the library has quite a few books by Dan Simmons including Hyperion. The Canterbury Tale tie in intrigued me. Would this be appropriate for my ds13? He loves all 5 Hitchikers Guides to the Galaxy books and reads many Star Wars books. The review was talking about the pilgrim's problems. Just wondering if those problems are ds age appropriate. ;)

 

 

I'm having a good summer, book-wise.  If only there was more time to just read!

 

Last week I finished Hyperion by Dan Simmons.  It was an unexpected pleasure partly because I had never heard of it before and only started it because my ds was enjoying it so much.  It's format was unexpected, too, as it is a sci fi Cantebury Tales.   And, Lost Surprise are you there reading this?  I am glad I knew ahead of time that the story continues in the next book so I wasn't disappointed that there wasn't a resolution and denouement.  That said, I loved the ending!!  It was wacky and surreal and made me laugh.  Great characters, great story, worth reading.    My only fault with the book was with one of the readers on the audio version.  The sole female was read by a poor actress whose voice did NOT fit the character.  But I was so absorbed in listening to the book that I got lots of the hand applique work I'm doing on a quilt!

 

While I was in the library Saturday looking in vain for the next Hyperion book, I saw an early DCI Banks mystery I had missed.  A Necessary End was a quick and pleasant read and renewed my appreciation for the series.  The last one I had read, not the most recent but a recent one, was too formulaic and lacked the heart of these earlier books.  

 

I have some long drives to music gigs this month and am happy to have more good audiobooks to listen to.  Yesterday I started Cukoo's Calling, the first book by Robert Galbraith, aka JK Rowling.  It is terrific!  Wonderful characters, and a decent mystery.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I just finished Vampires in the Lemon Grove.  It was ok.  The writing was good, but the stories odd.  I usually like odd, but I found myself lost in her stories.  I won't read her other book.  

 

I have a new book to read from the library on my Kindle, One Good Turn, by Kate Atkinson.  I haven't started it, but my brain is more looking forward to the House of Leaves I'm going to pick up from the library tomorrow. :) 

[Hoot]

This morning I finished Brain Power: Improve Your Mind as You Age by Michael J. Gelb and Kelly Howell.  It was surprisingly very good.  I'm looking forward to trying the Brain Sync meditations that are available for download on the website. 

 

I'm still working on Fight Club, which is infinitely more difficult to follow than the movie.  :leaving:

 

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

43. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

44. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

45. Brain Power: Improve Your Mind as You Age by Michael J. Gelb and Kelly Howell

[Mothersweets]

That does sound interesting!  I'm reminded of a favorite book of mine:  Replay by Ken Grimwood.

 

"Jeff Winston, forty-three, didn't know he was a replayer until he died and woke up twenty-five years younger in his college dorm room; he lived another life. And died again. And lived again and died again -- in a continuous twenty-five-year cycle -- each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, remedy past mistakes, or make a fortune in the stock market. A novel of gripping adventure, romance, and fascinating speculation on the nature of time, Replay asks the question: "What if you could live your life over again?""

 

From the Library Journal's review on Amazon:

 

"The possibility of traveling back in time to relive one's life has long fascinated science fiction writers. Without a single gesture toward an explanation, this mainstream novel recounts the story of a man and a woman mysteriously given the ability to live their lives over. Each dies in 1988 only to awaken as a teenager in 1963 with adult knowledge and wisdom intact and the ability to make a new set of choices."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Oooh, I'll have to look for that one! and can you imagine being able to go back in time with what you know now? oh my!

[Violet Crown]

Jane in NC, I just need to let you know that I've barely gotten Middle Girl to do anything today, and it's your fault. I found A String in the Harp, and she can't put it down. I turn away to do something with Wee Girl, and she's dived back onto the couch with her book. Nothing to do but let her finish it.

 

I know you feel remorseful.

[Kareni]

Oooh, I'll have to look for that one!  and can you imagine being able to go back in time with what you know now? oh my!

 

I hope you find Replay and enjoy it.  Going back in time with one's current knowledge would be interesting.  It does prove frustrating to one character in Replay though who goes back to herself as a child.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Jane in NC, I just need to let you know that I've barely gotten Middle Girl to do anything today, and it's your fault. I found A String in the Harp, and she can't put it down. I turn away to do something with Wee Girl, and she's dived back onto the couch with her book. Nothing to do but let her finish it.

 

I know you feel remorseful.

Big grin!

[ladydusk]

One of the young married women at church was telling me about a new genre she called "creative non-fiction." While I was trying to grasp the concept, she recommended Annie Dillard and David Foster Wallace.  She mentioned Pilgrim at Tinker Creek a few times, so I borrowed it from the library.  I'm only into chapter two ... and I can't decide whether I like it or find it pretentious.  I don't really know what the point of the book is yet ... My library had a papercover anthology with three Dillard books, so no help from a jacket cover or anything.  The language is supple and elegant, not remotely pared down but lush.  Maybe, though, using big words where a small one would do.  I don't know how far I'll get.  We'll see.

 

I also started Jerry Bridges' Respectable Sins.  It's very good so far. (well, "good" as in readable, convicting, and forces repentance ...)

[Chocolate Rose]

 

I am almost finished with this next book - about 30 pages left  - has anyone else read this? Life After Life by Kate Atkinson From Amazon:

 

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

 

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

 

I sat down and read the first 450 pages without stopping. I think this is going to be one of my favorites for the year.

 

I've had this for a couple of weeks but haven't read it yet. I thought I had decided which book I'm going to read next, but since you've mentioned this one, I'm going to have to rethink my plan. Glad to hear it's such a page-turner.

[Kareni]

I thought others might find this article of interest:

 

You Can Read This Woman Like a Book - Literally

 

Regards,

Kareni

[laughing lioness]

I'm way behind but just finished a chunkster- 19 Minutes by Piccolt; she looks at school bullying, mass school shootings and how our kids grow up to be who they are. Good read, good insight, sobering.

 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I'm way behind but just finished a chunkster- 19 Minutes by Piccolt; she looks at school bullying, mass school shootings and how our kids grow up to be who they are. Good read, good insight, sobering.

 

This reminds me of the book I just finished-- Murder in the Yoga Store-- and the one I'm finishing now--Snapping: American's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change. The word sobering fits them well. Both have given me much to think about and to discuss with my dd.

[laughing lioness]

This reminds me of the book I just finished-- Murder in the Yoga Store-- and the one I'm finishing now--Snapping: American's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change. The word sobering fits them well. Both have given me much to think about and to discuss with my dd.

 

Added to my list. Tell me about "Sudden Personality Change"

[JennW in SoCal]

I am on the wait list for Cuckoo's Calling. Glad to hear it will be worth waiting for!

 

I just checked and the library has quite a few books by Dan Simmons including Hyperion. The Canterbury Tale tie in intrigued me. Would this be appropriate for my ds13? He loves all 5 Hitchikers Guides to the Galaxy books and reads many Star Wars books. The review was talking about the pilgrim's problems. Just wondering if those problems are ds age appropriate. ;)

 

 

 

A big nope to Hyperion being age appropriate for a 13yo.  Lots of graphic, erm, adult situations.  At least I wouldn't have handed it to my boys at that age.  It's too bad, too, because it is such a good book!

 

Has your ds read any of the HP Lovecraft stories and novellas?  Or if he liked Hitchhiker's Guide, he might really enjoy the Terry Pratchett Discworld books.  They are funny satires that take place in an alternate universe, the Discworld.  I'm particularly fond of the books featuring Sam Vimes -- Guards, Guards is the first, but I love all Pratchett so it is hard to recommend where to start.  

 

Has he read any Garth Nix?  The Keys to the Kingdom series was a favorite.  Or how about the Robert Heinlein juveniles such as Citizen of the Galaxy or The Rolling Stones or Have Spacesuit will Travel?

[mumto2]

Thank you for letting me know about the situations. Definately not for ds right now. It is so nice to be able to ask someone. For years so much of my reading was prereading. I really appreciate just ruling something out without my reading it! It always seems like I get 3/4 through a book before something totally unacceptable happens! I did go ahead and request it. Maybe I will give it a try for me. Still curious about the Canterbury Tales tie in. :lol:

 

He has read some Prachett. Not sure which ones. I have put the other ideas on my list for him and start hunting. Dd has read and loved the Garth Nix and the Prachett. Thanks for the great ideas!

 

 

A big nope to Hyperion being age appropriate for a 13yo.  Lots of graphic, erm, adult situations.  At least I wouldn't have handed it to my boys at that age.  It's too bad, too, because it is such a good book!

 

Has your ds read any of the HP Lovecraft stories and novellas?  Or if he liked Hitchhiker's Guide, he might really enjoy the Terry Pratchett Discworld books.  They are funny satires that take place in an alternate universe, the Discworld.  I'm particularly fond of the books featuring Sam Vimes -- Guards, Guards is the first, but I love all Pratchett so it is hard to recommend where to start.  

 

Has he read any Garth Nix?  The Keys to the Kingdom series was a favorite.  Or how about the Robert Heinlein juveniles such as Citizen of the Galaxy or The Rolling Stones or Have Spacesuit will Travel?

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Added to my list. Tell me about "Sudden Personality Change"

 

I've not finished it yet, but hope to in the next few days.

The book explores the psychology of cult behavior--how someone can go from being independent and outgoing to being a blind follower and a possible danger to themselves and/or to others.

 

I'm not sure I agree with (or know enough to make a call on) every idea in the book, but it's been a worthwhile read. Although it mentions sudden personality change, the change isn't always sudden. Watching the steps that happen as people gradually fade away from themselves is a little unnerving. Ironically, even skeptics reporting on cults or trying to rescue others have been drawn in.

 

The way back to self isn't always predictable--or guaranteed.

[BigMamaBird]

I read Frank Hebert's Dune last week.  There seems to be pretty strong feelings about this book, most people either really love it or really hate it.  I did enjoy it, there was a lot of really interesting stuff in there but there was also a lot of in depth, drawn out political wrangling.  

 

The other book I read was Alchemist by Paulo Coelho which I really enjoyed!  It was a short, easy read and the story was very engaging.

 

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

29 - 100 Years of Solitude -  Gabriel Garcia Marquez

30 - Dune - Frank Herbert

31 - Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

[LostSurprise]

I finished Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin - This is a feminist science fiction novel with lots of linguistics. I enjoyed the story, but I thought the prose needed to be tightened up all the way through - a little too wordy.

 

 

Wow, I haven't thought about that series in a long time. Its very feminist. In many ways the world is similar to the one in A Handmaid's Tale, but it covers more time and many people.  A friend lent it to me in the late '90s. 

 

Finishing up The Water Babies by Charles Kingley, just because I've never read it. Um, weird. Lots of cultural stuff that would be very iffy today, along with the strange morality tale.

 

Ha. I read that book @10 or 11 after watching a cartoon by the same name. That is one weird trip, but I found myself going back to it every few years thinking I would understand it better. Have you ever read the Mary Poppin or the Dr. Doolitle books? There's the same kind of odd dream-like quality. 

 

   And, Lost Surprise are you there reading this?  I am glad I knew ahead of time that the story continues in the next book so I wasn't disappointed that there wasn't a resolution and denouement.  That said, I loved the ending!!  It was wacky and surreal and made me laugh.  Great characters, great story, worth reading.    

 

I read that one and the next one (Escape from Hyperion?) 2-5 years ago. I'm glad you liked the ending. I was so upset! Argh, set up almost certain death the entire novel and then subvert until the next time. :P

 

One of the young married women at church was telling me about a new genre she called "creative non-fiction." While I was trying to grasp the concept, she recommended Annie Dillard and David Foster Wallace.  She mentioned Pilgrim at Tinker Creek a few times, so I borrowed it from the library.  I'm only into chapter two ... and I can't decide whether I like it or find it pretentious.  I don't really know what the point of the book is yet ... My library had a papercover anthology with three Dillard books, so no help from a jacket cover or anything.  The language is supple and elegant, not remotely pared down but lush.  Maybe, though, using big words where a small one would do.  I don't know how far I'll get.  We'll see.

We had to read Pilgrim at Tinker Creak as part of an Nature and Man type course in college. It came right after Lucretius and Emerson. There's a lot of philosophy there. 

 

I like An American Childhood better though. 

 

 

[LostSurprise]

I finished the third Harry Potter book, so I'm almost caught up to my oldest son. I've got the fourth on coming from the library. 

 

Almost done with the book of EB White essays (Second Tree from the Corner) and the Orson Scott Card (Pastwatch: the Redemption of Christopher Columbus). 

 

Picked up a whole bunch of poetry (Seamus Heaney, Jim Harrison, Lorine Niedecker, Max Garland..those are the keepers of the group) and I have 2-3 novels coming. I'm probably overextending myself again. 

[mumto2]

The dc's have been finishing their Coursera class so lots of quiet reading time for me! :)

 

I loved "Things Fall Apart". Waiting for part 2.

 

I know many of you read cozy mysteries. MC Beaton is a favorite of mine. I somehow missed Hamish MacBeth and "Death of a Kingfisher" when it first came out. Enjoyed it. Now waiting for the current one.

 

John Grisham's "The Racketeer" was also a good read. Hard to put down.Not as good as a couple of his earlier books (Pelican Brief is a favorite) but better then some of the more current ones IMO. Definately his typical formula.

 

Finally I finished the last Elly Griffiths currently published. "Dying Fall" was another enjoyable investigation into a pretty unbelievable archaeological find. She always makes the find seem so real. I hate to spoil it just in case someone decides toread these. King Arthur is the subject of this one. Fictional of course. ;)