Book a Week in 2013 - week thirty six

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 36 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 - RIP Seamus Heaney:   Heaney,  an Irish poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 passed away August 30 at the age of 74.   You can read or listen to his acceptance speech here and learn more about him and his poetry here.  Check out Flavorwire's Tribute - Seamus Heaney in his own Words.  Highlighted one of his poems on the blog. 

 

It's September, which means it is time for R.I.P.  VIII. hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings.  R.eaders. I.mbibing P.eril VIII runs from September 1st through October 31st.  Consider it an early start on our October spooktacular.  Check out his site and I'm sure you'll find plenty of ideas for your spooky readings next month.

 

Eight years ago I became aware of reading challenges and wanted to start one of my own, hoping to find others who shared my Autumnal predilection for the works of Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker and other authors contemporary and classic who captured the spirit of gothic literature. All these years later we are still going strong, welcoming September with a time of coming together to share our favorite mysteries, detective stories, horror stories, dark fantasies, and everything in between.

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 35

 

 

[Robin M]

I'm currently reading through Brave Writers Writer's Jungle and figuring out how to incorporate everything into our day.  Fiction wise, reading Swallowing Darkness by Laurell Hamilton from her Merry Gentry series.

 

Speaking of series, Barnes and Nobles has come up with Nook book bundles - all books in a series bundled together.

 

And I almost forgot, silly me.   Two of my favorite blogging friend/authors have released new books:

 

Jody Hedlund  - Rebellious Heart

 

Karen Harrington - Sure Signs of Crazy

 

 

[Stacia]

Ohhh, the RIP link is very cool, Robin! Looks like in addition to being able to find some great October reading titles, there is going to be a read-along of The Historian (one of my favorite vampire novels). If you haven't read The Historian & you like vampire tales, I highly recommend the book. Excellent. I have plans to read both Verne's & Lovecraft's continuations of the Pym story for later this month/into October reading. Not sure yet what else will make it onto my spooky reading list.

 

Believe it or not, I've never read Seamus Heaney's work. I saw that he passed away earlier this week. We have his version of Beowulf sitting on our kitchen table (as dd needs to read it for school). I may have to pick it up & read it too.

 

As everyone already knows, I'm in the middle of Angelmaker. Yay! Totally loving it. Fabulous book all the way around & a very fun way to wrap up summertime reading.

 

My other 'in progress' reading is now on hold while I finish Angelmaker. 

[melmichigan]

I don't have a lot of personal reading time right now but I did finally manage to read Kitty in the Underworld (Kitty Norville) by Carrie Vaughn.  I was hesitant with the reviews, but it was a quick enough read without a lot happening to move the story forward.   I did see that Heart of Venom (Elemental Assassin) is out by Jennifer Estep, so that will be my other indulgence for now.

 

I have put the color mini challenge on my wishlist for when things slow down for me and I have more time.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Stacia]

Love the RIP Challenge(s)!  I've read The Historian multiple times so I'm not sure that I want to reread it again right now, but I agree with Stacia that it is excellent.  Even if vampires are not your thing, The Historian is more IMHO literary fiction than horror.  I wish there were more books like it.

 

I agree that it's more literary fiction than horror (probably one reason I loved it so). So well-written & fascinating. I know I've read that some people found it scary, but I didn't think it was scary, just intriguing & compelling.

 

Speaking of horror-ish, I have finished with #67 for the year, Night Film (Marisha Pessl).  I am sorry to report that it did not live up to my early expectations of awesome-ness.  It started out so good but the last 150 pages went off the rails into the completely surreal and then the completely mundane.  I didn't like the ending at. all.  Totally contrived.  If I remember correctly, this was pretty much my feeling about her debut novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics too.  Don't get me wrong, Night Film was a good book, but not great.  The publishers have obviously put a lot of $$ into this book (the layout / design / printing costs had to have been huge, plus all the publicity), so it's still gonna be BIG, but well ... oh well.  I'm glad I got it from the library.

 

I've seen one or two of my Goodreads friends say the same thing about the book. I was so-so on her first book (if I remember correctly, I think I rated it 3 stars); parts of it I really liked & thought were quite clever, but other parts got old quickly. It couldn't compete w/ The Secret History, imo. Still, I may check out Night Film at some point. 

 

Also started Wormwood Forest: A Natural History of Chernobyl about the environmental impact of the 1986 disaster and what the area is like 20 years later.   I saw a Nova or Nature documentary that sparked my interest in this one.

 

Did you ever read Visit Sunny Chernobyl? I really enjoyed it & you probably would like it too since you like armchair adventure travel. Lots of interesting commentary & info in his book.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Kareni]

And I almost forgot, silly me.   Two of my favorite blogging friend/authors have released new books:

 

...

 

Karen Harrington - Sure Signs of Crazy

 

This children's book certainly looks intriguing!  Thank you.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I read and enjoyed the second and third contemporary romances in Bella Andre's Sullivan series.

 

Book 2:  From This Moment On

Book 3: Can't Help Falling in Love

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mothersweets]

Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp  Yes, the Margery Sharp of The Rescuers fame. I was hoping for a fun story but this was something of a disappointment.

 

Gone Girl   Am I the last person here to read this? It grabbed me and wouldn't let go - I read it in two days.

 

The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sherri Cobb South. Fun Regency  with an unexpected hero and a snobby heroine that both become more than they seem. I really enjoyed this one.

[Negin]

As everyone already knows, I'm in the middle of Angelmaker. Yay! Totally loving it. Fabulous book all the way around & a very fun way to wrap up summertime reading.

Looks good and added it to my wish list. :)

 

I just finished Lady Blomfield - Her Life and Times - about one of the first Baha'is in the U.K. during an interesting time in Britain - the Suffragist Movement, etc - 3 Stars.

 

 

 

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.

 

Love this image - a book is a door to another dimension. :)

 

 

[mumto2]

I finished "Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs" by Molly Harper. This was the most interesting review I found. I liked the blog too. :)

 

http://www.lovevampires.com/mhnicegirlsdonthavefangs.html

 

This was a vampire book from the more romantic side of the genre. My best friend loved it so much that she mailed me a copy. It was a nice easy read that I really enjoyed.

[Ali in OR]

I'm reading Ann Patchett's State of Wonder on the treadmill and am enjoying it. I downloaded The Hound of the Baskervilles to my kindle this summer--that will be my "scary" read whenever I get to it.

[Miss Innocent]

RIP Seamus Heaney. I studied his poetry at school aged 17, with a teacher who had herself been taught by Seamus Heaney at University. I am tempted to break from my 'dusty' challenge to re-visit some of his poetry. And E and I are starting on SOTW 2 tomorrow, so I might read his translation of Beowulf. 

 

I was supposed to be cracking on with The Reason for God, by Tim Keller, but I couldn't face it yesterday so I whizzed through a book I've had on my Kindle for ages: Quick, Boil Some Water: the Story of Childbirth in our Grandmothers' Day by Yvonne Barlow. It is a collection of tales of childbirth in 1940s, 50s and 60s UK in the women's own words, interspersed with bits of domestic history. Very interesting, although I doubted a statistic that the maternal mortality rate in the late 19th century in the UK was 17%. Although the late 1800s and early 1900s were a bad time for maternal mortality in this country, a quick glance at a few statistics suggests between 5 and 7% which seems more reasonable...

 

I went back to the The Reason for God today and am almost there. I've enjoyed it, but I started ages ago and I now just want to get it finished!

 

So my current list is:

 

5) The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, Timothy Keller

4) Quick, Boil Some Water: the Story of Childbirth in our Grandmothers' Day, Yvonne Barlow - Finished

3) The Elephant in the Classroom - Finished!
2) 50 People - chapters 1-11 (39 chapters to go)

1) HotMW - chapters 1-6 (79 chapters to go!)

 

[eaglei]

This week I managed to finish three books - all easy reads:

 

#52 - Help, Thanks, Wow:  The Three Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott.  She always gives you something to think about in a fresh way and in a creatively-written style.  When I initially saw the physical size of this book, I was disappointed; it is small.  Anybody remember the Rod McKuen poetry books of the '70s - their size?  Well, not much physically bigger than that - but more words on the pages. :D   After reading it, I still wish it had been longer; on the other hand, she packed a lot into those just barely hundred-plus pages.

 

#53 - Still Christian After All These Years, by Barbara Allen.  Disappointing.  The author is clever with words and well-phrased humor - that's the best I can say.  The actual content was - - - meh.

 

#54 - Forget Me Not, by Joseph G. Johnson, Jr. - Colonel USAF (Ret.)  Very patriotic memoir of a WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veteran.  Written more in a style meant for family.  Interesting, funny, and sobering nonetheless.

 

Currently reading:

 

#55 - The Bridge, by Karen Kingsbury.  Am really enjoying this one.  Will likely finish it today.

 

I would like to point out, please, that I have reached 52 books for this year!  Hooray!  There were times, even though I'm reading for sheer enjoyment and escape and not selecting any particularly heavy reading material, that I wondered if I'd reach 52, much less surpass last year.  At this time last year, I was reading my 48th of 73 books.  Now, beating 73 seems doable this year!  My only goal, however, still remains to simply read for pleasure.  :)

[JennW in SoCal]

Ohhh, the RIP link is very cool, Robin! Looks like in addition to being able to find some great October reading titles, there is going to be a read-along of The Historian (one of my favorite vampire novels). If you haven't read The Historian & you like vampire tales, I highly recommend the book. Excellent. I have plans to read both Verne's & Lovecraft's continuations of the Pym story for later this month/into October reading. Not sure yet what else will make it onto my spooky reading list.

 

As everyone already knows, I'm in the middle of Angelmaker. Yay! Totally loving it. Fabulous book all the way around & a very fun way to wrap up summertime reading.

 

 

 

Love the RIP Challenge(s)!  I've read The Historian multiple times so I'm not sure that I want to reread it again right now, but I agree with Stacia that it is excellent.  Even if vampires are not your thing, The Historian is more IMHO literary fiction than horror.  I wish there were more books like it.

 

Speaking of horror-ish, I have finished with #67 for the year, Night Film (Marisha Pessl).  I am sorry to report that it did not live up to my early expectations of awesome-ness.  It started out so good but the last 150 pages went off the rails into the completely surreal and then the completely mundane.  I didn't like the ending at. all.  Totally contrived.  If I remember correctly, this was pretty much my feeling about her debut novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics too.  Don't get me wrong, Night Film was a good book, but not great.  The publishers have obviously put a lot of $$ into this book (the layout / design / printing costs had to have been huge, plus all the publicity), so it's still gonna be BIG, but well ... oh well.  I'm glad I got it from the library.

 

 

I'm also busy reading Angelmaker and just love, love, love it.  Intelligent and wacky -- just my cuppa.

 

Haven't read The Historian, so will add it to my list, in case I need more than Poe's Pym to get me through October spooky reads.  

 

Interesting reaction to Night Film.  I enjoyed Special Topics in Calamity Physics, but don't remember much about it other than it was quirky and fun.  I may put Night Film on hold through the library, and be pleasantly surprised when it finally becomes available.  One copy and 70 holds at last check...

 

 

 I downloaded The Hound of the Baskervilles to my kindle this summer--that will be my "scary" read whenever I get to it.

 

It really is a scary read, unlike the other Holmes stories.  Not super, can't sleep for a week, kind of scary, but very moody.  I have fond memories of reading that aloud to the kids when they were younger teens.

[Heather in Neverland]

Started Reading:

How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture by Francis Schaeffer (American author, DD class 200)

 

Still Reading:

The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Palma (Spanish author, DD class 800)

 

Finished:

40. Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 200)

39. When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper (American author, DD class 200)

38. Inferno by Dan Brown (American author, DD class 800)

37. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (American author, DD class 800)

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

35. Sandstorm by James Rollins (American author, DD class 800)

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

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)

[mumto2]

I haven't posted Dd's list for a few weeks. Here are her latest:

 

52) Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

53) The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Coffer

54) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

55) The Innocence of Father Brown by CK Chesterton

56) The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart

57) Slither's Tale by Joseph Delaney

58) Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

59) First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

60) Lost Man's Lane (Amelia Butterworth) by Anna Katherine Green

61) Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead

62) Five Red Herrings by Dorthy L. Sayers

63) Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear

64) This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart

65) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

66) Kilt Dead by Kaitlyn Dunnett

67) Fire Storm by Andrew Lane

68) The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L Sayers

69) Scone Cold Dead by Kaitlyn Dunnett

70) Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

71) Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie

72) Snake Bite by Andrew Lane

73) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

74) The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

75) Til We have Faces by C.S. Lewis

[Robin M]

So many books, so little time.  Now I want to read Angelmaker, The Historian, and Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowolf.  Not to mention half the books on the campus and 50 books list from last week.   Oy!  I pulled out the books I want to read the most from my shelves.  So many books, too little time.  I need to get a hold of the time fairy and get more for my day!

 

[Robin M]

 

I would like to point out, please, that I have reached 52 books for this year!  Hooray!  There were times, even though I'm reading for sheer enjoyment and escape and not selecting any particularly heavy reading material, that I wondered if I'd reach 52, much less surpass last year.  At this time last year, I was reading my 48th of 73 books.  Now, beating 73 seems doable this year!  My only goal, however, still remains to simply read for pleasure.  :)

 

 

 

:hurray:

[Kareni]

  I need to get a hold of the time fairy and get more for my day!

 

Well, after she's done at your place, please send her here to wave her wand.  Perhaps she can bring her sibling, the housecleaning fairy.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

This one is on the Wishlist but my library system doesn't have it.  I am keeping my eyes peeled at Goodwill. 

 

Ah, I'm lucky because my library actually has this one.

 

Love this image - a book is a door to another dimension. :)

 

:thumbup1:

 

 

I finished "Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs" by Molly Harper. This was the most interesting review I found. I liked the blog too. :)

 

http://www.lovevampires.com/mhnicegirlsdonthavefangs.html

 

This was a vampire book from the more romantic side of the genre. My best friend loved it so much that she mailed me a copy. It was a nice easy read that I really enjoyed.

 

Sounds like that could count as a spooky read too.

 

I downloaded The Hound of the Baskervilles to my kindle this summer--that will be my "scary" read whenever I get to it.

 

I've never read that one.

 

but I couldn't face it yesterday so I whizzed through a book I've had on my Kindle for ages

 

Yep, I know that feeling too. LOL. 

 

I would like to point out, please, that I have reached 52 books for this year!  Hooray!  There were times, even though I'm reading for sheer enjoyment and escape and not selecting any particularly heavy reading material, that I wondered if I'd reach 52, much less surpass last year.  At this time last year, I was reading my 48th of 73 books.  Now, beating 73 seems doable this year!  My only goal, however, still remains to simply read for pleasure.  :)

 

Awesome!  :hurray:

 

I'm also busy reading Angelmaker and just love, love, love it.  Intelligent and wacky -- just my cuppa.

 

Haven't read The Historian, so will add it to my list, in case I need more than Poe's Pym to get me through October spooky reads.  

 

Interesting reaction to Night Film.  I enjoyed Special Topics in Calamity Physics, but don't remember much about it other than it was quirky and fun.  I may put Night Film on hold through the library, and be pleasantly surprised when it finally becomes available.  One copy and 70 holds at last check...

 

It really is a scary read, unlike the other Holmes stories.  Not super, can't sleep for a week, kind of scary, but very moody.  I have fond memories of reading that aloud to the kids when they were younger teens.

 

I like your description of Angelmaker. I agree. I know what you mean about long library waitlists too, lol. Between long waitlists & me 'suspending' the holds (so I can stagger when I get bunches of books), I sometimes forget why or how I requested a book in the first place & then am pleasantly surprised when it arrives.

 

Still Reading:

The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Palma (Spanish author, DD class 800)

 

I'd love to hear what you think of this one. I read the first one (was somewhat disappointed in it as I had very high expectations for it & it didn't live up to my expectations). Wondering if the second one is (hopefully) better than the first?

 

So many books, so little time.  Now I want to read Angelmaker, The Historian, and Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowolf.  Not to mention half the books on the campus and 50 books list from last week.   Oy!  I pulled out the books I want to read the most from my shelves.  So many books, too little time.  I need to get a hold of the time fairy and get more for my day!

 

I think I need a time fairy too! Love your mini-shelf you posted. How fun! (I have Brown's The Inferno in my to-read pile too. Dh finished it, so now it's my turn.)

[Just Robyn]

I finished both Sea of Monsters by RIck Riordan and Wild Scholars by Darrell Velegol. Wild Scholars proposed  the idea that high schoolers come up with, start and complete 6-10 business ventures in place of regular school work. The ventures would help the community in some way. He repeatedly referred to an idea about growing/delivering organic vegetables, but gave other ideas, too.

 

I started Ranger's Apprentice 10 - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja - by John Flanagan and Innovate or Die by Jack Matson - another book for the Coursera class on creativity. I also read a couple chapters of Don Quixote, and I like it so far, but I'm just reading little bits right now since other books are a higher priority for me. I could read it in four months at the rate of a chapter a day.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I'm still reading House of Leaves, and I'm still enjoying it.  I have less than 200 pages to go.  I'm hoping to have it finished by Wednesday (because I'll be up by the library and can return it).  Wild book.  I'm really loving it.  I'll have to write a good review when I'm done.  I think it's brillant.  

[Negin]

 

I think I need a time fairy too! Love your mini-shelf you posted. How fun! (I have Brown's The Inferno in my to-read pile too. Dh finished it, so now it's my turn.)

I want an everything fairy. :)

Agreeing about Robin's mini-shelf. Love it. 

I'm curious about The Inferno. I loved Da Vinci Code. The others were okay. Each one got subsequently worse for me. 

[ladydusk]

I started Have His Carcase by Sayers which I'm already enjoying :)

[Lady Florida.]

I finished Madame Bovary but it was painful. I know about Flaubert' s attention to detail but it drove me crazy at times. Other times it was wonderful. I think Anna Karenina had much better characters though.

 

My book group is starting The Divine Comedy but I need something I can breeze through too. Luckily the Kindle version of Long Lost came available from the library so I downloaded it this morning. It's a pain to link from myself Fire, but it's the next book

in the Myron Bolitar series.

[Violet Crown]

27. Leonardo Sciascia, To Each His Own. Light and engaging reading. Technically a mystery, but not of the whodunit genre; it's not a puzzle for the reader to solve. The interest isn't in the clues, but in the people of the Sicilian community and their reactions to the murders, to the police investigation, and to the inquiries of the 'detective.'

 

Making progress in various other books, and have added Jude the Obscure. Not much reading time lately. Just for the heck of it, here's what various family members are reading:

 

Wee Girl: Carolyn Haywood, Eddie Makes Music. (She couldn't resist the picture of the little girl playing the cello on the front cover.) http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/B000NPQ07O

Middle Girl: Howard Pyle, The Garden Behind the Moon http://www.amazon.com/The-Garden-Behind-Moon/dp/0765342421/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

Great Girl: Winston Churchill, The Gathering Storm http://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Storm-Second-World-War/dp/039541055X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378091454&sr=1-2&keywords=The+gathering+storm

Mr. Crown: William Gresham, Nightmare Alley http://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Alley-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590173481/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378091562&sr=1-1&keywords=William+gresham

[Miss Marple]

Felt the need for a just enjoy for the sake of it book and am reading Dan Brown's Inferno.  This is a bit of a guilty pleasure because I really should be reading/reviewing RxPrep's 2013 Review for NAPLEX. 

'

I recently finished An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor.  That was an enjoyable read.

 

[JennW in SoCal]

I would like to announce a field trip for the ladies of the book-a-week community.  We're all going to fly to Scotland next spring and... oh wait...we first need to win the lottery so we can afford the air fare to go Scotland....and afford all those books we're going to want to buy...

 

If we can't go in person (or as a group) we can at least vicariously enjoy a visit to Wigtown, Scotland via an article in today's Los Angeles Times.  The photo gallery isn't linked to the article as far as I can tell, so here is a second link of photos of this wonderful dream field trip.

[kubiac]

I don't usually join these threads (maybe I should!) but I wanted to tell you all about my current read: The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. It's a survey of education practices in countries that outperform the United States on the PISA test. She follows exchange students living in Finland, Korea and Poland and provides reporting on what systems they use and how they might inform improvements here. Very interesting read!
 

Here's a review in the NYT if you're interested:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/books/review/amanda-ripleys-smartest-kids-in-the-world.html?pagewanted=all

[Kareni]

I don't usually join these threads (maybe I should!) but I wanted to tell you all about my current read: The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley.

 

It sounds like a fascinating book, and I'm now on my library's waiting list.  Thanks for joining this week's thread, kubiac!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Ali in OR]

I don't usually join these threads (maybe I should!) but I wanted to tell you all about my current read: The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. It's a survey of education practices in countries that outperform the United States on the PISA test. She follows exchange students living in Finland, Korea and Poland and provides reporting on what systems they use and how they might inform improvements here. Very interesting read!

 

Here's a review in the NYT if you're interested:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/books/review/amanda-ripleys-smartest-kids-in-the-world.html?pagewanted=all

 

Thanks! The library has it on order and I'm now 10th in line for it.

[BigMamaBird]

Last week's book was Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.  I love Lewis' writing style!  He really makes the characters come to life and has a dry, sarcastic wit that I really enjoy.  

 

Poor Babbitt.  At first he was kind of a clueless jerk.  And then he became an intentional jerk, whose intentional jerkiness made him really unhappy.  And then he conformed to what everyone though he should be and he was still unhappy.  He wasn't exactly a likable character, but he was very sympathetic.  I keep rooting for him to make the right choice and honestly felt sorry for him when he was constantly doing the wrong thing.  You could see who he wanted to be but his attempts at getting there just dug him further and further into his unhappiness.  I'm like how the book ended, he was starting to see the light and attempting to repair the relationships that he had destroyed.  I appreciate that it finished where it did so you could speculate your own future for him.

 

I'd like to read more of Sinclair Lewis' work, I enjoyed this one immensely.

 

 

 

 

1 - All The King's Men â€“ Robert Penn Warren                                                            27 - Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

2 - A Stranger in a Strange Land â€“ Robert Heinlein                                                   28 - Selected Short Stories - William Faulkner
3 - A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood                                                                  29 - 100 Years of Solitude -  Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4 - Catcher in the Rye â€“ J.D. Salinger                                                                      30 - Dune - Frank Herbert
5 - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury                                                                           31 - Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
6 - The Grapes of Wrath â€“ John Steinbeck                                                                32 - One Day in the Life o Ivan Desinovich -  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
7 – Murder on the Orient Express â€“ Agatha Christie                                                  33 - Beloved - Toni Morrison
8 – The Illustrated Man â€“ Ray Bradbury                                                                   34 - Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
9 – The Great Gatsby â€“ F. Scott Fitzgerald                                                                35 - Dimanche - Irene Nemirovsky
10 – The Hiding Place â€“ Corrie Ten Boom                                                                36 - Babbitt - Sinclair Lewis 
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

 

[Stacia]

I have put the color mini challenge on my wishlist for when things slow down for me and I have more time.

 

I meant to do that one too (but had already forgotten about it).  :tongue_smilie:

 

Gone Girl   Am I the last person here to read this? It grabbed me and wouldn't let go - I read it in two days.

 

I haven't read it yet. I've really been on the fence about it....

 

I finished both Sea of Monsters by RIck Riordan

...

I also read a couple chapters of Don Quixote, and I like it so far, but I'm just reading little bits right now since other books are a higher priority for me. I could read it in four months at the rate of a chapter a day.

 

I've always meant to read more of the Riordan books. (I read The Lightning Thief years & years ago. Thought it was a fun book for kids.)

 

I've always thought I would enjoy Don Quixote, but am not sure that I'm up for a 4-month reading....

 

I'm still reading House of Leaves, and I'm still enjoying it.  I have less than 200 pages to go.  I'm hoping to have it finished by Wednesday (because I'll be up by the library and can return it).  Wild book.  I'm really loving it.  I'll have to write a good review when I'm done.  I think it's brillant.  

 

Yes, it totally is brilliant; there is nothing else quite like it.  Love when people discover this one.  

 

Why can't I read this book??? I see comments like this & think it would be so up my alley, but then I get it, completely freak out & get scared, & return it to the library. Sheesh. It's just a book after all. Still it gives me the heebie-jeebies so badly that I just want it to get out of my space.  :eek:  LOL.

 

I'm curious about The Inferno. I loved Da Vinci Code. The others were okay. Each one got subsequently worse for me. 

 

I'm sure it will be formulaic, but his books are typically fun, quick, mostly forgettable reads, imo. (Well, at least the history/symbology parts, not so keen on the murder type stuff myself -- thinking of some of the gruesome details Brown included in The Lost Symbol. Yuck.)

 

I finished Madame Bovary but it was painful. I know about Flaubert' s attention to detail but it drove me crazy at times. Other times it was wonderful. I think Anna Karenina had much better characters though.

 

My book group is starting The Divine Comedy but I need something I can breeze through too.

 

I disliked Madame Bovary when I read it in high school. Have never really considered reading it again until I vaguely entertained the notion when I read The Twelve Rooms of the Nile, a fictional book that included Flaubert as a main character. Still, I haven't yet picked up Madame Bovary...lol. Love The Divine Comedy. You must have an ambitious book club (at least compared to mine)!

 

27. Leonardo Sciascia, To Each His Own. Light and engaging reading. Technically a mystery, but not of the whodunit genre; it's not a puzzle for the reader to solve. The interest isn't in the clues, but in the people of the Sicilian community and their reactions to the murders, to the police investigation, and to the inquiries of the 'detective.'

 

Will have to check it out. Also, you know how you can write words in English & leave letters out, but your eyes/brain automatically 'fill in' the missing letters. I kept doing a double-take on the last name of the author, then realized that it's my name twice (just missing a few letters). I guess I'm an egotist because my eyes kept being drawn to the author's name???  :huh:  :lol:

 

 

Aaaagh!  Angelmaker was already in my Goodreads TBR queue based on Stacia's rec, but now that Jenn loves it too its been added to this week's library list.  Now stop giving me more to read!!   (i'm just kidding of course ... pile it on!!)    :lol:   :drool:

 

LOL! (It is really good.)

[Stacia]

Felt the need for a just enjoy for the sake of it book and am reading Dan Brown's Inferno.  This is a bit of a guilty pleasure because I really should be reading/reviewing RxPrep's 2013 Review for NAPLEX. 

 

Well, given those choices, I'd definitely pick Brown too! LOL.

 

I would like to announce a field trip for the ladies of the book-a-week community.  We're all going to fly to Scotland next spring and... oh wait...we first need to win the lottery so we can afford the air fare to go Scotland....and afford all those books we're going to want to buy...

 

If we can't go in person (or as a group) we can at least vicariously enjoy a visit to Wigtown, Scotland via an article in today's Los Angeles Times.  The photo gallery isn't linked to the article as far as I can tell, so here is a second link of photos of this wonderful dream field trip.

 

Oh, oh, I want to go!!!! Wow.

 

I don't usually join these threads (maybe I should!) but I wanted to tell you all about my current read: The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. It's a survey of education practices in countries that outperform the United States on the PISA test. She follows exchange students living in Finland, Korea and Poland and provides reporting on what systems they use and how they might inform improvements here. Very interesting read!

 

Sounds like a great book. And, yes, please jump in & join the threads!

 

 

 

Last week's book was Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.  I love Lewis' writing style!  He really makes the characters come to life and has a dry, sarcastic wit that I really enjoy.  

 

I've never read Babbit. Maybe I should check it out.

[mlbuchina]

*sigh*  Still plugging away at Voyager.  Almost done, though.  I think I have a chapter and a half to go.  As much as I love love love these books, I'm getting the itch to read something else.  Makes it doubly hard when y'all keep talking about such great books!  I have in my hot little hands a copy of Anglemaker, and I am anxious to get started on it.  School can wait just a little while longer, right?

 

I have a copy of The Historian, and I think I will add it to my spooky list.  I've been wanting to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, too, so I might add that as well.

[Stacia]

*sigh*  Still plugging away at Voyager.  Almost done, though.  I think I have a chapter and a half to go.  As much as I love love love these books, I'm getting the itch to read something else.  Makes it doubly hard when y'all keep talking about such great books!  I have in my hot little hands a copy of Anglemaker, and I am anxious to get started on it.  School can wait just a little while longer, right?

 

I have a copy of The Historian, and I think I will add it to my spooky list.  I've been wanting to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, too, so I might add that as well.

 

Angelmaker vs. school? Seems like a reasonable trade-off to me.  :D

 

Hmmm. Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a good idea for spooky reading. I know the story (guess I read it so long ago that I don't actually remember reading it) & have seen the ballet, but that might be one to add to my list....

[Robin M]

It is overcast, rainy, gray day here and I'm loving it.  A day to curl up and be lazy.  Amidst my laziness, I found these for your reading pleasure.

 

 

 

 

With all the talk about Borges lately, thought you all would enjoy this.  From publisher weekly - What its Like to Take a Class Taught by Borges

 

For those who like/love thrillers - Thrill Writer's September issue of the Big Thrill with lots of new releases and debut novels.

 

Not specifically about reading, but fun to look at - spectacular moleskine doodles

 

 

[mlbuchina]

I would like to announce a field trip for the ladies of the book-a-week community.  We're all going to fly to Scotland next spring and... oh wait...we first need to win the lottery so we can afford the air fare to go Scotland....and afford all those books we're going to want to buy...

 

If we can't go in person (or as a group) we can at least vicariously enjoy a visit to Wigtown, Scotland via an article in today's Los Angeles Times.  The photo gallery isn't linked to the article as far as I can tell, so here is a second link of photos of this wonderful dream field trip.

 

 

Oh, me! I'll go!! Now where did I put those lottery tickets...

[Robin M]

I would like to announce a field trip for the ladies of the book-a-week community.  We're all going to fly to Scotland next spring and... oh wait...we first need to win the lottery so we can afford the air fare to go Scotland....and afford all those books we're going to want to buy...

 

If we can't go in person (or as a group) we can at least vicariously enjoy a visit to Wigtown, Scotland via an article in today's Los Angeles Times.  The photo gallery isn't linked to the article as far as I can tell, so here is a second link of photos of this wonderful dream field trip.

 

I'm in.   I love the names - I like the thought of meeting in Wigtown at Steam Packet Inn.  Especially during the Wigtown Book Festival.   I'll add it to my wishlist for when we eventually take that trip to Europe more than virtually.

[mlbuchina]

I'm sitting in the bookstore with House of Leaves, Dracula, Vlad: The Last Confession, and The Bookman's Tale in my lap. I would have Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but they are out. I got Angelmaker yesterday. I need serious help.

[Stacia]

 I need serious help.

 

You mean you need help to carry all the books you're buying?  ;)  :lol:

 

(Sounds like a great pile o'books!)

[mlbuchina]

You mean you need help to carry all the books you're buying? ;) :lol:

 

(Sounds like a great pile o'books!)

LOL, why, yes, yes I do.

[Stacia]

LOL, why, yes, yes I do.

 

I thought so. :smilielol5:  Enjoy your haul. 

[Stacia]

P.S. The Vlad book looks good. As well as The Bookman's Tale. Be sure to let us know what you think about them.

[mlbuchina]

P.S. The Vlad book looks good. As well as The Bookman's Tale. Be sure to let us know what you think about them.

I got to thinking about the spooky reads coming up, and figured I'd go with a theme. Since I have The Historian, I thought I would like to read Dracula (I never have), which led to Vlad. I figured that should do it for the spooky reads. :) I might actually get even more reading done, as I may never sleep again after reading all these. LOl

[Stacia]

I might actually get even more reading done, as I may never sleep again after reading all these. LOl

 

Oh, a version of the time fairy! LOL.

 

I guess if I really wanted to be in that boat, I'd force myself to read House of Leaves.

[Violet Crown]

It is overcast, rainy, gray day here and I'm loving it. A day to curl up and be lazy. Amidst my laziness, I found these for your reading pleasure.

 

With all the talk about Borges lately, thought you all would enjoy this. From publisher weekly - What its Like to Take a Class Taught by Borges

 

It is bright, dry, and 102 degrees here and we're all lying on floors or sofas, prostrate from the heat, reading books and sweating as the AC fights its losing battle. A day to immerse yourself in a book until you forget it's Texas in August. ;)

 

Muchos gracias for your Borges link. That was fantastic. I'd had no idea he was so interested in A-S poetry. I couldn't resist the copy of The Book of Imaginary Beings for 50 cents at the used bookstore (the clerk looked at the brown, brittle pages and hoped I wasn't planning to read it more than once), so more Borges I think this year.