Book a Week in 2013 - week forty five

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 45 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 - NaNoWriMo and Non Fiction November:   Welcome to November and colder days and early nights, curling up in a comfy chair, with a good book or two or three!  November is also the month of writing craziness, National Novel Writing Month in which participants try to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  I discovered NaNoWriMo back in 2007 and have been doing it ever since.  My son joined in last year and will be doing so again this year writing a fan fiction story combining several characters from different video games and movies. 

 

I''m also declaring November to be Nonfiction November.  I don't read a lot of nonfiction and have all these books sitting on the shelf feeling neglected.  Plus I created the C.S. Lewis and Inspiration Mini challenges at the beginning of the year and failing miserably at those. Decided now would be the perfect time to plunge into those books.  I'm going to keep it simple and not bite off more than I can chew, like I usually do. I'm committing to one a week for the month.  Waiting in the wings are Lewis's Mere Christianity, St. Theresa's A Life of Prayer and  George Orwell's Why I Write.  For my husband, since he's already read the book and driving me crazy about reading it -  Yes, Your Teen is Crazy: Loving your kid without losing your mind by Michael J. Bradley.

 

Did everyone whose state or country observes DST, remember to set their clock back an hour.  I'm so groggy today from sleeping in, but it also might be from the couple glass of wine I had last night.  *grin* 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 44

[Robin M]

I'm in the middle of reading Yes, Your Teen is Crazy.  I had started couple months back, then hubby saw it and took it over. Now he's finished and wants me to read it, immediately if not sooner, so we may discuss.  

 

I can't go very long without reading fiction or I'll go stir crazy.  Winter's Tale is calling my name loudly, more loudly than the rest of my books. So, will use it as a reward for when I've completed my NaNo writing for the day.  Incentive! 

 

 

[Negin]

Robin, love that image. :)

 

I read In a Perfect World - 3 Stars - the plot had great potential and I would have given it a higher rating if it had an actual ending. I like endings with some form of closure, not one that leaves the reader hanging. This book ended so suddenly and abruptly, I thought that there was something wrong with my Kindle. 

 

 

 

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.

 

[Onceuponatime]

I am still reading Death by Black Hole  and have added The Universe in a Single Atom by the Dalai Lama. They complement each other so I just pick up one randomly when I'm ready to read. The first is more of a layman's explanation of the physics of the natural universe. The second is a philosophical discussion of ways to engage with that knowledge.

[mumto2]

I finished "Thankless in Death" by JD Robb and it was a very good read. Hard to believe it is number 37 in the series, I know this thanks to Goodreads. I can't believe I have read that many of them but know that I always read them when released. ;)

 

Trying to finish "Frankenstein " and finding it boring. I haven't even reached the monster. Dd assures me it improves. I am plodding along at a chapter or two a day.

 

I also started "Heart sick" by Chelsea Cain which acceptable so I will most likely finish. But I also started "Golem and the Jinni" which after a dozen pages may have me hooked. Will shall see....

 

I will hopefully join the CS Lewis challenge. Dd has given me a stack to read. She is currently enthralled by Poe. She read the Coursera assignment and appears to be reading everything in the complete Poe book. :lol:

[welovetoread]

I have been following You ladies for a long time . My question is when do you guys find time to read? I haven't been doing the challenge because I'm finding it difficult to get a book weeke, but you have inspired me to at least try. so it seems that I am reading alot of non fiction right now. Happy reading.

[Tullia]

I finished Middlemarch this afternoon after two long weeks, but was sorry to reach the last page.  I've started The Mill on the Floss for no better reason than it was part of a two-book Kindle deal. 

[eaglei]

Finished one book this week:

 

#68 - The House That Love Built, by Beth Wiseman.  Christian fiction and my first book by this author.  Mostly predictable.

 

Currently reading:

 

#69 - Holy is the Day:  Living in the Gift of the Present, by Carolyn Weber.  Absolutely loved her debut autobiography, Surprised by Oxford, so was looking forward to this, her second book. Am not disappointed!  She crafts words and thoughts just-so; her reflections are earnestly and eloquently presented. Her passion for God and for life shines.

[Just Robyn]

Today I went to the annual library book sale and then saw Ender's Game in the theater. How's that for a good day?

 

I finished Soto Zen: An Introduction to Zazen, which was nothing special - just what the title says.

 

And I finished The Day I Became an Autodidact by Kendall Hailey, which was charming. It was great to hear the words of a young adult with such a good attitude, who is motivated, who admits she's lucky to be able to just follow her passion without worrying about food and bills, etc. She's funny and interesting and makes some of those old, intimidating books seem like they may be entertaining and interesting too.

 

Tonight I'll read one chapter of Don Quixote and be half way through. Then I'll have to decide what to start.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I just started Murakami's, Kafka on the Shore. I'm enjoying it so far. I always seem to enjoy Murakami.

[ladydusk]

 

Finished one book this week:

 

#68 - The House That Love Built, by Beth Wiseman. Christian fiction and my first book by this author. Mostly predictable.

 

Currently reading:

 

#69 - Holy is the Day: Living in the Gift of the Present, by Carolyn Weber. Absolutely loved her debut autobiography, Surprised by Oxford, so was looking forward to this, her second book. Am not disappointed! She crafts words and thoughts just-so; her reflections are earnestly and eloquently presented. Her passion for God and for life shines.

I just loved this. Glad you are too!

[Ali in OR]

I started and finished Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed this week and loved it. I've read both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and liked those too. Not sure how to compare this one--it almost reads more like a collection of short stories. The themes aren't quite as epic I believe (can't say I'm remembering the other two really clearly) and it's the least likely to be assigned in a high school English course as The Kite Runner now is here. But the themes touched home with me, a middle-aged American mom. Granted a mom of a disabled child, and disabilities and care takers show up repeatedly in the stories. Also was touched by a "good" character letting the tyranny of the critical drive out what is most important (job worries, kid activities), and neglecting to do the thing that would bring much good into the world. So of the three of his books, I think this one is my favorite (but maybe I would change my mind if I read the others again!). Good stuff. Here's the Amazon blurb if you're interested:

 

An Amazon Best Book of the Month, May 2013: Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed begins simply enough, with a father recounting a folktale to his two young children. The tale is about a young boy who is taken by a div (a sort of ogre), and how that fate might not be as terrible as it first seems—a brilliant device that firmly sets the tone for the rest of this sweeping, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel. A day after he tells the tale of the div, the father gives away his own daughter to a wealthy man in Kabul. What follows is a series of stories within the story, told through multiple viewpoints, spanning more than half a century, and shifting across continents. The novel moves through war, separation, birth, death, deceit, and love, illustrating again and again how people’s actions, even the seemingly selfless ones, are shrouded in ambiguity. This is a masterwork by a master storyteller. —Chris Schluep

 

Also finished Albert Marrin's The Yanks are Coming on the treadmill and have moved on to his Stalin. I'm learning a lot and am excited for my daughter who will be getting a much better history education than I ever had as she reads through these in the next few months.

[Kareni]

 I haven't been doing the challenge because I'm finding it difficult to get a book weeke, but you have inspired me to at least try. so it seems that I am reading alot of non fiction right now. Happy reading.

 

Welcome and happy reading.  Simply read what you can.  And share details when you care to.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mlbuchina]

I have been following You ladies for a long time . My question is when do you guys find time to read? I haven't been doing the challenge because I'm finding it difficult to get a book weeke, but you have inspired me to at least try. so it seems that I am reading alot of non fiction right now. Happy reading.

I don't sleep.  No, seriously.  LOL  Ok, maybe a little, but who can sleep when there are so many books out there to read????

 

Most of my reading time is while eating breakfast and lunch, and at bedtime.  There are some days where I decide that I'm only going to read, and do nothing else, but those are few and far between.  I read while the girls play at the park, and when they are in their art classes.  I just always have my book with me, so that if an opportunity arises, I'm ready for it.

 

Oh, and don't think you have to read a book every week.  I think there was one book this year that took me two months to read!  (Who remembers that one???? LOL!!)

 

Today I went to the annual library book sale and then saw Ender's Game in the theater. How's that for a good day?

 

I finished Soto Zen: An Introduction to Zazen, which was nothing special - just what the title says.

 

And I finished The Day I Became an Autodidact by Kendall Hailey, which was charming. It was great to hear the words of a young adult with such a good attitude, who is motivated, who admits she's lucky to be able to just follow her passion without worrying about food and bills, etc. She's funny and interesting and makes some of those old, intimidating books seem like they may be entertaining and interesting too.

 

Tonight I'll read one chapter of Don Quixote and be half way through. Then I'll have to decide what to start.

   

[Kareni]

I finished the book  A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book One by Elizabeth Hunter.  (It appears to be free on Kindle.)

 

"A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he’d abandoned years before.  He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract.  Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted. A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.  It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series."

 

I enjoyed it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[mlbuchina]

Last week I read Lost Lake, by Sarah Addison Allen.  It was a great "light" read after slogging through House of Leaves.  Here is my Goodreads review:

 

*Reviewing through Goodreads First Readers.*

Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will not be disappointed. This new book has all her charm and wit. A few favorite quotes of mine:

"Eby could feel Lisette's anger like a burst of heat. The force of it made the fine silver hair around Eby's face move, as if by wind."

"But then, as if in response, the scent of something savory curled over and tapped her on the shoulder."

"I've read them all. I know how they end. I like it that way. If I read them now, the endings will have changed."

I enjoyed the characters in the book, and really connected with several of them. I liked how each one got their own little time in the spotlight, with several chapters opening with different characters' backstories or their voice.

I don't think the book is her best, (my personal favorite being The Girl Who Chased the Moon), but it is well worth reading and getting to know the character. I hope she returns to some of them in later books, so that we can know more how their stories end. Or maybe I should take Maudie's advice and make up my own endings, and have "faith that endings were never absolute."

 

This week I am starting my Clean Out My Kindle campaign.  I am going to read all the library books that have expired, so I can turn the wi-fi back on on my Kindle.  LOL  Up first is to finish reading The Scottish Prisoner, by Diana Gabaldon.  I love her Outlander series, but I have never enjoyed the Lord John books.  This is one of them, and I am only reading it for Jamie.  *sigh*  The things we do for book boyfriends...   :lol:

[mlbuchina]

I finished the book  A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book One by Elizabeth Hunter.  (It appears to be free on Kindle.)

 

I enjoyed it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

See why I need to clean out my Kindle so I can turn wi-fi back on?  LOL  I need to be able to download things like this!

[Kareni]

See why I need to clean out my Kindle so I can turn wi-fi back on?  LOL  I need to be able to download things like this!

 

Does your sailor have a Kindle, too?  Perhaps you can download elsewhere while your Kindle is ... otherwise engaged.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

This week I finished Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson & I loved it. I read various simplifying/decluttering type books every now & then; this book is not quite that category, but similar in that she has simplified her family's life extensively by trying to avoid creating any trash (zero waste). I think her choices are entirely commendable & she shows that it can actually work for a suburban family of 4 (which speaks to my lifestyle).

 

Rather than the recycle mantra we all know, Johnson urges much more proactivity with these 5 Rs:

Refuse (stop stuff from coming in your home that you do not need: slowing consumption, stopping junk mail, not buying things in single-use plastic containers, etc...)

Reduce (the amount of stuff you need but still use; evaluating consumption habits you have, what can you share/borrow instead, reduce exposure to things that lead to more consumption)

Reuse (reusables vs. disposables; sharing; buying used; repairing or finding a new use for things that you might normally have tossed or replaced...)

Recycle (should be one of your last choices, not a first choice)

Rot (compost)

 

I especially loved all her details about her grocery shopping w/ reusable containers (because I'm a poor meal planner & shopper, I like to see/hear how others do this) & love the simplicity of her solution. I also really enjoyed how she went through various areas of the house, giving lists of how to evaluate what you have, what to get rid of/keep (simplifying is a part of zero waste), & what she kept & what she got rid of from her own house. For example, a lot of stuff left her kitchen, including a vegetable peeler (now her family eats more veggies w/ the skins on, getting more nutrition; if she does need to peel something, she just uses a knife) & her can opener (they don't buy food in cans). Both of those items were things that I, personally, would have never even considered during a cull, so I found it eye-opening to see her list of what didn't make it -- making me see what we have in a new light. At the end, she muses on what she hopes the future is/can be if more people tried to live a zero waste lifestyle & I greatly enjoyed her 'vision' (which, as it turns out, she says are things that already exist in limited amounts in limited places around the world -- now the world just needs to adopt better practices & expand the zero waste lifestyle).

 

Also, for books of this type, this is well-written, well-organized, & her resources at the end match up exactly with the order of each chapter. So, it even appealed to me on an editorial level. I guess I noticed it because in that area it is definitely heads above others books of similar ilk.

 

I think some don't like her choices or the extremes to which she has gone (easy to dismiss what she has done as unattainable), but I think it takes people willing to buck the norm, stand up & make different choices, & show by example why their way might be a better way. I see Bea Johnson as being that type of person.

 

I'm nowhere near what she lives, but her choices & suggestions make a lot of sense to me & I'm definitely planning to take a hard look at our lives & attempt to push us toward more of a zero waste life. I love her blog already (plus her gorgeous, spare house that she has photos of on her blog) & found her book to be a great companion to her blog: http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/ Ds is already reading this book; dh & dd plan to read it also. If you are interested in this lifestyle, I'd heartily recommend both her blog & the book.

 

And, I'm still working on Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving.

 

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

My Goodreads Page

My PaperbackSwap Page

 

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).

42. They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books, edited by David Rose (2.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (England).

43. The Late Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

44. Stoker’s Manuscript by Royce Prouty (4 stars).

45. Captain Alatriste by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Spain).

46. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (4 stars).

47. Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Israel).

48. The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe/Asia (Russia).

49. The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six by Jonathon Keats (3 stars).

50. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Brazil & Argentina).

 

51. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

52. Pym by Mat Johnson (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

53. Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway (5 stars).

54. The Complete Works of Marvin K. Mooney by Christopher Higgs (5 stars).

55. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (3 stars).

56. The Shaman’s Coat: A Native History of Siberia by Anna Reid (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Siberia).

57. In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires by Raymond T. McNally & Radu Florescu (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Romania).

58. Remainder by Tom McCarthy (4 stars). Challenge: Dusty.

59. At the Mountains of Madness (radio/audio version) by H.P. Lovecraft (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

60. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (5 stars).

 

61. Night of My Blood by Kofi Awoonor (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Africa (Ghana).

62. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (3 stars).

63. Le Sphinx de Glaces by Jules Verne (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

64. The Finno-Ugrian Vampire by Noémi Szécsi (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Hungary).

65. The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen (3 stars).

66. The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers (4 stars).

67. The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen (3 stars).

68. Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn (4 stars).

69. The Flying Creatures of Fra Angelico by Antonio Tabucchi (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy; Portugal).

70. Mosquito: An Omnilingual Nosferatu Pictomunication Novel by Dan James (3 stars).

 

71. Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson (4 stars).

[mlbuchina]

Does your sailor have a Kindle, too?  Perhaps you can download elsewhere while your Kindle is ... otherwise engaged.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I wish, but no.  He isn't a reader.   :svengo:

[Negin]

I have been following You ladies for a long time . My question is when do you guys find time to read? I haven't been doing the challenge because I'm finding it difficult to get a book weeke, but you have inspired me to at least try. so it seems that I am reading alot of non fiction right now. Happy reading.

I take a book with me pretty much wherever I go. I cannot function without some form of reading material. Like you, I was rather intimidated by the challenge for quite some time. Stacia encouraged me to join. I personally don't think the number of books is that important. Just enjoy reading what you love. 

 

 

 

I started and finished Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed this week and loved it. 

I'm a huge Khaled Hosseini fan and cannot wait to read this. 

 

Last week I read Lost Lake, by Sarah Addison Allen. 

 

I really enjoy her books also. Added this to my wish list. Yes, I agree about The Girl Who Chased the Moon being her best. 

 

This week I finished Zero Waste Home

 

Stacia, remember how we had a good laugh about the Feng Shui book a few years ago? Or maybe it was less than a few years ago. Now, every time I see anything related to Feng Shui, I smile and think of that.  :)

[Heather in Neverland]

Woo hoo! I finished the Dewey Decimal challenge!!!

 

Started Reading:

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

 

Still Reading:

God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China by Liao Yiwu

 

Finished:

46. Sharp Things by Gillian Flynn

45. Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony Amore (American Author, DD class 700)

44. The Gospel's Power and Message by Paul Washer (American author, DD class 200)

43. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Persuasive Writing by Gerald Graff (American author, DD class 400)

42. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (American author, DD class 800)

41. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (Canadian author, DD class 800)

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)

[Tress]

 

 

<image removed>

 

 

Love this! I think I need to print it and put it on my pile of books, to avoid getting stressed by how many books I haven't read yet :).

 

[Jane in NC]

Reading seems to have been gone to the wayside these past two weeks.  I have been doing more knitting and some decluttering (more like serious dust harvesting)--all while listening to BBC Radio 4 Ex dramas or NPR programs. 

 

I am slowly, sssslllooowwwlllyyy making my way through Stone Upon Stone, Wieslaw Mysliswki's novel that won two major translation prizes for Bill Johnston.  It is a stream of consciousness style of book that is a challenging style for me.  My mind tends to jump from thing to thing on the most tenuous of connections.  Immersing myself into the mindset of another random sort of thinker often leaves me feeling that I am peering into ever changing kaleidoscope patterns.  I either blissfully ride with it or I step back after a few pages and say "Whoa..."

 

There is an interview from The Center for the Art of Translation with Bill Johnston to which I must listen.  On the linked page, there is a good description of the novel:

 

Stone Upon Stone is a true epic, chronicling the modernization of Poland from the peasant’s-eye-view of Szymek Pietruszka. When the book begins, Szymek is building himself a tomb. He has seen most of his friends and family pass away and knows that soon the earth that has nurtured his way of life will become his final resting place. Szymek begins the tale of his life, moving seemingly at random from one story to another, in the process creating a rich composite autobiography of himself and a biography of his land: tracking down loose firearms after World War II, run-ins with the Communist bureaucracy, liasons with the women of the village, drunken fights after dances, and a gravely remembered childhood transgression of stealing the slice of bread that the family consecrated every year to the earth. - See more at: http://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/bill-johnston-stone-upon-stone#sthash.uFkuCwO3.dpuf

[Lizzie in Ma]

I'm reading the Artemis Fowl series along with my youngest and for non-fiction I will finish 1968, which I started this summer and forgot about.

[Jane in NC]

This week I finished Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson & I loved it. I read various simplifying/decluttering type books every now & then; this book is not quite that category, but similar in that she has simplified her family's life extensively by trying to avoid creating any trash (zero waste). I think her choices are entirely commendable & she shows that it can actually work for a suburban family of 4 (which speaks to my lifestyle).

 

 

One of my 5/5/5 challenges is sustainability--a theme I revisit regularly.  It all started for me as a teen with books like Limits to Growth and Small is Beautiful:  A Study of Economics as if People Mattered. Blame this on the Dominican nuns who educated me. Overuse of the earth's resources by a small slice of the world's population was yet another thing for which to feel guilty! The books that I pick up on this topic now tend to be preaching to the choir.  No new insights usually.  Maybe I should read scientific papers on groundwater--I might find some smug satisfaction there, although Stacia's suggestion might be more fun.  Zero Waste Home looks like it is coming to the sustainability conversation via simplicity.  Since you liked it Stacia, I will see if my library has it.

 

I have started reading The Finno-Ugrian Vampire, another Stacia pick.  Quite amusing!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Mom-ninja.]

I will not be doing non-fiction November. Most of my reading is non-fiction and since I'll be on vacation in November it will be all fiction for me.

[Heather in Neverland]

I give up. I read the first 25% of the Nora Roberts book and I am so bored I want to jab my eyeballs out. Moving on...

 

I decided to try The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin instead. I usually like his books plus I am killing time until Allegiant comes available at the library. I'm up to #9 on the waiting list. :)

[Lady Florida.]

I finished Disappearance on Drury Lane, and I think I'm going to start the Silo Saga. I read the Wool series last year, but many other books got in the way and I never continued the series.

 

 

 Yes, Your Teen is Crazy: Loving your kid without losing your mind by Michael J. Bradley.

 

 

 

That looks interesting. I read I'd Listen to My Parents If They'd Just Shut Up last year. While some of the teens used as examples talk to their parents in ways I can't imagine ds doing, it still had good advice.

 

I have been following You ladies for a long time . My question is when do you guys find time to read? I haven't been doing the challenge because I'm finding it difficult to get a book weeke, but you have inspired me to at least try. so it seems that I am reading alot of non fiction right now. Happy reading.

 

As others have said, read what you can when you can, and share when you can. As for when I find time to read, I've always made time. I take my Kindle everywhere with me, but before I had it I took a book everywhere. I can't fall asleep without reading, so I read at least a chapter, but usually more, every night. I used to get in trouble as a kid for reading in bed when I was supposed to be going to sleep, so this is not something new for me. I also grab bits of time throughout the day to read.

 

But...I only have one child and as my signature shows, he's a teen. His homeschooling is pretty independent at this point except when we sit down for discussions or when he needs my help. You have many and some are still young. Our seasons in life are different. 

 

So again it just comes down to read what you can when you can. Welcome. :)

 

I started and finished Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed this week and loved it. I've read both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and liked those too. 

 

I've wanted to read The Kite Runner for a long time, but since you've read others by Hosseini, I have a question. Is The Kite Runner a good place to start, or would you recommend one of the others first?

 

 

 

This week I am starting my Clean Out My Kindle campaign.  I am going to read all the library books that have expired, so I can turn the wi-fi back on on my Kindle.  

 

I often keep my wifi off when I need to finish a library book. :) However, you can still get books and send them to your Cloud Reader. That way they'll be there for you when you're ready, and you don't have to miss out on a sale. An ebook sale is one of the pleasures of 21st century life. :D

 

I wish, but no.  He isn't a reader.   :svengo:

 

Dh wasn't a reader until I got him a Kindle. I did discuss it with him first, and he said he wanted to read, so it's not like I handed him one to make him become a reader. He still reads mostly non-fiction, but he's currently reading Under the Dome.

 

Woo hoo! I finished the Dewey Decimal challenge!!!

 

 

:hurray:

 

 

Reading seems to have been gone to the wayside these past two weeks.  I have been doing more knitting and some decluttering (more like serious dust harvesting)--all while listening to BBC Radio 4 Ex dramas or NPR programs. 

 

 

 

 

I tend to become a dust harvester around this time of year. Something in my brain switches on due to the upcoming holidays. I've discovered listening to audio books and radio shows makes the work less daunting.

[Jane in NC]

 

There is an interview from The Center for the Art of Translation with Bill Johnston to which I must listen.  On the linked page, there is a good description of the novel:

 

 

 

Just listened to the interview.  It is fascinating to hear how Johnston found the first person voice for the translation.  Decisions are made regarding usage and syntax. 

 

Then Johnston reads four passages.  These are not for the faint of heart.  As Johnston notes, this is a sad book.

 

Eliana--I will recommend this interview to you.

 

[Luckymama]

I haven't posted on this thread in eons. Goodreads tells me I've read 144 books this year, but I know I've read more than that because my Kindle has multiple pages of books not yet sorted into folders (I sort as I add to Goodreads)...

 

I've been alternating between nonfiction and mainly romance/romantic suspense. The last books I've read are

 

Solar System: A Visual Exploration of the Planets, Moons, and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun by Marcus Chown http://www.amazon.com/Solar-System-Exploration-Planets-Heavenly/dp/B0064XUSLS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3O72DBBXGQZ97&coliid=ILS0MGT8MPCGJ which is published by the people who did that awesome visual The Elements

 

I'm in No Mood for Love, an old Rachel Gibson from the series about the four writer friends https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60218.I_m_In_No_Mood_For_Love (a re-read)

 

On deck I have I am Malala and Waking Nightmare by Kylie Brown https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6453494-waking-nightmare?ac=1 , a recommendation from my sister. She told me not to start it at nighttime...

 

Dd is suffering from a book hangover. She glommed the entire Ranger's Apprentice series, all 10 books, from Friday afternoon until this morning! She says the books were way too easy for her but that the world building was excellent. If she had read the series a few years ago, she said they would have had a space on a keeper shelf. We had a nice discussion about challenging books vs more "brain candy" and when each type is appropriate :)

[Ali in OR]

 

I've wanted to read The Kite Runner for a long time, but since you've read others by Hosseini, I have a question. Is The Kite Runner a good place to start, or would you recommend one of the others first?

 

 

 

 

I think The Kite Runner is a good place to start, though the books are all independent from each other and you could read any of them first. As I said before, The Kite Runner is being used in high school literature classes here and I think it is the most likely to become a"classic" and on people's "must read" or "should read" lists. It's been years since I've read the first two, but my recollection is that both are heavier and have some disturbing events. Some would say And the Mountains Echoed may have a few disturbing events too, but to me they weren't as jarring.

[Stacia]

.

[Stacia]

.

[Stacia]

I just started Murakami's, Kafka on the Shore. I'm enjoying it so far. I always seem to enjoy Murakami.

 

Loved this book. (But there is one very disturbing part in it; I knew it was coming from reviews I had read & steeled myself to get through it.)

 

I started and finished Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed this week and loved it. I've read both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and liked those too. Not sure how to compare this one--it almost reads more like a collection of short stories. The themes aren't quite as epic I believe (can't say I'm remembering the other two really clearly) and it's the least likely to be assigned in a high school English course as The Kite Runner now is here. But the themes touched home with me, a middle-aged American mom. Granted a mom of a disabled child, and disabilities and care takers show up repeatedly in the stories. Also was touched by a "good" character letting the tyranny of the critical drive out what is most important (job worries, kid activities), and neglecting to do the thing that would bring much good into the world. So of the three of his books, I think this one is my favorite (but maybe I would change my mind if I read the others again!). Good stuff.

 

I so need to read something by Hosseini. I've never read any of his books & all of them have been so highly recommended. Maybe he will be a 2014 author for me to try....

 

Stacia, remember how we had a good laugh about the Feng Shui book a few years ago? Or maybe it was less than a few years ago. Now, every time I see anything related to Feng Shui, I smile and think of that.  :)

 

:smilielol5:  Oh my goodness, yes! It gives me the giggles just thinking about it. I think I need to check it out again. It's a book that spreads joy. :laugh:  (FYI, for those who are wondering, we're talking about Karen Kingston's Feng Shui book.)

 

And while dd attended her exam I read  several chapters of 'Ferdinand Huyck' from Jacob van Lennep, a piece of Dutch Literature from the 19th century.

I like the long sentences, the great use of (forgotten) adjectives. I like it very much.

This week my parents are here, so less time to read.

 

I will have to ask my dh if he has ever read this one.

 

Woo hoo! I finished the Dewey Decimal challenge!!!

 

:hurray:

 

I am slowly, sssslllooowwwlllyyy making my way through Stone Upon Stone, Wieslaw Mysliswki's novel that won two major translation prizes for Bill Johnston.  It is a stream of consciousness style of book that is a challenging style for me.  My mind tends to jump from thing to thing on the most tenuous of connections.  Immersing myself into the mindset of another random sort of thinker often leaves me feeling that I am peering into ever changing kaleidoscope patterns.  I either blissfully ride with it or I step back after a few pages and say "Whoa..."

 

There is an interview from The Center for the Art of Translation with Bill Johnston to which I must listen.  On the linked page, there is a good description of the novel:

 

Stone Upon Stone is a true epic, chronicling the modernization of Poland from the peasant’s-eye-view of Szymek Pietruszka. When the book begins, Szymek is building himself a tomb. He has seen most of his friends and family pass away and knows that soon the earth that has nurtured his way of life will become his final resting place. Szymek begins the tale of his life, moving seemingly at random from one story to another, in the process creating a rich composite autobiography of himself and a biography of his land: tracking down loose firearms after World War II, run-ins with the Communist bureaucracy, liasons with the women of the village, drunken fights after dances, and a gravely remembered childhood transgression of stealing the slice of bread that the family consecrated every year to the earth. - See more at: http://www.catranslation.org/blogpost/bill-johnston-stone-upon-stone#sthash.uFkuCwO3.dpuf

 

Thanks for the links, Jane. I will spend a little time with them later....

 

One of my 5/5/5 challenges is sustainability--a theme I revisit regularly.  It all started for me as a teen with books like Limits to Growth and Small is Beautiful:  A Study of Economics as if People Mattered. Blame this on the Dominican nuns who educated me. Overuse of the earth's resources by a small slice of the world's population was yet another thing for which to feel guilty! The books that I pick up on this topic now tend to be preaching to the choir.  No new insights usually.  Maybe I should read scientific papers on groundwater--I might find some smug satisfaction there, although Stacia's suggestion might be more fun.  Zero Waste Home looks like it is coming to the sustainability conversation via simplicity.  Since you liked it Stacia, I will see if my library has it.

 

I have started reading The Finno-Ugrian Vampire, another Stacia pick.  Quite amusing!

 

The Zero Waste Home book is not technical or scientific (& may not hold many new insights for you, Jane, since you're already read/researched/learned a lot about sustainability), but it more of a layman's book to begin thinking about these issues in practical, how-can-I-make-changes-in-my-own-home terms. Definitely it is more fun reading than scientific papers on groundwater (at least for me)!

 

Glad you are enjoying the Hungarian vampire humor, lol.

 

I am totally on board with a Nonfiction November

 

I first read that as, "I am totally *bored* with Nonfiction November...."

 

:huh:  My Freudian slip, eh?

 

Solar System: A Visual Exploration of the Planets, Moons, and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun by Marcus Chown http://www.amazon.com/Solar-System-Exploration-Planets-Heavenly/dp/B0064XUSLS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3O72DBBXGQZ97&coliid=ILS0MGT8MPCGJ which is published by the people who did that awesome visual The Elements

 

Very cool. Will have to check this one out as we love The Elements! Good to see you again too.

 

I think The Kite Runner is a good place to start, though the books are all independent from each other and you could read any of them first. As I said before, The Kite Runner is being used in high school literature classes here and I think it is the most likely to become a"classic" and on people's "must read" or "should read" lists. It's been years since I've read the first two, but my recollection is that both are heavier and have some disturbing events. Some would say And the Mountains Echoed may have a few disturbing events too, but to me they weren't as jarring.

 

Thanks for the info!

[ladydusk]

I finished three books since I last posted [oops]  It took several weeks, but I finally finished Murder Must Advertise by Sayers.  I'm ready for Harriet Vane to become a regular character.  I like LPW better with her than without.  I did enjoy the book, but was a little disappointed by the mystery. 

 

For Christmas gifts, my sister records books for the children on mp3.  She did two Patricia St. John books, and we listened to the first: The Tanglewoods' Secret.  We enjoyed it and are currently enjoying Treasures of the Snow.  This is a gift we love; she reads well and the kids love listening to books.

 

Yesterday, I started Ender's Game which I've never read.  I finished it during quiet time today.  I read a lot while the kids did schoool (I did help them some, though).  Ender's Game was the theme book for our town's DelawaREADS program this fall.  My husband read it on vacation and made me think it would be depressing.  I put it off for a long time, but finally got started and am glad I did.

 

I haven't written any reviews yet.  I should get on that before I start something else which I think will be Wolf Hall.

[JennW in SoCal]

Non-fiction November?  Nah, it is more like I need a day off just for reading anything, please, November.  

 

On my iPad is the latest Peter Lovesey mystery, The Tooth Tattoo and on my iPhone is the audio version of Desolation Island, the 5th Master and Commander title.  Collecting dust is The Shadow of the Wind, which I had misplaced for about a week and will finally finish now that it is back in plain sight.  

[love_reading]

I love to read but I find it hard to get time with work and kids. I try to scroll few pages...

Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting

 

Its a great book.

[mumto2]

Voting for your favorite books of 2013 is available now on Goodreads. I just voted and found some interesting books that are not in my stack on the list. Just put some library requests in. :) I thought some of you might enjoy taking a look.

 

Golem and the Jinni is going well. Very curious about how it will all end.

[Negin]

I give up. I read the first 25% of the Nora Roberts book and I am so bored I want to jab my eyeballs out. Moving on...

Heather, you're not the only one. 

 

Voting for your favorite books of 2013 is available now on Goodreads. I just voted and found some interesting books that are not in my stack on the list. Just put some library requests in. :) I thought some of you might enjoy taking a look.

Yes, I voted in only one category. Going to look at all the books later and add to my wish list. :)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes, I couldn't vote either. I then saw that the vote is for books published during 2013 so that explains everything for me. I almost never read books that are new releases.

[mumto2]

I only did really well in the mystery/thriller category fot the 2013 Goodreads voting where I had read more than half of them. That probably surprises no one here. :lol: The obvious choice was the Flavia book for me there. I had not read a single fiction one. That I found a bit surprising but I was on waitlists for two of them even before I read the list with another in my stack. I did find a couple more "fun" type of books to request that I am looking forward too.

[Jane in NC]

Hmmm....Maybe we need our own Best of 2013 poll.  Suggested categories:  "Favorite Dead Author", "Favorite Dusty Book", "Well, I Finally Read It and Can't Quite Figure Out the Fuss", etc. 

[welovetoread]

 

 

See why I need to clean out my Kindle so I can turn wi-fi back on? LOL I need to be able to download things like this!

Could you download it and it will store in the cloud and then when Wi Fi is back on, it will download?

 

I have a daughter that reads and reads at night. We have daily struggles about reading and schoolwork.

 

I am reading Memoirs of a Geisha and finished The Invisible Wall. Like them both!

[trinchick]

Finished a couple this week:

 

47. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Audio) - Lot of similarities to The Secret Keeper that I also just finished, so it felt a little formulaic, but that didn't keep me from still enjoying it very much. Another great reading by Caroline Lee. 

 

48. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - So much fun. I love books where I can feel clever when I pick up on the allusions and get the jokes. I'm sure there were many that went over my head, too... I've started the next Flavia book; what a great character she is. Worth noting that this one is available for only $2 on the kindle.

[mlbuchina]

I ended up only being able to vote in 3 categories because despite my belief that I am a well-read person, I was not aware of 90% of the books on any of those lists.  Really, how can a book have made it to a "Best of 2013" contest when I have never even heard of it?   :confused:  Obviously, I am a supremely uninformed individual  ;)

 

That's how I feel from joining BaW!  LOL

 

See why I need to clean out my Kindle so I can turn wi-fi back on? LOL I need to be able to download things like this!

Could you download it and it will store in the cloud and then when Wi Fi is back on, it will download?

 

Oh, yes, that's what I do.  I have quite a bit that are waiting to be downloaded.

[JennW in SoCal]

Yes, I couldn't vote either. I then saw that the vote is for books published during 2013 so that explains everything for me. I almost never read books that are new releases.

 

This is often the case for me, too.

 

But seriously. If the books have not been mentioned on this thread, they can't possibly belong in a "best of" list!!

[mlbuchina]

Going through the "Best of 2013" list, I found one I have read!  The only problem is, I read it when it was Twilight fanfic a couple of years ago.  I guess I shouldn't vote for it, as I haven't read the changed version, huh?   :tongue_smilie:   In the romance category, Beautiful B*stard is a Twilight fanfic turned published novel.  The fanfic was ok.  My favorite fanfic turned published novel is Gabriel's Inferno, by Sylvian Reynard.  Reynard's Gabriel, aka Edward, is a tortured soul, but not near as messed up as 50 Shade's Christian, aka Edward.

 

Why do I suddenly feel embarrassed that I know these things...?   :leaving: