Book a Week in 2013 - week forty seven

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 47 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 - Candide by Voltaire:  I happen to share my birthday with the philosopher Voltaire so highlighting his book Candide which can be read online here.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 46

[Robin M]

I've been immersing myself in Kate Daniel's World this week and in the middle of #6 Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews.  Reading it on early bday prez from my dad. He asked what I wanted for my birthday and couldn't think of anything.  I jokingly told him I wanted an ipad. So, he decided that whatever he won on the slot machines the next day, he'd put toward my birthday.  Somebody up there loves me - he won $700.00......    Picked it up yesterday and I'm in luv.

[mlbuchina]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:   Robin.  I hope your mom is continuing to do well.

 

 

I read a couple of pages of a few books last week, but nothing really grabbed my attention.  I have downloaded a couple of things from the library onto my Kindle that I'm going give a try this week.  Thanks for the suggestions last week to help me get over my reading slump!  I'm going to give some of those a try, too.  :)

[Karen in CO]

I enjoyed Kate Daniels this summer.  After I read those, I read the Jane Yellowrock series which is also fun.   It starts with Skinwalker  This week, I read the Imp series by Debra Dunbar.  It starts with A Demon Bound.  It's your classic redemption by love kind of series full of angels, demons, werewolves and a few vampires.   The main character is very, very bad but redeemable.  I reread the ending of the last book three or four times.  Apparently, I'm a sucker for a happily-ever-after.

[Angel]

Wow! I never catch this thread so early.  Usually I'm napping after church  :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm reading Book 12 "The Gathering Storm" by Robert Jordan.  I'm more than halfway through it.  This is the first book that was co-written by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan's death.  Sanderson's style is a little more conversational with less description.  That makes for a quicker read.  I was getting annoyed by all the repeating of descriptions or events until my dh told me that that was for all the people who were NOT reading them back to back -  in order -every. time. a. new. book. was. published.   :blush:   Imagine that!  Not everyone is as anal as I am.  I have waited to buy the final book until I got closer to the end of the series.  As soon as book 12 is done, I will be ordering book 14  :hurray:

[Rosie_0801]

I finally finished that 777 page slog on WW1

[Karen in CO]

Wow! I never catch this thread so early.  Usually I'm napping after church  :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm reading Book 12 "The Gathering Storm" by Robert Jordan.  I'm more than halfway through it.  This is the first book that was co-written by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan's death.  Sanderson's style is a little more conversational with less description.  That makes for a quicker read.  I was getting annoyed by all the repeating of descriptions or events until my dh told me that that was for all the people who were NOT reading them back to back -  in order -every. time. a. new. book. was. published.   :blush:   Imagine that!  Not everyone is as anal as I am.  I have waited to buy the final book until I got closer to the end of the series.  As soon as book 12 is done, I will be ordering book 14  :hurray:

I've tried twice to read that series and never get past book 6.  Maybe I would have a better chance if I didn't read them one after the other like I try to do.  If you like Brandon't writing, try the Mystborn series.  

[Just Robyn]

I read Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep and loved it. So gritty, so good. There was one passage early on in the book where Chandler manages to make even an all white/off-white room seem gritty. I wanted to dig right into Farewell, My Lovely, but decided I had better read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and use Farewell, My Lovely as a reward for finishing it.

 

Ben Franklin's autobiography is pretty good so far, too. At one point he talks about how he got himself more time to study by only eating a piece of bread for dinner (or some other meager "meal"). He was so happy about his idea, like "Check it out. If I just starve myself then not only do I save money, but I get more time to study, too! Sweet!"

 

 

[welovetoread]

I am reading The Girl with Three Legs.  Its a story about FGM that needs to get out.  It is a topic I'm passionate about.  Its still a heartbreaking story and difficult to read because it makes me sick to my stomach.  UGH

[Lady Florida.]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:   Robin.  I hope your mom is continuing to do well.

 

 

 

 

:grouphug:  Yes, Robin. I was glad to read your positive updates and hope she continues to do well.  :grouphug:

 

 

I finished A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Gamache). What I want to do is jump right into the next one, The Cruelest Month, but I also want to get back to The Goldfinch, which I started a few weeks ago. I'm not sure which one will win. I should stick with Louise Penny, because mysteries are quick and easy during this busy time, yet they feed my need to read. (No, I didn't mean to rhyme and didn't realize it until I typed it.) The Goldfinch is nearly 800 pages, and based on reviews I think it will require a fair amount of contemplation.

 

Still plodding through the audio book version of Nicholas Nickleby. 

[Jane in NC]

I read Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep and loved it. So gritty, so good. There was one passage early on in the book where Chandler manages to make even an all white/off-white room seem gritty. I wanted to dig right into Farewell, My Lovely, but decided I had better read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and use Farewell, My Lovely as a reward for finishing it.

 

A love of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett was a common denominator I had with my father-in-law after his stroke.  He had trouble with short term memory but loved talking about his favorite books including hard boiled detectives. Hmmm...perhaps I should reread Chandler in his honor.  Thanks for planting the thought.

 

Must work my way out of WWII...

 

A Train in Winter tells the tale of 230 French women who were held as political prisoners in Auschwitz.  Their activities--political and humanitarian--initially led to being imprisoned in France.  As the war progressed and Germany required additional slave labor, these women were moved into living Hell.

 

The book is moving and the topic is difficult.  Yet I felt that the author may have made a clearer point had she concentrated on five or six of the women--not the larger group.  She often refers to the women by their first names and, with 230 of them, some clarity of the storyline is lost. 

 

There are shards of hope in the book.  The thought of Auschwitz prisoners putting on le Malade Imaginaire from memory brings a smile--despite the circumstances.

 

Still reading Stone Upon Stone and I finally started Mary Roach's Gulp.

[Storm Bay]

Wow, it's been since Nov 1. I haven't finished any more books, but since I'm well past my 52, am not worried about it. I'm still slowly reading 2 books, tried & gave on the very disappointing Allegiant and have either been very busy or else procrastinating when I was supposed to be very busy. I've missed being here, but can't even catch all the way up due to ds having done the wrong thing for a Friday assignment & since he doesn't type yet, I have to help with that part in a few minutes. We can email it this weekend. For the most part this 1/2 time homeschool, 1/2 time p/s is working very well for him. I did get to read all of today's posts and am going to try to be better at this (this is my worst year for participation here & I've always liked this group.)

 

:grouphug:  to you, Robin.

[Stacia]

Robin, :grouphug: for you and your family. (And early birthday greetings to you!)

 

Well, I usually have one or two books going at the same time (at most), but right now I'm in the middle of four. :wacko: (I used to be able to juggle a lot of books going at once, but w/ age & a busy life, I find I do better to read just one or two at a time.) Anyway...

 

I'm still working on The Monuments Men & loving it. Utterly fascinating, imo. (And much better non-fiction than Erik Larson's non-fiction.)

 

Was at a feis (Irish dance competition) all day yesterday, so I took along something that I hoped was a bit lighter (concentration is not easy to do amidst crowds & constant accordion music), so I started one of my Archipelago books, Plants Don't Drink Coffee by Unai Elorriaga (a Basque author). Didn't make it too far into it, but so far it's sweet & entertaining.

 

And, I'm slowly reading along (w/ my ds for his schoolwork), both Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days (fiction) and Nellie Bly's Around the World in 72 Days (non-fiction).

[Kareni]

I'm continuing on my great fluff reading extravaganza.  Last night I finished Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren which is the most recent book in the series that started with Beautiful Bastard.  (The latter book started out as fan fiction.)  These books are for adult readers only.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Speaking of noir, I picked up a book at the library that I hope I'll get to start next week -- perfect for the holiday lead-up, I think.

 

The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon

Someone’s Playing Reindeer Games for Keeps

 

Behind Kringle Town's gingerbread doors, some elves nurse a cheap bottle of nog trying to forget their own "wishlist." Some get better. Some get bitter. Gumdrop Coal got revenge. Axed from punishing little punks on the Naughty List, Gumdrop is an elf seeking justice. He decides to punish the parents of naughty kids, since they're a big part of the problem. But when one parent ends up dead, Gumdrop must learn who framed him and why. The answer could spell the end of Christmas. There's danger. There's a dame. There are decorations of red. Blood red. Ho, Ho, Ho!

:lol:

[Lady Florida.]

 

Ben Franklin's autobiography is pretty good so far, too. At one point he talks about how he got himself more time to study by only eating a piece of bread for dinner (or some other meager "meal"). He was so happy about his idea, like "Check it out. If I just starve myself then not only do I save money, but I get more time to study, too! Sweet!"

 

I read it last year, and really enjoyed it. He was always proud of his ideas and actions, and certainly wasn't lacking self-esteem. :)

[Lady Florida.]

I just noticed my Goodreads count. I'm 10 books ahead of last year's total. I've read 72 so far this year, and read 62 in all of 2012.

 

 

 

A love of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett was a common denominator I had with my father-in-law after his stroke.  He had trouble with short term memory but loved talking about his favorite books including hard boiled detectives. Hmmm...perhaps I should reread Chandler in his honor.  Thanks for planting the thought.

 

 

And thank you for planting the thought to read more Hammett. I read The Maltese Falcon last year and loved it. I've been meaning to read The Thin Man. I added it to my Goodreads list, so I don't forget again.

 

 

 

I'm still working on The Monuments Men & loving it. Utterly fascinating, imo. (And much better non-fiction than Erik Larson's non-fiction.)

 

 

 

Well, that's good to know. I have a hard time with Larson. Even though his subjects are interesting, his writing style doesn't appeal to me.

 

Speaking of noir, I picked up a book at the library that I hope I'll get to start next week -- perfect for the holiday lead-up, I think.

 

The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon

 

 

:lol:

 

 

Oh, this looks like fun! I think I'm going to read this before the end of the year. After all, it sounds like something to be enjoyed during the holiday season.

[Stacia]

 Well, that's good to know. I have a hard time with Larson. Even though his subjects are interesting, his writing style doesn't appeal to me.

 

That's why I mentioned that, lol. I like Larson's topics, but I really don't like his writing. Plus, the last Larson book I read was the one that was about the Am. ambassador in Berlin during Hitler's rise to power. So, I guess I had Larson/WWII on the brain. Edsel's writing in The Monuments Men is so much more engaging; and, his writing is organized (unlike Larson's, imo)!

[Stacia]

Oh, this looks like fun! I think I'm going to read this before the end of the year. After all, it sounds like something to be enjoyed during the holiday season.

 

It seems like it will be funny. I really want to start it but am making myself wait until I finish a couple of other books first.

 

Another book I love to read during the holidays is Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. What can be better than Death (a character) filling in for the Hogfather (Pratchett's version of St. Nick)? :lol:

[Shawneinfl]

Finished David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. Anyone who likes his books will appreciate this one as well. We listened to the audio version on our way home from vacation last week. My husband really enjoyed it. In fact he has brought it up in at least three different conversations - especially the part about dyslexia and the advantages of disadvantages.

[mumto2]

I finished "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion this morning. It was really entertaining. I requested it because of the Goodread's Best of 2013 list, it was in the fiction category. One of my favorite tv shows is Doc Martin which this reminded me of in many ways. Here is a pretty detailed review....

 

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/03/228508828/the-rosie-project-will-charm-you-with-science

 

Next up is either a Tale for the Time Being or The Goldfinch. Both need to be returned soon and can't be renewed. Both look good. I started Tale but am hoping to be able to renew it tomorrow when the library opens and the system clears a bit. It is really scary to think I am now able to tell that there should be one extra copy as soon as the latest hold is processed. Somebody spends way too much time on library sites! :lol:

[mumto2]

Robin, I am so glad your mom is doing well. Happy Early Birthday! Have fun playing with your new toy. :)

[Onceuponatime]

I haven't been sticking with one book lately but dipping into a few now and then. One is Jorge Luis Borges book of Imaginary Beings, which is more of an anthology of very short descriptions of literature's weird, wild, and wonderful creatures. I've also cracked open Dava Sobel's Planets. Still working on Fatu-Hiva too.

 

I've decided I need to keep to what's in my stacks till after the new year and not get distracted by putting more library books on hold.

[Jane in NC]

Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing has died at age 94.  Link.

[Ali in OR]

I finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling. It was fine. Sometimes you just totally click with a fictional detective (love Hercule Poirot), and sometimes not so much. It was fine, though. Could have been a little shorter.

 

Also finished Albert Marrin's Stalin and started his The Elephant and the Tiger about Vietnam, yet another era I don't really know much about. I learn a lot from his books.

 

I'm about 3/4 of the way through A Train in Winter, and agree with Jane in NC that it's not always clear who is who. Moorehead's writing is not strictly chronological, so sometimes you're thrown back again to an event from a slightly different angle and that gets confusing. But it's still a very good book and I think an important one to read. And while it might be easier to follow if she focused on fewer people, part of the impact is the realization of the immense scope of the terror and killings.

 

Not sure what's next on my reading list. The talk about Erik Larson reminds me that I haven't finished In the Garden of Beasts and that's a book I borrowed from a friend. The January pick for our book club is Stoner by John Williams so I'll see if that is available at the library.

[mlbuchina]

Speaking of noir, I picked up a book at the library that I hope I'll get to start next week -- perfect for the holiday lead-up, I think.

 

The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon

 

 

:lol:

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

This looks great, and my library has it!  Yay!

 

I just noticed my Goodreads count. I'm 10 books ahead of last year's total. I've read 72 so far this year, and read 62 in all of 2012.

 

And thank you for planting the thought to read more Hammett. I read The Maltese Falcon last year and loved it. I've been meaning to read The Thin Man. I added it to my Goodreads list, so I don't forget again.

 

Oh, this looks like fun! I think I'm going to read this before the end of the year. After all, it sounds like something to be enjoyed during the holiday season.

 

I read The Maltese Falcon in middle school.  I need to read it again, as I don't really remember anything about it except what the book looked like.  I need to add it and The Thin Man to my Goodreads list, too.  Thank you to the both of you for reminding ME.  LOL

 

Finished David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. Anyone who likes his books will appreciate this one as well. We listened to the audio version on our way home from vacation last week. My husband really enjoyed it. In fact he has brought it up in at least three different conversations - especially the part about dyslexia and the advantages of disadvantages.

 

This looks interesting, thanks for sharing it.  My dd8 is dyslexic, and I'd be interested in reading his take on it.

[JennW in SoCal]

I know some of you fondly remember the book catalog A Common Reader, so perhaps you can help me remember a catch phrase they used.  Was it a "thumping good read" for an action packed page turner?   Because that is the term that comes to me when describing the 5th book in the Master and Commander series, Desolation Island.  I loved it and listened to it almost non-stop til I finished it.   Jo Walton, who blogged on re-reading the series over at Tor.com, said she often tells people they can start the series with this book because it is the magic book where everything gels.  I think I may agree on that point!  If you only read one from the series, this should be it!

 

I gave up most of my day yesterday to finish another book, the most recent Elizabeth George entry in the Inspector Lynley series, One Evil Act.   It wasn't bad -- she still writes a good story and I still care about some of the characters, but the plot was so convoluted, the ending just not satisfying. Or logical.  It feels as if she wrote herself into a corner the last few books and decided to find a way out of it.  It was an elaborate pushing of the "reset button".

 

Oh and I read Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald, a wonderful mash-up of Sherlock Holmes and HP Lovecraft.  

 

No clue what to start next, though I have lots on hand to choose from.  Stacia's North Pole Noir find looks like a must read next month!!  My favorite holiday reads include Pratchett's Hogfather and Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers.  

[Kareni]

I finished "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion this morning. It was really entertaining.

 

I read it recently, too.  It was a fun book.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

For those reading The Maltese Falcon, I highly recommend the edition that is published by North Point Press (ISBN 0-86547-156-8/cloth, 0-86547-157-6/paper). What's neat about it is that it has quite a few black & white photos of 1928 San Francisco, showing the locations as Sam Spade would have seen them. It was a serendipitous find on my part (my library had it) & I thought it was a wonderful edition to read.

[eaglei]

This week I finished two books, and may well finish the third this evening:

 

#70 - Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns.  Absolutely loved this novel!  Small town southern life at turn of the century.  Engaging characters; humorous; honest; great dialog; insight that rather sneaks up on you.  Fictional, but based on family life stories the author grew up hearing.

 

#71 - Starry Night, by Debbie Macomber.  My introduction to this author.  Enjoyable brain candy.

 

Currently about to conclude:

 

#72 - Leaving Cold Sassy:  The Unfinished Sequel to Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns with a reminiscence by Katrina Kenison.  I was absolutely delighted to discover a sequel to Cold Sassy Tree!  Deflated, however, to learn that the author died before she completed the book.  Writing these two novels were her way of positively coping with the side effects of chemotherapy.  The sequel, originally titled Time, Dirt, and Money, begins this book and continues for approximately half the book (15 chapters), at which point, Katrina takes up the story.  What follows is not only a biographical sketch of Olive, but also her written notes for the sequel.  Based on her parents' lives, her notes make clear her intentions for the remainder of the story.  Olive's story itself is quite inspiring.  While I still have well less than a hundred pages to go, I know I will miss these characters when I turn the last page.  The people are such, and the writing such, that one wouldn't be content with just a sequel.  Sadly, this author's voice was cut short . . .

[BigMamaBird]

I have been reading books off the Top 20th Century lists and for my own sanity I included the top Sci-Fi books too because that's a genre I enjoy.  My Dh has been after me all year to read one of his favorite books, Starship Troopers by Robert Hinlein.  I finally agreed to read it and he bounced downstairs to get it like a big excited puppy.  I did a double take when he handed it to me because it was filthy!  There was dirt between the pages, it was all water damaged and the back cover was in tatters.  It turns out, that was the copy he'd read in the field while on maneuvers with the Marines, it was a favorite of many of the guys and they passed their copies around pretty heavily.  After reading I can see why they liked it, he said it was pretty spot on about training and how they related to each other. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I liked getting a glimpse at another dimension of my Dh.

 

The second book I read this week was Animal Farm by George Orwell.  I enjoyed the dark humor in this one.  I realize this was written ages ago and most likely about Stalinist Russia, but I could see so many parallels with government, media and society today.   

 

 

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                                                     37 - Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger 
12 - Catch-22- Joseph Heller                                                                                    38 - A Death in Venice - Thomas Mann
13 - Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad                                                                    39 -  Sister Carrie - Theodore Drieser
14 - Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie                                                                   40 -  The Trial - Franz Kafka
15 - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams                                            41 - The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner
16 -O, Pioneers!- Willa Cather                                                                                 42 - Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
17 - Miss Marple - The Complete Short Story Collection - Agatha Christie                 43 - Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
18 - Ringworld - Larry Niven                                                                                  44 - Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
19 - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce                                          45 - Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
20 - Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut                                                                46 - Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
21 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee                                                                   47 - Animal Farm - George Orwell
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]

52 Books Blog - Candide by Voltaire:  I happen to share my birthday with the philosopher Voltaire so highlighting his book Candide which can be read online here.

 

:thumbup1:  Excellent. It has been many years since I've read Candide. Need to revisit it someday.

 

Reading it on early bday prez from my dad. He asked what I wanted for my birthday and couldn't think of anything.  I jokingly told him I wanted an ipad. So, he decided that whatever he won on the slot machines the next day, he'd put toward my birthday.  Somebody up there loves me - he won $700.00......    Picked it up yesterday and I'm in luv.

 

:w00t:  That's pretty cool, Robin! Have fun w/ your new techno geek goods!

 

I finally finished that 777 page slog on WW1

 

:cheers2:

 

Ben Franklin's autobiography is pretty good so far, too. At one point he talks about how he got himself more time to study by only eating a piece of bread for dinner (or some other meager "meal"). He was so happy about his idea, like "Check it out. If I just starve myself then not only do I save money, but I get more time to study, too! Sweet!"

 

After Paleo, maybe Ben's diet ideas will make a big comeback & be the next fad in diets!

 

The Goldfinch is nearly 800 pages, and based on reviews I think it will require a fair amount of contemplation.

 

I need you to finish this one & give me a review. :toetap05:  What are you waiting on, woman???

 

:lol: 

 

(I'm currently on the library waitlist for The Goldfinch.)

 

A love of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett was a common denominator I had with my father-in-law after his stroke.  He had trouble with short term memory but loved talking about his favorite books including hard boiled detectives. Hmmm...perhaps I should reread Chandler in his honor.  Thanks for planting the thought.

 

I've never read Raymond Chandler, but come to think of it, perhaps I have.... Eons ago, I used to read dozens of copies of the old Ellery Queen magazines, so perhaps I read some Chandler in there??? (Not sure if he had anything in the magazines or not. Need to look that up.) Even so, I think I need to put him on my 2014 list.

 

 I've missed being here, but can't even catch all the way up due to ds having done the wrong thing for a Friday assignment & since he doesn't type yet, I have to help with that part in a few minutes. We can email it this weekend. For the most part this 1/2 time homeschool, 1/2 time p/s is working very well for him. I did get to read all of today's posts and am going to try to be better at this (this is my worst year for participation here & I've always liked this group.)

 

I've missed seeing you around here, Storm Bay! Hope you can find some more reading time soon.

[Stacia]

I finished "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion this morning. It was really entertaining. I requested it because of the Goodread's Best of 2013 list, it was in the fiction category. One of my favorite tv shows is Doc Martin which this reminded me of in many ways. Here is a pretty detailed review....

 

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/03/228508828/the-rosie-project-will-charm-you-with-science

 

Next up is either a Tale for the Time Being or The Goldfinch. Both need to be returned soon and can't be renewed. Both look good.

 

I have The Rosie Project & The Goldfinch on my to-read list. Loved A Tale for the Time Being. (My book club met tonight & that is the book we read. Most everyone really enjoyed it, except for one person who didn't like it at all.)

 

I haven't been sticking with one book lately but dipping into a few now and then. One is Jorge Luis Borges book of Imaginary Beings, which is more of an anthology of very short descriptions of literature's weird, wild, and wonderful creatures. I've also cracked open Dava Sobel's Planets. Still working on Fatu-Hiva too.

 

All seem like great, interesting choices.

 

Not sure what's next on my reading list. The talk about Erik Larson reminds me that I haven't finished In the Garden of Beasts and that's a book I borrowed from a friend. The January pick for our book club is Stoner by John Williams so I'll see if that is available at the library.

 

I personally wouldn't bother finishing the Larson book. :tongue_smilie:  Looking forward to your review of Stoner. I've heard it is fabulous & I really want to read it.

 

I know some of you fondly remember the book catalog A Common Reader, so perhaps you can help me remember a catch phrase they used.  Was it a "thumping good read" for an action packed page turner?   Because that is the term that comes to me when describing the 5th book in the Master and Commander series, Desolation Island.  I loved it and listened to it almost non-stop til I finished it.   Jo Walton, who blogged on re-reading the series over at Tor.com, said she often tells people they can start the series with this book because it is the magic book where everything gels.  I think I may agree on that point!  If you only read one from the series, this should be it!

 

...

 

Oh and I read Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald, a wonderful mash-up of Sherlock Holmes and HP Lovecraft.  

 

No clue what to start next, though I have lots on hand to choose from.  Stacia's North Pole Noir find looks like a must read next month!!  My favorite holiday reads include Pratchett's Hogfather and Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers.  

 

I will have to keep it in mind that Desolation Island is a great one.

 

The Gaiman one sounds like a fun one that I would enjoy. Hadn't heard of it; thanks for mentioning it.

 

I've never read Dorothy Sayers. Wonder if my library has Nine Tailors?

 

 

This week I finished two books, and may well finish the third this evening:

 

#70 - Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns.  Absolutely loved this novel!  Small town southern life at turn of the century.  Engaging characters; humorous; honest; great dialog; insight that rather sneaks up on you.  Fictional, but based on family life stories the author grew up hearing.

 

...

 

Currently about to conclude:

 

#72 - Leaving Cold Sassy:  The Unfinished Sequel to Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns with a reminiscence by Katrina Kenison.  I was absolutely delighted to discover a sequel to Cold Sassy Tree!  Deflated, however, to learn that the author died before she completed the book.  Writing these two novels were her way of positively coping with the side effects of chemotherapy.  The sequel, originally titled Time, Dirt, and Money, begins this book and continues for approximately half the book (15 chapters), at which point, Katrina takes up the story.  What follows is not only a biographical sketch of Olive, but also her written notes for the sequel.  Based on her parents' lives, her notes make clear her intentions for the remainder of the story.  Olive's story itself is quite inspiring.  While I still have well less than a hundred pages to go, I know I will miss these characters when I turn the last page.  The people are such, and the writing such, that one wouldn't be content with just a sequel.  Sadly, this author's voice was cut short . . .

 

 

Love your reviews of both of the Cold Sassy books!

[Kim in Appalachia]

I finished Kafka on the Shore.  What a powerful book!  It's hard to describe, and I still have it swirling around in my head.  I can't figure out the father.  I don't get the flute.  I would love to sit down with someone and discuss it over some coffee or tea.  There was so much in that book.  So much was going on, yet Murakami held it all together.  This book was filled with such pain and tragedy.The processing of loss was much deeper here than in Wind-Up Bird.  This book also seemed more of a commentary on modern Japan than Wind-Up Bird.  The past and present were brought together beautifully.  Every part of the book reflected the duality found in life.  And, of course, when I read and finish Murakami I have to pull out our Classical recordings. :)  

 

I've read his books in the wrong order.  I read 1Q84 first, then Wind-Up Bird, then Kafka.  Kafka should have been first, then Wind-Up, then 1Q84.   1Q84 is so big, but someday I will have to go back and reread it. 

 

Right now I'm reading Grisham's Rackateer. It's the first time I've ever read Grisham, and I'm a bit disappointed.  At 25% through the book, I felt like I knew how it would all play out.  I'm still reading it. Maybe it will surprise me.  It reads like a Law and Order: SVU episode, complete with little preachy vignettes.  I wanted something quick and light after Murakami and this certainly fits the bill. 

 

I've been thinking about reading Goldfinch.  I was even thinking of buying it.  The Kindle price is pretty good, and it is 800 pages.  I just don't know if it will be worth my time. 

[Heather in Neverland]

Started Reading:
Big, Dead Place: Inside the Strange and Menacing World of Antarctica by Nicholas Johnson


Still Reading:
God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China by Liao Yiwu
Smart but Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential by Richard Guare
The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy Good Stuff I've Learned about Teaching by Rick Wormeli

 

Finished:

48. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
47. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
46. Sharp Objects 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)

[Stacia]

I finished Kafka on the Shore.  What a powerful book!  It's hard to describe, and I still have it swirling around in my head.  I can't figure out the father.  I don't get the flute.  I would love to sit down with someone and discuss it over some coffee or tea.  There was so much in that book.  So much was going on, yet Murakami held it all together.  This book was filled with such pain and tragedy.The processing of loss was much deeper here than in Wind-Up Bird.  This book also seemed more of a commentary on modern Japan than Wind-Up Bird.  The past and present were brought together beautifully.  Every part of the book reflected the duality found in life.  And, of course, when I read and finish Murakami I have to pull out our Classical recordings. :)

 

I've read his books in the wrong order.  I read 1Q84 first, then Wind-Up Bird, then Kafka.  Kafka should have been first, then Wind-Up, then 1Q84.   1Q84 is so big, but someday I will have to go back and reread it. 

 

Right now I'm reading Grisham's Rackateer. It's the first time I've ever read Grisham, and I'm a bit disappointed.  At 25% through the book, I felt like I knew how it would all play out.  I'm still reading it. Maybe it will surprise me.  It reads like a Law and Order: SVU episode, complete with little preachy vignettes.  I wanted something quick and light after Murakami and this certainly fits the bill. 

 

I've been thinking about reading Goldfinch.  I was even thinking of buying it.  The Kindle price is pretty good, and it is 800 pages.  I just don't know if it will be worth my time. 

 

You make me want to go back & re-read Kafka on the Shore immediately! Loved it too. I still haven't read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, but definitely plan to.

 

Wish we lived close enough to have our own book club or coffee meeting as our reading tastes seem very similar & it would be so fun to discuss some of these books in real life w/ others. I'm in a book club, but, for the most part, we read more 'mainstream' stuff & nobody in there much likes the type of fiction I quite enjoy. I don't really know anyone irl who enjoys the same books I do.

 

I know what you mean about Grisham. I guess he is mind candy (esp. in comparison to Murakami). I've only ever read one of his books (The Firm) & that was over 20 years ago. I disliked it so (found it so boring, such simple writing) that I haven't read him since. :tongue_smilie:

 

Can't wait until The Goldfinch comes in for me at the library. I'm still around #20 on the waitlist, but maybe it won't take too long....

 

[Kareni]

I know some of you fondly remember the book catalog A Common Reader, so perhaps you can help me remember a catch phrase they used.  Was it a "thumping good read" for an action packed page turner?  

 

 

I just went to my stash of old catalogs and couldn't find the phrase on a quick perusal, but I think that you are correct.

 

Ah, some corroboration can be found here.

 

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the Aubrey/Maturin series.  It's probably my husband's favorite work of fiction.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

 

 My Dh has been after me all year to read one of his favorite books, Starship Troopers by Robert Hinlein.  I finally agreed to read it and he bounced downstairs to get it like a big excited puppy.  I did a double take when he handed it to me because it was filthy!  There was dirt between the pages, it was all water damaged and the back cover was in tatters.  It turns out, that was the copy he'd read in the field while on maneuvers with the Marines, it was a favorite of many of the guys and they passed their copies around pretty heavily.  After reading I can see why they liked it, he said it was pretty spot on about training and how they related to each other. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I liked getting a glimpse at another dimension of my Dh.

 

 

What a neat experience.  Now, I'm wondering whether I shouldn't go and read my husband's favorite series ....  No, it's not going to happen.  Well, maybe if they were the only books around!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

No major reading in the past week. I've been so busy and then as soon as I start to read anything, I fall asleep. 

 

Robin, I hope that your mom is doing okay.  :grouphug:   :grouphug:   :grouphug:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mumto2]

I finished my kindle book this morning "Death of a Cozy Writer" which which won an Agatha Award a few years ago. It is by GM Malliet who wrote another series that is high on my wish list but can't find at a library here. The conclusion was great, worthy of the award but the first fifty percent of the book was blah. If I hadn't been reading it on my kindle and hadn't been curious how it was Agatha worthy it would have been returned to a library unfinished most likely. I think the biggest problem was I didn't "like" or "care about" any of the main characters not even the detective.

 

On a happy note "A Tale for the Time Being " renewed easily this morning so I am now able to concentrate on "The Goldfinch".

 

Edited: I just glanced at my post and discovered spelling errors in book titles. All fixed.

[Tress]

Goldfinch....Goldfinch.....why is everybody suddenly talking about/reading Goldfinch?

 

Scampers off to Amazon to check..... Ahhh, Donna Tart. Loved her first book! Let's see if my library has it.

 

What do you think.....the Dutch translation of Goldfinch was released a month *before* the book was published in the US! I could have been reading this a month before you all :D. That's what I get for not keeping an eye on the new publications in Dutch......

 

Now I'm number gazillion on the hold list, I'm sure :glare:.

[Onceuponatime]

What a neat experience.  Now, I'm wondering whether I shouldn't go and read my husband's favorite series ....  No, it's not going to happen.  Well, maybe if they were the only books around!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

The Aubrey/Maturin series is my husband's favorite also. I feel the same way you do.

[Kareni]

For those who like math, books and art (Jane in NC!), I stumbled across this Flavorwire post today.

 

Colorful Victorian-Era Illustratons for Euclid’s â€˜Elements’ by Jason Diamond

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[trinchick]

Finished a strange one this week:

 

51. Does this Mean You'll See Me Naked?: Field Notes from a Funeral Director by Robert Webster - I got this on my Kindle because it was available from the library, so not something I'd typically choose. The story is basically a collection of anecdotes about the author's work as an undertaker. I suspect the author has recounted these stories many times and often been told, "You could write a book about this!" And so he did. Interspersed with the anecdotes are points on business: marketing of funeral services, pricing structure, etc. Kind of odd.

[Lady Florida.]

Goldfinch....Goldfinch.....why is everybody suddenly talking about/reading Goldfinch?

 

Scampers off to Amazon to check..... Ahhh, Donna Tart. Loved her first book! Let's see if my library has it.

 

 

 

I started reading more of it last night, and now it has me hooked. I'm only on Chapter 3 but they're long chapters. My Kindle says I'm at 12%. 

 

I have The Secret History, also by Tartt, but decided to read The Goldfinch first for no particular reason. 

[Stacia]

Oh, and if anyone is going to read The Maltese Falcon, you may also want to check out Hammett Unwritten by Owen Fitzstephen. I read it earlier this year (wish I would have read it closer to the time I read The Maltese Falcon, rather than months apart) & really enjoyed it. :thumbup1:

 

From Booklist:

Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon was based on a real case, which he investigated as a Pinkerton op, revolving around a statue of a bird made out of obsidian. Later in his career, he struggled with writer’s block, and in this highly entertaining novel, we’re offered an explanation of why: he gave away the bird statue, which he had bought at a police auction after the case was wrapped up and which has some rather special qualities (including the ability, it seems, to turn the high-school dropout into a best-selling novelist). Credited to “Owen Fitzstephen†(a character in Hammett’s The Dain Curse) but actually written by Gordon McAlpine, who supplies notes and an afterword, the tale takes Hammett from the early 1930s to the late 1950s, as he tries to retrieve the statue and, in so doing, retrieve himself. It’s a sort of literary conceit-within-a-conceit-within-another-conceit, and it succeeds very well. Readers who prefer to just focus on the story at hand will be rewarded with an exciting tale with a compelling protagonist (Hammett was a real-life larger-than-life character), and those who enjoy literary games-playing will have fun sorting it all out. --David Pitt

[Onceuponatime]

Last month I decluttered my bookshelves. Today I took the books to a book exchange store. I got Longitude by Dava Sobel and Buddha by Karen Armstrong, neither of which is in my library. My serendipitous find : The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco. I'd never even heard of that one. Looking at the cover blurb, it looks like it will go well with Longitude.

 

I know I had said I was going to stop adding books to my stacks till the new year, this is the very last time, I mean it.

[Kareni]

I know I had said I was going to stop adding books to my stacks till the new year, this is the very last time, I mean it.

 

Uh huh ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Luckymama]

I'm continuing on my great fluff reading extravaganza. Last night I finished Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren which is the most recent book in the series that started with Beautiful Bastard. (The latter book started out as fan fiction.) These books are for adult readers only.

 

Regards,

Kareni

I have read all three of the "Beautiful" novels (skipping the two? three? novellas which fit in-between). "Player" is definitely my favorite so far.

 

Kareni, I believe you read "Wallbanger" by Alice Clayton? I just read on a blog today that she has a number of books set to come out next year http://fictionvixen.com/alice-clayton-news-new-series-coming-giveaway/

 

I am currently immersed in "The Monuments Men" and the Mindhunters series by Kylie Brant (I have read books 1-4 since Wednesday; smooches to my library system!), plus more astronomy books, the latest being "The 50 Most Extreme Placed in Our Solar System" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8325940-the-50-most-extreme-places-in-our-solar-system?from_search=true (as part of Science Olympiad preparation---I have to write practice tests for dd and others).

[Kareni]

... the series that started with Beautiful Bastard. 

 

 

I have read all three of the "Beautiful" novels (skipping the two? three? novellas which fit in-between). "Player" is definitely my favorite so far.

 

 

Yes, I liked Beautiful Player best of the three full length novels as well.  The characters seemed unique and not as stereotyped as in the first two novels (though I liked those, too).

 

 

 

Kareni, I believe you read "Wallbanger" by Alice Clayton? I just read on a blog today that she has a number of books set to come out next year http://fictionvixen.com/alice-clayton-news-new-series-coming-giveaway/

 

I am currently immersed in ... the Mindhunters series by Kylie Brant (I have read books 1-4 since Wednesday; smooches to my library system!)

 

I did indeed read Wallbanger and am on the waiting list for the Redhead books at the library.  I hadn't known about the other series, so thanks for that news.

 

The only thing of Kylie Brant's that I have read was a short story in the Seal of My Dreams anthology that I read some time ago.  I'll be on the lookout for the Mindhunters series now given your recommendation.

 

Happy reading!

Regards,

Kareni