Book a Week in 2013 - week fifty

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 50 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks.  Welcome back to all our readers 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 - Nobel Prize for literature challenge:  in 2010, I took a Nobel Literature class and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it was a lot of work, I read several books that probably normally would never have considered reading including Jean Paul Sartre's Nausea, Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude,and Kenzaburo Oe's The Silent Cry.  After reading these books, it made me want to read more selections from the literature prize list. Since then, I've read one or two authors from the list each year.   So --- we will have a Nobel Prize Literature mini challenge for 2014.  More info on the blog all about the history of the prize and a list of all the winners. 

 

Posted late in the week and some folks may have missed it. For those who did see it, forgive me for repeating myself:  Working on BAW 2014 plans.   At this point, we will be continuing with well educated mind, another round of dusty/chunky books, and 5/5/5 challenges.    Will be throwing in a couple months of rereading and visiting old friends.  Will probably be doing Nobel Prize Literature winners or/and another round of reading around the world.  Are there any readalongs, categories, or mini challenges you'd like to see for the new year?  Here's the list of assorted mini's we had this year - don't think we did them all.

 

And a dumb question regarding 2014 thread header:  continue with same header - Book a Week in 2014?    Or change to one of the two options below which may make it easier for searching for threads in the future.

 

2014 Book a Week 

Book a Week 2014

 

What are you reading this week? 

 

Bonus question: What books are on your Christmas list this year? 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 49

 

 

[Robin M]

I'm currently reading Inferno by Dan Brown and thoroughly enjoying it.  Since never read Dante's Inferno, it's been quite interesting and perhaps I'll try reading, or better yet, listening to it this coming year.  Audible has it available from Great Courses and would be perfect for listening to in the car.  Captive audience, don't you know.  :)

[Robin M]

Happy belated Birthday AggieAmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sorry I missed it yesterday.  Hope you had an absolutely awesome day. 

 

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Good morning!  I've never gotten to the BaW thread this early, but then again I'm out of the house most Sunday mornings.

 

As to next year's challenges, well, I can't really say as I don't ever participate in them, but it might be fun to see a challenge of books recommended from this thread.  I know I compiled a long list this year and have been selecting titles off it as I go along.  Of course the list grows faster than I can read...

 

I finished 2 books last week, Endymion, by Dan Simmons, the 3rd in his "Hyperion Cantos" tetralogy, and The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. Endymion was fun, but not nearly as good as the first book in the series, Hyperion, which is perhaps the single best sci-fi book I've ever read.  I don't know if I'll ever read the last book as the plot is getting a little silly and the characters aren't that interesting.  They are rather stupid, too, literally, and what is especially annoying is that their stupidity is a plot device.  One character in particular always has to ask dumb questions in order for the other character to answer, thus providing further exposition or filling in backstory for those who hadn't read the first books.  It was clunky and annoying.  But there were some brilliant and riveting action sequences, and the worlds he created are vivid.

 

Crystal Cave was a blast from my past.  I was so happy to find I enjoyed it as much as I did back when I was 13.  I'll likely reread the rest of the series in between other books, though I remember not liking the rest as much as this one.  

 

I started listening to French Lieutenant's Woman a few days ago.  What fun!!  It's great to be back in Lyme, a place I've "visited" with Jane Austen, of course, and with Mary Anning in Remarkable Creatures.  It is also fun that the Victorian gentleman in the book is a paleontologist, a nice symmetry to Simon Winchester's book The Map that Changed the World.  

 

I'm also still working The Hare with the Amber Eyes and just started the first Peter Diamond mystery.  

[Kareni]

And a dumb question regarding 2014 thread header:  continue with same header - Book a Week in 2014?    Or change to one of the two options below which may make it easier for searching for threads in the future.

 

2014 Book a Week 

Book a Week 2014

 

What are you reading this week? 

 

Bonus question: What books are on your Christmas list this year?

 

On my Christmas wish list is Kinked (A Novel of the Elder Races) by Thea Harrison.  This is the latest in a favorite series of mine. 

 

I've no opinion on the thread title. 

 

Last night I finished Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection.  This is a collection of four romances (previously published) all set in the regency time period.  (The verbiage on the book is deceptive as it mentions regency London, but only one of the four stories is partially set there.)  These are all genuinely touching stories. 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

 

[Tullia]

I've finished re-reading Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum).  I read and enjoyed Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson). Snow Crash was great fun and all I've come to expect from Stephenson, but had to think about the ending for awhile before deciding it was both deliciously funny and appropriate.

 

On my list for this week:

• Another of Bradbury's Greentown books,Something Wicked This Way Comes
• The Secret Holocaust Diaries (Nonna Bannister)
• One World Schoolhouse (Salman Khan)
• Welsh Fairy Tales (William Elliot Griffis)

ETA: In answer to your questions about next year, whatever works for you is fine with me.  However, I agree with the earlier post that having the weeks numbered is helpful. 

 

On my Christmas list: E-versions of The Hobbit, The Silmarilion, and The Lord of the Rings. E-readers aren't perfect, but at my age adjustable font size is an important factor in my being able to read in the evenings without falling asleep. 

 

For next year:  I'm hoping to continue to add to my collection of all things Neal Stephenson, and to follow the challenges more closely.  However, I've also compiled an extensive list of books from this year's threads that I'd like to read. This year I found myself drawn to re-reading old favorites and working through some worthwhile books I'd acquired for my Kindle but hadn't read. Even though I'm not going to reach 52 books and followed several rabbit trails, the challenge helped me keep going. 

[Just Robyn]

I didn't finish anything last week. I have been reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog and re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and I'm really enjoying both. 

 

I don't have an opinion on the thread title either.

 

Books on my Christmas wishlist are Ron Silliman's The Alphabet, Kafka's short stories, and The Arabian Nights - books I can take my time with and stretch out - books I can't do through ILL because I can't read them fast enough and/or don't want to check out from their collection because I'd just have to renew it, renew it, return it and check it back out, repeat. I usually end up getting some cash, so I'll probably pick out one of those for myself. 

[mumto2]

This week I hope to finish The Historian, which I've been working on since the first of November.  I am only 120 pages from the end and have been savoring every page.  Even though I read this book only two years ago, I had forgotten major parts of the story, major characters, and I have no idea how it ends.  So, really, it has been like reading it for the first time. :)

I am really relieved to hear you did not remember it well either. I was so surprised that I had forgotten so many great parts in a couple of years. ;) Loved it the second time too! :lol:

[Kim in Appalachia]

This week I finished Darkness, My Old Friend, by Lisa Unger.  It was decent; an enjoyable mystery with good writing. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.   It was nice and light, perfect before starting Goldfinch, which I started last night. 

 

The weird thing about Lisa Unger's book was that I felt like it was in my voice.  I mean, if I were to write a book, my sentences would look and sound like that.  It was a bit strange.  

 

I counted up the number of books I've read this year, and Goldfinch will make 30.  

[Kim in Appalachia]

I'm currently reading Inferno by Dan Brown and thoroughly enjoying it.  Since never read Dante's Inferno, it's been quite interesting and perhaps I'll try reading, or better yet, listening to it this coming year.  Audible has it available from Great Courses and would be perfect for listening to in the car.  Captive audience, don't you know.  :)

 

 

I'm not a Dan Brown fan, but I love Dante's Inferno.  I discovered it in 8th grade.  I must of read it through 3 times.  It beat all those Stephen King books I was reading. :D  A course on it would be fun to listen to, accept if I disagreed or had questions I couldn't argue or ask. 

[Kim in Appalachia]

I've finished re-reading Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum).  I read and enjoyed Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson). Snow Crash was great fun and all I've come to expect from Stephenson, but had to think about the ending for awhile before deciding it was both deliciously funny and appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed Snow Crash.  It was well written and fun. And I thought the ending was great.  I know some of it would now seem out of date, but I would love to see it made into a movie.  

 

 I tried to start Anthem, but I had trouble getting into it.  I'll try again another time.  So far Snow Crash is the only Stephenson book I've read.  

[Jane in NC]

I started listening to French Lieutenant's Woman a few days ago.  What fun!!  It's great to be back in Lyme, a place I've "visited" with Jane Austen, of course, and with Mary Anning in Remarkable Creatures.  It is also fun that the Victorian gentleman in the book is a paleontologist, a nice symmetry to Simon Winchester's book The Map that Changed the World.  

 

I'm also still working The Hare with the Amber Eyes and just started the first Peter Diamond mystery.  

 

Let me know what you think of Diamond.  I'm rather fond of him.

 

Your mention of The French Lieutenant's Woman reminds me that I had intended to reread The Magus this year.  I love John Fowles! 

 

For those traveling to Lyme Regis in person, may I suggest The Sanctuary for your B&B as well as book shopping pleasure.  Yup--The Sanctuary is a combination used book store and B&B owned by a lovely couple, John and Mariko Speer.  Searching for fossils along the famous Jurassic Coast was a highlight for my son when we visited, made all the more wonderful by Mariko who cooked Japanese breakfast for The Boy (while I had traditional English).  And don't forget to walk along The Cobb!

 

Plodding along slowly through my books having succumbed to seasonal hubbub.  We attended a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors last night.  Delightful! 

 

[Ali in OR]

Finished Marrin's America and Vietnam The Elephant and the Tiger--my treadmill read the last few weeks. Learned a lot. Need to find something new for the treadmill tomorrow--ran out of Marrin books!

 

Read The Smartest Kids in the World in two days. I thought it was good, and many of the things she pointed out fit my own preferences in education (no real need for technology in education, importance of parents reading to kids, more rigor is good, Korean stress is not to be emulated, etc). Started Carol Dweck's Mindset also and have read sections of it to my girls. I think one in particular tends to be a fixed mindset person and I want to encourage a growth mindset with both of them.

 

The Monuments Men has arrived for me at the library. Hope they hold it until the snow clears and I can get there!

[Hoot]

Finished Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay.  It was just as entertaining as the others in the series.  I'm taking a little break from Dexter though.  I've got Quiet by Susan Cain going on the Kindle and I'm getting ready to start Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond from the library.  On audio, I'm listening to The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin.

 

Completed So Far

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

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

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

37. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

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

39. The Stranger by Albert Camus

40. Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

41. Shakespeare: The World a Stage by Bill Bryson

42. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

43. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

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

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

46. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

47. Animal Farm by George Orwell

48. Carrie by Stephen King

49. Deconstructing Penguins by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone

50. The Way Life Works by Mahlon Hoagland

51. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

52. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

53. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

54. A Walk in the Snark by Rachel Thompson

55. Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay

56. The Two Dead Girls (The Green Mile Book 1) by Stephen King

57. The Mouse on the Mile (The Green Mile Book 2) by Stephen King

58. Coffey's Hands (The Green Mile Book 3) by Stephen King

59. The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix (The Green Mile Book 4) by Stephen King

60. Night Journey (The Green Mile Book 5) by Stephen King

61. Coffey on the Mile (The Green Mile Book 6) by Stephen King

62. The Lady of the Rivers by Phillipa Gregory

63. Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

64. Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay

65. Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

[welovetoread]

Happy Sunday!  I am still working my way through Skeletons at the feast and 3rd Degree by James Patterson. 

   

Next year: I try and keep up, but with so many little ones its hard.  I will join in on what everyone else is doing :)

[Tullia]

I enjoyed Snow Crash.  It was well written and fun. And I thought the ending was great.  I know some of it would now seem out of date, but I would love to see it made into a movie.  

 

 I tried to start Anthem, but I had trouble getting into it.  I'll try again another time.  So far Snow Crash is the only Stephenson book I've read.  

 

Snow Crash would be an amazing movie! I won't say much about Anathem for fear of posting spoilers. Even though readers are warned that there is a plot twist and are watching for clues it's not that easy to see.  I'd figured it out well before the end--it was a gradual process--but my ideas seemed so implausible I was surprised anyway. There were also smaller parts that I hadn't predicted so I didn't feel cheated. It's been a couple of years since I read Anathem, so I may try to read it again next year--just to see if it keeps its place as my favorite.  But, first things first! Reamde is on my list for next year.

[eaglei]

Concluded one book this week:

 

#75 - Writing is My Drink:  A Writer's Story of Finding Her Voice (and a Guide to How You Can Too), by Theo Pauline Nestor.  This was a pre-publication copy, so the typos were annoying.  However, the content was pretty good.  I think her main objectives were to help writers to experience freedom in their writing and to find their own voice.

 

Am currently reading a used book find by a new-to-me author that I first heard about right here on the Hive:

 

#76 - An Unsuitable Attachment, by Barbara Pym.

 

As to the title of the thread, I have no suggestions, but would like to see the year and the week retained.  Most importantly, I simply want to see this thread continue!  This is my absolute favorite thread.

 

As to book challenges, I don't commit to them as I read these days primarily for enjoyment and for escape.  That said, one of the links you posted, Robin, made me wonder about readers reading some books published in the year in which they were born . . .  

[Stacia]

Posted late in the week and some folks may have missed it. For those who did see it, forgive me for repeating myself:  Working on BAW 2014 plans.   At this point, we will be continuing with well educated mind, another round of dusty/chunky books, and 5/5/5 challenges.    Will be throwing in a couple months of rereading and visiting old friends.  Will probably be doing Nobel Prize Literature winners or/and another round of reading around the world.  Are there any readalongs, categories, or mini challenges you'd like to see for the new year?  Here's the list of assorted mini's we had this year - don't think we did them all.

 

And a dumb question regarding 2014 thread header:  continue with same header - Book a Week in 2014?    Or change to one of the two options below which may make it easier for searching for threads in the future.

 

2014 Book a Week 

Book a Week 2014

 

What are you reading this week? 

 

Bonus question: What books are on your Christmas list this year?

 

I answered a bit in last week's thread but I wanted to pipe in on one more thing.... Last week, Paisley Hedgehog mentioned that she enjoys the theme months like spooky October & I have to agree. (I think everyone already knows I feel that way anyway. LOL. ;) )

 

Any type of book header is ok by me & I do like having the week # in the title too.

 

Still working on (the barely started) Nevile Shute's A Town Like Alice for the Australia part of the continental challenge. I also have Walkabout by James Vance Marshall downloaded & ready to go. I'm trying to finish these two by the end of the year; anything else I finish by the end of 2013 will be gravy. Busy time of year for us, so my reading time is pretty scarce right now.

 

Even though I have bunches of books on my wish list, I didn't put any specific books on my Christmas list this year. Instead, I asked for $ for a library membership for the county next to ours (w/ a much bigger, better system; I ask for this every year), plus a half-year membership to either Archipelago &/or NYRB Classics. If I end up w/ any gift cards for books, I already have plenty on my wish lists & the hard part will be selecting which book(s) to get. :D

 

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

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).

72. Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving (4 stars).

73. Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt by G.R. Reader (3 stars/5 stars).

74. Plants Don’t Drink Coffee by Unai Elorriaga (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Spain).

75. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel (5 stars).

76. The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon (3 stars).

77. Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (4 stars).

[Stacia]

.

[Stacia]

Snow Crash was great fun and all I've come to expect from Stephenson, but had to think about the ending for awhile before deciding it was both deliciously funny and appropriate.

Last week, I think it was mumto2 who said she was glad she read a book description because it turns out the book was totally different than what she was thinking it was. I think I'm under the same impression for Snow Crash. I think the title has always sounded like some kind of serious thriller type story (I have no idea what it's really about) & bought up certain preconceived notions to me, but reading all the comments about it lately are making me think I need to check out this book & that's it's probably totally different than what I think it is. LOL.

[Heather in Neverland]

Started Reading:

Maya's Notebook by Isabelle Allende

 

 

Still Reading:

Good News of Great Joy by John Piper

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper

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:

51. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

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

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

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)

[Jane in NC]

 

#76 - An Unsuitable Attachment, by Barbara Pym.

 

 

Ah, another of my favorite authors!  Please let us know what you think of Pym.

[ChrisB]

I haven't posted in these threads for some time, and I won't complete the full 52 books, but I've been inspired to read more this year than in the more recent years.  Recently I joined a reading club that I'm thoroughly enjoying called The Well-Read Mom.  It's a reading club which provides a way for women to accompany one another in reading great books, spiritual classics and worthy reads from the Catholic and Western Tradition.  Currently we are reading A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich, and last month we read The Good Earth by Pearl Buck.

 

Completed:

1.  Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey,  The Countess of Carnarvon
2.  Heart of Stone, Jill Marie Landis 
3.  Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
4.  A Love Surrendered,  Julie Lessman
5.  The Baker Street Letters,  Micheal Robertson 
6.  Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
7.  Anne of Avonlea, L.M. Montgomery
8.  Anne of the Island, L.M. Montgomery
9.  Confessions of a Prairie Bitch,  Alison Arngrim
10.  All Things Hidden, Heather Gudenkauf

11.  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith  

12.  The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith

13.  Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies, #2), Alexander McCall Smith

14.  The Lady of Bolton Hill, Elizabeth Camden

15.  The Colonel's Lady, Laura Frantz

16.  A Noble Groom, Jody Hedlund

17.  Unending Devotion, Jody Hedlund

18.  Against the Tide, Elizabeth Camden

19.  Mrs. Mike, Benedict & Nancy Freedman

20.  Frankie's Letter, Gordon-Smith, Dolores

21.  Smokin' Seventeen, Janet Evanovich

22.  Explosive Eighteen, Janet Evanovich

23.  Heart of Glass - Jill Marie Landis

24.  The Secret of the Nightingale Palace, Dana Sachs

25.  The House Girl, Tara Conklin

26.  A Good Man Is Hard To Find & Revelation, Flannery O'Connor (short stories)

27.  The Good Earth, Pearl Buck

28.  A Lantern in Her Hand, Bess Streeter Aldrich

 

Currently reading The Hobbit with DD9.

[mumto2]

Robin-- Like everyone else any of the name headers are great as long as they have the week number included.

 

I did a quick browse through the Nobel Prize winner list. I am certainly willing to try a few of them but I know I would probably only actually complete them if we do them in the style of 1Q84 or If on a Winter's .....If the challenge is to pick any of them I will probably quit somewhere along the line.

 

I too loved October and Spooky Book month. Maybe too much. I still have a few to finish! :lol:

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

52 Books Blog - Nobel Prize for literature challenge

And a dumb question regarding 2014 thread header:  continue with same header - Book a Week in 2014?    Or change to one of the two options below which may make it easier for searching for threads in the future.

 

2014 Book a Week 

Book a Week 2014

 

What are you reading this week? 

 

Bonus question: What books are on your Christmas list this year? 

 

 

 

I mentioned last week that I'm not good with challenges, but I might be able to get behind a Nobel Prize challenge. I would probably just pick a few from the list rather than do a formal challenge.

 

Any of the headers are fine with me.

 

I never put books on my list, but anytime I get an Amazon gift card, I use it for e-books.

 

I'm currently reading Inferno by Dan Brown and thoroughly enjoying it.  Since never read Dante's Inferno, it's been quite interesting and perhaps I'll try reading, or better yet, listening to it this coming year.  Audible has it available from Great Courses and would be perfect for listening to in the car.  Captive audience, don't you know.  :)

 

I've never read The Divine Comedy either, though we touched on it in school. I tried reading it with a Goodreads group a few months ago, but got behind and gave up. It's one of the carryovers I plan to put on my list for 2014.

 

Happy Belated Birthday AggieAmy!

[mlbuchina]

In the spirit of the season, I've been reading Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich.  I can't believe how fast paced Evanovich is!  This is a really cute book, and quite funny.  :)

[Jane in NC]

Regarding the thread title:  Just so the Gang's All Here, it can be called anything. 

 

Regarding challenges:  I lack sufficient hours to keep up with them all but I find them interesting as new books and authors are introduced to me or suggestions are made to revisit Old Friends.  Paisley Hedgehog created a nice mini challenge with Shakespeare's Bolingbroke plays.  I failed to complete the challenge but was happy to reread Richard III and Henry IV Part One as part of it.  A win any way you slice it!

 

There are no specific books on my gift list this year.  To be honest, I have too many dusty books and bookcases in this house so I try to use the library and not buy books (except from the library book sale--no will power there!) 

 

P.S.  Wishing the BaWers could get together for a Christmas tea.  Extend those pinkies, girls!

[prairiegirl]

I'm not good with the challenges either and it doesn't matter to me about the header.  I don't have any books on my Christmas list but I do ask every year for gift cards to our local bookstore.  Not very often do I get them because the people in my life think reading is a waste of time.  Although last year (I am rambling here) with my birthday (which is 2 days before Christmas) and Christmas presents, I was given gift cards for the total of $200!  I was in literary heaven.  That will probably never happen again but I bask in the memory.(ramble over.)

 

I finished 'And The Mountains Echoed' by Khaled Hosseini.  I really enjoyed this book.  I thought it was better than his other two books and I did like those as well but they were depressing and I didn't find 'Mountains' to be in that way.

 

I am currently reading:

 

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

 

Letters to a Young Scientist  by Edward O. Wilson

 

Speak Love by Annie Downs

 

The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

[Stacia]

I'm not good with the challenges either and it doesn't matter to me about the header.  I don't have any books on my Christmas list but I do ask every year for gift cards to our local bookstore.  Not very often do I get them because the people in my life think reading is a waste of time.  Although last year (I am rambling here) with my birthday (which is 2 days before Christmas) and Christmas presents, I was given gift cards for the total of $200!  I was in literary heaven.  That will probably never happen again but I bask in the memory.(ramble over.)

 

I finished 'And The Mountains Echoed' by Khaled Hosseini.  I really enjoyed this book.  I thought it was better than his other two books and I did like those as well but they were depressing and I didn't find 'Mountains' to be in that way.

Happy early birthday, prairiegirl!

 

Cool to be in literary heaven for a bit. Sounds wonderful!

 

I've always meant to read Hosseini, but haven't yet (partly because I worried that I would find the stories great but depressing/sad). Would I need to read the others before reading "And the Mountains Echoed" or would it be fine as a stand-alone? Thanks.

[Stacia]

This week I finished Darkness, My Old Friend, by Lisa Unger.  It was decent; an enjoyable mystery with good writing. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.   It was nice and light, perfect before starting Goldfinch, which I started last night. 

 

The weird thing about Lisa Unger's book was that I felt like it was in my voice.  I mean, if I were to write a book, my sentences would look and sound like that.  It was a bit strange.  

 

I counted up the number of books I've read this year, and Goldfinch will make 30.  

 

That makes me want to read Darkness, My Old Friend. What an odd & fascinating sensation that must have been to think that it seemed like you were reading your own writing.

 

Can't wait to see what you think of The Goldfinch, esp. since we seem to have very similar taste in books.

[Melinda in VT]

I finished The Light Between Oceans, which I mentioned last week. I highly recommend it.

 

I am currently reading The Light of Amsterdam, by David Park. I grabbed this because I was looking for something light and Christmasy to read on my kindle while I'm exercising, and this was available from the library. I'm only about a third of the way into it, but it has grabbed me enough that I am reading it while sitting in front of the fire eating seven-layer bars, instead of saving it for my elliptical machine like I am supposed to do.

 

The author has great descriptions, not of how things look, which I generally hate, but of how people feel in certain situations.

[prairiegirl]

Happy early birthday, prairiegirl!

 

Cool to be in literary heaven for a bit. Sounds wonderful!

 

I've always meant to read Hosseini, but haven't yet (partly because I worried that I would find the stories great but depressing/sad). Would I need to read the others before reading "And the Mountains Echoed" or would it be fine as a stand-alone? Thanks.

 

Thank you for the birthday wishes, Stacia.

 

Yes,  you can read 'And the Mountains Echoed' first.  All of Hosseini's books are stand alone.  I should say, though, 'Mountain' could be considered depressing but in comparison to Hosseini's other books I didn't find it as bad.

[Robin M]

Good morning!  I've never gotten to the BaW thread this early, but then again I'm out of the house most Sunday mornings.

 

As to next year's challenges, well, I can't really say as I don't ever participate in them, but it might be fun to see a challenge of books recommended from this thread.  I know I compiled a long list this year and have been selecting titles off it as I go along.  Of course the list grows faster than I can read...

Great idea and since you've compiled a list already, perhaps you'd like to share. 

 

Any header is fine with me so long as you keep "Week X" in the title.  I sometimes get lost in my personal journal on exactly what week we're in.

 

After The Historian, I have Monuments Men and Desolation Island (Patrick O'Brian)  ready to go.  No specific books on my Christmas list but I hope to get some $$ cards.  In the meantime, Amazon has been running some pretty flipping awesome deals on e-books and I've been loading up.  I thank dh after each purchase for his generosity   ;)

Happy reading!   :seeya:

 

Yes, the week # will remain in the title no matter what.   I've added Monuments Men to my wist list - sounds like an book that even my two guys will enjoy!

 

I enjoyed Snow Crash.  It was well written and fun. And I thought the ending was great.  I know some of it would now seem out of date, but I would love to see it made into a movie.  

 

 I tried to start Anthem, but I had trouble getting into it.  I'll try again another time.  So far Snow Crash is the only Stephenson book I've read.  

You've sold me with Snow Crash.  Since the first day of winter is coming up on the 21st, I feel a winter reading theme coming on.  :)

 

As to the title of the thread, I have no suggestions, but would like to see the year and the week retained.  Most importantly, I simply want to see this thread continue!  This is my absolute favorite thread.

 

As to book challenges, I don't commit to them as I read these days primarily for enjoyment and for escape.  That said, one of the links you posted, Robin, made me wonder about readers reading some books published in the year in which they were born . . .  

 

Your wish is my command!  

 

I have the link somewhere and will find it for New York Times Bestsellers for every year. 

 

I answered a bit in last week's thread but I wanted to pipe in on one more thing.... Last week, Paisley Hedgehog mentioned that she enjoys the theme months like spooky October & I have to agree. (I think everyone already knows I feel that way anyway. LOL. ;) )

 

Any type of book header is ok by me & I do like having the week # in the title too.

Themes are fun and my thinking cap is on as contemplate some different themes for each quarter. 

 

Robin-- Like everyone else any of the name headers are great as long as they have the week number included.

 

I did a quick browse through the Nobel Prize winner list. I am certainly willing to try a few of them but I know I would probably only actually complete them if we do them in the style of 1Q84 or If on a Winter's .....If the challenge is to pick any of them I will probably quit somewhere along the line.

 

I too loved October and Spooky Book month. Maybe too much. I still have a few to finish! :lol:

 

Since you've been looking at the Nobel Prize list, is there an author who really jumps out at you that you'd like to read?  I've been trying to decide who to start with and have a few ideas.

 

I mentioned last week that I'm not good with challenges, but I might be able to get behind a Nobel Prize challenge. I would probably just pick a few from the list rather than do a formal challenge.

 

Any of the headers are fine with me.

 

I've never read The Divine Comedy either, though we touched on it in school. I tried reading it with a Goodreads group a few months ago, but got behind and gave up. It's one of the carryovers I plan to put on my list for 2014.

 

Happy Belated Birthday AggieAmy!

Hmm! A Divine Comedy readalong?

 

I'm not good with the challenges either and it doesn't matter to me about the header.  I don't have any books on my Christmas list but I do ask every year for gift cards to our local bookstore.  Not very often do I get them because the people in my life think reading is a waste of time.  Although last year (I am rambling here) with my birthday (which is 2 days before Christmas) and Christmas presents, I was given gift cards for the total of $200!  I was in literary heaven.  That will probably never happen again but I bask in the memory.(ramble over.)

Mercy! What a thought! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking since the first day of Winter is coming up in a couple weeks it would be a perfect time to start reading Winter's Tale by Mark Halperin.  Anyone want to join me in a winter theme read?

[mumto2]

I finished the second book in the GM Malliet series that a few of you are also working on. "Death of a Lit Chick" was quite good. A few of my questions about the detective were answered and the ones the were not are intentionally not being answered by the author. This one takes place at a mystery writer's conference where all genres(spy thriller, comfy, chick lit......) are represented. A long discussion between characters takes place about what the reader expects in a sucessful mystery. Boy did I see myself being described -- I get really antsy if no murder by page 80. After that part I "get" that the atypical aspects of Malliet's books are intentional and seem to serve a purpose. Looking forward to reading more.

[mumto2]

Also finished "A Monstrous Regiment of Women" by Laurie R. King. This is the second Mary Russell book. I had a hard time locating this one at libraries for some reason but I really like (compulsive actually) series books in order so we waited quite a while for this one. Dd enjoyed it also. :) Since a few of you are reading the first one "Beekeeper's Apprentice" currently I just wanted to say I think this one will prove to be important in the future for this series. Mary Russell "grows up" in this book and I suspect what happened in this one will be referenced frequently in future books.

[JennW in SoCal]

Robin suggested I share my list I've dubbed "books recommended by the BaW ladies".  These are the books I've read -- the list titles of titles I've jotted down from this year's threads is mighty long. Prodigious long, as Captain Aubrey would say.   I was surprised how many titles I've read based on your recommendations this year.  33!  That is about half of my year's reading list!! 

 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allen Poe

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman (though I can't remember if someone had read it and recommended it or if I just learned of it here)

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

Bitch in a Bonnet by Robert Rodi (thank you, thank you, thank you!!)

Thatched Roof by Beverley Nichols (an author who was recommended but this was the only title in my library system)

I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart

My Lucky LIfe in and out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke

The Hare with the Amber Eyes (in progress)

 

add to that 20 titles from the Detective Banks series by Peter Robinson 

and 2 from the Peter Diamond series by Peter Lovesey

 

You all have excellent taste, by the way, in a wide variety of genres.  Thank you!

[mumto2]

Robin -- In answer to your question I just went in and took another look. I couldn't remember what looked good other than your already read Magic Mountain. This list https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8961.The_Best_by_Nobel_Prize_Authors?page=1 of books by Nobel Prize author's came up in my search.

 

One author who I was not familiar with but think I might enjoy is Herta Muller. "The Appointment" appears to be sitting on my little library's shelves so might go and take a look at it today. Coetzee(Disgrace) and Gunter Grass (Tin Drum)also look intriguing at fairly quick glance. I have never read Faulkner so that is a possibility.

 

It is becoming obvious that I might really like this challenge. I am not sure if I should be looking at the books that actually won or everything by the author.

[Negin]

Happy belated Birthday AggieAmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sorry I missed it yesterday.  Hope you had an absolutely awesome day. 

Yes, happy belated birthday! I think there were two threads here on the boards for your birthday. Hope you saw them. :)

 

I read Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing & Overcoming Br@ast Cancer - 4 Stars - lots of good, practical advice - all scientifically backed. Some good recipes also that I may try. Much of the advice in this book are things that I already knew and are therefore a good reminder, but also very hard to follow when one may need to follow her plan strictly. 

 

 

[Rosie_0801]

The Man from Snowy River and other poems by A.B. Paterson: I can't recommend these as great poetry, but to get a feel for outback, cowboy Australia, they are a bit of a riot.

 

 

My dear woman, we do not have cowboys here. Back then they were called stockmen. Now they are called jackaroos. Unless they are girls, then they are called jillaroos.

 

And anyway, he was a Pom. I like Henry Lawson better.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm finally reading The Island of the Day Before. I don't think I will know how I feel about it till I am done. However, I often want to say,"Mr. Eco, you are teasing me. You sly dog."

 

Oh, Yeah, 'round about chapter 4, I started keeping  a list of words I didn't know. Do you know the  meaning of hircocervi, without consulting a dictionary?

 

I'm glad I read Longitude first. This is now my second exposure to "sympathy powder." I'm glad I read a whole host of other things first, too. He crams in commentary on history, philosophy, religion, and natural science as well. I'm beginning to suspect that his fiction is just his way to brain dump so he can make room for more stuff.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Heather in Neverland]

Don't change the thread title please... I hate change. :)

 

No books on my Christmas list (I don't have the willpower to wait for Christmas) but dh asked me if I want the new iPad mini for reading all my books. Woo hoo!!!

 

Challenges ... Hmmm.... Have we done a "decades" challenge? Like a book published from each decade in the last 100 years?

[Lady Florida.]

 

Oh, Yeah, 'round about chapter 4, I started keeping  a list of words I didn't know. Do you know the  meaning of hircocervi, without consulting a dictionary?

 

 

 

No I don't, but that's another reason why I love my Kindle. When I come across an unfamiliar word, I usually just try to use context clues. If I can't, or if I want to know more, I just hold my finger on the word until the definition pops up. When I have to read a physical book, I often find myself pressing on an unfamiliar word until I realize nothing's going to happen. :D

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[mumto2]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/07/27/husbands-secret-moriarty/2591079/

 

 

"The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty was quite a good "popular" read. It was compared to "Gone Girl" in one review I saw. I liked it far better then Gone Girl and recommend it as a good easy read.

[Tullia]

Last week, I think it was mumto2 who said she was glad she read a book description because it turns out the book was totally different than what she was thinking it was. I think I'm under the same impression for Snow Crash. I think the title has always sounded like some kind of serious thriller type story (I have no idea what it's really about) & bought up certain preconceived notions to me, but reading all the comments about it lately are making me think I need to check out this book & that's it's probably totally different than what I think it is. LOL.

 

I try to put brief descriptions of books I've read on my book blog, but found it really hard to describe Snow Crash. The introductory pages have an odd tone and I think it's kind of interesting that you read for several pages about a "Pizza Deliverator" and a description of the corporate culture before finding out the name of the main character (Hiro Protagonist). Hiro acquires a sidekick in the person of a teen skateboarder who works as a courier (always rendered Kourier in the text).  She rides a skateboard which possesses capabilities I'd say are drawn more from a boarder's wildest fantasies than principles of physics.

 

However, there are serious themes which are revealed in snippets--there's been a currency meltdown and while the U.S. government has survived, it's ability to govern has been reduced.  Security issues of all kinds overlay just about every aspect of daily life. The scope and desperation of immigration patterns give hints that the rest of the globe is even worse off. 

 

This could have been a gloomy book, but there's enough humor to keep the plot moving forward. I'd suggest that there are three things that would probably determine whether or not someone would enjoy Snow Crash: the reader must be willing to suspend disbelief about some of the techno gadgetry, it's helpful to have an interest in things such as how ordinary reality and the cyber world interface and interact, and the reader must also be willing to overlook a certain amount of crude language and the occasional suggestive interlude.  If f-bombs offend--you might want to pass on this one. 

 

There is a fair measure of insider IT and boarder jokes in Snow Crash which is typical of Stephenson's work.  I probably get about half of them.  I'm not really an IT person, but am surrounded by them IRL, and the depictions of the IT world and its inhabitants usually make me smile with recognition.  I think Stephenson raises some important questions generally which I think worth pondering. I'd previously read Anathem, The Diamond Age, and Cryptonomicon in that order.  Snow Crash is lighter in tone. It's as exciting as Cryptonomicon but the plot is not as complex, and the world depicted is more familiar than that of Anathem or The Diamond Age.   

 

ETA: skateboarding jokes are more in the realm of Snow Crash than his other books, but I think Stephenson's insights into different subcultures are part of what makes his work appealing to me. 

Edited December 9, 2013 by Tullia

[Kareni]

Yesterday I read The Way Home by Cindy Gerard.

 

"Killed in Action – the most dreaded words imaginable for a soldier’s wife. Jess Albert has been living with them for four years, since the death of her husband in Afghanistan. Finding blessed numbness in routine, she doesn’t dare to look ahead, any more than she can bear to look back. Then Tyler Brown, a former special-ops warrior, shows up at her small general store in Minnesota North Woods, jarring her back to life. Jess knows better than to fall in love with another man who places duty to his country before love of his wife- but there’s no denying the longing and the hope for a future that Ty makes her feel.

A world away, a man ravaged by years of captivity and torture, a man with no memories, finally escapes- clinging to life and sanity in a hostile land. In his darkest hour, he awakes in a lantern-lit cave to find a woman at his side. Dark-haired and dark-eyes, her touch is caring, despite the resentment he hears in her voice and sees on her face. Rabia is bound by honor to save the lost American soldier in her keeping, this broken warrior from a war that has brought so much devastation to her land. But is it honor igniting her compassion for her enemy, or is it something more?

While a Black Ops team plans a daring rescue mission to bring the solider home, two women on opposite sides of the world walk a dangerous path between betrayal and honor, and must find for themselves where to draw the lines between duty and love."

 

I enjoyed it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Yesterday I read The Way Home by Cindy Gerard.

 

"Killed in Action – the most dreaded words imaginable for a soldier’s wife. Jess Albert has been living with them for four years, since the death of her husband in Afghanistan. Finding blessed numbness in routine, she doesn’t dare to look ahead, any more than she can bear to look back. Then Tyler Brown, a former special-ops warrior, shows up at her small general store in Minnesota North Woods, jarring her back to life. Jess knows better than to fall in love with another man who places duty to his country before love of his wife- but there’s no denying the longing and the hope for a future that Ty makes her feel.

 

A world away, a man ravaged by years of captivity and torture, a man with no memories, finally escapes- clinging to life and sanity in a hostile land. In his darkest hour, he awakes in a lantern-lit cave to find a woman at his side. Dark-haired and dark-eyes, her touch is caring, despite the resentment he hears in her voice and sees on her face. Rabia is bound by honor to save the lost American soldier in her keeping, this broken warrior from a war that has brought so much devastation to her land. But is it honor igniting her compassion for her enemy, or is it something more?

 

While a Black Ops team plans a daring rescue mission to bring the solider home, two women on opposite sides of the world walk a dangerous path between betrayal and honor, and must find for themselves where to draw the lines between duty and love."

 

I enjoyed it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

Yeah! I love Cindy Gerard and didn't know she had a new story out. Added to my wishlist to buy when comes out in paperback cuz I just can't pay $10 for a ebook. 

[Robin M]

Robin suggested I share my list I've dubbed "books recommended by the BaW ladies".  These are the books I've read -- the list titles of titles I've jotted down from this year's threads is mighty long. Prodigious long, as Captain Aubrey would say.   I was surprised how many titles I've read based on your recommendations this year.  33!  That is about half of my year's reading list!! 

 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allen Poe

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman (though I can't remember if someone had read it and recommended it or if I just learned of it here)

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

Bitch in a Bonnet by Robert Rodi (thank you, thank you, thank you!!)

Thatched Roof by Beverley Nichols (an author who was recommended but this was the only title in my library system)

I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart

My Lucky LIfe in and out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke

The Hare with the Amber Eyes (in progress)

 

add to that 20 titles from the Detective Banks series by Peter Robinson 

and 2 from the Peter Diamond series by Peter Lovesey

 

You all have excellent taste, by the way, in a wide variety of genres.  Thank you!

Bless you. I somehow missed half of those and they all sound really good. Adding to my wishlist.   If anyone else has a list of BAW recommendations, let me know.  I'll put together a master list for a mini challenge.

 

Robin -- In answer to your question I just went in and took another look. I couldn't remember what looked good other than your already read Magic Mountain. This list https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8961.The_Best_by_Nobel_Prize_Authors?page=1 of books by Nobel Prize author's came up in my search.

 

One author who I was not familiar with but think I might enjoy is Herta Muller. "The Appointment" appears to be sitting on my little library's shelves so might go and take a look at it today. Coetzee(Disgrace) and Gunter Grass (Tin Drum)also look intriguing at fairly quick glance. I have never read Faulkner so that is a possibility.

 

It is becoming obvious that I might really like this challenge. I am not sure if I should be looking at the books that actually won or everything by the author.

Yeah!  What an awesome list - very helpful. Me, I'd be looking at all the books the author wrote - more of a variety and not limited.

 

A Noble Prize challenge sounds wonderful!

 

I'd like some kind of geographical challenge - perhaps we could pick how many different countries we wanted to visit in 2014 (and, as before, count by either setting or author's nationality), but another continental challenge would be fun too.

 

On goodreads (in the 2013 & 2014 reading challenge discussion) I saw two neat challenges:

 

String Theory:

 

I've had some similar experiences - it's a weird kind of deja vu... recognizing a place I've only ever been in fiction.

 

I like the idea of a BAW recommendation challenge... but coming up with an even vaguely manageable list seems, well challenging!  I wish I kept notes on my TBR lists explaining where I got the idea for each book!

 

 

 

 

Although many folks really love Houseini's books, I, personally, *hated* Kite Runner (and haven't been willing to try another), it felt false and sensationalistic to me... but, as I said, it is enormously popular, so the problem could be me rather than the book!

 

... the Tim Powers book is in transit from my library, btw, though I think it will have to wait until January... not only are my TBR piles overflowing, but we're going to have all four of our East Coast kids visiting at various points over the next month or so!!!! (the schedule is determined by their respective school breaks, and, unfortunately, we won't get all of them at once... but, on the bright side, we get some time alone with our daughters away for school, and some time with just our married daughter and her lovely husband.  ...and the whole delightful thing gets to be spread out over more time!)

 

 

DC readalong: Oh, yes! That would be fabulous!

 

Re: Winter's Tale: Oh, dear!  I have that sitting on my Kindle (it was a free selection a while ago), and I keep meaning to read it... but I can't possibly add another book to this month... but...

 

I kind of had the same thought regarding the geographical challenge. The continental was very broad based and I considered concentrating on a few countries so will come up with something like that.  

 

String theory is very neat and doable - of course, everyone would be following their own rabbit trails. The description got my mind to brainstorming~~

 

I really like the Six Degrees of Separation challenge from Eliana's post.  The ladies here are so creative there's no telling what we'd all come up with!  

 

The Continental challenge was one I failed at this year (only visited 5 of 7 continents and some of those only got a glancing blow), so a repeat of that would have to have some sort of "armchair traveler" feel to get me motivated.  Maybe a travelogue or adventure reading challenge?

 

No Pulitzer or Nobel winners for me, thank you.  That's too heavy and I think most of them are overrated anyway. :leaving:  (dodging tomatoes!)

 

 

Oh .... wait a minute.  I wasn't going to participate in challenges next year .....   :lol:  :smash:

 

(Can you tell I'm a homeschooler?  I never met a booklist I didn't like  :D )

 

ETA:  I did have one other idea.  2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI.  I thought maybe a theme month or group-read of some sort either nonfiction (Guns of August?) or fiction (All Quiet on the Western Front? some other quintessential WWI novel?) next summer?

WW1 theme and group readalong is a great idea.  More brainstorming, y'all.

 

Don't change the thread title please... I hate change. :)

 

No books on my Christmas list (I don't have the willpower to wait for Christmas) but dh asked me if I want the new iPad mini for reading all my books. Woo hoo!!!

 

Challenges ... Hmmm.... Have we done a "decades" challenge? Like a book published from each decade in the last 100 years?

Okay, I hate change too. Thread title will stay as is.    ~Woohoo for new ipad~  I'm loving mine.   Decades challenge - check. Another item to add to the  list.

 

 

 

Lunch break over and time for me to be back to work.  but first, I found two nifty things to check out

 

Book Brawl: House of Leaves vs Night Film - makes me want to read both of them now.  And on the same site - 3 essential books you should read in every Genre.  Wind up Bird Chronicles will probably be my first book of the new year.