Robin M Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Happy Sunday, dear hearts! Today is the start of week 14 in our quest to read 52 Books. 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 - National Poetry Month: In 1996, April was established as National Poetry Month by the Academy of American Poets for the purpose of introducing more people to the pleasures of reading poetry and to appreciate the achievements of american poets. This year, the Academy is sponsoring the Poet to Poet Project in which students write poems in response to the poetry of the poets who sit on the chancellery board. Also, on the website you'll find 30 ways to celebrate poetry which includes read a poetry book, attend a poetry reading, write a letter to a poet, start your own commonplace book, and poem in your pocket. Poem in your pocket day is officially April 24th and my go to poet is Robert Frost.History Readalong: Join me in a readalong of Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient World. I'll most likely be reading one to two chapters a week and allowing time for following rabbit trails as they appear. And if I'm feeling really ambitious, may just attempt to drag my son along for the ride and use the Study and Teaching Guide from Peace Hill Press. Also, with the beginning of April, we will be armchair traveling in England and/or delving into the 15th Century. and in honor of poetry month - here's my haiku for you: What do we all seek when we read a book a week Learning, life and joy What are you reading this week?Link to week 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 I just finished reading Nora Robert's Shadow Spell, #2 in the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy. Wonderful as always. Today will be diving into Patricia Briggs Night Broken, her latest in the Mercedes Thompson series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Rather a desultory week here. I didn't finish anything. I started The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan and got bogged down in the minutiae of historical and cultural details the author felt compelled to include at.every.turn. When he does manage to shift his lens to the human side of his subject, the two families involved, the book comes alive but pretty soon he's off and running with various tangents necessary to the overall historical picture but not perhaps to a story like this in as much detail as he's willing to give. Nevertheless it is, of course, a complex subject and at this point there is still just enough story for me to want to continue on but with a mitigating influence so I put it aside for the moment and started Ami McKay's The Birth House which is proving to be a good read. This is my second mid-wife story in as many weeks and I've got The Midwife of Venice on hold at the library as well. I'm thinking perhaps midwifery will be one of my 5/5/5 categories. And that's it. No 'Conference of the Birds' which, unlike Pam's rigorous and focused approach, I am still dreamily wandering my way through. And I have yet to jump fully into Herodotus or finish up the two other books of poetry I'm working on though one is a double re-read. Sigh. I was however glad to see your read along, Robin, and will happily join you in a chapter or two a week of SWB's book. I contemplated purchasing the study guide to go along with it for my own purposes but haven't decided on that. Ds is reading his way through The Human Odyssey and has landed in the Indus Valley at this point. The two of us should be in for some fun discussions. And for those who missed it tagged on to the end of last week's thread...Kindle daily deal today is five different Agatha Christie mysteries at $1.99 each. A couple of Poirots, a Miss Marple, one I didn't recognize and 'Death on the Nile'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Still working my way through Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Looking at Philosophy. I doubt I will finish either one by the 1st of April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I just finished Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. Since it is National Poetry month I should mention that this book was full of powerful and beautiful poetry. The main character is a poet and a pilot in WWII and she is fond of quoting Edna St. Vincent Millay. I have not read much Millay and I'm now inspired to do so. I was a little tentative in taking on this book so close on the heals of Code Name Verity by the same author. I thought the book was a fantastic. I am still a bit overwhelmed that it is YA - I know it would have been way to brutal for me as a young teen but who knows, maybe today's youth are more desensitized to such things and it must be brutal for them to truly understand the horrors of the holocaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I finished a short little book by Anna Quindlen called "How Reading Changed My Life" and books #3 and 5 in Sophie Littlefield's "A Bad Day..." series. I also started "The Languaged of Baklava" and "Gathering of Waters" in addition to the other trusty dusties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Still working my way through Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Looking at Philosophy. I doubt I will finish either one by the 1st of April. Just realized I forgot to add the bolded in as a book I didn't get to this week. Not very hopeful when a book zooms right out of one's radar like that. Ah well, perhaps my state will have shifted when I next pick it up and I'll be more receptive to its lack of breathing space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I have read a ton this year, on book 30.. Read When We Were on Fire by Addie Zierman in one sitting yesterday. I would love to talk to anyone who read it. I didn't grow up evangelical, but became a Christian in high school and I matured in my faith during my college years. So, I couldn't relate exactly. My biggest take away is that it made me sad that her Christian identity was so wrapped up in boyfriend relationships from age 14 onward. It reinforced my belief that the main reason I want my daughter to delay serious dating isn't bc I don't trust her. It is bc I want her to know who she is, develop her gifts and callings, become really grounded in her faith and THEN choose who to get to know. I am probably not making sense, but that book rattled me. Well written though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Happy Mothering Sunday to everyone here, not just to those of us living in countries that celebrate according to the Church calendar. I haven't read anymore of Boy,Snow, Bird but plan to return to it soon. I started Beautiful Ruins on my kindle and am enjoying it.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/books/review/beautiful-ruins-a-novel-by-jess-walter.html?_r=0. The e library kept recommending it to me so I finally gave in and checked it out. :lol: Not too heavy and it is set a least partially along Italy's Mediterranean coastline so good location. I was able to read An Infamous Proposal by Joan Smith last night while the family was having a television marathon. It was a wonderful, well written, fluffy that I loved partly because I could be with my family while reading it. Dd has it now. I also finished my kindle library book during the night "Autumn Bones" by Jacqueline Carey. The second in her Agent of Help series . Both of these paranormals have been very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Just a few pages left of AK. I don't even want to read it anymore. Cheer for me to finish Pillars of the Earth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I'd love to join in on the History Readalong - I've been meaning to read History of the Ancient World for a while now. This week I read: The Truelove by Patrick O'Brian. # 15 of the Aubrey/Maturin series and still loving it. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. Very funny - read it in two sittings. and I tried to read the book that seems to be so popular - Outlander by Diana Galbadon. I only made it through the first 150 pages or so. After the 4th (or was it the 5th? 6th?) time of Claire almost being r*p*d, along with all the beatings, etc. I just had to give up. Poor writing, unlikeable characters, sadism, and the use of violence to move the plot along just isn't my cuppa. I know that some people just love this book but it really has me scratching my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I hope I can post here now. I tried to post twice last week but the forums wouldn't let me. So I will try it again. I am back from being with my mom as she recovered from heart surgery. There were complications so she had to go back into the hospital. She came home two days before I left but I left with a heavy heart as I wondered if that would be the last time I saw her. The happenings of the last 6 months have finally taken it's toll on me and I am just a weepy, hot mess. I even cried at dd's gymnastics meet yesterday. I was utterly embarrassed but her routine was so graceful and beautiful that it struck deep. Robin's haiku even made me cry a few minutes ago. :confused1: Getting back to books, I didn't read as much as I had hoped once my mom returned to the hospital, I had a hard time focusing on anything. What I did read was: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (I absolutely loved that book! Yes, it was long, too long, but I fell deep into Theo's story,) The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (meh, it was okay,) and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley. I loved this latest Flavia book as well. I read Angel's comments about this book in last week's thread and I felt the same way as she regarding this book. The book didn't start out the way that I thought it was going to and I was darn angry about that. I felt like Bradley tricked me. I had looked forward to this beginning for almost a year and then I find out that it isn't going to be like that at all. I didn't want to finish the book due to my feeling tricked but I am glad that I persevered. What a wonderful story it turned out to be. I am more in love with Flavia than I was before this book. I also read The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater--an explanation of notebooking a la Charlotte Mason-- this was quite inspiring. I even cried through this book as well, again, :confused1: My misses were: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki and Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi. I recognize that the reason for these misses were more because of what was going on in my life rather than the books themselves so I would like to try these books again at a later time. I am now reading The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain and The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K.Chesterton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 I hope I can post here now. I tried to post twice last week but the forums wouldn't let me. So I will try it again. I am back from being with my mom as she recovered from heart surgery. There were complications so she had to go back into the hospital. She came home two days before I left but I left with a heavy heart as I wondered if that would be the last time I saw her. The happenings of the last 6 months have finally taken it's toll on me and I am just a weepy, hot mess. I even cried at dd's gymnastics meet yesterday. I was utterly embarrassed but her routine was so graceful and beautiful that it struck deep. Robin's haiku even made me cry a few minutes ago. :confused1: Aw! :grouphug: Totally understand and just be patient with yourself. For the longest time, the simplest things set me off into a puddle and it is especially hard when it's your mom. As we get older, our emotional sides tend to get touched by so many things - a song, a smell, a smile. Will keep your mother and you in our prayers and thoughts for strength and peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I'm nowhere near where I need to be. I finished up Orange Is The New Black and have read 1/4 of Raising Stony Mayhall. I didn't realize the new Nora Roberts was out. I'm going to have to grab that though I wasn't impressed with the first book in this trilogy. It seems like she's run out of ideas. ;) However, I have two temporary foster kids who have been here since Wednesday. With 7 kids and the oldest being 6, there hasn't been much time for reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I was out of town and offline last week, so here's a two week update. Read another Georgette Heyer before we left and enjoyed it: The Reluctant Widow. The girls and I finished two read-alouds (worked hard to get them done before our spring break). The Screwtape Letters ended up being a little over their heads--probably better for high school or college. I had to explain many of the letters to them. The Hiding Place was very good--one I'm glad to have read. Thanks to tips posted here, I had The Rosie Project and The Golem and the Jinni loaded for cheap on my Kindle before our trip. The Rosie Project was perfect vacation reading--I enjoyed that a lot. And I'm enjoying TGatJ too, but I think my final summary will include the words "it could have been shorter." I think that's my limitation these days--give me books that are less than 300 pages please! Actually I have no idea how long the print book is; I just know it takes a long time to progress 1% on the Kindle. I keep suspending my hold on The Goldfinch because I know that one's long too! The library has two waiting for me. One is The Autoimmune Epidemic : bodies gone haywire in a world out of balance and the cutting edge science that promises hope. The other is a food book someone recommended here: Home cooking: [a writer in the kitchen]. That one sounds a little more like what I'm in the mood for. I will try to join in on the History of the Ancient World challenge. We start our history cycle over next year, so the timing is good for me. And Shukriyya mentioned The Human Odyssey--that one is on my desk too. I think we're going to use that next year since it is a 3-year history cycle and that is how much time we have, so maybe I'll start pre-reading that one too. Will continue with TGatJ on the treadmill. I'm discovering that the kindle actually works pretty well there--fits the ledge without covering up the text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I am back from being with my mom as she recovered from heart surgery. Sending good thoughts your way, Julia. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 This past week I reread Kristen Ashley's Dream Man series of four books which starts with Mystery Man (Dream Man). There is lots of adult content in these romances, so they are not for the conservative reader. I find them strangely addictive. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Finished: Motherhood Realized by Power of Moms Lies, Da** Lies, and Science by Sherry Seethaler Naomi and her Daughters by Walter Wangerin Jr. Life of Pi by Yann Martel Working on: Fiction: Arianna A Gift Most Precious by Rachel Ann Nunes Kindle: Shatter by Elizabeth C. Mock Non-fiction: The Reader as a Learner by NZ Ministry of Education Phone: The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker Computer: Nothing Yet Well Education Mind: Gulliver Travels by Johnathan Swift Angel Girl: Water Babies by Charles Kingsley Sweet Boy: Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales Book Total Read for 2014: 48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I am back from being with my mom as she recovered from heart surgery. There were complications so she had to go back into the hospital. She came home two days before I left but I left with a heavy heart as I wondered if that would be the last time I saw her. The happenings of the last 6 months have finally taken it's toll on me and I am just a weepy, hot mess. I even cried at dd's gymnastics meet yesterday. I was utterly embarrassed but her routine was so graceful and beautiful that it struck deep. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I've been thinking of you, your mom, and all your family a lot am sending loving thoughts and prayers your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Hello everyone. I have finished #21 for the year, Before Lunch by Angela Thirkell (1939). After reading Krzhizhanovsky, I needed something breezy. I enjoyed the Thirkell novel so much that I decided to read another, The Demon in the House (1934), which focuses on the antics of a twelve year old boy. I also started The Language of Baklava--Thank you Lost Surprise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I hope I can post here now. I tried to post twice last week but the forums wouldn't let me. So I will try it again. I am back from being with my mom as she recovered from heart surgery. There were complications so she had to go back into the hospital. She came home two days before I left but I left with a heavy heart as I wondered if that would be the last time I saw her. The happenings of the last 6 months have finally taken it's toll on me and I am just a weepy, hot mess. I even cried at dd's gymnastics meet yesterday. I was utterly embarrassed but her routine was so graceful and beautiful that it struck deep. Robin's haiku even made me cry a few minutes ago. :confused1: Getting back to books, I didn't read as much as I had hoped once my mom returned to the hospital, I had a hard time focusing on anything. What I did read was: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (I absolutely loved that book! Yes, it was long, too long, but I fell deep into Theo's story,) The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (meh, it was okay,) and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley. I loved this latest Flavia book as well. I read Angel's comments about this book in last week's thread and I felt the same way as she regarding this book. The book didn't start out the way that I thought it was going to and I was darn angry about that. I felt like Bradley tricked me. I had looked forward to this beginning for almost a year and then I find out that it isn't going to be like that at all. I didn't want to finish the book due to my feeling tricked but I am glad that I persevered. What a wonderful story it turned out to be. I am more in love with Flavia than I was before this book. I also read The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater--an explanation of notebooking a la Charlotte Mason-- this was quite inspiring. I even cried through this book as well, again, :confused1: My misses were: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki and Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi. I recognize that the reason for these misses were more because of what was going on in my life rather than the books themselves so I would like to try these books again at a later time. I am now reading The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain and The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K.Chesterton. :grouphug: prairiegirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 My reading was quite slow this week. I get tired at night and don't get past a few paragraphs. During the day, it seems that I've just been a bit more busy than usual. I read Characters in Search of a Novel - for the book challenge that I'm doing - "a book I read about online." I first heard about that book on these boards. A light, funny and entertaining read made up very short stories filled with very interesting characters. I’ve never read anything quite like it. This book is the closest I’ve come to reading that makes me feel as if I’m people-watching :D. 3 Stars. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Hello everyone. I have finished #21 for the year, Before Lunch by Angela Thirkell (1939). After reading Krzhizhanovsky, I needed something breezy. I enjoyed the Thirkell novel so much that I decided to read another, The Demon in the House (1934), which focuses on the antics of a twelve year old boy. I also started The Language of Baklava--Thank you Lost Surprise! So glad to see this on so many BaWers' lists. It went onto my 5/5/5 food list months ago without my knowing anything about it. Looking forward to reading it. On another and rather amusing note, Jane, after visiting Amazon and putting the Krzhizhanovsky books in my cart what came up for the 'customers who bought this book also bought' popup that occurs were one or two books by Thirkell. I did a double take because I know she's a fave of yours and I thought wow, not a lot of folks buying the Krzhizhanovsky books other than Jane and a few others :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 On another and rather amusing note, Jane, after visiting Amazon and putting the Krzhizhanovsky books in my cart what came up for the 'customers who bought this book also bought' popup that occurs were one or two books by Thirkell. I did a double take because I know she's a fave of yours and I thought wow, not a lot of folks buying the Krzhizhanovsky books other than Jane and a few others :smilielol5: Amazon probably knows we're Internet "friends" even if we have never shared a cup of coffee together. Scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 We listened to Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. What a perfect, stunningly beautiful book. All 5 of us loved it. I am only disappointed we did the audio because we missed her art that way. Lin is master craftsman. I'm also reading some more Joan Smith books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Amazon probably knows we're Internet "friends" even if we have never shared a cup of coffee together. Scary! Not so scary when the 'friend' is Jane in NC and I'll happily share an internet cup of coffee with you. I like a decaf latte made with 1/2&1/2 :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 We listened to Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. What a perfect, stunningly beautiful book. All 5 of us loved it. I am only disappointed we did the audio because we missed her art that way. Lin is master craftsman. That was a fave in our home too. Ds loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 That was a fave in our home too. Ds loved it. My son is reading Starry River of the Sky for school now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I also started The Language of Baklava--Thank you Lost Surprise! I don't know what language Baklava speaks, but know I understand it at an atomic level. Yum! Last week I read the most recent Peter Robinson Inspector Banks novel, Watching the Dark. I had stopped devouring the series after I had read 20 or so in quick succession last year, but was happy to catch up with my old friends in the series. I also read Behind the Scenes, a photographic look at the daily life of the New York City ballet, with photos and text by one of the dancers, Kyle Froman. It is a short, quick read, but wasn't quite short enough for me to finish while I was at the library last week, so I checked it out! I've been enjoying an audio version of Mill on the Floss. It is one of those books I've heard about for years, and am so glad I finally am reading it. Dante has been sidelined, though I'm still reading the book Reading Dante a bit at a time. I have misplaced the other non-fiction book I was reading, Hare with the Amber Eye. It must off on some harebrained adventure in another space/time dimension with other misplaced books and single socks :tongue_smilie: Wasn't it Angel who had a textbook missing in action? I tell you, there is a space/time rift and these books are falling through the cracks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Maybe the lost books are all meeting up somewhere for tea and chat about the BaWers :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I read: Animal Farm by George Orwell Buddha, Vol. 2: The Four Encounters by Osamu Tezuka Perceval: The Story of the Grail by Chretien de Troyes Divergent by Veronica Roth I started How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig And I'm still working on The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Last week I read the most recent Peter Robinson Inspector Banks novel, Watching the Dark. I had stopped devouring the series after I had read 20 or so in quick succession last year, but was happy to catch up with my old friends in the series. I also read Behind the Scenes, a photographic look at the daily life of the New York City ballet, with photos and text by one of the dancers, Kyle Froman. It is a short, quick read, but wasn't quite short enough for me to finish while I was at the library last week, so I checked it out! Watching the Dark is the book that sent me on the rabbit trail of reading Purge, Sofi Oksanen's novel set in Estonia. Fictional detective Inspector Banks read the book while on a plane to Tallinn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I got started read Boy, Snow, Bird again after I posted and kept going through the end. I plan to give it 5*. Well written, thought provoking, made overall sense at the end, and I had problems putting it down. Well worth reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 :grouphug: Julia I will be praying for you and your mom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Julia, sending many hugs & good thoughts to your mom, you, & the rest of your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Just finished Asleep in the Sun by Adolfo Bioy Casares. Haven't spent a lot of time pondering it yet, but I'm not really sure if I liked it or not. I do like that it is South American surrealism (to a small extent), has resemblances to Kafka, and ponders the meaning of identity -- the body or the soul? Of course, in pondering these things, you can also enter some sinister & disturbing territory too; I love the challenge & thinking, while the horror gives me pause. Definitely one that would not be to everyone's liking, but a somewhat unique read for those who like (somewhat disturbing) philosophical pondering. Maybe not a pool or beach read though, lol.http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/asleep-in-the-sun/ Still have Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man here for lighter reading. And, just picked up Helen Oyeyemi's Boy, Snow, Bird from the library & can't wait to dive in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I miraculously pulled out my copy of SWB's book from almost the bottom of the pile without sending everything crashing to the ground! What a piece of luck! Hopefully I enjoy it more reading it along with you guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 and I tried to read the book that seems to be so popular - Outlander by Diana Galbadon. I only made it through the first 150 pages or so. After the 4th (or was it the 5th? 6th?) time of Claire almost being r*p*d, along with all the beatings, etc. I just had to give up. Poor writing, unlikeable characters, sadism, and the use of violence to move the plot along just isn't my cuppa. I know that some people just love this book but it really has me scratching my head I felt the same. I finished another Nora Ephron book. I really like her. She died way too young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Started reading: Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman Still reading: Follow Me by David Platt The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman Finished reading: 1. The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan (AVERAGE) 2. The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene (GOOD) 3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (EXCELLENT) 4. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (EXCELLENT) 5. The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith by Peter Hitchens (AMAZING) 6. Champion by Marie Lu (PRETTY GOOD) 7. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (INCREDIBLE) 8. Cultivating Christian Character by Michael Zigarelli (HO-HUM) 9. Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff (um...WOW. So amazing and sad) 10. Pressure Points: Twelve Global Issues Shaping the Face of the Church by JD Payne (SO-SO) 11. The Happiness Project: Or Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. by Gretchen Rubin (GOOD) 12. Reading and Writing Across Content Areas by Roberta Sejnost (SO-SO) 13. Winter of the World by Ken Follet (PRETTY GOOD) 14. The School Revolution: A New Answer for our Broken Education System by Ron Paul (GREAT) 15. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (LOVED IT) 16. Beyond the Hole in the Wall: Discover the Power of Self-Organized Learning by Sugata Mitra (GOOD) 17. Can Computers Keep Secrets? - How a Six-Year-Old's Curiosity Could Change the World by Tom Barrett (GOOD) 18. You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself by David McRaney (GOOD) 19. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (OK) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I'm about a quarter of the way through The Birth House and am thoroughly enjoying it. I thought of y'all when I came across this passage... "Closely allied to food and dress, in woman, as a producer of evil thoughts, is idleness and novel-reading. It is almost impossible for a woman to read the current "love-and-murder" literature of the day and have pure thoughts, and when the reading of such literature is associated with idleness--as it almost invariably is--a woman's thoughts and feelings cannot be other than impure and sensual. There now, Charlotte. There it is in black and white. Overthinking and novel-reading causes, a the very least, fretting, nightmares and a bad complexion." :lol: This is a position taken by one of the less savory male characters in the book, a doctor who has a lot invested, mainly financial, in having women come to the new (and only) birthing center in a community that has called upon the wisdom of midwifes for centuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 La la la la. Testing to see if security thingie is gone. Negin or anyone else still having issues? No problems for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I finished another Nora Ephron book. I really like her. She died way too young. :iagree: . I'd like to read more books by her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 La la la la. Testing to see if security thingie is gone. Negin or anyone else still having issues? No problems for me. Thanks, Robin. Nothing this time. Maybe it was just because I posted an image. Weird, since that hasn't really happened before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. Very funny - read it in two sittings. and I tried to read the book that seems to be so popular - Outlander by Diana Galbadon. I only made it through the first 150 pages or so. After the 4th (or was it the 5th? 6th?) time of Claire almost being r*p*d, along with all the beatings, etc. I just had to give up. Poor writing, unlikeable characters, sadism, and the use of violence to move the plot along just isn't my cuppa. I know that some people just love this book but it really has me scratching my head. I love the Minday Kaling book and, like you, I gave up on Outlander probably way sooner than you did. I honestly have never been able to understand what all the fuss is about with that series. Every now and again, I go to Good Reads and read the 1-Star Reviews for that book and laugh my head off. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Robin, I had to put in a security code yet again. :confused1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I forgot to add yesterday that I dug my copy of History of th Ancient World out of the garage on Saturday . Not as disrespectful to books as it sounds we store everything in the garage thanks to filling it with shelving units and giant plastic boxes. I love Robin's idea of doing the guide simultaneously. Somewhere I have a sample pdf for the first few chapters, plan to start with that and see if I enjoy doing it. I have some potential 15th century books on hold already but plan to go hunting for more ideas when I have a chance. We are getting to the point in history that I really enjoy reading about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 PH -- Glad you are back. We missed you! I went looking for my sample of the study guide for History of the Ancient World without the answers but all I could find is this onehttp://peacehillpress.com/samples.html for the teacher's guide, first five chapters. ETA -- The sample guide is on that list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Okay, I'm pulling my History of the Ancient World off the bookshelf and putting it on the nightstand. Maybe this time I will get past the first few chapters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 La la la la. Testing to see if security thingie is gone. Negin or anyone else still having issues? No problems for me. We will soon find out once I press Post. I had trouble last week and when I posted yesterday. I don't understand why cause I don't have trouble when I post in other threads on this forum. Thanks, Robin. Nothing this time. Maybe it was just because I posted an image. Weird, since that hasn't really happened before. I don't think it was because of an image, Negin, cause I had trouble, too, and I am not an image girl. Stacia, I hope that you fall into Boy, Snow, Bird. I so want to love this book just because of the cover. How can you not like a book with a cover like that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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