Robin M Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Happy Sunday, dear hearts. Today is the start of week 10 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 - Mystery Book Awards: I couldn't decide whether to go with international mysteries or non fiction mysteries this week so gave it up all and started perusing the mystery awards. Who knew there were so many and such a wide variety of winners. Oh my poor aching wishlists.Check out the best contemporary novel nominees for 2014 by the Agatha Awards (Winner to be determined in May.) ° The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews ° A Demon Summer by G.M. Malliet ° Designated Daughters by Margaret Maron ° The Long Way Home by Louise Penny ° Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan and the 2014 Edgar Awards nominees for Best Mystery novel to be presented by the Mystery Writers of America (Winner to be determined in April) ° This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash ° Wolf by Mo Hayder ° Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King ° The Final Silence by Stuart Neville ° Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin ° Cop Town by Karin Slaughter Left Coast Crime mixes it up a bit by presenting the Lefty award for the most humorous mystery novel (Winner to be determined next week) ° The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews ° Herbie’s Game by Timothy Hallinan ° January Thaw by Jess Lourey ° Dying for a Dude by Cindy Sample ° Suede to Rest by Diane Vallere Then we have the 2014 Macavity Awards named after the cat, Macavity in T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. * Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger ° Sandrine’s Case by Thomas H. Cook ° Dead Lions by Mick Herron ° The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood ° How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny ° Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin Thank you to Stop, Your Killing Me for providing all the links. Saved me some work. *grin*Now I have to go see what I can do to increase my book budget. Happy exploring! ************************************************************************ History of the Medieval World - Chapter 12 (pp 85 - 90) One Nature vs Two (408-431 Ad) ************************************************************************ Boo Day Light Savings time. I'm a bit slow this morning. Did you remember to set your clock ahead one hour? What are you reading this week? Link to week 9 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Robin, thank you, as always, for starting this thread every week. :grouphug: My reading has been slow. I finished The Best of James Herriot - 4 Stars - reading this makes me want to return to Yorkshire for a visit. I’m also eager to read more books by James Herriot. This edition is beautifully illustrated with drawings and photos. I may even try some of the recipes. 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. My Good Reads Page - if anyone wishes to join and friend me. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 This past week I read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Honestly didn't see the answer coming and thoroughly enjoyed it. Last night I finished Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. It was okay. Discovered the hard boiled private eye stories probably aren't for me. I spent more time picking apart the writing and analyzing. We're dissecting stories in Narrative Design so I found it hard to get my brain out of analytical mode with this one. It's perfect for how not to write a story. And the falcon only made a brief appearance. Anticlimatic at best. All talk, no show. :lol: 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 The Ulysses goodreads group is taking 2 weeks for the current episode (Circe) so I don't have anything new to report on that front. I'm still working away at Authority, the second novel in the Southern Reach trilogy. This book is quite different from the first book in that, so far at least, it takes place back in HQ, not out in the field. Yesterday I read Plath's Ariel as I've been wanting to read some poetry. I read this volume when I was an angsty teenager and it was one of my favorite books but I got much more out of it at this age, of course. I found a few nice recordings of Plath reading her own poetry and I was surprised at how much the reading in my head sounds like her reading, though I've never heard her speak before. I especially enjoyed her reading of Daddy. I'll be starting On Politics tomorrow and have been listening to the Revolutions podcast as preparation. I haven't done the "judge a book by its cover" challenge yet. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I've never liked classics very much, but I've forced myself to read them along with my big kids. And I've discovered there are a fair number I like. Some I like a whole lot. I'm reading Les Mis just because I feel like it. And I LOVE it! I'm about 20% of the way through now and I'm seriously loving it. I'm still hearing the songs from the musical in the back of my head while I read (always the right songs for the right place) which is odd, but adds something to the reading, really. So many things in the musical already make more sense (like why did Fantine bring the letter to work when it was so sensitive it could get her fired... spoiler alert! she didn't... they found out about Cosette a different way). I absolutely love Les Mis (the musical). I wouldn't say the book is better (because... music), but it is certainly as good. I'm so glad I stopped letting the length scare me. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Yesterday I read with great pleasure Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop. 'After winning the trust of the Others residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more. The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard—Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader—wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat. As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all." I do recommend starting with the first book in the series ~ Written in Red: A Novel of the Others. I'm now looking forward to reading the third book in the series. I had been thinking the series would be a trilogy, but now I'm thinking it will continue beyond three books. Anyone know? Regards, Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I'm reading Les Mis just because I feel like it. And I LOVE it! I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying Les Miserables, Butter. I'm curious -- what translation are you reading? My teen, a great lover of the musical Les Mis, chose to read the book in 9th grade from a number of literature choices that I gave her. It was the first book we read that really made us aware of the fact that a translator can make a significant difference. The first translation we read was like wading through mud [or sewers!]; the book dragged and dragged. Then we tried the translation by Norman Denny which made the book so much more enjoyable. Regards, Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Hello dear reading friends! Let me begin by wishing everyone a good week ahead. I hope that those of you in Northern climes finally get some warmer temperatures. Having read all of the Sayers mysteries and frequently opening a Christie for a fun diversion, I decided to revisit Josephine Tey. I read a number of her novels in my 20s and have reread a couple in recent years. But I don't recall ever reading A Shilling for Candles which I enjoyed very much. This strikes me as a Nan book--and one for your Mom too, Nan. In the car I am listening to Dashiell Hammett's The Glass Key. Back a few decades I went through a hard boiled detective phase that included a number of Hammett novels and stories. I don't recall reading The Glass Key which is perhaps not as well known as The Maltese Falcon or The Thin Man (with the delightful Nick and Nora Charles). Reading a bit about the book online to see if this is one that I had read but forgotten, I noticed in the Wikipedia article that there is an annual Scandanavian Glass Key (Glasnyckeln) prize for a crime novel. Isn't it interesting that this Nordic prize created in '92 was named after a book published as a serial in Black Mask magazine in 1930? Robin, I think I would disagree with your assessment of the writing in The Maltese Falcon. Hammett created a style that is not just minimal; much of what is not said can be striking. Among those he influenced was Hemingway. And perhaps that in part explains my affection. Stacia! I started reading The Good Lord Bird and I too found myself sucked in on the first page. I am also wending my way through Buchan's short story collection, The Strange Adventures of Mr. Andrew Hawthorn & Other Stories, tipping my hat to Violet Crown. HoMW: bookmarked at 21 of 85 chapters The Golden Legend: bookmarked at 28 of 182 chapters) Happy reading, y'all! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 A neat gift for book lovers ~ Olde Book Messenger Bag And some lovely pictures ~ An Ode to Books: 45 Photos that Will Feed a Book Lover's Soul Regards, Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I finished In Milady's Chamber early this week--good fun Regency mystery. And Amy I will make myself wait for the sequels because I have too many on my "must read' pile right now. Currently reading my book club pick, The Girls of Atomic City which is fascinating. But being non-fiction, I can't speed through it. I'm a little more than half way, so I hope to finish this week. Heather, Les Miserables is tempting. There is a local production this spring and it would be nice to re-read it first. I remember reading it in 9th grade--that must have been an abridged version, right? Well, with the large "must read" pile, this will have to go on the wait list along with Razor's Edge. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I started a book yesterday, but I don't think I'm going to finish it. It's The Angel of Galilea by Laura Restrepo. Mainly, I picked it because it would have fit into the Latin American (Columbia) category for my reading around the world. But, I've gotten almost halfway through & it's just not my style of book. It's easy enough to read & may appeal to some, though. I also started another African (Mozambique) book yesterday & this one will fit into the mystery month category: Under the Frangipani by Mia Couto. Death seeps its wily way into every corner of the living world in this lyrical novel by Mozambican writer Mia Couto. At the start of Under the Frangipani, the narrator, a dead man, is assigned to occupy the body of a police inspector who is investigating the murder of the director of an old people's refuge housed in a former Portuguese fort. Dreamily narrated, but sharp in outline, Couto's novel is a richly rewarding real-life fable set far from the world as Western readers know it. Trans. from the Portuguese by David Brookshaw. I'm also still working on The Orphan Girl and Other Stories: West African Folk Tales, retold by Buchi Offodile. Interestingly, the storytelling info he provides as background (which is similar to the storytelling info I learned when reading Sunjata) meshes quite well with the style of Under the Frangipani. I've also barely dipped into Virginia Woolf's Orlando. Not sure whether I like it or not yet, but I do know that I seem to have a chip on my shoulder about reading her. I don't know why. Maybe I'm just ornery. 2015 Books Read: Africa: Rue du Retour by Abdellatif Laâbi, trans. from the French by Jacqueline Kaye, pub. by Readers International. 4 stars. Morocco. (Poetic paean to political prisoners worldwide by one who was himself in prison for “crimes of opinionâ€. Explores not only incarceration but also readjusting to a ‘normal’ world after torture & release.) Nigerians in Space by Deji Bryce Olukotum, pub. by Unnamed Press. 4 stars. South Africa & Nigeria. (Scientists lured back home in a ‘brain gain’ plan to start up Nigerian space program. But, things go awry. Is it legit, a scam, or something more sinister?) Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, pub. by Viking (Penguin Group). 3 stars. Nigeria. (YA fantasy lit in the vein of HP but with a West African base of myth & legend.) Asia: The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, a Borzoi book pub. by Alfred A. Knopf. 4 stars. Japan. BaW January author challenge. (Creepy campfire style story; thought-provoking ending made me rethink the entire story.) The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire by Jack Weatherford, pub. by Crown Publishers. 4 stars. Mongolia. (Non-fiction. Even with gaps, fascinating pieces of lost &/or censored history.) Caribbean: The Duppy by Anthony C. Winkler, pub. by Akashic Books. 3 stars. Jamaica. (A duppy [ghost] relates ribald & amusing anecdotes of Jamaican heaven.) Europe: The Affinity Bridge by George Mann, a Tor book pub. by Tom Doherty Associates. 3 stars. England. (Entertaining steampunk with likeable characters.) Extraordinary Renditions by Andrew Ervin, pub. by Coffee House Press. 4 stars. Hungary. (Triptych of stories in Budapest touching on the Holocaust, racism, corruption, the power of music,…) The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, pub. by Scribner Classics. 4 stars. France & Spain. (Lost generation of post-WW1 expats living, loving, & arguing in France & Spain.) Kismet by Jakob Arjouni, trans. from the German by Anthea Bell, pub. by Melville House (Melville International Crime). 4 stars. Germany. (Tough Turkish-German PI in the middle of a turf war as a Croatian organized crime group tries to take over territory of Albanian & German mobs in Frankfurt. Darkly funny & nicely paced.) The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham, pub. by Penguin Books. 5 stars. France. (Interlinked stories of friends in post-WWI France as they move through life & each finds his or her own version of success.) Cat Out of Hell by Lynne Truss, pub. by Melville House. 3 stars. England. (Creepy, frivolous fun horror/mystery mash-up… and a cat who wants Daniel Craig to voice him if there’s a movie version.) Middle East: The Jerusalem File by Joel Stone, pub. by Europa editions. 2 stars. Israel. (Noir detective tale re: jealousy. Ambiguous, unsatisfactory ending.) Goat Days by Benyamin, trans. from Malayalam by Joseph Koyipally, pub. by Penguin Books. 3 stars. Saudi Arabia. (Simple tale of enslaved Indian forced to herd goats in the Saudi Arabian desert.) North America: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride, pub. by Riverhead Books (Penguin Group). 5 stars. USA. (Sharp satire, historical fiction & folly, standing on top of heart, soul... & freedom.) 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I finished The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes, this morning. I read it for my IRL book group, but I suppose it also counts as a mystery of sorts. However, I don't recommend it. It reminded me a bit of Disgrace by Cotzee, in which a 60-ish man is forced to reflect on his life and choices, but it was less successful. This book couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a story, a philosophical disquisition on aging, or a study of memory. By trying to do all three, it failed as a story. There were way too many digressions, the tone of which - almost chatty commentary - really took away from the power of the story. I think the author had interesting things to say about memory, aging, and regret, but the story was almost an afterthought, not a vehicle. Anyway, I was disappointed. This was the second dud in a row I read for this group, and their next selection is Once and Future King, which I already decided I don't want to read. So maybe I need a break. Or to influence them to choose better books! :tongue_smilie: The other books I'm currently reading are A Room of One's Own, with the Woolf-pack, The Fall of Troy (a novel) by Peter Ackroyd, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin by David Quammen, my new favorite science writer, Sense & Sensibility - still - and The Buried Book, a fascinating NF about the discovery of the tablets with the Epic of Gilgamesh. So sad to be reading about the amazing archeological discoveries around Mosul, given what's going on there at the moment. I have a slew of ongoing reads, too - HotMW with you guys, Harvard Classics in a Year, and with one or both kids, In Search of a Homeland, A Little History of the World, From Then Till Now, Sapiens, Trout Reflections, and The Forest Unseen. I'm enjoying them all. I guess I'm training my kids to read the way I do - multiple volumes going at once! Books of 2015: 32. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes 31. Whose Body? - Dorothy L. Sayers 30. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic - David Quammen 29. Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson 28. The Castle of Llyr - Lloyd Alexander 27. The Shadow in the North - Philip Pullman 26. The Ruby in the Smoke - Philip Pullman 25. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Vol. 2 - Arthur Conan Doyle 24. The Friendly Persuasion - Jessamyn West 23. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 22. My Antonia - Willa Cather 21. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens - Jack Weatherford 20. Amsterdam - Ian McEwan 19. The Creation of Anne Boleyn - Susan Bordo 18. Girls on the Edge - Leonard Sax 17. Ancillary Sword - Ann Leckie 16. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen 15. The Black Cauldron - Lloyd Alexander 14. 1984 - George Orwell 13. My Real Children - Jo Walton 12. The March of Folly - Barbara Tuchman 11. Day - Elie Wiesel 10. The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne 9. The Wikkeling - Steven Aronson 8. Whole Earth Discipline - Stewart Brand 7. The Ghost-Feeler - Edith Wharton 6. Dawn - Elie Wiesel 5. The Strange Library - Haruki Murakami 4. Ancillary Justice - Anne Leckie 3. The Case of Comrade Tulayev - Victor Serge 2. Night - Elie Wiesel 1. The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I doubt I will read 52 books this year, but I am going to chime in just because there isn't anyone else who cares what I read or don't read. :P This year so far I finished Dickens' Bleak House, and I'm mostly done with Hardy's Return of the Native. There may have been a nonfiction book or two mixed in there. I'm reading "The Story" for Sunday School, not really my thing, but I guess it counts as a book. I pulled up a pile of classics from the basement - books I have always intended to read someday, and maybe this will be the year I make a dent in them. :) 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Apart from the Sarina Bowen ARC I haven't read that much this week. It has been a busy week. Although I did laugh on Friday when I was on a train with two colleagues. All three of us got out our books to read. I am considering curling up with Gaudy Night or possibly re-reading one of Julia Spencer-Fleming's books (if you haven't read them I highly recommend them) as she was posting bits from her latest work in progress earlier this week and I got a hankering. I am hoping that my copy of To the Lighthouse will show up this week for the Woolf-pack. So far this year I have read: 1. The Child Catchers by Kathryn Joyce 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 3. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen 4. The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen 5. The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen 6. Blond Date by Sarina Bowen 7. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 8. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson 9. After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson 10. With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin 11. Falling from the Sky by Sarina Bowen 12. Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb 13. Murphys Law by Rhys Bowen 14. Än finns det hopp by Karin Wahlberg 15. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 16. Coming in from the Cold by Sarina Bowen 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying Les Miserables, Butter. I'm curious -- what translation are you reading? My teen, a great lover of the musical Les Mis, chose to read the book in 9th grade from a number of literature choices that I gave her. It was the first book we read that really made us aware of the fact that a translator can make a significant difference. The first translation we read was like wading through mud [or sewers!]; the book dragged and dragged. Then we tried the translation by Norman Denny which made the book so much more enjoyable. Regards, Kareni No idea. Amazon doesn't say who the translator is. I'm reading this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GHNIRK/ 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Yesterday I read with great pleasure Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop. 'After winning the trust of the Others residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more. The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard—Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader—wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat. As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all." I do recommend starting with the first book in the series ~ Written in Red: A Novel of the Others. I'm now looking forward to reading the third book in the series. I had been thinking the series would be a trilogy, but now I'm thinking it will continue beyond three books. Anyone know? Regards, Kareni I seen anything in regards to trilogy versus ongoing series. I have to agree the last book feels like ongoing series. I did find this intervew which is fun. Anne Bishop and Patricia Briggs discussing their new releases.....http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/02/19/patricia-briggs-anne-bishop-interview-book-tour/23628577/ Continuing my Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander read. Almost done with them. Set in Victorian England with a heroine who is a bit of a feminist. I enjoy them. Also trying to get through the Faith Hunter Skinwalker books while I have them available. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I doubt I will read 52 books this year, but I am going to chime in just because there isn't anyone else who cares what I read or don't read. :p This year so far I finished Dickens' Bleak House, and I'm mostly done with Hardy's Return of the Native. There may have been a nonfiction book or two mixed in there. I'm reading "The Story" for Sunday School, not really my thing, but I guess it counts as a book. I pulled up a pile of classics from the basement - books I have always intended to read someday, and maybe this will be the year I make a dent in them. :) Welcome! I'm also making a dent in my shelves of books to be read. I have a few keepers but many I know I can let go once I just read them. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I finished To Kill A Mocking Bird for my IRL book club that was supposed to meet last Thursday. It was cancelled due to potential inclement weather that never happened. I last read the book when I was about 15 yo and did not remember most of it. I had remembered being uncomfortable with it, and I was again. In spite of that, it was fascinating. Atticus is my favorite. I'm currently reading The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. It is Sherlock fan fiction, written before Moriarty. They don't rely on each other. I think this story feels more Holmseian. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 Yesterday I read with great pleasure Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop. I do recommend starting with the first book in the series ~ Written in Red: A Novel of the Others. I'm now looking forward to reading the third book in the series. I had been thinking the series would be a trilogy, but now I'm thinking it will continue beyond three books. Anyone know? Regards, Kareni Bishop is working on a 4th book in the series and says there will be a 5th as well. Yeah! Per her FAQ's on her website. Hello dear reading friends! Let me begin by wishing everyone a good week ahead. I hope that those of you in Northern climes finally get some warmer temperatures. In the car I am listening to Dashiell Hammett's The Glass Key. Back a few decades I went through a hard boiled detective phase that included a number of Hammett novels and stories. I don't recall reading The Glass Key which is perhaps not as well known as The Maltese Falcon or The Thin Man (with the delightful Nick and Nora Charles). Reading a bit about the book online to see if this is one that I had read but forgotten, I noticed in the Wikipedia article that there is an annual Scandanavian Glass Key (Glasnyckeln) prize for a crime novel. Isn't it interesting that this Nordic prize created in '92 was named after a book published as a serial in Black Mask magazine in 1930? Robin, I think I would disagree with your assessment of the writing in The Maltese Falcon. Hammett created a style that is not just minimal; much of what is not said can be striking. Among those he influenced was Hemingway. And perhaps that in part explains my affection. Happy reading, y'all! I knew you would. :tongue_smilie: I'll give him a 2nd chance at some point. I think he is one of the authors we'll be studying during the MFA. Probably if I had been in a different mood, would have just read for pleasure and not picked it apart. I doubt I will read 52 books this year, but I am going to chime in just because there isn't anyone else who cares what I read or don't read. :p This year so far I finished Dickens' Bleak House, and I'm mostly done with Hardy's Return of the Native. There may have been a nonfiction book or two mixed in there. I'm reading "The Story" for Sunday School, not really my thing, but I guess it counts as a book. I pulled up a pile of classics from the basement - books I have always intended to read someday, and maybe this will be the year I make a dent in them. :) Welcome! So happy you decided to join in. Doesn't matter if you read 52 or not, what matters is reading. I have Return of the Native in the stacks - one of these days.... I think we all have a pile of classics waiting to be read so you are in good company. I started a book yesterday, but I don't think I'm going to finish it. It's The Angel of Galilea by Laura Restrepo. Mainly, I picked it because it would have fit into the Latin American (Columbia) category for my reading around the world. But, I've gotten almost halfway through & it's just not my style of book. It's easy enough to read & may appeal to some, though. I also started another African (Mozambique) book yesterday & this one will fit into the mystery month category: Under the Frangipani by Mia Couto. I'm also still working on The Orphan Girl and Other Stories: West African Folk Tales, retold by Buchi Offodile. Interestingly, the storytelling info he provides as background (which is similar to the storytelling info I learned when reading Sunjata) meshes quite well with the style of Under the Frangipani. I've also barely dipped into Virginia Woolf's Orlando. Not sure whether I like it or not yet, but I do know that I seem to have a chip on my shoulder about reading her. I don't know why. Maybe I'm just ornery. 2015 Books Read: Africa: Rue du Retour by Abdellatif Laâbi, trans. from the French by Jacqueline Kaye, pub. by Readers International. 4 stars. Morocco. (Poetic paean to political prisoners worldwide by one who was himself in prison for “crimes of opinionâ€. Explores not only incarceration but also readjusting to a ‘normal’ world after torture & release.) Nigerians in Space by Deji Bryce Olukotum, pub. by Unnamed Press. 4 stars. South Africa & Nigeria. (Scientists lured back home in a ‘brain gain’ plan to start up Nigerian space program. But, things go awry. Is it legit, a scam, or something more sinister?) Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, pub. by Viking (Penguin Group). 3 stars. Nigeria. (YA fantasy lit in the vein of HP but with a West African base of myth & legend.) Asia: The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, a Borzoi book pub. by Alfred A. Knopf. 4 stars. Japan. BaW January author challenge. (Creepy campfire style story; thought-provoking ending made me rethink the entire story.) The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire by Jack Weatherford, pub. by Crown Publishers. 4 stars. Mongolia. (Non-fiction. Even with gaps, fascinating pieces of lost &/or censored history.) Caribbean: The Duppy by Anthony C. Winkler, pub. by Akashic Books. 3 stars. Jamaica. (A duppy [ghost] relates ribald & amusing anecdotes of Jamaican heaven.) Europe: The Affinity Bridge by George Mann, a Tor book pub. by Tom Doherty Associates. 3 stars. England. (Entertaining steampunk with likeable characters.) Extraordinary Renditions by Andrew Ervin, pub. by Coffee House Press. 4 stars. Hungary. (Triptych of stories in Budapest touching on the Holocaust, racism, corruption, the power of music,…) The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, pub. by Scribner Classics. 4 stars. France & Spain. (Lost generation of post-WW1 expats living, loving, & arguing in France & Spain.) Kismet by Jakob Arjouni, trans. from the German by Anthea Bell, pub. by Melville House (Melville International Crime). 4 stars. Germany. (Tough Turkish-German PI in the middle of a turf war as a Croatian organized crime group tries to take over territory of Albanian & German mobs in Frankfurt. Darkly funny & nicely paced.) The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham, pub. by Penguin Books. 5 stars. France. (Interlinked stories of friends in post-WWI France as they move through life & each finds his or her own version of success.) Cat Out of Hell by Lynne Truss, pub. by Melville House. 3 stars. England. (Creepy, frivolous fun horror/mystery mash-up… and a cat who wants Daniel Craig to voice him if there’s a movie version.) Middle East: The Jerusalem File by Joel Stone, pub. by Europa editions. 2 stars. Israel. (Noir detective tale re: jealousy. Ambiguous, unsatisfactory ending.) Goat Days by Benyamin, trans. from Malayalam by Joseph Koyipally, pub. by Penguin Books. 3 stars. Saudi Arabia. (Simple tale of enslaved Indian forced to herd goats in the Saudi Arabian desert.) North America: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride, pub. by Riverhead Books (Penguin Group). 5 stars. USA. (Sharp satire, historical fiction & folly, standing on top of heart, soul... & freedom.) I so adore your lists. We could have a challenge that went on forever, just based on "Stacia's Reads." But then we'd need a "Eliana reads' and....and... and... :laugh: So eclectic and intriguing. You're not ornery. I think perhaps her writing just annoys you. I know there are certain writers that annoy me and make me grumble as I read their stories. Kudos for reading something outside your comfort zone. The science of breaking out of your comfort zone Speaking of comfort zones, I signed up to do a short story class reading and comparing Proust's Portrait of a Writer and Flaubert's A Simple Soul. Maybe it will get me to read Swanns Way which I have in my virtual stacks. Don't know if I want to tackle In Search of Lost Time. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 My first mystery of the month was Desert Heat, the first title in the Joanne Brady series by JA Jance. So glad to have found another strong female protagonist as all the mysteries I've been enjoying feature moody, middle aged male detectives! Its also nice to be reading books set in an area I know, if only from childhood trips. The Southeastern Arizona desert is a beautiful place and the author makes good use of it. And Stacia, I have to share a bit of literary serendipity with you. My current audio book made reference to The Narrative of Gordon Pym! I'm listening to In the Kingdom of Ice, about an expedition to sail, yes, sail to the North Pole in the late 1870s. Apparently, popular thinking in the mid 1800s was that the north and south poles were possibly temperate climates, due perhaps to warm ocean currents burrowing under the ice and coming out close to the poles, or perhaps to magnetic power emanating from the possibly hollow cores of the planet (thus explaining the northern lights). Pym was a novel that reflected that thinking -- that there were undiscovered civilizations in these temperate regions. In the Kingdom of Ice is a bit slow and the reader a tad pedantic. It is fascinating, but I wish Bill Bryson or someone else had written it and had a little more fun with the utterly absurd cast of characters. I did pick up the second Inspector Rutledge book at the library, and see that the Josephine Tey I want to try is on the shelf at my neighborhood library, so those are next on my mystery list for the month. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Didn't finish anything last week. I'm not quite half way through Orlando, and I really love it. This is like the other Woolf books I've read in that it has very long sentences, but unlike them in that it doesn't get inside everyone's head. I'm also still reading The Diary of a Young Girl and The Art of Description. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 No idea. Amazon doesn't say who the translator is. I'm reading this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GHNIRK/ It's sad to think that the translator doesn't get any credit. (Of course, it's possible that said translator died a 100 years or more ago and isn't put out.) I did find this interview which is fun. Anne Bishop and Patricia Briggs discussing their new releases.....http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/02/19/patricia-briggs-anne-bishop-interview-book-tour/23628577/ Thanks for the link; it's fun to be acquainted with both authors' books. I haven't read anything else by Anne Bishop, but now I'm considering it. Anyone have any recommendations? Bishop is working on a 4th book in the series and says there will be a 5th as well. Yeah! Per her FAQ's on her website. Ooh, good news indeed! Regards, Kareni 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 It has been a while since I shared my 2015 list. So here goes: 20) A Shilling for Candles, Josephine Tey, 1936 19) Spies of the Balkans, Alan Furst, 2010; audio book 18) A Test of Wills, Charles Todd, 1996 17) Extraordinary Renditions, Andrew Erwin, 2010 16) The Light of Day, Eric Ambler, 1962 15) Interesting Times, Terry Pratchett, 1994; audio book14) Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte, 184713) The Return of Martin Guerre, 1984, Natalie Zemon Davis12) The Letter Killers Club, Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky, 1925 or so; translated by Joanne Turnbull, 201111) Murder in the Round, Dorothy Dunnett, 197010) The Secret Adversary, Agatha Christie, 19229) Twenty Thousand Saints, Fflur Dafydd, 20088) After Dark, Haruki Murakami, 2004; translated from the Japanese by Jay Rubin, 2007; audio book7) A Short Walk: A Preposterous Adventure, Eric Newby, 19596) A Useless Man, selected stories, Sait Faik Abasiyank written in the first half of the 20th century, translated from Turkish by Alexander Dawe and Maureen Freely, 20155) Absolute Truths, John le Carré, 2003, audio book (leftover from 2014)4) Lost, Stolen or Shredded: Stories of Missing Works of Art and Literature, Rick Gekoski, 20133) The Unicorn Hunt, Dorothy Dunnett, 1994 (leftover from 2014)2) History of the Ancient World, Susan Wise Bauer, 2007 (leftover from 2014)1) Women's Work: The First 20000 Years, Elizabeth Wayland Barber, 1994 (leftover from 2014) Once again I see that I am avoiding non-fiction. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I just finished book #7 :o The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God - which was a series of lectures given by Carl Sagan in 1985 and edited by Ann Druyan and published in 2006. I was unsure of getting through it at first, but I actually really liked it. It was a lot more readable than I thought it would be. I'm still reading La Casa de los EspÃritus by Isabel Allende and enjoying it. It's difficult reading in Spanish, but the good story keeps me coming back for more. It does feel like it's taking FOREVER to get through! I recently discovered that one of my friends is a big fan of Isabel Allende (English translations), and she gave me recommendations of other books by her that I might like and let me know which ones would be easier and which harder reading. Book #8 will be Book, Line, and Sinker by Jenn McKinlay. I think I heard about this one here. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Miramont's Ghost wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. It moved along quickly enough but was kind of depressing. I gave it three stars even though I kept wishing for good things to happen to the main character. I picked up If I Stay by Gayle Forman today at the recommendation of a friend. It was cheaper to do it in a bundle so I also have Where She Went waiting. I'm hoping to get through both this week. I need to make reading more of a priority instead of checking Facebook so often. I'm also still poking through White Witch, Black Curse but I'm getting distracted easily and spending more time focusing on other things. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I am still working on Paul Johnson's A History of the American People and The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen and a couple of others. I started The Brutal Telling on a whim and read through it in about 2 days. I'm trying to keep from buying the next one, but I have a feeling that I might only last until tomorrow! 12. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny - I love Gamanche (and Ruth and Gabri and Beauvoir) 11. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor - okay, much better than the other Jane knock-off, but not great 10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - excellent 09. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan - good, great characters 08. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James - awful, wish I hadn't bothered to read it 07. Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman - pretty good, but not great 06. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - good 05. Emma by Jane Austen - very good 04. First Grave on the Right - meh (great narrator, lots of potential, but mostly disappointing) 03. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami - weird but good 02. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler - pretty good 01. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny - pretty good 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Robin, I think I would disagree with your assessment of the writing in The Maltese Falcon. Hammett created a style that is not just minimal; much of what is not said can be striking. Among those he influenced was Hemingway. And perhaps that in part explains my affection. :thumbup1: Me too. I like edited, pared down sorts of writers. Wordy windbags like Dickens make me :001_rolleyes: . <Ducking & running now, lol!> I doubt I will read 52 books this year, but I am going to chime in just because there isn't anyone else who cares what I read or don't read. :p :seeya: You've certainly found the right place as we're all nosy & curious about books that others read! :thumbup: Although I did laugh on Friday when I was on a train with two colleagues. All three of us got out our books to read. They sound like the right kind of colleagues! Didn't finish anything last week. I'm not quite half way through Orlando, and I really love it. This is like the other Woolf books I've read in that it has very long sentences, but unlike them in that it doesn't get inside everyone's head. I'm going to keep this in mind when I pick up Orlando to continue reading. I always admire your reading taste! (And I'm trying to push that Woolf chip off my shoulder, even though it seems to be pretty entrenched.) Once again I see that I am avoiding non-fiction. That seems to be my regular state of affairs! Stacia! I started reading The Good Lord Bird and I too found myself sucked in on the first page. I so adore your lists. We could have a challenge that went on forever, just based on "Stacia's Reads." And Stacia, I have to share a bit of literary serendipity with you. My current audio book made reference to The Narrative of Gordon Pym! I'm listening to In the Kingdom of Ice, about an expedition to sail, yes, sail to the North Pole in the late 1870s. Apparently, popular thinking in the mid 1800s was that the north and south poles were possibly temperate climates, due perhaps to warm ocean currents burrowing under the ice and coming out close to the poles, or perhaps to magnetic power emanating from the possibly hollow cores of the planet (thus explaining the northern lights). Pym was a novel that reflected that thinking -- that there were undiscovered civilizations in these temperate regions. You gals have completely & utterly made my evening! Thanks for your kind words & thinking of me when you're reading. :grouphug: :laugh: (Jenn, that is such cool info.) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 17. "Eight Plus One" by Robert Cormier. I liked the nine short stories, and especially the author's background commentary for each. I am wondering how it will be used in a 7th grade English class. 16. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. 15. "How to Train Your Dragon" by Cressida Cowell. 14. "As You Wish" by Cary Elwes. 13. "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. 12. "My Louisiana Sky" by Kimberly Willis Holt. 11. "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" by Alan Alda. 10. "When I Was Your Age" edited by Amy Ehrlich. 9. "Freak the Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick. 8. “Broken Things to Mend†by Jeffrey R. Holland (LDS) 7. “When You Can't Do It Alone†by Brent Top. (LDS) 6. “What to Do When You Worry Too Much†and “What to Do When Your Temper Flares†by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.†5. “Tales of a Female Nomad†by Rita Golden Gelman. 4. “Heaven is for Real†by Todd Burpo. 3. "Your Happily Ever After" and "The Remarkable Soul of a Woman" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. (LDS) 2. "Cliff-Hanger" by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. 1. "Rage of Fire" by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Well, here's a cool Kindle-related story: A Guy Found A Homeless Man Reading The Same Book Over And Over For Months So He Gave Him His Kindle 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I need to make reading more of a priority instead of checking Facebook so often. This is my problem. Not just Facebook, but the whole Internet... 6. “What to Do When You Worry Too Much†and “What to Do When Your Temper Flares†by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.†Maus, are these written for a Christian audience? And did you find them helpful? I'm looking for good books on helping with anxiety and/or anger, but they would need to be secular. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaughingCat Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 No idea. Amazon doesn't say who the translator is. I'm reading this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GHNIRK/ it says translated by Isabel Hapgood in the look-inside 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaughingCat Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I have gone back to my normal (bad) reading habits this week, skimming and flipping around from book to book. I only finished one book, skimmed a number of others I didn't even bother to put in my reading log and am working on 4 others. Finished: Readicide -- I read this because I found his 'article of the week' idea online. It was a short quick read. I didn't feel like I got much useable out of it (other than the article of the week idea which I already knew) -- the only thing I really wrote down was that he quoted scientific studies that show sustained silent reading to be as useful in improving reading comprehension as instruction in comprehension which is opposite of what I've normally read. Reading: Family Plot by Sherri Cobb South - a BaW rec except that my library only had this book and it is 3rd in the series not the 1st Happiness By Design by Paul Dolan When Organizing Isn't Enough SHED your stuff and change your life by Julie Morgenstern - a westernized version of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up -- I'm only about halfway, but so far it is about setting a 'theme' for your current/future life and then using that theme to decide what stays and what goes (as vs. setting a goal to downsize/declutter) No-Drama Discipline by Daniel Seigel I decided to list 'reading' this week because almost all of these have high potential to be dropped half way through (or less) and I don't want to have a huge long 'didn't bother to finish' list next week :leaving: Although I have noticed lately a truly bad habit of putting off what appears to be the most interesting book I have - to quickly skim/read some other less interesting books -- so I can get the others back to the library faster (why! I ask myself, why do I care about that?!) -- so hopefully listing these publicly will also give me a push to focus on these books before whatever arrives at the library next. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 If I Stay sucked me in. I started reading a little after midnight expecting to crash out after a couple of chapters... 2.5 hours later, the book is done. Again, it was rather depressing but good! Looking forward to seeing how Where She Went is tomorrow. I'm thinking it will be another quick read too. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I finished The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes, this morning. I read it for my IRL book group, but I suppose it also counts as a mystery of sorts. However, I don't recommend it. I felt the exact same way about this book. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 6. “What to Do When You Worry Too Much†and “What to Do When Your Temper Flares†by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.†Maus, are these written for a Christian audience? And did you find them helpful? I'm looking for good books on helping with anxiety and/or anger, but they would need to be secular. They are secular. We regularly use another from the series, "What to Do When Your Brain is Stuck," which is OCD specific. DS12 is the one using it most successfully, even though he is on the upper edge of the target audience. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 This past week I read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Honestly didn't see the answer coming and thoroughly enjoyed it. That's the one I decided on for our Mystery March, and should finish today. I'm enjoying it, but then I usually do enjoy Poirot. frequently opening a Christie for a fun diversion, Happy reading, y'all! Christie is my go-to after I've read a heavy book and need something for fun. Her books are my palate cleansers. That said, for some reason I never read Murder on the Orient Express or And Then There Were None. I'm in the process of fixing that error. :) And happy reading to you too! I doubt I will read 52 books this year, but I am going to chime in just because there isn't anyone else who cares what I read or don't read. :p This year so far I finished Dickens' Bleak House, I pulled up a pile of classics from the basement - books I have always intended to read someday, and maybe this will be the year I make a dent in them. :) Welcome! Not everyone reads a book a week or a total of 52 books, but we do care about what each other reads. You've come to the right place. :) I'm impressed at Bleak House. That's the Dickens I've avoided so far because of the number of characters and sub plots. I'll get to it eventually, though probably not this year. I love classics. I've spent the last few years rereading the ones I'm familiar with and reading the ones I always meant to read but never had the time. Of course it helps that I'm on the tail end of our homeschooling journey and have more time to read than I once did. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 As I mentioned in my other post, I'm almost finished with Murder on the Orient Express Still reading North and South. Getting ready to start The Razor's Edge and When I Found You. I've also been listening to For Whom the Bell Tolls. I admit it got better (I only have two chapters left) and I'm anxious to see how it plays out. It doesn't change my mind about Hemingway though, and I doubt I'll try to read anything else of his. I was unsuccessful in joining the Woolf Pack. I tried to read both A Room of One's Own and To the Lighthouse, and just can't get interested in either. I slogged through Mrs. Dalloway last year and should have realized then to just give up on Woolf. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 it says translated by Isabel Hapgood in the look-inside Well, then, she has in fact been dead almost 100 years. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Waving, SKL! This week I am still reading La chanteuse-dragon de Pern. I am still listening to Pride and Prejudice to go to sleep. I am listening to bits of Harry Potter in French to make sure I am not totally mangling the pronunciation of my Pern book, since when I read French, I still have to read it aloud in my head. I am also reading Magic of Tidying Up. I finished Japanese Home Cooking. Rosie - How was your book? I liked the first one best of the three, I think. Have you read the Trickster books? Add me to the Stacia list fan club. As I have said before, I love the links and follow their trails. At a different period of my life, I am going to read them all lol. Some time when I am not dealing with aging parents and new adults. Those both require heavy escape reading. Jane, my mother and I both have read the Tey book, but not for awhile. You are right. Our kind of book. I will remind my mother about it. And who recommended Good Omens? I gave it to my mother for Christmas (along with the soprano book rec,d by Jane) and she says it is the best book she has read for a long time. (She means new book.) (she enjoyed the soprano book too.) Thank you so so much everyone. Nan PS The bulk of my reading is still fish stuff on the internet. We moved the goldfish to their new home, the point of this long house project. (It involved remodeling about a quarter of the house, really difficult in our tight living quarters.) They are still very scared and hiding even though it,s been 4 days now. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 As I mentioned in my other post, I'm almost finished with Murder on the Orient Express Still reading North and South. Getting ready to start The Razor's Edge and When I Found You. I've also been listening to For Whom the Bell Tolls. I admit it got better (I only have two chapters left) and I'm anxious to see how it plays out. It doesn't change my mind about Hemingway though, and I doubt I'll try to read anything else of his. I was unsuccessful in joining the Woolf Pack. I tried to read both A Room of One's Own and To the Lighthouse, and just can't get interested in either. I slogged through Mrs. Dalloway last year and should have realized then to just give up on Woolf. No shame there! I tried to read To The Lighthouse at least 3 times before I did it successfully, and it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gotten the audio book. Listening to it for a solid hour while cleaning my house got me hooked, and then I was finally able to read it. I never would have, except it was being discussed in a Coursera class which I absolutely loved, so I was motivated to read it for that. I'm reading A Room of One's Own, but it was a close call - I almost ditched it after the first chapter, which was . . . tedious. I've really liked chapter 2 and chapter 3 though. I'm taking it a day at a time! :laugh: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Well I finished my Tasha Alexander series read and am feeling really relieved to be done. The last in the series, The Counterfeit Heiress, left me with decidedly mixed feelings. I hate to say much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone here. It was compelling, I didn't care for the subject matter and constantly considered reading the ending so I could be done but kept turning those instead! It did end interesting but glag to be taking a long break from thos series......no more have been written! :lol: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Robin, thank you, as always, for starting this thread every week. :grouphug: My reading has been slow. I finished The Best of James Herriot - 4 Stars - reading this makes me want to return to Yorkshire for a visit. I’m also eager to read more books by James Herriot. This edition is beautifully illustrated with drawings and photos. I may even try some of the recipes. I have this book. I love it. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I only managed Bleak House after having seen the excellent BBC adaptation, and even then the whole legal thing almost put me to sleep. I didn't get around to reading anything last night, my migraine kicked in full force and I ended up in bed. To the Lighthouse came today but I won't start reading it until the migraine is completely gone as they make me really rather stupid. Instead I've downloaded The Deal by Elle Kennedy as it has been recommended to me by those who like Sarina Bowen's stuff (which I love). Nice romance seems like all my brain can handle right now. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 No shame there! I tried to read To The Lighthouse at least 3 times before I did it successfully, and it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gotten the audio book. Listening to it for a solid hour while cleaning my house got me hooked, and then I was finally able to read it. I never would have, except it was being discussed in a Coursera class which I absolutely loved, so I was motivated to read it for that. This is interesting to hear. I tried unsuccessfully to connect with To The Lighthouse via the audiobook last month. My immediate conclusion had been that I need a paper version of the book! Maybe it just wasn't my time to join the Woolfpack! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I liked Where She Went more than If I Stay. I spent my entire morning reading the book, drinking coffee, and listening to music while basking in the sunshine streaming through the windows. *sighs happily* Both were YA and easy reads, each book took about 2 hours to read with the occasional kid distraction. I needed it even if I ignored almost all of the parenting and school this morning. Eh, we'll have this afternoon to crack the books after we grab the baby from his weekend away. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Robin, thank you, as always, for starting this thread every week. :grouphug: My reading has been slow. I finished The Best of James Herriot - 4 Stars - reading this makes me want to return to Yorkshire for a visit. I’m also eager to read more books by James Herriot. This edition is beautifully illustrated with drawings and photos. I may even try some of the recipes. Ah. James Herriot. I love him. This past week I read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Honestly didn't see the answer coming and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is in my top five Christie books. It's just so splendid how she makes everything work together! I finished In Milady's Chamber early this week--good fun Regency mystery. And Amy I will make myself wait for the sequels because I have too many on my "must read' pile right now. Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always worry when I recommend a book that everyone else is going to hate it. :laugh: Um - something went horribly wrong with my multiquote and Jane got lost somewhere along the way. Oops. Jane - I'm impressed with your mystery reading. You are taking this month's theme seriously! I'm going to start my next Tey book later this week and will report back with my thoughts. I just have two books I have to get through first. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 it says translated by Isabel Hapgood in the look-inside Thanks for looking that up, LaughingCat! I enjoyed reading about her interesting life in this Wikipedia entry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Florence_Hapgood Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I only managed Bleak House after having seen the excellent BBC adaptation, and even then the whole legal thing almost put me to sleep. I didn't get around to reading anything last night, my migraine kicked in full force and I ended up in bed. To the Lighthouse came today but I won't start reading it until the migraine is completely gone as they make me really rather stupid. Instead I've downloaded The Deal by Elle Kennedy as it has been recommended to me by those who like Sarina Bowen's stuff (which I love). Nice romance seems like all my brain can handle right now. I've not read it, but the audiobook of Bleak House kept me busy for weeks! Although at the end, I was sobbing while driving, not recommended. I did have to restart it a couple of times, it took awhile to get all the storylines and characters straight in my head. I think -for me- this is a weakness of audiobooks for really complicated plots, it's hard to flip back and figure out what's going on, you just have to re-listen. I probably listened to the first part of Bleak House 3 times before I got everything straight in my head. And I've already confessed how many tries To The Lighthouse took me. Maybe I'm just slow . . . :leaving: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I didn't get around to reading anything last night, my migraine kicked in full force and I ended up in bed. Hugs. I rarely even get normal headaches, but my husband used to get migraines. They would really knock him off his feet. I hope you can get rid of it soon. :grouphug: I spent my entire morning reading the book, drinking coffee, and listening to music while basking in the sunshine streaming through the windows. *sighs happily* What a perfect way to spend a morning! I'm willing to bet every BAWer will agree (with the possible exception of the drink choice, as I think not all here are coffee drinkers). 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Apparently the book everyone is reading is The Girl on the Trainhttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/08/the-girl-on-the-train-paula-hawkins-review-novelby Paula Hawkins. It is supposed to be the new Gone Girl which I didn't like. :lol: Can't say the description completely entraces me but the waitlist on overdrive for my library had 988 ( yes, 988) people on it. I made myself 989 out of curiosity.......both about the book and how long before I get it. Has anybody here read it already? Was it good? Just curious about a book that gets that many holds. It doesn't sound that great to me. FYI That library routinely has low 100's for an obvious best seller like a new JD Robb. BTW, they have over 100 to loan. Never have I noticed such extreme numbers. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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