Since I wasn't sure if the newest Flavia really counted for Spooky October, I went ahead and finished World War Z by Max Brooks (plus it helped me get another book done since I was over half-way through it). I'll have to ponder what I'll rate this. I was expecting it to be like the movie. It wasn't. The only thing from the book that was in the movie was the Israeli "10th Man." I was so disappointed. Because it was a far cry from what I was expecting, I can't really decide if I liked the book on its own or not.

This was Aly's favorite series a couple of years ago. We read it for her Book Club and we all loved it! Aly loved all of them. What did you think? I had never really seen any of the films but I still had preconceived notions!! This book totally surprised me (read it in January as part of a world view course). I found Dr. Frankenstein despicable. Aly is in theater (Singing in the Rain this year) and last year (our first year) I was shocked at how much was expected of me!!! They practice the whole year August to April with performances the end of April. It's very intense. I volunteered quickly to help with ticket sales :lol: I figured I couldn't screw that up ;)

:svengo: what a wonderful problem to have! I read this after reading Imprudent Lady that you sent me. I didn't really enjoy it half as much. Imprudent Lady was great. Strange Capers was a bit strange. Thanks! And give Flavia a try. I guess you could skip #7 but I enjoyed it. It was different but I think it gave us some more insight into Flavia herself. Though I agree with mum2, you would not be totally confused if you skip #7.

If no one speaks up for it, I'll take it! I tried reading Stephen King once. The book was It. Not only was I scared but I felt the same way as you do...he took pages to write something that could have been summed up in a couple. I found him way too wordy (as well as scary). I, too, was unimpressed. I had forgotten that I read this book!!! It was very spooky/creepy!! Very good! But (((shiver)))! That would be a great spooky read for October!

Wow! Page 3 and it's only Wednesday. I'll have to catch up! I just wanted to pop in and post my latest reads. *40. The Judas Strain by James Rollins (USA, Italy, Christmas Island, Turkey, Iran, Cambodia - 21st century) *41. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (audio - reread - England - 19th century) *42. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley (England - 20th century) I may have already posted The Judas Strain, I can't remember. I didn't like it as well as The 6th Extinction but it was still enjoyable. I will enjoy reading through these Sigma Force books!! Mansfield Park, UGH!, this was my 2nd time through, and it is still my least favorite Austen. As with P&P and S&S earlier, listening on audio gives a new perspective. I found the monologuing, especially by Mary Crawford and Edmund, to be tedious. Edmund is far from our normal Austen hero. Fanny, who my dd identifies with so much, stubborn and willful (as her Aunt Norris says lol). In fact the only person I liked and was rooting for was Henry Crawford. What the heck is up with that? I do not look forward to rereading this with Aly next year as we do our Austen study. And Flavia, well, I can't discuss Flavia because of spoilers but she, herself, never disappoints. I don't know if I have ever in my life had so many books going at one time! A non-fiction with Aly, a read aloud with Aly, The Odyssey, Squashed, and I need to read my magic book for October book club!

Have you seen the movie? World War Z was one of my most anticipated books for the year. I loved the movie. However, the book is not like the movie and that was very off-putting to me. I'm still planning to finish it, and pick it up here and there, but unless I run across something else, this book will fit the category for the book I was most looking forward to but was the most disappointing to read.

:grouphug: Erin! I don't do horror either! I am planning to go more the magic route than spooky this year I think. Here's what I've got lined up ... The newest Flavia The Alychemst Mistborn Neverwhere

Well let me know when you get them! I have not read a whole Captain Underpants but I saw the first couple pages and it made me laugh :laugh: I am interested in talking about it but I don't want to spoil anything for Robin, so send me a private message if you have time to chat ;) Yeah!!! How exciting!! I went into the library last week to pick up some books on hold and saw a 7-day Fast Read copy of Flavia. I certainly don't have time to read a 7-day book but I couldn't leave it sitting there when I wanted to read it, right?? I started it, I haven't gotten far, but it's Flavia :D and I love her spunk and resiliency.

I read this last year as my spooky read, and I enjoyed it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really loved it. I just recommended it to many in my book club! Yep, I'm a conservative Christian. ;) And yep I am more than familiar with how many less conservative Christians consider faith/religion/Jesus. I guess that in retrospect I did write in my review that there were many classical quotes. And for those who do put Jesus in that mix, they usually do consider him and the Bible classical works. I didn't think of it that way. I, too, can't wait to get my hands on this. My Book Club's November theme is mystery so I'll probably hold off until then. Because... my October line up is also VERY full. I know I'll never have the time to finish them all but I sure would like to give it a try :) No, I haven't, but I had already opened the goodreads link from your first post :D That is EXACTLY the kind of romance book I love!! I'll be adding it to a TBR pile that is getting ridiculously out of hand these days!!

Hey Stacia! I finished Nasreen's Secret School, The Librarian of Basra, AND Walter the Farting Dog! I'm barely able to walk in the room Hop on Pop is currently in so I haven't gotten to that one yet. Though the library had some banned books on display with the reason and Hop on Pop's was encourages violence toward parents :lol: :lol: I couldn't figure out why Nasreen's Secret School was banned or Walter the Farting Dog. The Librarian of Basra - maybe. I also finished A Wrinkle in Time. Here's my review... I read A Wrinkle in Time for my Banned Book. There was a lot more to this book than I remembered. Of course, I hadn't read it since before I was a teenager. In fact, I think I still haven't grasped the bigger picture here, though I may just be over analyzing. It just seems like I'm missing something. I liked the way that Mrs. Who quoted all kinds of classical works. And I was shocked at how many Bible verses were quoted. Yet, at the same time they compared Jesus to Ghandi, Buddha, and Beethoven, as well as others. I didn't quite get it. I did feel like there were some holes in the story but that just may be reading a children's book after reading my James Rollins' book where he goes into so much detail. Quote: "But of course we can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts." So it was nice to let my couple brain cells have that break of the children's picture books! That was a great idea, Stacia, Thanks! If I had more time I would reread Slaughterhouse 5 with you so I can see if I've changed my views on it :) Mum2 - I, too, am already looking for a spooky read or a magical read for October. Our IRL book club can choose either.

What book are you on now? I also loved The Historian!! That is a book I would never have found if it hadn't been for this group :)

I thought it was you! And I'm glad because I couldn't wait and started The Judas Strain last night though I have other books going :D I feel for your nose. Around 27 years ago when dh and I were dating, I hit my nose on the corner of the car door. I did not go to the Dr. but my mom believed it was broken or very close to it. For 27 years the darn thing is ridiculously sensitive to any bump. It makes me cringe. So I had to smile at your saying how cognizant you are of the location of said nose! Even the girls know and will say "oh no don't hit the nose!"

I ordered this yesterday! The family can't wait to read it!

I'm too lazy to look up which books I posted last (that would require more than 2 brain cells). So here are the last few books I've read. *30. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (classic - reread - audio - England - 19th century) *31. Meg by Steve Alten (reread - Pacific Ocean & USA - 20th century) *32. The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (fantasy - England) *33. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon (non-fiction - England & Egypt - 19th & 20th centuries) *34. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (classic - reread - audio - England - 19th century) *35. The Mystery of History Volume 4 by Linda Lacour Hobar (non-fiction - 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st century) *36. The 6th Extinction by James Rollins (USA, Brazil, Antarctica - 21st century) *37. Women's Ministry in the Local Church by J. Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt (non-fiction) Let me just say that I just LOVED The 6th Extinction! Hopefully, I didn't ruin anything by reading these out of order. In fact, my library didn't have the 1st one today so I just picked up the 4th one. I can read them out of order right? I think Robin recommended these ... maybe?

Family got a big laugh out of that! Especially after I explained :laugh: Two brain cells...I like that. It's exactly how I feel :glare: I am not interested in the first book but I put a hold at the library for Nasreen's Secret School. Do you have another suggestion? Or we could do Jeannette Winter's other book The Librarian of Basra. Or you could read A Wrinkle in Time with me since I'm not far into it. And yes we will do something meatier later...maybe when we have 3 or even 4 brain cells :tongue_smilie:

:lol: you are awesome! I've missed being around regularly! Yeah!!

I'm here just still struggling to find my groove after all the craziness of the summer. I really WANT to do a banned book read long but have to sheepishly admit to not being able to handle anything heavy right now. For example, our IRL book club was supposed to choose a banned book to read this month. I chose A Wrinkle in Time because I felt I couldn't handle anything heavier (and didn't want to read Harry Potter again). And even worse, I didn't even finish it before book club yesterday. :o :blushing: in fact I'm only on chapter 2. I hate to break tradition, though, so if you have any suggestions...

Link didn't work! Happy Birthday!

Thanks for all the well wishes for FIL! It's appreciated! Angela - Eye infections are horrible! I had one child who I practically had to sit on to get the drops in her eyes...and she was my easy, compliant child. Good luck on the dietary changes! The first week is rough! but it gets better! Which other book are you talking about? Below Stairs? If so, I read that a couple years ago. If not, enquiring minds want to know ;)

We are back from a quick trip to Florida to see my FIL. New things keeps cropping up every couple days but the most current is an infection of e-coli. He was back in the hospital when we visited but improved over the few days we were there. I'm glad we went. I didn't want dh to have any regrets if things take a turn for the worse. It is probable that we will have to make another trip down as he will have a long road to recovery even once home. I am hoping now to turn some thoughts to planning Aly's 10th grade year and catching up on my other responsibilities. I did get the opportunity one of the days to just sit on the beach and read for a bit. Dh and his sister were spending time with FIL, and I was on my own for a bit. It was a much needed respite. Today I finished Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon. What a gem of a book! Dd's and I are fans of Downton Abbey, and I have been wanting to read this book for a while. I found it at the Dollar Book Swap and saved it for our book club's "Non-fiction August." I was totally blown away by how compelling this historical account was! I'm not a huge fan of non-fiction and usually find it a chore to read. This book totally grabbed me and pulled me in. It did drag a little for me during the war years, but war is not my favorite thing to read about. Not only was the information on Highclere Castle fascinating but I enjoyed the little tidbits that have been included into the Downton Abbey series. The discovery of King Tut's tomb was a bonus, too! I highly recommend this for fans of Downton Abbey who would like the "rest of the story." I'm having trouble deciding on what book to pick up next. I have ones I want to read and some I should pre-read to see if I want to add them for Aly's school. Really all I want to read is quick fluff!!

We were suburbs of Lansing. I had never been there before. We lived in the Westland/Canton area for a few years. Too "big city" for me! And thanks for all the well wishes and prayers! They are much appreciated!

Hi gang! Just poppin' in to say I've missed keeping up with you all! The last 4 or 5 weeks have been chaotic. We had a wonderful trip to Philadelphia and parts thereabouts with our youth group, came back to leave again for a wedding in Michigan, came back to leave for a funeral of a dear aunt, all the while dealing with my FIL who has been in and out of ICU for 3 weeks out of state. I skimmed through some of the threads (too nosy to let it go ;) ). Until the FIL is doing better, I will probably still not be around much. And in the midst of this, I need to figure out school for Aly. I'm looking forward to some normalcy here. Normalcy and routine. I can't even find my last post so I'm just going to sum up what I've read this summer. *25. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (fantasy - England - 20th century) *26. Enchanter's End Game by David Eddings (fantasy - reread - audio) *27. Jaws by Peter Benchley (reread - USA - 20th century) *28. Jackaby by William Ritter (BaW rec - USA - 19th century) *29. The Lost World by Michael Crichton (reread - USA, Costa Rica - 20th century) *30. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (classic - reread - audio - England - 19th century) *31. Meg by Steve Alten (reread - Pacific Ocean & USA - 20th century) *32. The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (fantasy - England) Not my usual summer quota but I've had neither the time nor the brain power. Stacia got me thinking...as usual :D ...I don't feel I have a bunch of 5 star books this year. But my top 5 recommendations from this year would probably be... 1. Harry Potter - I've read specifically in 2016 The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows and The Cursed Child. I always recommend Harry, Ron, and Hermione! 2. Beauty by Robin McKinley - I really enjoyed this rendition of the fairy tale! 3. The Belgariad by David Eddings - Much like Harry Potter, I always recommend David Eddings. 4. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - ok so this took me forever to read but I really appreciated the way Lewis presented/approached the information. 5. The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert - fun, cozy mystery, found myself surprisingly drawn into the 1930's setting. 6. Pride & Prejudice - I always love Austen! Runner-up - I really did enjoy Jackaby (thanks everyone!) and gave it to Aly who really enjoyed it as well! I've done a lot of rereading this year. It's been the kind of year to visit old friends and familiar places. Takes less brain power and makes me happy.

Hi everyone! It's been busy here with a church-wide garage sale for the youth history trip that we take our teen group on and various DIY projects (painting mostly) around the house. I've barely been able to pick up the computer! I refrained from multi-quoting 3 weeks back. :tongue_smilie: Amy - I have a lovely postcard on my kitchen bulletin board! Thanks! Stacia - :grouphug: and I picked up The Unattractive Vampire today at the library! Ethel - glad your procedure went well! Jane - so glad you enjoyed Baby Island!! It brings back such great memories for me! My copy is falling apart, too! I had recommended this to a friend of mine for her 10yo dd but told her she'd have to find her own copy because mine was too beat up to loan. I've only been painting and tearing old cabinets off the wall in my little teeny tiny bathroom and everything about home improvement seems to take 10x longer than it should. I'm beginning to see why some people change houses so frequently :laugh: I hope you see the light at the end of the tunnel soon, and bamboo floors sound beautiful! I had just placed a hold on this when I read your post. I am betting Aly will love it too! The 11th Doctor is my favorite and hers, too, I think! We've only made it through Season 1 of Sherlock, though. :lol: to the bolded...I think I'll steal that phrase...really, it just followed me home, there was nothing I could do about it :rolleyes: :iagree: I enjoyed The Maze Runner book better than the movie because you actually got some backstory, but you DEFINITELY should read The Scorch Trials. That movie was WAY off, in my opinion! I have not read the prequel yet, and I didn't know he was releasing another book in September. Aly will be thrilled.

Stacia took the words right out of my mouth. And Yes & Yes! to the bolded

I have decided to count The Willow Valley Kids: The Treasure Hunt by Jean Pennington in my reading list for the year. The Willow Valley Kids stories have been a part of our Patch the Pirate Program for years. This year instead of including the stories in the teacher's book, they compiled the first batch of stories into a book. The Treasure Hunt was the beginning of the story, one that we were glad to hear, as we have spent years jumping around in their timeline. I'm always amazed that these sweet simple stories capture and hold the attention of my class of wiggly kids. After over a year, I have completed reading the Harry Potter books again. Today I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When you have read a book, multiple times, and yet can NOT put it down, even knowing what is going to happen, THAT is the sign of a great book. The last Harry Potter book is a great book. I love the movies, and truly they did a great job with the Deathly Hallows part 1 and 2. But reading the book again made me realize just how many intricacies are left out, those tiny details that truly pull everything in the story together. Quote: "After all this time?" "Always," said Snape. Harry Potter puts me at book #24. I think I'll post me list for the year when I hit the half-way mark.