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Angel

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Posts posted by Angel

  1. 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.

    • Like 12
  2. #102: I read The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart to my boys (bedtime story).  It was so good!  It was a freebie I got almost two years ago.  It was so good that I got the second book and started reading it to them last night.  It's smart, sometimes funny, sometimes exciting.  All three of us loved it.

    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.

     

    I had to read "Frankenstein" again since it's October. .

     

    ☺

    What did you think?

     

     

    I was surprised by the story because I some preconceived ideas about it from various films I had seen over the years and those were shot all to heck.

     

     

     

    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.  

     

     

    Assuming I can find any time to read the next two weeks. It's Tech for dd's play, and since they are performing at two different venues two weeks in a row, we have to do two weeks of tech, back to back.  And I just found out last night that my duties apparently include running lights for the show - I've never touched a light board in my life, and I am not happy knowing I have the power to screw up the entire show at my fingertips.  This is one of those volunteer gigs that keeps growing . . . and GROWING . . . and GROWING!  At this point I can't wait till the show will be over.  :eek:

    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 ;)

    • Like 14
  3.  

    I decided my Georgette Heyer books need to find shelf space in the house - otherwise how will I lure my children into reading them??? But there are 40 of them, so space will be tricky . . . 

    :svengo: what a wonderful problem to have!

     

     

    Strange Capers by Joan Smith - Not one of her best books but still an easy read.

     

     

    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. 

     

     

    Angel, I will send the book your way. It will probably be next week when I get to the post office.

    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.

    • Like 10
  4.  

    If you would like it, let me know & I'll mail it to you.

     

    If no one speaks up for it, I'll take it!

     

    I've never actually read an entire Stephen King book. I tried The Green Mile when it came out in serialized form, but I was never able to get the right issue of the book in the right order at the right time. So, I gave up after about three of them.

     

    I also tried 11/22/63 because the premise seemed interesting & not scary. I made it through 100 pages before I put it down in disgust. I think King seriously needs an editor because it took him the first 100 pages (of repeating & repeating & repeating & repeating himself) to set-up the premise of the story. :willy_nilly:  Seriously, he could have set-up the premise in ten well-written pages rather than the way he did. It drove me absolutely bonkers. I guess he's famous enough & has enough clout that no editor is going to tell him to knock it off or go in & seriously slash his text. Plus, in those first 100 pages he also repeated (ad nauseam) about the guy who kept coughing up blood. Seriously, after about the third description of it -- I get it already! Just stop. I figured there was no point in torturing myself with repetitive text for yet another 600-700 pages. Ugh. Just ugh. Not impressed in the least.

     

    Just inserting my (grumpy) two cents. Give me Hemingway's concise prose any day!

     

    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.

     

     

    A Georgette Heyer book that qualifies for the Gothic spooky category is Cousin Kate.  Very different from her light romances, but very good.  I'm pretty sure I've got that in a box somewhere, too.

     

    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!

    • Like 9
  5. 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!  

    • Like 14
  6. I'm half way through World War Z. So far, it's been much more engaging than I expected. The format is short interviews with a variety of survivors around the globe, after the war. The distance from the events makes it less intense than if it was happening in the moment. (It's still disturbing) You get many different perspectives, military, commercial, government, child. It's interesting how the power shifts from white collar to blue collar workers, because they are better equipped for survival and teaching practical skills. The author seems to have worked very hard at making the resulting scenario believable.

     

    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.

    • Like 7
  7. Well, you are way ahead of me. I'm 5th on the waitlist for Nasreen's Secret School, Walter the Farting Dog was checked out, & I forgot about Hop on Pop. I have considered grabbing a Captain Underpants book (I check them in & out all.the.time working at the library -- they are hugely popular), but I haven't done it yet. Lol.

     

     

    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:

     

     

    Angel,

     

    I recently finished WoT and I know you wanted to talk about it.

    I don't have much computer time, but will try to read this thread more :).

     

    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 ;)

     

     

    In completely unrelated news, my dd got her driver's license today! :party:

    Yeah!!! How exciting!!

     

    Also I forgot to mention I was able to pick up the latest Flavia on Thursday morning. I have read a few pages......may read a few more today. :lol:

     

    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.

    • Like 16
  8.  

     

    Also got my "spooky" read in early: just finished Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book this month, and LOVED it!

     

     

    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!

     

    Angel, are you conservative Christian? If so, you may not be aware that many less conservative Christians consider Jesus a great man and leader along with many others who have influenced the course of humanity, a son of God only as much as we all are sons of God, and ditto with the Bible - a fabulous book of wisdom which, along with a few other foundational books of wisdom, have influenced the course of humanity, refered to heavily by liberal Christians because this is the book of wisdom used in their culture. Just in case that helps...

     

    Nan

    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.  

     

    Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed, the new Flavia mystery, is out. Our library had one copy not checked out this morning and I got it! My October line up looks like it might spill into November.

    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 :)

     

    Finished Celia's House by DE Stevenson.  Star ratings don't do it justice.  I have to rate it using googly heart emoticons.  :001_wub:  :001_wub:  :001_wub:  :001_wub:  :001_wub:  Beautiful writing.  Wonderful settings.  Lovely people.  An ending that tied up every thread of the story in a manner that was almost sickeningly sweet.  Just the way I like them!

     

    Angel - have you read any of her stories?  

     

    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!!

    • Like 10
  9. 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.  

    • Like 12
  10. Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time  has been waiting in wings to be completed as well so contemplating diving in and finishing the series, rather than a slow two book per year slugfest.

     

     

     

    What book are you on now?

     

    I love The Historian. I have read it three times in total but sections a couple other times. My dd hasn't read it so it will probably go on the kindle for some planned travels.

     

     

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

    • Like 9
  11. Yes, I recommended James Rollins and happy you enjoyed his writing.  I've read the sigma series out of order. They work quite well as stand alone and no harm in bouncing around. 

     

     

     

    My black eye is finally fading, but still feel like I have perpetually filled sinuses with an achy face. Was just telling hubby tonight that having a hurt nose makes you quite cognizant of the location of said nose when opening doors and cabinets, leaning over, etc.  

    :laugh:

    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!"

    • Like 13
  12. 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?  

    • Like 5
  13.   DAYS WITHOUT A DOG INJURY = 0

    Family got a big laugh out of that!  Especially after I explained  :laugh:

     

    Well, I feel your pain.  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  I am way off in my reading speed & life in general this year. Most days I feel like I'm operating on about two brain cells (if I'm lucky).

     

    However, I've had so much fun doing banned books with you. It has really been one of the highlights of the past couple years of my reading! :grouphug:

     

    A couple of the most challenged books of 2015 are kids picture books:

     

     

    In honor of me having only two working brain cells at this point, what do you think about reading two kids' picture books this year w/ the plan to do something meatier at another time (maybe after the new year) or definitely for next year?

     

    (Feeling a little bit :blushing: and also :D.  :leaving: )

    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:

    • Like 3
  14.  

    This looks splendid.  Then I looked at the page count and winced slightly because I tend to prefer my books light enough to carry without a forklift.  I'm going to give it a try though.  How would you rate it on a scale of *Wowza!  That's a spicy scene!* to *Amy and Angel might blush slightly and giggle but won't be offended* to *Not even my Aunt Gertrude would find anything risque in this book*? 

     

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

     

    I've passed the 52 mark for the year!!  :party:

     

    Yeah!!

    • Like 7
  15. Speaking of banned books.... Angel, if you're out there -- are we still doing a banned books read along this year???  :D

     

     

    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...

    • Like 10
  16. She wrote two books https://www.goodreads.com/series/115052-the-women-of-the-real-downton-abbey. I just looked at my ratings and I see I loved the first but was pretty ambivalent about the second.

     

    Link didn't work!

     

    Literary gift! For Borges' birthday, Middle Girl gave me a hand-lettered, hand-illuminated parchment of the first sentence of Chaucer's General Prologue, which we've been studying. She made the ink in the medieval fashion, from ground oak galls and gum arabic. It's beautiful and must be promptly framed.

     

    Happy Birthday!

    • Like 8
  17. 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!

     

    Angel :grouphug: Glad to have you back with us! I loved the real Downton book(s)......there are two!

     

     

    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 ;)

    • Like 8
  18. 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!!  

    • Like 13
  19. 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.  

     

     

    (And, I'll put that question out there to everyone on the thread. Out of all that you've read this year, what would be your top five recommendations?)

     

    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.  

     

    • Like 17
  20. 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!

     

    It was a week of escape reading.  Both Angel and Nan have commented on a juvenile novel that they love, Baby Island.  I had never heard of it so ages ago I put it on my list.  This was a good week to read a delightful escape by Carol Ryrie Brink, whose award winning novel Caddie Woodlawn I had previously read.  Baby Island is one of those 1930's adventure books involving clever children who just get on and deal with it--in this case a shipwreck with--you guessed it--a boatload of babies.

     

    And my library will have to thank me.  Baby Island has not been borrowed in a while, I suspect, and it was misshelved.  (One of my roles in this world is to borrow books from libraries that have not seen the light of day for a while.)

     

    Jane - so glad you enjoyed Baby Island!!  It brings back such great memories for me!

     

    Jane, Baby Island was a big favorite of my now junior when she was 6 or 7--one of the first books she really read on her own. She's read it so many times that it is falling apart!

    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.

     

    In non-book news, I spent the morning passing our new bamboo flooring through the window to dh so it could acclimate inside the house before we install it.  Luckily it was only 90 here today, not 100+ like y'all in So Cal are getting.  The flooring looks beautiful, I think we'll be so happy with it. But now in addition to having all my books in boxes or stacked on the living room (sub) floor, I have a 6'x6' pallet of floor boards taking up most of my dining room floor, so the table is shoved into the space between the doorways, leaving only a narrow space between the table and the new dishwasher (still in its box) to get through the room.  Home improvement?  Maybe someday.

    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!

     

    Shannon finished Jackaby, and loved it! She said it was a perfect meld of Sherlock (aka Benedict Cumberbatch) and the 11th Doctor.  Apparently that will mean something to those of you in the know . . .  

    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.

     

    Today I finished The Captain's Daughter (Star Trek: The Original Series) by Peter David.  I used to own many, many Star Trek Original series novels, but I missed this when it came out in 1995.  In the hunt for a few of my daughter's favorite titles (so that my husband might schlep them), I came across this book and it followed me home.  It was an interesting read but not a book that will live on my shelf.  It will be going to Korea, too.

     

    :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: 

     

    The Maze Runner book and The Maze Runner movie diverge a bit near the end.  The Scorch Trials book and The Scorch Trials movie diverge a LOT.  I'd read at least The Scorch Trials before reading The Death Cure (which was my favorite of the series).  I didn't like The Kill Order (the prequel book) nearly as much as I liked the three of the main trilogy.  A second prequel (The Fever Code) will be released the end of September.

     

    :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.

    • Like 9
  21. Love the photo of the aggieamy & mumto2 families! Thanks for sharing your day with us. Everyone looks great & it sounds like it was such a wonderful day. I would love to meet all of you too.

     

    And everyone is commenting on how much ChewsOnBooks is growing, but I have to say that at first, I was thinking Sophia was Amy, then realized my error! Wow, she's grown soooo much, Amy!

     

     

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

    • Like 6
  22. 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.  

    • Like 9
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