My intention to read fewer books at a time is rapidly falling by the wayside. I started Wuthering Heights for our author of the month and I'm hoping to have time for Sense and Sensibility as well. Both are rereads but it's been so long that I hardly remember them. I'm still waiting for interlibrary loan copies of 1Q84 and The Strange Library, both of which I'm hoping to read a little belatedly. Currently reading: Little Bee by Chris Cleave (audiobook) The Defiant Child by Douglas Riley The Return of the Indian by Lynne Reid Banks (read aloud) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki Russian Fairy Tales by Gillian Avery (read aloud) Songs of Childhood by Walter de la Mare (read aloud) Bible In One Year Last week I finished: 12. The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow (audiobook) **** 11. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (read aloud) *** 10. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl *****

Boy is it hard to keep up with these threads. I haven't updated since the beginning of the first week. Last night I finished Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. This is one of those books that made me want to start reading all over again from the beginning in order to catch all the things I might have missed the first time through. The other most notable read since my last post was The Color Purple by Alice Walker which was both painful and beautiful. I am currently reading: This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki Russian Fairy Tales by Gillian Avery (read aloud) The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow (audiobook) The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (read aloud) Songs of Childhood by Walter de la Mare (read aloud) Bible in One Year Completed in weeks 1-3: 9. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (audiobook) **** 8. Kat and the Emperor's Gift by Emma Bradford (read aloud) *** 7. The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams ** 6. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (read aloud) **** 5. Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith (read aloud) **** 4. Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum (read aloud) **** 3. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (book club) ***** 2. The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green (read aloud) **** 1. The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum (read aloud) ***

Hi everyone, I'm going to try to join in again this year. I've done the reading the last two years, but I have a hard time keeping up with the thread and the posting (so this could be my first and last post for the year). My Current reads are: The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams The Color Purple by Alice Walker (book club) The Bible in One Year The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green (read-aloud) The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum (read-aloud) I'm planning to dive back into 1Q84 (I've read part 1) later this month. I haven't quite decided what my other reading goals are going to be this year. I this to be fun and not stressful, but i have a hard time passing up a reading challenge.

This is all so stressful and confusing. It just makes me want to sit down and cry. Thanks. From talking to his family I'm not so sure that he ever did have a rational side. So I'm not going to hold my breath. I looked at this site and I have really mixed feelings. It looks like a really wonderful tool for true collaboration between coparents who share custody (which we don't). I just don't know that we are (or may ever be) at a point where that kind of communication is workable. It sounds so horrible to say that, but my experience has been that the less communication we have the better. Then there's the cost which I truly can't afford. That occurred to me. I know mine gives the option to send or not. I imagine he is computer literate enough to figure it out and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't send them. At this point I'm less worried about having proof that he received anything than having proof that I made information available to him.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions . You all have given me a lot to think about. Great point that things can vary a lot depending on the specific jurisdiction. My state (MA) is a little unusual. Here we have "legal custody" and then there is "parenting time" (i.e. visitation). Here if the parents were never married, the mother automatically has custody and the father, even if he is on the birth certificate, doesn't even have parenting time (unless the mother allows it or the judge orders it). So because ex and I were never married (best decision I ever made) I have full legal custody unless and until a judge says otherwise. Ex now has 4 hours of parenting time a week (up from 1 hour of supervised and soon to be 6 hours). So here in MA because I have full legal custody I make all the decisions on medical, education, etc. though he has the some right to information about those decisions. From what I've been told as long as I maintain legal custody and meet the all the requirements for hsing there isn't much he (or even a judge) can actually do because I do have the right to make educational decisions for my DS. So not sure what he thinks he is accomplishing by raising it as an issue other than trying to be a pain and making me look like I'm trying to keep DS from any contact with the world (which is not the case at all). I hope you that he will someday understand that I am only trying do what is best for DS, but unfortunately I think things will always have to be his way to be acceptable. It makes me sad for DS.

Interesting suggestion about making a point to state on whatever I send him that the professionals support the decision. I'm not sure it will keep him from raising a stink, but it might make it more obvious that he is doing it just to be a pain. My lawyer even told him in the four-way meeting prior to the last court date that I would make the decision in consultation with DSs professionals, but they still brought it up as this major concern. In my state, we don't deal with the Dept of Ed we deal directly with the local school department, and from what I have heard my local school department largely ignores the hsers other than approving ed plans and ensuring satisfactory progress. But I will definitely make sure that everything I submit to them is well done and complete since even things I don't share with him could be subject to subpoena. Yeah, the ex has no such hesitation to use the legal system. He is currently paying because he decided to go to court...before that he wasn't. It's good to know that the impact of a difficult non-custodial parent was helped by homeschooling. It has been my experience so far that the flexibility of homeschooling has been really good for DS since we can adapt if he has a bad day or whatever. And unfortunately visits so far have proven (in my observation) to be very destabilizing for DS. I haven't been able to find an actual list of what is taught in K in my school district, but I am pretty positive that we will be including everything and then some. DS is "ahead" if not actually gifted (probably 2E), so just by progressing logically from what we did this year our subjects and levels will look a lot more like a WTM 1st/2nd. In this case it probably helps that I'm planning to use mostly formal curriculum rather than unschooling. Good points. I am just so terrified that the ex will somehow convince the judge to give him custody (even though my lawyer says that isn't going to happen) that I want to have any evidence I could possibly need. I don't plan to ask the judge or the ex's permission to hs, but I do want to be able to prove that I am meeting the legal requirements both in terms of what I am submitting and what we are actually doing. The point about sharing as little as possible because the less he knows the less he has to criticize is exactly how I feel. Any information I give feels like I am just asking for trouble. Unfortunately I am going to have to give him some information and that they want me to share lots of information. I'm not sure how to find that balance between sharing as little as possible and sharing "enough". My lawyer is telling me I should inform him every time DS goes to the doctor, etc. And it is apparent I will need to inform him of DS school enrollment status. The lawyers even wanted me to send a notebook with DS every week with informaion about what has gone on during the week or to use this family wizard website. Both of those options just feel way too invasive to me, like tools that would be appropriate for sharing information in a shared custody situation. I'm not trying to exclude him completely but he is the non-custodial parent. I don't think my lawyer's intent is to get me to ask my ex's permission for anything (he actually told my ex that homeschooling was a decision I would make and that it was really not an issue for discussion, which is probably part of what ticked my ex off) but he wants everyone to play nice in the sandbox and communicate ammicably.

Thanks! That's helpful. In my state we don't have an oversight board. We have to notify the school district and they can ask for an education plan and evaluation of progress (usually a written progress report, dated work samples OR standardized test scores), but I suspect that's not exactly the same thing. I probably don't HAVE to keep anything beyond these requirements, but the rules in my state are a little vague so I'd rather over document, especially when he is using homeschooling as a custody argument. Yeah, I initially tried to settle this mess out of court with HIS family mediating, but he refused to meet with them and filed in the courts instead. From what I understand my state has the same basic legal situation with regard to the custodial parent making the decisions and the non-custodial parent having the right to obtain certain information. I have not made a point of hiding information (other than DSs confidential mental health record). If he had bothered to ask me for some particular information I would very likely have provided it, though I do have concerns about volunteering information to him that relates to his negative effect on DS (because I don't want him to interrogate DS, force him to keep secrets, etc.) or anything related to where we will be at any given time (because I don't want him to show up). Ex currently gets four hours a week (soon to become six) with court ordered exchanges at the police station so I don't think he needs to know anything about our schedule. I get that in an ideal situation the NCP might like to have a little synopsis of major events of the week but I really think asking me to provide that every week is a bit much under the circumstances. So far the court hasn't ordered me to provide him with any information at all. But I think my lawyer wants me to provide certain information so that I don't look like I'm withholding and to avoid giving the judge any excuse to take issue with me. I really do think this is about control for the ex. He doesn't act like someone who is genuinely concerned and he has always been someone who had to have every thing his way. If he were really concerned he could have sent me a simple text "DS said he went to the eye doctor. Is everything okay?" and I would have told him what the deal was. With the homeschooling, he could have discussed those concerns with me I tried to talk to him. The only two concerns he has ever raised aren't really even valid: financial (not his problem since I haven't asked him for extra support to pay for it) and social (DS is in group activities 4+ days a week). I'm definitely not asking his permission - I'm making the decision I think is best for DS after consulting with all the professionals involved - but I do want to make sure I meet my obligations to notify him (I'm just really hate that it means poking the bear, so to speak). Thanks for the thoughts :)

DS and I are safe as possible. Unfortunately he knows where I live and many of the places we frequent and he was able to get the restraining order dropped at the hearing (that's another story). And I think he is probably too smart to do anything really stupid, but I can't say "he would never..." anymore. I definitely don't want him to know where we are at any particular time if he doesn't have to (not that he can't figure some out on his own), so I would want to either provide info after the fact and/or without disclosing time/place details. What I've been told is that because he is the biological father he automatically has access to DSs medical records even though he does not have legal custody. But the only records he has tried to access as far as I know are DSs mental health records. The therapist, attorney, and I did prevent him from getting those, at least for the time being, since even children have the right to confidentiality in therapy and it seemed especially inappropriate to release therapy records to the individual who probably had a lot to do with the need for therapy. Because he carries DSs primary insurance he also gets notification from the insurance company every time DS uses his medical coverage. But he wants me to notify him more or less immediately every time DS has an annual checkup or is seen by his pediatrician for a runny nose. Unfortunately starting with this fall DS will be compulsory attendance age for K, so I can't just ignore the issue. My lawyer put off the issue at the most recent court date by saying he didn't think final a decision had been made (that's true to the extent that I haven't officially filed), but ps K here starts a week before the next court date/final hearing so I will need to make it official soon. I've kept pretty extensive records through the last two years of home-pre-schooling (in part for this reason) so I'm thinking that I may want to put together a binder of official-type progress reports, education plans, book lists, work samples to show the court that what I have been doing with DS so far has met or exceeded what he would have received in the ps system. Add to that the official paperwork for K and I would imagine that would satisfy the court? I like the idea of doing a periodic progress report. This would be similar to what I was already planning to do to satisfy the district's evaluation requirements. I would love to be able to just send him a copy of the yearly report, but I don't know if that will fly. I can't imagine having to do it weekly though (so invasive and time-consuming). Minimally I would send him a copy of the intent to homeschool/education plan and yearly progress report. For those who do the periodic progress reports do you email them directly or do you just post them somewhere (similar to the google calendar idea) so he can find them if he wants to bother? I do like the idea of the latter. I am definitley keeping my attorney in the discussion. He is advising me to provide more info to my ex. and to do it directly (in a documentable way). I would much prefer that everthing go through the lawyers, but I guess it's not really practical. I do plan to discuss exactly what and how I plan to disclose information with him first though.

Just having a conversation is NOT an option. Ex was abusive and we have virtually no communication. We are going through a custody battle. He raised a stink in court about not knowing what is going on with DS, though he never cared about routine medical appointments etc. before. He is extremely opposed to hsing and would yell at me if I mentioned it. For DSs sake and my own emotional wellbeing I’ve tried to keep things as non-confrontational as possible by not engaging him at all. I believe this more about controlling me than actual concern. However I don’t want to look like I am unreasonably withholding information. I also don’t want to give him any legal ammunition. Whatever method I use needs to be well documented because he will try to twist things to his own advantage. How do you share homeschooling, medical, etc. information with your DCs noncustodial parent? What/how much do you share? Do you share info about day to day stuff that happened during the week? I am desperate for ideas about how to provide an appropriate amount of information without feeling like ex is regaining control in our lives. Thanks for any advice

I am currently using the light blue with DS. We just started 1B so I don't have a ton of experience with the curriculum but so far I have found the light blue to be more than sufficient (we frequently skip 1/2 to 1/3 of problems if he doesn't have any trouble doing the problems). I also use Miquon but that is because I wanted something that approaches problems from a very different angle rather than that I felt MM wasn't "enough". The gold and green series are supplemental worksheets organized either by grade or topic. When I bought MM light blue through HSBC it also came with the softpak which can be used to generate additional worksheets for free. IMO, unless your DC need a LOT of extra practice and you want supplements ready-made I think just the light blue with the softpak would be fine.

Finished: Since my last post I've finished seveal books and hit the 52 book mark! (though my list includes a lot more read alouds than books for fun). I didn't enjoy The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess as much as I thought I would (and neither did DS) given its popularity on this board. I read Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman for my book club and found it to be a very insightful regarding life inside a minimum security women's prison and the challenges these women faced by the women. I FINALLY finished Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar. I thought the structure of the book was very original but I can't say that I liked the book. Truthfully, I just didn't get it. I finished reading aloud the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne and enjoyed the books, especially the later books which are more complex. This weekend I participated in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon (which was a blast) and finished Serenity: Those Left Behind and Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon (graphic novels) and 1984 by George Orwell (in preparation for 1Q84). For the Judge A Book By Its Cover mini challenge I chose The White Forest by Adam McOmber. I thought the book was a historical fiction set in the Victorian period in which something significant happens to a woman that involves a forest. I was sort of right, but the book was much darker, more gothic, and bizarre than I could have predicted. Started: Now that I have finally cleared the deck, I started 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I'm not far enough in to have an opinion on the book but I'm hoping to like it. I've also started Charlotte's Web by E.B. White as a read aloud. 2013 Reading Completed 01 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Dusty; Continental - England; ****) 02 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Dusty; Continental - England; ****) 03 -When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) 04 -The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi (*) 05 -The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia; *****) 06 - Junie B. Jones Complete Collection (#1-24) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 07 -Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) (#25) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 08 -Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha! (#26) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 09 -Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (#27) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 10 -Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (#28) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 11 -Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 12 -Dinosaurs: A Companion to Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House Research Guides #1) by Will Osborne (**) 13 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: The Mystery of the Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 14 -Peter Pan by J. M. Barre (Dusty; Continental - England; ****) 15 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 5-8: The Mystery of the Magic Spell by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 16 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 9-12: The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 17 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 13-16: The Mystery of the lost Stories by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 18 -Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Book Club; Chunky; Continental - UK; **) 19 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 17-20: The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 20 -Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 21 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 21-24: The Mystery of Morgan's Library by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 22 -Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 25-28: The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 23 -Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Club; Continental - USA; *****) 24 -Magic Tree House #29: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 25 -Magic Tree House #30: Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 26 -Magic Tree House #31: Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 27 -Magic Tree House #32: Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 28 -Magic Tree House #33: Carnival at Candlelight by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 29 - Magic Tree House #34: Season of the Sandstorms by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 30 -Magic Tree House #35: Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 31 -Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky; ***) 32 -Magic Tree House #36: Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 33 -Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis (***) 34 -Magic Tree House #37: Dragon of the Red Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 35 -Magic Tree House #38: Monday with a Mad Genius by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 36 -Magic Tree House #39: Dark Day in the Deep Sea by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 37 -The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess (Continental - USA; **) 38 - Magic Tree House #40: Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 39 - Magic Tree House #41: Moonlight on the Magic Flute by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 40 - Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 41 - Magic Tree House #43: Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 42 - Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman (Book Club; Continental - USA; ****) 43 - Magic Tree House #44: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 44 - Magic Tree House #45: A Crazy Day with Cobras by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 45 - Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar (Readalong; Chunky; Continental - Argentina; **) 46 - Magic Tree House #46: Dogs in the Dead of Night by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 47 - Magic Tree House #47: Abe Lincoln at Last! by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 48 - Magic Tree House #48: A Perfect Time for Pandas by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 49 - Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon (Continental - USA; ***) 50 - 1984 by George Orwell (Continental - England; ****) 51 - Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon (Continental - USA; ***) 52 - The White Forest by Adam McOmber (Judge a Book By Its Cover; Continental - USA; ***) Rating System: ***** it was amazing **** really liked it *** liked it ** it was okay * didn't like it

I am still wading through Hopscotch...and don't seem to be making much progress. :glare: Continuing: Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar (Readalong; Chunk; Continental - Argentina) The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess (Continental - USA) The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace by Ann Spangler (Inspiration) The One Year Chronoligical Bible NLT (Chunky; Inspiration) I finally finished 31 - Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky; ***) and 33 - Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis (***) I am making better progress on total read than I thought I would, though many of my completed books are read-alouds. But I'm not doing so well on the mini challenges. And I still haven't figured out what my 5/5/5 might be... Total Read: 35 Book Club: 3 C.S. Lewis: 0 Inspiration: 0 WEM: 0 Chunky: 2 Canada: 2 Continental: 13 (8 North America, 0 South America, 0 Africa, 4 Europe, 0 Asia, 1 Australia, 0 Antarctica) Book Versus Movie: 0 2013 Reading Completed 01 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 02 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 03 - When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) 04 - The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi (*) 05 - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia; *****) 06 - Junie B. Jones Complete Collection (#1-24) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 07 - Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) (#25) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 08 - Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha! (#26) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 09 - Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (#27) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 10 - Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (#28) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 11 - Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 12 - Dinosaurs: A Companion to Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House Research Guides #1) by Will Osborne (**) 13 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: The Mystery of the Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 14 - Peter Pan by J. M. Barre (Continental - England; ****) 15 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 5-8: The Mystery of the Magic Spell by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 16 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 9-12: The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 17 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 13-16: The Mystery of the lost Stories by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 18 - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Book Club; Chunky; Continental - UK; **) 19 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 17-20: The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 20 - Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 21 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 21-24: The Mystery of Morgan's Library by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 22 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 25-28: The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 23 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Club; Continental - USA; *****) 24 - Magic Tree House #29: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 25 - Magic Tree House #30: Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 26 - Magic Tree House #31: Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 27 - Magic Tree House #32: Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 28 - Magic Tree House #33: Carnival at Candlelight by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 29 - Magic Tree House #34: Season of the Sandstorms by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 30 - Magic Tree House #35: Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 31 - Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky; ***) 32 - Magic Tree House #36: Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 33 - Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis (***) 34 - Magic Tree House #37: Dragon of the Red Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne (****) 35 - Magic Tree House #38: Monday with a Mad Genius by Mary Pope Osborne (***) Rating System: ***** it was amazing **** really liked it *** liked it ** it was okay * didn't like it Oh, darn it...I might actually have to read 1984 first. :glare: I have this (unreasonable?) aversion to reading the synopsis of anything I haven't actually read in full... I'm really looking forward to (hopefully) reading 1Q84 though! That's funny...I wasn't impressed with Cloud Atlas either, but the middle two chapters were the ones I liked the most. I agree though that the construction of the novel was unique and interesting, but the actual stories just didn't come together for me. This looks like like a lot of fun...I wonder if I can get my DS on board for 24 hours of nothing but reading... :tongue_smilie: My DS 5 has appropriated my ancient portable CD player and listens to books on CD every night. I refuse to buy him an iPod because he has a bad habit of breaking everything. :smash: :iagree: I have so many books on my "want to read' list. And my list is growing rapidly thanks to this group. This group and my book club have pushed me to read books that I might not have chosen on my own. Some I have loved and other's I've hated, but I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to expand my reading experiences. That clip is awsome! If only it were that easy! This is how I feel though...so many books to read, for so many different purposes (some quite important) and just not enough hours in the day. Never mind the fact that DS still needs to be fed and the house still needs to be cleaned... :eek:

I lost my multiquotes again along with the post I was writing... :glare: Finished: 19 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 17-20: The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 20 - Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) - Enjoyed this second in the series much more than the first. 21 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 21-24: The Mystery of Morgan's Library by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 22 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 25-28: The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 23 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Club; Continental - USA; *****) - Could not put this book down. I'm still shocked by some of the characters and plot twists. 24 - Magic Tree House #29: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (****) Started: Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar (Readalong; Chunky; Continental - Argentina) - Just got my copy ILL copy and I'm only a couple of chapters in. First impressions...I'm reading in the hopscotch order which is unique and interesting. And this book is definitely not a light and fluffy read. Continuing: The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess (Continental - USA) Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky) The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace by Ann Spangler (Inspiration) The One Year Chronological Bible NLT (Chunky; Inspiration) 2013 Reading Completed 01 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 02 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 03 - When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) 04 - The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi (*) 05 - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia; *****) 06 - Junie B. Jones Complete Collection (#1-24) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 07 - Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) (#25) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 08 - Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha! (#26) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 09 - Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (#27) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 10 - Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (#28) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 11 - Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 12 - Dinosaurs: A Companion to Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House Research Guides #1) by Will Osborne (**) 13 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: The Mystery of the Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 14 - Peter Pan by J. M. Barre (Continental - England; ****) 15 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 5-8: The Mystery of the Magic Spell by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 16 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 9-12: The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 17 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 13-16: The Mystery of the lost Stories by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 18 - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Book Club; Chunky; Continental - UK; **) 19 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 17-20: The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 20 - Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 21 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 21-24: The Mystery of Morgan's Library by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 22 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 25-28: The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 23 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Club; Continental - USA; *****) 24 - Magic Tree House #29: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (****) Rating System: ***** it was amazing **** really liked it *** liked it ** it was okay * didn't like it

From this list I've only read The Book Thief and Reading Lolita in Tehran. Not sure if I feel like this list is a bit arbitrary or if I'm a failure as a book nerd... :glare: I totally agree. I've read Reading Lolita in Tehran and I haven't read Lolita (yet). Lolita isn't the only book referenced in reading Lolita (it is a book about reading books after all) so even if you had read Lolita there would probably be something else you hadn't. I think some things might have made more sense if I had read all of the works the author references, but I didn't feel seriously handicapped and it just made me want to read the originals.

Thanks for the explanation. It sounds like a lot of fun and both books look fascinating! I put in an ILL request for Hopscotch and my library has 1Q84. So I'm going to try to join. I don't know if I'll be able to fit them in along with my book club books and my textbooks, but I really hope I can manage to juggle them all. Not at all that I can recall. There are certainly some snarky comments in the books though, so its certainly possible.

Wow! I am so behind in posting my reading to this thread. How do the weeks fly by so fast? Even if I haven’t been remembering to post I have been reading. Finished: I finished reading the Junie B. Jones series as a read aloud with DS. The whole series is hilarious. Now we are working on The Magic Tree House books. I’ve been counting each boxed set as a single book. That might be bending the rules a bit, but it’s helping me stomach reading forty of the darn things. I do like them, but they are very formulaic. I read Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery for the Oh Canada and Continental challenges. I liked it but didn’t love it. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I read it as a teen. I just started the second in the trilogy. I finished Peter Pan by J. M. Barre as an audiobook for the Continental. I had forgotten how imaginative this book is. This one I really liked it. My most recent was #18 Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell for my book club (also Chunky and Continental). I wanted to love this book, I really did, but I just didn’t. The unique structure of the book was fascinating but not enough to make up for the holes in the stories and the lack of cohesion. Started: Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental) Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 17-20: Tonight on the Titanic, Buffalo Before Breakfast, Tigers at Twilight, and Dingoes at Dinnertime by Mary Pope Osborne The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess (Continental - USA) Continuing (still...): Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky) The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace by Ann Spangler (Inspiration) The One Year Chronological Bible NLT (Chunky; Inspiration) 2013 Reading Completed 01 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 02 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 03 - When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) 04 - The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi (*) 05 - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia; *****) 06 - Junie B. Jones Complete Collection (#1-24) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 07 - Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) (#25) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 08 - Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha! (#26) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 09 - Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (#27) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 10 - Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (#28) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) 11 - Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental; ***) 12 - Dinosaurs: A Companion to Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House Research Guides #1) by Will Osborne (**) 13 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 14 - Peter Pan by J. M. Barre (Continental - England; ****) 15 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 16 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 9-12: Dolphins at Daybreak, Ghost Town at Sundown, Lions at Lunchtime, and Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 17 - Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 13-16: Vacation Under the Volcano, Day of the Dragon King, Viking Ships at Sunrise, and Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne (***) 18 - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Book Club; Chunky; Continental - UK; **) Rating System: ***** it was amazing **** really liked it *** liked it ** it was okay * didn't like it

This it probably a total newby question...but how exactly does a readalong work?

Okay, I missed a week or two of posting...but I'm still reading! I finished 3 books since my last post. I loved The Secret Keeper. There were definitely some plot twists that I didn't see coming. I was completely unimpressed by The Self-Esteem Workbook despite the fact that it came highly recommended and has received good reviews; it just didn't work for me. I am reading aloud the Junie B. Jones books to my DS. They are super funny. Technically speaking non of the first 24 books is long enough to count for the challenge, but I did read a combined 2000 or so pages so I thought that ought to be sufficiently challenging to count as 1 book. :tongue_smilie: The last couple of books in the series are over 100 pages so I'll count them individually. I'm working on #25 now, and who wouldn't love a book titled Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May)? I've also started Emily of New Moon for the Oh! Canada challenge. I remember really liking the Anne of Green Gables books, but I'm still not sure how I feel about Emily... Finished: 4 - The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi (*) 5 - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia; *****) 6 - Junie B. Jones Complete Collection (#1-24) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) Started: Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) (#25) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA) Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery (Oh Canada; Continental) Continuing: Peter Pan by J. M. Barre (Continental - England) Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky) The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace by Ann Spangler (Inspiration) The One Year Chronological Bible NLT (Chunky; Inspiration) 2013 Reading Completed 1 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 2 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 3 - When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) 4 - The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi (*) 5 - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia; *****) 6 - Junie B. Jones Complete Collection (#1-24) by Barbara Park (Continental - USA; ****) Rating System: ***** it was amazing **** really liked it *** liked it ** it was okay * didn't like it

I finished number 2 and 3 last week! 2 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 3 - When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) Started Last Week and Continuing: Peter Pan by J. M. Barre (Continental - England) Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance by Enku Kebede-Francis Textbook of International Health: Global Health in a Dynamic World by Anne-Emanuelle Birn (Chunky) Continuing: The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace by Ann Spangler (Inspiration) The One Year Chronological Bible NLT (Chunky; Inspirarion) The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Continental - Australia) The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi 2013 Reading Completed 1 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 2 - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Continental - England; ****) 3 - When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft (****) Rating System: ***** it was amazing **** really liked it *** liked it ** it was okay * didn't like it

I have Reading the Bible Again for the First Time on my to-read list for this year. How do you like it? It's been about 10 years since I read Farewell to Manzanar so I don't remember the specifics very well. But the book was part of a seminar I took in college on internment and my grandparents were interned. Part of what life in the internment camp did was cause families to fall apart. So in some ways a story about life in the internment camps may be a story about family falling apart, if that makes sense. After the war people didn't have to live in a horse stall anymore, they could replace the stuff they lost, etc. but the damage to families was often permanent. Just something to think about... :) What other book on internment do you have in your pile? I obviously have an interest in the subject.

I’m new this year (though I lurked some in last years’ threads). I only read 36 books last year but I’m hoping to make it to 52 this year. I’m also hoping to do several of the mini challenges. Since I’ve already read all of the Anne of Green Gables books I am planning to read Montgomery’s Emily books for the Canada challenge. I’m also considering adding on the Penelopiad by Atwood after I (hopefully) read The Odyssey for the WEM challenge. Currently reading: Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Audiobook; Continental Challenge - Europe) The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace by Ann Spangler (Inspiration Project) The One Year Chronological Bible NLT (Inspiration Project) The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (Book club selection; Continental Challenge - Australia) The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park (Read-aloud) When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Child Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse by Lundy Bancroft The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi Finished: 1 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll **** (Continental Challenge – Europe)

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong here...but I think you are allowed to count books started in 2012 as long as you finish them in 2013. I happened to be reading the Memory Keeper's Daughter while I was pregnant and had the tests for Downs come back with increased risk. This book was good in its own right, but it really helped me to see the possibilities. Would love to hear how you like A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children in the end (and any similar books that you have found particularly helpful. My DS is too young to be fully tested but appears to be 2E. I've been listening to audiobooks of children's novels in the car with DS when we have 20-40 minutes blocks of time driving to weekly therapy appointments or whatever. It keeps him occupied, adds to his literary exposure, and allows me to listen to great children's literature I haven't read for a while.

Question on what constitutes a dusty book... Do dusty books need to be ones that you physically (or electronically) own or can they be books that you have intended to check out from the library and read for months (or years) but haven't quite gotten around to yet? I very rarely actually buy a book anymore and most of my reading is from the library...

It will be just me and DS 5yo for the holidays this year. Rather than making fancy traditional holiday fare, I thought it would be more fun and memorable for DS to cook some special dishes with me. DS loves to cook and is a good eater (but doesn’t like typical kid foods like fish sticks or chicken fingers). Would love suggestions for main dishes, sides, brunch, snacks, etc. Thanks!

Hi all! I've been lurking in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks threads for several weeks now and love the idea of the challenge. I went back through 2012 and I've only finished 31 so far. I don't know if I'll actually make it to 52 next year (or be able to keep up with the weekly posting) but it should be fun to see how far I get. I hope to join you in 2013!