Catherine Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I've just finished The Candy Bombers by Andrei Cherny. Very interesting book about the Berlin Airlift and how the actions of one airman on the lift changed the course of history, just by seeing the German people as human beings, not former Nazis (which they were, of course). Great book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading Liberty! by Thomas Fleming. It's the companion books to PBS series about the American Revolution. It's terrific, very detailed and engaging. I'm also in the middle of Four Tenths of an Acre, by Laurie Lisle, and I'm disappointed with it. I'm not into her writing style at all, and I think I'm going to have to let this one go. I have a Ken Follett book (Pillars of the Earth) waiting for me, so I'll start that next. Hopefully it will be better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I just finished Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion. It's about a year long RV trip she and hubby took - him because he wanted to - her because she got dragged along. She's 100% different than us in traveling likes/dislikes in that she prefers lounging and 'human' things and we prefer nature and hiking, etc., but she's a good writer and I rather enjoyed the book. I'm getting hubby to read it next so we can have small 'inside' jokes when we travel more. Next I plan to finish Peter Jenkins Walk Across America. I started it a few years back, but never finished (bad me!). I plan to finish it now... and if I end up liking it, I'll read his Across Alaska after that. Alaska is the one state we haven't been to... will try to get there next summer (pending economy). If you're not talking books... I literally just finished the July 4th edition of World magazine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading Home by Marilynne Robinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her previous book, Gilead. Gorgeous prose, slow and gentle, with a deep sense of spirituality and familial love. Highly recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 (edited) ...a book about Abu Grahyib (sp). It is full of a lot of food for thought. Now I'm starting the latest novel by David Guterman. (Who wrote "Snow Falling on Cedars".) Recently I have been rereading "Girl Meets God" and "Stranger in the Midst". ETA All are well written and engaging. Edited July 4, 2009 by Carol in Cal. ETA opinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theresatwist Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Far from the Madding Crowd...I'm only forty pages in, but enjoying it thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 by Barry Schwartz description says: How the the culture of abundance robs us of satisfaction. I am enjoying it. Lots of food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading Home by Marilynne Robinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her previous book, Gilead. Gorgeous prose, slow and gentle, with a deep sense of spirituality and familial love. Highly recommended! Isn't it great? I read Gilead in January and Home in June. I highly recommend both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I just finished The Complete Idiot's Guide to Obsessive/Compulsive Behavior. Just finished the new edition of WTM. I'm reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning; re-reading Till We Have Faces, C. S. Lewis; re-reading Revolution, George Barna; reading The Minds of Boys, Michael Gurian; reading the book of Romans for a Bible study (just finished Ephesians); reading Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, Brian Jacques. I think that's all.... Oh, I have Three Cups of Tea sitting in my bathroom waiting for me to start it, LOL.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Just finished The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie. (It was an easy, enjoyable read, although I know my lack of history knowledge about sixteenth-century Mughal India, Florence, and Persia prevented me from getting as much out of it as I could. Very crude at times, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.) I'm currently reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Quick, fun, and yet full of information about Guernsey during WWII that I didn't know before. A good read for pretty much anyone from 12 on up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Tears of the Giraffe. I enjoy the first in the series - light, fun summer listening/reading. I have on my shelf to read next, Water for Elephants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie. Good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading Elmer Gantry and enjoying it a lot. It's a very fun read for a classic. I'm listening to Plague of Doves and like that as well, but be warned that it has GLBT themes and some bad language. If those things don't bother you, it's very interesting and probably the only book I've ever read that makes me want to see North Dakota :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading The Other Boyelyn Girl right now and have waiting for me When We Were Gods (about Cleopatra) and Pillars of the Earth (that one is so big it's intimidating me with its hugeness). I'm also reading Keeping Our Children's Hearts. I started The Red Tent but it didn't grab me so I moved on. but will maybe try again. Michelle, you'll love Water for Elephants! I thought that was a really fun read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading all of dd9's history books for the year. I'm on I, Juan Pareja right now--it's pretty good! We watched the BBC version of David Copperfield last week, and then read the Great Illustrated Classics version. It was fun to have the images in mind already. Last night I zipped thru the GIC version of The Count of Monte Cristo. No adult books right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeathenMom Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Pillars of the Earth (that one is so big it's intimidating me with its hugeness) once you get into it, it doesn't seem so big! i just finished Blindness by Jose Saramago and...meh. it came sooo highly reccommended, and it was thought provoking-ish, but overall i just wasn't too impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 (edited) The History of the Ancient World by SWB and when I need a break from Babylon & Egypt, Elizabeth Prentiss "More Love To Thee" by Sharon James (I'm almost done with it, only 1/2 way through HoAW ... lol) ETA: I'm enjoying both quite a bit. I could wish the James book were as well written as SWB's, but it has definitely been an encouragement to my faith. HoAW is very well written and engaging (not surprisingly), but it makes my brain hurt because I'm out of practice reading such intricate language and historical detail. Edited July 4, 2009 by ladydusk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. It's quite an interesting read! Really enjoying it. Just finished the first book of The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf, which is for my kids' book club. Am going to read the second book next - the first book is just the first half of the story. This was a favorite book of mine from childhood, so I'm having fun re-reading it. In the car, just finished listening to Number the Stars and just began The Endless Steppe. The latter is another childhood favorite - really stayed with me. Yes, we're studying WWII. :001_smile: Before all this I just read The Book Thief. A rather haunting book. I was reading it to see if it would be appropriate for my older two for WWII reading. I really liked it, but think I'll save it for the next pass through history for them to read (they just turned 11). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom3tn Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I have on my shelf to read next, Water for Elephants. I LOVED Water For Elephants! I am reading She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb. It's the latest pick for our book club. My kids and I are about to start reading aloud Swiss Family Robinson to complement our unit study of explorers :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Warning-I just listened to Swiss Family with my kids in the car up to the point when I suddenly remembered why I never finished it as a child-there's a very brutal scene in the second half of it that I could not stomach. PM me if you want details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I am liking it very much. It's depressing and disturbing, hilarious and ironic, painful, alarming, and enlightening. And I'm making sure my kids start learning Spanish next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy. I always enjoy her. I love the way the people form such close-knit groups. I wish we still did that in our culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Dante's Divine Comedy and Dante's Divine Comedy As told for Young People. Up Next is Spenser's Faerie Queene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I am a serial reader and I like to work through a few books at a time. Here are 2 on the list right now.... The Killer Angels - (about the battle of Gettysburg) - will like it - but it's taking a lot of brain power right now Family Driven Faith - awesome - a must read - going slow to absorb it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene. It's good, but I can only read a few pages at a time. The World is Not Enough by Zoe Oldenbourg. Historical fiction. I'm having trouble getting into it, but I hear it gets better. Just finished Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel by Alexander McCall Smith. What a delightful series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Can you recommend any more of her titles? I recently read Whitethorn Woods and liked it...want to try another. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever (W. Kirn)...a frank look at the author's "education" http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Meritocracy-Undereducation-Walter-Kirn/dp/0385521286 Soul Tracker (B. Myers)...first in an interesting series, a page turner http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Tracker-1/dp/0310227569/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246749265&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkett Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Just finished The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - enjoyed it. On page 85 of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.... it's a hoot. Perfect summer book. For those that are daunted by the size of Pillars of the Earth.... don't be! There's something about the book (and the sequel... World Without End) that makes the size seem smaller. It took me a weekend for each to get through them. I couldn't put them down. After Zombies, I have to read Earthly Possessions for my book club. Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFP Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 After Zombies, I have to read Earthly Possessions for my book club. Oh cool. I love that book. I'm happy to hear a book club's reading an early Tyler instead of just the recent ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I am in the middle of Poetic Knowledge by James Taylor (no, not the singer.) This book is my kick in the backside for slacking off this year on poetry reading, art appreciation and Shakespeare. I have promised myself that we will get back to all of this in the new school year. Next, I will be pre-reading Oliver Twist for my oldest. I have never read any of Dickens' books. I know, for shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I'm reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakaur. It is a true story about a man who a who abandons the upper middle class lifestyle after graduating college to go live without posessions or money. He travels the country and meets his demise after a foolish trip into the Alaskan wilderness. I am not liking it nearly as much as Into Thin Air, which I couldn't put down. His writing is fantastic, but I am having trouble caring about his subject. I am caring more about the people he runs into than I am about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I think that's all.... Oh, I have Three Cups of Tea sitting in my bathroom waiting for me to start it, LOL.... I finished Three Cups of Tea several months ago - couldn't put it down. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns - it was also fantastic - heart wrenching and horrific in parts, but a very moving book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 protagonist. I just thought the whole tale was so tragic and sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Just finished Middlesex. It was a funny, touching, and unique tale. I enjoyed it a lot. I can see why it won the Pulitzer for fiction a few years ago. It is well worth reading. Recently, I've finished The Historian (excellent), The Thirteenth Tale (very good), The Sparrow (intriguing), and Kabul Beauty School (so-so). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 just finished: Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Teaching the Trivium by the Bluedorns The Ever Loving Truth by Voddie Baucham in process : Dewey the library cat bestseller i picked up at sam's club. love it. love all cat stories. for sunset down-time in the long summer evenings when i really want something very light. about to read More Jesus Less Religion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I'm finishing up the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (love, love, LOVE this series) and also finishing up The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin. Then, I'm about to launch into a re-read of The Once and Future King by T.H. White - I haven't read it in a year or two. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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