Imprimis Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Did you love it?I have been contemplating putting New York on my iPod via Kindle. I really enjoyed it. I love historical fiction, and, while I wouldn't say it has incredible depth, it has an interesting, sweeping storyline that follows several families and their descendants from the 1660s to 2009. Rutherfurd does a nice job showing how New York became the one-of-a-kind city it is today. He shows how major American events (American Revolution, Civil War, the building of the railroads, the Triangle factory fire, etc.) shaped the city. It was fascinating to "watch" New York grow from a Dutch settlement to an enormous melting pot of every nationality. If you like historical fiction, I would recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I know there will be weeks when little to no reading gets done, so I am hoping that we can bump some of our extra books to make up for those weeks. ;) I ended up reading a novel for ages 10 & up, a kind of sequel to Holes called Small Steps. However, there will be weeks I don't read an entire novel. I just re-realized that I'm going to need to read SWB's History of the Ancient World because dd is going to do that next semester. It happens to break down into 37 pages per week for 21 weeks (777 pages of text), although each week doesn't break down that evenly. That's for her. I'm going to need to start that soon since dd starts that Monday. I suspect that I'll be reading other books at the same time, since I don't expect to read that in a week and remember enough to give & grade assignments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I read Meet the Austins this week. A re-read, but it has been many, many years; I didn't remember a thing. I loved it. Beautiful book! List (Links are to my review): Week 1: Touch Not the Cat Week 2: An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents Week 3: Parenting from the Heart Week 4: Meet the Austins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Picked up The Palace of Dreams from the library yesterday & finished it this evening. I haven't felt this anxious when reading a book since Kafka's The Trial. Stressful, intelligent, haunting, unreal but yet too real .... I feel tense. From Kirkus reviews: "Albania-born, Paris-based Kadare returns with a nightmarish tale from the dark side of totalitarianism (a book first published in 1981 in Albania and "immediately banned"): a young man finds employment in a mammoth state-run institution for dream analysis, only to see the job become his life as he rises through the ranks. Mark-Alem belongs to the illustrious Quprili family, which for hundreds of years has served as the right hand to the rulers of the Empire--even though occasionally purged from power under suspicion of treason. Appointed to the Tabir Sarrail, or Palace of Dreams, a maze of endless empty corridors and bureaucracy in which minions labor ceaselessly to interpret the night thoughts of the land in order to produce the weekly Master-Dream used to guide State policy, he is assigned to Selection, where noteworthy dreams are categorized and culled from the rest. However, he is promoted swiftly to the inner sanctum, the Interpretation group, being told simply by the Director: ``You suit us.'' With reality receding from him under pressure from long hours spent in contemplation of others' dreams, he is caught unawares when a family gathering is disrupted and his favorite uncle is arrested and executed--events brought on by the reading of seditious intent in a dream that Mark- Alem himself handled but was unable to interpret. An ensuing shakeup in the Palace of Dreams leaves him miraculously in charge, a victory of sorts for his family--which he dutifully records in the Quprili Chronicle but which gives him no optimism for the future. Brooding, mysterious in its dreamlike states and logic: a memorable portrait of a man powerless before the caprices of Fate and its handmaiden, the State." Now I must get back to lighter reading (Genghis Khan & his conquest of the world). The Mongolian fighters seem like such straightforward chaps compared to inaccessible, unknowable totalitarian regimes. ;):lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this week and the review is up on my blog. It is a fantastic book! I'll be finishing up Outliers (excellent so far) and I've started The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (off to a slow start). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 I just finished reading "The Last Ember" by Daniel Levin and it is soooo good. It is centered around a young lawyer who was also a doctoral student in the classics. He identifies an ancient fragment of an old map from the coliseum. It leads him on a search which reveals the destruction of Jewish and christian artifacts located in the temple mount. Plus delving into those who have been protecting an ancient menorah for 2000 years. It's actually based on some true events. I particularly enjoyed it since I'm just finishing up an art history class in which just finished learning about roman art and architecture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 I'm stinking at this book a week thing! I've finished Pride & Prejudice. I'm still rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I started Emma, and I started The Good Earth. I just got Fahrenheit 451 from the library and dd wants me to read Pendragon.Sigh. Well, they are all huge or difficult reads. This evening I finished The Thirteenth Tale. I really enjoyed this one and thinking of rereading it have been hearing so much about it again. For those of you who like Francine Rivers, I heard she has a new book coming out in March. Whee! Yeah - I just discovered her last year and working my way slowly through her stories We've finished two read alouds this week and are halfway through a third. Does that count? :D What are they? Chapter books? If you read stories such as Charlotte's Web, Swallows and Amazons or Carry On Mr. Bowditch, etc they may count. I read 3 books in Tomie DePaola's 26 Fairmount Avenue series (proof that excellent children's books are often enjoyed and appreciated more in adulthood). I really have to check those out. Why is Don Quixote so hard for me to get through? Because of the prose. I found it difficult too. I think everyone does. I read 4 books in the first 2 weeks, and am counting that for 4 weeks since I have so much going on. I figure averaging a book a week is what I'm aiming for & hope that that's okay. The goal is 52 books for the year. However you get there is up to you.... I know there will be weeks when little to no reading gets done, so I am hoping that we can bump some of our extra books to make up for those weeks. ;) Yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I am reading total fluff. I am on the 3rd in the House of Night series. It's called Chosen. I feel a little guilty about liking it so much. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom3tn Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 (edited) I'm feeling a little behind here... Week 1 - I re-read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer Week 2 - I started Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (read-aloud for the kids), and To Kill a Mockingbird. Week 3 - finished Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia and continued To Kill a Mockingbird Week 4 - just finished To Kill a Mockingbird; also started Sign of the Beaver for our read-aloud I have finished 4 books so far this year, but for some reason I still feel behind... I'm about to start Dear John because I'll be going to see the movie soon. That one will probably be a quick read. ETA: Picked up Dear John this afternoon and just finished it. :) Edited January 30, 2010 by hsmom3tn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I am forcing myself through The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands. I've never listened to Dr. Laura but reading transcripts of her phone conversations has convinced me that I have no desire to become a listener. And then there is the writing. There doesn't seem to be a logical flow to it. She has some good ideas but it could have been said using half the pages. That said, I needed this book as DH and I just went through a rough patch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 I am reading total fluff. I am on the 3rd in the House of Night series. It's called Chosen. I feel a little guilty about liking it so much. :D I just picked up Marked so guess I'm guilty too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 My week IV book is up it's my classic - Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Now I am caught up on reviews and just may get ahead, as I have finished this week's book already. Review of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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