Book A Week in 2010 Week 6

[Robin M]

Sunday is the start of Book Week six and should have you starting book # 6 - if you haven't already.

 

F is for Fantasy. The post is up with Mr. Linky on the 52 Books blog for you to link your most current reads. I've had fantasy on my mind because I just finished The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan this week and hopefully will find time to review it soon. Next week is an off week with lessons so perhaps I'll catch up a bit with reviews.

 

Need some ideas for books to read - check out Semicolon's Saturday Reviews. And you just may want to link your reviews as well for folks to check out what you've been reading.

 

I haven't a clue what I'm going to read next. Not sure what I'm in the mood for. Will have to take my list and run it through Random.org and see which one comes up first.

 

What are you all reading this week?

[Amira]

I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Artemis Fowl.

 

Next up is Catcher in the Rye. I haven't decided yet what I'll read after that.

[Rosie_0801]

Still hot here, so I've been reading heaps. Even managed a bit more of St Augustine :glare:

 

Otherwise:

 

'Atlas of Unknowns' by Tania James. I rather enjoyed it.

'Switch!' by Jackie French, on home based power and water systems.

'All we know of Love' by Katie Schneider. Nothing special.

'The Girl with Glass Feet' by Ali Shaw. Great front cover, fairly stupid story.

'A Quilter's Holiday" by Jennifer Chiaverini. These books are always nice :)

 

:)

Rosie

[prairiegirl]

I finished Surprised by Joy by C.S.Lewis. It was slow going but I did enjoy reading it. Now I am switching gears to Dinner with Anna Karenina by Gloria somebody or other(sorry, I can't remember her name) I just started the book this afternoon and am on page 100 already. It's a fast, fun read.

[eaglei]

Finished #6, "We are Not Afraid" by Homer Hickam, Jr., and commented on it in the last post. Very enjoyable.

 

Am now reading for #7 a totally unplanned book. Kept seeing *stuff* about Elizabeth Gibson so on the spur-of-the-moment, decided to check out "Eat, Pray, Love". Sub-title is "one woman's search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia." Am about half way through. Author is very honest.

[Nakia]

I just finished Water for Elephants. I am waiting on The Kitchen God's Wife and The Book Thief at the library.

[hsmom3tn]

This week will have me finishing The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks, and Sign of the Beaver for our read-aloud. Not sure what I'll start next...

[Heather in Neverland]

I am finally reading the last book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and next up is "What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures" by Malcolm Gladwell.

[Daisy]

Review for Old School by Wolff will be up Sunday.

 

Finishing up Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron

 

and starting In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta Ahmed

[JennW in SoCal]

Haven't posted any reviews on my blog as life has been nuts, but I've been able to make time for more reading.

 

Read a delightful, gentle little novel called A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson.

 

Am almost done with Arthur Conan Doyles Lost World, which is a real kick. Not only a fun read, but a snap shot of scientific thinking in 1912.

 

Just started the only Austen novel I've never read, Mansfield Park. I was daunted by the sheer number of characters, but am keeping them straight! I'm also reading this one instead of listening as I have the other Austen novels in the last year and I'm having to make myself slow down and actually read the paragraphs instead of skimming. Listening to audio books has taught me what an impatient reader I am!!

[Amira]

Finishing up Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron

 

What did you think of this one?

[Stacia]

Kept seeing *stuff* about Elizabeth Gibson so on the spur-of-the-moment, decided to check out "Eat, Pray, Love". Sub-title is "one woman's search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia." Am about half way through. Author is very honest.

 

I read this a couple of years ago & thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it a very positive, upbeat book.

 

I just finished Water for Elephants. I am waiting on The Kitchen God's Wife and The Book Thief at the library.

 

I want to read "Water for Elephants". Loved (& bawled my eyes out for) "The Book Thief".

 

Mansfield Park

 

Tried reading this for my book club last year & couldn't make it through. I found it so boring, lol. :tongue_smilie: I think the best review in book club was that it was so-so.

 

This past week, I finished Lying Awake. It's about a Carmelite nun who thinks she has finally found her relationship w/ God (in the form of visions). But, then she finds out that she has a small tumor on her brain that is causing small epileptic seizures. So, has she found God or are the visions a result of her seizures? Will having the tumor removed destroy her visions, relationship w/, &/or knowledge of God? Interesting little book. It's very spare & simple (such a lovely way to write it in reflection of a simple convent life), but raises a lot of neat questions, comparisons, and contrasts. I thought the writing style was just lovely, so simple and unadorned, yet so thoughtful and full of depth. He packs a lot in a few words.

 

I'm currently reading "The Remains of the Day". I had no clue what it was about (or that there was a movie of it); it was just one of those books that I've felt I needed to read, lol. I'm enjoying it & finding that it touches on so many aspects of life... bemusement, sadness, irony, ignorance, duty, etc.... Very interesting indeed -- and a wonderfully touching story.

 

Not sure what I'll read next, though ds is prodding me to finish "The Lightning Thief" (and sequels).

 

So far this year:

1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

2. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

3. The Palace of Dreams by Ismail Kadare

4. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

5. Lying Awake by Mark Salzman

Edited February 7, 2010 by Stacia

[Imprimis]

I am reading The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk. A (long!) story about obsessive love set in Istanbul, Turkey.

[Imprimis]

 

Not sure what I'll read next, though ds is prodding me to finish "The Lightning Thief" (and sequels).

 

 

 

Yep, I'll be reading The Lightning Thief, too. Ds, who has read the series several times, wants me to take him to see the movie when it comes out later this month.

[kls126s]

My reading list with comments is updated on my blog.

[Jane in NC]

For some reason, there is a part of me residing in early 20th century England. I cannot get enough of the Campion mysteries set in the period and am currently reading Flowers for the Judge. Last week I listened to a wonderful reading of E.F. Benson's Lucia in London, a book that I had not read in decades.

 

What this means is that I am only half way through The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao which I began a week ago.

 

Perhaps one of these days I'll nudge myself out of the past and into the present.

 

Jane

[MamaT]

I am reading History of the Medeival World to prepare for next year's history. I am also reading Assasin's Quest by Robin Hobb. What I've read this year so far:

 

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Isolde and Tristan Trilogy by Rosalind Miles

The Help

Don Quixote

Farenheit 451

Assasin's Apprentice

Royal Assasin

[meet me in paris]

I just finished Water for Elephants. I am waiting on The Kitchen God's Wife and The Book Thief at the library.

 

I loved loved loved The Kitchen God's Wife (Amy Tan is so gifted). The Book Thief is on my nightstand ready to go.

 

I'm finishing up The Help today. It's amazing... the best book I've read in a long, long time.

 

And I missed posting last week, but I finally finished Battle Royale. For all you Hunger Games fans, it was a crazy ride... very similar to HG in a lot of ways, but MUCH bloodier. And instead of the contestants being randomly chosen from multiple districts, they choose one class... so the twist is that they all know each other already, making things much more complex.

[Faithr]

I finished Villette by Charlotte Bronte. Well written, laughably anti-Catholic, terrible ending!

[eaglei]

I read this a couple of years ago & thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it a very positive, upbeat book.

 

The above was your comment concerning "Eat, Pray, Love," but I didn't know how to make my copied quote with it copy again!

 

Anyway, have you read Elizabeth Gilbert's sequel, "Committed"? If so, what did you think of it? It seems to be getting a lot of press these days and I am planning to check to see if the library has it yet.

[Stacia]

Anyway, have you read Elizabeth Gilbert's sequel, "Committed"? If so, what did you think of it? It seems to be getting a lot of press these days and I am planning to check to see if the library has it yet.

 

No, I haven't read that one yet. I probably will at some point. It may be getting press because "Eat, Pray, Love" is being made into a movie (w/ Julia Roberts playing Elizabeth Gilbert).

 

I finished "The Remains of the Day". I liked it & thought the author did an amazing job with the main character. He really caught the essence of the personality, I think. Though there are a few touches of humor in the book, overall it gave me a rather melancholy mood, as I ranged from feeling sad, sorry, or aggravated at the butler. LOL.

[laughing lioness]

I just finished "The Dream Manager." I'm in the middle of "The Post American World." I've been posting reviews each week. And, of course, just added to my list from reading everyone else's posts. :001_smile:

[PollyOR]

I didn't read a book last week :mellow:. Just one of those weeks where I floated through life. Lots of books in the house, nothing sounds appealing.

[Ali in OR]

I'm almost done with American Pie, Peter Reinhart's book on the search for the perfect pizza. And reading about all of the wonderful pizza he's found both in Italy and America and the descriptions of those pizzas in great detail made me very hungry for good pizza! Also still working on Edith Hamilton's Mythology.

[Mom-ninja.]

and starting In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta Ahmed

 

This looks interesting.

 

 

I'll have to catch up with the thread later. I need to go grocery shopping.

 

I just started Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes & Linens. Yeah, I'm a nerd. I've already learned something just in the first chapter. If you button the sleeves of long sleeve shirts to the buttons on the shirt the sleeves won't tangle. Brilliant.

[hsmom3tn]

Well, we finished Sign of the Beaver already and I finished The Last Song. The Last Song had me doing that unable-to-breathe sobbing. I'm going to have to take a box of tissues with me when I see the movie...

 

Do you think Nicholas Sparks has some sort of deal with one of the tissue companies? Maybe he gets a share of the profits...

 

Anyway, now I'm reading The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson). I've got tons of books to read, but I'm trying to get all of the "gotta read this before seeing the movie" books out of the way. :tongue_smilie:

[Daisy]

What did you think of this one?

 

I enjoyed Shadow of the Silk Road. It started out a bit slow for me. I was ready for him to hit the road. It is after all a travel book. By about page 40, it had picked up the pace.

 

It gave me great insight into the history, geography, and culture of that area of the world. Something I definitely didn't have before hand.

 

The ONLY thing that would improve the book is if they would come out with an illustrated version. I was constantly googling references to places I'd never heard of before. He didn't take pictures because he had more freedom of travel without a camera.

 

Definitely makes me want to pick up my Marco Polo book again just to compare.

[MamaT]

I'm finishing up The Help today. It's amazing... the best book I've read in a long, long time.

 

 

I absolutely loved The Help. Growing up in the South in the 60's I could really relate. We had a maid that was more of a mother to me than my mom.

[txbloobonnet]

I'm in the middle of reading Three Cups of Tea after finishing a great Alaskan adventure book: On the Edge of Nowhere. I am struggling through 3 Cups. I don't like how it is written, but it is for my book club so I will stick with it.

[Rosie_0801]

I just started Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes & Linens. Yeah, I'm a nerd. I've already learned something just in the first chapter. If you button the sleeves of long sleeve shirts to the buttons on the shirt the sleeves won't tangle. Brilliant.

 

You know, that kind of nerdy seems strangely appealing. I tried to read further down the thread without checking this on Amazon, but I can't...

 

;)

Rosie

[lionfamily1999]

I picked up "The Doomsday Key" at the library Friday (in case of snow) and just finished it. I'll also be reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin" this week.

 

I read the Midnighters series last week and a book called Breathe. All four were young adult fiction, a nice break from all the nonfiction I had been reading. The Doomsday Key was really good. I love books that are full of so much fact, it's hard to figure out what was fiction :p and this book even included a final chapter to let the reader know what was true. Along with some recommended books for looking deeper into different things the novel touched on. I highly recommend this one :)

[Mom-ninja.]

You know, that kind of nerdy seems strangely appealing. I tried to read further down the thread without checking this on Amazon, but I can't...

 

;)

Rosie

 

Ha! I'm not the only one. :001_smile:

 

 

Uncle Tom's Cabin is a great book.

[Amira]

I'm in the middle of reading Three Cups of Tea after finishing a great Alaskan adventure book: On the Edge of Nowhere. I am struggling through 3 Cups. I don't like how it is written, but it is for my book club so I will stick with it.

 

I didn't really like Three Cups of Tea- I thought the book itself wasn't great. I did like the young readers edition better. It wasn't necessarily better written, but it simply told Greg Mortenson's very interesting story. I liked his second book, Stones into Schools much better.

[Amira]

I enjoyed Shadow of the Silk Road. It started out a bit slow for me. I was ready for him to hit the road. It is after all a travel book. By about page 40, it had picked up the pace.

 

It gave me great insight into the history, geography, and culture of that area of the world. Something I definitely didn't have before hand.

 

The ONLY thing that would improve the book is if they would come out with an illustrated version. I was constantly googling references to places I'd never heard of before. He didn't take pictures because he had more freedom of travel without a camera.

 

Definitely makes me want to pick up my Marco Polo book again just to compare.

 

I read a lot about Central Asia, and I always wonder what people who don't read a lot about it think when they do. I agree that pictures would have been good. Thanks!

[meet me in paris]

I absolutely loved The Help. Growing up in the South in the 60's I could really relate. We had a maid that was more of a mother to me than my mom.

 

<sigh> I cried at the end. And I'm *not* a crier. :001_smile:

[lionfamily1999]

Ha! I'm not the only one. :001_smile:

 

 

Uncle Tom's Cabin is a great book.

I read an excerpt last year and it sounded very good. I'm just at the spot where Eliza is trying to believe they won't sell her son... iow, at the beginning.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I finished The Hobbit over the weekend while we were without power and made some serious progress in The Iliad. This week I want to finish up Composition in the Classical Tradition (actually I have to so I can return it on time).

[LauraGB]

I'm catching up this week by reading two:

Pendragon The Lost City of Faar (Book 2) by D.J. MacHale

The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins

 

I really quite enjoyed the first Pendragon, so I think I'm set to read all ten.

[Ginevra]

I didn't really like Three Cups of Tea- I thought the book itself wasn't great. I did like the young readers edition better. It wasn't necessarily better written, but it simply told Greg Mortenson's very interesting story. I liked his second book, Stones into Schools much better.

 

Me either. I quit 75% finished on Sunday. I wanted to move on to The Lightening Thief.

 

And this may be a silly diversion, but does reading about Greg Mortensen ever make you think "Forest Gump"? :lol:

[Angel]

I'm in the middle of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" this week. I will probably finish it in the next couple of days 'cause we are due for some more snow and I'll be snuggled under a blanket :D This book was a shocker! I didn't expect it to be so creepy and suspenseful. It is a little confusing keeping up with the journal entries and different plot lines, but it's definitely got me hooked. Strange. I hate anything to do with vampires my whole life, read "Twilight" and then find myself reading "Dracula." :rolleyes:

 

What I've read so far:

A Great and Terrible Beauty

Twilight

New Moon

The Mermaid in the Basement

A Conspiracy of Ravens

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

The Other Boleyn Girl

[Mommyfaithe]

I just finished reading This Perfect Day by Ira Levin. I read it as a teen and remembered it as an awesome book crushing the idea of Utopian societies and pointing out the evils of homogenous humankind. I did NOT remember how much sex and graphic content was in this book...YIPES!!! And I had my KIDS (16, 18, and 20) read it...ACK!!!!! Note to self...NEVER give a kid a book you read as a teen and thought was great BEFORE pre-reading again!

 

~~Faithe

 

PS, I still really enjoyed the book...even though some of it was truly disturbing....

[lionfamily1999]

I'm in the middle of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" this week. I will probably finish it in the next couple of days 'cause we are due for some more snow and I'll be snuggled under a blanket :D This book was a shocker! I didn't expect it to be so creepy and suspenseful. It is a little confusing keeping up with the journal entries and different plot lines, but it's definitely got me hooked. Strange. I hate anything to do with vampires my whole life, read "Twilight" and then find myself reading "Dracula." :rolleyes:

 

What I've read so far:

A Great and Terrible Beauty

Twilight

New Moon

The Mermaid in the Basement

A Conspiracy of Ravens

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

The Other Boleyn Girl

I started Dracula, but the journal entries and the way time skipped around got to me so I gave up. I figure I'll try again later this year, but for now... not so much.

 

You like it so far?

[dangermom]

I read The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma and a great sewing book.

[LibraryLover]

I got sidetracked at the new Non-fiction books on display at the library. :) This week & weekend, I read The Boy From Baby House 10 (Russian adoption in the 1990's about bureaucratic red-tape and a boy deemed adoptable), Cartwheels in a Sari (growing up in an American cult), and The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman. None of them were fab, but all had some bits that spoke to me. I did think the now- American boy from Russia was quite the special teen :) Last week, I read Farm City by Novella Carpenter. Not sure I reported it already, so forgive the redundancy, but I so enjoyed it. It was very humorous, and spoke directly to my heart about sustaining ourselves and our communities wherever we happen to live.

 

For the kiddies, I reread a bunch of Byron poetry with my teen dd, and listened to my youngest read The Book Thief (awesome, but heavy) and Elizabeth I, by Kathryn Lasky. (a bit slow). I finally finished our latest Mary Poppins read aloud, and are awaiting the next. I read several excerpts from Of Mice and Men so I could discuss certain passages with my schooler.

Edited February 9, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Stacia]

I'm in the middle of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" this week. I will probably finish it in the next couple of days 'cause we are due for some more snow and I'll be snuggled under a blanket :D This book was a shocker! I didn't expect it to be so creepy and suspenseful. It is a little confusing keeping up with the journal entries and different plot lines, but it's definitely got me hooked. Strange.

 

I read Dracula for the first time a couple of years ago. I thought it was quite good & very Victorian. The first part of the story was the creepiest, imo. Anyway, good book from the horror genre, imo. My book club is considering reading a horror novel for our next book & it seems that everyone is leaning toward Frankenstein (a book I haven't read yet).

[Angel]

I started Dracula, but the journal entries and the way time skipped around got to me so I gave up. I figure I'll try again later this year, but for now... not so much.

 

You like it so far?

 

Yes, I am (surprisingly) liking it. Just in the last couple chapters (well, journal entries) is it starting to come together. I am finally seeing the progression. I'm about half-way in. I have done a lot of looking back at the date of the journal entry to make sure that I see the time progression, but that is getting less and less. I had no idea how he was going to bring it all together, but it's getting there. I would recommend giving it another try.

[lionfamily1999]

Yes, I am (surprisingly) liking it. Just in the last couple chapters (well, journal entries) is it starting to come together. I am finally seeing the progression. I'm about half-way in. I have done a lot of looking back at the date of the journal entry to make sure that I see the time progression, but that is getting less and less. I had no idea how he was going to bring it all together, but it's getting there. I would recommend giving it another try.

I'll try again in March (for my classic), lol. Having read enough of your posts, I trust your judgement ;)

[Angel]

I'll try again in March (for my classic), lol. Having read enough of your posts, I trust your judgement ;)

 

Aw, thanks:) I didn't know that anyone really read what I've written :D I'm just finishing up school with my dd and then I'm planning to pick Dracula up after dinner. After all there's a lot of snow and no place to go;)

[lionfamily1999]

Aw, thanks:) I didn't know that anyone really read what I've written :D I'm just finishing up school with my dd and then I'm planning to pick Dracula up after dinner. After all there's a lot of snow and no place to go;)

I totally identify with the snow issue. It sounds like it's sleeting outside now, augh.

[nova147]

Here's my list:

 

1: Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire

2: The Blue Cotton Gown

3: Picture Perfect

4: How to Read a Book

5: The Chicago Way

 

This week I'm reading Deconstructing Penguins and a novel by Elizabeth Berg.