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Book A Week in 2010 Week 6


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The Art of Mending. I haven't started it yet, but I also like Berg a lot -- got into her when I couldn't get my hands on any Jodi Picoult books at the library.

 

 

lol I don't like Jodi Picoult at all. Have you read any Barabra Kingsolver? You would probably very much enjoy her. I think if you like Berg you will like Kingsolver. She is one of my fav authors, and a few notches above Berg for me.

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Nova! :) I just thought of a lovely book you may enjoy if you like Picoult or Berg:

 

www.lotterythebook.com

 

It's by Patricia Wood, and is beautifuly writen. It is a true gem of a novel. Wood is a much better writer than Picoult. I was thrilled when I discoverd The Lottery. (Not to be confused with Shirely Jackson's short story, which is very famous and popular).

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Running List

 

Read:

 

Dragonsinger (old favourite)

Belle (fr)

That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week (good book on getting boys organized)

The Unlikely Disciple: A Year at America's Holiest College (or something like that)

Outliers (enjoyed)

Dance with Me (when your mother-in-law says she liked a book and it is a book where a mother gets put in a nursing home, you read it)

 

In progress:

 

Waiting for Godot

Trevor Chamberlain: A Personal View

The Color of Distance

Le gone du Chaaba (fr)

Blink

Le Petit Prince

 

Useful bits:

 

Classical Music for Dummies

Teen-Proofing

 

-Nan

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Well, after about 70 or so pages, I've stopped reading The Illuminator. I just couldn't get into it.

 

Ran by the library tonight to pick up a few things & now have a new stack from which to chooose:

Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia (a doorstopper of a book!)

Iron & Silk

Dragon Bones

 

I will keep you posted as to which I pick & how it's going. ;):D

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Guest Virginia Dawn

I'm currently reading The Eight by Katherine Neville. Freemasons, conspiracy, murder, secret formulas, chess, improbable historical connections across time- A guilty enjoyment.

 

I've also been delving into the Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives.

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I finished Uncle Tom's Cabin! My review is terrible. I loved the book, and I've found that the more I enjoy a book the harder it is to write a coherant review :confused: If I put off the review (until after the warm fuzzies fade) then I can't come up with anything to write. If I hated the book I can atleast write a short review that makes some sort of sense. If I love the book, though, I end up gushing about how much I like it, with very little about the actual story... help?

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I finished The Gatekeeper by Michelle Gagnon. It had a cliffhanger ending which left me in shock. The main female character in a coma and doesn't sound like she's going to survive. I sat there saying "what?" and reread the last two chapters a couple times because thought missed something.

 

I'm about to start Stephen King's Under the Dome. It is a chunkster at 1000 some odd pages so will take me a couple weeks probably. At least I'll be able to get caught up with the rest of my reviews. :)

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I'm currently reading The Eight by Katherine Neville. Freemasons, conspiracy, murder, secret formulas, chess, improbable historical connections across time- A guilty enjoyment.

 

 

 

Oh, I just love The Eight! I read it many years ago, and, I recently read it again after Neville wrote the sequel (more than twenty years after The Eight was published).

 

The sequel is The Fire, which was fun, but nearly as engaging as The Eight, imo.

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I finished The Gatekeeper by Michelle Gagnon. It had a cliffhanger ending which left me in shock. The main female character in a coma and doesn't sound like she's going to survive. I sat there saying "what?" and reread the last two chapters a couple times because thought missed something.

 

I'm about to start Stephen King's Under the Dome. It is a chunkster at 1000 some odd pages so will take me a couple weeks probably. At least I'll be able to get caught up with the rest of my reviews. :)

That's where I get stuck. My reviews are either really late, really long, really boring, or all three :glare:

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That's where I get stuck. My reviews are either really late, really long, really boring, or all three :glare:

 

LOL. ;)

 

Just do the review for yourself. Who cares if it is boring, long, short? It is just a record of what you read. Enjoy it.

 

Easy to say, but that is my mantra. Otherwise I would be freaking out that I don't know enough about reviews to actually give one.

 

When I reviewed Uncle Tom's Cabin, I didn't find it necessary to give a lot of summary. Most people know at least the premise of the book. HTH you relax anyway. ((hugs))

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LOL. ;)

 

Just do the review for yourself. Who cares if it is boring, long, short? It is just a record of what you read. Enjoy it.

 

Easy to say, but that is my mantra. Otherwise I would be freaking out that I don't know enough about reviews to actually give one.

 

When I reviewed Uncle Tom's Cabin, I didn't find it necessary to give a lot of summary. Most people know at least the premise of the book. HTH you relax anyway. ((hugs))

:grouphug: Thank you.

Finished "Dracula!" I enjoyed it. Now if only I was brave enough to watch the movie...NOT!:eek:

I love LOVE LOVE Bram Stoker's Dracula the movie. The one with ... I just forgot her name... the girl from Beetlejuice, Girl Interrupted, Little Women, Edward Scissorhands... errrr! Anyway, great movie, would NOT watch it with the kids and from the little I read it is not TOO close to the book. There were a lot of differences I found, just from reading the first quarter of the book.

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Winona Ryder. :001_smile: I agree it's a good movie. I have not read the book. So the movie and book aren't too close? The movie is really quite a romance story.

THANK YOU! It would've popped in my head at the worst possible moment otherwise ;)

 

I was surprised at the differences. Lucy, imo, is not nearly as... outgoing, iykwIm, in the book. Jonathan is is even more uptight and Ryder's character was less uptight. But it was told from journal entries (in the book) so there was a lot of room to play with. After all, a person in real life, tends to be very different than their journals. Also, the placement of the insane asylum/abby seemed different in the book.

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Just finished:

 

The Sister by Poppy Smith - honestly cannot recommend this one. Interesting character study but aside from that, meh.

 

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood - I listened to an abridged version of this last week because I was very sick and too tired to even look at a page. Although I kind of enjoyed it, the abridgement must have left out something or I zoned out (more likely) near the end leaving some questions in my mind as to the resolution. To be fair I'll not give a real opinion on this one, yay or nay. I keep wanting to like Atwood but so far I can't get very enthusiastic (Handmaid's Tail - not my cup of tea).

 

The Shifting Fog (aka The House at Riverton) by Kate Morton - fun read but I liked Morton's The Forgotten Garden a lot more.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - 63 hours on audio. I ended up liking this a great deal, and certain parts will have me thinking about it for years to come. Too much to discuss here but do give this a chance, particularly on audio from Audible.

 

The Diamond in the Window - by Jane Langton - this is a kid's book that I just finished as a read aloud last night. Magical and delightful, first in a series of books - the Hall Family Chronicles. Set in Concord, Mass, and features prominently Emerson, Thoreau, and Alcott. It is out of print, so unless you have $$ for ebay get it from inter-library loan.

 

Others read this year:

 

Ex Libris -- thumbs down

The Forgotten Garden -- thumbs up

In progress:

 

I, Claudius - Robert Graves -- this is a re-read since I loved it so much the first time many years ago. Getting ready to do Roman history with dd14 and thought it would be a good one for both of us to read.

 

Why Don't Students Like School? - Daniel T. Wilingham -- Just started this based on recommendations from this board. Very interesting book - the title is misleading, making it sound like a book for failing students. Willingham applies cognitive science to learning.

Edited by Dana in OR
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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?

 

once you get a bit into the book, it becomes easier. I listen to it on audio this version by the BBC - there were 2 main voices, male & female.

 

I REALLY enjoyed listening to Dracula!

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I keep wanting to like Atwood but so far I can't get very enthusiastic (Handmaid's Tail - not my cup of tea).

 

I, Claudius - Robert Graves -- this is a re-read since I loved it so much the first time many years ago.

 

I've never been able to get into Margaret Atwood's books either. I really have not liked anything by her that I've read (lol; therefore, I don't read her stuff anymore).

 

Loved "I, Claudius".

 

I also loved Dracula but I will. not. watch. the. movie.

 

I enjoyed the book & would like to see the movie.

 

After not being able to get into The Illuminator (which I stopped reading), I picked up a few different books at the library. I've since started Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia (a huge book) & find it quite interesting. It's a bit weighty/dense in parts, but I'm learning so much about a time & a people about which I know very little.

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Okay all you Dracula fans...I just started Dracula and I am loving it! I'm soooo not a horror genre reader, but I chose it for my classic this month and...it's awesome!

I'm starting to feel like I missed out when I gave up. I'll have to pick it back up next week and try again :p

 

 

I just started Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn... so far, I feel like the worst parent ever.

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Why Don't Students Like School? - Daniel T. Wilingham -- Just started this based on recommendations from this board. Very interesting book - the title is misleading, making it sound like a book for failing students. Willingham applies cognitive science to learning.

 

This is on my to read list.

 

 

once you get a bit into the book, it becomes easier. I listen to it on audio this version by the BBC - there were 2 main voices, male & female.

 

I REALLY enjoyed listening to Dracula!

 

I think I might try the audio version. I love audio books while doing dishes.

 

 

Am I the only one that liked The Handmaid's Tale?

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I don't know if these week counts! I finished reading The Cure of Ars out loud to the kids, as well Herodotus and the Road to History.

 

I am almost through a reread of Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes in You and Your Kids by Turansky and Miller.

 

I started Guns, Germs and Steel but didn't get as far as I have liked due to the fact that I spent precious reading time poring over the Sonlight Catalogue and reading travel guides to Rome and Athens.

 

Okay, now I'll see if all those links work!

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UGH, are we on week 6?! I've had two weeks of sick kids and now we think the oldest has strep! No wonder I'm behind! :lol:

 

I don't think I'm too far behind. Here's my updated list:

 

Finished:

The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck

If I'm Diapering a Watermelon. . . by um ack! I forget :leaving:

The Wicked Games of a Gentleman by Jillian Hunter

Lonestar Cinderella

I Before E by Judy Parkinson - I LOVE this book! My girls and I keep running to it to find mnemonics for whatever it is we're studying. GREAT book!

 

Reading:

Charlotte's Web

Ben and Me

Emma - I'm really enjoying it, but I don't like reading it in small increments. That makes it hard to find time to read it.

The Screwtape Letters- same as Emma.

 

Giving up on:

Manalive- put it down and now I'm not interested. I'm having minor surgery on the 26th, maybe I'll get bored enough to read the rest. :lol:

The Witch of Blackbird Pond - I was reading this to keep up with my dd but I found I remembered enough of it that I didn't have to read it. Guess it doesn't count huh?:D

 

Not as bad as I thought!

See you next week!

Dorinda

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I'm starting to feel like I missed out when I gave up. I'll have to pick it back up next week and try again :p

 

 

I just started Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn... so far, I feel like the worst parent ever.

Going to have to pull a swicheroo... He lost me at religion.

 

I'll have to go back to my reading list and see what's what ;)

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Kids books for me this week. I read Schooled which I thought was funny even if it didn't exactly put any homeschoolers in the light we might prefer. I also am reading The Mothers-Daughters Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick which is quite delightful in that they are reading Little Women and I won't say more. The latter one was recommended by a librarian.

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