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Book a Week in 2010 - Week 32

Robin M
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Robin M

Robin M

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Today is the start of book week 32 and the quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Have you started Book # 32 yet? Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 books blog and ready for you to link to your reviews.

 

52 books theme: finding books through the blogosphere. I've discovered many books online through the book bloggers and authors sites. I highlighted just a few and if you check out who they follow in their sidebars, you'll be in book heaven.

 

Are you having a good summer reading and relaxing? What's in your TBR (to be read) stack for this week?

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laughing lioness

laughing lioness

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Great list, Robin! Thanks:)

I've had a good summer reading, but it (the summer) sure hasn't been relaxing!

Read Hadassah and Cosbyology last week. Reviews on my blog.

I'm reading Homeschooling: A Family's Journey by the Millman's. It's a less engaging version of the Colfax's journey. Not really loving it for a couple of different reasons.

I also picked up The Global Acheivement Gap by Wagner and Shalom in the Home by Boteach among others. Not sure what I'll actually read. Another very stressful week with the house and I'm really appreciating easy, non-braintaxing books right now! I really want the 3rd book in the Hunger Games to be out! Anyone know when it's gonna be available?

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Imprimis

Imprimis

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I really want the 3rd book in the Hunger Games to be out! Anyone know when it's gonna be available?

 

August 24 is the release date for the 3rd book.

 

I read A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith. Historical fiction that chronicles a Floridian family from 1863 through the 1960s. It traces their hard-fought rise from dirt-poor pioneers to wealthy real-estate magnates.

 

It paints a very good picture of early Florida and how both the Indians and the land were exploited to pave the way for Florida's eventual over-the-top development.

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eaglei

eaglei

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We were away this week so I took even lighter reading and ended up not reading much . . . Here is what I read:

 

#43 - Living Out Loud, by Anna Quindlen. First book I've ever read by her - turns a phrase well.

 

Started (and am almost done with):

 

#44 - You Can't Get There From Here, by Earl Hamner, Jr.

 

STILL slogging away with Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens . . . I actually ran out of renewals on this book at the library, so I returned it - - - and - - - checked out a different edition of it . . . (is there an icon for *embarrassed*)?

 

In hunting for this thread today, I read the old thread and found this response to my last entry about Dickens (we were away most of the week so I didn't check back):

 

homeschoolmom97 wrote this:

 

Eaglei - Dickens - great literature, yes - but as an English lit major I can say I have freed myself enough to say...ENOUGH. Do you really want to read it AGAIN? You only have so many heartbeats. If you're not enjoying it - and you've already read it (twice???) - move on to something you might love.

 

Homeschoolmom97 - I am trying SO HARD to MOVE ON with this book - and I just can't seem to let. it. be. I am over half way through; it seems like a waste not to finish it - and a waste TO finish it! I chose rereading it for the third time because I figured I liked something in it enough to read it twice - now I am not so sure that it wasn't some strange teenage gene that kept me engrossed in the story!

 

I think I may just have to give myself permission to not finish this book - ouch!

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JennW in SoCal

JennW in SoCal

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Eaglei -- my solution when I'm not enjoying a reread is to skim ahead, look for something that makes you say "oh yes I remember now" and read from there. If you get to the end of the book by skimming and don't find something that makes you stop and read in depth, oh well, you've finished the book and can't go back:D

 

I was busy this week celebrating my 50th birthday so didn't get much reading done. My oldest ds came home and the boys and my dh suprised me with an iPad!!! I've started downloading some old classics from Project Gutenberg, like Wilkie Collin's The Woman in White, and still have a stack of paperbacks to get to.

 

I wrote an update on all I've been reading this summer on my blog -- the link is in my signature.

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eaglei

eaglei

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Eaglei -- my solution when I'm not enjoying a reread is to skim ahead, look for something that makes you say "oh yes I remember now" and read from there. If you get to the end of the book by skimming and don't find something that makes you stop and read in depth, oh well, you've finished the book and can't go back:D

 

Ohhhh!!! Good idea! Then can I still count it as a book read??:D I REALLY want to get a dozen classics read this year!:001_smile:

 

I was busy this week celebrating my 50th birthday so didn't get much reading done. My oldest ds came home and the boys and my dh suprised me with an iPad!!! I've started downloading some old classics from Project Gutenberg, like Wilkie Collin's The Woman in White, and still have a stack of paperbacks to get to.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!:party:

 

Hhmmm . . . The Woman in White - I should read this sometime . . . another good idea from the Hive!

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WiseOwlKnits

WiseOwlKnits

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I had a big week. :) I didn't post last week so here's a catch up.

 

I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I read House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I read Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. I read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. They were all great books and I'd recommend them! They were all hard reads emotionally though. I think I need some light fluff books now...

 

I just started Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. This is book 29 for the year.

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Robin M

Robin M

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I was busy this week celebrating my 50th birthday so didn't get much reading done. My oldest ds came home and the boys and my dh suprised me with an iPad!!! I've started downloading some old classics from Project Gutenberg, like Wilkie Collin's The Woman in White, and still have a stack of paperbacks to get to.

 

I wrote an update on all I've been reading this summer on my blog -- the link is in my signature.

 

Happy Happy Birthday. Welcome to the 50's club.

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Stacia

Stacia

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Because we had company last week & over the weekend, I'm still working on the books I was reading last week:

 

Medicus

Physics of the Impossible

 

medicus-bloomsbury-cover.jpgPhysics%20of%20the%20Impossible%20II.jpg

 

Books I've read in 2010: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Good Omens; The Palace of Dreams; Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World; Lying Awake; The Remains of the Day; Iron & Silk; Lottery; The City of Dreaming Books; Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel; Clutter Busting: Letting Go of What's Holding You Back; The Power of Less; Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life; The Bonesetter's Daughter; Life of Pi; Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express; Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide; Waiting for Snow in Havana; The Happiness Project; Ella Minnow Pea: A Progressively Lipogrammatic Epistolary Fable; The Dante Club; Conquering Chronic Disorganization; City of Thieves; Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life; Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen; Dead Until Dark; The Color of Magic; Fernande; Special Topics in Calamity Physics

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Rosie_0801

Rosie_0801

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Still reading Margery Kempe. Eh, I think I can say I'm not a fan of medieval writing.

 

I am ... if they are recipe books :D

 

I haven't finished anything this week. I've just started Margery Kempe (groan) and another chunky novel. This one is Australiana, which I'm surprised to be enjoying. So far, anyway :)

 

Rosie

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buttacol

buttacol

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STILL slogging away with Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens . . . I actually ran out of renewals on this book at the library, so I returned it - - - and - - - checked out a different edition of it . . . (is there an icon for *embarrassed*)?

 

 

 

I have always been a super avid reader. While everyone is school would complain about reading assignments and say they didn't read the book, I was the kids that devoured the whole thing overnight.

 

But I must say, in all my years in school, only Great Expectations did I never finish. I just couldn't take it anymore. I am just not a fan of Charles Dickens in general.

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eaglei

eaglei

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I have always been a super avid reader. While everyone is school would complain about reading assignments and say they didn't read the book, I was the kids that devoured the whole thing overnight.

 

But I must say, in all my years in school, only Great Expectations did I never finish. I just couldn't take it anymore. I am just not a fan of Charles Dickens in general.

 

Thanks for posting! Your post is actually helping me towards giving myself that much-needed permission to not finish the book . . . I did carry it with me today while on errands just-in-case I had an opportunity to take another stab at it - I didn't. :D

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eaglei

eaglei

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Just finished reading Mr. Darcy's Diary. Review is up on my blog.

 

I'm reading The Year of Living Biblically, which I'm enjoying quite a lot!

 

And can I just say, Stacia, your booklist intrigues me!

 

I will be interested in reading your review of The Year of Living Biblically! This sometimes insightful book was my intro to A.J. Jacobs. I followed with his The Know-It-All, then The Guinea Pig Diaries. He's a little bit quirky - yes??? But entertaining.

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eaglei

eaglei

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Because we had company last week & over the weekend, I'm still working on the books I was reading last week:

 

Medicus

Physics of the Impossible

 

medicus-bloomsbury-cover.jpgPhysics%20of%20the%20Impossible%20II.jpg

 

Books I've read in 2010: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Good Omens; The Palace of Dreams; Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World; Lying Awake; The Remains of the Day; Iron & Silk; Lottery; The City of Dreaming Books; Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel; Clutter Busting: Letting Go of What's Holding You Back; The Power of Less; Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life; The Bonesetter's Daughter; Life of Pi; Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express; Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide; Waiting for Snow in Havana; The Happiness Project; Ella Minnow Pea: A Progressively Lipogrammatic Epistolary Fable; The Dante Club; Conquering Chronic Disorganization; City of Thieves; Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life; Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen; Dead Until Dark; The Color of Magic; Fernande; Special Topics in Calamity Physics

 

Stacia, I agree with a previous poster - your reading list is intriguing! Mine seems awfully *juvenile* in comparison!:D But that is okay! I need diversion right now. Some of your titles are ones I think I would like to read in the future. The only one I had read was Half Broke Horses and enjoyed it immensely. I also read the author's previous book, The Glass Castle. And one of your books, The Happiness Project, is actually on my waiting list - I am waiting for the library to get it! Is it worth the wait?

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Ginevra

Ginevra

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He's a little bit quirky - yes??? But entertaining.
Yes! But he's masterful at turning a phrase. I love his similes! I often think he's really being absurd to follow certain Biblical principles literally, but he's so funny about it, I forgive him.

 

I will most likely post a review on my blog next Tuesday.

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laughing lioness

laughing lioness

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Started reading the Global Achievement Gap. It is putting meat on the bones of the 2 Million Minutes web-site. Very good!!

Still slogging through Homeschooling.

Still waiting on the 3rd in the Hunger Games series :001_smile:. Out just 2 days after my bday -woohoo! (thanks for posting the date of release!)

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Stacia

Stacia

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52 books theme: finding books through the blogosphere. I've discovered many books online through the book bloggers and authors sites. I highlighted just a few and if you check out who they follow in their sidebars, you'll be in book heaven.

 

Very cool. Thank you! :001_smile:

 

I was busy this week celebrating my 50th birthday so didn't get much reading done. My oldest ds came home and the boys and my dh suprised me with an iPad!!!

 

Happy Belated Birthday! What a cool gift. :D

 

And can I just say, Stacia, your booklist intrigues me!

 

Why thank you! I've certainly enjoyed some of the books I've read this year (and many of the ones I read last year too). I feel like I've managed to find some really stellar books (quite a few recommended from readers on this thread).

 

giving myself that much-needed permission to not finish the book . . . I did carry it with me today while on errands just-in-case I had an opportunity to take another stab at it - I didn't. :D

 

Free yourself!!! Dump it. :lol: (There are plenty of books I start & don't finish because they just don't appeal to me or catch my interest. I've probably given up on *at least* a dozen so far this year.)

 

I will be interested in reading your review of The Year of Living Biblically! This sometimes insightful book was my intro to A.J. Jacobs. I followed with his The Know-It-All, then The Guinea Pig Diaries. He's a little bit quirky - yes??? But entertaining.

 

I quite enjoyed "The Year of Living Biblically" when I read it last year. He's entertaining & doesn't mind sharing the ridiculous scenarios he creates for himself. I've been meaning to read his other books sometime....

 

Stacia, I agree with a previous poster - your reading list is intriguing! Mine seems awfully *juvenile* in comparison!:D But that is okay! I need diversion right now. Some of your titles are ones I think I would like to read in the future. The only one I had read was Half Broke Horses and enjoyed it immensely. I also read the author's previous book, The Glass Castle. And one of your books, The Happiness Project, is actually on my waiting list - I am waiting for the library to get it! Is it worth the wait?

 

Thank you! (Guess you were being kind & overlooking all my clutter-busting books when you say yours are juvenile in comparison, rofl. Can you guess what my house project has been this year??? ;))

 

I, too, enjoyed "Half Broke Horses" (and her previous book).

 

"The Happiness Project"... meh. I waited a long time for it from the library. If you're an OCD list-maker, perhaps you will identify w/ the author better than I did. I guess w/ a title like that, I was anticipating more of a joyful, joie de vivre attitude & love of life. Imo, that didn't necessarily come through. (Otoh, I found "Eat, Pray, Love" definitely had a love of life & joyful attitude -- a very happy book overall.) It's not that "The Happiness Project" was bad, per se. It just wasn't really what I was expecting. It was ok, but I saw it as a here's-how-to-define-your-life-goals-to-be-happy-and-create-a-list-to-remind-yourself-to-be-happy-every-day (vs. some musings about finding true joy).

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eaglei

eaglei

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I quite enjoyed "The Year of Living Biblically" when I read it last year. He's entertaining & doesn't mind sharing the ridiculous scenarios he creates for himself. I've been meaning to read his other books sometime....

 

Having enjoyed The Year of Living Biblically, I think you will also enjoy The Guinea Pig Diaries - I know I did! While I liked reading The Know-It-All, I found it a little slower-going . . . fascinating, though, in parts - and yes, that engaging, entertaining style of writing. :001_smile:

 

 

"The Happiness Project"... meh. I waited a long time for it from the library. If you're an OCD list-maker, perhaps you will identify w/ the author better than I did. I guess w/ a title like that, I was anticipating more of a joyful, joie de vivre attitude & love of life. Imo, that didn't necessarily come through. (Otoh, I found "Eat, Pray, Love" definitely had a love of life & joyful attitude -- a very happy book overall.) It's not that "The Happiness Project" was bad, per se. It just wasn't really what I was expecting. It was ok, but I saw it as a here's-how-to-define-your-life-goals-to-be-happy-and-create-a-list-to-remind-yourself-to-be-happy-every-day (vs. some musings about finding true joy).

 

This makes me second-guess using up time to read The Happiness Project - not what I thought it would be judging from the title . . . And especially since you mentioned Eat, Pray, Love - what a page-turner that was! I couldn't put it down!

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Stacia

Stacia

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Having enjoyed The Year of Living Biblically, I think you will also enjoy The Guinea Pig Diaries - I know I did! While I liked reading The Know-It-All, I found it a little slower-going . . . fascinating, though, in parts - and yes, that engaging, entertaining style of writing. :001_smile:

 

This makes me second-guess using up time to read The Happiness Project - not what I thought it would be judging from the title . . . And especially since you mentioned Eat, Pray, Love - what a page-turner that was! I couldn't put it down!

 

Thanks for the comments on the A.J. Jacobs books. I definitely need to request them. (Of course, I have a big pile of books here right now that I want to get through too, lol.)

 

I guess if you get "The Happiness Project" from the library, flip through it & read a few pages here & there. That way, you should be able to get a feel for what she's done w/ the book & figure out if you're really interested. I had heard quite a few good/great reviews of it, but was a bit let-down & it wasn't really my cup of tea.

 

On a separate note, I finished "Medicus" tonight & enjoyed it. It's somewhat of a murder mystery set in Roman times (in England). Not heavy reading, but decently done.

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Stacia

Stacia

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I'm still working on Physics of the Impossible.

 

I have also started another book: My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk.

 

my-name-is-red-194x300.jpg

 

"From Library Journal

 

In 16th-century Istanbul, master miniaturist and illuminator of books Enishte Effendi is commissioned to illustrate a book celebrating the sultan. Soon he lies dead at the bottom of a well, and how he got there is the crux of this novel. A number of narrators give testimony to what they know about the circumstances surrounding the murder. The stories accumulate and become more detailed as the novel progresses, giving the reader not only a nontraditional murder mystery but insight into the mores and customs of the time. In addition, this is both an examination of the way figurative art is viewed within Islam and a love story that demonstrates the tricky mechanics of marriage laws. Award-winning Turkish author Pamuk (The White Castle) creatively casts the novel with colorful characters (including such entities as a tree and a gold coin) and provides a palpable sense of atmosphere of the Ottoman Empire that history and literary fans will appreciate. Recommended."

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ladydusk

ladydusk

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I've been reading more Heyer books, but not posting them. Just some housekeeping ;) They won't be in order and I didn't read them this week, but I don't remember which was when so ...

 

List (Links are to my review):

Week 1: Touch Not the Cat - Mary Stewart

Week 2: Classical Education and the Homeschool - Douglas Wilson, Wesley Callihan, Doug Jones

Week 3: Parenting from the Heart - Marilyn Boyer

Week 4: Meet the Austins - Madeleine L'Engle

Week 6: The Moon by Night - L'Engle

Week 6: The Little Book of Christian Character and Morals - Dedrick

Week 7: How Lincoln Learned to Read - Daniel Wolff

Week 8: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Week 10: The Young Unicorns - L'Engle

Week 12: Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics - Liping Ma

Week 12: The Arm of the Starfish - L'Engle

Week 15: Building Her House - Nancy Wilson

Week 16: Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit - Teri Maxwell

Week 17: A Ring of Endless Light - L'Engle

Week 20: Just So Stories - Kipling

Week 20: Wise Words - Peter Leithart

Week 24: Troubling a Star - L'Engle

Week 24: House Like a Lotus - L'Engle

Week 24: The Talisman Ring - Georgette Heyer

Week 24: The Grand Sophy - Heyer

Week 24: The Corinthian - Heyer

Week 24: Arabella - Heyer

Week 25: A Civil Contract - Heyer

Week 25: The Princess and the Goblin -George MacDonald

Week 25: Crocodile on the Sandbank - Elizabeth Peters

Week 26: An Acceptable Time - L'Engle

Week 27: The Curse of the Pharaohs - Elizabeth Peters

 

Week 28-32: April Lady - Heyer; Friday's Child - Heyer; Frederica - Heyer; The Quiet Gentleman - Heyer; Venetia - Heyer; Five Little Peppers and How they Grew (the kids enjoyed this, DH and I found it very dull indeed)

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