Robin M Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Today is the start of week two in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Welcome to everyone who has joined in and / or following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 books blog to link to your reviews. The link is in my signature. 52 Books blog - A is for Authors Who Blog: I just got home and found out my post didn't post as scheduled so sorry for the confusion and delay. There are many authors who blog and I found following them is a good way to find out about the books they write. Murderati is my ultimate favorite so if you've never checked them out or read any books by these authors, add them to your wishlist. Have you discovered any new authors lately? What are you reading this week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I'm still reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Oh the angst! It's interesting and I'm halfway through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I'm starting Power of Patience by MJ Ryan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MominIN Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I'm starting The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Finished The Help last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cani e porci Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished Undaunted Courage this afternoon. I want to begin The Wreath, but have more Lewis and Clark related books to get through this week as I prep for a class that starts next week. I'll be reading Lewis and Clark among the Indians and Lewis and Clark Through Indian Eyes before next weekend. And then I'll get to the things I want to read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire this morning for the first week, and as it was a rather brutal book, I've decided to go with a non-fiction this week and I started The Celtic Realms: A history of the Celtic peoples from pre-history to the Norman Invasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthyMama Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) I'm starting The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Finished The Help last night. Just finished The Book Thief last week - couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed The Help, too! I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire this morning for the first week, and as it was a rather brutal book, I've decided to go with a non-fiction this week and I started The Celtic Realms: A history of the Celtic peoples from pre-history to the Norman Invasion. I devoured the The Girl... books - loved all three of them. I use goodreads.com to keep up with my list but have been trying to blog more. I don't know if I can commit to one a week because I'm normally reading 3-4 at a time... hmm. I'll have to see. ETA: Now that I have seen the original thread I'll choose The Band of Brothers for this week. Edited January 10, 2011 by EarthyMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 My post for this week is Living Oprah and The Constitution of Liberty by Hayek. The Hayek book took me ages. Living Oprah was very weird, but I'll let you read my review. I'm now reading Planet Narnia and Enemies of the People, but the second one has to be back at the library tomorrow, so I gotta read fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I just finished Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah this afternoon. (Sob!!!) I'm thinking that for this next week I'll read Anne of Green Gables for a blog challenge or I've also got Glenn Beck's The Overton Window sitting here. I actually got a whole stack of books from a leisurely trip to the library. (Sans children!) Looking forward to what everyone else is reading, I love to get suggestions from all you voracious readers. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished Empire (I am a sucker for books about Ancient Rome) and read Gregor the Overlander and the second book too (pre-reading for my kids....) and am listening to The White Queen on Playaway (does anyone's library have these? They're awesome)while doing laundry and housework today. I will attempt to read The Disappearing Spoon this week. For some reason, I was able to jam all this in a week. That will rarely ever happen, so I am thinking of it as a bonus...so I can slack off on other weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) Last week I read Twelve by Twelve (William Powers) which I really wanted to like but did not. In fact, I asked myself several times while reading this book “Why am I continuing?” One reason was that Bill McKibben, a favorite environmental/new paradigm author, recommends the book on its cover. I kept waiting for a pivotal moment in which the author would redeem himself. He did not. Fortunately, I read a second book which exceeded expectations. A Long Walk to Water by Newbery author Linda Sue Park is wonderful! The story is based on the real life experiences of Salva Dut, one of Sudan’s “Lost Boys” who came to live in Rochester where Ms. Park made his acquaintance. The book could probably be read by an upper elementary student, but my library had it in the young adult section. Park describes an aspect of war most of us never want to see: that of refugees and children who have lost their families. She writes of hunger and fear. But her sparse tone tells the tale without judgment. The tale of Salva’s survival is paralleled with that of a child in Sudan today who must walk miles daily to collect drinking water for her family. Oh the things we take for granted! Tears flowed on more than occasion while reading this book! Imagine—Southern Sudan is voting today on a referendum for independence. Salva Dut’s walk has been long and arduous, but the tale is inspirational and more hopeful than anything I have read in a long, long time. I applaud Linda Sue Park for her remarkable work. She deserves another Newbery. ETA: I am reading a Timothy Zahn novel--completely out of character for me. Zahn writes sci fi which is not my thing, but my son suggested that I read Night Train to Rigel. So I am. Edited January 10, 2011 by Jane in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Just finished The Book Thief last week - couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed The Help, too! I devoured the The Girl... books - loved all three of them. I use goodreads.com to keep up with my list but have been trying to blog more. I don't know if I can commit to one a week because I'm normally reading 3-4 at a time... hmm. I'll have to see. I'll have to add The Book Thief to the list. I have liked the first two Girl books, but the violence is a bit much for my sensitivities, and I have to wait awhile to read the next one! lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished The Phantom Tollbooth which my dd is reading as an assignment. It was fine, but not really on my list of favorite childhood books, as I know it is for some people. I am now reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology which I started last year but got bogged down. We're just starting Ancient Greece in history, so maybe I'll be able to finish this time. 463 pages...definitely need to pick a shorter book next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A very "current" book, still. My next book will be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I'm looking forward to this book.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It's a lit assignment for my oldest (16 yo) actually for this week. I'm trying to read all her lit before she gets to it. I've missed a couple this school year but gotten to most. Not a book I'd recommend. It was hard to read it has that much realism to it. Written about the Salem witch trials but in reaction to the McCarthy Red Scare. Amazing how much the two could be alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished 'The Last Station' by Jay Parini. Excellent book. Tolstoy's wife gives a new meaning to the word 'fishwife.' I started and finished 'Beowulf' for this month's classic. I am now following it up with 'Grendel' by John Gardner. I don't know if I will finish it though as I have 12 books (:001_huh:) waiting for me on hold at the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaissezFaire Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) I read The Notebook last week. (Loved the movie, abhorred the book...but I knew I would since I think Sparks is a horrible writer...still I caved and read it). This week I am reading, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A very "current" book, still. My next book will be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I'm looking forward to this book.:001_smile: Brave New World is excellent. I think I may need to do a re-read of this one. Edited January 10, 2011 by LaissezFaire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) I finished #1, Climbing Parnassus. I'm on to #2, The Story of My Life by Hellen Keller. Her story is at once inspirational and humbling. My, how fortunate we are to have sight and hearing! I played Anne Sullivan iin The Miracle Worker in our high school play, oh, so many years ago; but never have I read Helen Keller's autobiography. Indeed, the entire genre of autobiography is one I have rather neglected in my readings so far. I did thoroughly enjoy Franklin's autobiography, when I read it a while back. I shall definitely have to read more biographies and autobiographies in the future :) Sorry for the rambling. :D Edited January 10, 2011 by Medieval Mom Cut out my wordy comments on Climbing Parnassus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyfizzle Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) My book this week is a rendition of Le Morte D' Arthur. I do not care for the matter-of-fact statement style. I love the story itself. ETA: Now that I'm getting into it, there is a great deal of scull crushing going on, uhh. I finished Mockingjay. I read where someone else did not like the ending, it concluded all right for me. Edited January 11, 2011 by jazzyfizzle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 April Fool's Day by Bryce Courtenay. It's a bit slow going so far, and a long book, and I have a feeling I may not finish it this week. It's possible I'll start something else and stretch it out for a while. I've liked other books from the author, and it's possible it'll take off and I won't be able to put it down, but it doesn't quite seem that type of book. Not that it's bad. I've enjoyed it so far, as much as a book of that sort is enjoyable anyways. Also reading Phonics Pathways to decide if it's something that would be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahj Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I finished For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and started Little Clearing in the Woods by Maria D. Wilkes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoffeeChick Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 This week I'll finish up Warlord by Ted Bell and continue reading "The Hammer of God" by Bo Giertz & "The History of the Medieval World' by SWB. I will also be starting "Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See for a facebook reading group I belong to. The only one I'll most likely finish for the week is the Ted Bell book. But I did get one finished last week (Black Beauty), so I'm on schedule! (Granted it IS only one week in :) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I read... 1. Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) - de Becker, Gavin 2. The Case of the Missing Books (Mobile Library Mysteries) - Sansom, Ian (I wanted to like it but it turned out to be a dud). I ditched Sunset Park after the first 3 chapters. It started out with such promise and then just became too crass for me. Currently reading, La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonNative Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) I just joined up today:) I am reading Knowing God by James Innell Packer. Edited January 11, 2011 by OregonNative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I finished: Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid: A Survival Guide for Ordinary Parents of Special Children Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential Parenting a Child with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder There was a lot of skimming because 3 of these books had a lot of space devoted to how to negotiate with a school and teachers. I hope I am never in a position to need to go back and read those parts again. I started Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America and have almost finished it. I am not sure what I will read next. I am waiting on a few books I requested at the library. If they don't come it, I'll have to pull something from my own shelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished The Big Short by Michael Lewis. The subject matter was much more complicated than I expected. I learned a lot about the bond market but I don't know that I could carry on an intelligent conversation about it :D. This week I'm reading The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I read "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Pride and Prejuidice." This week I'm reading "Jane Eyre" and will start "The Case for a Creator." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I meant to read the first two Harry Potter books last week, but I only got one done due to my husband's surgery. So I'm reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristavws Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I will be finishing up The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware, and the second 1/2 of Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (why I picked a book with over 500 pages at the beginning of this challenge is beyond me). I am planning on starting Facing East by Frederica Mathews-Green and Hold Onto Your Kids next. Krista Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Still working on Cutting for Stone. It's fine so far, though a bit disappointing since I was expecting it to be fabulous (after seeing/hearing many great reviews & recommendations). So far, I have learned that I don't really want to read it when eating (because I'm not a medical dr. & don't find it appealing to read about sick people or detailed surgery descriptions when eating :tongue_smilie:). I'm also not thrilled w/ the way he constantly changes the POV from which the story is told. I have really enjoyed the descriptions of Ethiopia &, overall, he has a lovely, descriptive writing style. I will continue reading it, partly because it is what my book club is reading next time. And, I still harbor some hope that it will improve &/or become more interesting. :lol: "Product Description Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined." Books read in 2011: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished Radical, which I reviewed here. I'm finished up Schaeffer's The God Who Is There which is excellent. I also plan to read The Door in the Wall by DeAngeli before starting Byzantium by Lawhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I read The Cross and the Switchblade. I actually read this as as teen and as I reread it, I realized this book probably had a big impact on my desire to work with delinquent teens in college. Started Count of Monte Cristo and am really enjoying it so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A very "current" book, still. My next book will be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I'm looking forward to this book.:001_smile: I've said it so many times but have to say again I LOVE F451:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I'm reading John Holt's Instead of Education: Ways to Help People do Things Better I bought it a year ago, but have been a little afraid to read it. :001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Finished Beau Brummel: THe Ultimate Man of Style - I think that I liked it overall. I've started The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory which so far I haven't gotten into. for now I'll keep plugging away and also probably start something else as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Finishing Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tonight. I loved it! It's set in Seattle and is about the evacuation of Japanese Americans during WWII. The hatred and racism they and the Chinese and African Americans faced at that time was something I had not thought about or studied much. I was overwhelmed with sadness for those people. The author really was able to find the worst in people (the bitter) but also the best (the sweet). I highly recommend this book! I snatched up The Lacuna at the library yesterday so I will start that probably tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished The Happiness Project and I really loved it. I am starting my own happiness project as a result, and it has given me much food for thought. It is not really a "how to be happy" self help book so much as a "stunt journalism" book...she took a year to research what other people have learned that makes them happy, including saints, and apply as much as she can to her own life- and write about her experiment. It involves a lot of resolutions...such as resolutions to not criticise her husband so much, to make more friends, to be generous, to imitate spiritual people, to be present for her kids more...but she is clear that everyone's happiness project would be different and unique. She picked a different theme to work on each month, and she had a checklist to keep herslef accountable. I am having fun with it. I also read Michael Pollan's Food Rules (a short book so I am not counting it) and really recommend it if you are having trouble with wading through the masses of conflicting dietary advice out there. I have now started the Fall by Steve Taylor and I am absolutely loving it. The subtitle says: The Insanity of The Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era. Absolutely fascinating account of how mankind went from being peaceful and cooperative and matriarchal, right across the planet, to being male dominated and warlike. Lots of archeological info. I love it. Can I just say that I am so loving to be on this 52/52 ride with you all because it's such a joy to have an incentive to finish a book in a week. It really made me take time this week to read with a purpose....and I mostly only focused on one book, which is very unusual for me (ok, I did download Food Rules on my Ipad and read that too, but I managed to finish both in the week!). I am normally starting a book, reading some, starting another, reading some, and only sometimes actually finishing anything. But knowing I can start another book next week gives me the peace of mind to finish the one I am on. And I can get off the computer more and just read, feeling I am actually accomplishing something, because I want to read more. OK, these things float my boat :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 This past week I read: Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. Not bad, kept me interested, but was a little predictable. Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky. Same commentary as above. :lol: Yes, it was a fluff week! Reading now: Liping Ma's Mathematics Book Simplicity Parenting The Joy Luck Club And thank you everyone...I just added 17 more books to my enormous amazon wish list. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slug hollow Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished A Study in Scarlet, only 126 pages, so it barley counts but I'm going to fill in with things I can get through in a week while I keep on with my other reading. This week it's mainly Caribbean. I'm about 250 of 810 pgs. into it. I'm liking it much better after the first 60 pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I just finished Girl Who Played with Fire, too, and I'm starting The Book of Love, McGowen, tomorrow.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I should be done with Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee in the next couple of days. I HIGHLY recommend it, but it's so heartbreaking that I can only read it about a chapter at a time. Horrible time in American history. This week I need to read Hittite Warrior to quiz DS on it and then I found one of Penman's books at the library. Can't remember the title, but it was the only one they had. Looking froward to that one. White Queen was very good, try to read/listen to Red Queen next if you haven't done so. Same story, opposite point of view. Beowulf and Grendel are on my list too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I read "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Pride and Prejuidice." You read both those books in the same week? I'm impressed. I'm starting Maiden, Mother, Crone. It's been on my bookshelf forever, and I've never read it. Should be a good book to follow The God Delusion I finished two weeks ago. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I just read America by Heart by Sarah Palin. And I started my 4th book for this year...1984....creeeeeppppyyy. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowySilence Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I will be reading Great Expectations by Dickens this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I read/reread Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, finished reading HP and the Deathly Hallows to the kids, and spent way too much time reading seed catalogs. This week I'll probably tackle a mystery, but I haven't chosen which one yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I read The Devil in the White City, which was very good. Kind of creepily fascinating in a trainwreck way. I also read The It's A Wonderful Life Book by Jeanine Basinger. I'm now reading Encountering the Mystery: Understanding Orthodoxy Christianity by Patriarch Bartholomew and Keys of the Kingdom by A.J. Cronin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathleenL Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I read The Breach by Patrick Lee. I expected it to be fluffy brain candy, but it ended up being much more interesting and memorable than I expected. He has a great interesting premise for what is going to be a series of several books, and I am looking forward to reading the next one (which was just released.) This week I'm going to re-read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It's one of my favorite books, and this is the perfect time of year for it - I need to get inspired as I plan our garden for this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Last week I read True Grit instead of Don Quixote. Ok, not instead of, in addition too. I didn't finsih Quixote, but I'm still going to work on it. This week I'm going to read Forgotten Garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy at Home Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished The Sunne of Splendor this weekend and loved it. History has really given Richard III a bad rap! I'm reading Lord of the Flies and then Charlie St. Cloud this week. Happy reading! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy at Home Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I should be done with Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee in the next couple of days. I HIGHLY recommend it, but it's so heartbreaking that I can only read it about a chapter at a time. Horrible time in American history. This week I need to read Hittite Warrior to quiz DS on it and then I found one of Penman's books at the library. Can't remember the title, but it was the only one they had. Looking froward to that one. White Queen was very good, try to read/listen to Red Queen next if you haven't done so. Same story, opposite point of view. Beowulf and Grendel are on my list too. Let me know which one; I love her!!!! lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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