Robin M Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Good morning Dolls! Today is the start of week 32 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Welcome to everyone who is just joining in, welcome back to our regulars and to all who are 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 - E is for Emerson. Highlighted Ralph Waldo Emerson's Poem "A Nation's Strength" What are you all reading this week? Link to week thirty one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 Just finished two review books which didn't like. Think my decision making review mojo has up and left. Going to stick with my own books for a while. Will be reviewing later in the week "Everything Beautiful Began After" by Simon Van Booy. The book changed midway to second person point of view in which the narrator talked to "you" which totally threw me out of the story. Plus I really didn't like the characters. Going to start a steamy romantic suspense novel by Lori Foster "When You Dare" which is # 1 in her Men who walk the edge of honor series. Dr. Zhivago is next up in the A to Z by author Challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I read Fascinating Womanhood and had a good many laughs. I told my dh that from now on I can't ever mow the lawn, paint, or move furniture again because I'm just too fragile and it could damage me physically. I also told him not to tell me what our finances are like with the exception of giving me an allowance. According to this book, my female brain and body are susceptible to physical and mental illness if I worry my little head about finances. Oh, the book was hysterical and sad at the same time. I read the 1974 edition. It looks like there is a 2007 edition. It would be fun to read the latest edition to see the changes. I wonder if she still claims that women just don't have leadership skills or endurance to go out into the world outside the home. Or if she still says that a woman should show her anger to her husband by stomping her foot, pouting, and saying things like, "Oh, you're such a big tough brute for picking on little me!" :lol: Now to decide what to read next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I read Fascinating Womanhood and had a good many laughs. I told my dh that from now on I can't ever mow the lawn, paint, or move furniture again because I'm just too fragile and it could damage me physically. I also told him not to tell me what our finances are like with the exception of giving me an allowance. According to this book, my female brain and body are susceptible to physical and mental illness if I worry my little head about finances. Oh, the book was hysterical and sad at the same time. I read the 1974 edition. It looks like there is a 2007 edition. It would be fun to read the latest edition to see the changes. I wonder if she still claims that women just don't have leadership skills or endurance to go out into the world outside the home. Or if she still says that a woman should show her anger to her husband by stomping her foot, pouting, and saying things like, "Oh, you're such a big tough brute for picking on little me!" :lol: Now to decide what to read next. All I can say is :svengo: I'm not sure that kind of book would be good for my health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I read Fascinating Womanhood and had a good many laughs. I told my dh that from now on I can't ever mow the lawn, paint, or move furniture again because I'm just too fragile and it could damage me physically. I also told him not to tell me what our finances are like with the exception of giving me an allowance. According to this book, my female brain and body are susceptible to physical and mental illness if I worry my little head about finances. Oh, the book was hysterical and sad at the same time. I read the 1974 edition. It looks like there is a 2007 edition. It would be fun to read the latest edition to see the changes. I wonder if she still claims that women just don't have leadership skills or endurance to go out into the world outside the home. Or if she still says that a woman should show her anger to her husband by stomping her foot, pouting, and saying things like, "Oh, you're such a big tough brute for picking on little me!" :lol: :lol: :smilielol5: :lol: I just woke up and am laughing too much :D. I'm almost done with Morality for Beautiful Girls - similar title, but not quite the same :lol:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Nothing read in the last couple of weeks. Still have All Together in One Place going. Also got the third Flavia de Luce mystery from the library, and it is only a 14 day checkout, so that's probably the one I'll get done first (and it's more fun). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Finished: #52 - Dawn's Early Light, by Elswyth Thane. This is volume 1 of 7 in the author's Williamsburg Series. Currently reading: #53 - Yankee Stranger, by Elswyth Thane, which is volume 2 of the same series. I posted more about this series last week, so I won't this week or in the upcoming weeks as I conclude the series. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 This week I'm reading The book Thief which my mother lent my dd. I am trying very hard not to get too excited about any of the recommendations here as I have some nonfiction I really need to get to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 This week I'm reading The book Thief which my mother lent my dd. I am trying very hard not to get too excited about any of the recommendations here as I have some nonfiction I really need to get to. That book is in my top 10 favorites. I asked my dh if he'd find it cute and adorable and if he'd feel a deepened sense of tenderness and love for me if I acted childlike, as Ms. Andelin says in her "Fascinating" book. He told me he'd send me back to my parents until I was done growing up. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I read an autobiography of John Barrowman. And one and a half completely forgettable books. You know how sometimes you pick up a book and are quite sure you've read the same thing, written by someone else? Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) I love looking for this thread on Monday morning. And ds is still asleep at 8:15am. And I'm reading up about Fascinating Womanhood and laughing. It bodes well for the week. I wonder if that book is the one my mother once mentioned my father (her ex-husband) as saying she should read - something about meeting him at the door with slippers. I'm still making progress on catching up. This week I read: 23. Gutted – Tony Black 22. The Partisan’s Daughter - Louis de Bernieres The Partisan's Daughter got generally negative reviews, but I rather enjoyed it. Forty-something Chris, a discontented Brit, meets twenty-something Rosa, a warm Yugoslav woman in Britain illegally. Although he initially assumes she is a prostitute, they develop a friendship, which revolves around her telling him stories from her past. The complaints about the book are that nothing much happens, and that we are never sure of anything about Rosa. Her stories to Chris and comments to the reader often don't match up at all. Even her identity is in question by the end of the book. Personally I thought this was part of the book's appeal - it's about the realities our lives take on, often against everything we expected (and wanted) for ourselves, and about wishing for a chance to reinvent ourselves. It's a beautiful, sad little book. Gutted is the second in the Gus Drury series of Tartan noir crime novels by Tony Black. The second book is better than the first, but I've haven't been as impressed with either of them as I was with the third (which I read first). Loss seemed to me a really tragic story of someone who'd hauled themself back from the edge of despair, only to find life pushing them inexorably over the edge. But the unrelenting alcoholic misery of the other two books didn't feel quite as immediate as in Loss. And the endless all-police-are-corrupt angle gets tiresome, even given the style of the book. Come-on, surely there's one good cop in Edinburgh? I'll definitely read the fourth book, though - I think with that amount of alcohol the author's eventually going to have to make a choice between liver transplant, death or AA for the protanganist, and I'd like to see which option he goes with. I am still listening to The Three Musketeers which is fun, but not as engaging as Around the World in Eighty Days, and much longer. I'm feeling obliged to read something a little more solid, so I'm going to start The Liberated Bride by A.B. Yehoshua (translated from Hebrew) this week. For light relief I have The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri (translated from Italian) which is in the series of Inspector Montalbana mysteries. Nikki Edited August 8, 2011 by nd293 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I love this thread. I never post, but I have read MANY great books based upon the recommendations and reviews here. I just met Flavia :) THANK YOU! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 And one and a half completely forgettable books. You know how sometimes you pick up a book and are quite sure you've read the same thing, written by someone else?Rosie Yes, I know that feeling :lol:. I love looking for this thread on Monday morning. :iagree: Love, love, love this thread. :D I wonder if that book is the one my mother once mentioned my father (her ex-husband) as saying she should read - something about meeting him at the door with slippers. :lol: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I read Fascinating Womanhood and had a good many laughs. I told my dh that from now on I can't ever mow the lawn, paint, or move furniture again because I'm just too fragile and it could damage me physically. I also told him not to tell me what our finances are like with the exception of giving me an allowance. According to this book, my female brain and body are susceptible to physical and mental illness if I worry my little head about finances. Oh, the book was hysterical and sad at the same time. I read the 1974 edition. :lol: (But, really, I don't know whether to laugh or scream.) Guess her dh has handled her writing career for her, she's had a male editor, etc...? I'll have to tell my sister about this book. She likes reading all sorts of stuff, including homemaker books from the 1950s, so this sounds like it would be right up her alley. I asked my dh if he'd find it cute and adorable and if he'd feel a deepened sense of tenderness and love for me if I acted childlike, as Ms. Andelin says in her "Fascinating" book. He told me he'd send me back to my parents until I was done growing up. :lol: :smilielol5: You know how sometimes you pick up a book and are quite sure you've read the same thing, written by someone else? Well, I have forgotten that I've read a book & then started reading it again years later, thinking some of it seemed awfully familiar... :tongue_smilie: (until I clued myself in, of course). I'll definitely read the fourth book, though - I think with that amount of alcohol the author's eventually going to have to make a choice between liver transplant, death or AA for the protanganist, and I'd like to see which option he goes with. Keep us posted, ok? I'm gonna vote that the author works in a liver transplant or miraculous rejuvenation of the liver. :lol: As for my own reading, I started Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. It's been awhile since I've read anything by him, but once I started, I remember why I like him for my 'beach' reading.... His books are fast-paced (imo), have short chapters (easy to read one or two if I have only a little time or a short attention span), include fun info about stuff I find interesting (history, symbols/signs, secret societies, art) & are a nice mix of (some) fact & fiction. I'm enjoying this one too because, at least in the beginning, it is taking place in Washington D.C. I've lived in the D.C. area & visited there many times, so I enjoy reading about some of the places & details he mentions. It would be neat to have his book in hand when visiting some of the places, just to notice some of the details he mentions (in the Capitol, for instance). I did notice on amazon that there is a version of this book w/ many drawings/photos & that would be a good version. Alas, I don't have that one (nor does my library). I'll probably start another book this week too. I have some to pick up from my waitlist at the library, so I'll have to see what goodies are waiting.... Books read as of July 2011: The Reluctant Entertainer A Curable Romantic A Reliable Wife Living the Simple Life The Music of Chance The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui The Book of Jhereg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I read The Warlock, Book 5 in Michael Scott's series, Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel. It was decent, not as in love with it as I have been but that may be die to memory loss between books. Started Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Why I've waited so long, I do not know. They are laugh out loud funny. On Book 2, Two for the Dough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) I am so behind cause I've been working on the house again so most of what I've read is fluff. Last week I read, Passing for Thin by Frances Kuffle. Interesting look at obesity, self image and addiction. Also re-read Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness. I read it decades ago. It struck me that he actually addresses the issue of singularity- under the guise of eastern mystecism. This week I'm reading The book Thief which my mother lent my dd. I am trying very hard not to get too excited about any of the recommendations here as I have some nonfiction I really need to get to. GREAT book! Edited August 8, 2011 by laughing lioness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 My reading for this past week and the week to come: American Gods by Neil Gaiman (I really like this book!) How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One by Stanley Fish (Me always trying to teach the kids and myself to write better.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I started Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. It would be neat to have his book in hand when visiting some of the places, just to notice some of the details he mentions (in the Capitol, for instance). Stacia, this is how I felt when we were in Paris, particularly in the Louvre. I wanted an illustrated version of The Da Vinci Code. :D I just started Cold Sassy Tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 American Gods by Neil Gaiman (I really like this book!) That one sounds really interesting. Not like anything I usually read, but worth a look. I will see if our local libraries have it. I am not making headway with my current read, so am distracting myself by looking for future reads. One of my big problems with reading is getting ... bored? lazy? ... halfway through and reading the last few pages, after which I never really get back into reading the book properly. I've been so good with not doing this since starting the52 booksproject (as it inevitably results in lots of half-finished books), but just did it with my current read. The Liberated Bride is well-written, but not fast-paced. I think TV and the Internet have definitely shortened my attention-span... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I think TV and the Internet have definitely shortened my attention-span... Me too ... :glare: ... I don't watch much TV at all. Barely any, in fact. These days, I can't seem to focus on books with more than 3 or so main characters. Very frustrating. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I finished "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" last week and am now reading "Song for Summer" by Eva Ibbotson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 My in-laws are here, so I decided I needed another quick, enjoyable read. This week's choice is The Hidden Staircase, facsimile edition. Super, super fun! Where's the detective smiley? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Cold Sassy Tree no longer interested me. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was too painful and I just can't deal with all that pain right now. Watching "Roots" was enough for me this year and reading "Night" as well. I just started A Reliable Wife and my expectations are not very high. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I personally despised this book when I read it earlier in the year (my review is here), but it seems like people have a love/hate relationship with it. My book club was evenly split that way, and even if you check out the reviews on Amazon it has 3 stars because half the reviewers are gushingly in love with it and half of them hate it so much they want to throw it out. I'll be interested to see what you think... Thank you for this. :) I have an uncomfortable feeling that I won't like it at all. Not sure :confused:. For me, endings are everything. They're key. I don't need a perfectly happy sugar-coated ending, but at least some form of closure and some happiness would be nice. I'm that way with movies as well. I like his writing style. Again, not sure if I'll like this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I finished The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Not my favorite book of the three but a good read nonetheless. This week I'm finishing a couple of books that I had started and then set aside: Grooming the Next Generation for Success by Dani Johnson and Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I finished Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol & really enjoyed it. His writing is very formulaic, yet always intense, interesting, & intelligent. Fun thriller book that was even more fun for me because the action is set in Washington D.C. (where I have lived & visited many times). To me, this type of book makes perfect beach/summer reading. From amazon.com: "Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word. The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters. Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal." I'm currently reading The Clutter Cure. (The author has totally nailed me on a few things; there are times I'm reading & I'm thinking, 'Did this lady come look at my house???'). Oh, and Negin, she mentioned the Karen Kingston Feng Shui book too! I've also just started another 'summer'/brain candy type book: Storm Front (the first novel of the Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher. (This thread is where I learned about this series!) Product Description: "Harry Dresden--Wizard Lost items found. Paranormal investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment. Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever. There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting. Magic. It can get a guy killed." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I haven't posted anything for the past couple weeks because I've only read brain-candy British mysteries I've already read many times. Now I'm back on track and will post this weekend. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workingmom Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 From the forum. Just finished the Forgotten Garden. Excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Stacia, I love Dan Brown. :) I finished and ended up liking A Reliable Wife ... okay. Not the greatest book ever, not the worst book either. Fairytalemama, your review is a fabulous one. I started and gave up on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It failed my 10% rule and I just found it far too depressing and I'm just not in the mood for all the science/in-depth cervical cancer stuff. Really, really not in the mood for that at all ... Not sure what to read next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 [/indent]I'm currently reading The Clutter Cure. (The author has totally nailed me on a few things; there are times I'm reading & I'm thinking, 'Did this lady come look at my house???' ). Oh, and Negin, she mentioned the Karen Kingston Feng Shui book too! :lol: Stacia, I wonder if I should get The Clutter Cure ... we don't have a ton of clutter in most of our home, mainly in our computer room/office, but it annoys me. That's pretty much the only place we have it. Funny how she mentioned Karen Kingston's book. :lol: I'll never look at that book again without thinking of you. Oh, btw, you were in my dream last night. Can't remember the details, but we all laughed a lot. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.