Book a Week in 2011 - week forty four

[Robin M]

Good morning! Today is the start of week 44 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. 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 - Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. Dipping toes into steampunk stories. Guide to steampunk.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 43

[Robin M]

I just finished reading Envy by J.R. Ward. Book three in Fallen Angel series. Quite good. Not sure what going to read next. What ever it is, can't be an unputdownable book because of nanowrimo. I read during breakfast and if the book is too good, I don't want to stop reading. Books are so distracting. :tongue_smilie:

[Violet Crown]

I'm reading Graham Greene's The Honorary Consul. A very light and quick read. When I finish, I plan to try to finish Iota Unum, which isn't difficult but is long.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm currently reading Blink by the same guy who wrote Tipping Point.

[Mom-ninja.]

I read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, which was a riveting account of how a Dutch Christian family helped hundreds of Jews & others during WW II, what she & her sister did when imprisoned, and what Corrie was able to accomplish to help people who survived the extermination/concentration camps.

 

This sounds like something I want to read.

[Robin M]

This sounds like something I want to read.

 

 

I read both the book and saw the movie: The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom and it is a very emotional story. Very well done. Definitely worth reading.

[Stacia]

I like that steampunk link you posted, Robin! Very cool.

 

I'm still working on World War Z. I haven't gotten super-far into it because I haven't eked out much reading time this past week. So far, though, it's a fairly quick book to read, so I hope to finish it this week & get started on another few from my (ever-growing) pile.

 

From wikipedia:

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

is a 2006 post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks. It is a follow-up to his 2003 book

The Zombie Survival Guide

. Rather than a grand overview or narrative,

World War Z

is a collection of individual accounts in the form of first-person anecdote. Brooks plays the role of an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission who published the report a decade after the Zombie War. The United Nations left out much of his work from the official report, choosing to focus on facts and figures from the war rather than the individual stories that form the bulk of Brooks' novel. The interviews chart a decade-long war against zombies from the view point of many different people of various nationalities. The personal accounts also describe the changing religious, geo-political, and environmental aftermath of the Zombie War.

Books read as of July 2011:

32. The Reluctant Entertainer

33. A Curable Romantic

34. A Reliable Wife

35. Living the Simple Life

36. The Music of Chance

37. The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise

38. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui

39. The Book of Jhereg

40. The Lost Symbol

41. Storm Front

42. The Clutter Cure

43. Simplicity Parenting

44. Madame Tussaud

45. The Map of Time

46. The Somnambulist

47. The Island of Lost Maps

48. The Adventurer's Handbook

49. Garden Spells

50. Dracula The Un-Dead

51. The Gold Bug

52. The Rule of Four

53. Ilustrado

54. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

55. Boneshaker

56. Judgment of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959

57. Slaughterhouse-Five

58. The Graveyard Book

 

Stacia's Challenge/2011 Goodreads

Edited October 30, 2011 by Stacia

[Negin]

I'm still very slowly reading Mindset. Really liking it. Very, very interesting. :)

 

 

I'm currently reading Blink by the same guy who wrote Tipping Point.

I love his stuff. :)

[Ali in OR]

I finished two again this week. Parallel Play by Tim Page is our November book club book. It was just okay. It's an autobiography of a guy who was diagnosed with Asperger's as an adult. I also read John le Carre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and loved it!! I have his The Honourable Schoolboy also but haven't started it yet. It looks to be twice as long--may take awhile.

 

 

2011 Reading List

 

45. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold-John le Carré

44. Parallel Play-Tim Page

43. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan-Lisa See

42. Call for the Dead-John Le Carre

41. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy-John LeCarre

40. Alice in Wonderland-Lewis Carroll

39. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons-Barbara Cohen

38. Augustine Came to Kent-Barbara Willard

37. Trudy’s Promise-Marcia Preston

36. All Together In One Place-Jane Kirkpatrick

35. The Invisible Wall-Harry Bernstein

34. A Red Herring Without Mustard-Alan Bradley

33. At the Sign of the Sugared Plum-Mary Hooper

32. The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag-Alan Bradley

31. Do Hard Things-Alex and Brett Harris

30. Anna of Byzantium-Tracy Barrett

29. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie-Alan Bradley

28. Cutting for Stone-Abraham Verghese

27. Stay With Me-Sandra Rodriguez Barron

26. Radical Homemakers-Shannon Hayes

25. Heaven is for Real-Todd Burpo

24. Under the Tuscan Sun-Frances Mayes

23. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother-Amy Chua

22. These Three Remain-Pamela Aidan

21. Chocolat-Joanne Harris

20. Where the Red Fern Grows-Wilson Rawls

19. Duty and Desire-Pamela Aidan

18. An Assembly Such As This-Pamela Aidan

17. Left Neglected-Lisa Genova

16. Classics in the Classroom-Michael Clay Thompson

15. True You-Janet Jackson

14. The Samurai’s Garden-Gail Tsukiyama

13. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet-Jamie Ford

12. God’s Middle Finger-Richard Grant

11. Kristin Lavransdatter-I: The Wreath-Sigrid Undset

10. The Housekeeper and the Professor-Yoko Ogawa

9. A Lucky Child-Thomas Buergenthal

8. Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson

7. Run-Ann Patchett

6. The Red Queen-Philippa Gregory

5. Agnes Grey-Anne Bronte

4. The Daughter of Time-Josephine Tey

3. Mythology-Edith Hamilton

2. Phantom Toll Booth-Norton Juster

1. Her Fearful Symmetry-Audrey Niffenegger

[eaglei]

This week I finished:

 

#68 - Can't Wait to Get to Heaven, by Fannie Flagg.

 

Am about mid-way through:

 

#69 - Don't Worry, Make Money: Spiritual and Practical Ways to Create Abundance and More Fun in Your Life, by Richard Carlson, Ph.D. Signed this out of the library because I needed some encouragement. It is that, but mostly it reaffirms what we already know - and I guess sometimes we need that - at least I do . . .

 

Haven't a clue what I will read next, but it will be something from my ever-growing stack of books, and probably something light, as my reading this year has mainly been a means of escape . . . :001_smile:

[eaglei]

Negan - I really like this quote that you have posted:

 

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.†~ Mason Cooley

 

How true!!! :)

[Guest]

I am reading Bush's Decision Points.

 

Yes, thank you for that steampunk link, Robin. I was trying to describe it to my husband the other day. :lol: Need to do more researching on that.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Angel]

What ever it is, can't be an unputdownable book because of nanowrimo. I read during breakfast and if the book is too good, I don't want to stop reading. Books are so distracting. :tongue_smilie:

 

:lol: I'm feeling the same way after rereading the Twilight series, again. I couldn't put them down even though I knew what was going to happen. I have some stuff to catch up on now!

 

So I finished Breaking Dawn. I think I'm three or four books behind. ETA: I just counted...I've read 40, so 4 behind.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Angel

[nd293]

I also finished two this week:

 

41. The Veil – Woman Writers on Its History, Lore and Politics – Jennifer Heath (Ed)

40. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot

 

 

I really enjoyed Henrietta Lacks - I thought that the author presented the science in an accessible and interesting manner, and that the family story provided an engaging counterpoint to the science. I found the family story frustrating, though. I completely realise the enormity of the negative circumstances facing them, but there was still a level of self-defeating behavior that was depressing. That's not a criticism of the book, of course, just an observation. I guess it was hard not to look for the "happy ending" after all the drama. Now, if this was an Oprah book ... :tongue_smilie:

 

I found a lot of similarities between Henrietta Lacks and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, which tells the story of a Hmong family in the US while investigating the fraught relationship between the family and the medical establishment treating their daughter for epilipsy.

 

I picked up The Veil – Woman Writers on Its History, Lore and Politics on a whim because I find the subject interesting, then surprised myself by actually reading it. The essays look at "veiling" in the broadest sense, and included Muslim writers who are both for and against the veil, at forced veiling and unveiling in the Muslim context, as well as stories about modesty in Amish, Jewish, Hindu, Catholic nun and Arabic Christian communities. There are a couple of contributions by graphic novelists, and an interesting essay on the Islamic veil in cartoons where the veil represents something other than a shorthand for "Muslim". If you find the subject of veiling and "women's space" interesting, you'll probably enjoy this book. If you see veiling as simply oppressive, you probably won't.

 

This week: Day after Night by Anita Diamant.

 

Nikki

[nd293]

It's my first year on this thread, and I've been wondering if there'll be some sort of "round up" at the end of the year? I'd love to see everyone's complete lists, as well as a "Top 10" from everyone. I'm already starting to think beyond this year's 52!

[dangermom]

I read James McBride's The Color of Water, which is a pretty amazing story. I also had a lot of fun with the latest Thursday Next book, One of Our Thursdays is Missing. That was just what I needed, so funny and imaginative!

 

I also just finished the 3rd Castle book, Rising Heat, but I'm not going to bother blogging about it--I only just wrote up the second one. But I was amused to see a reference to Firefly, and Nikki Heat's theme song is the same one as mine!

[dangermom]

It's my first year on this thread, and I've been wondering if there'll be some sort of "round up" at the end of the year? I'd love to see everyone's complete lists, as well as a "Top 10" from everyone. I'm already starting to think beyond this year's 52!

 

We had a sort of round-up question list--here's mine--but the thought of compiling a complete list of my books kind of frightens me. :leaving:

[JennW in SoCal]

I recently read the first (or my first) Thursday book, The Eyre Affair, which was great fun. One of our Thursdays is Missing is sitting in my "to be read" stack, a stack which I ignore by finding books at the library or downloading books onto my iPad.

 

Which leads me to this week's reads. I got sidetracked at the library as I was determined to find The Wand in the Word, which was brought up in the last week or two here, and have almost read all the interviews. I started with the authors I've read and will read the others next. Brian Jacques is a riot! Makes me want to revisit the Redwall books!

 

I found myself eating dinner alone in a restaurant this week, with nothing but my iPad for company but no internet, so I went to my collection of free e-books that I've downloaded in the last year. I settled Elizabeth Gaskell"s Cranford. What fun! Nothing happens, but the ladies are so lovably silly.

[Just Robyn]

Books finished this week:

 

32: We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin - a graphic memoir of the Nazi invasion of Budapest. The story of her mother is very sad and pretty well told. I think it could have used a little more narration. Her personal story is lacking substance.

 

33. I finished reading The Odyssey retold by Geraldine McCaughrean to my kids.

 

34. Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart was great! This is a fantasy set in China - I think 7th century? It is a very silly story, ocassionally maybe a little too silly, but just a quick eye roll once in a while, incorporating Chinese mythology.

[Negin]

I really like this quote that you have posted:

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.†~ Mason Cooley

How true!!! :)

Thank you. :D

 

I really enjoyed Henrietta Lacks - I thought that the author presented the science in an accessible and interesting manner, and that the family story provided an engaging counterpoint to the science. I found the family story frustrating, though.

This week: Day after Night by Anita Diamant.

Nikki, I didn't get very far with Henrietta Lacks. For some reason, it really began to irritate me or maybe I wasn't in the best of moods when reading it. I may give it a try again. Seems like I'm the only one who hasn't liked it. :tongue_smilie:

I bought Day After Night while we were in Haifa, Israel this summer. Read it right after.

[Heather in Neverland]

I am still trudging through the George R R Martin books. I am about half-way through book 2 but these books are long and complicated! I am enjoying the story but I keep getting all the secondary characters mixed up.

[nd293]

Nikki, I didn't get very far with Henrietta Lacks. For some reason, it really began to irritate me or maybe I wasn't in the best of moods when reading it. I may give it a try again. Seems like I'm the only one who hasn't liked it. :tongue_smilie:

I bought Day After Night while we were in Haifa, Israel this summer. Read it right after.

 

I was thinking of you when I wrote about parts of it being frustrating to read. Was it the medical side that irritated you, or the family story? I found the medical story really interesting. I'm trying to get dh to read it now - he'll love the science, but probably find the personal story annoying.

 

I think you said youenjoyed Day after Night less than The Red Tent? I liked Haifa, although what I remember most is steep hills and a huge fight with dh. Walking up hills can lead to those :glare:. I was saying to him last night that we should think about visiting Israel again before we convert to Aussie passports, just in case those pesky passport stamps get in the way of future job opportunities in the Middle East. We went in '97, and before that I was there in '90.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Reading American Gods, Neil Gaiman but my knitting it totally cutting into my reading time!

[Negin]

Was it the medical side that irritated you, or the family story?

The latter. :)

I think it's outrageous that the family has no health insurance. I think it's awful for any human being to lose their or have no health insurance. But other than that, the family stuff was just annoying for me. Mind you, I have to say that I didn't give this book much of a chance. I don't know if I will or not.

 

I think you said youenjoyed Day after Night less than The Red Tent? I liked Haifa, although what I remember most is steep hills and a huge fight with dh. Walking up hills can lead to those :glare:. I was saying to him last night that we should think about visiting Israel again before we convert to Aussie passports, just in case those pesky passport stamps get in the way of future job opportunities in the Middle East. We went in '97, and before that I was there in '90.

I haven't read The Red Tent and am not sure if I will. I keep hearing mixed reviews. People seem to either love or hate it.

I had to smile at your memories of Haifa. :D

I didn't even realize that you'd been there. :)

[dangermom]

The latter. :)

I haven't read The Red Tent and am not sure if I will. I keep hearing mixed reviews. People seem to either love or hate it.

I didn't like it at all. "Marion Zimmer Bradley does the Old Testament" was my reaction. So if you loved Mists of Avalon, maybe you would like it?

[6packofun]

I just started 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. At over 900 pages, I'll be with it for a while. LOL

 

My previous book was When She Woke by Hillary Jordan, which is meant to be a futuristic/dystopian version of The Scarlet Letter. It's pretty heavy-handed and preachy about all of a feminist's favorite topics so it was only OK to me, although I really loved the *idea* behind it. lol

 

I love World War Z, Stacia! But I have a thing for zombies. :tongue_smilie: OK, not a romantic "thing".

[luvnlattes]

I finished a couple of books this week. Last week's thread mentioned Sarah Addison Allen so I got a couple of her books from the library and finished them both within a week!

 

First I read Garden Spells. I don't usually read this genre so a couple of times I considered putting it down. About halfway through the book I told myself to just let my pre-conceived notions go and see what happens. It's a fictional book for goodness sake! Anyway, after that, I found myself really enjoying the book which made me look forward to the next one.

 

The second book I read was The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I didn't care for this one as much, but I did like the ending. I'm undecided if I'll read the others by her.

 

This week I'm reading Stone's Fall by Iain Pears. I should say, for the next few weeks I'll be reading.... The front cover flap says, "A vast historical mystery, marvelous in its ambition and ingenious in its complexity." I thought that would make for a great read, but it's been slow going. It seems like I can only get through 20 pages or so a night. Since the book is almost 600 pages, I could be here a while!

[JennW in SoCal]

I am still trudging through the George R R Martin books. I am about half-way through book 2 but these books are long and complicated! I am enjoying the story but I keep getting all the secondary characters mixed up.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with those books.

 

I finally got so I stopped trying to read each book from beginning to end and would instead flip through the book to find the chapters on the characters I like and read those. I really like his writing as the characters are complex and flawed, the setting is vivid and real. The central plot is concise, but the series as a whole is a bloated mess!!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Stacia]

I just started 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. At over 900 pages, I'll be with it for a while. LOL

 

...

 

I love World War Z, Stacia! But I have a thing for zombies. :tongue_smilie: OK, not a romantic "thing".

 

Oh, I'm so jealous that you're starting 1Q84!!!! (It's on my Christmas list & I'm certainly expecting that dh will get it for me! He'd better! ;):lol:)

 

Glad to hear you're enjoying World War Z. Yeah, yeah, we know you're really 'just friends' w/ zombies. ;):tongue_smilie::D

[Robin M]

Bored last night so started Soulless by Gail Carriger. Actually quite good and close to unputdownable. :)

[Robin M]

It's my first year on this thread, and I've been wondering if there'll be some sort of "round up" at the end of the year? I'd love to see everyone's complete lists, as well as a "Top 10" from everyone. I'm already starting to think beyond this year's 52!

 

Yes, I usually do a year end round up with several questions for everyone to answer if they chose. Always fun to hear everyone's answers and see what new books have been discovered. Glad to hear you are thinking ahead and making a list of stuff you want to read. Another fun thing. My TBR pile is huge and my wishlist ever more so.

[Robin M]

I just started 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. At over 900 pages, I'll be with it for a while. LOL

 

Never heard of it before. Checked it out on Amazon. Looks quite interesting. Adding to my wishlist.

 

This week I'm reading Stone's Fall by Iain Pears. I should say, for the next few weeks I'll be reading.... The front cover flap says, "A vast historical mystery, marvelous in its ambition and ingenious in its complexity." I thought that would make for a great read, but it's been slow going. It seems like I can only get through 20 pages or so a night. Since the book is almost 600 pages, I could be here a while!

 

Very interesting book. I enjoyed it. Looking forward to hearing what you think about it.

[-M-]

 

Books read this month: 8

Books read in 2011: 102

 

 

 

As I prepared this entry, I thought, But I've read so much more than this! And I have. But I have only finished those listed below. That's right: My Lobotomy (Howard Dully), World War Z (Max Brooks), Just My Type (Simon Garfield), and at least a dozen more perfectly wonderful titles perch, bookmarked and abandoned, on what can only be called a book stack of reproach. Yes, I've been serial-dating my books again -- taking a number too great to be called decent out for a burger and fries, a movie, a kiss at the door even, and then not calling.

 

Ah, well. There are worse things. Sign me, An unapologetically promiscuous reader. Heh, heh, heh.

 

■ The Sibling Effect (Jeffrey Kluger)

Non-fiction. Subtitled "What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us," this personal-history-laden, pop-psych bestseller made quite a splash in late September and early October for its assertion that every parent has a favorite child. (Related links here, here, and here.)

 

■ The Magic Flute (P. Craig Russell)

Graphic retelling. The Lyric will present The Magic Flute beginning in December, so, yes, we picked this up by way of an introduction. The Misses and I agree with Publishers' Weekly:

 

 

Sure and confident, Russell's art switches from tense action sequences to slapstick without missing a beat. His sense of physical characterization is also impressive, helping readers keep track of Mozart's often confusing cast of characters. Even traditionally less-recognized aspects of comics presentation, like color and lettering, here serve the story brilliantly.

We're following this up with a related entry in 100 Great Operas And Their Stories: Act-By-Act Synopses (Henry W. Simon).

 

■ Johnny Tremain (Esther Forbes)

Fiction. With the Misses. We blew right over this title when they were in middle school, but when we embarked on our U.S. history course earlier this month, both of them expressed an interest in reading it, so we did. "There shall be no more tyranny. A handful of men cannot seize power over thousands." It was just the respite we needed before embarking on October's Shakespeare project.

 

■ Henry IV, Part I (William Shakespeare)

Classic, play. With the Misses. It was seven years ago to the month that I last spent time with Falstaff.

 

■ The Belles Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry Prince of France (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1956)

■ Très Riches Heures: Behind the Gothic Masterpiece (Lillian Schachert)

Art. A facsimile in the Adler's "Universe in Your Hands" exhibit (related entry here) led me to these titles, which discuss the beautiful "book of hours" that is widely considered the fifteenth century's most important illuminated manuscript. You can find the images and related commentary here, if interested.

 

■ The Walking Dead: Rise of The Governor (Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga)

Fiction. Two authors on a work of fiction rarely bodes well, and this 320-page zombie-gorefest is no exception. Fans of the comic book series, the television series, or both already know Rise explains how Philip Blake became the Governor, but, the so-called "twist" is apparent early on, and really? The book adds nothing new to zombie literature, generally, or The Walking Dead, specifically. Bad fiction, like everything else, though, is certainly relative, and I can honestly say that this isn't the worst book I've read in 2011. Nope. Sarah's Key still holds that dubious honor. (Related entry here.)

 

■ Feynman (Jim Ottaviani)

Graphic biography. Both the private and public lives of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman are described in this wonderfully accessible biography, which is illustrated by Leland Myrick. You'll find an excellent review here: "The Feynman picture-book is a fine example of gekiga for Western readers." Highly recommended.

[luvnlattes]

Very interesting book. I enjoyed it. Looking forward to hearing what you think about it.

 

Oh, good! This gives me hope that it will be worth it :) .

[Sparkle]

I slogged through The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs. If I'd had anything else in the house to read, I wouldn't have bothered to finish it.

 

I re-read The Provincial Lady in London by E. M. Delafield - great book.

 

Currently reading The Presidents' Cookbook by Poppy Cannon, and still reading Aunt Jane's Hero.

 

Oops, I forgot, I also read The Victim in Victoria Station by Jeanne Dams.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Sparkle

[twoplustrips]

I'm reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. LONG (500+ pages), but very interesting...someday I'll finish it :001_smile:

 

Kathy

[Mom-ninja.]

I read James McBride's The Color of Water, which is a pretty amazing story. I also had a lot of fun with the latest Thursday Next book, One of Our Thursdays is Missing. That was just what I needed, so funny and imaginative!

 

 

 

Since this is a series do they need to be read in order?

[Storm Bay]

Right now I'm reading The Young Pianist by Joan Last http://www.amazon.com/Young-Pianist-Approach-Teachers-Students/dp/0193222876/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320166185&sr=8-1 which is a good read for piano teachers, et al. A lot of it is stuff I was taught by my mentor, etc, but there are some good things I'm learning as well.

 

 

I finished a couple of books this week. Last week's thread mentioned Sarah Addison Allen so I got a couple of her books from the library and finished them both within a week!

 

First I read Garden Spells. I don't usually read this genre so a couple of times I considered putting it down.

 

I don't usually read this, either, but ended up reading The Sugar Queen, which I liked better than Garden Spells, but am not sure if I'll be reading anymore. I also considered putting it down, but kept on reading since I wanted something light.

[dangermom]

Since this is a series do they need to be read in order?

 

Yes, definitely. It would be quite difficult to follow the story or understand the world without reading them in order. They are well worth it; i lovethat series!

[Storm Bay]

Yes, definitely. It would be quite difficult to follow the story or understand the world without reading them in order. They are well worth it; i lovethat series!

I just put a hold on the first one.

[laughing lioness]

Just finished The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. Really terrific! The themes were sexuality and gender- fascinating, especially given the discussion re: the CO G.S. troops decision.

[T'smom]

I've almost finished Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and I'm loving it! I heard it mentioned in one of these threads and then saw it on the "new" shelf at the library and picked it up. I'm really glad I did. I can't wait to go to bed tonight and see how it ends.

[Medieval Mom]

This week I read a mystery just for fun and began the first few pages of The Silmarillion by Tolkien.

 

It's exciting to see the titles piling up, with only a few weeks left of 2011. I may have to take on a couple of light titles in between the Silmarilion and Return of the King to complete my 52 Books goal. Tolkien is enjoyable, but the kind of author to savor, not plow through. I find myself reading and re-reading, even copying out, certain passages.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Medieval Mom

[ladydusk]

This week I read a mystery just for fun and began the first few pages of The Silmarillion by Tolkien.

 

It's exciting to see the titles piling up, with only a few weeks left of 2011. I may have to take on a couple of light titles in between the Silmarilion and Return of the King to complete my 52 Books goal. Tolkien is enjoyable, but the kind of author to savor, not plow through. I find myself reading and re-reading, even copying out, certain passages.

 

:iagree:

 

I'm working on Return of the King right now and I'm thinking I'm going to have to read again in a year or two and savor and copy.

 

I've always heard the Silmarilion is daunting ... but I picked up a copy at the library sale a few weeks ago. Should I try it?

[Stacia]

I finished World War Z today. I enjoyed it (even though zombie books aren't usually my 'thing', lol). I thought it was pretty interesting how the author imagined a global pandemic, various national/political/cultural responses, strengths & weaknesses of individuals/groups/nations, & thoughtful outcomes of civilizations/governments/economies a decade after the end of a global war. (For example, Cuba became the strongest/most thriving economy in the aftermath.) The book did veer into zombie territory some (of course), but there was much more thoughtful storytelling there too.

 

With the finish of World War Z, I think that brings to a close my 'spooky/creepy' October reading choices. I still have a couple I want to read (The Last Werewolf and John Dies at the End), but I may save those for next October.

 

Here are the 'spooky/creepy' books I did manage to read for this year:

 

Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker & Ian Holt

The Gold Bug (actually a collection of 3 stories) by Edgar Allan Poe

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Judgment of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959 by Kim Newman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

 

Does anyone else have a list of their 'spooky' reading to share? :bigear:

[Robin M]

Spooky Creepy Books I read this year so far:

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Anno Dracula by Tess Newman

The Anita Hill Vampire series by Laurel K. Hamilton was pretty creepy.

J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels series creepy chilling good.

[Medieval Mom]

:iagree:

 

I'm working on Return of the King right now and I'm thinking I'm going to have to read again in a year or two and savor and copy.

 

I've always heard the Silmarilion is daunting ... but I picked up a copy at the library sale a few weeks ago. Should I try it?

 

Sure! It'd be nice to have someone else read it, too! I'm still not very far in, but so far it reads rather like a cross between a Douay-Rheims Bible and the medieval epic poetry/mythology (well, and maybe Ovid's Metamorphoses, too.).

 

Although I love reading Ovid, medieval epics/poetry, and such, I do hope that once I turn a few more pages it'll pick up and be more... well... LOTR-ish. :D

[Robin M]

Link to week 45 - please continue conversation in new thread.