Robin M Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Good morning my dears! Today is the start of week 47 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 - Big U, Little U, What begins with U: Talking about books and authors whose names begin with U. The A to Z reading challenge is a challenge when it comes to finding books that start with U or Q or Z. If you know of any authors besides the ones I found, let me know. What are you reading this week? Anything special for Thanksgiving? Link to week 46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 This past week I read "61 Hours" by Lee Childs and "The Immortals" by J.T. Ellison. James and I finished "The Wheel on the School" by Meindert Dejong. Interesting kid's story set in a dutch fishing village. I'm currently listening to J.D. Robb's Immortal in Death in the car. I'm reading "Seal of My Dreams" Anthology by multiple romance authors about navy seals and the proceeds go to benefit a veteran's medical research non profit. 18 novellas, which of the ones I've read so far, melt your heart. Check out the cover and the story behind it. The guy on the cover is a real U.S. SEAL and what prompted the anthology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I'm not sure when I last posted. I was reading several things at once. I finished listening to State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, and I really enjoyed that one. I read The Gift, by Cecilia Ahern, and now I'm reading Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 This week I finished what I originally thought was a trilogy, as they are often spoken/written of together. By Thyra Ferre´ Bjorn, I enjoyed these very much. #72 - Papa's Daughter - A sequel to Papa's Wife, this book backtracks at the beginning, filling in more story surrounding the "troublesome" daughter, then continues on where Papa's Wife left off. #73 - Mama's Way - The above two books are fiction but are based on the parents of the author. This book is nonfiction. Thyra speaks about prayer, which was a strong and very real part of her mother's life. Thyra gives examples of prayer at work in her own life. Just started today a book I pulled at random. Never heard before of it or the author. #74 - Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, by Elizabeth Buchan. The basic *quietness* of the cover design attracted my attention . . . is that a lame reason for choosing a book or not . . . :001_huh: ! ! ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Finished this week 45. Player Piano by Vonnegut - about a dystopian society not too different from reality in America. I'm thinking about reading/re-reading all the Vonnegut books in order. 46. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I had been considering reading this to my kids for a while and when I saw the movie is coming out soon I thought, "Well, now is the time." I think we all enjoyed the story and the pictures. My kids liked asking, "What page are we on now?" because they found it so entertaining to see how far we were able to get so fast because of all the pictures. 47. The Icebound Land - the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. My ds and I are still enjoying this series. I'm considering the idea of both of us writing a letter to the author. Mine would be begging him to write an adult series all about Halt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I just wrapped up Let the Great World Spin (my review is here) and I LOVED IT! Thank you for this. This has been on my wish list and now I've moved it further up and given it a higher priority. :) I'm still reading and enjoying more - Someone Knows My Name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I posted today on Cold-Blooded Kindness, which is mostly about psychology, the Moomintroll books, and a book about the Quadrivium, which is very very pretty but may get a bit woo towards the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 This week it is A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. It is book one in the Mark of the Lion series. So far it is really good. I read books 1 and 2 of Martin's Fire and Ice series and I need a break from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I'm still working on Red, White and Muslim and I need to get started on The Elegance of the Hedgehog because it's my book club's pick for its December meeting. I LOVED The Elegance of the Hedgehog but I think I was in the minority. :001_smile: I finished 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' early this morning and have now started "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (is that title right?) by Ransom Biggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I did it! I finally finished Stone's Fall by Iain Pears. The ending was a shocker and not what I expected at all. Overall I enjoyed, it but this book took some patience to get through. I think it took me about 3 weeks to read it! My oldest two sons and I finished listening to Men of Iron by Howard Pyle last week as well. This was an assigned literature title for them but I knew it would be a tough read. I decided we would listen to it together and I'm glad we did. The story really brought the middle ages and knighthood to life for me. Now I'm ready for something that I can read a little more quickly. I hope I've found it with Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson. The inside flap says: "Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life." I'm ready to get started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 I did it! I finally finished Stone's Fall by Iain Pears. The ending was a shocker and not what I expected at all. Overall I enjoyed, it but this book took some patience to get through. I think it took me about 3 weeks to read it! My oldest two sons and I finished listening to Men of Iron by Howard Pyle last week as well. This was an assigned literature title for them but I knew it would be a tough read. I decided we would listen to it together and I'm glad we did. The story really brought the middle ages and knighthood to life for me. Now I'm ready for something that I can read a little more quickly. I hope I've found it with Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson. The inside flap says: "Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life." I'm ready to get started! Indeed Stone's Fall was an interesting read and the ending wasn't what I expected at all. I hope you like Before I Go To Sleep. It's hard to put down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Well, I've manged to read practically nothing this week... unless magazines & crossword puzzle books count. :tongue_smilie: I had to stop reading The Orientalist (to return it to the library); I didn't get very far, but just because life has been extremely busy. I would like to try it again in the new year. Not sure that I'll be reading much this week either. Perhaps. But, things are just crazy around here right now, so I'm not really counting on reading time. (And, even if I have the time, I may not have the brain power, kwim?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 It's been a couple of weeks since I last checked in. I'm currently reading one of Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries, Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron. It is terrific fluffy fun, as are all the other books in her series. You have to take a leap with the author and imagine Jane Austen solving murder mysteries, but it seems to work! Last week I read Special Topics in Calamity Physics, another whodunit, but a really unusual book. It got mixed reviews on Amazon, but I really liked it because it is so literary, with each chapter title the name of a great book and with lots of annotations scattered on every page. Some are fictional annotations that tie into the story, and many are very obscure annotations so you don't know what is real and what is fiction. But good fun and very different, very memorable. But by far the best book I have read in ages is called, simply, Practicing. Glenn Kurtz was a guitar major at the New England Conservatory but ultimately gave up the instrument after graduating, and got a PhD in Comparative Literature. The book is a memoir and is about practicing, as he has picked the instrument up again. The prose is exquisite and he describes exactly what it is to play an instrument. I believe non-musicians would enjoy the book, but those of us who tackle Bach on our chosen instruments will especially love this book. I never underline or mark up books, but I have pages dog-eared and underlined all kinds of sentences which articulate things that I've only felt but could never find words to describe. "In the time since I last practiced it, the music has reverted to its natural state." I really need to put that in my signature line!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I hope you like Before I Go To Sleep. It's hard to put down. Oh good....that's what I was hoping :) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Not sure that I'll be reading much this week either. Perhaps. But, things are just crazy around here right now, so I'm not really counting on reading time. (And, even if I have the time, I may not have the brain power, kwim?) :grouphug: Been thinking of you. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Not sure that I'll be reading much this week either. Perhaps. But, things are just crazy around here right now, so I'm not really counting on reading time. (And, even if I have the time, I may not have the brain power, kwim?) Hope you get through the week OK. Last week was the first calm week after two crazy weeks, and it was fun to get back to reading. I am still reading The Core (homeschooling how-to) and really need to start something fun. Perhaps I'll try cloudstreet by Tim Winton, a local Australian author. One friend lent it to me, another said she found it "average", and a third said it is one of her favourite books of all times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Reading Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series. Fans of Patricia Briggs or the Dresden Files would enjoy them. I read Magic Bites and am almost done with Magic Burns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) now I'm reading Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. :001_wub::drool5: Ah, Jamie, my very, very, favorite fictional character ever....! :) Well, here's my personal list so far for the year, although my focus for the challenge has mainly been on doing this challenge with my daughter (which has been going well!), so I'm not quite at 47 books for the year yet in my own personal reading! COMPLETED 1. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (YA) 2. The Virgin's Lover, by Philipa Gregory 3. The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood 4. Mary, Bloody Mary, by Carolyn Meyer (YA historical fiction) 5. Beware, Princess Elizabeth, by Carolyn Meyer (YA historical fiction) 6. Doomed Queen Anne, by Carolyn Meyer (YA historical fiction) 7. Zipporah, Wife of Moses, by Marek Halter 8. At First Sight, by Nicholas Sparks 9. Patience, Princess Catherine, by Carolyn Meyer (YA historical fiction) 10. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman (YA, if you liked Hunger Games you'd prob like this!) 11. Lover Unleashed, by J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood series/vampire, love this series!) 12. Free-Range Kids, How To Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts With Worry), by Lenore Skenazy 13. The Fifth Sacred Thing, by Starhawk 14. The Law of Nines, by Terry Goodkind 15. Running With Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs (didn't like it) 16. A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (These should count for like four books each! haha!) 17. A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin 18. Hit List, by Laurel K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series) 19. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett 20. Blessings, by Anna Quindlen 21. A Storm of Swords, by George R.R. Martin 22. A Feast For Crows, by George R.R. Martin 23. Darkfever, by Karen Marie Moning (paranormal urban fantasy, loved it!) 24. Bloodfever, by Karen Marie Moning 25. Faefever, by Karen Marie Moning 26. A Dance With Dragons, by George R.R. Martin 27. Dreamfever, by Karen Marie Moning 28. Shadowfever, by Karen Marie Moning 29. Dogs of Babel, by Carolyn Parkhurst (weird but interesting!) 30. 24 Hours, by Greg Iles 31. Tantalize, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (shouldn't even count, it was YA fiction that didn't even have the depth Twilight does lol) 32. The South Beach Diet, by Arthur Agatston, M.D. 33. The Map of Time, by Felix A. Palma (CURRENTLY READING) GAVE UP ON/INCOMPLETE Nights In Rodanthe, by Nicholas Sparks The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder Deconstructing Penguins by the Goldstones The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison NEXT ON THE LIST I have the first couple of books in Karen Marie Moning's "Highlander" series here ready to start after I finish "The Map of Time." I really enjoyed her "Fever" series and if you enjoyed the Anita Blake books, the Merry Gentry books, the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, the Sookie Stackhouse books, or the Twilight books, you will love the Fever books! The Highlander series sounds more like the "Outlander" books (although I am not expecting them to be on anywhere NEAR that level of depth/character) and I'm looking forward to checking them out! Edited November 21, 2011 by NanceXToo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I am reading Truman by David McCullough, and Leviathan by Scott Westerfield I finished up Unbroken, not sure if I posted about that one. I LOVED that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 so I'm not quite at 47 books for the year yet in my own personal reading! 16. A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (These should count for like four books each! haha!) :iagree: Though I do NOT like George R.R. Martin at all!!! I felt this way last year when I was re-reading through Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series in preparation for the newest book! 700, 800, 900, even 1,000 pages should count for at least double or something ;) I didn't make 52 last year because of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 :iagree: Though I do NOT like George R.R. Martin at all!!! I felt this way last year when I was re-reading through Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series in preparation for the newest book! 700, 800, 900, even 1,000 pages should count for at least double or something ;) I didn't make 52 last year because of this. I just found this info on Wheel of Time. I've read the first book as well. We had a discussion last year or maybe it was the year before that 12 classics in 12 months or 12 chunksters (books over 600 words) were pretty much equal to reading 52 books. If you've read most or all of the Wheel of Time books, congratulations. I'm impressed. 1. The Eye of the World 782 pages 2. The Great Hunt 681 pages 3. The Dragon Reborn 674 pages 4. The Shadow Rising 1001 pages 5. The Fires of Heaven 963 pages 6. Lord of Chaos 987 pages 7. A Crown of Swords 855 pages 8. The Path of Daggers 672 pages 9. Winter's Heart 766 pages 10. Crossroads of Twilight 822 pages 11. Knife of Dreams 837 pages 12. The Gathering Storm 766 pages 13. Towers of Midnight 864 pages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Reading Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series. Fans of Patricia Briggs or the Dresden Files would enjoy them. I read Magic Bites and am almost done with Magic Burns. I enjoyed Ilona Andrews' Edge books. Here's a link to the first -- On the Edge. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I've realised that I have to read 9 books in 6 weeks and still buy all Christmas gifts and finish the year's homeschooling (calendar school year) and arrange a Christmas meal that can be cooked on a houseboat. I just got back from the library with a pile of books, but think it will have to all be easy reads from now until 2012. Oh, and thanks for the link to the Book Challenges that was posted last week. I've got my eye on a few, although clearly getting through 52 books is challenging enough for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 (edited) And now I'll list the books I've read with my 11 y/o daughter, as she and I are doing this challenge together. :) 1. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster 2. Skellig, by David Almond 3. Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster and (Possibly) Save the World, by Katherine Hannigan 4. The Gawgon and The Boy, by Lloyd Alexander 5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling 6. The Girl With the Silver Eyes, by Willo Davis Roberts 7. Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt 8. Sounder, by William H. Armstrong 9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl 10. Treasure Island (Illustrated Classics Edition adapted by Deidre S. Laiken) 11. All-Of-A-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor 12. The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman 13. Surviving The Applewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan 14. The People in Pineapple Place, by Anne Lindbergh 15. The Prisoner of Pineapple Place, by Anne Lindbergh 16. By the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling (audiobook) 18. The Safe Zone, A Kid's Guide To Personal Safety, by Donna Chaiet and Francine Russell (highly recommend for all kids!) 19. Harriet Tubman, Call to Freedom, by Judy Carlson 20. The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 21. The Return of the Indian, by Lynne Reid Banks 22. The Secret of the Indian, by Lynne Reid Banks 23. Robinson Crusoe (Scholastic Books Edition, Retold by Edward W. Dolch etc.) 24. Ben and Me, by Robert Lawson 25. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson 26. Frindle, by Andrew Clements 27. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl 28. In Search of A Homeland, the Story of the Aeneid, by Penelope Lively 29. Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli 30. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, Retold by John Yeoman 31. Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 32. Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater 33. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (Retold by Diane Flynn Grund) 34. Little Town on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 35. These Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 36. Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli 37. The First Four Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 38. The Inheritors, by William Golding (holy cow was this one hard to get through!!! :P) 39. The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker, by Cynthia DeFelice 40. Gilgamesh the Hero, by Geraldine McCaughrean 41. The Egypt Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder 42. The Secret School, by Avi 43. Escape from Egypt, by Sonia Levitin 44. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (audiobook) 45. Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell 46. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, by Astrid Lindgren 47. The Witches, by Roald Dahl So, I can't believe that there's only five weeks left in this challenge after this week, and that my daughter and I have made it this far together! It has been a lot of fun and a great accomplishment for us, and it seems we will make it through to the end! With that said, we will not do it together again next (this?) year. Maybe I will do it on my own, but I won't do it again with her. We need a break! Reading aloud as you all know is rather time-consuming. And quite a few times over the course of this challenge, we'd fall behind and have to struggle to catch up, sometimes reading more than one book at a time/per week to not fall too far behind, or reading so many pages per day that we'd even fall a little behind on schoolwork at times lol. And there were some weeks where I'd have to count school reading instead of the "fun" reading we'd want to choose/count just so we wouldn't fall too behind. And there were many times we'd have to pass up longer books we really wanted to read together (like continuing the Harry Potter series, for example), just because we knew we'd NEVER be able to read them within a week and keep up with the challenge. And I'd find myself picking books out based solely on "is this long enough for the challenge but short enough that we can finish it in a week?" instead of "Would we LOVE to read this book?" So, this coming year, we are going to continue to read aloud together because we enjoy doing so. But we're going to pick longer books/ whichever books we feel like reading, and we're going to read them at our leisure rather than hurrying to finish them within a week. I know this challenge was really meant for adults, but thanks for letting my daughter and I play along together, we've had fun. :) Edited November 22, 2011 by NanceXToo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 And now I'll list the books I've read with my 11 y/o daughter, as she and I are doing this challenge together. :) Nance, when you have time, I'd love to know your 'top 5' faves from the list you did w/ your dd. Plus, I'd love to know which ones your dd rates 'top 5' from the same list. Thanks! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Rigler. It was light fluffy fun. Now I'm going to read the sequel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Nance, when you have time, I'd love to know your 'top 5' faves from the list you did w/ your dd. Plus, I'd love to know which ones your dd rates 'top 5' from the same list. Thanks! :001_smile: Of course! My top 5, in no particular order: 1. Any and all of the Harry Potter books...I love, love, love them all, even as an adult! I'm sure they need no further explanation or description. :D 2. Ronia, The Robber's Daughter. We just finished this one and it was a really fun read aloud by the same author as the Pippi Longstocking books. Ronia grows up with a band of robbers, idolizing her dad, the robber chieftain, and never really realizing that he's this big bad robber, or that the friend she made one day, a boy her age, is supposed to be her enemy because he's the son of her dad's arch enemy, the chieftain of the other robber band... 3. The Safe Zone, A Kid's Guide To Personal Safety- even though this wasn't fiction, I think it's a really important/useful book that is great for every parent and child to read together and have in their knowledge base, especially when kids are getting of an age to be wandering off on their own. 4. Surviving the Applewhites...I will say this one led to some, er, interesting conversation so you have to be prepared for that. Here's how it went for us, for example (Bold faced font is my daughter, italics is me). How do you grow marijuana in the basement? (You don't, it's illegal, but it's the same as growing a plant). Is marijuana like pot, or weed? (Yes, it's the same thing). Can it kill you? (Well, no, not in and of itself, but don't ever do it, it's illegal. And it can make you do stupid things. And some people who sell it COULD potentially put other things in it that COULD kill you). ("Like rat poison," Daddy interjects). What's a delinquent? (A troublemaker, a kid who does bad things. Like when Jake burns down his school and smokes cigarettes and stuff). What's a probation officer? (Someone who keeps track of you and makes sure you aren't getting in trouble once you've gotten out of jail, and who you have to check in with all the time. They might give you drug tests, check in with your boss and make sure you're working, and so on. Somebody might be on probation for a year or two, until a judge says they don't have to be anymore). I'm never going to smoke. And if my friends try to talk me into it, I'm still not going to. And if they were really my friends, they'd just say okay. (Good! That's right!) Still, it was a fun, quirky story about this "delinquent" teen who goes to live with an artistic, quirky, unschooling, crazy family who all pulls together for each other in the end (and we find that even the delinquent really wasn't so bad after all... 5. Hmm...this one might be a tossup between Maniac Magee and Stargirl. Apparently, I like Jerry Spinelli. :) I like his style of writing and I enjoy the personality he gives his characters (although some people might find that some of his content might be a little bit grown up for some kids). I will get back to you on my daughter's picks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I finished Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke. I also read Trouble in the Town Hall by Jeanne Dams, Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson, which I loved, and can't wait to read more of the series, and Peach of a Murder by Livia J. Washburn. Currently reading Killer Crab Cakes, also by Washburn. AND I'm yet another person on this list who picked up Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I started reading but put it down to finish some other things. So, including Killer Crab Cakes, I've read 109 books so far this year. There were about a half-dozen additional books that I started and never finished. Congrats, Nance, on reading all those books with your daughter! That is quite an accomplishment. Looks like a great list, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Another read from my dc, called Museum of Thieves. I think I read something that I forgot to post, but my numbers are fine, so I'm not going to worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Just finished "Beautiful Lies" by Lisa Unger. Quite good. "Uncle Petros" is next in the line up along with Alafair Burke's Long Gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Nance, when you have time, I'd love to know your 'top 5' faves from the list you did w/ your dd. Plus, I'd love to know which ones your dd rates 'top 5' from the same list. Thanks! :001_smile: Hi again, Okay I already gave you my top five list, but I just got my daughter's. Which was quite difficult because she wanted to list way more than five and I had to keep telling her, "No, no, just FIVE!" and she wanted to keep asking, "But why only FIVE?!" LOL. Eventually she narrowed it down to: 1. The Egypt Game 2. Stargirl 3. Skellig 4. The People in Pineapple Place 5. The Harry Potter Books (The Harry Potter books, of course, were in my top five, too, and so was Stargirl. While Skellig didn't quite make it, it came close, I did really enjoy that one. And I found the Pineapple Place books to be entertaining, too. The Egypt Game wasn't really one of my all-time favorites but I didn't hate it, at least). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 (edited) And now I'll list the books I've read with my 11 y/o daughter, as she and I are doing this challenge together. :) 1. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster 2. Skellig, by David Almond 3. Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster and (Possibly) Save the World, by Katherine Hannigan 4. The Gawgon and The Boy, by Lloyd Alexander 5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling 6. The Girl With the Silver Eyes, by Willo Davis Roberts 7. Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt 8. Sounder, by William H. Armstrong 9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl 10. Treasure Island (Illustrated Classics Edition adapted by Deidre S. Laiken) 11. All-Of-A-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor 12. The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman 13. Surviving The Applewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan 14. The People in Pineapple Place, by Anne Lindbergh 15. The Prisoner of Pineapple Place, by Anne Lindbergh 16. By the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling (audiobook) 18. The Safe Zone, A Kid's Guide To Personal Safety, by Donna Chaiet and Francine Russell (highly recommend for all kids!) 19. Harriet Tubman, Call to Freedom, by Judy Carlson 20. The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 21. The Return of the Indian, by Lynne Reid Banks 22. The Secret of the Indian, by Lynne Reid Banks 23. Robinson Crusoe (Scholastic Books Edition, Retold by Edward W. Dolch etc.) 24. Ben and Me, by Robert Lawson 25. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson 26. Frindle, by Andrew Clements 27. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl 28. In Search of A Homeland, the Story of the Aeneid, by Penelope Lively 29. Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli 30. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, Retold by John Yeoman 31. Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 32. Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater 33. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (Retold by Diane Flynn Grund) 34. Little Town on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 35. These Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 36. Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli 37. The First Four Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder 38. The Inheritors, by William Golding (holy cow was this one hard to get through!!! :P) 39. The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker, by Cynthia DeFelice 40. Gilgamesh the Hero, by Geraldine McCaughrean 41. The Egypt Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder 42. The Secret School, by Avi 43. Escape from Egypt, by Sonia Levitin 44. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (audiobook) 45. Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell 46. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, by Astrid Lindgren 47. The Witches, by Roald Dahl So, I can't believe that there's only five weeks left in this challenge after this week, and that my daughter and I have made it this far together! It has been a lot of fun and a great accomplishment for us, and it seems we will make it through to the end! With that said, we will not do it together again next (this?) year. Maybe I will do it on my own, but I won't do it again with her. We need a break! Reading aloud as you all know is rather time-consuming. And quite a few times over the course of this challenge, we'd fall behind and have to struggle to catch up, sometimes reading more than one book at a time/per week to not fall too far behind, or reading so many pages per day that we'd even fall a little behind on schoolwork at times lol. And there were some weeks where I'd have to count school reading instead of the "fun" reading we'd want to choose/count just so we wouldn't fall too behind. And there were many times we'd have to pass up longer books we really wanted to read together (like continuing the Harry Potter series, for example), just because we knew we'd NEVER be able to read them within a week and keep up with the challenge. And I'd find myself picking books out based solely on "is this long enough for the challenge but short enough that we can finish it in a week?" instead of "Would we LOVE to read this book?" So, this coming year, we are going to continue to read aloud together because we enjoy doing so. But we're going to pick longer books/ whichever books we feel like reading, and we're going to read them at our leisure rather than hurrying to finish them within a week. I know this challenge was really meant for adults, but thanks for letting my daughter and I play along together, we've had fun. :) Awesome. I'm impressed. Reading aloud is very hard. We read all the HP books aloud and it took several months, reading one chapter a night. And any other book, we rarely finish in a week. Congrats and keep on plugging away. Edited November 24, 2011 by Mytwoblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 This week on holidays & read The Girl Who Chased the Moon and Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 Link to week 48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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