Book a Week in 2011 - week forty nine

[Robin M]

Good morning my darlings! Today is the start of week 49 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 - Highlighting a few book readalongs and events featuring JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, George R.R. Martin's Songs of Fire and Ice series and Shakespeare. From vampires to the bard, something for everyone. :)

 

Brainstorming what mini challenges we'll be having in 2012 so if you have any ideas, let me know. Will be continuing with well educated mind and 12 in 12 classics for sure. I failed this year with w.e.m. and only read one book. Hopefully will do better next year. Mr Linky will be going up in a couple weeks for 2012 signup's. Link to the rules

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 48

[laughing lioness]

Read the Handmaid and the Carpenter. Hated it. My review here.

Also finished Little Town on the Prairie and are on These Happy Golden Years. The only way i"m getting thru 52 this year is to count our read-alouds.

[Robin M]

I finally read J.R. Ward's Dark Lover, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Good, good, good. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Currently reading John Lutz's Mister X. First time author read and it's good, holding my interest. Not an unputdownable so have no problem stepping away to do other things.

[NanceXToo]

Robin,

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I love it. I'm actually reading "Covet" now by the same author, the first in her "Fallen Angels" series. Not very far into it yet but takes place in same town and it mentioned one of the same clubs so some of the parallels are fun although this series doesn't seem to have anything to do with vampires.

 

With my daughter I'm reading A Cricket In Times Square.

 

Nance

[Robin M]

Robin,

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I love it. I'm actually reading "Covet" now by the same author, the first in her "Fallen Angels" series. Not very far into it yet but takes place in same town and it mentioned one of the same clubs so some of the parallels are fun although this series doesn't seem to have anything to do with vampires.

 

With my daughter I'm reading A Cricket In Times Square.

 

Nance

 

I'm thoroughly enjoying her fallen angel series. Have read the first three. Now have to wait for the next one. So in the meantime I'll read Black Dagger. :)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[prairiegirl]

I finished "Harry Potter's Bookshelf" by John Granger. I really enjoyed this book. On some things I think the author went a bit too far but the comparisons to other books were quite interesting. I think my oldest and I are going to do a Harry Potter unit for her Gr. 8 year using this book as one of our helps.

 

I am now reading the second book of TLofR trilogy as well as "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'.

[Ali in OR]

I read Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea this week. And it was book 48, so I'm not really behind (I thought I was). I was at the library looking at the John le Carré section to see if they had the one that comes after The Honourable Schoolboy, but it's lost. Le Guin happens to be near le Carré, and I've never read anything by her before. I enjoyed the book a lot and will probably continue the series next year. I have a few others out from the library right now. May not get one done this week, but hopefully will get three more done before the end of the year. Christmas break should help me.

 

I think next up will be our January book club book, Tenth Circle by Jodi Piccoult. Hoping I can get through it. I tried My Sister's Keeper several years ago and it just got to me too much--my youngest was the age of the girl when she was diagnosed with cancer, and I've spent too much time in hospitals with my oldest. Couldn't read it. The person who chose this book said it deals with a high school girl's r*pe by a boyfriend...ugh. Not what I would choose, but I'll give it a try and put it down if it's too much for me.

 

 

48. A Wizard of Earthsea-Ursula Le Guin

47. The Honourable Schoolboy-John le Carré

46. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver-E.L. Konigsberg

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

[Negin]

Robin, I love this thread soooo much and am so grateful for it. I've been on the lookout for it all afternoon long. :D

 

I'm reading Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - not the absolute greatest, but I like it just fine. :)

 

[dangermom]

This week I've got Wonderstruck, Brian Selznick's new book. It's was pretty good, though I didn't like it as much as Hugo Cabret. Also the final book in the Maze Runner trilogy, the cheerfully-titled The Death Cure. And finally, yet another book on girls and commercialism (but it's pretty good), Cinderella Ate My Daughter.

 

Thanks for linking up to my Greek Challenge, Robin!

[eaglei]

Still reading what I started last week:

 

#75 - The Peasant Girl's Dream, by George MacDonald. Because I have heard this author highly recommended in the past, I decided to try this book that I stumbled upon at a sale. Kind of slow starting. Can't say I've enjoyed it, but since it's comparatively short, have decided to finish it. Occasionally, the author makes a point in a rather novel way, so I guess I am more on the lookout for that as a way to encourage myself to get. done. with. the. book already!

 

Not sure what I'll read next - my wanna read list keeps growing!

[Rosie_0801]

I read an autobiography of a woman who grew up in the area my mother now lives. She wanted me to. *shrug*

 

Rosie

[6packofun]

I am reading The Lost Art by Simon Morden and will be picking up The Girl Who Played with Fire tomorrow at the library!

[Heather in Neverland]

This week it is Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

[Just Robyn]

Seeing that there was no way I'd be finishing by the end of the week any of the books I'm currently reading, I quickly read

 

50. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Aside from my aversion to reading about people living lives of privilege, it was enjoyable. I imagine I would have liked it more if it wasn't one of those stories we all know prior to (or without ever) reading the book.

[nd293]

After a couple of weeks of nothing to report, I wrapped up two books this week, and read another.

 

46. On Chesil Beach – Ian McEwan

45. The Core (Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education) – Leigh A. Bortins

44. Cloudstreet – Tim Winton

 

Cloudstreet moves into my Top 5, which is now full. It is set in the city I live in in Australia, and follows two very different working class families thrown together by bad luck. For some reason I really didn't want to like this book, but became more and more captivated as I read. It's a beautiful story about fate and faith and family. I found the "accent" reflected in the author's use of speech patterns and words a little difficult to get used to, but it was definitely worth persevering.

 

The Core was worth the read, and will become pivotal in our home education approach this coming year as we move from homeschooling to afterschooling.

 

On Chesil Beach was an unusual, but enjoyable read:

 

In 1962, Florence and Edward celebrate their wedding in a hotel on the Dorset coast. Yet as they dine, the expectation of their marital duties weighs over them. And unbeknownst to both, the decisions they make this night will resonate throughout their lives. With exquisite prose, Ian McEwan creates in On Chesil Beach a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.

 

 

I have 6 more books to go: I have a "beach read" planned for the Christmas period, I am listening to Ivanhoe, and am committed to reading Adam Resurrected as my current "work of literary value", although am still not sure how I feel about it. But I'm really struggling with the last three. I need something absorbing right now, to offset the general malaise that always overcomes me at this time of year, thanks to the combined effects of Christmas commercialism and summer heat. None of the three books I currently have lined up are working. Off to the library in a few minutes, so hopefully I'll come across something good.

 

Nikki

[-M-]

#109 The Schwa Was Here (Neal Shusterman)

Clever YA fiction by the author of Unwind.

 

#110 My Lobotomy (Howard Dully)

One of the saddest, most horrifying stories I have ever read. Related link here.

[6packofun]

I felt the same about his Finding God in Harry Potter. Very interesting, but quite a bit may not be the author's intent. ;) I still enjoyed it!

[laughing lioness]

I read Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea this week. And it was book 48, so I'm not really behind (I thought I was). I was at the library looking at the John le Carré section to see if they had the one that comes after The Honourable Schoolboy, but it's lost. Le Guin happens to be near le Carré, and I've never read anything by her before. I enjoyed the book a lot and will probably continue the series next year. I have a few others out from the library right now. May not get one done this week, but hopefully will get three more done before the end of the year. Christmas break should help me.

 

I read my first LeGuin a couple of weeks ago- The Left Hand of Darkness- just brilliant.

[Stacia]

After quite a few weeks of being too busy, I finally managed to read another book (tonight, on the airplane while returning home): The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's one of those books I've been meaning to read for years. I thoroughly enjoyed it & found it a quick, fun book to read. I definitely see the influence it's had on authors such as Terry Pratchett, Walter Moers, etc....

Amazon.com Review:

"Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway. You'll never read funnier science fiction; Adams is a master of intelligent satire, barbed wit, and comedic dialogue.

The Hitchhiker's Guide

is rich in comedic detail and thought-provoking situations and stands up to multiple reads. Required reading for science fiction fans, this book (and its follow-ups) is also sure to please fans of Monty Python, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, and British sitcoms."

[twoplustrips]

:hurray: Woohoo!!! I finished book #52 this week!!! Thank you ladies so much for your weekly posts. I've found so many new books this year through this challenge. Here's my list from this year:

 

52. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

51. Eleventh Guest by Bodie & Brock Thoene

50. Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster

49. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

48. The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

47. Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

46. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

45. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

44. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

43. A Love that Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

42. Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

41. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

40. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

39. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

38. Lost and Found: The True Story of Jaycee Lee Dugard and the Abduction that shocked the World by John Glatt

37. LEFT neglected by Lisa Genova

36. Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

35. Raising the Dead by Chauncey W.. Crandall IV, MD

34. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

33. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

32. The Priest’s Graveyard by Ted Dekker

31. Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

30. Inconceivable by Carolyn & Sean Savage

29. Cruel as the Grave by Sharon Kay Penman

28. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

27. Bringing Adam Home by Les Standiford

26. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

25. Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker

24. The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant

23. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

22. The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

21. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

20. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

19. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

18. Radical by David Platt

17. Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers

16. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

15. Without a Word by Jill Kelly

14. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

13. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

12. Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers

11. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

10. Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

9. The Long Run by Matt Long

8. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

7. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

6. Obsessed by Ted Dekker

5. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

4. Deconstructing Penguins by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone

3. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

1. The Help by Katheryn Stockett

 

Kathy

[Mom-ninja.]

I had several books come in from PBS. I chose to read The Price of Honor. I'm still at the beginning of the book and already horrified. Not something to read right before bed!

[Guest]

I am reading Truman, December 1941, and Leviathan. I'll be lucky if I finish anything else this year, although I'd really like to!

[rhrice3]

I finished "Rule of Four" which I discovered on this website. It was intriguing, and it reminded me of Eco Umberto's books which I like. Maybe, I am a sucker for that time period and all its religious turmoil. My daughter and I, also, finished "Cat of the Bubastes" which is my 2nd time reading through but just as enjoyable as the first time.

 

I have started "Rin Tin Tin" by Susan Orlean. We are shepherd lovers, and I read a good review on it. I am only 30 pp in so I can not comment, and I am hoping that I can keep up the challenge for the last 3 weeks!

 

THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT BOOKS THIS YEAR!

ReneeR

[Robin M]

:hurray: Woohoo!!! I finished book #52 this week!!! Thank you ladies so much for your weekly posts. I've found so many new books this year through this challenge. Here's my list from this year:

 

52. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

51. Eleventh Guest by Bodie & Brock Thoene

50. Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster

49. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

48. The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

47. Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

46. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

45. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

44. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

43. A Love that Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

42. Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

41. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

40. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

39. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

38. Lost and Found: The True Story of Jaycee Lee Dugard and the Abduction that shocked the World by John Glatt

37. LEFT neglected by Lisa Genova

36. Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

35. Raising the Dead by Chauncey W.. Crandall IV, MD

34. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

33. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

32. The Priest’s Graveyard by Ted Dekker

31. Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

30. Inconceivable by Carolyn & Sean Savage

29. Cruel as the Grave by Sharon Kay Penman

28. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

27. Bringing Adam Home by Les Standiford

26. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

25. Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker

24. The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant

23. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

22. The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

21. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

20. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

19. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

18. Radical by David Platt

17. Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers

16. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

15. Without a Word by Jill Kelly

14. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

13. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

12. Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers

11. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

10. Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

9. The Long Run by Matt Long

8. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

7. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

6. Obsessed by Ted Dekker

5. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

4. Deconstructing Penguins by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone

3. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

1. The Help by Katheryn Stockett

 

Kathy

 

 

Congratulations Kathy. :party:

[Storm Bay]

Wow, Week 49 already. I read School's Out-Forever (the second in a series my dd's & I are reading by James Patterson) and am still working on the books I mentioned last week. So many books, so little time. I still haven't figured out if I'm going to do any of the more specific challenges, but probably not. If I do a book a week, then I'm able to change on a whim or after giving it some serious thought.

[Stacia]

:hurray: Woohoo!!! I finished book #52 this week!!! Thank you ladies so much for your weekly posts. I've found so many new books this year through this challenge.

 

:party: Congrats, Kathy!

 

Looks like you had a fabulous reading list. :001_smile: So, what's your review of 1Q84??? (It's on my "I must read this very soon" list -- hoping to get a copy for Christmas! I cannot wait to tackle that one. :D)

[nd293]

:hurray: Woohoo!!! I finished book #52 this week!!!

 

Congratulations! I am at the stage where I wake up sweating and recalculate the number of weeks until the end of year, and books that I need to read. Then I waste time reading forum posts ...

[Onceuponatime]

I'm reading The Wilder Life, after seeing it mentioned here a few times. I'm enjoying it.

[CAMom]

I finished books 50 and 51!:D

 

The Red Tent: I really liked the story telling but struggled with how it does not match up to the actual story. I don't mind some embellishment but the way the characters of Jacob, Joseph and Rebecca was portrayed were annoying.:)

 

Violets are Blue by James Patterson: Total brain candy! But, I needed a quick escape. This one was more graphic than the others I've read. I almost wish I hadn't tried a James Patterson in the first place as I'm so tempted to read them when I need a quick read that requires no concentration. But, I find myself oddly drawn to them when I hit the library and I have a little bit of a book crush on Alex Cross.;)

 

Currently I'm reading Born to Run and Why We Get Fat and What to do About it. I'm really liking both of them. Last night I was reading about the Leadville, CO race in Born to Run which was fun because I've actually been to Leadville. It's a challenge to merely walk down the street let alone compete in some crazy race way up there.

 

I have The Poisonwood Bible sitting on my nightstand ready to go.:)

[Violet Crown]

:hurray: Woohoo!!! I finished book #52 this week!!! Thank you ladies so much for your weekly posts. I've found so many new books this year through this challenge. Here's my list from this year:

 

52. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

You are awesome. Finishing off with Murakami is nice style.

 

I finished

27. Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1

 

And hope to get in one more before the new year:

 

28. Amerio Romano, Iota Unum

 

I'm on page 600 out of 762, and it's very dry. :tongue_smilie: But I can do it!

 

All in all, what with the endless drama of Wee Girl and Great Girl (who thought having a teen and a preschooler at the same time would be a good idea?), I'm quite pleased to have read a book every other week on average this year, and I'm excited about 2012. And it's been fun seeing what other people are reading.

 

This is the best kind of book group; everyone reads what they like, the group nature of it encourages others to keep going, and we can share reviews and ideas, but with no obligation to match reading lists. Thank you so much for setting it up! And thanks to all you wonderful participating moms!

 

26. Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors

25. Tolstoy, Master and Man and Other Stories (Father Sergius, Master and Man, Hadji Murat); S. Rapaport and John Kenworthy, trs.

24. Graham Greene, The Honorary Consul.

23. Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War; Rex Warner, tr.

22. Gerald Hanley, Drinkers of Darkness

21. Henry James, What Maisie Knew.

20. Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native.

19. Henry James, The Spoils of Poynton.

18. Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

17. Olive Schreiner, The Story of an African Farm.

16. Terence, Phormio & Other Plays. Betty Radice, Tr.

15. Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here.

14. Goethe, Faust: Part One. Philip Wayne, Tr.

13. Robert Musil, Young Torless. Eithne Wilkins & Ernst Kaiser, Tr.

12. Chris Wright, Dr. Wright's Kitchen Table Math: Book 1

11. John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor

10. Fernando de Rojas, The Spanish Bawd (La Celestina); J. M. Cohen, Tr.

9. Charles Baudelaire, The Flowers of Evil; various tr.

8. Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House and Other Plays (The League of Youth, A Doll's House, The Lady From the Sea); Peter Watts, Tr.

7. Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind*

6. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France

5. Graham Greene, A Burnt-Out Case

4. Aeschylus, The Oresteia (Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides); Robert Fagles, Tr.

3. Camara Laye, The Radiance of the King

2. St. Augustine, Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany

1. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

[Cleopatra]

My book for the week was Elizabeth and Essex - a tragic history by Lytton Strachley. This book was published in 1928 and I loved the rich vocabulary and descriptions. There were many quotes from the letters of Elizabeth and other principal characters, which I felt gave me a better understanding of them and their motivations. Surprisingly it was the exact same plot as the book I read last week, Elizabeth I. Obviously, with historical characters, authors generally are not going to be able to write anything new, but these plots were so similar it made me wonder ...... In any case, next week I'm going to leave the Elizabethan period and try something new ....

 

 

49. Elizabeth and Essex - a tragic history - Lytton Strachley

48. Elizabeth I - Margaret George

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[luvnlattes]

I finished #48 last week. I just might be able to do this!!!

 

Last week I read 2030 by Albert Brooks. Some reviewers on Amazon are comparing it to 1984; not necessarily the writing style but the glimpse into the future. I'll be 65 in 2030 so it will be interesting to see if any of his predictions come true. The book started off great but then lost some steam partway through. One of the storylines was a bit far-fetched in my opinion, but all in all it was entertaining.

 

This week I'm reading Learning Disabilities: What are They? by Robert Cimera.

Edited December 7, 2011 by luvnlattes

[twoplustrips]

:party: Congrats, Kathy!

 

Looks like you had a fabulous reading list. :001_smile: So, what's your review of 1Q84??? (It's on my "I must read this very soon" list -- hoping to get a copy for Christmas! I cannot wait to tackle that one. :D)

 

My review of 1Q84 - I loved it...and I hated it. I loved it – obviously I must enjoy a book to read 925 pages in 21 days. The story was interesting, I enjoyed the writing, I even liked when I was thinking about how it was translated from Japanese and things sounded funny to an American. But, I hated it. There were so many graphic – and unnecessary – s*xual scenes, it makes me uncomfortable to tell others IRL that I read the book, let alone to tell them that I liked it. It was such an interesting story, with a pleasurable ending (though there is room left for a 4th book), I hate that it was ruined for me by all the s*x…

 

Kathy

[Stacia]

Well, things are so busy & I keep feeling like I have no time to read. But, the kids wanted to stop by the library yesterday & I found myself checking out an almost 900 page book that I'm now engrossed in!

 

Darkmans by Nicola Barker

 

 

 

From The Guardian review:

 

"A jester haunts this book. Not the story (though he does that, too), but the book itself, possessing the characters at inconvenient moments, forcing broken language out of their mouths and scattering it across the page, "ducking and diving between the words ... deceiving and then disappearing". For jesters, like clowns, are not actually about comedy, are they? They're about mischief, and malevolent mischief at that.

 

And so, in a way, is Nicola Barker. Through six novels and two short-story collections, she has made a virtue of dangerous play. She is a serious writer, certainly, maybe even a "serious" one, but it is difficult to think of another contemporary novelist who will so relentlessly pursue the truth and then punctuate it with a honking red nose, who will expose real pain and human complexity while at the same time squirting water in your eye. Each of her works brims with electricity, energy and invention, with rude humour, originality and contrariness. She is not to everyone's taste, but isn't that good reason to cherish her all the more?

 

Who else but Barker would produce an 838-page epic with little describable plot, taking place over just a few days and set in - wait for it - Ashford? For that's what Darkmans is, and it is phenomenally good."

 

Read the rest of the Guardian (UK) review here....

 

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

59. World War Z

60. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

Stacia's Challenge/2011 Goodreads

[Sparkle]

I finished up:

 

#114. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

 

#115. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

[Angel]

I finished up:

 

#115. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

 

Well...enquiring minds want to know?! :tongue_smilie: You said you found it oddly compelling but it was early on so you reserved the right to change your mind. So...

[Angel]

Finished #46 The Taming of the Shrew yesterday. I found this a harder play to read than Macbeth or Much Ado About Nothing, especially in the beginning. However, mid-way through it picked up and became easier. Though overall I liked it less than the other two, I fell in love with the phrase "Kiss me Kate." Especially in the following passage...

 

KATHERINE

Husband, let’s follow to see the end of this ado.

PETRUCHIO

First kiss me, Kate, and we will.

KATHERINE

What, in the midst of the street?

PETRUCHIO

What, art thou ashamed of me?

KATHERINE

No, sir, God forbid, but ashamed to kiss.

PETRUCHIO

Why, then let’s home again. (to GRUMIO) Come, sirrah, let’s away.

KATHERINE

Nay, I will give thee a kiss. (kisses him) Now pray thee, love, stay.

PETRUCHIO

Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate.

Better once than never, for never too late.

 

and also at the very end :D

 

We met for our Shakespeare study today and my dd and the other teens that we get together with, along with dd11, did a Shakespeare in a Box production of The Taming of a Shrew in 45 minutes. It was a hoot and we had a lot of fun with it. I highly recommend it!

[Sparkle]

Well...enquiring minds want to know?! :tongue_smilie: You said you found it oddly compelling but it was early on so you reserved the right to change your mind. So...

 

:D Well, you all can laugh at me if you want, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. The quality of writing isn't the best ever, but I did like the story line and found myself wondering what would happen next, and it was fun reading a different genre than I usually do. So there you go ;)

[Angel]

:D Well, you all can laugh at me if you want, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. The quality of writing isn't the best ever, but I did like the story line and found myself wondering what would happen next, and it was fun reading a different genre than I usually do. So there you go ;)

 

:hurray: I was hoping you would say this! I know a few years ago, before I read it, there was a huge thread on reading Twilight. Quite a few gals piped up to say they loved it. Lately, since I've read them, I've heard more people saying they just hated them. I thoroughly enjoyed them all! Not ashamed to admit it either. :D I think it's a love or hate thing. One friend of mine found them oddly compelling and couldn't put them down but was embarrassed to go to the library and check them out (I had to do it for her). The other friend just couldn't get into them.

 

Thanks for letting me know :001_smile:

[Mommyfaithe]

I just finished Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. It was a cute read. Made me laugh a few times....

 

I am also reading The Cousin's War series by Philippa George. I finished Lady of the River and I am now reading the White Queen...with " the Red Queen" in que. I think by then I shall be sick to my stomach of the English monarchies.

 

Faithe

[laughing lioness]

Just picked up Faith- a fictional account of a Catholic priest who was accused of child molestation. The writing is good and engaging. On The First Four Years of Little House series...winding down with that.

[Just Robyn]

:D Well, you all can laugh at me if you want, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. The quality of writing isn't the best ever, but I did like the story line and found myself wondering what would happen next, and it was fun reading a different genre than I usually do. So there you go ;)

 

:hurray: I was hoping you would say this! I know a few years ago, before I read it, there was a huge thread on reading Twilight. Quite a few gals piped up to say they loved it. Lately, since I've read them, I've heard more people saying they just hated them. I thoroughly enjoyed them all! Not ashamed to admit it either. :D I think it's a love or hate thing. One friend of mine found them oddly compelling and couldn't put them down but was embarrassed to go to the library and check them out (I had to do it for her). The other friend just couldn't get into them.

 

Thanks for letting me know :001_smile:

 

Twilight fans unite! I've read them all three times.:tongue_smilie:

[Robin M]

Well, things are so busy & I keep feeling like I have no time to read. But, the kids wanted to stop by the library yesterday & I found myself checking out an almost 900 page book that I'm now engrossed in!

 

 

Darkmans by Nicola Barker

From

The Guardian review

:

 

"A jester haunts this book. Not the story (though he does that, too), but the book itself, possessing the characters at inconvenient moments, forcing broken language out of their mouths and scattering it across the page, "ducking and diving between the words ... deceiving and then disappearing". For jesters, like clowns, are not actually about comedy, are they? They're about mischief, and malevolent mischief at that.

 

And so, in a way, is Nicola Barker. Through six novels and two short-story collections, she has made a virtue of dangerous play. She is a serious writer, certainly, maybe even a "serious" one, but it is difficult to think of another contemporary novelist who will so relentlessly pursue the truth and then punctuate it with a honking red nose, who will expose real pain and human complexity while at the same time squirting water in your eye. Each of her works brims with electricity, energy and invention, with rude humour, originality and contrariness. She is not to everyone's taste, but isn't that good reason to cherish her all the more?

 

Who else but Barker would produce an 838-page epic with little describable plot, taking place over just a few days and set in - wait for it - Ashford? For that's what Darkmans is, and it is phenomenally good."

 

Read the rest of the Guardian (UK) review

here

....

 

Okay, totally have me curious now and will have to check it out.

 

I finished up:

 

#114. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

 

#115. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

 

 

I enjoyed twilight. However the first and only time I read it I was stuck in a new york city hotel room with a sick kid for a day. Helped to pass the time and kept my attention and made me want to read the rest of them. I did and thoroughly enjoyed them. Yes, I had issues with Bella but who wouldn't.

[Angel]

Twilight fans unite! I've read them all three times.:tongue_smilie:

 

:lol: I've only read them twice.

[Robin M]

Link to week 49