Book a Week in 2012 - week 4

[Hannah C.]

And the classics book club I belonged to meets next week and they are doing Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Anyone know if it's possible to even read that in one week? I like to go slower with classical literature.

 

Mrs. Dalloway is quite short - I think it's under 200 pages, if not under 150. I read it in high school and adored it. It's a wonderful, slow-moving book. :)

 

 

I finished my 5th book yesterday. My list so far:

 

1. The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

2. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

3. The Me I Want To Be by John Ortberg

4. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus J. Borg

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

[Violet Crown]

I read Anna Karenina a few years ago and of the two I enjoyed AK more. I've heard a lot of other people say the opposite.

I preferred War and Peace, but I read Anna when I was much younger and completely unfamiliar with Tolstoy, and in a poor translation. I've been thinking about trying it again.

 

Snaffle sounds like my kind of word. :D

The trick is to start working the new vocabulary into conversation. "You know, I really need to take the snaffle in my teeth and get to work on that project." After all, it's all about making other people worry they're less educated than we are, right? :D

 

I learned quite a bit about him a couple of years ago when I read The Monsters: Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein.

Yes, and wasn't there some quite awful movie out several years ago about that famous literary evening?

 

 

As far as translations go, Pevear and Volokhonsky have won lots of awards. They did the translation of Anna K used by Oprah's Book Club and have a W&P translation too.

 

Ok, ok, now I feel like I should really tackle War & Peace sometime this year.... Did you select this particular translation for a reason...???

 

Oh yes, for the excellent reason that it was $1.99 at Half Price Books, and ultra-cheap for the Kindle, which saved me from having to drag a 1440-page novel around with me when I was out and about.

 

From what I read, there are several quite good translations now to choose from. There's a nice discussion here from someone who prefers the Edmonds version; but really, there don't seem to be bad translations current. You might want to be aware that the Bromfield translation is of Tolstoy's first draft, and is substantially different from the more accepted third draft, Tolstoy's final version. Otherwise, it may just be a matter of what you can find at the library or bookstore, and of how comfortable you are with the French and German parts being translated for you. My reading French is pretty good, and for that reason I think I would rather have had the Pevears' translation; but I didn't feel like shelling out the money to buy it new. If you're not up to paragraphs in French (plus the occasional German sentence) and would tire of looking to footnotes frequently, you might not prefer Pevear-Volokhonsky.

 

 

I'm reading the Russians in February: one HUGE fiction book (Tolstoy) plus Robert Massie's nonfiction Catherine the Great. Reading Moscow in winter somehow seems fitting. :D It's a good idea, anyway ....

:iagree: You may also find yourself, like me, playing Tchaikovsky on the stereo quite a lot.

You pick the coolest books, Sharon.

You're too generous. But I do love to read good books!

 

John Le Carre, either Tinker, Tailor or The Spy Who Came In From the Cold

I'd enjoy this. Let me know which one you pick.

Dh brought home Tinker, Tailor from the library (the best thing about his job is infinite-term borrowing privileges from the gigantic university library, hand-delivered to my home! :D ), so I'm going to read that one.

 

Felix Feneon, Novels in Three Lines

This one looks thoroughly depressing, though.

But it's awesome! It's as if the New York Post were written in haiku. Or if Hell had a twitter feed.

 

Finding his daughter, 19, insufficiently austere,

Jallat, watchmaker of Saint-Etienne, killed her.

It is true that he has 11 children left.

Plato, either Crito or The Apology

Pretty sure I'm not smart enough for this.

Neither am I, but dh has taught Greek philosophy before, and is offering to take me through it. We just did Euthyphro together. So I'll probably work through more Plato while I read something else.

 

Edward Gordon, Centuries of Tutoring: A History of Alternative Education in America and Western Europe

$50 used on Amazon ! :eek: How good is it? $50 worth of good? Let us know.

Wow! I had no idea; I picked it up at Half Price for $8. From the looks of it, I'd guess it was someone's published dissertation, and so has a wealth of useful citations and doesn't make any claims that aren't thoroughly backed up, which is nice. Great Girl read through it (she has an annoying habit of going through my to-read stack considerably ahead of me) and liked it very much; she felt it helped her have a better understanding of how her own education fit into the broader sweep of western non-institutional education. I wonder if it's on-line? Many academics self-publish their work.

 

Seventeenth-Century Prose, ed. Peter Ure

Can't seem to find this.

Bookfinder.com shows some cheap copies, if you don't mind the shipping cost from the UK. I found this in a pile of old Pelican (Penguin's British non-fiction line) books with shilling-and-pence prices on the Half Price clearance shelf. It looks great.

 

Polidori, The Vampyre

Vampires? This would be completely out of my comfort zone. Can't wait to read your review.

Coming up!

 

Balzac, Droll Stories

This looks very interesting, and it's free on Kindle. Why does his name sound so familiar? I'll try it.

Hooray! This is the one I've settled on. My ex-library copy is bulky, so I may Kindle it too.

 

F. C. Copleston, Aquinas

This looks great, too.

This was from the above-mentioned Pelican stack. When I brought it home, dh told me Copleston is a well-known and respected philosophical historian, and I felt vaguely embarrassed never having heard of him before. But living with dh leaves me feeling vaguely embarrassed quite a lot, so it's nothing new.:D

 

Several of these recommend themselves by their brevity. Any look good?

Which ones are brief? :D

The Polidori, the Plato, the Copleston, and Centuries of Tutoring all look like they could be done in a week. And Strunk & White is short, but not short enough.

 

I would enjoy participating in a "read-along" for several of the books on your list, Sharon. Should you choose to want to do something like this....

That would be fun! How about the Balzac? He wrote so much, and yet I've never read anything of his.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Sharon in Austin
readability

[Alice]

Aawwww ..... I really wanted to read Anna K, but if everyone wanted to do a group read of W&P instead, I'd be willing. (If it makes a difference, Anna K is a bit shorter than W&P: 862 vs 1296. I have no idea how many screen shots that equals on the Nook :lol:)

 

As far as translations go, Pevear and Volokhonsky have won lots of awards. They did the translation of Anna K used by Oprah's Book Club and have a W&P translation too.

 

I'm reading the Russians in February: one HUGE fiction book (Tolstoy) plus Robert Massie's nonfiction Catherine the Great. Reading Moscow in winter somehow seems fitting. :D It's a good idea, anyway ....

 

I read the Pevear-Volokhonsky translations for both War and Peace and Anna Karenina. I thought they were both excellent although I didn't really have anything to compare to.

[Robin M]

I read the Pevear-Volokhonsky translations for both War and Peace and Anna Karenina. I thought they were both excellent although I didn't really have anything to compare to.

 

 

I read the Anthony Briggs translation without all the thees and thous. It wasn't difficult to read at all. Don't remember which one for Anna Karenina. Your best bet is to look at the excerpts on Amazon and see which one is easiest for you to read.

[ladydusk]

Balzac, Droll Stories

This looks very interesting, and it's free on Kindle. Why does his name sound so familiar? I'll try it.

 

Free on Kindle is speaking my name. I'm terrible at online book clubs, but I'll try this with you ladies.

 

Luann, fan of The Music Man? Balzac is one of those scandalous reads Marian the Librarian keeps recommending ...

[TravelingChris]

Just finished #14- Robert b. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman

This is another Jess Stone novel set if Paradise,MA. Robert Parker died in Jan 2010 and this is another writer taking over the series. He did a very good job with the style and the story. It seemed just like the original author's books.

 

In terms of book clubs, one of my book clubs has A Confederacy of Dunces for the meeting this week. I had read this book either in college or soon after that and didn't like it. I wasn't able to find a copy in the library so I just went to the meeting with a refresher from Amazon reviews. Well the meeting was funny- We are all now ladies in our late 30's to early 50's and only the person who suggested the book actually finished reading it. She also had read it right after college and loved it. Now, years later, she didn't like it but since it was her selection, she finished. Others didn't like it and either didn't finish or never read it (like me, I just remembered I disliked it and certainly wasn't going to buy it). ONe person accidentally read next month's selection and she says that one is good - Enchantment by Orson Scott Card. I placed it on hold and should get it by this weekend.

[Angel]

I finished book #3 this afternoon. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. Someone posted in the first week or so about asking their dc what book they would like them to read. I thought this was a great idea and asked my girls what favorite book they would like me to read. Dd11 is a girl in the moment :D She is reading The Son of Neptune and couldn't stand it that I hadn't read The Lost Hero yet. That was her choice for me. Dd17's choice for me is the first in a four book series. Because of that, and dd11 is not very patient, I went with younger dd's choice first. It was good. I read all the Percy Jackson books last year and the year before. I thought The Lost Hero was a little more original with its storyline. I'll probably read The Son of Neptune when dd is finished with it.

 

My girls are ahead of me in the count. I don't think I'm giving them enough to do :tongue_smilie:

 

Me:

3. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

2. Henry V by Shakespeare

1. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

 

Dd17:

5. Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

4. Entwined by Heather Dixon

3. Henry V by Shakespeare

2. Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw

1. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

 

Dd11: (who got her first AG doll :D)

7. Julie's Journey by Megan McDonald

6. Julie and the Eagles by Megan McDonald

5. Happy New Year, Julie! by Megan McDonald

4. Julie Tells Her Story by Megan McDonald

3. Meet Julie by Megan McDonald

2. The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe

1. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe

 

ONe person accidentally read next month's selection and she says that one is good - Enchantment by Orson Scott Card. I placed it on hold and should get it by this weekend.

 

Enchantment was the first book I read last year. Different sort of fantasy for me, but I liked it ok.

[Melinda in VT]

I was supposed to read Galileo's Daughter this week. (It's due at the library on Saturday.) I'm only about a third of the way through it because a friend mentioned The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith and I couldn't stop reading it.

[Aquinas Academy]

I finished two book-based-on-books last week: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel. I loved the Fforde; Oppel wasn't as good as I hoped. I'm going to read Jane Eyre and Frankenstein soon, but for now I'm reading The Readbreast by Jo Nesbø, Death by Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Aeneid by Virgil, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and Don Quixote by Cervantes (I'm stalled on this one, though). I didn't realise I had so many on the go until I typed them all out. :lol:

 

My list:

 

1. Boom! – Mark Haddon

2. Grand Duchess Elizabeth: New Martyr of the Communist Yoke – Lubov Millar

3. The Republic – Plato (trans. Desmond Lee)

4. They Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde

5. This Dark Endeavour – Kenneth Opple

 

 

[Stacia]

Thought this opinion article would be of interest to the bibliophiles here (esp. in light of the discussions of Russian literature): Vladimir Putin would like you to read a book: Why his proposal for a "Russian canon" is scary as hell

[Stacia]

I finished The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott. I really enjoyed it as a historical fiction piece (though her characterization could have been stronger, imo). Stott provided many fascinating facts about the Paris scientific community after the fall of Napoleon, specifically lots of emerging thought around the ideas of transmutation & evolution. Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction w/ a dose of science.

 

My Goodreads Page

 

2012 Books Read:

01. Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees (HHH)

02. Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (HH, if you're in the right mood, lol)

03. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (HHHH)

04. In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut (HHHH)

05. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (HHHHH)

06. The Infernals by John Connolly (HHH)

07. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (HH)

08. The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott (HHH)

[laughing lioness]

The kids and I started The History of the Medieval World by SWB as a read aloud this week. It's SOTW on steroids. We are just doing a chapter or two a day. Lots of questions and interruptions, looking at maps, etc. 8 dd requested it for bedtime story tonight, claiming it "more fun" than "Theh Other Side of the Mountain."

Fun times :001_smile:

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Mom-ninja.]

I finished The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott. I really enjoyed it as a historical fiction piece (though her characterization could have been stronger, imo). Stott provided many fascinating facts about the Paris scientific community after the fall of Napoleon, specifically lots of emerging thought around the ideas of transmutation & evolution. Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction w/ a dose of science.

 

That looks good. Added to my list. I'll never catch up to my list. :D

[thessa516]

9. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

 

------------

 

Ehh, it was okay. Cute. A nice, easy book to read while you're waiting to fall asleep. I'm taking a break from Allen's books for a while, but I'll be back to read more of her work. After all, I do love magical realism.

 

I'm so excited! I FINALLY got Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children from the library last night! I've been on the waiting list forever. I've been wanting to read it ever since I saw this

.

 

---------

 

8. A Chicken in Every Yard by Robert and Hannah Litt

7. Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott

6. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

5. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

4. Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Nasland

3. At Home by Bill Bryson

2. Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison

1. Little Sugar Addicts by Kathleen DesMaisons

[Enough]

I finished Ahab's Wife a couple nights ago- loved, loved, LOVED ;) it. I've been away from books for so long that the epic-ness of this book seemed like a FEAST to me. The writing was dense and deep and delicious (like my alliteration? :tongue_smilie:) and the story was a sweeping saga (more alliteration! :lol:). Totally what I needed at this time in my life.

 

I've started The Sisters Brothers, which is surprisingly funny and... tender (?!?!?) for a story about cold-blooded killers!! Really enjoying it.

 

Also started Parenting Beyond Belief, which is a collection of essays from parents who've chosen to raise their children without religion. Some of the essays have been 'eh' but overall, I've gotten a lot of wisdom and solace from the writings.

[Stacia]

That looks good. Added to my list. I'll never catch up to my list. :D

 

Me neither. :lol:

 

I've started The Sisters Brothers, which is surprisingly funny and... tender (?!?!?) for a story about cold-blooded killers!! Really enjoying it.

 

:iagree:

 

There is a quote on the back of the book which I really like & agree with...

from David Wroblewski, author of

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

:

 

"

The Sisters Brothers

by Patrick deWitt is a gorgeous, wise, riveting work of, among other things, cowboy noir. Comic, too, but of a species that arrives bearing a scorpion's stinger. You smile, then you wince, then you turn the page to find out what happens next, happily disarmed all the while by the voice of Eli Sisters as he puzzles his way back to humanity. Honestly, I can't recall ever being this fond of a pair of psychopaths."

Tonight, I finished Zeroville by Steve Erickson. I loved, loved this surreal, funny, unsettling, unique musing on movies, good vs. evil, the nature of man vs. God, dreams vs. reality,.... This book has a few of the funniest, most absurd (in a good way) scenes that I've read in a long time. And, it's a perfect read in the run-up to the Oscars, imo.

 

My Goodreads Page

 

2012 Books Read:

01. Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees (HHH)

02. Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (HH, if you're in the right mood, lol)

03. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (HHHH)

04. In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut (HHHH)

05. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (HHHHH)

06. The Infernals by John Connolly (HHH)

07. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (HH)

08. The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott (HHH)

09. Zeroville by Steve Erickson (HHHH)

[Jennifer3141]

Hannah C, thank you for encouraging me on Mrs. Dalloway. I'm halfway done and it is a very nice little read.

My classics book club is run by a retired 70ish year old former English teacher. She is a HOOT and she gets irate if you do not read the book deeply. When we read Lolita together a few years ago, I was the only one who could slog through the entire book which was ironic because I was the only one with a small daughter at home at the time. The book club leader muttered and muttered and ended up only talking to me. So not only do I read the book but I end up doing online research and querying friends about the book. I actually wrote a book report for one of the Potok books. She scares me that much. :lol:

 

I am so glad so many of you love Ahab's Wife. It is just dense. It makes me wonder if everyon's life would be this rich if it were written this way.

[Jennifer3141]

Enough, I also want to hear more about Sisters Brothers when you are done. I'm going to go look that up on amazon right now. It sounds interesting! And Parenting Beyond Belief is on my list too.

[ariasmommy]

Finished book #4 last night (yet another one started last year): Keeping House by Margaret Kim Peterson. More of a "why" (from a Christian perspective) than a "how" book, but still a lot of practical advice on laundry, hospitality, routines, etc. I wish I'd had this book ten years ago - maybe I wouldn't struggle with housekeeping so much.:tongue_smilie:

[Clear Creek]

This week I read Jodi Picoult's House Rules. It was a bit of a disappointment, honestly. It was informative as far as Asperger's Syndrome, but at times it seemed to cross the line from fiction to non-fiction; it did not flow well. I also figured out how it was going to end 450 pages before it actually ended, so it dragged on quite a bit. All in all, I like it the least of all of her books that I have read.

 

#9 House Rules by Jodi Picoult

[Mom-ninja.]

I finished Outliers by Gladwell last night.

 

I found the whole idea that our work ethic was formed due to our societies agricultural demands over hundreds of years intensely interesting.

 

Since then I've been pondering the western philosophy of work/education and the eastern in terms of home schooling. I give my boys a lot of free time. Is free time and play as important as I believe? Should I demand more from my boys by increasing my expectations of school work and chores? Would they miss out on fundamentals of childhood if I did? What *are* the fundamentals of childhood?

 

I actually fell asleep late and work up early thinking about these questions.

[ladydusk]

Week 4 ... and only my second completed book. Hm. That's not a good start.

 

I read Rachel Jankovic's Loving the Little Years this week and enjoyed it.

 

2012 Books Reviews

1. Lit! by Tony Reinke

2. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

[Negin]

I finished Outliers by Gladwell last night.

I found the whole idea that our work ethic was formed due to our societies agricultural demands over hundreds of years intensely interesting.

Since then I've been pondering the western philosophy of work/education and the eastern in terms of home schooling. I give my boys a lot of free time. Is free time and play as important as I believe? Should I demand more from my boys by increasing my expectations of school work and chores? Would they miss out on fundamentals of childhood if I did? What *are* the fundamentals of childhood?

I actually fell asleep late and work up early thinking about these questions.

A fabulous follow-up to this is Mindset. Not necessarily to read right after, but sometime after. Dh and I actually prefer Mindset. Gladwell is a far better writer and much more engaging, but Mindset is, to us, more practical and more hopeful.

My questions were very similar to yours after reading Outliers.

 

 

Mindset is the type of book that I hope to re-read every year or so. I wish she would write a children's or young adult version/s.

[MamaAkins]

I've been hit or miss with reporting in on these threads, but I have been reading.

 

So far this year, I've read:

 

1. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2. School of Essential Ingredients

3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (started reading this on my nook about two weeks ago, but haven't been in the mood to finish it. Maybe I'll tackle it after I finish the book below).

4. Joy for Beginners (started reading this last night and should finish it tonight).

 

 

I realize that I'm a little behind, but hey, at least I'm reading, right? If I didn't have to do things like laundry, teach the kids, cook, etc, I'd be able to read more! :lol:

[Remudamom]

Finished Comes A Horseman and Germ, both by Robert Liparulu. Cell by Stephen King. Still plugging away on Lonesome Dove. Still waiting on Ahab's Wife.

[Violet Crown]

Finished (a few days ago, but just getting around to posting)

 

2. John Polidori, The Vampyre

 

A quick read, and of no great literary value, but historically interesting. In 1816, Shelley and his circle gathered for a few days at Villa Diodati in Geneva, discussed interesting ideas, took ether, Shelley seems to have had a vision, and they challenged each other to write macabre stories. Shelley abandoned his; his wife Mary conceived Frankenstein; and Byron wrote and abandoned a fragment of a vampire tale. Later, his personal physician, John Polidori, who was present, submitted a completed and very different (though based loosely on the fragment) story to a magazine, representing it as written by Byron.

 

Bram Stoker later scavenged the usable parts of The Vampyre for his Dracula, and it's interesting to see the kernel of Stoker's work in Polidori's novella. Besides historical interest, the sheer purpleness of the prose is delightful, though the plot makes no sense whatsoever, and isn't helped by Polidori's confused narration.

 

Fun exercise! The edition I read includes Byron's fragment. Below are two passages: which was written by Byron, and which by Polidori? Hint: one was a literary giant, the other, not so much. :D

 

#1

"In this situation, I looked round for a place where he might most conveniently repose:--contrary to the usual aspect of Mahometan burial-grounds, the cypresses were in this few in number, and these thinly scattered over its extent; the tombstones were mostly fallen, and worn with age:--upon one of the most considerable of these, and beneath one of the most spreading trees, Darvell supported himself, in a half-reclining posture, with great difficulty. He asked for water."

 

#2

"Aubrey's weakness increased; the effusion of blood produced symptoms of the near approach of death. He desired his sister's guardians might be called, and when the midnight hour had struck, he related composedly what the reader has perused--he died immediately after. The guardians hastened to protect Miss Aubrey; but when they arrived, it was too late. Lord Ruthven had disappeared, and Aubrey's sister had glutted the thirst of a VAMPYRE!"

[Mothersweets]

Just finished book #8 for the year Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. LOVED it!! The link will take you to my review.

 

Has anyone read any of her other books?

 

 

Oooooh! I love Rebecca! Really great story and probably du Maurier's best effort. I've read:

 

Frenchman's Creek - read this YEARS ago, but remember it being good after the first chapter or so.

 

Jamaica Inn - pretty good.

 

My Cousin Rachel - NOT good. Well, the story was interesting and the mystery kept me guessing but the ending made me want to throw the book across the room. :cursing: Ignore the Amazon ratings - I don't know WHAT those 4 and 5 star people were smoking when they rated it. grrrr.

[Mothersweets]

Downton Abbey fans - I hope you see this!!

 

This week I finished Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs,Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" by Margaret Powell.

 

LOVED it! She gives a fascinating account of what her life in service was like; all the little gossipy details that everyone else leaves out. Plus, she sounds like a very likeable woman - someone you would want for a friend. Highly recommend this book!

 

 

Sharon in Austin - I'm guessing #1. Am I right?

Edited January 28, 2012 by Mothersweets

[Mommyfaithe]

Just finished The Name of this Book is Secret. Cute...very young fiction. I needed something light and easy....sort of Lemony Snickett meets the Mysterious Benedict Society.

 

We finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret as well.....so sweet. I enjoyed this one as well or more than my kids. Looking forward to beginning Wonderstruck with them.

 

Faithe

[Abeille]

I've finished four books this week: Mortal Coils, All That Lives (both by Eric Nylund), The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga, and 11/22/63 by Stephen King. The King book was my favorite of the week. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy his writing, and his take on how history would change if JFK was never assassinated went in directions I hadn't considered. I found the ending bittersweet and know I'll be thinking of the characters for some time.

 

Brief reviews on my Pinterest board for 2012 Reads. I'm currently reading The Dome by Stephen King (almost done!) and still plodding through Skippy Dies. If the latter keeps failing to hold my interest, I may abandon it - something I rarely do. Next up is Garden Spells, recommended by someone last week.

[Storm Bay]

I'm trying to do a better set of reading this year than last (a few good books last year, but not a stellar year. It did to the job of giving me some lighter reading sometimes) but am having trouble finding books I like. I am finishing The Hour that Changes the World http://www.amazon.com/Hour-That-Changes-World-Practical/dp/0800793137/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327780359&sr=1-1which I like & have found helpful, but started 2 years ago (not sure why I stopped). If I finish it this year, though, it counts, because I did post it on the book a week in 2010 ;). I finished a mindless book that sometimes is extremely funny in a series one of my dc has been reading called This isn't What it Looks Like. The actual story is not that great IMO, but it's fantasy, so that's almost always what I think, but it's one of those things I'm reading that my dc is reading. The fact that sometimes I find it funny is a huge plus. Here's a quote, and I have no idea why something so juvenile made me laugh. It's about a boy who is a hypochondriac that is going into an ER to fake an epileptic fit in order to make a diversion:

 

As Max-Ernest ran screaming through the familiar double doors of the emergency room, he was overwhelmed with a flood of memories. He felt almost sentimental remembering the time he'd come in for a Slurpee-induced brain freeze so intense, he'd ben convinced that he had frostbight of the parietal lobe. The night he forgot that he's eaten red beets and was so alarmed by the color of his pee that he called 9-1-1 and started dictating his last will ant testament to the phone operator. The super-size genetically mutated head lice that turned out only to be cookie crumbs left on his pillow after a midnight snack...The splinter he was positive was tapeworm. The hiccups that proved he had lung disease. The runny nose that meant he had a cerebral hemorrhage...

 

In addition, I am reading Papa's Daughter.

I've just finished 'The Darcys & the Bingleys' by Marsha Altman. I really oughn't read P&P "sequels" but I don't seem to be able to help myself! At least this one was very silly rather than outright horrible like whatever that trilogy I read the other year was. A very, very silly book, but it made me laugh out loud quite a few times! An excellent companion in last night's insomnia!

 

:)

Rosie

 

Silly as in it actually made you laugh? Would it drive a P&P purist crazy?

 

Hurray for the Commonwealth!

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

:DRosie

Commonwealth, eh? I always spell Canadian. However, it was rather a surprise to move to the States & find out that some states call themselves commonwealths, too. And hear I always thought there was only one Commonwealth...;)

 

I have to agree with you. I just read The Hunger Games and that was enough for me. When I read, there has to be something positive I can pull from the book (not that everything in the book has to be positive) and that book left me :svengo:

 

 

 

The series is far too brutal IMO, but there is actually a lot of good that comes from what happens in the first book if you read the next two. I read them as my eldest dd was reading them when she was still homeschooled. Katniss inspires people. That said, the other two books are also brutal, and the games in the second book are crazy.

I've read Anna before but you could easily convince me to do it again. I just need to get Moby done first! :)

 

Is it really long, depressing & draggy like whichever Russian novel I tried for a social group her a couple of years ago? I didn't finish it.

[Rosyl]

8) The Dark Tide. It was recommended on this forum. And it was very good. I learned so much about that time period.

7) Little Men, Louisa May Alcott on Audio

6) Winter of the Red Snow.

 

5) The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory.

4) A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry Eicher

3) Longing by Karen Kingsbury.

2) Little Women by Alcott

1) Midummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare.

[Rosie_0801]

Silly as in it actually made you laugh?

 

Yes!

 

Would it drive a P&P purist crazy?

 

I should hope so!

 

 

:D

Rosie

[Stacia]

.

[Enough]

Enough, I also want to hear more about Sisters Brothers when you are done. I'm going to go look that up on amazon right now. It sounds interesting! And Parenting Beyond Belief is on my list too.

 

I finished The Sisters Brothers today. HIGHLY recommended. It's very graphic (hint: eyeball + spoon = criiiiiiiiinge), but also funny, exciting, intellectual, sad, and very tender (like I said in my earlier post). I never imagined I'd be contemplating life, death, and purpose while reading a Western. Eli Sisters (the protagonist) is so darn endearing, too!

 

I am officially stalking Stacia's book list now. :D

 

Haven't gotten any further on PBB- will post back next week. :)

[Danestress]

of

 

(book 2) The Solace of Leaving Early, by Haven Kimmel and

 

(book 3) Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, by Gary Taubes.

[Robin M]

Thought this opinion article would be of interest to the bibliophiles here (esp. in light of the discussions of Russian literature): Vladimir Putin would like you to read a book: Why his proposal for a "Russian canon" is scary as hell

 

Wow! Kinda scary - blend of going back to the u.s.s.r era of kgb and gestopo. You will read what I say you can read.

 

The kids and I started The History of the Medieval World by SWB as a read aloud this week. It's SOTW on steroids. We are just doing a chapter or two a day. Lots of questions and interruptions, looking at maps, etc. 8 dd requested it for bedtime story tonight, claiming it "more fun" than "Theh Other Side of the Mountain."

Fun times :001_smile:

 

We have this and now thinking need to start reading it with James. Blend it in.

 

I finished Ahab's Wife a couple nights ago- loved, loved, LOVED ;) it. I've been away from books for so long that the epic-ness of this book seemed like a FEAST to me. The writing was dense and deep and delicious (like my alliteration? :tongue_smilie:) and the story was a sweeping saga (more alliteration! :lol:). Totally what I needed at this time in my life.

 

You got it right - dense, deep and delicious. What other D words can we come up with. :)

 

Tonight, I finished Zeroville by Steve Erickson. I loved, loved this surreal, funny, unsettling, unique musing on movies, good vs. evil, the nature of man vs. God, dreams vs. reality,.... This book has a few of the funniest, most absurd (in a good way) scenes that I've read in a long time. And, it's a perfect read in the run-up to the Oscars, imo.

 

 

Added it to my wishlist.

 

I realize that I'm a little behind, but hey, at least I'm reading, right? If I didn't have to do things like laundry, teach the kids, cook, etc, I'd be able to read more! :lol:

 

Yep, your reading. That's all that matter. though some days in our house, dinner is a little late and the laundry forgotten. ;)

 

I finished a mindless book that sometimes is extremely funny in a series one of my dc has been reading called This isn't What it Looks Like. The actual story is not that great IMO, but it's fantasy, so that's almost always what I think, but it's one of those things I'm reading that my dc is reading. The fact that sometimes I find it funny is a huge plus. Here's a quote, and I have no idea why something so juvenile made me laugh. It's about a boy who is a hypochondriac that is going into an ER to fake an epileptic fit in order to make a diversion:

 

As Max-Ernest ran screaming through the familiar double doors of the emergency room, he was overwhelmed with a flood of memories. He felt almost sentimental remembering the time he'd come in for a Slurpee-induced brain freeze so intense, he'd ben convinced that he had frostbight of the parietal lobe. The night he forgot that he's eaten red beets and was so alarmed by the color of his pee that he called 9-1-1 and started dictating his last will ant testament to the phone operator. The super-size genetically mutated head lice that turned out only to be cookie crumbs left on his pillow after a midnight snack...The splinter he was positive was tapeworm. The hiccups that proved he had lung disease. The runny nose that meant he had a cerebral hemorrhage...

 

 

 

I have got to read this one. So funny. Put it on my wishlist.

[Halcyon]

Here's what I've read so far:

 

1. Thirteen Reasons Why
   
2. Welcome to the Goon Squad
   
3. State of Wonder by Ann Patchet
   
4. Sh*t My Dad Says
   
5. Living Oprah
   
6. What’s So Amazing About Grace by Yancey
   
7. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
   
8. Skippy Dies-currently reading
   
9. Love Wins by Rob Bell
   
10. If Grace is True by Gully and Mulholland
    
11. Blue Like Jazz
    
12. Done-reading
    

 

 

The ones I've read this week are Love Wins by Rob Bell, If Grace is True and Blue Like Jazz. The Rob Bell book is pretty well known, and I really enjoyed it. It speaks of God's love as universalist in nature. If Grace is True, was on a subject very dear to my heart (grace) and is considered rather controversial. I thought it was very well written and I loved how the authors brought in stories from their personal experience. Blue Like Jazz felt like a "young" book-geared towards someone in their early 20s. It is written by someone who I suppose could be said to be in the emergent church--a bit "hipper than thou" but a quick and easy read. It might be good for a young person who is in spiritual conflict. I was reading Skippy Dies but all these other books came up in my library queue so I stopped, probably temporarily. Done is a free kindle at amazon. Only about half-way through and not sure how I feel about it.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Halcyon

[Stacia]

Bram Stoker later scavenged the usable parts of The Vampyre for his Dracula, and it's interesting to see the kernel of Stoker's work in Polidori's novella. Besides historical interest, the sheer purpleness of the prose is delightful, though the plot makes no sense whatsoever, and isn't helped by Polidori's confused narration.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Sharon in Austin - I'm guessing #1. Am I right?

 

Me too...

 

extremely funny in a series one of my dc has been reading called This isn't What it Looks Like.

 

My ds loves that series!

 

I finished The Sisters Brothers today. HIGHLY recommended. It's very graphic (hint: eyeball + spoon = criiiiiiiiinge), but also funny, exciting, intellectual, sad, and very tender (like I said in my earlier post). I never imagined I'd be contemplating life, death, and purpose while reading a Western. Eli Sisters (the protagonist) is so darn endearing, too!

 

I am officially stalking Stacia's book list now. :D

 

:D You just made my night! Thanks!

 

Btw, I found The Sisters Brothers because it was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize. Of the Man Booker winners &/or long- or short-listers I've read, I've really enjoyed quite a few of them.

 

 

I was reading Skippy Dies but all these other books came up in my library queue so I stopped, probably temporarily. Done is a free kindle at amazon. Only about half-way through and not sure how I feel about it.

 

How are you liking Skippy Dies so far?

[Violet Crown]

 

Sharon in Austin - I'm guessing #1. Am I right?

 

The first is Byron, the second Polidori. You can see why Byron was annoyed at having it published under his name!

[Jennifer3141]

I finished The Sisters Brothers today. HIGHLY recommended. It's very graphic (hint: eyeball + spoon = criiiiiiiiinge), but also funny, exciting, intellectual, sad, and very tender (like I said in my earlier post). I never imagined I'd be contemplating life, death, and purpose while reading a Western. Eli Sisters (the protagonist) is so darn endearing, too!

 

I am officially stalking Stacia's book list now. :D

 

Haven't gotten any further on PBB- will post back next week. :)

 

Alright. I'm adding that to my list then. :)

But a Western?!?! :001_huh:

[luvnlattes]

I finished The Sisters Brothers today. HIGHLY recommended. It's very graphic (hint: eyeball + spoon = criiiiiiiiinge), but also funny, exciting, intellectual, sad, and very tender (like I said in my earlier post). I never imagined I'd be contemplating life, death, and purpose while reading a Western. Eli Sisters (the protagonist) is so darn endearing, too!

 

I was just looking at this book the other day after it came through on one of my e-mail lists. I decided, no way, not a western, but it sounds like I need to reconsider. Somehow I missed Stacia's post...off to find it and put this on my list. Thanks!

[Robin M]

 

Link to week 5 - please continue conversation in new thread.