Book a Week in 2012 - Week 7

[Robin M]

Good Morning! Today is the start of week 7 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Welcome back to all our readers 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 - Moby Dick: Are you ready to join in the Moby Dick read along? I've never read it and going to tackle it starting today. Since we are looking 135 chapters and approximately 672 pages depending on whether you are reading hardback, paperback or ebook, going to shoot for 45 pages a day which means would finish in two weeks. However read at your own pace and when we come up for air in on the 26th, will see where everyone is at. Highlighted the first chapter on the 52 books blog, so check it out.

Moby Dick is one of the Great books mentioned in SWB's Well Educated Mind and 1001 books to Read Before You Die. Check out the 1001 books list and see how many you've read. Discovered I've read 3% so far.

What are you reading this week?



Link to week 6

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Robin M]

We are taking off for Arizona tomorrow for the week to visit my folks. Will be reading "moby dick" on my nook of course. Have to figure out which books to take to read on the airplane. Since have to have all electronics turned off during take off and landing prefer having an actual book with me to read. Plus they must be light reading since it's so hard to concentrate with all the noise and hubbub and I never remember what I've read during a flight.

[Stacia]

I’ve been pondering The Book Thief ‘brain candy’ discussions from the previous thread. LOL. Hope you don’t mind me jumping in… <whee!>

My thoughts…. First, I loved The Book Thief. I think it has some profound points & is extremely touching & wrenching. How could it not be, given the subject matter? In those respects, it is beautiful. As far as a work of literature (vocabulary level, turns of phrase, width & depth of thought, …), it is fine, but not ‘stretching’. It is written in a fairly simple, straightforward manner (which, when well-done as it is in this book, is a feat in & of itself). I think this simple, straightforward style is also perfect for the narrator (Death) & the simplicity tells us a lot about how the author views life & death (commonplace & not mystical or hard). Zusak’s skill, imo, is in being able to write about heavy things in an easily accessible manner. I think that because of the style, he’s providing a nugget of the profound in a way the masses can understand – which is a fabulous thing, imo, but does not necessarily put his work in the literature category. Brain candy? No. Literature? Also no. I’d have to shelve it somewhere in between the two….

(Do I need my flame-proof undergarments on now…? ;):tongue_smilie:)

[Halcyon]

I have been reading mostly the New Testament this week-how would that "count" towards my book count? Or would it not? Protecting the Gift was good-I felt like I knew a lot of it, but not all, so it was worth the read.

 

Past weeks:

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. Love Wins by Rob Bell
   
9. If Grace is True by Gully and Mulholland
   
10. Blue Like Jazz
    
11. Moonwalking with Einstein
    
12. Done
    
13. The Jesus I Never Knew by Yancey
    

 

Past Week:

1. Protecting the Gift by Gavin De Becker
   
2. The Liberation of Alice Love-reading. Enjoyable, light read. Another cheap Kindle download.
   
3. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Borg-reading. I can tell he's going to be my new favorite religious author, along with Yancey. I started one of Spong's books too, but not sure I am going to finish it. It's pretty hard core.
   
4. Raising Hell: Christianity's Most Controversial Doctrine Put Under Fire by Ferwerda, Julie-very enlightening!! Got this cheap for Kindle. She dissects the ancient Greek texts to find out how some mistranslations may have led Christians to conclude wrongly on the doctrine of Hell. Recommended
   

Edited February 12, 2012 by Halcyon

[Halcyon]

We are taking off for Arizona tomorrow for the week to visit my folks. Will be reading "moby dick" on my nook of course. Have to figure out which books to take to read on the airplane. Since have to have all electronics turned off during take off and landing prefer having an actual book with me to read. Plus they must be light reading since it's so hard to concentrate with all the noise and hubbub and I never remember what I've read during a flight.

 

I think you just have to have the wifi disabled-that's what I did on my last flight.

[thessa516]

13. A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the readers who recommended this book to me! I loved it!

 

-----

 

From my blog:

 

This book came recommended to me by another mom over at the homeschooling forum. I am so thankful for well-read Moms. I loved this book. I savored it. The story is of a widower and this three children. They are rapidly drifting apart over all the changes in their lives. Then one day, young Peter finds a mysterious artifact. The artifact, a harp key, has strange powers in Peter's hands.

 

I read a little bit each night. The pacing was perfect, I loved every single character, and now I have a sudden urge to go to Wales. Even though this is technically a children's book, I would recommend it for children AND adults.

 

-----

 

ETA: I meant to say that I'm not going to join the Moby Dick group right now. I picked up Why Read Moby Dick?, but it's not helping. I'm only into the first two chapters, but the whole "I wrote the Gospels for this century" thing makes me think he's a narcissist.

Edited February 12, 2012 by thessa516

[Zebra]

I read Sing You Home this week, by Jodi Picoult.

 

My list so far:

1) The Pioneer Woman-A Love Story Ree Drummond

2) Wishful Drinking Carrie Fisher

3) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Lisa See

4) Shockaholic Carrie Fisher

5) Excellent Women Barbara Pym

6) The Help Kathryn Stockett

7) One Day David Nicholls

8) THE END The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany 1944-1945 Ian Kershaw

9) Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman Elizabeth Buchan

10) Following Josh Dave Norman

11) Sing You Home Jodi Picoult

[Halcyon]

So can everyone share their TOP THREE reads so far this year? For me it was Stephen King's new book 11/22/63, If Grace is True and State of Wonder.

[Stacia]

Currently reading The Nun by Simonetta Agnello Hornby. It won the 2011 Italian PEN Award for Best Novel. I'm enjoying immersing myself in the mid-1800s in Italy. :001_smile:

 

My Goodreads Page

 

Completed the Europa Challenge Espresso Level (#4, 9, 10, & 11 on my 2012 Books Read list)

 

2012 Books Read:

01. Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees (3 stars)

02. Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (2 stars, if you're in the right mood, lol)

03. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (4 stars)

04. In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut (4 stars)

05. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (5 stars)

06. The Infernals by John Connolly (3 stars)

07. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (2 stars)

08. The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott (3 stars)

09. Zeroville by Steve Erickson (4 stars)

10. Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky (4 stars)

11. Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (2 stars)

12. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner (3 stars)

13. The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall (4 stars)

[porque]

Here is what I have read so far. I will be starting Moby Dick,probably the middle of the week- never read it, should be interesting.

Completed

1.Paradise, by Toni Morrison.

2. Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman.

3.Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat.

4.What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Dayby Pearl Cleage.

5. What Einstein Told His Cook(non-fiction)

6. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts.

7.Backroads byTawni O'Dell.

8. Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, non-fiction.

9. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende.

10. Calico Bush (read a aloud)

11. Ahab's Wife Really Enjoyed!!

12. Gap Creekby Robert Morgan,

13. A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton.

14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone read aloud

15. Struggle for a Continent read aloud

16. Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay.

17. River Cross my Heart by Breena Clarke

18. Tara Road

19. Indian Captive (read-aloud)

 

Continuing

Your Money or Your Life (non-fiction)

The Magic of Reality (read aloud)

The Minds of Boys (non fiction)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (read aloud)

The Sign of the Beaver (read aloud)

 

DD9 had finished

1.Ginger Pye

2. Secret of the Golden Pavilion

3. Pinky Pye

4. Mary Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country

5. Nzingha, Warrior Queen of Matamba

6. Meet Molly

7. Molly Learns a Lesson

8. Molly's Surprise

9. How I Survived Middle School: P.S. I Really Like You

10. How I Survived Middle School: How the Pops Stole Christmas

11. How I Survived Middle School: Into the Woods

12. Among the Impostors

13. Miss Popularity Goes Camping

[SJ.]

Though Moby Dick is waiting for me on my bookshelf I am going to postpone tackling that great tome. I think I need to finish following Roland to the dark tower, I have three more hefty books to read before I find their fate.

 

Currently Reading:

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, JK Rowling

5. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money, Steve Economides

6. Wolves of the Calla, Stephen King

Finished:

1. The Waste Lands, Stephen King

2. Ahab's Wife, Sena Jeter Nasland

3. Wizard and Glass, Stephen King

[Robin M]

I’ve been pondering The Book Thief ‘brain candy’ discussions from the previous thread. LOL. Hope you don’t mind me jumping in… <whee!>

 

My thoughts…. First, I loved The Book Thief. I think it has some profound points & is extremely touching & wrenching. How could it not be, given the subject matter? In those respects, it is beautiful. As far as a work of literature (vocabulary level, turns of phrase, width & depth of thought, …), it is fine, but not ‘stretching’. It is written in a fairly simple, straightforward manner (which, when well-done as it is in this book, is a feat in & of itself). I think this simple, straightforward style is also perfect for the narrator (Death) & the simplicity tells us a lot about how the author views life & death (commonplace & not mystical or hard). Zusak’s skill, imo, is in being able to write about heavy things in an easily accessible manner. I think that because of the style, he’s providing a nugget of the profound in a way the masses can understand – which is a fabulous thing, imo, but does not necessarily put his work in the literature category. Brain candy? No. Literature? Also no. I’d have to shelve it somewhere in between the two….

 

(Do I need my flame-proof undergarments on now…? ;):tongue_smilie:)

 

I thoroughly enjoyed, if you can say that because of the subject matter, the book as well. Given that it written for grade 9 and above, it is easy to read. Is it brain candy? Not in my opinion. But like I've stated before every persons definition of brain candy is different. As well as what some consider light reading versus heavy reading.

 

Just for sake of argument brain candy is "something that is entertaining or enjoyable but lacks depth or significance." Fluff is "Something of little substance or consequence." The first thing that comes to mind are Romance. But over the years the romance genre has grown to encompass paranormals, action-adventure, suspense, thrillers. I think for me light reading or brain candy is a story that is pure escapism and doesn't make me think too much.

 

To me heavy reading is the great books, classics, chunksters, non fiction for the most part or any genre in which there is substance to the story. Stories that make you think. I can't say that all paranormal, crime fiction, thrillers or science fiction or even romance are all light reading any more. Of course some are. But then I find myself getting into semantics of what is considered light versus entertaining versus mind boggling.

 

We could spend all day arguing our definitions but it all boils down to perspective. Think about it. If you go from a heavy duty classic to a paranormal, of course the paranormal is going to see light compared to it. My 2 cents.

[Just Robyn]

This week I finished

 

10.) Heartless by Gail Carriger and now I have to wait Timeless to come out. It comes out early in March, but then how long until it gets to the library? I'm crossing my fingers that they pre-ordered it.

 

11.) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Great book! I love the exploration of the subjectivity of values.

 

12.) A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen - This is a short play about being true to yourself. I really enjoyed it except that the author implied that abandoning one's children is just fine, even noble.

 

So can everyone share their TOP THREE reads so far this year? For me it was Stephen King's new book 11/22/63, If Grace is True and State of Wonder.

 

1.) Brave New World

2.) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

 

3.) In third place I guess it's a toss up between A Doll's House and Soulless.

 

If I'm naming the same three at the end of the year I'll be in need of some wine and chocolate.

[Robin M]

I think you just have to have the wifi disabled-that's what I did on my last flight.

 

 

I tried that. The last two flights I took, they told me to turn it off completely. :(

[Negin]

I finished Nothing to Envy and absolutely loved it - so far, my favorite read of 2012.

 

I started a few other books on my Kindle and deleted them each when they failed my 10% Rule. ;) I think part of the reason is that everything pales in comparison to Nothing to Envy. :tongue_smilie: Her book was so good. One should just take a peek at the distribution of reviews on amazon - almost all 5 and 4 stars - and those are based on lots of reviews. :)

 

I've just started Cage of Stars and am not sure what to think yet. Very disturbing subject matter. :001_huh:

 

[LNC]

1. Daddy Longlegs, Jean Webster - Kindle

2. Dear Enemy, Jean Webster - Kindle

3. Bookends of the Christian Life, Jerry Bridges

-A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnay (didn't like, quit)

4. Gospel Wakefulness, Jared Wilson

5. A Praying Life, Paul Miller - Kindle

-Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen - library on Kindle (didn't like, quit - not doing well with fiction picks this year!)

6. The Book of the Ancient World

7. The Book of the Greeks, both by Dorothy Mills

8. The Greek Way, Edith Hamilton

9. Organized Simplicity - Kindle

10. In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson - library on Kindle

11. Think, John Piper

12. Lit, Tony Reinke

-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Foe - quit!

13.That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week, Ana Homayoun

14. Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, Ciny West

15. I'm an English Major Now What, Tim Lemire

16. Suprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber (loved!)

-Discovery of Witches - library kindle - quit (Not my usual genre and I couldn't get past that. I wanted to see the buzz for a professor of medieval history, 1rst time author!)

Edited February 17, 2012 by LNC

[Stacia]

So can everyone share their TOP THREE reads so far this year? For me it was Stephen King's new book 11/22/63, If Grace is True and State of Wonder.

 

I'm on the (long) waitlist at the library for 11/22/63. I keep wondering if I would enjoy State of Wonder? (So far, I've read two of Patchett's books -- one I've loved, one I didn't, so she's a 50-50 author for me....)

 

My top three so far in 2012:

1. Zeroville by Steve Erickson

2. either The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt OR The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

3. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

[Robin M]

So can everyone share their TOP THREE reads so far this year? For me it was Stephen King's new book 11/22/63, If Grace is True and State of Wonder.

 

 

I would have to say Hardie's "The Rose Labryinth," Jeter's "Ahab's Wife" and Koontz "By the Light of the Moon"

[sarahj]

Last week I finished book #4: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

 

4. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (Kindle library loan)

3. Thorn In My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs (Kindle library loan)

2. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (Kindle library loan)

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Kindle library loan)

 

Currently reading:

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Divergent by Veronica Roth

[Stacia]

We could spend all day arguing our definitions but it all boils down to perspective.

 

:iagree:

[Jen in PA]

This week I read Higher Education?: How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids -- and What We Can Do About It. It was very well-written and gave me a lot to think about. I also read Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children's Health. It didn't apply much to my life, since my kids haven't ever eaten a school lunch, but there was some good stuff about food advertising, benefits of eating local and organic, and that sort of thing. It really is a very thorough guide for anyone wanting to change things within their district.

 

For fiction, I started out the week with Snobs, by the author of Downton Abbey. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I also continued working through Agatha Christie's novels, this week reading Easy to Kill (that's the title on the copy I'm reading, it seems to be reprinted under the title Murder Is Easy on Amazon).

 

I am also working on reading a book of more recent poetry each month, and this week I read Hard Times Require Furious Dancing by Alice Walker. I found this collection very moving, and ended up scribbling sections down for my reading journal before returning it to the library.

 

This week I'll be finishing up Much Ado About Nothing, continuing with the Sherlock Holmes short stories, and continuing with Started Early, Took My Dog and The Hidden Reality.

 

 

Completed so far this year:

20. Hard Times Require Furious Dancing

19. Easy to Kill

18. Snobs

17. Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children's Health

16. Higher Education?: How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids -- And What We Can Do About It

15. The Body in the Library

14. The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck

13. The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement

12. Paris Portraits

11. Invisible Allies: Microbes That Shape Our Lives

10. A Midsummer Night's Dream

9. Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors

8. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

7. The Vault

6. Tigerlily's Orchids

5. Pinched: How the Great Recession Has Narrowed Our Futures and What We Can Do About It

4. The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared

3. The Alchemyst

2. Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Poems 2007 - 2010

1. Your Child's Writing Life: How to Inspire Confidence, Creativity, and Skill at Every Age

[Onceuponatime]

I just finished the Pirate King by Laurie King. It was all right, a little more light hearted than some of her others. It was very cinematic, on purpose. :-)

 

I haven't decided what to read next. I've got Ahab's Wife and a Bill Bryson book on my shelf.

[Negin]

I forgot to mention that I also read The Night Circus. Loved it at first. By the end, it was just dragging on for me. Maybe my timing was off and there were too many distractions. I don't know. :tongue_smilie:

 

[KidsHappen]

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

The Hunger Games Companion

The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head

Spontaneous Happiness

The New Bi-Polar Disorder Survival Guide.

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder

The Giver

Unnatural Selection

 

Starting 11/22/63 by SK today.

 

I also have the following books on the night stand:

 

Sleep

Lights Outs

Curing Chronic Pain

Queen Bees & Wanna Bees

Bullyproof You Child.

[VeganCupcake]

I finished Nothing to Envy and absolutely loved it - so far, my favorite read of 2012.

 

I started a few other books on my Kindle and deleted them each when they failed my 10% Rule. ;) I think part of the reason is that everything pales in comparison to Nothing to Envy. :tongue_smilie: Her book was so good. One should just take a peek at the distribution of reviews on amazon - almost all 5 and 4 stars - and those are based on lots of reviews. :)

 

I've just started Cage of Stars and am not sure what to think yet. Very disturbing subject matter. :001_huh:

 

 

 

Oooh, I think I need to put Nothing to Envy on my To Read list.

[Ali in OR]

I finished Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale this week. I saw the movie many many years ago, but had never read the book. I found her dystopia gripping--a good treadmill book for me. I'm still making my way through The Shallows--maybe I'll get that one done this week. And I need to pick another for the treadmill too.

 

Books Read in 2012

10. The Handmaid’s Tale-Margaret Atwood

9. Mudbound-Hillary Jordan

8. The Other Wind-Ursula Le Guin

7. What the Dog Saw-Malcolm Gladwell

6. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall-Anne Bronte

5. Tehanu-Ursula Le Guin

4. The Scarlet Pimpernel-Baroness Orczy

3. The Paleo Diet-Loren Cordain

2. Peter Pan-James Barrie

1. The Farthest Shore-Ursula Le Guin

[Halcyon]

I forgot to mention that I also read The Night Circus. Loved it at first. By the end, it was just dragging on for me. Maybe my timing was off and there were too many distractions. I don't know. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

This is up next for me. I felt the same way about Skippy DIes. I liked the beginning but it dragged so much for me I stopped reading :tongue_smilie:

[Alice]

I'm on the (long) waitlist at the library for 11/22/63. I keep wondering if I would enjoy State of Wonder? (So far, I've read two of Patchett's books -- one I've loved, one I didn't, so she's a 50-50 author for me....)

 

 

Which did you like? I enjoyed State of Wonder more than Run but not as much as Bel Canto. I really enjoyed Bel Canto, I didn't always like the characters or even the premise but I found it an incredibly compelling and haunting story. I liked State of Wonder but I didn't like the ending at all.

 

For me...this week was Still by Lauren Winner and An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Aduradha Roy. I wrote a somewhat long review/response to Still on my blog. I would give Atlas of Impossible Longing a mixed review. It was slow for me to get into but then in the middle I was more engaged with the characters. I also didn't like the ending at all, which always leaves me feeling like I didn't like a book.

 

I've started The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. I'm also reading Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and The Death of Adam by Marilynn Robinson.

 

Read so far:

1. The Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

2. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

3. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

4. I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson

5. The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

6. Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

7. The Rise and Fall of Mt. Majestic by Jennifer Trafton

8. Below Stairs by Margaret Powell

9. Confessions of a Prairie ***** by Alison Arngrim

10.Still by Lauren Winner

11. An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Aduraha Roy

[Stacia]

Which did you like? I enjoyed State of Wonder more than Run but not as much as Bel Canto. I really enjoyed Bel Canto, I didn't always like the characters or even the premise but I found it an incredibly compelling and haunting story. I liked State of Wonder but I didn't like the ending at all.

 

Of Patchett's books, I really liked Bel Canto & really didn't like The Patron Saint of Liars.

[TN Mama]

Currently reading:

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Divergent. I read it a few months ago and look forward to the release of the second book in the series.

[Negin]

Oooh, I think I need to put Nothing to Envy on my To Read list.

I hope you like it. :)

 

This is up next for me. I felt the same way about Skippy DIes. I liked the beginning but it dragged so much for me I stopped reading :tongue_smilie:

I wish I could have enjoyed it more. Parts of it were so beautifully descriptive. I just wanted to be there.

 

I really enjoyed Bel Canto.

Me too. Loved it. :)

 

I also didn't like the ending at all, which always leaves me feeling like I didn't like a book.

Endings are everything for me - in books and in movies. They don't need to ride off towards the sunset, but I do need a good, solid ending with some form of closure. I really disliked Little Bee for this reason. A Fine Balance had a horrible ending also. :glare: I prefer endings that aren't overly tragic. Unaccustomed Earth had an absolutely awful ending.

[i.love.lucy]

I've gotten off track the last few weeks.

 

This week I am back to it! Will be reading The Paris Wife and Late, Lost and Unprepared about Executive Functioning.

[prairiegirl]

I am still in the middle of 'State of Wonder' by Anne Patchett. The jury is still out on this book. I really liked it in the beginning and then it started to drag. I just read about a snake attack last night and that made it jump to pretty exciting again. I'll let you know when I finish. :001_smile: I have only read 'Bel Canto' of Patchett's book and I really liked it but 'State of Wonder' is just different.

 

I have 'I am Half-Sick of Shadows' by Alan Bradley waiting for me on my bedside table and 'Night Circus is on its way to me as I type. I am eager to see what camp I will be--absolutely love it or think it's a sticker.

[Jane in NC]

13. A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the readers who recommended this book to me! I loved it!

 

-----

 

From my blog:

 

This book came recommended to me by another mom over at the homeschooling forum. I am so thankful for well-read Moms. I loved this book. I savored it. The story is of a widower and this three children. They are rapidly drifting apart over all the changes in their lives. Then one day, young Peter finds a mysterious artifact. The artifact, a harp key, has strange powers in Peter's hands.

 

I read a little bit each night. The pacing was perfect, I loved every single character, and now I have a sudden urge to go to Wales. Even though this is technically a children's book, I would recommend it for children AND adults.

 

 

You are welcome. I mentioned A String in the Harp after noting that another book set in Wales using a time shifting device (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) did not strike my fancy whereas A String in the Harp did.

 

By the by, there is an audio version of A String in the Harp that is just lovely too.

 

I am working on Balzac's Droll stories but am not reading at a voracious pace. I spent the week getting caught up on some periodicals and starting my taxes. (How do people get their taxes in so early? One of my 1099s has not even arrived...)

Edited February 13, 2012 by Jane in NC

[*Inna*]

Finished "Traveling Mercies" by Anne Lamott. I just adored this book- very honest, quirky and hilarious. Made me laugh and cry at the same time. Definitely will be going into my top 3 of the year.

 

Also I read "Love is a Verb" by Gary Chapman. It's a collection of love stories, very different ones too. Very sweet. It was a free Kindle book.

 

Not sure what I'm going to read next. Too many choices. :D

[Narrow Gate Academy]

This week I finished The Song of Roland as translated by Sayers for my 6th book and wrote a brief review.

 

Books for 2012

5. Sink Reflections by Cilley

4. A Midsummer's Night Dream by Shakespeare

3. Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Verne

2. Beowulf by Heaney

1. Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half by Economizers

[Heather in Neverland]

This week

 

Trying to finish The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One by Patrick Rothfuss (having a hard time with this one. It just isn't catching me.)

 

I also started

 

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

 

Completed so far...

 

7. Family Driven Faith: What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God

6. Organized Simplicity

5. Year of Wonders

4. The Holiness of God

3. The Paris Wife

2. The Peach Keeper

1. Relic

[Heather in Neverland]

I've gotten off track the last few weeks.

 

This week I am back to it! Will be reading The Paris Wife and Late, Lost and Unprepared about Executive Functioning.

 

I have a love-hate relationship with The Paris Wife. I don't want to ruin it for you so I will wait until you are done to expound. :D

[-M-]

Read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and Thirteen Reasons Why this week. The narrative style of the former reminded me of Life of Pi, although the writer asserts he was not at all influenced by Yann Martel. It was an old-fashioned fairytale of a novel... and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The latter? I saw the conclusion coming but still thought it a competent enough effort. I've been sick with a head cold for a good part of the week, though. Heh, heh, heh.

 

I've nearly completed Quiet and The Shallows (I know, I know), and I pulled Defending Jacob up on the Kindle this afternoon.

Books read in 2012

 

#18 The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (Jan-Philipp Sendker; fiction)

#17 Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher; YA fiction)

#16 Stop Acting Rich... And Start Living Like a Real Millionaire (Thomas J. Stanley; non-fiction)

#15 Our Town (Thornton Wilder; play)

#14 Wool 5 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

#13 The Crucible (Arthur Miller; play)

#12 Wool 4 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

#11 Wool 3 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

#10 Adventure Unleashed (______ __. _________; unpublished fiction)

#9 Wool 2 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

#8 Wool (Hugh Howey; fiction)

#7 The Project (Brian Falkner; YA fiction)

#6 Like Shaking Hands with God (Kurt Vonnegut, Lee Stringer; non-fiction)

#5 The Autobiography of an Execution (David R. Dow; non-fiction)

#4 Feed (MT Anderson; fiction)

#3 Coriolanus (William Shakespeare; play, classic)

#2 Artist's Journal Workshop (Cathy Johnson; non-fiction, art)

#1 The English Teacher (Lily King; fiction)

[Heather in Neverland]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Divergent. I read it a few months ago and look forward to the release of the second book in the series.

 

I really liked Divergent too! I have the sequel on my wish list.

[Outdoorsy Type]

I haven't posted in a few weeks, but I'm still reading and following along. I was feeling good about being on book 10, until I saw some of the other lists. :D I guess I need to work on carving out more uninterrupted reading time.

 

Books Read This Year:

1. The Old Man And The Wasteland by Nick Cole - meh

2. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel - liked it

3. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick - loved

4. The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - hated

5. 1984 by George Orwell

6. Escape by Carolyn Jessup - loved

7. The Help by Kathrynn Stockett - loved

8.Divergent by Veronica Roth - slow start, but interesting at the end. I will read the next book in the series when it comes out.

9. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - reread this to get ready for the movie. I liked it much better the second time around.

 

I'm currently reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. It's a library book, and due to delete off my kindle tomorrow. I have about 70% to go, and it's so interesting I might end up buying it if I can't get it read in time. There are so many things about WW2 that I had never heard. Very interesting book.

 

I also have another list of read alouds that I read with the children. So far it's just

 

1. All Of A Kind Family - Sydney Taylor

 

I hope to get at least one (longer chapter )book a month done as a read aloud during the year.

[cjgrubbs]

I'm still slogging through Ahab's Wife. It's good in a different kind of way. I find if frustrating and enlightening at the same time that her writing style kind of changes throughout the book. I wish I would have spent the money to purchase the nook version. The book is huge and it's hard to sit in the tub or lay in the bed and read it!

 

I'm also reading Adam of the Road with my kiddos and Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, along with some gardening reading in Gaia's Garden.

 

So, here's my list for the year so far:

1. Radical by David Platt

2. Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

3. Books that Build Character

4. The Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway

5. Beorn the Proud by M Polland

6. Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

 

I will not be participating in Moby Dick right now. I tried to read it in highschool and just couldn't get through it. I have a pile of books on my nightstand that I need to tackle, plus homeschooling books......

[dangermom]

I am quite, quite hopeless this week. I read...two brain-candy mysteries!

 

They Found Him Dead, by Georgette Heyer

Grave Mistake, by Ngaio Marsh

 

 

I am actually reading other books, but they are all long and very unfinished. I think I'm still on the introduction for two of them! I spent the week worrying about my daughter's eyes instead.

[Shawneinfl]

My list so far:

 

1. Confessions of a Prairie B***h

2. Unbroken

3. Dark Tide

4. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

5. Devil in the White City

6. NurtureShock

 

I've enjoyed every book so far. I'd love to know if In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larsen is as good as Devil in the White City.

 

Right now I am into reading "free samples" on my Nook Color.

Two that were intriguing enough to put on my TBR list were:

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and Defending Jacob by William Landay. Oh yes, and Poisonwood Bible which I know was popular a few years ago, but I never go around to reading it.

[luvnlattes]

I finished Brain Jack by Brian Falkner. I'd describe it as a sci-fi thriller where the main characters are computer hackers. I thought it was pretty good.

 

 

I'm up to the letter "G" in my A to Z challenge where I'm going by author's last name. I didn't have anything in mind for G so I browsed the shelves at the library. I ended up choosing Mad Dash by Patricia Gaffney. It's definitely light reading but I'll stick with it to the end.

 

So far I've read:

7. Brain Jack by Brian Falkner

6. The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

5. Mindset by Carol Dweck

4. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

3. Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

2. A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley

1. Circle of Lies by Douglas Alan

Edited February 13, 2012 by luvnlattes

[luvnlattes]

I'm on the (long) waitlist at the library for 11/22/63.

 

Same here. I have it on hold with 2 different library systems. I'm #167 at one and #476 at the other!

 

I'm currently reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. It's a library book, and due to delete off my kindle tomorrow. I have about 70% to go, and it's so interesting I might end up buying it if I can't get it read in time. There are so many things about WW2 that I had never heard. Very interesting book.

 

This is a great book. I hope you get to finish it.

[CAMom]

Currently reading The Pact by Jodi Picoult. This is my first of her books. It was the one my library had available for Kindle check out the day I was browsing. ;)

 

Also reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I'd been on the library waiting list forever! I had my name on the physical book version as well as the e-book version and finally got the e-book version a few days ago.:)

 

So far this year:

 

5. Unbroken-Laura Hillenbrand

4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks-Rebecca Skloot

3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs

2. The Glass Castle-Jeannette Walls

1. In a Perfect World-Laura Kasischke

 

 

Must. Catch. Up. :D

[Sparkle]

So can everyone share their TOP THREE reads so far this year? For me it was Stephen King's new book 11/22/63, If Grace is True and State of Wonder.

 

Boy, that is hard. I've read a lot of great books so far (and a couple of lousy ones). I don't think I can narrow it down to three.

[6packofun]

I just finished The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and I really liked it! It's a teen/ya book and I think if you're looking for something after Hunger Games, this will fit the bill. I liked it better.

 

(I never got into this author's Shiver trilogy or series, but this one was very good.)

 

I'm now reading a Sherlock Holmes novel written by Anthony Horowitz (of Alex Rider fame!).

 

Next up is Bel Canto.