readinmom Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I started A Discovery of Witches this week. I'm really enjoying the writing style of the book. Hopefully I'l find time to finish this week! Week 7: In Progress... 15. Yankee Doodle Dixie, Lisa Patton 14. A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness Week 6: 13. The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible, Edward C. Smith 12. The Bountiful Container (gardening book) McGee and Stuckey Week 5: Week 4: 10. Romeo and Juliet 9. Antigone Week 3: 8. A Love That Multiplies, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar 7. Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'Easter, Lisa Patton 6. The Judgment, Beverly Lewis Week 2: 5. The Mercy, Beverly Lewis 4. Invisible, an Ivy Malone Mystery, Lorena McCourtney 3. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles Week 1: 2. The Next Always, The Inn at Boonsboro Trilogy, Nora Roberts 1. Chi Walking: The Five Mindful Steps for Lifelong Health and Energy, Danny Dreyer __________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeth78 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Just popping in to say Hi! I have been keeping up with mu book a week though life has been too busy to post in the thread here much. This week I am reading Flickering Pixels by Shane Hipps. It is non- fiction on the use of technology today. It was highly reccomend by Leigh Bortins ( CC founder) who I heard speak on Saturday. It is a book that is really making me think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I nearly forgot to post my reading for last week. 15. The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lillian Jackson Braun 16. 'G' is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton 17. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue by Lillian Jackson Braun I've been in a huge Cat Who mood. Due to stress, I really enjoy reading a book quickly. I need that happy ending satisfaction. I tried picking up Frankenstein and just couldn't get into it. I read it in college and I remember really enjoying it. I guess I'm not in the mood for it right now. Instead, I started reading Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I haven't read this in about 15 years. It's a big book and it's taking me days and days to read. I'm not even sure I'll have a post in the Week 8 thread because I'll still be reading this big book. Oh I just love the Cat Who books. My grandmother and I read them all and we would listen to them as audiobooks on car trips. Such happy memories! If you haven't listened to any of the audiobooks, you should. If you're a fan of the series then you'll love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 2012 list Animal Farm Nineteen-Eighty Four Faherenheit 451 Finishing up Hidden Mickey 3 On chapter 4 of Moby Dick Having it on audio helps tremendously! Have to return Pilgrims Progress to the library. Someone else has requested it and I already owe enough in fines. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Oh Sharon...Anyone else reading Balzac's Droll stories?? I feel like a voyeur! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm late to the party but I'm going to jump right in anyway. Amy's books in progress: All Quiet on the Western Front by Enrich Maria Remarque (for book club) The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (my first Miss Marple mystery) Ginger Pye by Elanor Estes YA (our next read aloud) The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison (my current audiobook) Amy's 2012 finished books: The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (I liked it but felt guilty reading it because it seems so dated but the story was good. But what do I know, I'm just a ditzy dame. :lol:) What I Wore by Jessica Quirk (it was okay - read as an attempt to help my sad fashion sense) How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp (it was okay also - ditto on sad fashion sense. I'm not trying for high glamor, I just want to look less like a hobo when I get dressed in the morning.) The Georgraphy of Bliss by Eric Weiner (an interesting read but only because of his description of his travels not because of his subject matter) The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty YA (I wanted to like this one but didn't. It was a book club book and we spent about 30 minutes talking about how bad it was and then chit chatted the rest of the time about other things. It seemed like it was trying to hard to be Harry Potteresque. Did I just create a literary term? There were interesting charactors but they weren't developed and it seemed like the only point of the book was to setup a sequel.) The Anybodies by NE Bode YA (another meh - the author was trying to hard to be fun and hip and that really took away from what could have been a great plot.) The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi (really enjoyed this - quirky and different but really fun) Read alouds Amy's done in 2012: The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois YA (very good! - Little Librarian and I both enjoyed this) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enough Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I finished The Housekeeper and the Professor (#16) last night- what a wonderful, tender little book. And the beauty of math is a central character- who can beat that?!?!? Thanks to all who recommended it- you can add my recommendation to the list! I'm reading The Creative Habit now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm telling everyone on the thread to read this book because the descriptions of the circus itself are so delicious. The plot is relatively good, the character development of the supporting characters is good, but by the end you still don't feel like you really know the two main characters. I read some articles about the book and it turned out that the author started writing the book back in 2005 as part of National Novel Writing Month. She wrote all the circus vignettes first and then built the plot and the characters around the setting of the circus. Knowing that information makes it easier to understand how the setting can be so strong yet the main character development is weaker. I was on vacation for a week and finished reading Never Let Me Go, The Three Weissmans of Westport and The Hunger Games (my reviews are here). Never Let Me Go - Thumbs up on the author's writing style, but I was left feeling disturbed by the plot and the premise. So far, I'm loving the descriptions in The Night Circus. Just lovely & magical.... Haven't read Never Let Me Go, though I'm a big fan of Ishiguro's. I've often wondered if the content of the book would bother me, even though he's a beautiful writer. The Georgraphy of Bliss by Eric Weiner (an interesting read but only because of his description of his travels not because of his subject matter) ... The Anybodies by NE Bode YA (another meh - the author was trying to hard to be fun and hip and that really took away from what could have been a great plot.) I enjoyed Weiner's descriptions of his travels. I think that was more the strength of the book than his exploration of 'happiness' (esp. since his grumpy side kept reappearing). :lol: The dc & I enjoyed The Anybodies, but didn't care for the second book at all. I finished The Housekeeper and the Professor (#16) last night- what a wonderful, tender little book. And the beauty of math is a central character- who can beat that?!?!? Thanks to all who recommended it- you can add my recommendation to the list! Another one on my want-to-read list. In addition to The Night Circus, I've started reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. (BTW, I noticed one of the versions of this book is free for Kindle on amazon.) It's a book that was written in 1921 & is about four British women who rent a castle in Italy in April for a vacation. It's totally charming so far. And, it makes me want to ask, does anyone else want to join together to find a wonderful, wisteria-covered castle in Italy to rent for a vacation in April???!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 In addition to The Night Circus, I've started reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. (BTW, I noticed one of the versions of this book is free for Kindle on amazon.) It's a book that was written in 1921 & is about four British women who rent a castle in Italy in April for a vacation. It's totally charming so far. And, it makes me want to ask, does anyone else want to join together to find a wonderful, wisteria-covered castle in Italy to rent for a vacation in April???!!! :D Does this look enticing? Oh Stacia, the movie that was made of this book is divine! Watching it is like being on vacation! Years ago I read Elizabeth and her German Garden by this same author. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I just finished Phantastes by George MacDonald. It was an ILL so I had to finish it quickly and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The writing is wonderful .... almost magical, but the story left me unsettled .... The main character travels through the narrative acting in ways that he's advised not to (over and over again! :confused:) and then at the end, he finally learns a valuable lesson. C.S. Lewis adored this book, so I feel I must be missing something. I'll perhaps need to purchase it and give it a more analytical reading in the future...... I kind of felt the same way about Phantastes (read it January 2011). I think the book itself is very uneven...at least in comparison to The Princess and the Goblin, but filled with enough MacDonald wonder that you think you missed something. 1001 Book List: 20% (201), but I might have counted a few I abandoned mid-book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Can I count "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom" if I read it thirty times in one day? ... Just kidding, but it's been one of those days. Slowly working on: "The Wives of Henry VIII" by Antonia Fraser (I'm almost done with wife one, Catherine of Aragon.) "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight" by Sharon Heller "The Life and Teachings of The New Testament Apostles" ed. by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel & Thomas A. Wayment Completed: Book #9: - "The Virgin in the Ice" by Ellis Peters Book #8 - "The Leper of St. Giles" by Ellis Peters Book #7 - "St. Peter's Fair" by Ellis Peters. Book #6 - "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua. Book #5 - "Monk's Hood" by Ellis Peters. Book #4 - "Flash and Bones" by Kathy Reichs. Book #3 - "Spider Bones" by Kathy Reichs. Book #2 - "One Corpse Too Many" by Ellis Peters. Book #1 - "A Morbid Taste for Bones" by Ellis Peters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Can I count "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom" if I read it thirty times in one day? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 On a completely separate and non book related note (but I thought y'all would get a kick out of it), I watched the Taylor Lautner action movie Abduction the other night. It was the funniest movie I've seen in a long time because it was so BAD! My husband and I laughed through the entire thing. So if you're looking for a good unintentional comedy, check out that one. ;) Does he take his shirt off? :tongue_smilie: Every time I watch any of the Twilight movies, I always say "gratuitous girl moment" every time he rips his shirt off. :lol: Dd17 found a t-shirt that says "Team Edward, Except When Jacob is Shirtless!" I'm all for gratuitous girl moments ;) ME! ME! ME! ME! I'm going to check out this book now!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm telling everyone on the thread to read this book because the descriptions of the circus itself are so delicious. The plot is relatively good, the character development of the supporting characters is good, but by the end you still don't feel like you really know the two main characters. :iagree: I was on vacation for a week And I missed you. :grouphug: I've bookmarked your blog and kept checking and re-checking. Figured you were busy or something. I finished The Housekeeper and the Professor (#16) last night- what a wonderful, tender little book. :iagree: So far, I'm loving the descriptions in The Night Circus. Just lovely & magical.... I know. I want to be at those Midnight Dinners. I dream about those. :D I enjoyed Weiner's descriptions of his travels. I think that was more the strength of the book than his exploration of 'happiness' (esp. since his grumpy side kept reappearing). :iagree: He started "whining" at times, like his last name. But I really love his spot-on descriptions of places. :D I've started reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. (BTW, I noticed one of the versions of this book is free for Kindle on amazon.) Thank you. Just got it for free for my Kindle. And yes, I really, really want to be at that castle, quite frankly, any time will be fine. :) Can I count "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom" if I read it thirty times in one day? ... Just kidding, but it's been one of those days. :lol: I really miss those days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi (really enjoyed this - quirky and different but really fun) The sequels are just as much fun. The Don Camillo books are three generation favorites in my family -- my mother introduced them to me when I was a teen, and I did the same for my daughter. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Oh Stacia, the movie that was made of this book is divine! Watching it is like being on vacation! Years ago I read Elizabeth and her German Garden by this same author. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I bet the movie is good. It's got to be absolutely gorgeous, I'm sure! I read about Elizabeth and her German Garden in the intro notes & it sounds like another book I'd enjoy. Will have to check it out.... ME! ME! ME! ME! I'm going to check out this book now!!! And yes, I really, really want to be at that castle, quite frankly, any time will be fine. :) Ok, so Angel, Negin, & I are going. We'll need one more gal to join in.... Anyone? Angel & Negin, I'm thinking this one, this one, or this one will do. What do you think? :D (Pssst. I think Villa del Re is my favorite.) I haven't read any of his other books. Some of the members of my book club who had read The Remains of the Day were baffled by this book because it was so different from that one. One woman in my club said, "I thought it was going to be a nice period piece set in England...and well, we see how that turned out." Nope, it's not a nice British period piece. We all agreed--- great writing but the content left you feeling a little disturbed. A biology professor in the group was annoyed by him setting it in the 1990s because the science in the book would be impossible based on the discoveries up to that point. I still don't know why he chose that time period. Anyway---I wouldn't avoid reading it though. Just don't expect a happy or uplifting book. I've read his books The Remains of the Day and When We Were Strangers. I know Never Let Me Go is a dystopian novel of sorts.... ETA: If your book club wants a nice period piece, you might really enjoy the book I'm currently reading, The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I haven't finished last week's reading, The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks yet- made it to page 130 (of 456); I was reading kind of sporadically. But anyway, I put it aside as yesterday I got 11/22/63 by Stephen King from the library (finally!!) and started reading that instead. I'm on page 180 of 849 and can't put it down, loving this book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I kind of felt the same way about Phantastes (read it January 2011). I think the book itself is very uneven...at least in comparison to The Princess and the Goblin, but filled with enough MacDonald wonder that you think you missed something. 1001 Book List: 20% (201), but I might have counted a few I abandoned mid-book. Ah, I'm glad someone else felt the same. The main character kind of annoyed me the way he ran around doing whatever he wanted in spite of danger, warnings, etc., but MacDonald's writing was so beautiful, I tried to overlook it. :tongue_smilie: I felt it was a completely different style than The Princess and the Goblin, almost as if he wrote Phantastes for adults. I probably missed the original post, but is the 1001 Book List the Boxall's List? I think I saw it on Goodreads, but perhaps there are more 1001 book lists ....??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I read #19 Alexandra, the Last Tsarina by Carolly Erickson.The reviews for it on amazon are kind of mediocre, but I enjoyed it, probably because I wasn't influenced by other books on the Romanovs. I did find it tragic and depressing, but immensely interesting. I'd like to read some other books about them, but I was so bummed out for a day or two after I finished this one, that I'll probably wait awhile. Almost finished with #20 The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Christianity by Kyriacos Markides. This is an excellent book, one I've read before, but there is so much wisdom to mine from it. It's the next best thing to actually sitting at the feet of an Orthodox elder. Also started Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer. I haven't really read any Heyer, so this is a new author for me. Liking it so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Ok, so Angel, Negin, & I are going. We'll need one more gal to join in.... Anyone? Angel & Negin, I'm thinking this one, this one, or this one will do. What do you think? :D (Pssst. I think Villa del Re is my favorite.) :lol: :iagree: Villa del Re is my #1 choice also. Torre Etrusca is my 2nd. Quite frankly any of them will do. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Ok, so Angel, Negin, & I are going. We'll need one more gal to join in.... Anyone? Angel & Negin, I'm thinking this one, this one, or this one will do. What do you think? :D (Pssst. I think Villa del Re is my favorite.) Oh my giddy aunt...they are beautiful! :lol: :iagree: Villa del Re is my #1 choice also. Torre Etrusca is my 2nd. Quite frankly any of them will do. :D This! and I have a 17yo dd who will be stowing away in my suitcase. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Ok, so Angel, Negin, & I are going. We'll need one more gal to join in.... Anyone? Pick me, pick me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I finished Evening in the Palace of Reason with a flourish at 2am this morning :lol: By far, my best read of the year (which, I admit, isn't saying as much as some of you!). It is spectacular. Beautifully written, interesting, hard to put down. I absolutely loved it (the review on my blog is long, so I'll just link it - both above and in the list below) I've recommended it to everyone I've met who likes history and biography and music and ... reading as it is a well told tale. 2012 Books Reviews 1. Lit! by Tony Reinke 2. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic 3. Words to Eat By by Ina Lipkowitz 4. How to Tutor Your Own Child by Marina Koestler Ruben 5. Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R Gaines (spectacular) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 My husband and I took a two week tour of Italy pre-kids and stayed a couple of days in Sorrento. How lovely! The club tends to not read anything I recommend until like a year later. This would seriously bother me. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I'll be waiting for everyone at the Villa del Re tomorrow. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I've started reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. (BTW, I noticed one of the versions of this book is free for Kindle on amazon.) It's a book that was written in 1921 & is about four British women who rent a castle in Italy in April for a vacation. It's totally charming so far. And, it makes me want to ask, does anyone else want to join together to find a wonderful, wisteria-covered castle in Italy to rent for a vacation in April???!!! :D Does this look enticing? I'll go!! I just watched this movie today. I agree with Jane - it is like going on a vacation. It is one of my favorites and I watch it at least once a year - usually around Feb/Mar. The book is even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 This week I finished How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen. Good, short read. She also includes lists of her favorite books at the end (I love book lists). I added several to my wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I am still reading Little Dorrit. I'm about 30% through it now (thank you, Kindle!) and I'm really enjoying it. I hope to finish it in week 8--otherwise I'll get too far behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Oh I just love the Cat Who books. My grandmother and I read them all and we would listen to them as audiobooks on car trips. Such happy memories! If you haven't listened to any of the audiobooks, you should. If you're a fan of the series then you'll love them. I am a big fan of the series. They are some of my goto books when I need some fun, easy reading. The other series that I really like that is really light is the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton. I think I'll pull out some of hers too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I'll be waiting for everyone at the Villa del Re tomorrow. :D :auto: ah, if only... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Link to week 8 - please continue conversation in new thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I finished 77 Shadow street by Dean Koontz last night. And I finally got new earbuds to listen to the Moby Dick audiobook I started. Hope to be done that one by Sunday night. We will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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