Book a Week in 2012 - Week 8

[Robin M]

Good Morning! Today is the start of week 8 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 - Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore: I was out of town for a week visiting my parents, arrived home late yesterday and didn't have time to come up with a major post. Found this video a while ago, loved it and thought would share it.

Dream reading vacations: Stacia's read of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim and subsequent find of Villa Del Re (I'm stowing away in your suitcase Stacia:coolgleamA:) prompts the question - a dream reading vacation. Certain views evoke the sense of reading certain books. Just looking at the views from the Villa prompts the dream of reading....

If you could go anywhere and read anything, where would you go and what books would you bring with you?


What are you reading this week?




Link to week 7

[Zebra]

This week I read Fried Eggs with Chopsticks by Polly Evans. It was a travel memoir, of the author's trip through China. I thought it was pretty interesting. I read another travel memoir a few weeks ago, and this one was much more interesting, well written, etc. After reading SnowFlower and the Secret Fan, I was really wondering WHY foot binding became such a popular thing in China. Polly Evans spent a few paragraphs explaining it, and now I understand. I knew there had to be a reason ;)!

 

I am not an adventurous person to begin with, but this book made me NEVER want to go to China. I guess I will stick to reading people's memoirs. :D

 

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

12) Fried Eggs with Chopsticks Polly Evans

[Just Robyn]

Finished this week:

 

13.) How Deaf Children Learn by Marc Marschark and Peter Hauser - This book was very well done with regard to professionalism, a relief after reading Charlotte Mason and John Holt books. It was a bit frustrating because it seemed to me that each chapter, while telling what we do know about how deaf children learn, left me with the feeling that we don't know nearly enough.

 

14.) In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut - (Thanks Stacia!) Rather than describing the clear, unquestionable picture seen by an invisible spectator - following the characters, seeing everything first hand and in the moment - Galgut lets us look into his brain and watch his hazy, indefinite, disconnected memories - an effect achieved in part through alternately referring to himself in the first and third person and deviation from standard punctuation.

 

If anyone would like to read In a Strange Room next, PM me and I'll pass it on to you.

 

15.) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick - I am a Philip K. Dick fan and I'm glad I finally read this book. It was a fun read and one on my mental list of 'things I really should have read by now'.

Edited February 19, 2012 by crstarlette

[Robin M]

I've made it to page 98 of Moby Dick. Can see it's going to be a slow read. In between that will be reading for A to Z: Dead Ringer by Lisa Scottine and Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron

 

Went to visit my parents in AZ for the week and while there read some light books "Goblin King" by Shona Husk and "Hard to Hold" (#1 in Hold in trilogy) by Stephanie Tyler on my nook. Both new to me authors.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Mytwoblessings

[Just Robyn]

This week I read Fried Eggs with Chopsticks by Polly Evans. It was a travel memoir, of the author's trip through China. I thought it was pretty interesting. I read another travel memoir a few weeks ago, and this one was much more interesting, well written, etc. After reading SnowFlower and the Secret Fan, I was really wondering WHY foot binding became such a popular thing in China. Polly Evans spent a few paragraphs explaining it, and now I understand. I knew there had to be a reason ;)!

 

I am not an adventurous person to begin with, but this book made me NEVER want to go to China. I guess I will stick to reading people's memoirs. :D

 

Hmmm... I checked Snow Flower... out from the library recently so it's now on my short list. Maybe I'll see if they happen to have Fried Eggs... as well.

[Abeille]

I am dreadfully bad at posting, but have been doing a lot of reading. Since last updating my list back in week 5, I've read:

 

Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen (charming, loved it)

Reamde - Neil Stephenson (gripping action, but went on a bit too long)

Where Serpents Sleep - C.S. Harris (another solid installment in the series)

What Remains of Heaven - C.S. Harris

Knockemstiff - Donald Ray Pollock (really torn on this one)

Where Shadows Dance - C.S. Harris (boo, no more until a new release)

The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson (wonderful book about the Great Migration)

 

Reviews at at my Goodreads page. Thanks again to those who recommended that site - it's much more useful than Pinterest for tracking what I've read. I'm at 22 books so far and have enjoyed every word.

 

I'm currently reading The Night Circus and am finding it magical and entrancing. I'm trying to force myself to slow down because I don't want this book to end. No clue what's up next - nothing on my TBR list is really calling to me yet.

[porque]

My reading has really slowed down, but when I finish Mother of Pearl I am going to start Moby Dick

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)

20. The Sign of the Beaver (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)

Mother of Pearl

 

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

14. How I Learned to Fly (goosebumps book)

15.Among the Impostors

16. Among the Betrayed

17. Double Identity

18. The Babysitting Wars

[Negin]

I've been having a hard time finding any books that I really love and that are worth my time and energy.

Last week, I finished:

Cage of Stars - very disturbing parts. Just okay. Only read it because a good friend wanted me to. Someone who usually knows my reading tastes really well. :confused:

 

Raquel Welch - The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program - love this. It's a 1984 yoga book. Very 1980s-ish and really fun to look at all the photos :D. Very useful. I hope to implement this program/some/most of the yoga poses whenever I can get my behind in gear.

 

Dear Fatty by Dawn French - Normally LOVE Dawn French (Vicar of Dibley, as well as French & Saunders). This book had some funny parts, but wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped. A bit of a let-down.

 

Then I started a few books and gave up on them after a while. They failed my 10% (and more) rule). Either my timing is wrong and I cannot focus, or the books just aren't for me.

Fair Game - loved the movie with Sean Penn. Was really eager to read this. But almost every paragraph has the word "REDACTED" in it, making it very difficult and annoying to read. Not particularly well-written either.

 

The Politics of Truth - written by the husband of the above. Not very engaging either.

 

Slaughterhouse Five - couldn't get into this at all. I really, really wanted to. I re-read the first 15% twice.

 

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention - too depressing. Very, very sad. Nice to read his background, the fact that his mother was Grenadian and all. But just really painful to read. I cannot handle such stuff since having kids. For example, I read Roots before having dc. I don't think I could easily read it now. Also, I think this one was a bit too textbook-ish for my taste. I would love a really good Malcolm X bio.

 

Murder in the Marais: An Aimee Leduc Investigation, Vol. 1 - I was very eager to read this. I LOVE this neighborhood in Paris. Boring read at the moment. Maybe I'll try this one again later.

 

 

I just started one that was free on my Kindle and is really quite funny so far Cybill Disobedience. I don't usually do well with free books on the Kindle.

 

[Zebra]

gear.

 

 

 

I think I read this a few years ago...it seems familiar. If I remember correctly, she ruined Elvis for me :lol:!!!

[Negin]

If I remember correctly, she ruined Elvis for me :lol:!!!

:lol: Oh dear. :tongue_smilie:

She's already had the funniest way of describing her teenage s@xual escapades with the former Governor of CA - Gray Davis. :lol:

[Jen in PA]

This week's books:

 

21. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson. I loved this book! This was a new author for me, and I can't wait to read more.

 

22. I finished Much Ado About Nothing. This was a reread for me, but it had been about 15 years -- I enjoyed it this time around much more than I expected to. For some reason I remembered some scenes very clearly, but I had completely forgotten others.

 

23. I finally got around to reading The Hunger Games and I was pleasantly surprised. My co-op students have been gushing about these books for a long time, but I had seen criticism on the quality of the writing on here..... I won't say that the writing was stellar, but it was better than other YA dystopian fiction I have read lately (the Shadow Children series comes to mind).

 

24. Continuing with my Agatha Christie kick, this week I read Endless Night. I had a really hard time getting into it at first, but did get to be pleasantly surprised by the plot twist at the end.

 

This week I'll continue with The Hidden Reality and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

[Violet Crown]

Just last night I finished

 

3. Honore de Balzac, Droll Stories

 

Quite the read. Here's a little passage on the topic of love (which is in fact the only topic of this book) which I read, appropriately, on Valentine's Day:

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

 

The vocation of a lover is to go, to come, to listen, to watch, to hold his tongue, to talk, to stick in a corner, to make himself big, to make himself little, to agree, to play music, to drudge, to go to the devil wherever he may be, to count the gray peas in the dovecote, to find flowers under the snow, to say paternosters to the moon, to pat the cat and pat the dog, to salute the friends, to flatter the gout, or the cold of the aunt, to say to her at opportune moments "You have good looks, and will yet write the epitaph of the human race." To please all the relations, to tread on no one's corns, to break no glasses, to waste no breath, to talk nonsense, to hold ice in his hand, to say, "This is good!" or, "Really, madam, you are very beautiful so." And to vary that in a hundred different ways. To keep himself cool, to bear himself like a nobleman, to have a free tongue and a modest one, to endure with a smile all the evils the devil may invent on his behalf, to smother his anger, to hold nature in control, to have the finger of God, and the tail of the devil, to reward the mother, the cousin, the servant; in fact, to put a good face on everything. In default of which the female escapes and leaves you in a fix, without giving a single Christian reason. In fact, the lover of the most gentle maid that God ever created in a good-tempered moment, had he talked like a book, jumped like a flea, turned about like dice, played like King David, and built for the aforesaid woman the Corinthian order of the columns of the devil, if he failed in the essential and hidden thing which pleases his lady above all others, which often she does not know herself and which he has need to know, the lass leaves him like a red leper. She is quite right. No one can blame her for so doing. When this happens some men become ill-tempered, cross, and more wretched than you can possibly imagine. Have not many of them killed themselves through this petticoat tyranny?

 

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

 

The book was written as three volumes of ten stories each; Balzac had originally intended to write ten volumes for a hundred stories total. The entire work is an homage to Rabelais, all the stories being set in the Tourainian area in Rabelais' time, and Rabelais even shows up as a character in one of the stories. Balzac's style is often deliberately Rabelaisian, as you can see in the above passage with its mid-sentence lists.

 

Five stars, but don't read it in church. :D

[jsh626]

Love this idea - wish I could fit in one a week, but I'm happy with 2 a month!

[sarahj]

Last week I finished book #5: Divergent by Veronica Roth. I found it an interesting dystopian concept and am looking forward to the next in the series.

 

So far this year:

 

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth (Kindle library loan)

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)

 

Still reading:

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne

[Negin]

That book's cover is freakishly awesome. :D

 

I know. Isn't it great? :lol: Leotards and all that 80s workout stuff. The yoga routine looks phenomenal, but the pictures keep making me laugh.

 

This has been happening to me lately. I've decided that I'm not going to force myself to finish books anymore that clearly aren't working out.

Yes. I believe that if a book doesn't engage me in the first 10%, I either give up on it, or possibly try again later. Life is too short to read books that are not enjoyable in some way. Reading should not be drudgery.

 

I'm still reading the same stuff---The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb (I am REALLY enjoying that one)

I've added this to my wish list when you mentioned it a few days ago. Love the cover. :)

[Angel]

I finished Hamlet last night! That was a tough Shakespeare. I don't know if it was all of the soliloquies or what but it dragged a bit in the middle. Since we started our Shakespeare study I've only had one other book get difficult and that was The Taming of the Shrew. I didn't expect to have any trouble seeing as I loved the movie. Funny enough, dd17 is having an easy time with Hamlet. She says that all she sees is David Tennant acting out the words :D She'll finish it tonight. By the way, if you haven't seen the David Tennant Hamlet, do! He is just amazing!

 

Me:

6. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

5. The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

3. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

2. Henry V by William Shakespeare

1. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

 

Dd17 has been working on Hamlet, too. She has one Act to go. She has also listened to two new audio books. She got a couple books on our latest trip to Half-Price Books so I don't know what she'll start next. She is reading more since she bought her Kindle Fire. I think she likes it ;)

 

Dd17:

10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare (currently reading, one Act to go)

* Short Story: The Ransom of Red Chief by O'Henry

9. Boston Jane by Jennifer L. Holm (audio)

8. Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury (audio)

7. Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (audio)

6. Golden by Cameron Dokey

5. Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

4. Entwined by Heather Dixon

3. Henry V by William Shakespeare

2. Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw

1. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

 

Dd11 always wants to join in with whatever her big sis is doing so when we started our Shakespeare study, she wanted to too. I read the Tales from Shakespeare to her but she thought she was capable of tackling the Bard himself :D I finally found a Shakespeare for kids that I liked and ordered it for her. She devoured Hamlet. I highly recommend this adaptation for those who are ready for a bit more than a Lambs or Nesbit version but not ready for a full version. She is also doing a Magic Tree House unit study at co-op so she is reading about one of these every two weeks. They are an easy read for her.

 

Dd11:

12. Hamlet : For Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series) by Lois Burdett

11. Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne

10. Sunset of the Sabre Tooth by Mary Pope Osborne

9. Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne

8. Changes for Julie by Megan McDonald

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

[Jane in NC]

 

The book was written as three volumes of ten stories each; Balzac had originally intended to write ten volumes for a hundred stories total. The entire work is an homage to Rabelais, all the stories being set in the Tourainian area in Rabelais' time, and Rabelais even shows up as a character in one of the stories. Balzac's style is often deliberately Rabelaisian, as you can see in the above passage with its mid-sentence lists.

 

Five stars, but don't read it in church. :D

 

I carry on with Balzac but, in the meantime, finished #9 Red Tails in Love, the story of nesting hawks and birdwatchers in Central Park, by Marie Winn.

 

Not having read Rabelais, I think that I am missing something within the Droll stories. Periodically I laugh aloud, shake my head even more frequently on the foibles of humans.

 

Those who pine for the "good old days" may need to read Balzac. ;)

[Ali in OR]

Finished up several this week, including Nicholas Carr's The Shallows-What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. I'm also counting two read-alouds we finished this week because they're classics and not necessarily kid books--Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. And finally we were at the library before ballet and I forgot to bring a book from home to read during ballet, so I checked out Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells and enjoyed that. I had seen her name recommended here and thought I'd give her a try.

 

This thread is great; I don't usually comment on what others are reading, but I add books to my library hold list every week based on books you all mention that pique my interest. One of these days I'm going to be overwhelmed by a bunch of books all coming available at the same time, but I'll take my chances!

 

Books Read in 2012

14. Garden Spells-Sarah Addison Allen

13. The Prince and the Pauper-Mark Twain

12. Romeo and Juliet-William Shakespeare

11. The Shallows-Nicholas Carr

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

[SJ.]

If any of you are Stephen King fans I highly, highly recommend his Dark Tower Series. Upon reading the first book, The Gunslinger, the second time I didn't find it as great as the first but the books just keep getting better and better. I think this is explained by the fact that he wrote the first book, set it aside and 12 years later wrote the second. In that time it is apparent that he had tremendous growth as a writer.

 

So many of his other books tie back to the series, so far I have encountered things from The Stand, Salem's Lot, 11/22/63, and Hearts in Atlantis. I read somewhere that King stated in an interview that the Dark Tower is connected to all of his books in some way. When I was looking for the quote I found this which shows many more books are mentioned or directly connected to the series.

 

If you are thinking of books like Cujo and It thinking - no thanks, horror stories are not my cuppa - don't be deceived by preconceived notions about the author. This book does not fall under the horror genre but falls under many genres including western, fantasy, sci fi, love, and suspense.

 

Seriously, it is fantastic. Read it. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Currently Reading:

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

5. Song of Susannah, Stephen King

Finished:

1. The Waste Lands, Stephen King

2. Ahab's Wife, Sena Jeter Nasland

3. Wizard and Glass, Stephen King

4. Wolves of the Calla, Stephen King

[Lynnae]

I've gotten a little off track the last couple of weeks. But I'm reading again.

 

I just finished Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry, and I'm working on The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie. Both of these are reviews for my blog.

 

After that I'm looking forward to reading A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (mysteriously gifted to me by someone here...Thank you, thank you, thank you!).

 

In addition, I have a plethora of potty training books checked out from the library. Yes, it's about that time with the youngest, and I've forgotten everything there is to know about potty training!

[Shawneinfl]

I finished Defending Jacob this week. I got it a couple days ago at the library after reading a sample on my NOOK. I was the first person to check it out - they had just put it on the "New Books" shelf. It was a great, suspense-filled courtroom drama. I especially loved the way the author used foreshadowing. He gave so many clues and I still didn't see the ending coming.

 

My list so far:

 

• Confessions of A Prairie *****
  
• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
  
• Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo
  
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
  
• Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
  
• Nurture Shock by Po Bronson
  
• Defending Jacob by William Landay
  

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Rosie_0801]

13.) How Deaf Children Learn by Marc Marschark and Peter Hauser - This book was very well done with regard to professionalism, a relief after reading Charlotte Mason and John Holt books. It was a bit frustrating because it seemed to me that each chapter, while telling what we do know about how deaf children learn, left me with the feeling that we don't know nearly enough.

 

 

There's an old book by Shawn Neal Mahshie well worth a read if you can find it on inter-library loan. Though perhaps it is covered in the one you read?

 

 

This week I read Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. It is a teen book of the most obnoxious kind, but when it came out, I considered it important as it was the first Muslim themed teen book to make it into public awareness.

 

Rosie

[prairiegirl]

I am still reading Book #8--'I am Half Sick of Shadows' by Alan Bradley. I am enjoying it but life is getting in my way. I have 'Night Circus' waiting impatiently for me on my night table. :D

[Mom-ninja.]

Instead of reading I've been looking at villa pictures and daydreaming.

[aggieamy]

Just finished a book this morning so it's being added to the finished list.

 

Amy's books in progress:

 

Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson (my third YA for the year - hoping this is better than the last ones)

All Quiet on the Western Front by Enrich Maria Remarque (for book club)

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 Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (my first Miss Marple mystery - not what I expected but I enjoyed it. I'm really enjoying the mysteries lately but not the YA stuff.)

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)

[cani e porci]

I never got around to posting last week, so am posting two weeks' worth today.

 

I read A Red Herring Without Mustard and I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, both by Alan Bradley. I like the concept of these novels, but the first of the series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, is still my favorite. They're getting a little too predictable for my taste. The books are still good reading, and just the thing while I was down with the flu.

 

I loved Why Read Moby-Dick. I'm one who started Moby-Dick any number of times in my misspent youth and never finished it. It sounds so much more appealing now, and even more so after reading Philbrick's book. I have other things I need to read first, so I might not join the read-along, but Moby-Dick's definitely on my list to read soon.

 

I'm reading Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Angel's Game at the moment. It's very different from The Shadow of the Wind, but still wonderful.

 

Currently reading:

The Angel's Game

 

Completed:

14. I am Half-Sick of Shadows

13. Why Read Moby-Dick

12. A Red Herring Without Mustard

11. The Prague Cemetery

10. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

9. Whiskey Breakfast: My Swedish Family, My American Life

8. The Shadow of the Wind

7. 13, rue Thérèse: A Novel

6. Meditation of Marcus Aurelius

5. Ahab's Wife

4. The Autobiography of an Execution

3. A Midsummer Night's Dream

2. The Palace of Illusions

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone

[Negin]

Instead of reading I've been looking at villa pictures and daydreaming.

Yep. I hear you. :D :grouphug:

[eaglei]

Well - I finally finished my book from week six! I am definitely behind in my reading . . . I don't know when I've done so little reading as I've done this year so far . . . Life really needs to lighten up some.

 

I didn't even finish reading the thread during week six :eek: and didn't read week seven, either :eek::eek:! I read them just now before I came to week eight to read and post - and now my "wanna-read" list has grown even more!

 

This week I finished:

 

#6 - Davita's Harp, by Chaim Potok. I enjoyed this - my introduction to this author. Towards the beginning, I felt like it slowed down some, but that could be a skewed assessment based on the happenings IRL. I found I could not walk away from this book - I had to keep snatching moments wherever I could to read it and find out what happened. The story is touching and frustrating all at once. The injustices portrayed, along with the hope - in various guises - offered. The ending left me wondering if *my* worst fear for Davita was coming true afterall. A book I don't think I will soon forget. Will definitely read another of Potok's books in the future.

 

I am currently reading:

 

#7 - Letter to a Stranger, by Elswyth Thane. The only books I've read by this author are the seven in her "Williamsburg Series" - historical fiction from the Revolution through WWII - I've read this series several times. Letter to a Stranger is very different, not historical fiction, just a novel. It seems predictable, then will take a tiny unexpected turn. I doubt this will be a favorite, but I'll finish it just to see if happens what I think will happen.

 

Not sure what's up next - too many books - too little time. :001_smile: I'll just be happy if I can keep up with reading this thread this week!

[Angel]

Instead of reading I've been looking at villa pictures and daydreaming.

 

I showed dd17 the villa pictures today. She said she would gladly stow away in the suitcase and go on a trip with internet people she has never met if we were all going to that place because certainly any people who read and are wanting to go to that place could not possibly be bad :lol: She is my introvert Aspie so that is saying a lot! We saved the links to look at and drool over again later. Sad but true. Dd also said that she thinks she was born in the wrong country. She believes she should have been British or Italian.

 

I have one more Hamlet related book to read from the library before I begin The Enchanted April. Should we wait to see the movie till after we read the book?

 

Ok, I really came on to say that I finished book #7 this afternoon Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. I had heard of the movie and then found that the movie was based on a play. I wanted to read it while we were doing Hamlet. I'm still trying to figure it out. In other words, I didn't get all of it. I plan to watch the movie and see if it makes more sense or if I'm really missing the big picture here.

[ladydusk]

We finished The Last Battle by CS Lewis. We listened together to these on Audio CD and all enjoyed them. I brought the CDs in from the van tonight, and the children each grabbed a "book" to take to their rooms for quiet time. I'm not writing a review of The Last Battle, but we really enjoyed the story. Did not love Patrick Stewart's reading of it (which I was surprised by!)

 

The other day the children and I finished (finally) The Cat of Bubastes. I downloaded the Audio from Librivox. We ended up liking it a lot.

 

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)

6. The Cat of Bubastes by GA Henty (Audio from Librivox)

7. The Last Battle by C S Lewis (Audiobook)

[Storm Bay]

I've made it to page 98 of Moby Dick. Can see it's going to be a slow read. .

 

That's what I found before I gave up on it. When I read it for fun in high school I just read away with ease; I must have just read it for the story & not taken the time to really think about it. I also don't remember noticing how he changes his style over & over in it (eg when he wrote a chapter as if it were a script).

I never got around to posting last week, so am posting two weeks' worth today.

 

I read A Red Herring Without Mustard and I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, both by Alan Bradley. I like the concept of these novels, but the first of the series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, is still my favorite. They're getting a little too predictable for my taste. The books are still good reading, and just the thing while I was down with the flu.

 

 

It's too bad that they're getting predictable, but I didn't know about this latest one (half-sick), so I'm going to see if I can get it from the library. I need a few shorter, easier reads to help me catch up. I've had a lot of trouble finding things I want to read right now. I am still reading Fall of Giants & one other, though.

[cani e porci]

 

It's too bad that they're getting predictable, but I didn't know about this latest one (half-sick), so I'm going to see if I can get it from the library.

Maybe it's just me. It's still a well-written book, and definitely worth your while if you like Alan Bradley's books and can get it from the library!

[Storm Bay]

Maybe it's just me. It's still a well-written book, and definitely worth your while if you like Alan Bradley's books and can get it from the library!

Yes, I'll know if & when I've had enough. The 3rd book was better than the 2nd, too, so I know they can vary.

[Kareni]

I took a break from my historical romance reading to read a book about romances.

 

Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart *****es' Guide to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan

 

It was an interesting read, and I'll definitely by looking at the authors' website. (It's not for the conservative as there is plenty of language.)

 

I also read Loretta Chase's historical romances Not Quite a Lady (enjoyable) and Captives of the Night (very enjoyable).

 

Betina Krahn's The Unlikely Angel (fun)

 

Julie Anne Long's How the Marquess Was Won (entertaining)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Heather in Neverland]

This week

 

Started reading:

Dead Heat by Joel Rosenberg

 

 

Still reading:

The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One

The Omnivore's Dilemma

 

 

Completed so far:

8. Redeeming Love

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

[Mommyfaithe]

I actually read a few books this week...and caught up. Thanks Negin, for suggesting the last few:D. It got me reading again....

 

Here is my list for this year so far:

 

2012 Reading Challenge 52 in 52

 

Daughter of Time...Josephine Tey....mystery York/Tudor/Lancaster*

The History Boys...Alan Bennett....play

The Other Queen....Philippa Gregory ...historical fiction Mary, queen of Scots.

A Shilling for Candles ....Josephine Tey....mystery

The Name of this Book is Secret ...Pseudonymous Bosch....fiction

Organized Simplicity...non fiction e-book

Confessions of a Prairie *****: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and * * * * * * * * * * Learned to Love Being Hated [Kindle Edition]. Biography

The Way I See It , Melissa Sue Anderson...auto-biography

The Housekeeper and the Professor. *Yoko Ogawa.....fiction

The Eleventh Plague. *Dystopian fiction.

 

 

I will begin The Shack.....dh wants me to read it....so, I will.

 

I also just downloaded Sister Queens....which I am looking forward to reading.

I also d/led the Art of Mindful Living as an audio book. I have never listened to one before. In thought it would be good to go to sleep to....:D

Faithe

[SunnyDays]

Oooh, a reading thread!! Can I join you??

 

I just joined the Hive a week or two ago, and just found this. I'm a huge reader and have a pretty big goal for this year.

 

Today I finished my 12th book of the year... I've been on a "cozy" mystery kick and have been reading JoAnna Carl's Chocoholic mystery series. My three favorites of the year: The Language of Flowers, What Alice Forgot, and The Lightning Thief (first Percy Jackson).

[Stacia]

If you could go anywhere and read anything, where would you go and what books would you bring with you?

Wow. I could think of tons of places around the world I'd love to go (& I guess I'd take some books along too). One book that's definitely on my 'to read' list this year is 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I suppose this location (overlooking Mt. Fuji) might do ;)...

 

I'd definitely go to the Villa del Re. (Glad to see so many of my book pals on here agree & will meet me there! :D). Hmmm. Overall, I like mountain ranges, so I'd probably visit the Himalayas, the Dolomites, the Andes, etc... & I'd sit by a roaring fire while looking out on the snowy views on top of the mountain....

 

Well, and perhaps a quick jaunt to the space station while reading 2001....

 

And, then there are the water views I enjoy.... (Can you tell I love to travel? And read? ;):lol:)

 

I'm still working on my same 2 books right now: The Enchanted April and The Night Circus. Haven't managed to read for the last couple of days because of lots of things going on, some planned (feis), some unplanned (mom w/ food poisoning).... Hoping to get back to my books very soon!

 

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)

14. The Nun by Simonetta Agnello Hornby (4 stars)

[Stacia]

Instead of reading I've been looking at villa pictures and daydreaming.

 

:D

 

Me too. Wouldn't it be cool if we really could have a book thread group go to Villa del Re & hang out for a month???!!!

[Enough]

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention - too depressing. Very, very sad. Nice to read his background, the fact that his mother was Grenadian and all. But just really painful to read. I cannot handle such stuff since having kids. For example, I read Roots before having dc. I don't think I could easily read it now. Also, I think this one was a bit too textbook-ish for my taste. I would love a really good Malcolm X bio.

 

Have you read The Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley)? I read this (and enjoyed it) a million years ago in a political science class and I re-read it periodically. Not textbook-y at all.

[The Governess]

This week I finished: 6. Rex Barks (yes, I diagrammed every sentence!) and 7. Climbing Parnassus (which made me feel woefully inadequate about my education...sigh).

 

Since January 1:

 

1. The Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization by Vishal Mangalwadi

2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

3. Crossed by Ally Condie

4. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

5. Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn

 

Still working on:

1. Les Miserables

2. The Trivium by Sister Miriam Joseph

 

And I started reading Marva Collins' Way.

[Enough]

This week, I'm finishing The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. It is not a difficult read and I've read about half of it, but it's taking me a while to get through because I'm spending a lot of time marking passages with Post-Its and just THINKING about the points she makes. There is lots of good food for thought in this book.

 

After that will be either Life of Pi or In The Sea There Are Crocodiles.

 

And I'll try to summon up the courage to start Moby-Dick, too. :tongue_smilie:

[Stacia]

.

[Violet Crown]

I carry on with Balzac but, in the meantime, finished #9 Red Tails in Love, the story of nesting hawks and birdwatchers in Central Park, by Marie Winn.

 

Not having read Rabelais, I think that I am missing something within the Droll stories. Periodically I laugh aloud, shake my head even more frequently on the foibles of humans.

 

Those who pine for the "good old days" may need to read Balzac. ;)

 

Of course, Balzac's own views of the good old days of the late Middle Ages were those of a 19th-century Frenchman. :D. I wouldn't place great confidence in his historical veracity.

 

I'm not planning on posting until after Easter, but I want to hear what you thought of Balzac when I get back! Maybe being off the Intertubez will increase my reading rate.

[Stacia]

Sharon, I really enjoyed the Balzac quote you posted! :lol: I definitely need to read something of his....

[Night Elf]

I got nothing, honey! I was reading a book that is 726 pages long and made it halfway through before getting tired of the book.

 

This week I'm reading Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who books and Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series. The Aunt Dimity series is like a dream vacation. She lives in an English cottage in a small English town. I love cozy mysteries!

Edited February 20, 2012 by Night Elf

[scholarly]

Last week I finished #13 Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and #14 Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. I enjoyed Outliers, although not as much as The Tipping Point. I didn't like Captains Courageous at first, but then I switched from our old yellowed paperback with tiny print to a Kindle version. After the switch I liked it much better. I had no idea how much the quality (or lack thereof) of the print affected how much I like a book!

 

This week I am working on Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield and The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig.

[Alice]

You know, I wasn't really planning to join in the Moby Dick read. However, if we rent something like this w/ ocean views, I might be up for it... :tongue_smilie::D

 

 

That might make me read Moby Dick again! Maybe.

 

This week I finished City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell. I enjoyed them both, especially City of Tranquil Light. It's a fictionalized version of the life of the author's grandparents as missionaries in China at the beginning of the twentieth century. The characters are compelling and very real. I loved that Caldwell is able to write about marriage and the spiritual life in a way that is inspiring but yet realistic.

 

I'm also reading The Shallows by Nicholas Carr and still working on Death of Adam by Marilynne Robinson. I have a couple of fiction options waiting in the wings but not sure what will be next.

 

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

12. City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell

[Robin M]

You know, I wasn't really planning to join in the Moby Dick read. However, if we rent something like this w/ ocean views, I might be up for it... :tongue_smilie::D

 

 

 

Perfect picture. I so want to be there.

 

It is great incentive. May just tape in front of my treadmill while reading Moby Dick.