Book a Week in 2012 - week 9

[Angel]

Yay, just finished reading Much Ado About Nothing! Might watch a version over dinner, even :)

 

Rosie

 

Dd17 and I (and our Shakespeare group) read Much Ado in September. We watched the Kenneth Brannagh and Emma Thompson version. Kenneth Brannagh was pretty funny as Benedick.

[GailV]

Yay, just finished reading Much Ado About Nothing! Might watch a version over dinner, even :)

 

Rosie

 

That's one of dd's favorites! The Shakespeare group my kids are in will be putting it on this summer. Older dd's goal in life is to be Beatrice. Younger dd would like to be Dogberry, but I think they're hiring an adult for that part, which is very sad for her.

[pandy245]

I'm having a hard time keeping up with this thread! :) In the past week I finished Stiff and Garden Spells. I enjoyed Stiff, and thought Garden Spells was just OK. I picked up Davita's Harp at the library yesterday, since the 3 books I put on hold aren't in yet. They will all come in next week...it seems like I either have no books or too many books. :) I'm also currently reading Because He Loves Me (Elyse Fitzpatrick) for a book club.

 

So far this year:

 

9. Garden Spells

8. The Hunger Games (a re-read to prepare for the movie...the first time I listened to the audio book, and I think I enjoyed it that way more because the sentence fragments weren't as obvious)

7. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

6. Gregor the Overlander

5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

4. The Tale of Despereaux

3. Irreparable Harm

2. Operation Mincemeat

1. Sarah's Key

[Plink]

My plan for the year is to simply read 12 challenging books, not 52 like the rest of you overachievers ;) but procrastination is a funny thing. In the process of reaching my goal of reading Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics I also read The Dyslexic Advantage (fabulous), A Tailor-Made Bride (very sweet), and O Little Town (overly dramatic fluff).

 

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics was worth the slog. I wrote more here.

 

My next personal challenge is entirely different from the first. Gone with the Wind is over a thousand pages of drama and may take me quite a while. Despite the length, it is much more my style than Ma's report. I always find that books are better than movies, so I have high hopes for this one!

Edited February 29, 2012 by LibertyH

[Mom-ninja.]

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics I also read The Dyslexic Advantage (fabulous),

 

I love The Dyslexic Advantage. I have yet to read Ma's book. I keep putting it off.

 

 

 

 

My next personal challenge is entirely different from the first. Gone with the Wind is over a thousand pages of drama and may take me quite a while. Despite the length, it is much more my style than Ma's report. I always find that books are better than movies, so I have high hopes for this one!

 

 

I should read that book.

[Robin M]

Just received Finch from someone! :hurray: Thank you!!!

 

 

:grouphug: You're welcome. I guess they forgot to include the gift note.

[Rosie_0801]

Insomnia led me to finish 'American Dervish' by Ayad Akhtar. It wasn't nice.

 

Rosie

[Jane in NC]

Just when I was tiring of Balzac, the Droll stories took a turn that I appreciated. Nonetheless, I took a break from the book and read #10 Cranford and #11 Beyond Stitch & B***h: Reflections on Knitting and Life.

 

The latter is a little book of essays on the joys of knitting and yarn collecting by journalist/college prof Afi-Odelia Scruggs. My comments on the book will follow later in this month's crafter thread.

 

Like many of you, I enjoyed Cranford on PBS. But this was my first Elizabeth Gaskell novel. Silly and enjoyable. My new vocabulary word from the book is sesquipedalian.

[Just Robyn]

:grouphug: You're welcome. I guess they forgot to include the gift note.

 

Huh!! Yeah! I specifically looked for it and looked to see if it fell on the floor when I opened it, but there was nothing, not even a packing slip! Someone else mentioned there was no packing slip with their book. I thought that must have been intentional, but now I'm curious. That is so strange.

 

Well, anyway - thank you for the book!

[Negin]

My plan for the year is to simply read 12 challenging books, not 52 like the rest of you overachievers ;)

I know that I personally don't have all my books (my goal is 26 ~ 1 book every 2 weeks) be in the challenging category. In fact, these days, few of them are challenging. :grouphug: To me, you should read what interests you, what you love.

[Angel]

My next personal challenge is entirely different from the first. Gone with the Wind is over a thousand pages of drama and may take me quite a while. Despite the length, it is much more my style than Ma's report. I always find that books are better than movies, so I have high hopes for this one!

 

Dd just started reading this last week. I will probably try and read it along with her. The last time I read it was around 8th/9th grade. I will always envision Vivien Leigh as Scarlett.

[joannqn]

I just finished reading my ninth book, The Scorch Trials, which is book two of The Maze Runner triology. We're now waiting for book three to become available at the library.

[scholarly]

Have you read Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester? Thought I'd mention it in case you (or others) might like it. I've never read Heyer, but I recently asked for recs on Goodreads for books about the Napoleonic era & this was one of the recommendations. I haven't read it yet, not sure if I will, but I just picked it up from the library....

 

I read Georgette Heyer's Regency World last year. I had never heard of Georgette Heyer before that, but after I read GHRW, I read about 10 of Heyer's books.

 

I feel a little cheated that it took me 31 years to find Georgette Heyer; I would have *loved* reading her in high school!

[joannqn]

Oh, no, I'm reading that one right now. Seriously, it has a rotten ending? Drat.

 

Fortunately, there is a book 2 and a book 3. I'm hoping one of them has a good ending.

[Guest]

Last night I finished The Pig in the Pantry and Other Homeschool Tales by Rose Godfrey; it was a free Kindle book a few weeks ago - I'm convinced it was written by someone here.... :) (Enjoyed the cute stories, btw)

 

I started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society since it came in at my library. Once I got over the fact that it's all letters, I really am enjoying it!

[aggieamy]

Thanks all for the Georgette Heyer suggestion. I finished two of her books this week and enjoyed both. Arabella was my favorite by far though. Couldn't put it down!

 

Finished this week:

 

17. Arabella by Georgette Heyer (a recommendation for my romancy request ****)

16. The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie (A collection of Miss Marple short stories. I prefer the full novels but this was interesting and fun to read. ***)

15. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (A light romance. Her characters were likeable but the story seemed rushed at the end. Still enjoyed it a lot though. ***)

 

In progress:

 

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

Ginger Pye by Elanor Estes YA (our current read aloud)

The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison (my current audiobook)

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (recommended here - going to read for my ladies book club)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

14. Nim's Island by Wendy Orr YA (***)

13. Abandon in Old Tokyo by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (*

12. The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie (***)

11. All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor YA (****)

10. The High Window by Raymond Chandler (****)

9. Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson (**)

8. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (****)

7. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (****)

6. What I Wore by Jessica Quirk (**)

5. How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp (*)

4. The Georgraphy of Bliss by Eric Weiner (***)

3. The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty YA (*)

2. The Anybodies by NE Bode YA (**)

1. The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi (****)

 

 

Read alouds 2012:

 

The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois YA (****)

[Kareni]

I started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society since it came in at my library. Once I got over the fact that it's all letters, I really am enjoying it!

 

I found it an enjoyable book. The fact that it was an epistolary novel was actually a plus to me.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[laughing lioness]

And just finished The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Sayers. I think I'm back up to speed for the year. Here's what I have so far:

• Blackwood, Shakespeare Stealer (YA)
  
• Blackwood, Shakespeare's Scribe (YA)
  
• Burpo, Heaven is for Real
  
• Craighead George, Far Side of the Mountain (YA)
  
• Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain (YA)
  
• King, On Writing
  
• Lamott, Grace (Eventually)
  
• Lamott, Imperfect Birds
  
• Lewis, C.S. Out of the Silent Planet
  
• McEwan, On Chesil Beach
  
• Sayers, Strong Poison
  
• Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
  
• Sayers, Unnatural Death
  
• Wisemen, et al, An Amish Wedding
  

[Stacia]

I finished The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. I found this book through Robin's link a few weeks ago about the Edgar (mystery) nominations. (FYI, the Edgar Awards will be presented on April 26.)

 

This is a solid mystery out of Japan, nominated for the 2012 Edgar Awards for 'Best Novel'. This mystery has a bit of a twist in that you know the murder/murderer up front & the rest of the novel is a cat & mouse game between police & suspect(s). Even knowing the set-up from the beginning, Higashino throws some twists & turns in there, making it surprising even when it seems like you already know everything. I also appreciated & enjoyed the Japanese atmosphere (setting, character traits, etc...) of the novel. I've read that Higashino enjoys a huge following in Japan (similar to Stephen King in the US) & I can see why... this is an easy-to-read, fairly smart murder mystery with likable characters (& more of an emotional core than I expected) & enough twists to keep the story interesting & engaging. If you're in the mood for a mystery, this is one to check out.

 

My Goodreads Page

 

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)

15. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (5 stars)

16. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim (3 stars)

17. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (3 stars)

[Jen in PA]

Yay, just finished reading Much Ado About Nothing! Might watch a version over dinner, even :)

 

Rosie

 

I was able to download an audio version from the library -- with David Tennant as Benedick. Much fun!:D

[Sparkle]

Fortunately, there is a book 2 and a book 3. I'm hoping one of them has a good ending.

 

You were so right. I finished it this morning. Ugh. Does the author just hate people or what?

 

Please post what you think of The Scorch Trials so I can decide whether to read it or not.

[*Inna*]

 

You were so right. I finished it this morning. Ugh. Does the author just hate people or what?

Uh-oh. I have The Maze Runner on my nightstand, waiting for it's turn to be read. Should I just save time and skip it?

[Sparkle]

Uh-oh. I have The Maze Runner on my nightstand, waiting for it's turn to be read. Should I just save time and skip it?

 

Well...I thought it was pretty good right up until the last couple of chapters and then it kind of went downhill. He may redeem things in the next book of the trilogy but I'm not sure how much more I can take. I'd say it's an interesting read but don't expect a happy ending.

[joannqn]

You were so right. I finished it this morning. Ugh. Does the author just hate people or what?

 

Please post what you think of The Scorch Trials so I can decide whether to read it or not.

 

If you enjoyed The Maze Runner and are eager to find out what's going to happen to the main characters, go ahead and give the Scorch Trials a try. Remember, it is a trilogy so you won't get all of the answers until book three anyway.

 

Uh-oh. I have The Maze Runner on my nightstand, waiting for it's turn to be read. Should I just save time and skip it?

 

Give it a try. You'll either hate it or you'll feel compelled to keep reading the rest of the trilogy.

[*Inna*]

Thanks, JoAnn and Yvette. :001_smile:

[Mothersweets]

I finally finished All This and Heaven Too. by Rachel Field. From Amazon:

This number-one bestselling novel is based on the true story of one of the most notorious murder cases in French history. The heroine, Henriette Deluzy-Desportes, governess to the children of the Duc de Praslin, found herself strangely drawn to her employer; when the Duc murdered his wife in the most savage fashion, she had to plead her own case before the Chancellor of France in a sensational murder trial that helped bring down the French king. After winning her freedom, Henriette took refuge in America, where she hosted a salon visited by all the socialites of New York and New England. This thrilling historical romance, full of passion, mystery, and intrigue, has laid claim to the hearts and minds of readers for generations.

 

 

There is a movie of the same name starring Bette Davis and Charles Boyer. I think because I had seen the movie a year or two ago, the book just didn't hold much charm for me. I felt irritated with the characters and just wished they would get on with it already.

[Rosyl]

21) A Love That Multiplies, Duggars on Audio

20) Ella Finds Love, Eicher

19) Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

18) The Duggars 20 and counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

17) Emotionally Healthy Spiritually by Peter Scazarro

16) Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

15) The Survivor by Beth Wiseman (yet another amish book)

14) The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet audio book

13) Growing up Amish by Beth Wiseman

12) Ella's Wish By Jerry Eicher

11) Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

 

10) The Healing by Wanda Brunstetter

9) Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray

8) The Dark Tide

7) Little Men, Louisa May Alcott on Audio

6) Winter of the Red Snow.

5) The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory.

4) A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry Eicher

3) Longing by Karen Kingsbury.

2) Little Women by Alcott

1) Midummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

[Stacia]

I have now started Stone Junction by Jim Dodge -- really enjoying it so far. The main character, Daniel, is homeschooled by the way... handwriting taught by a forger, structural engineering from an explosives guy, etc.... :lol:. (FYI, this book does have 'bad' language & a very straightforward attitude to sex, if that's info you need to know.)

 

From Publishers Weekly:

"A short but remarkable life leads wizard-in-training Daniel Pearse to the "junction" (entrance) of the legendary philosopher's stone, but not before this novel chronicles his extraordinary education. Daniel's unwed mother, Annalee, raises him in a shack that serves as the hideout for an ancient counterculture society, the Alliance of Magicians and Outlaws (AMO). Annalee falls for AMO poet Shamus Malloy, whose plot to steal plutonium results in her violent death. Young Daniel, in pursuit of his mother's betrayer, joins AMO and discovers a faculty that includes Wild Bill Weber on meditation and survival; rancher Mott Stocker on sex and drugs; Willie the Click on safecracking; and Bad Bobby Sloane on poker. Daniel wants to learn who betrayed Annalee, but is distracted by the task of stealing a glowing, perfectly spherical diamond from the White Sands Proving Grounds, an easy proposition for the well-schooled youth. But instead of relinquishing the stone to AMO leader Volta, as he had sworn to, Daniel surrenders to total obsession with its mysteries. Aptly subtitled "an alchemical potboiler," and smartly crafted, Dodge's ( Not Fade Away ) third novel may be his first cult classic."

[Guest]

I found it an enjoyable book. The fact that it was an epistolary novel was actually a plus to me.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I never knew that was an actual term. Learn something new here everyday!

[PeacefulChaos]

So I'm way behind - I think I just finished my 4th or 5th book? But I'm still hoping to get caught up.

I just finished Grace Based Parenting and I hated it. I reviewed it on my blog.

[LostSurprise]

21. Putting Down Roots: Gardening Insights from Wisconsin's Early Settlers by Marcia Carmichael~non-fiction, history, gardening. Succinct look at several nationalities who pioneered Wisconsin. Historical context. How they changed. Specific family stories. Photos. Old World Wisconsin recreations. Recipes. Well cited. Perfect for what its limited subject. 4/5

 

20. Gudrun's Kitchen: Recipes from a Norwegian Family by Irene and Edward Sandvold~cookbook, biography. 2/5

19. Twelve Owls by Laura Erickson~non-fiction, birds. 2/5

18. A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell~fiction, WWII 5/5

17. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge~science fiction, space 3.5/5

16. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card~classic science fiction, read aloud. 4/5

15. Flour by Joanne Chung~cookbook, baking 3/5

14. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby~light fiction, humorous 2.5/5

13. Making the Most of Shade by Larry Hodgson~non-fiction/gardening 3.5/5

12. Growing Perennials in Cold Climates by Mike Heger~non-fiction/gardening 4/5

11. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson~mystery 3.5/5

10. Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith~historical fiction 3/5

9. The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day~fiction 2.5/5

8. The Alphabet in the Park by Adelia Prado~poetry 3.5/5

7. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman~non-fiction/medical 4/5

6. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus~speculative fiction 2.5/5

5. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Woods~juvenile 3/5

4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Jester~(read aloud) juvenile 3/5

3. The Alienist by Caleb Carr~Mystery 3/5

2. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton~Fiction 4/5

1. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt~Fiction 4/5

Edited March 1, 2012 by LostSurprise

[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 (love!!)

17. Discovery of Witches - library kindle

18. Left Neglected, Lisa Genova

19. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith

20. Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, Lisa Patton

21. Yankee Doodle Dixie, Lisa Patton

[GailV]

8. The Hunger Games (a re-read to prepare for the movie...the first time I listened to the audio book, and I think I enjoyed it that way more because the sentence fragments weren't as obvious)

 

We laughed at this comment here -- when older dd checked it out the library for the first time she immediately started reading it ... and spent the entire trip home critiquing the punctuation and sentence structures line-by-line. After she finished it, though, she conceded that the pace was decent enough to make those sins forgivable (well, somewhat forgivable).

[Mom-ninja.]

I just finished Grace Based Parenting and I hated it. I reviewed it on my blog.

 

Tell us how you really feel. ;):lol:

[PeacefulChaos]

Tell us how you really feel. ;):lol:

 

:lol: Well, I try to be honest. :lol:

[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

Breking Dawn (again)

Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them

Trick or Treatent

 

Currently Reading three books: Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making US Sicker & Poorer, The Lost Empire of Atlantis and The Shallows (which I am having a hard time getting through :blush:). I have been doing more crocheting and less reading this last week. Finished one afgan and started another.

 

 

I have the following books on the night stand:

 

11/22/63 by SK next.

Sleep

Lights Outs

[NanceXToo]

I have the following books on the night stand:

 

11/22/63 by SK next.

 

Such a great book! I hope your copy has all the pages, though. :P

 

I'm about to start The Dark River by John Twelve Hawks, book two of The Fourth Realm Trilogy.

 

In The Traveler, John Twelve Hawks introduced readers to a dangerous world inspired by the modern technology that monitors our lives. Under constant surveillance by the "Vast Machine," a sophisticated computer network run by a ruthless group known as the Brethren, society is mostly unaware of its own imprisonment. Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, brothers who were raised "off the Grid," have recently learned they are Travelers like their missing father- part of a centuries-old line of prophets able to journey to different realms of consciousness an enlighten the world to resist being controlled. But power affects the brothers differently. (Snip for spoiler). The race moves from the underground tunnels of New York and London, to ruins hidden beneath Rome and Berlin, to a remote region of Africa that is rumored to harbor one of history's greatest treasures. And as the story moves toward its chilling conclusion, ...(snip). A mesmerizing return to the places and people so richly portrayed in The Traveler, The Dark River is propelled by edge-of-the-seat suspense and haunted by a vision of a world where both hope and freedom are about to disappear.

[Guest]

I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society last night. I enjoyed it. I found all the war memories to be a very bittersweet storyline within the story and enjoyed reading about the friend (Elizabeth) and her daughter (Kit).

[Rosyl]

I really enjoyed the Dark Tide, I am wondering if anyone can recommend other similar books on American history

I finished another book this week.

22) Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare on audio (we have been in the car alot this week)

This book was a hoot.

 

 

21) A Love That Multiplies, Duggars on Audio

20) Ella Finds Love, Eicher

 

 

 

19) Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

18) The Duggars 20 and counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

17) Emotionally Healthy Spiritually by Peter Scazarro

16) Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

15) The Survivor by Beth Wiseman (yet another amish book)

14) The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet audio book

13) Growing up Amish by Beth Wiseman

12) Ella's Wish By Jerry Eicher

11) Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

 

10) The Healing by Wanda Brunstetter

9) Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray

8) The Dark Tide

7) Little Men, Louisa May Alcott on Audio

6) Winter of the Red Snow.

5) The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory.

4) A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry Eicher

3) Longing by Karen Kingsbury.

2) Little Women by Alcott

1) Midummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

[ariasmommy]

#6 Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. Berry knows how to relate an "ordinary" life in an extraordinarily beautiful way - he really does believe that "life is a miracle" (the title of the first book that I read by him). I did have some quibbles with how he used (missapplied) certain Bible references.

 

#7 The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs. This book encouraged me to read what I want rather than feeling tied to someone else's list of "must reads" (though I still want to read lots of the books considered classics by many), as well as to reread some old favorites.

Edited March 3, 2012 by ariasmommy

[aggieamy]

Finished All Quiet on the Western Front. I hate that book and love it at the same time. It's so well written and facinating but sad. Everyone should read this book.

 

Finished this week:

 

18. All Quiet on the Western Front by Enrich Maria Remarque (*****)

17. Arabella by Georgette Heyer (****)

16. The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie (***)

15. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (***)

 

In progress:

 

Ginger Pye by Elanor Estes YA (our current read aloud)

The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison (my current audiobook)

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (recommended here - going to read for my ladies book club)

A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

14. Nim's Island by Wendy Orr YA (***)

13. Abandon in Old Tokyo by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (*

12. The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie (***)

11. All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor YA (****)

10. The High Window by Raymond Chandler (****)

9. Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson (**)

8. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (****)

7. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (****)

6. What I Wore by Jessica Quirk (**)

5. How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp (*)

4. The Georgraphy of Bliss by Eric Weiner (***)

3. The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty YA (*)

2. The Anybodies by NE Bode YA (**)

1. The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi (****)

 

 

Read alouds 2012:

 

The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois YA (****)

[VeganCupcake]

I finished Little Dorrit last night! I really enjoyed it, though it was grim, of course. His characters are so memorable.

 

I just started The Housekeeper and the Professor because of recommendations on these threads. :)

[Robin M]

Link to week 10