Book a Week in 2012 - week 11

[Robin M]

Good Morning! Today is the start of week 11 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Welcome back to all our readers, welcome to all those just joining in 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 - G.K. Chesterton: Highlighting his novel The Man Who Was Thursday. Check out the first chapter.

 

Moby Dick readalong - I finished it last night!!!! How are the rest of you doing?

 

Ready for a Russian Author Readalong in April?

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to Week 10

[Melinda in VT]

I finished The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes.

 

This is our book group book for this month, although I suggested it after it won the Man Booker Prize. (The members of the book group tend to select books that have won prizes.)

 

This was a very readable book. I didn't love it, but there was enough mystery to keep me reading up later than I intended. I think it will make for an interesting discussion.

[Robin M]

I did it. Finished Moby Dick last night. Glad that can say finally read it. Quite an education on whales. Was long winded, but dramatic, poetical and interesting for the most part.

 

Also read this week: Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair. I like Thursday, she's a great character and the story line was quite interesting. Looking forward to reading One of our Thursdays is Missing.

 

Still working my way through "Revision and Self Editing" by James Scott Bell. Tried reading Story Engineering by Larry Brooks but he never gets to the point. It's like one long infomercial. Have given up on it.

[Stacia]

Moby Dick readalong - I finished it last night!!!! How are the rest of you doing?

 

Ready for a Russian Author Readalong in April?

 

Congrats, Robin, on finishing MD! I'm looking forward to the discussions (even though I didn't read MD :lol:). Maybe all the comments will prod me into reading it.

 

Is the Russian Readalong "War & Peace" or any Russian book...???

 

I finished The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes.

 

This is our book group book for this month, although I suggested it after it won the Man Booker Prize. (The members of the book group tend to select books that have won prizes.)

 

This was a very readable book. I didn't love it, but there was enough mystery to keep me reading up later than I intended. I think it will make for an interesting discussion.

 

Thanks for the comments. This is one I want to read as I tend to enjoy many of the Booker nominees & winners.

 

I'm still working on the same two books: Cooking with Fernet Branca (a very funny antidote to "The Enchanted April" or any nice travel/cooking memoir type book -- just don't read it while eating because some of the included recipes are pretty revolting, lol) and Stone Junction (a cross between "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas", "On the Road", and an R-rated Harry Potter).

 

My Goodreads Page

Completed the Europa Challenge Espresso Level (at least 4 Europa books: #s 4, 9, 10, 11, & 14 on my list); plan to complete the Cappuccino level (at least 6 Europas)...

 

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)

18. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston (3 stars)

[Onceuponatime]

Still working my way through A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. I am learning a lot that I never knew about Australia. It is an amusing book, but I could do without the periodic juvenile male humor.

[Robin M]

Congrats, Robin, on finishing MD! I'm looking forward to the discussions (even though I didn't read MD :lol:). Maybe all the comments will prod me into reading it.

 

Is the Russian Readalong "War & Peace" or any Russian book...???

 

Any Russian book since I've already read War and Peace and Anna Karenina. There are a few who wanted to read War and Peace which is quite alright. I'll probably dive into Dostoyevsky The Brothers Karamazov since have it on the shelves.

[SunnyDays]

I read the next Percy Jackson book, and I also read "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen. Loved that one!!

 

Total for the year so far is 18 books.

[Alice]

I finished The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes.

 

This is our book group book for this month, although I suggested it after it won the Man Booker Prize. (The members of the book group tend to select books that have won prizes.)

 

This was a very readable book. I didn't love it, but there was enough mystery to keep me reading up later than I intended. I think it will make for an interesting discussion.

 

I read this a few weeks ago. I was totally absorbed by it although I didn't really enjoy it, if that makes any sense at all. Definitely worth reading but not a feel good or fun read in any way.

 

 

Also read this week: Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair. I like Thursday, she's a great character and the story line was quite interesting. Looking forward to reading One of our Thursdays is Missing.

 

 

I really liked The Eyre Affair. I read a few others in the series but got kind of tired of them after the first one. It's a fun concept though.

 

I didn't post last week but in the past two weeks I've read the following:

 

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos- The Newbury winnner. It was a little too over the top quirky for my taste but in the last half it won me over a little bit. Into the quirky store is woven a bunch of history tidbits and the general theme that we have to know our history in order not to repeat it.

 

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai- Really beautiful. It's the autobiographical story of a young girl who leaves Vietnam during the fall of Saigon and comes to the US as a refuge, ending up in Alabama. The story is told through poetry. I really liked this one.

 

The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure-One of those "author does cool thing and then writes about it" books. The author tries to visit as many Little House on the Prairie sites as possible. If you are a fan of the books or TV show it has some fun moments but overall I didn't like McClure's tone and the book was too much about her without a lot of insight into herself or her adventure.

 

Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss- Good book. If you read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts this has a similar message but told in a less meandering style.

 

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson- Fantastic thriller. A woman goes to sleep each night and completely loses her memory. The book explores the idea of who we are if not the sum or our memories. It's also one of the most genuinely creepy thrillers I've read. I had no idea until the end what was true and what was a lie, who was good and who was evil.

 

Reading now:

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

 

Read in 2012

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 Caldwel

13. The Shallows by Nicholar Carr

14. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

15. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

16. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

17. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai

18. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure

19. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

20. Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

[jenL]

I absolutely LOVED the book I read this week: Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It was so moving and inspirational. There were times where I was laughing out loud, shaking my head in shame, or just sobbing. I will hold onto this story for a long time.

 

I also began The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew this week. It takes place in Charlotte, NC (where I live) in the early 1950s. The story line is good, and the reader has developed characters with whom I'm feeling a connection. It's interesting to hear the main character talk about the street they live on and places they go in Charlotte that are still there, and many where I have also been or still go to. I'm waiting for something major to happen in the story, as I can feel the conflict rising, but I'm not sure what bombshell is about to drop. It's keeping me reading, and I'm curious to see where the story will go.

 

What I've read so far...

• Radical by David Platt
  
• Made to Crave by Lysa Terkhurst
  
• The Eve Tree by Rachel Devenish Ford
  
• Breaking TWIG by Deborah Epperson
  
• Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long
  
• Clockwise by Elle Strauss
  
• Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach by Vincent Monastra
  
• Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos
  
• The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey
  
• They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti
  
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
  
• Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America by Michael Yankoski
  
• Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
  
• The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
  

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[porque]

This week I finished Moby Dick! Yeah! Very glad I finished. At times I found it overly descriptive and tedious, but parts I loved, and it did build to an exciting climax!

 

....finished this week

18. Moby Dick

19. The Reader- quick read, thought provoking story, glad that is was not wordy after some books I have read recently(see above).

 

Family read alouds

7. Johnny Tremain

 

DD9

25. Among the Barons

26. The Curse of Camp Cold Lake

27. Love, Ruby Lavender

[Night Elf]

22. Aunt Dimity and the Duke

23. The Pact

 

Currently reading May Bird and the Ever After and The Cat Who Lived High

[aggieamy]

22. Aunt Dimity and the Duke

23. The Pact

 

Currently reading May Bird and the Ever After and The Cat Who Lived High

 

The Cat Who Lived High is one of my favorites! Have you read any of the Miss Marple books? I think you'd really enjoy them.

[Kareni]

I took a break from my historical romance reading and read Patricia Briggs' Fair Game: An Alpha and Omega Novel which would be classified as urban fantasy. I enjoyed the book but not as much as I liked the earlier books in the series.

 

Regards,

Kareni

Edited March 11, 2012 by Kareni

[Negin]

Finished two books this week.

 

The Devil in the White City - I'd give it 2 Stars (just okay, nothing to write home about) - the good thing is that I now know that I won't be spending any more of my $ or time on his other books, which previously, I had been wondering about.

 

An Unexpected Twist - free Kindle book - very short read - more like a short story. Andy Borowtiz is very funny. I love his stuff on my FB News Feed. :D Not for everyone, I must say. I'd give this one 3 Stars. I do look forward to reading other books by him.

 

Edited March 11, 2012 by Negin in Grenada

[Stacia]

The Devil in the White City - I'd give it 2 Stars (just okay, nothing to write home about) - the good thing is that I now know that I won't be spending any more of my $ or time on his other books, which previously, I had been wondering about.

 

I enjoyed the historical aspects of that book. However, I didn't like the serial killer parts at all. Reading about serial killers is really not my thing.... :tongue_smilie:

[eaglei]

Finished Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, which I commented on last week when I was part way through it.

 

Currently in the midst of:

 

#11 - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. Though I have never read any of his novels (and don't plan to - not my cuppa!), I am enjoying this book - dare I say - even more than Lamott's. Each has basically given the same basic advice, but King's is both more instructive, detailed and plied with pertinent examples, while also being more personable. Both books are earthier than I personally prefer; while that was a larger annoyance with Lamott's book, King's is surprisingly a bit toned down - or maybe it just gets lost in the almost outline-able advice he gives, along with the personal stories and illustrations. His tone comes across as not trying to prove anything, and definitely not apologizing for who he is. Perhaps that is a reason why his book is a bit more refreshing . . . :001_huh:

 

Next up might be Mary Karr's The Liar's Club, a memoir King referenced in the first sentence, first line of his book. I've already signed it out from the library . . . I'll see what *mood* I'm in when I'm ready to choose the next book!

[Melinda in VT]

Finished two books this week.

 

The Devil in the White City - I'd give it 2 Stars (just okay, nothing to write home about) - the good thing is that I now know that I won't be spending any more of my $ or time on his other books, which previously, I had been wondering about.

 

I really enjoyed In the Garden of Beasts, by the same author. I learned a lot about Germany during 1933 and 1934.

[aggieamy]

Finished Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, which I commented on last week when I was part way through it.

 

Currently in the midst of:

 

#11 - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. Though I have never read any of his novels (and don't plan to - not my cuppa!), I am enjoying this book - dare I say - even more than Lamott's. Each has basically given the same basic advice, but King's is both more instructive, detailed and plied with pertinent examples, while also being more personable. Both books are earthier than I personally prefer; while that was a larger annoyance with Lamott's book, King's is surprisingly a bit toned down - or maybe it just gets lost in the almost outline-able advice he gives, along with the personal stories and illustrations. His tone comes across as not trying to prove anything, and definitely not apologizing for who he is. Perhaps that is a reason why his book is a bit more refreshing . . . :001_huh:

 

Next up might be Mary Karr's The Liar's Club, a memoir King referenced in the first sentence, first line of his book. I've already signed it out from the library . . . I'll see what *mood* I'm in when I'm ready to choose the next book!

 

I had the exact same opinon of King's book. I'm glad you are enjoying it.

[Ali in OR]

Finished 3 this week. I absolutely loved The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker. One of the many books I've found from this thread--thank you! And I also enjoyed A String on the Harp by Nancy Bond (also discovered here). I loved the story, loved the description of ever-rainy Wales while reading here in ever-rainy Oregon, loved the writing which I decided is far superior to Wildwood, a recent publication that targets a similar age group. And I also finished my first Kindle book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. This was not a good choice for an e-book (it was a free download from Amazon). For some strange reason the whole thing is center-justified and I never found a way to change that--an annoying way to read. There are also two drawings in the original text that just aren't there in electronic format--not good when it's a clue to the mystery. I read this in book form many years ago. I did not remember exactly who did it, but I did recall which people did not do it and other little details. I do prefer a real book to Kindle. I'm not a completely linear reader--I tend to peek at the end, go back and re-read something important, etc. I haven't really figured out how to do that on the Kindle.

 

I'm up for a Russian Lit challenge. I've been wanting to read Anna Karenina--I've downloaded it onto the Kindle, but I know I'm going to want to be going backward to re-read and figure out who is who, so I may need to break down and buy a paper copy.

 

For this week, I've got a couple of 14-day books from the library to get to. I've started Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman and think I'll get something out of it. From the back cover, "Not a Fan challenges you to consider what it really means to call yourself a Christian." Then I've got Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children--back to Wales! I've also got The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, but I've got 4 weeks for that one so it will wait. And of course all of those books were brought to my attention here. Thank you all.

 

Books Read in 2012 (* = contenders for my 2012 Top Ten)

19. The Mysterious Affair at Styles-Agatha Christie

18. A String in the Harp-Nancy Bond

17. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats-Jan-Philipp Sendker*

16. The Lacuna-Barbara Kingsolver*

15. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows-Alan Bradley

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

[Jen in PA]

Finished in the past week:

33. What Is Intelligence?: Beyond the Flynn Effect by James Flynn

34. Ordeal By Innocence by Agatha Christie

35. Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America by Shawn Lawrence Otto

 

This week I'll continue with The Price of Butcher's Meat, and hope to get started on The Tempest.

[Rosyl]

The weather has been so wonderful that my reading is slipping off. It will pick up again when i catch up on the outside work. I have many books started, I just don't read as fast at this time of year.

23) A Dream For Hannah by Jerry Eicher. Lame, but I will read the sequel.

22) Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare on audio

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

[Just Robyn]

Finished this week

 

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

 

I don't consider myself a reader of romance novels. I read the Twilight books, and the Gail Carriger books I've been reading, while found in the sci-fi/fantasy section of the book store, have a significant amount of romance in them. Thus far, that's all. This book was light and funny, while still making some good points. My one complaint is that they didn't have a Top 10 or Top 20 (or however many) list. After saying something along the lines of, "The best romance books are as good as the best in any genre," I think you need to then go on to tell me which books those are, not here and there throughout the book either. I want them in a list at the back of the book. I won't start reading just any romance novels in hopes that I happen upon the really good ones. I realize the list would be subjective. None the less, I seek the opinions of the authors on that point so I can easily investigate whether or not I agree with them.

 

For those who don't like lots of swearing, this book is not for you.

 

The authors have a website as well. I checked it out a couple of times but had trouble finding what I was looking for.

 

Ready for a Russian Author Readalong in April?

 

Ooh. Maybe I'll join in and read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

Edited March 11, 2012 by crstarlette

[Rosie_0801]

Still working my way through A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. I am learning a lot that I never knew about Australia.

 

Like what?

 

I remember thinking "We do not!" a few times when I read that, but I can't remember what about...

 

Rosie

[laughing lioness]

I finished my 5th Sayers book, Whose Body. A short review on #4 of my Weekly Report. Still totally loving the Lord Peter Wimsey stuff.

I've had a lot to think about with my Gram this week and it's been a refreshing change to get lost in England between making calls and homeschooling.

[luvnlattes]

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson- Fantastic thriller. A woman goes to sleep each night and completely loses her memory. The book explores the idea of who we are if not the sum or our memories. It's also one of the most genuinely creepy thrillers I've read. I had no idea until the end what was true and what was a lie, who was good and who was evil.

 

I remember thinking it wasn't always the best book to be reading right before bed :tongue_smilie:. I would have an unsettled feeling as I was trying to drift off to sleep.

 

I absolutely LOVED the book I read this week: Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It was so moving and inspirational. There were times where I was laughing out loud, shaking my head in shame, or just sobbing. I will hold onto this story for a long time.

 

 

:iagree: I loved this book too.

 

This week I finished Sister by Rosamond Lupton. I really liked it. It was a mystery of sorts in that a woman is trying to figure out what happened to her missing sister. What's unique about the story is that it's written as a letter from the searching sister to the missing one. It's doesn't really fall into your typical "who done it" type mystery. The searching sister shares her heart in the letter so quite a bit of time is spent on the relationship between the two women. This reviewer describes it so much better than I when he says,

 

"Truly marvelous! As compelling as it is stylish, SISTER exists in that rare place where crime fiction and literature coincide." —Jeffery Deaver

Now I'm reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. It's another book that I'm thoroughly enjoying.

[Negin]

Like what?

I remember thinking "We do not!" a few times when I read that, but I can't remember what about...

Rosie

Rosie, this was on my wish list and I took it off a few days ago or so. Wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I have yet to read any books by him. His Kindle books are in the slightly more expensive category. I refuse to pay that much unless if I'm quite desperate.

[edithcrawley]

I'm still working on "Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" and "The Emancipation of Robert Sadler"

 

I'm nearly done with both of them, I plan to read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" next.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started reading:

 

Nothing new this week. I need to finish my other two books and I am overloaded at work. :glare:

 

 

Still reading:

 

What is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission by Kevin DeYoung

 

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

 

 

Completed so far:

11. My Hands Came Away Red

10. The Omnivore's Dilemma

9.Dead Heat

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

[Rosie_0801]

Rosie, this was on my wish list and I took it off a few days ago or so. Wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I have yet to read any books by him. His Kindle books are in the slightly more expensive category. I refuse to pay that much unless if I'm quite desperate.

 

I liked it, I just felt misrepresented a few times! :p

 

I wouldn't encourage you to be that desperate. They're not that wonderful.

 

:)

Rosie

[SJ.]

I just finished Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I read it a long time ago and really enjoyed it. It was just as good, maybe better, the second time around. It helps that I did not remember who the murderer was in the story!

 

I am not sure what I will tackle next. I have been thinking about finally starting Moby Dick but it really doesn't hold a lot of appeal to me other than to be able to say I actually read it. Other books I am thinking of reading are The Dress Lodger and This Side of Paradise. Both books were yard sale purchases and have been waiting on my shelves for me to read them.

 

Perhaps I will read the first chapter of all three books and see which one catches my interest.

 

Currently Reading:

Undecided

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

5. Song of Susannah, Stephen King

6. The Dark Tower, Stephen King

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

8. The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck

9. Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway

10. And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie

[Onceuponatime]

Like what?

 

I remember thinking "We do not!" a few times when I read that, but I can't remember what about...

 

Rosie

 

 

Don't worry. ;) I was referring to learning about physical geography and history. The amusing parts were the authors own antics.

[VeganCupcake]

Ready for a Russian Author Readalong in April?

 

 

Yes! I'll have to find a good one to read for the readalong. I minored in Russian in college so I have read a lot of Russian lit, but it is some of the best in the world, IMO.

[K in MI]

I finished #16: Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado

Parrado, Nando

 

2012 Books completed:

16. Miracle in the Andes (Parrado)

15. Among The Gods (Book 5) (Austin)

14. Faith of My Fathers (Book 4) (Austin)

13. The Strength of His Hand (Book 3) (Austin)

12. Song of Redemption (Book 2 of Chronicles of the Kings) (Austin)

11. Farewell to Manzanar (Houston)

10. Gods & Kings (Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings) (Austin)

9. Simple Courage (Delaney)

8. All My Patients Kick and Bite (Wells)

7. Amazing Medical Stories (Burden & Grant)

6. The Death Cure (Dashner)

5. The Scorch Trials (Dashner)

4. The Maze Runner (Dashner)

3. When Crickets Cry (Martin)

2. Every Patient Tells a Story (Sanders)

1. Earthquake at Dawn (Gregory)

[CAMom]

Flew through Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. Definitely love an Alex Cross book when life is getting overwhelming!;)

 

I also finished Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly. I love him on TV so it was a fun read.

 

I'm about half way through The Power of Less by Leo Babauta. So far nothing earth shattering but he does put things pretty succinctly so that I can process the information more easily.

 

I think I will start Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Koera next.

[Negin]

I liked it, I just felt misrepresented a few times! :p

I wouldn't encourage you to be that desperate. They're not that wonderful.

:)

Rosie

Yes, feeling misrepresented is a bit annoying at times. :glare:

Thanks. Nope, no that desperate. I'll wait till his books are super-cheap on the Kindle. Not paying too high of a price for them.

 

Flew through Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. Definitely love an Alex Cross book when life is getting overwhelming!;)

I think I will start Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Koera next.

I love seeing your posts on this thread. :grouphug:

Haven't read any James Patterson in a very long while. My problem is that I don't remember which ones I've read and which ones I haven't. :tongue_smilie:

I loved Nothing to Envy. Hope you like it if you decide on that.

[aggieamy]

I just finished The Third Choice - A Woman's Guide to Placing a Child for Adoption by Leslie Foge which was recommended by a social worker that's helping with our adoption. It's written for the birthmother. I'm obviously a hopeful adoptive mother but it was so interesting to learn about what issues and worries a birthmother will have during the process. I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it to any other hopeful adoptive parent.

 

Tomorrow we're leaving on a short camping trip and I'm hoping to read one or two books while we're away.

 

Finished this week:

 

22. The Third Choice - A Woman's Guide to Placing a Child for Adoption by Leslie Foge (****)

 

In progress:

 

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

The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse (audiobook)

Home to Woefield by Susan Juby (recommended here)

They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie

 

2012 finished books:

 

21. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway (**)

20. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (*****)

19. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (****)

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 (***)

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 (****)

 

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

***** - Fantastic, couldn't put it down

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

Edited March 12, 2012 by aggieamy

[joannqn]

Ok, this is embarrassing. I've been reading almost exclusively YA novels, but the last two are even younger. Amazon has them listed as ages 8-12. I found them in the library's notebook for The Hunger Games read-a-likes. I'll read some adult books this year.

 

Among the Hidden This is the first book of the shadow children series. In this series, the world has experienced population overgrowth and drought leading to severe food shortages. First, they let all of the criminals starve to death. They considered letting the mentally disabled starve but someone fought for them, so they passed the population law instead. Families are allowed two children only. Women are suppose to be sterilized after the birth of their second child but sometimes it doesn't happen or a third is conceived by accident. Those thirds are expected to be turned over for disposable. A family hiding a third are at risk of severe punishment and having their third child killed if caught. The story's protagonist is Luke, a third who led a fairly normal life (at least he could go outside) until the government tore down the woods near their house to build houses for barons (the country's rich). Issues of population control, the privileges afforded by the rich, and government regulations adding to the problem are all covered in this easy to read novel. This book can be read in less than a day but covers some interesting themes.

 

Among the Imposters This is book two of the shadow children series and follows Luke as he is moved to a boarding school under an assumed name.

 

 

On a good note, me reading all of these YA novels has gotten my kids reading more because I keep telling them about these books and encouraging them to try them.

Edited March 12, 2012 by joannqn

[Kareni]

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

 

... My one complaint is that they didn't have a Top 10 or Top 20 (or however many) list.

 

I read the same book a couple of weeks ago and agree with your thoughts. I too missed a Top X romances list. Here are a couple from other sources:

 

Top 100 Romance Novels from The Romance Reader

 

Top 100 Romances Poll, November 2011 from All About Romance

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Just Robyn]

I read the same book a couple of weeks ago and agree with your thoughts. I too missed a Top X romances list. Here are a couple from other sources:

 

Top 100 Romance Novels from The Romance Reader

 

Top 100 Romances Poll, November 2011 from All About Romance

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Oh! That clears up my brain fog. I read the book because I saw it highly rated on a friend's goodreads list, but I was thinking the title looked familiar and I might have seen it here. Only 2 weeks ago, though! That's about when I started reading it. Maybe the real reason I read it is because I saw the title twice in a matter of days.

 

Thanks for the lists! It looks like Outlander would be a good choice for me, and it's available at the library here!

[Jane in NC]

Finished #13, P.G. Wodehouse's Love Among the Chickens.

 

This week I plan to read one of Stacia's recommendations, The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, as well as a Mrs. Bradley mystery, When Last I Died, by Gladys Mitchell.

 

Never heard of Gladys Mitchell? Nor had I. Apparently, back in the day, she was ranked with Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie as one of the great dames of British mysteries. Considering that I have read all of the Dorothy Sayers mysteries at least twice and am not a huge Christie fan, I am curious to be introduced to the unorthodox Mrs. Bradley.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I've been rereading the Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker, I am on A Catskill Eagle, one of my very favorite books of all time. They are quick and easy reads so I am on book 12 of 36 I think.

[rwjx2khsmj]

:party:I finished Moby Dick!

[prairiegirl]

I can't seem to finish a book anymore. :confused: I took back 11/22/63 by Stephen King to the library because it was due and I couldn't renew it. I really liked the book but I just couldn't keep with it. I have started 'A Fatal Grace' by Louise Penny and am hoping that this will be the one that I actually finish.

[Jenny in Florida]

I've been continuing my light reading streak. I still hope to get around to some of those classics I promised myself I'd read this year. But, hey, the year is still young, right?

 

Here's my list so far:

 

15. Shockaholic, Carrie Fisher

14. Crescendo, Becca Fitzpatrick

13. Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick

12. The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen

11. Rainwater, Sandra Brown

10. A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

8. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

9. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen

7. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins

6. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

5. Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope

4. The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane, Katherine Howe

3. Angelica, Arthur Phillips

2. What Colleges Don’t Tell You, Elizabeth Wizner-Gross

1. Clockwork Prince, Cassandra Clare

 

 

I'm currently reading ****ed, by Chuck Palahniuk and listening to the audiobook of Silence, by Becca Fitzpatrick when I'm in the car.

I'm also reading Prometheus Bound, by Aeschylus, with my son.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Jenny in Florida

[thessa516]

Wow - congrats to all of you finishing Moby Dick!!!! So many of the books highlighted this week look interesting.

 

I'm having a happy problem on my bedside. It's feast week from the library:

 

 

Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Lapin - Wow. Wow. Wow. I'm only to the first chapter and I already think EVERYONE should read this book. It's a personal finance/business book. I'll be purchasing this one.

 

One Thousand Gifts by Voskamp - I won't be reading this one. Her style of writing and my brain's style of processing information do not mesh. I was hoping her book was a bit more readable than her blog, but it's not. I'm sure she has wonderful thoughts to share. I would like to develop my gratitude, but this book is not for me. And who starts a book describing your mother's ring of fire from your birth? :001_huh:

 

Memories Before and After The Sound of Music by Agathe Von Trapp - This book was recommended here on the TWTM. I'm halfway through it and enjoying it.

 

Artemis Fowl - need to start it at the request of my oldest son (he just finished reading it and wants me to read it, too).

 

The Feast Nearby by Mather - Another WTM recommendation. I'm loving it. Almost finished with it. I was inspired to cook up a bunch of food. I now have 6 bags of homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer. :D

 

29 Gifts by Walker - Another WTM recommendation. I'm liking this better than the first paragraph of Voskamp's book, even though it's not a "Chrisitian" book. I'm about halfway through this one.

 

MBS and the Perilous Journey - I haven't started this one yet. It's supposed to be a happy easy read, but obviously, I have lots of other reading.

 

A Garden of Eden in Hell - I'm very excited to read this book! Written by a Holocaust survivor, she describes her happiness with her life. I came across the book from this post on Michael Hyatt's blog. It's worth a few minutes of your time to pop over, read the post, and if you have time, watch the interview with the author.

 

And uh, yeah, that's Melville on the bottom (actually, that's National Geographic magazine on the bottom). I gave myself permission to not read Moby Dick, yet it still sits next to my head every night.

[Jane in NC]

Ahoy there, Moby Dick readers! When I read this wonderful book for the first time a couple of summers ago, I borrowed the amazing illustrated version that the University of California produced with engravings by Barry Moser. What a book! Has anyone else been enjoying this version?

[Stacia]

I'm currently reading ****ed, by Chuck Palahniuk

 

How are you liking this one? I just picked it up from the library after being waitlisted for awhile, but I'm not sure I'll get to it in time to read it before I need to return it (can't renew it right now)....

[Sparkle]

I'd like to read a Russian author too, although I already have kind of a big stack of library books I want to get through first. Guess I'll try reading fast so I can participate with you. :001_smile:

 

Jane in NC, I'll have to look for Gladys Mitchell - I've never heard of her either, and her books sound intriguing.

[Zebra]

This week I finished book #17, Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran. I don't know if it was just because I had a weird week, or it was the book, but I had a really hard time getting through it.

 

I have heard of Madame Tussaud's wax museum, but I had no idea she was a real person who lived through the French revolution. It's also always interesting to me that there is another side to Marie Antoinette.