Book a Week in 2012 - week 11

[danybug]

I finished book 11, "Onward" by Howard Schultz. The book is all about how he came back as Starbucks CEO and turned the company around. I really enjoyed it and it helped solidify for me why I have a lot of respect for Starbucks as a company. Well, and also why I spend so much money there every week ;)

 

I also read book 12, "Unwanteds" by Lisa McMann, which was a dystopian fantasy. An employee at Barnes & Noble recommended to my ds as a book similar in ways to Harry Potter. I breezed through and really liked it a lot. Hopefully, there will be a series (I haven't looked that up yet).

[-M-]

Finished The Scarlet Pimpernel (a re-read) and Sister. I will likely finish The Taming of the Shrew, Joe the Barbarian (Grant Morrison), Quiet: The Power of Introverts, and The Shallows this week. And, yes, the latter two titles have been in a state of "nearly done" since mid-February. Hey, it happens.

 

Books read in 2012

 

■ Sister (Rosamund Lupton; fiction)

■ The Scarlet Pimpernel (Baroness Emmuska Orczy; fiction)

■ Immortal Bird (Doron Weber; memoir)

■ Defending Jacob (William Landay; fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 4: Endangered Species (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 3: Animal Armies (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

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

■ Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher; YA fiction)

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

■ Our Town (Thornton Wilder; play)

■ Wool 5 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ The Crucible (Arthur Miller; play)

■ Wool 4 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ Wool 3 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ Adventure Unleashed (______ __. _________; unpublished fiction)

■ Wool 2 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ Wool (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ The Project (Brian Falkner; YA fiction)

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

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

■ Feed (MT Anderson; fiction)

■ Coriolanus (William Shakespeare; play, classic)

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

■ The English Teacher (Lily King; fiction)

[Enough]

I finished Wayward Saints (#20) and Protector of the Small: First Test (#21) on Saturday. Both were enjoyable, quick reads. My 9 yo recommended First Test- he has really good taste in books!! :lol:

 

I started Girl Reading on Sunday and although I'm only about 2 chapters in, I'm already enthralled. From the Amazon book description:

"Each chapter of Katie Ward’s kaleidoscopic novel takes us into a perfectly imagined tale of how each portrait came to be, and as the connections accumulate, the narrative leads us into the present and beyond. In gorgeous prose Ward explores our points of connection, our relationship to art, the history of women, and the importance of reading. This dazzlingly inventive novel that surprises and satisfies announces the career of a brilliant new writer."

 

I also want to read the next in the Protector series- Page.

[Storm Bay]

Like what?

 

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

 

Rosie

 

What are some good authors who write about Australia accurately (in fiction--contradictory enough ;)?)

 

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.

 

Although I'm not normally a mystery reader, I'm reading my second Lord Peter mystery (but apparently the first one from 1923) because I want to find out how he got all of his resource people together. It doesn't look like it happened in ths one. I've found 2 books with 3 of those novels in each, but am not sure if I'll read them all at once or space them out with other reading.

[scholarly]

Last week I finished:

#21 Below Stairs by Margaret Langley

#22 Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick

#23 A Love that Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

#24 The History of the World According to Facebook- Wylie Overstreet

 

I noticed several people writing good things about Nothing to Envy, but it didn't sound like anything I would like. I finally decided to give it a try, in order to broaden my horizons, and WOW! I loved it! I'm so glad I listened to you folks about its quality :001_smile:

 

I also thought History of the World According to Facebook was hilarious!

[Robin M]

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!

 

:party:I finished Moby Dick!

Woot! Woot! High five ya'll. We did it.

[Stacia]

This week I plan to read one of Stacia's recommendations, The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

 

I hope you enjoy it! :001_smile:

 

This week I finished Moby Dick! Yeah!

I finished Moby Dick!

 

Hooray & congrats! :cheers2:

 

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.

 

I really enjoyed that book (though it was pretty depressing; not surprising, I guess, since it is set during the Reign of Terror).

 

I started Girl Reading on Sunday and although I'm only about 2 chapters in, I'm already enthralled.

 

That sounds like a fabulous book. And I'm really happy to see that my library has it (though I may not get it for a few weeks). Thanks for mentioning this one.

[Mom-ninja.]

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.

 

Ha! I got sucked into that series last year or year before. I got not put them down. Stayed up all night for many nights until I finished the series. :001_smile:

[Stacia]

After you've read too many lovely, wish-you-were-here travel memoirs & foodie books, Cooking with Fernet Branca is the amusing & biting antidote. I thoroughly enjoyed this parody & it had me literally laughing out loud at times. I'd give it 3.5 stars overall; I'll round it up to 4 stars because it made me laugh out loud when reading at Starbucks.

 

P.S. Don't read this book while eating... for two reasons.

1) You may choke on your food from laughing.

2) The included 'recipes' are revolting. LOL.

 

Two foreigners, Gerald & Marta, have bought neighboring houses in Italy, each hoping for a beautiful location that's peaceful. Gerald wants to concentrate on his career (ghostwriter of athlete autobiographies) & (heinous) cooking; Marta wants to concentrate on her career as a composer (currently working on a movie soundtrack for a famous Italian director). Both are rather put out to discover each other, since having a neighbor leads to all kinds of interruptions, misread intentions, noise, etc.... Here's a fun quote from early in the book after Gerald went to dinner at neighbor Marta's house:

"Things are looking good. Two days have now gone by since our dinner and nary a squeak out of Marta. I'm counting this as a culinary triumph: the ingenious use of food as an offensive weapon. Garlic ice cream with Fernet Branca may lack subtlety but it is highly effective and I feel that by giving you the recipe I have placed a pacifist's version of Clint Eastwood's famous .44 Magnum in your hands. "Make my evening, Marta," I might have said. And to my amazement she did, taking not one but three massive helpings. If I were a good neighbour I would have dropped in on her by now to make sure she is still alive. But I'm not, so I haven't."

:lol:

[joannqn]

Ha! I got sucked into that series last year or year before. I got not put them down. Stayed up all night for many nights until I finished the series. :001_smile:

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one reading YA stuff. I'm waiting for books 3 and 4 and trying to talk them up to my kids. DD has read book 1. Instead of reading book 2, she grabbed another book I recently read, The Line.

 

 

I finished book 13 today, Away, which is the sequel to The Line. It left enough open that I wouldn't be surprised if she writes a third book.

[Night Elf]

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.

 

No, I don't think I have. Maybe I should give it a try! Do you have a favorite one to recommend?

[Rosie_0801]

What are some good authors who write about Australia accurately (in fiction--contradictory enough ;)?)

 

Good question! I guess it depends where and when you want to read about. I'm not a huge fan of Australiana because Australian history was done so poorly at school I'm still trying to recover. I really can't think of any contemporary fiction since authors seem to write for the middle aged lady audience and churn out colonial romances... There are some great Australian classics which I'd recommend if you were after insight into our foundation myths, I suppose you'd call them.

 

Bryce Courtney writes accurately, I would say, but I don't find them enjoyable to read. He tends to make every single thing that could happen in a given period happen to the one family. That quickly becomes tedious to an adult reader, or it did to me anyway.

 

Y'know, I'll post on an Aussie homeschool board and see what others have to recommend.

 

Rosie

 

 

Later edit: I've just finished reading a little book on Kombucha. It's rather old and I should like to read something written this millennium if anyone has any recommendations? I had a mushroom a couple of years ago, but found it too hard to keep tabs on with babies in the house. If I could find a suitable container, I'd like to try again...

Edited March 13, 2012 by Rosie_0801

[Stacia]

Rosie, have you read Walkabout by James Vance Marshall? Any comments? Thanks!

[Pink and Green Mom]

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.

 

I've started The Brothers Karamazov several times and never made it very far, so I'll read it along with you in April.

 

I just finished #13 The Year We Left Home, by Jean Thompson for my book group. It was a bit of a slow start but picked up. It follows a family "stretching from the early 1970s in the Iowa farmlands to suburban Chicago to the coast of contemporary Italy - and moving through the Vietnam War's aftermath, the farm crisis, the numerous economic booms and busts".

 

I've started reading Shattered Dreams - My Life as a Polygamist's Wife, by Irene Spencer. The author had been the second of Verlan LeBaron's ten wives, and the mother of 14 of his 58 children. I'm only on the first few chapters about the author's childhood, but so far it is very interesting.

[VeganCupcake]

I finished Nothing to Envy last night and loved it. I didn't want it to end.

[Kareni]

I began but did not finish Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton. I wanted to like it, and I had a few chuckles but ....

 

"Hark! A Vagrant is an uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges unscasthed as Beaton rightly skewers the Western world's revolutionaries, leaders, sycophants, and suffragists while equally honing her wit on the hapless heroes, heroines, and villains of the best-loved fiction.

 

She deftly points out what really happened when Brahms fell asleep listening to Liszt, that the world's first hipsters were obviously the Incroyables and the Merveilleuses from eighteenth-century France, that Susan B. Anthony is, of course, a "Samantha," and that the polite banality of Canadian culture never gets old. Hark! A Vagrant features sexy Batman, the true stories behind classic Nancy Drew covers, and Queen Elizabeth doing the albatross. As the 500,000 unique monthly visitors to harkavagrant.com already know, no one turns the ironic absurdities of history and literature into comedic fodder as hilariously as Beaton."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

No, I don't think I have. Maybe I should give it a try! Do you have a favorite one to recommend?

 

Two of my favorite are A Body in the Library and A Murder is Announced. Chronologically Body is first but I think Murder is more interesting so I'd recommend starting with that. I'm reading them in order but I haven't found that to be important at all. They're light, fun, and oh-so British.

 

Let me know what you think!

[aggieamy]

Due to a packing mistake neither DH's nor my books got packed for the camping trip so I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked. We also forgot our camp stove but that didn't bother each of us as much as forgetting our books! I did get a chance to read They Do It with Mirrors though because I had it in my purse. It was good. I'm getting to the point where I probably need to switch genres because I guessed who the killer was very early in the story. I must be reading too many mysteries.

 

I'm still working on Home to Woefield. Don't know what I think yet. It's funny but I'm having a hard time with the main character in the story. I find her to be a caricature of city girl that wants to be an uber-crunchy organic farm girl. She just doesn't seem real to me. One the other hand, the other three main characters in the book are just as disfunctional and likeable as can be. I want to see what happens next.

 

Finished this week:

 

23. They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie (***)

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)

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie (after this I'm cutting myself off from mysteries for awhile)

Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (recommended here)

Freakin' Fabulous by Clinton Kelly

 

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 13, 2012 by aggieamy

[Rosie_0801]

Rosie, have you read Walkabout by James Vance Marshall? Any comments? Thanks!

 

No comments at all. My library doesn't have it. :glare:

 

Sorry!

 

Rosie

[Negin]

Nothing to Envy last night and loved it. I didn't want it to end.

Me too. I really didn't want this book to end. I loved it and it's my favorite read of the year so far. I'm considering getting her other book and hope that she writes more.

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm still working on Home to Woefield. Don't know what I think yet. It's funny but I'm having a hard time with the main character in the story. I find her to be a caricature of city girl that wants to be an uber-crunchy organic farm girl. She just doesn't seem real to me. One the other hand, the other three main characters in the book are just as disfunctional and likeable as can be. I want to see what happens next.

 

 

 

Well, yes she is a city girl that wants to be an uber-crunchy organic farm girl. That's the humor of her character.

 

I'm loving the book.

[LostSurprise]

23. Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks~non-fiction, memoir. Not as much of a memoir as it is a book about chemistry and other science subjects that really excited Sacks as a boy. I found myself getting excited about the beauty of science too! Loads of footnotes. I only wish there were more science books that looked at chemistry historically like this. It makes so much sense to see the struggles of scientists through time. 3/5

 

22. The Garden Book of Wisconsin by Melinda Myers~non-fiction, gardening, flowers and landscaping. Well organized. Succinct. Lots information including annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, trees, grasses. No vegetables. 3.5/5

 

 

21. Putting Down Roots: Gardening Insights from Wisconsin's Early Settlers by Marcia Carmichael~non-fiction, history, gardening. 3.5/5

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

12. Growing Perennials in Cold Climates by Mike Heger~non-fiction/gardening 3.5/5

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 3.5/5

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

[Rosie_0801]

These two authors have been recommended, so far.

 

http://www.anitaheiss.com/ (Apparently she writes a fair bit about contemporary urban Aboriginal issues.)

 

http://www.anthonyhillbooks.com/home.html (YA books, I think.)

 

Rosie

[aggieamy]

I finished Home to Woefield last night and I found that the second half was really entertaining. Much better than the first half. It kept me up late to finish it.

 

I also read Oh No She Didn't. It was a fashion advice book written by Clinton Kelly of What Not To Wear fame. The book is vulgar, offensive, and really funny.

 

Finished this week:

 

25. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby (***)

24. Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (***)

23. They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie (***)

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)

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie (after this I'm cutting myself off from mysteries for awhile)

Freakin' Fabulous by Clinton Kelly

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

 

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

[Rosie_0801]

Margaret Reeson is another recommendation. I can't find a website to link though.

 

Rosie

[Mom-ninja.]

I finished Home to Woefield last night and I found that the second half was really entertaining. Much better than the first half. It kept me up late to finish it.

 

 

 

 

Too funny. I was up late finishing it as well. I found myself wanting to meet that vet. :tongue_smilie:

[Rosie_0801]

Hey, Kleine Hexe! Are you up for Descartes? I'm picking up my hold from the library on Saturday.

 

Rosie

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #12 - "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. Overly explained in places, but overall, interesting reading.

 

Book #11 - "Extraordinary, Ordinary People" by Condoleezza Rice.

Book #10 - "The Pig in the Pantry" by Rose Godfrey

Book #9 - "The Virgin in the Ice" by Ellis Peters

Book #8 - "The Leper of St. Giles" by Ellis Peters

Book #7 - "St. Peter's Fair" by Ellis Peters.

Book #6 - "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua.

Book #5 - "Monk's Hood" by Ellis Peters.

Book #4 - "Flash and Bones" by Kathy Reichs.

Book #3 - "Spider Bones" by Kathy Reichs.

Book #2 - "One Corpse Too Many" by Ellis Peters.

Book #1 - "A Morbid Taste for Bones" by Ellis Peters

[Kareni]

After reading Patricia Briggs' newest Alpha and Omega novel, I went back and reread the entire series. I enjoyed them all.

 

'Alpha and Omega' novella in On the Prowl

 

Cry Wolf

 

Hunting Ground

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Fans and other readers of Moby Dick might be interested in the March 12 entry of the Brain Pickings blog which discusses Matt Kish's Moby-Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page. The Amazon link for the book is here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[twoplustrips]

Just finished The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach this morning. Interestingly enough, it contains more references to Moby Dick than I have ever seen in a book! I bought Ahab's Wife, but now I'm thinking I need to read Moby Dick first...see what this whale is all about :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm also happy to report that, because of recent surgery and lots of recovery time, I've caught up on my reading for the year!!! Yeah me :001_smile:

 

 

11. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

10. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr

9. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

8. Longing by Karen Kingsbury

7. Learning by Karen Kingsbury

6. Leaving by Karen Kingsbury

5. Some Wildflower in My Heart by Jamie Langston Turner

4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Lasrsson

1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

[Melinda in VT]

Just finished The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach this morning. Interestingly enough, it contains more references to Moby Dick than I have ever seen in a book! I bought Ahab's Wife, but now I'm thinking I need to read Moby Dick first...see what this whale is all about :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Yes! I just started The Art of Fielding. What is up with the Moby Dick references this year?! First the WTM boards and then a book that's supposed to be about baseball. Is the universe trying to tell me something? :lol:

 

I don't want to read Moby Dick. I really, really don't.

 

:leaving:

[Mom-ninja.]

Hey, Kleine Hexe! Are you up for Descartes? I'm picking up my hold from the library on Saturday.

 

Rosie

 

Oh boy. I never finished Theresa. I left her in a convent. ;)

[Sparkle]

I finished #27 Abbess Thaisia of Leuschino this week. I also read #28 Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber, which is one of Ferber's that I had never read before. It was very good; a story of a small-town Jewish girl who makes it big as a department buyer in New York City, and eventually rediscovers her true calling.

 

And #29 The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden - lovely little book about friendship, family, love, and sacrifice.

 

Still reading Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Fight for America.

[Angel]

I finished The Tempest yesterday. I think I am the only one in the group who enjoyed it. I'll find out for sure tomorrow when we meet.

 

11. "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare

10. "Cotillion" by Georgette Heyer

9. "Pride and Prescience" by Carrie Bebris

8. "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

7. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by Tom Stoppard

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

[Rosie_0801]

Oh boy. I never finished Theresa. I left her in a convent. ;)

 

Me too! Right where she belonged! :cheers2:

[ladydusk]

I read through Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students by Christine Fonesca this week. I didn't care for it very much. But the other books I'm reading, I'm not going to finish any time soon, so it was good to quickly read through something like that.

 

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)

8. A Praying Life by Paul E Miller

9. Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students by Christine Fonesca

[aggieamy]

Today I finished The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyers and I loved, loved, loved it. It is my favorite of all of her books so far. The heroine was fun and smart without being a Mary Sue. The main love interest was well written. The people I wasn't supposed to like - I detested and the people I was supposed to like - I loved. I wish the book was twice as long so I could still be reading it.

 

The writing style in her books is so unique that I also wonder if I'm enjoying them more because I've now read enough that they're easier to read. The first one was slow and I felt like I missed half of the references because I wasn't used to the time and language. Regardless, I still really enjoyed reading this book.

 

In progress:

 

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

The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse (audiobook)

Freakin' Fabulous by Clinton Kelly

Girl Reading by Katie Ward (recommended here)

Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (after this I'm cutting myself off from mysteries for awhile)

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie

Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson (recommended here)

 

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

26. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (****)

25. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby (***)

24. Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (***)

23. They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie (***)

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

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 16, 2012 by aggieamy

[VeganCupcake]

Me too. I really didn't want this book to end. I loved it and it's my favorite read of the year so far. I'm considering getting her other book and hope that she writes more.

 

I'm also looking at some other books about North Korea.

 

It's a bummer to go from reading such a great book to reading something that's just meh. I'm reading Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenrider right now and sometimes the word choices are really raising my eyebrows--as in, not the right word for what I think she means. The truth is, though, that I should really stop reading organization books and start organizing. :lol:

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #13 - "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett. Can I count it even though it's a Kid/Young Adult Book? I saw it recommended somewhere here on the board, and thought I'd preview it for the kids. I think they'd like it, in a couple more years. It reminds me a little of "Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler."

 

Book #12 - "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.

Book #11 - "Extraordinary, Ordinary People" by Condoleezza Rice.

Book #10 - "The Pig in the Pantry" by Rose Godfrey

Book #9 - "The Virgin in the Ice" by Ellis Peters

Book #8 - "The Leper of St. Giles" by Ellis Peters

Book #7 - "St. Peter's Fair" by Ellis Peters.

Book #6 - "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua.

Book #5 - "Monk's Hood" by Ellis Peters.

Book #4 - "Flash and Bones" by Kathy Reichs.

Book #3 - "Spider Bones" by Kathy Reichs.

Book #2 - "One Corpse Too Many" by Ellis Peters.

Book #1 - "A Morbid Taste for Bones" by Ellis Peters

[Negin]

I'm also looking at some other books about North Korea.

It's a bummer to go from reading such a great book to reading something that's just meh.

Yep. Tell me about it :rolleyes:. I haven't encountered any books that have touched me and that I've loved as much since this one.

I'm thinking of getting her other book, but I don't want to read it right away. I usually like to take breaks between authors. It's not about North Korea - it's about Sarajevo.

 

 

I do have some other North Korea books on my amazon wish list. I'd like to read them soon also. Just have my doubts that they'll be as good as Nothing to Envy.

 

I'm reading Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenrider right now and sometimes the word choices are really raising my eyebrows--as in, not the right word for what I think she means. The truth is, though, that I should really stop reading organization books and start organizing. :lol:

I downloaded this one to my Kindle, I think. It was free for a while, again, I think. I couldn't get past the first few pages. It annoyed me greatly. I'm tired of organization books. :tongue_smilie: I've come to realize that I can only handle non-fiction books that are so engaging and so well-written that one forgets that one is reading non-fiction :D. Alas, those books are hard to come by.

[aggieamy]

I finished Freakin' Fabulous and I was expecting it to be vulgar but funny like his previous book, Oh No She Didn't. I guess a little of that humor goes a long way because I didn't enjoy this book at all. It got the feeling that he was trying to hard and it just wasn't entertaining. Half the book is also recipes and despite me love to cook and try new foods, none of the recipes were one's I'd consider making. Disappointing.

 

As you can see from my in progress list I've got a lot of books to choose from sitting on my bedside table to start. I just can't decide which one to do next. Such hard decisions! :)

 

In progress:

 

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

The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse (audiobook)

Girl Reading by Katie Ward (recommended here)

Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (after this I'm cutting myself off from mysteries for awhile)

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie

Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson (recommended here)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

27. Freakin' Fabulous by Clinton Kelly (*)

26. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (****)

25. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby (***)

24. Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly (***)

23. They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie (***)

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

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

[dangermom]

I'm late this week! I have read Brandwashed--about advertising--Tom Sawyer (funny!), Marva Collins' Way, and A Duty to the Dead. Thanks to the people who recommended Marva Collins! Wow, what an amazing woman.

[laundrycrisis]

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children;

Celestially Auspicious Occasions

2. The Mysterious Benedict Society; The Invention of Hugo Cabret

3. The Picture of Dorian Gray

4. Wuhu Diary

5. The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child

6. Kingdom of Children

7. Values: Lighting the Candle of Excellence : A Practical Guide for the Family by Marva Collins; Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder, The: New Revised Edition by Stephanie Marohn

8. Ordinary Children, Extraordinary Teachers by Marva Collins

9. Marva Collins' Way

10. Parenting a Child With Asperger Syndrome: 200 Tips and Strategies by Brenda Boyd

11. Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer

Edited March 17, 2012 by laundrycrisis
I left out a book !

[Mom-ninja.]

5. The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child

 

How did you like this book?

[laundrycrisis]

How did you like this book?

 

Well, I am a practical person and I like strategies and to take action on things. This book is good for increasing understanding, awareness, empathy for what it is like for a dyslexic person, etc. But it doesn't provide much in the way of concrete things you can do to help or resolve any problems. I guess I would describe it as long on empathy and acceptance and short on practical ideas.

[VeganCupcake]

I just finished Organized Simplicity. Some of the ideas will work for us, and I did come to a couple of important realizations (i.e. stop subscribing to magazines that I have no time to read!) but overall, it wasn't what I had hoped it would be.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Negin]

On the plus side, I did manage to take a nap every day this week. :)

:party:

I'm a big believer in naps for moms :grouphug:.

I take naps and they're quite long and I'm proud of that. :)

[Robin M]

 

Link to week 12 - Please continue the conversation in the new thread