Book a Week in 2012 - week 12

[luvnlattes]

I finished The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This is my favorite read so far this year.

 

This week I'm reading The Leopard by Jo Nesbo.

[LostSurprise]

26. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs~youth, fiction. Teenager with unusual grandfather seeks mysterious island where his grandfather was raised. Mysterious powers, scary monsters and time loops ensue. The beginning (lots of thoughts, feelings) dragged. The end speeds with action. Mid-series ending. Uneven. Eh. 2.8/5

 

25. Below Stairs: the Classic Kitchen Maid Memoir by Margaret Powell~non-fiction, memoir. Surprisingly bold (talks about sex) memoir about life in the early 20th century. Interesting comparison of the lives of poor, the rich, and the servants of the rich. 3.5/5

 

24. Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card~fiction. New (2008) book inserted into the Ender Wiggen series. This one details what happened in the final few chapters of Ender's Game and before Speaker for the Dead. Well done. More intellectual than Ender's Game. Less intellectual than Xenocide, etc. I enjoyed the politics and maneuvering. I enjoyed the evolving characters. I felt I learned more about Ender's parents and their decisions here. Nicely done. 3.5/5

 

23. Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks~non-fiction, memoir. 3/5

22. The Garden Book of Wisconsin by Melinda Myers~non-fiction, gardening, flowers and landscaping. 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. 4.5/5

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

 

Working on:

 

Corvus: a life with birds

Flora Mirabalis

Divergent

[GailV]

 

24. Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card~fiction. New (2008) book inserted into the Ender Wiggen series. This one details what happened in the final few chapters of Ender's Game and before Speaker for the Dead. Well done. More intellectual than Ender's Game. Less intellectual than Xenocide, etc. I enjoyed the politics and maneuvering. I enjoyed the evolving characters. I felt I learned more about Ender's parents and their decisions here. Nicely done. 3.5/5

 

 

How well should one remember Ender for the sake of reading this? I'm wondering if I should do a re-read before trying it; or will it have enough to jog my memory.

[NanceXToo]

Nance,

I do have to pay $60 every year for use of the library 'cause I live out of county. And I did make my own wine last year so that was just a couple bucks - you are right! C'mon over and have a glass! I have one bottle left :001_smile:!!

 

 

After a couple days simmering I decided I liked Piccoult's book. I just didn't like her cheesy ending (deux ex machina- now that I've discovered the term, it's everywhere!!). I did get another book of hers out and am 1/2 way through it- House Rules- about a kid with AS, and a murder. I know a kid with AS and he reminds me a lot of the protagonist. Anyway, I'm just ready for the cheesy ending now and it's an interesting, easy read.

Not anywhere near the depth and brilliance of Potok, but not everyone can be the master of metaphor and word crafting.

 

LOL sounds fun, I'm in for the visit and the wine (if it's on the sweet side, I have to confess I like my drinks kind of girlie and fruity). Ooh, you know, House Rules is one of the few Jodi Picoult books I've never yet read! So now I'm extra glad I responded to your post; it's going on my "to order from the library" list! :)

 

:lol: Maybe if you drink enough, you can read the same book over & over & it will seem like a new story every time?

 

:lol: It's worth a try!

[-M-]

Busy week. Didn't finish all that I had hoped. Am halfway through The Taming of the Shrew. Can also add these to the list:

 

■ Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books (Leah Price)

Non-fiction. A delicious confection. Related entry here.

 

■ The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg)

Non-fiction. Highly recommended. Related entry here.

________________________________________

 

Books read in 2012

 

■ The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg; Non-fiction)

■ Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books (Leah Price; Non-fiction)

■ 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)

[dangermom]

 

Hey, we have a big rock where I live too. (It has the largest bas-relief carving on it in the world.)

 

I also have a big rock! I live near the smallest mountain range in the world. :)

[Night Elf]

Oops, I forgot to post my status.

 

23. The Cat Who Lived High

24. May Bird and the Ever After

25. Aunt Dimity Digs In

 

I'm finishing the May Bird trilogy and I have a couple of Agatha Christie stories next in line. Woo!

 

Completed:

1. Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz

2. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

3. Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card

4. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

5. The Up and Down Life by Paul E. Jones

6. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

7. The Journal of Best Practices (aspergers) by David Finch

8. A Close Approximation of an Ordinary Life by Meryl McQueen

9. Hunger Games

10. Fall Girl by Marybeth Smith

11. The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lillian Jackson Braun

12. The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lillian Jackson Braun

13. Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis

14. The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey

15. The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lillian Jackson Braun

16. ‘G’ is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

17. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue by Lillian Jackson Braun

18. The Cat Who Went Underground

19. Aunt Dimity’s Death

20. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts

21. Aunt Dimity and the Duke

22. The Pact

23. The Cat Who Lived High

24. May Bird and the Ever After

25. Aunt Dimity Digs In

Edited March 21, 2012 by Night Elf

[Kareni]

I read and enjoyed Lisa Kleypas' second and third contemporary romances after having read the first earlier in the week.

 

Blue-Eyed Devil

 

Smooth Talking Stranger

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Currently reading "Illusion" By Frank Peretti.

 

His ASK FRANK blog tour starts March 26 through April 4th. We'll be hosting him on April 4th on 52 Books as one of nine authors, pastors, book reviewers and bloggers. I'm excited. Check out the tour website:

 

Just finished listening to J.D. Robb's Holiday in Death # 7 in the In Death Series.

 

 

[Negin]

Hey? What's so wrong with Australia that we aren't worth spending plane fares to visit? :toetap05:

Oh, it is worth it! :D It's only when the $$$'s not there to begin with. :lol:

 

The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg)

This has been on my wish list for quite a while. I haven't yet ordered it, since I don't seem to do particularly well with non-fiction unless if it's written in a very engaging way. Would you say this was engaging? I just cannot handle reading non-fiction that gets dull and dry. Thank you. :)

[aggieamy]

Finished with Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson and really enjoyed it. Stacia recommended it and I'm going to pass on that recommendation. Fun book.

 

In progress:

 

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

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (Current read aloud)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

28. Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson (****)

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

[TravelingChris]

I didn't post last week since as many of you know, I am facing great hardships right now with one daughter incredibly weak from unknown causes as of yet and the other suffering from as yet untreated depression? Sleep problems? and being incredibly grumpy and non productive.

 

But, over the two weeks, I did manage to finish a long book-----

 

19. Against All Enemies-by Tom Clancy with Peter Telep. It was a pretty good book but not as enjoyable as my number 17- Locked On also by Tom Clancy but with a different co-author.

[thessa516]

18. A Feast Nearby by Robin Mather - loved it. It encouraged me to cook up some yummy food for my freezer. Thank you for the recommendation!

 

I'm in the middle of reading WAY too many books. I have A Clash of Kings going (it's over 900 pages! enjoyable, but it slows down my other reading - and it has holds at the library, so I can't renew it.)

 

----

 

17. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

16. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

15. The Cay by Theodore Taylor

14. Losing Control and Liking It by Tim Sanford

13. A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

12. Simple Country Wisdom by Susan Waggoner

11. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

10. Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney

9. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

8. A Chicken in Every Yard by Robert and Hannah Litt

7. Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott

6. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

5. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

4. Ahab's Wife: or, The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund

3. At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson

2. Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison

1. Little Sugar Addicts by Kathleen DesMaisons

[aggieamy]

18. A Feast Nearby by Robin Mather - loved it. It encouraged me to cook up some yummy food for my freezer. Thank you for the recommendation!

 

I'm in the middle of reading WAY too many books. I have A Clash of Kings going (it's over 900 pages! enjoyable, but it slows down my other reading - and it has holds at the library, so I can't renew it.)

 

 

I've got A Feast Nearby on my to-read list but haven't requested it from my library yet. Like you I've got too many things going at once. I'm worried my nightstand is going to start sagging from the weight of all the books. :001_smile: Your recommendation is convincing me I need to bump it up in importance and request it though.

[-M-]

This has been on my wish list for quite a while. I haven't yet ordered it, since I don't seem to do particularly well with non-fiction unless if it's written in a very engaging way. Would you say this was engaging? I just cannot handle reading non-fiction that gets dull and dry. Thank you. :)

The Power of Habit is non-fiction for people just like us, Negin (i.e., those who need a compelling narrative to underscore all of that information).

[LostSurprise]

How well should one remember Ender for the sake of reading this? I'm wondering if I should do a re-read before trying it; or will it have enough to jog my memory.

 

Since I just read it a few months ago for a read-aloud, this is hard to say. However, it didn't depend on knowing the Ender mythology. As long as you've read Ender's Game at some point and know the basic outline of what happened to him (otherwise the nuances of his depression or obsessions won't really make sense).

 

Because of time travel you do get to hear about some of the details of Bean's saga. Not finishing Bean's story did mean that I got spoilers for the last few books of the quartet, and I'm sure people who did read that whole series (and remember it) probably enjoyed how everything fit together better than I did, but it was still a good read. I'm not sorry I did it this way.

[eaglei]

Whew! What a week. And it's only Wednesday . . .:glare:

 

I am just now getting to this thread. It is THE thread I look forward to and can hardly wait for it to start on Sundays. But this past Sunday - didn't even think of it. I had a headache to beat the band - the kind that sends you to bed and you end up missing the rest of the day . . . :glare:

 

I cannot believe how far behind I am with reading this year. I managed to finish reading:

 

#11 - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. Actually, this was not a hard read at all; I wrote my comments last week when I was part-way through it.

 

Now, I am slogging through:

 

#12 - The Liar's Club, by Mary Karr. And I do mean slogging. This book was recommended by Stephen King in the first line of his book On Writing, as a good example of a memoir. I think we differ on the definition of *good example* . . . I am a third of the way through it and am still wondering what her point is in writing it. In all fairness to her, she does have a way with describing situations very realistically. I think sometimes she meanders too much, and her constant *colorful language* definitely grates (even with overlooking it). I am really not sure why I keep reading it; I'm not enjoying it. She is such a defiant child, though - and you just *know* she hasn't changed any as an adult (even her photo makes her look *hard*) - so maybe that is the draw - perhaps I just want to see her *success* through it all, out of it all. I don't know . . . In any event, I plan to continue slogging on to the end, so that I can read the next library book awaiting me.

 

Next up will be:

 

#13 - On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser.

[Stacia]

Finished with Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson and really enjoyed it. Stacia recommended it and I'm going to pass on that recommendation. Fun book.

Yay. So glad you enjoyed it! :001_smile:

 

I've just (barely) started Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous. (It's yet another Europa book to feed my Europa addiction. :lol: Thanks, secret book fairy for sending me this!)

 

From Publishers Weekly:

 

 

"Lakhous's prize-winning second novel is a social satire and murder mystery concerning an immigrant-filled apartment complex in Rome. After a murder in the building elevator, each occupant of the Piazza Vittorio—among these, Parviz Mansoor Samadi, an Iranian chef who detests pizza; Benedetta Esposito, an aging concierge from Naples; Iqbal Amir Allah, a Bangladeshi shopkeeper—gets a chapter to relate the truth as he or she knows it (or wants it known), apparently to the police. The odd man out, and the main suspect, is Amedo, a man believed by his neighbors to be a native Italian. The tenants are by turns outraged, disillusioned, defensive and afraid, and their frequently wild testimony teases out intriguing psychological and social insight alongside a playful whodunit plot, exposing the power of fear, racial prejudice and cultural misconception to rob a neighborhood of its humanity."

 

[Negin]

The Power of Habit is non-fiction for people just like us, Negin (i.e., those who need a compelling narrative to underscore all of that information).

Thank you. :)

[Storm Bay]

All the recommendations I made in last week's thread were about contemporary Australian authors. They were for whoever asked. It was you, was it? Head like sieve, here... :rolleyes:

 

Plane fairs are horrible, but accommodation doesn't have to cost too much. My aunt hosts WWOOFers, and seems to have a new bunch every other week. Mostly she has them carting bricks around, fixing fences and playing with the dog, if you like that sort of thing. :tongue_smilie: What's so great about Australia, anyway? We have a pretty, big rock and sensible clothes lines. That's about it, really.

 

Rosie

 

 

I was asking about authors that gave an accurate depiction of Australia/Australians.

 

As for why I want to go there? I know people who went who loved it, it sounded fun, I've gone to school with Aussies, I don't know completely anymore, but it really applealed to me when I was younger. I even called the Australian consulate to ask about doing a Master's degree there, but I needed so much money to prove I wouldn't work, etc. Two or three of my siblings have travelled there & liked it, but that was later.

 

I have a cousin who ended up doing a postdoc there (I think it was Sidney, but I heard it 3rd hand as we don't keep in touch ) who aparently really enjoyed it. However, it was in a science & he was paid by whomever gave out the post doc (my kid brother got the same kind in his science, but went to the States.)

[Storm Bay]

Okay, I've more than caught up. Right now I'm reading Living Above Mediocrity.

 

1. This isn't what it looks like / Pseudonymous Bosch

2. The Hour that Changes the World

3. A Tale of Two Castles

4. Papa’s Daughter

5. The Proposition J. Ivory

6. Fall of Giants

7. School of Fear

8. I am Half-Sick of Shadows

9. The Housekeeper and the Professor

10. Winning with People. (still reading, so the real count is 13 1/2 )

11. Strong Poison

12. Whose Body?

13. Clouds of Witness

14. Under the Overpass

15.

[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, Cindy West

15. I'm an English Major Now What, Tim Lemire

16. Suprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber (love!!)

17. Discovery of Witches - library kindle on 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

22. I Capture a Castle, Dodie Smith

23. American Heiress, Daisy Goodwin

24. Before I go to Sleep, S.J. Watson

25. Still Alice, Lisa Genova

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #14 - "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain. I really liked this. It focused more on fitting in the professional world than anything else, but it had actual advice. So many books like this are more identification and sympathy and very little advice, so I appreciated it. The very last chapter, "On Cobblers and Generals: How to Cultivate Quiet Kids in a World That Can't Hear Them" was the most applicable to me now.

 

Book #13 - "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett.

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

[Stacia]

I finished Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous.

 

It was an interesting enough, short book. Each chapter is basically a character soliloquy which gives a small glimpse into the life of a 'living-life-on-the-fringe' character (some immigrants, some locals) -- a reflection of life in modern-day, melting pot Rome. It's not so much a murder mystery as a tiny bittersweet glimpse into cultural misunderstandings, homesickness, prejudices, etc.... Lots of stereotypes here, but also plenty traces of truth.

 

I'd give it 3 stars overall.

 

My Goodreads Page

Completed the Europa Challenge Cappuccino Level (at least 6 Europa books: #s 4, 9, 10, 11, 14, 19, & 21 on my list).

 

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)

19. Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson (4 stars)

20. Stone Junction by Jim Dodge (3 stars)

 

21. Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous (3 stars)

Edited March 23, 2012 by Stacia

[Angel]

 

 

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (Current read aloud)

 

 

 

I loved this series!

 

I did start Pride and Prescience, but I'm too much of a P&P purist for that one. It was certainly better than the one I read one where every second chapter was about the Darcys in bed together, but not my cup of tea. I am going to try the Jane Austen mysteries at some point.

 

So sorry you didn't enjoy this. A good friend of mine didn't enjoy it but it was more because of the paranormal aspect. She is not into anything like fantasy. I enjoyed it well enough to read the next one (my book for this week). But I'm a sucker for "the rest of the story" with my favorite characters. As for the Jane Austen mysteries, if you mean the series where Jane herself is the one who solves the mystery, I've read one of those and liked it as well.

 

It didn't help that the library copy smelled weird. Maybe if I had a good smelling copy, the book might be better? :tongue_smilie::lol:)[/font][/color] .

 

This happened to me with The Night Circus!! It reeked and I couldn't get past that enough to know if I didn't like the book or the smell. :glare:

[ladydusk]

We finished Little Britches by Ralph Moody tonight. What a great book! I edited on the fly in places for language, but overall it is one of the best written, action-filled, character-laden books we've read. Not just a "boy's" Little House on the Prairie, my daughters loved this book. Great stuff.

 

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

10. Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody (fantastic read aloud)

[Jane in NC]

Recently Stacia mentioned The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt which I found sitting on the "new" shelf at my library. The ephemera collection of the author is astounding but I thought that the book was too stereotypical of the 1920's. Just too too...

 

I also want to report on When Last I Died, a Mrs. Bradley mystery by Gladys Mitchell. The author is a new discovery for me, but, as I noted last week, she was formerly grouped with Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie as one of the "Big Three" female mystery writers. When Last I Died is an analytic mystery. Mrs. Bradley's grandson finds a scrapbook which piques the detective's curiosity over past events. This is not an action packed book but a tale of nuance as the detective sifts through memories of the past. I can't say that I loved it but I am sufficiently intrigued by psychoanalyst/sleuth Mrs. Bradley to read more in the series.

 

So, these books mark #14 and 15 for me. I think that I'll start another Mrs. Bradley mystery as well as spend some time mulling over a little book which reprints a lecture given over fifty years ago by C.P. Snow called The Two Cultures. In this lecture and a follow-up piece, Snow examines the division between the sciences and the humanities. As one who has always enjoyed both worlds as Snow himself did, I am forever perplexed by those who do not! For those of you who love lists, Snow's book appears on a Times Literary Supplement list of the 100 most influential books published since WWII. (Scroll down here.) My goodness, there are some challenging books on this list!

[scholarly]

Last week I finished #25 The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss and #26 Blameless by Gail Carriger. I am enjoying the Parasol Protectorate series; I'm reading Heartless this week. I still don't know how I feel about The Thorn and the Blossom. After I read it, I disliked it. Then I decided maybe I did like it. Now I just don't know.

[VeganCupcake]

I began Simplicity Parenting, and I'm working my way through that. I'm feeling overwhelmed by it though. I recognize that there is too much STUFF in this house, but the thought of paring it down makes me go into avoidance/denial mode. I'm hoping by the end, I'll be all gung-ho and ready to purge! I know my kids don't need all they have.

 

 

I really liked Simplicity Parenting. I still have not fully implemented everything in the book, though. Some of it I may never be able to implement for my own sanity (is it necessary for me to turn off NPR to shield my children from the adult world? Please, no!).

 

This week I'm reading Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. It's very good, but I'm feeling discouraged and depressed.

[aggieamy]

If you happened to be in KC and saw a woman in a Volvo on the highway laughing hysterically even though she was in the car alone - I promise you she isn't crazy, she was listening to The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse as an audiobook. I laughed so hard at parts that I thought I would have to turn it off before I got in a wreck. I'm highly recommending this book with only one caveat and that is that you might only enjoy it if you already enjoy British comedy. I tried listening to it with DH (who doesn't enjoy British humor that much) and he didn't find it funny at all. I couldn't understand that because I'm doubled over in laughter and he's completely impassive. I now listen to it alone.

 

We are about three chapters into Dealing with Dragons and also loving it! I'm very happy to be on a good book kick because I had a rough stretch there for awhile and it's so disappointing to be excited to be on a new book journey and then for it to be such a dud. If you can happily put the book down to go do laundry then you know it's not that good. :001_smile:

 

In progress:

 

Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Girl Reading by Katie Ward (recommended here)

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

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (current read aloud)

SuperFoods for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston (recommended here)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

29. The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse -audiobook (****)

28. Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson (****)

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

Edited March 23, 2012 by aggieamy

[Pink and Green Mom]

Just finished #15 The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley. Loved this. It is about the Scots and French trying to restore James Stewart to the Scottish throne. In the modern day a woman is using this event as the basis for a novel she is writing, but it turns out her novel is more fact than fiction and she thinks she is dealing with ancestral memory. So there are two stories going on throughout the book - one in the present day, and one she is writing.

 

Next up: Nothing Daunted, by Dorothy Wickenden (two society girls from Smith College head out to the Wild West in 1916 to become teachers). Non-fiction.

[Mom-ninja.]

Whew, I need to sub.

 

I finished Why the Chinese Don't Count Calories. Eh, it was okay. Some things I find good ideas while others not so much. Maybe if I knew more about traditional Chinese medicine I'd understand more of yin and yang of food. My eyes crossed during all that part.

[aggieamy]

Finished The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston. It was pretty good. A light, fun, short read.

 

In progress:

 

Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Girl Reading by Katie Ward (recommended here)

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

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (current read aloud)

SuperFoods for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

30. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston (***)

29. The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse -audiobook (****)

28. Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson (****)

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

[Stacia]

I finished The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This is my favorite read so far this year.

 

I need to check this out from the library. Every time I see it mentioned on this thread, I keep thinking it's a book I would really enjoy.

 

Recently Stacia mentioned The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt which I found sitting on the "new" shelf at my library. The ephemera collection of the author is astounding but I thought that the book was too stereotypical of the 1920's. Just too too...

Finished The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston. It was pretty good. A light, fun, short read.

 

Yep, I loved looking at the scrapbooking aspect of it -- just really fun to pore over the pages. The story itself is nothing exceptional; it's a kind-of no-brain-power-needed book to enjoy for about an hour or so. It was the perfect read for me, sitting outside on a sunny afternoon while getting over being ill. I guess I think of it as pretty brain candy. :001_smile:

 

Have now started reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone. Not sure if it will be my thing (YA generally isn't), but I'm interested enough so far to keep reading....

[Sparkle]

I finished reading #30 Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Battle for America by David Reynolds - very interesting book on the influence of Uncle Tom's Cabin on slavery, abolition, the Civil War, and civil rights in the U.S.

 

I also read #31 Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman, one of an enjoyable series of an unusual sleuth.

 

Also read #32 The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. A little bit dated nowadays, but still interesting study of how objects are designed and how often the design doesn't translate into usability. An eye-opener.

 

Currently reading Decision Points by George W. Bush (autobiography), and Inner River by Kyriacos Markides, on Eastern Christian spirituality.

 

For the Russian author challenge, I'll be reading Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Sparkle

[aggieamy]

I've read a lot of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple mysteries this year and have really enjoyed them so I decided to try a Hercule Poirot mystery, Mysterious Affair at Styles. It wasn't nearly as good as the previous books I've read by her. Not horrible but not particularly good either. I believe this was the first book she wrote and I like her later books better when the characters are more developed.

 

I suspect I'm also going to add the Invention of Hugo Cabret to my read list soon. We picked it up from the library yesterday and Little Librarian has had her nose burried in it all day. That's always a good recommendation. I'm actually going to be a bad parent tonight and let her stay up as late as she wants to read it.

 

In progress:

 

Girl Reading by Katie Ward (recommended here)

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

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (current read aloud)

SuperFoods for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

31. Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (***)

30. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston (***)

29. The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse -audiobook (****)

28. Cooking with Fernet Blanca by James Hamilton-Paterson (****)

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

[laughing lioness]

Finished Plain Truth by Piccolt, my 3rd of hers (also read House Rules and My Sister's Keeper) and I've decided a couple of things about her writing. I like it. I like how she takes a first person perspective with each character. I also don't like it. I don't like the cheesy romance she inserts to the point of it being ridiculous. And I don't like her endings which, so far, have been predictable and shallow.

[Kareni]

... I've decided a couple of things about her [Picoult's] writing. I like it. I like how she takes a first person perspective with each character. I also don't like it. I don't like the cheesy romance she inserts to the point of it being ridiculous. And I don't like her endings which, so far, have been predictable and shallow.

 

I've read several of Picoult's books and know precisely what you mean. In general, I find them to be compelling reading with interesting topics (school violence, for example); however, the endings are often way too pat.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[swellmomma]

Took a while for me to track down the right week (I forgot to subscribe to it)

 

This has been a good reading week for me. I went with a brain candy week, and actually finished 5 books this week, and made it to chapter 82 in Moby Dick

 

Books finished this week:

 

19. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

20. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

21. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstong

22. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

23. The secret Circle: The initiation & the captive part 1

24. The Secret Circle: The captive part 2 & the Power

 

Books 19-20 are from 1 series, book 21 was from the frist in a new series tied to books 19-20. All 5 books had a predominant focus on magic, witchcraft,superpowers etc in teens.

 

Continuing:

 

Moby Dick (audio book finished to the end of chapt 82 last night)

Little sugar addicts by Kathleen DesMaisons

Inheritance(4th book in the Eragon series, this is an audio book)

Phenomenon by Sylvia Browne

Playstation Nation by Olivia and Kurt Bruner

[Robin M]

 

Link to week 13 - please continue conversation in new thread