Book a Week in 2012 - week 13

[Robin M]

Good Morning! Today is the start of week 13 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 - I is for Imprints: Highlighting Mullholland books, an imprint of Little Brown and Company. They do all things mystery and have a great line up of authors, including Marcia Clark, the prosecutor from the OJ trial who is writing crime fiction now. Mulholland also features popcorn fiction which are short pulpy stories that can only be read on their site.

 

 

April is coming fast and I've designated it as Read a Russian Author month.

 

Big excitement - 52 Books is one of 9 bloggers who was asked to host Frank Peretti for the ASK FRANK book blog tour for his latest book Illusion. His guest appearance will be on April 4th. His latest isn't super duper scary - it's more suspenseful for those who don't like heart stopping supernatural thrillers. I'll be reviewing Illusion on My Two Blessings and I'll be doing a giveaway available to readers of both blogs.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 12

[Robin M]

Finished reading Illusion by Frank Peretti. Unlike his super duper scary supernatural spine tingling thrillers like This Present Darkness, etc. this one is more supernatural hold your breath suspense.

 

Started Marcia Clark's Guilt by Association and my treadmill book is Switched by Amanda Hocking. Listening to J.D. Robb's Conspiracy in Death audiobook in the car. Finally figured out how to listen to audio book through my iphone with the car radio. :) Still working my way through James Scott Bell's Revision and Self Editing.

[Just Robyn]

This week I finished two books:

 

22.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - It was pretty much what I expected - a pretty good book that is a quick read, suspenseful. It is worth the time it takes to read it, imo. I'm currently reading the second book in the series.

 

23.) The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante. I'll copy and paste what I said about it on goodreads...

 

It is an intimate story full of symbolism telling of the breakdown, and eventual reconstruction, of emotions and sense of "self" of a woman whose husband left her. It was slow at times, intense at others. An examination of relationships and how we form them while they form us.

[Mothersweets]

I finally finished Middlemarch - it was a re-read for me and I noticed several new things as I read this time. I think this book should be required reading before marriage.

 

I also read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. I think someone on here recommended it? A Texas schoolteacher has her sixth graders read at least 40 books of their own choosing over the school year with great results in their test scores and more importantly, their desire to continue reading.

 

Last night I started Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. I think I'll be finishing it soon as it is really hard to put down! Lynne is an amazing person.

[SunnyDays]

I can't remember posting last week. So for the last two weeks, I read "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen, and numbers 3 & 4 of the Percy Jackson series.

 

This week I will finish off Percy Jackson, and start "11/22/63" by Stephen King. Looking forward to this one, but it may take me forever to get through it, LOL, it's about 800 pages!!

 

Total for the year so far is 19 books completed!!

 

ETA: Okay, I finished "The Last Olympian" today so the PJ series is done... I liked it!! I have decided to pass on the King book for now... I'm just not up for that this week, LOL! Will start "The Peach Keeper" by S.A. Allen instead. :)

Edited March 25, 2012 by SunnyDays

[Zebra]

I finished book #19 this week The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett. I seem to be on a run of okay novels that were fine. Nothing exciting, and this was another one. It was okay. It didn't really go anywhere, and then is seemed like it just ended, weirdly. Don't all rush out and read it at once now :lol:!

[Zebra]

 

Total for the year so far is 19 books completed!!

 

You and I are tied ;)!

[sarahj]

I am so far behind. Last night I finished book #6 for the year, Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne.

 

6. Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth

4. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

3. Thorn In My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs

2. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 

Currently reading:

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Peony in Love by Lisa See

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

[Onceuponatime]

I didn't read much this week, to busy. I did manage to finish Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. I enjoyed it almost as much as Tuesdays with Morrie.

[Jen in PA]

This week I finished:

 

38. The Hound of the Baskervilles -- a definite reread (I probably read it half a dozen times as a teenager), but a lot of fun once again.

 

39 and 40. The Unwritten Volumes 1 and 2 -- These are graphic novels, very gripping. I'm waiting for the next one to come back to the library.

 

41. The Accidents of Style: Good Advice On How Not to Write Badly by Charles Harrington Elster. My kids are now certain that I have to be crazy if I'm reading grammar books for fun!

 

42. The Price of Butcher's Meat by Reginald Hill. It took me forever to get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

 

This week I need to finally get around to The Tempest, and I'm halfway through one of Christie's Poirot mysteries.

[Negin]

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. I enjoyed it almost as much as Tuesdays with Morrie.

I loved both. :)

 

I read:

 

Contagious by Scott Sigler - 2 out of 5 Stars - Just okay, nothing to write home about

 

The Orchard: A Memoir by Theresa Weir - 4 out 5 Stars - Really good - I enjoyed this very much. Many painful parts, but the book was just great overall.

 

I'm currently reading:

Sold by Patricia McCormick - Very, very painful and difficult subject matter. This book has been so highly recommended on various forums and lists, so I finally decided to give it a try. I love the author's style. I just really, really hope that the ending is okay. I'm not expecting much, no riding off into the sunset sort of thing (obviously), but just an okay ending, please ... I'm huge on endings in movies and in books.

 

Edited March 25, 2012 by Negin in Grenada

[Stacia]

Mulholland also features popcorn fiction which are short pulpy stories that can only be read on their site.

 

April is coming fast and I've designated it as Read a Russian Author month.

 

Hey, the popcorn fiction site is pretty neat. Will have to spend some time poking around there & reading....

 

I want to read a Russian author next month, just not sure what I'll read yet.

 

23.) The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante. I'll copy and paste what I said about it on goodreads...

 

Another Europa publication I'd like to read.

 

It was okay. It didn't really go anywhere, and then is seemed like it just ended, weirdly. Don't all rush out and read it at once now :lol:!

 

:lol:

 

I am so far behind. Last night I finished book #6 for the year, Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne.

 

The treasure is in the journey, not the end! :001_smile: You are not behind, you are just where you are. (How's that for philosophy? :tongue_smilie:)

 

I'm currently reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. It's ok so far -- enough action & exotic locations to keep my interest. YA fiction is not really my thing, but it's a fairly brainless read, so that seems to suit me this week. :lol:

 

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)

[Ali in OR]

I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot this week and loved it--marked it as contender for my 2012 top ten. I know I read about it here first, but for any who haven't heard about it, it is the non-fiction story of a black woman who dies of cervical cancer in 1951. A sample of her cancer tumor is removed (no permission or consent was done at that time), and it happens to be the first sample of human cells that grow successfully in the lab. All normal human cells eventually die off. So her sample, known as HeLa, ends up being used for all sorts of research that greatly benefits our world such as testing the Polio vaccine. While her cells are famous in medical and scientific circles, her struggling family has no idea that any of this is happening. When they find out, they have trouble understanding the situation and coming to grips with it.

 

Up next: Spring break here. I checked out two more Sarah Addison Allen books for light treadmill reading. I also checked out Anna Karenina for the Russian Lit challenge (officially for April but I'll need an early start). Anna Karenina looks just a bit intimidating, but I'll try to get a start this week.

 

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

24. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks-Rebecca Skloot*

23. The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins

22. Not a Fan-Kyle Idleman

21. Wildwood-Colin Meloy

20. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs

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

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I finished and reviewed 2 books this week although I'm still behind for the year.

 

10. The Boggart by Susan Cooper and

9. The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

 

Books for 2012

8. The Wolves of WIlloughby Chase by Adler

7. Winning His Spurs by Henty

6. The Song of Roland by Sayers

5. Sink Reflections by Cilley

4. A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

3. Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Verne

2. Beowulf by Heaney

1. Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half by Economides

[porque]

I read The Night Circus this week and loved it. I really want to create a life/home for myself as amazingly beautiful as the circus. A friend of mine said she thought of the book as a love story, and I guess I am really unromantic, because I wasn't really tuned into that aspect of the story at all.

 

So far this year....

23. The Night Circus

 

Readalouds

8. The Magic of Reality

 

DD9

31. Wish upon a Star

 

Continuing

The Hunger Games

Your Money or Your Life

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (read aloud)

Toliver's Secret (readaloud)

Dreams of the Dead

Bringing it to the Table

 

I think I am currently reading too many books at once!

[Just Robyn]

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

 

Well, it was your Europa Challenge participation that led me to the Europa website where I saw The Days of Abandonment - so thanks!

 

Are you going to go for the Caffe Luongo level?

[LostSurprise]

29. Cyteen: The Betrayal by CJ Cherryh~science fiction, future, space, cloning. Hugo award winning novel from the late '80s. A famous cloning lab and subliminal training center is run by a saavy and egotistical genius. After her murder the center attempts to clone her and recreate her from her life experiences. Frankly, it takes over half the book to get to this point..you start wondering if the woman will ever be murdered. A lot of interesting ethical questions. One thing that really struck me was that it portrayed the aftereffects of molestation well (and a teenage boy at that..really unusual) and it was interesting how the author used that experience to draw 2 unlikely characters together. One of them can almost feel the isolation from the other. 3/5

 

28. Divergent by Veronica Roth~youth fiction, dystopian. In a future world where society is split into 5 factions, a girl tries to choose one which reflects who she really is, even though she's 'divergent.' Divergence means that she tests equally for more than one faction. Tons of action. Teen romance. Danger. A nefarious scheme. Pretty well done. Keeps your attention, but because of some of the romance and one of the attacks I would say 14-15+. 3.75/5

 

27. The Help by Kathryn Stockett~fiction, '60s, race relations. I forgot about this one. Started it last year at a relatives house. Finished it up waiting in the Lego aisle at Target. Light fiction about a college graduate telling the stories of black maids in Jackson, MS in the early '60s. Feel good. Leaves you hanging a bit at the end, I thought. 3/5

 

 

26. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs~youth, fiction. 2.8/5

25. Below Stairs: the Classic Kitchen Maid Memoir by Margaret Powell~non-fiction, memoir. 3.5/5

24. Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card~fiction. 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

Nine Tailors

[Stacia]

I read The Night Circus this week and loved it. I really want to create a life/home for myself as amazingly beautiful as the circus. A friend of mine said she thought of the book as a love story, and I guess I am really unromantic, because I wasn't really tuned into that aspect of the story at all.

 

I agree w/ you. I loved it, the beauty of the descriptions, though for me, it wasn't necessarily a love story.

 

Well, it was your Europa Challenge participation that led me to the Europa website where I saw The Days of Abandonment - so thanks!

 

Are you going to go for the Caffe Luongo level?

 

Cool! Have I helped get you addicted to Europas too? ;):lol: Are you working on the Europa Challenge yourself? You've read at least 2 now, right?

 

Not sure about the Caffe Luongo level, but I'm already more than halfway there w/ 7 books. So, probably, yes, it will work out that I'll go for that level (12 Europas).

 

After my last post, I'm thinking I may give up Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I just have too many books here that I want to get to & that I'd rather start than continue w/ this one. So, I'm probably going to ditch it.

 

In the meantime, I've read the first chapter in another book I got from a WTM book fairy (thanks, book fairy friend! :001_smile:) -- Colony by Hugo Wilcken. I'm already in love with the prose & vivid descriptions of the first chapter. It's already putting me in mind of Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now, Camus, Kafka, ....

Edited March 26, 2012 by Stacia

[rwjx2khsmj]

My books for this week were:

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal

 

Inside Out an Back Again was my favorite for the week.

[JennW in SoCal]

Hey there everyone!

 

I can't keep up with reading either books or this thread week to week. When did the star ratings begin? It is nice to see the lists with the ratings, though I'm afraid to get excited about a new book at this point in life as I'll never get to it. And I'm done home schooling! I had imagined I'd have loads of time to read for pleasure. What is up with that?

 

My pathetic/humble/meager/ list thus far...

 

1. Great Expectations by Chas. Dickens 4 stars? Not my favorite Dickens, but some terrific characters. Love Miss Haversham.

2. A Dance of Dragons by George RR Martin 3 stars. Much better than Feast of Crows

3. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by CS Forester 4 stars. Good fun!

4. Pirate King by Laurie R King 4 stars. A good Mary Russel romp.

5. Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie RR King 4 stars. Short story from Holmes' perspective of when he first met Russell

6. Beneath a Buried House by Bob Avery 3 stars. A free Kindle mystery

7. The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer 3 stars. Had to read this for old time's sake as the Artemis Fowl series was a favorite read aloud for years.

8. Ahab's Wife 2.5 stars. Maybe 3. I didn't like it though the writing is lovely.

9. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett. 5 stars -- if you like Pratchett. A re-read from a couple of years ago.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started reading:

 

Gods and Kings by Lynn Austin

 

 

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:

12. A Skeleton in God's Closet

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

[Just Robyn]

Cool! Have I helped get you addicted to Europas too? ;):lol: Are you working on the Europa Challenge yourself? You've read at least 2 now, right?

 

Not sure about the Caffe Luongo level, but I'm already more than halfway there w/ 7 books. So, probably, yes, it will work out that I'll go for that level (12 Europas).

 

Well, among the books they've published there is definitely a high concentration of books I'm interested in reading. Europa is certainly intriguing, as is Elena Ferrante, who, according to wikipedia, is rumored to be a man.

 

I'm not going to officially join the Europa Challenge, but I have read two of their books so far this year, so I have unofficially completed the first level, and there are other books I'm hoping to read.

[-M-]

Reread The Hunger Games in anticipation of seeing the film this week. (Yes, in an actual theater. Breaking all the rules to accommodate the Misses. *wry grin*) Finished The Taming of the Shrew. Am reading Memory Palace (Mira Bartok).

 

That's thirty books to date, seven of which have been non-fiction. (My personal goal this year is to increase the number of non-fiction titles I finish. I was hoping for one a week, but that's obviously not happening... yet.)

________________________________________

 

Books read in 2012

 

■ The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins; fiction)

■ The Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare; play)

■ 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)

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

■ The English Teacher (Lily King; fiction)

[luvnlattes]

I finished The Leopard by Jo Nesbo. I was ready for the book to be over about 100 pages before it actually ended. Last year I read The Snowman by him and I liked that one better.

 

I didn't have any books lined up for an author that starts with "O". I ended up finding Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor. It's set in the mid-1800's and the characters are emigrants from Ireland. I think it will be quite different from what I usually read so I don't know if I'll love it or hate it :tongue_smilie: .

[Dustybug]

Is it too late to join in? I wanted to start with you all back in Jan., but I wasn't sure I could keep up. I'm behind, but I think I could use the accountabillity and encouragement to pick up the pace.

[scholarly]

This past week I finished #27 Heartless by Gail Carriger, #28 The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum, and #29 Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn.

 

#27 & #29 are both series I am enjoying. #28 was something I saw mentioned here. I listened to the audiobook and really liked it. I've been reading a lot of fiction this year, but non-fiction is actually my favorite.

 

This week I am reading Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn and An Invitation to the White House by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

[Guest]

I finished Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour this week. I enjoyed it, although I don't want to read anymore books with characters named Edward or Edmund for awhile. :tongue_smilie: Very interesting take on Richard III. I don't know what I want to read next. I think it's that time of the year when I have a lull in my reading.

[Stacia]

Is it too late to join in? I wanted to start with you all back in Jan., but I wasn't sure I could keep up. I'm behind, but I think I could use the accountabillity and encouragement to pick up the pace.

 

Sure, jump right in! :001_smile:

[Stacia]

Well, among the books they've published there is definitely a high concentration of books I'm interested in reading. Europa is certainly intriguing, as is Elena Ferrante, who, according to wikipedia, is rumored to be a man.

 

I'm not going to officially join the Europa Challenge, but I have read two of their books so far this year, so I have unofficially completed the first level, and there are other books I'm hoping to read.

 

Well that's very interesting about Elena Ferrante. Makes me want to read the book even more w/ all the authorial mystery surrounding it. :D

[aggieamy]

Is it too late to join in? I wanted to start with you all back in Jan., but I wasn't sure I could keep up. I'm behind, but I think I could use the accountabillity and encouragement to pick up the pace.

 

No at all. Join in and pick a book start.

 

I've managed to finish two of the books this weekend, one I've been working on for awhile and one that I hadn't planned on even reading. I picked up SuperFoods for Babies and Children when I was looking for healthy eating cookbooks for kids. This was interesting but not exactly what I was looking for - the information was presented well but pretty basic and I don't know if the recipes will be any good because they were mostly aimed at babies and not bigger kids.

 

Little Librarian and I picked up The Invention of Hugo Cabret from the library on Friday and she flew through it in two days and recommended that I read it. I knocked it out in about an hour and enjoyed it. I'd describe it as a 500 page picture book. Very unique and interesting story. Totally different from anything I've ever read before. Little says that she'd recommend it to everyone and I agree with her.

 

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)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

34. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Senzlak YA (****)

33. SuperFoods for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel (***)

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

31. The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois YA - Read Aloud (****)

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 (****)

 

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

[Night Elf]

27. May Bird Among the Stars by Jodi Lynn Anderson

28. May Bird the Warrior Princess

29. The Giver

30. Otto of the Silver Hand

 

This week I'll be reading an Agatha Christie book and books from Sonlight Core G (World History).

[Kareni]

I read two books by Lori Foster; they're probably best described as romantic suspense. I enjoyed them and now have a hold on the third in the series.

 

When You Dare

 

Trace of Fever

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I read The Night Circus this week and loved it. I really want to create a life/home for myself as amazingly beautiful as the circus.

:iagree: I wish I could do that. Those midnight dinners ... I still fantasize about those. :D

 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

We read this a few years ago and loved it.

We didn't particularly care for his more recent one, however.

I really wish we could find some great read-alouds. We always have a few read-alouds going. We're at a transitional stage. I'm eager to start some of the classics, but it's too early for ds, especially. We are loving, absolutely loving the Just William books - very British and absolutely hilarious. :lol:

[Negin]

I can't keep up with reading either books or this thread week to week. When did the star ratings begin? It is nice to see the lists with the ratings, though I'm afraid to get excited about a new book at this point in life as I'll never get to it. And I'm done home schooling! I had imagined I'd have loads of time to read for pleasure. What is up with that?

1. Great Expectations by Chas. Dickens 4 stars? Not my favorite Dickens, but some terrific characters. Love Miss Haversham.

 

Jenn, I think that only some of us are doing star ratings. I just started. I also think that the number of stars might have different meanings for each. Not really a consistent formula or anything. ;) Aggieamy's rating system has been a helpful one to me.

We love Dickens. Yes, Great Expectations is excellent, not my favorite either, but very good.

[K in MI]

I finished two books this past week:

 

#17 -- Enemies Foreign and Domestic (Matthew Bracken)

#18 -- Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It (Kelly Gallagher)

 

Hard to believe the year is 1/4 over. And kudos to you mega-readers -- how do you do it? :)

[TN Mama]

I finished book #19 this week The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett. I seem to be on a run of okay novels that were fine. Nothing exciting, and this was another one. It was okay. It didn't really go anywhere, and then is seemed like it just ended, weirdly. Don't all rush out and read it at once now :lol:!

 

This was a book I selected for my book club years ago. I think it was the only book in the (long) history of our book club that no one liked, and actually, I think the majority strongly disliked. It was a rare occurance for us to all be on one side of a book.:D

[TN Mama]

A few busy weeks equals much less reading time for me. I've fallen behind! I hope to finish book # 12 today. The Bishop by Steven James. This is the 4th Patrick Bowers book and #5 (The Queen) is ready to be picked up from the library. I read the first 3 on the Kindle, so when I picked up #4 and discovered it's 500+ pages, I was a bit taken aback. Wonder if that's affected me adversely this week... just knowing how long the book is? :)

 

So far this year:

 

1. Moon Over Manifest - Clare Vanderpool

2. Room - Emma Donoghue

3. The Pawn - Steven James

4. The Rook - Steven James

5. Drowned Maiden's Hair - Laura Amy Schlitz

6. The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen

7. Kisses from Katie - Katie Davis

8. Hannah's Gift - Maria Housden

9. Mudbound - Hillary Jordan

10. Aunt Dimity's Death - Nancy Atherton

11. The Knight - Steven James

12.

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished Eden's Outcasts couple nights ago. Interesting book for sure. The Alcotts led an interesting life. Saw a side of Louisa Alcott and her father that one would not guess by reading her Little Women series.

[Sparkle]

Finished Eden's Outcasts couple nights ago. Interesting book for sure. The Alcotts led an interesting life. Saw a side of Louisa Alcott and her father that one would not guess by reading her Little Women series.

 

That was an interesting book, wasn't it? I still feel like I don't have a really good picture of Bronson Alcott. I found myself hating him the first half of the book and then becoming more sympathetic to him the second half but I still have mixed feelings. I also wonder how he could pattern his life after Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress but never self-identify as a Christian. He was a strange bird.

[Angel]

I forgot to post last week. Busy week! I finished "Suspense and Sensibility" by Carrie Bebris. Another Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery. I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for reading more about my favorite characters if it's well done. I don't feel like she takes too much liberty with the original characters. If you are an Austen purist, you probably won't like them. However, they are a fun, short read. I will definitely read the rest as time allows.

 

I don't know if I will finish anything this week. In fact, I'm worried about the upcoming months. My older dd graduates two months from today and I'm feeling a bit frazzled about getting it all done! :tongue_smilie:

 

I need to post what dd's have been reading. Dd17 has quite a list. I'm sure she is ahead.

 

#12 - "Suspense and Sensibility" by Carrie Bebris

"The Tempest" by William Shakespeare

"Cotillion" by Georgette Heyer

"Pride and Prescience" by Carrie Bebris

"Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by Tom Stoppard

"Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

"The Sisters Grimm" by Michael Buckley

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

"The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan

"Henry V" by William Shakespeare

"The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde

[Mom-ninja.]

That was an interesting book, wasn't it? I still feel like I don't have a really good picture of Bronson Alcott. I found myself hating him the first half of the book and then becoming more sympathetic to him the second half but I still have mixed feelings. I also wonder how he could pattern his life after Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress but never self-identify as a Christian. He was a strange bird.

 

Same here. He's a tough one to figure out. I felt horrible for Louisa because she had to live with mercury poisoning.

 

I envy a life surrounded by those great literary people though.

[Dustybug]

Sure, jump right in! :001_smile:

 

Great! Thanks!

 

Well, even though I haven't been participating on the thread, I have been reading. Here is what I've read so far this year:

 

 

6. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (we are currently reading through the Chronicles as our read aloud)

5. My Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos

4. Then Sings My Soul: Vol. 3 by Robert J. Morgan

3. When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

2. A Good and Perfect Gift by Amy Julia Becker

1. Weird by Craig Groeschel

 

I just started It Could Happen Tomorrow by Gary Frazier. The kids and I also started Prince Caspian. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do! If anyone is interested, I have reviewed all of these books on my blog and you can see the reviews here: http://reachtothemoonandback.blogspot.com/search/label/book%20reviews

[Lizzie in Ma]

Still working my way through some old favorites, I am on book 26 of the Spenser novels.

[Jane in NC]

I finally finished Middlemarch - it was a re-read for me and I noticed several new things as I read this time. I think this book should be required reading before marriage.

 

 

 

Why oh why have I not read this Eliot novel? Thanks for the nudge.

 

I finished #16, another mystery by once famous Gladys Mitchell, Uncoffin'd Clay. Boy, do I like her analytic style.

 

This week I return to Balzac's Droll Stories. I had finished volumes I & II--the first twenty stories--and needed a break.

[Pink and Green Mom]

#16 - Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West, by Dorothy Wickenden. Nonfiction. Interesting book about 2 women that graduated from Smith College and went to Colorado in 1917 to teach at a frontier school. Lots of interesting info about Colorado, homesteading, the frontier, and the railroad.

 

#17 - No Country For Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy.

[Storm Bay]

For those of you who like Lord Peter mysteries, can you name your three favourites and/or the three that are the best

 

? I saw how many there are and there is no way I'm going to read them all. I took them all back to the library and may read a couple more.

 

Hey there everyone!

 

I can't keep up with reading either books or this thread week to week. When did the star ratings begin? .

Ratings are nice, but oh the pressure;):glare:. I probably won't do stars for the same reason I don't have a favourite of almost anything; it's too hard for me to be sure of those things, which is ironic since I am a woman of strong opinions.

 

 

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.

 

 

Actually, the paranormal aspect was part of what I didn't like and what I thought as not being true enough to P&P. I have read fantasy, but it's not my big interest.

 

I do like the Jane Austen mystery better, and it's easier to read because it's about her and not P&P, but I'm not in love with it; I'm just not a big mystery reader.

 

Right now I'm reading that first Jane Austen mystery and am still reading Living Above Mediocrity & Winning with People (and I have read more of each, but want to digest those, not race through them.)

[aggieamy]

Another one bites the dust - just finished Girl Reading by Katie Ward. Everyone here talked so highly about it that I was excited to get started and loved the language and the stories. Really great writing BUT and this is a big issue I have - I can't for the life of me figure out what posessed the author to not use quotation marks. Have they gone out of style? Is everyone out there a better reader than I am and just don't find that they need them to follow the story? Ugh. I was refraining from drinking while I read this book because I might get the wild and crazy idea to help the next reader out by getting a black pen and adding quotation marks throughout the book. I won't because it's a library book and being banned from the library is my worst fear (that and giant snake somehow getting caught in my car and I only discover it while driving on the highway). I would have rated it a full star higher had there been quotation marks in the book.

 

 

In progress:

 

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)

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton (recommended by Beth)

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Casino Royale - James Bond by Ian Fleming (book club)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

35. Girl Reading by Katie Ward (***)

34. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Senzlak YA (****)

33. SuperFoods for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel (***)

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

31. The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois YA - Read Aloud (****)

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 (****)

 

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

Edited March 27, 2012 by aggieamy

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I'm behind, on posting and on reading. I'm currently in the middle of two books - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Leaderless Revolution by Carne Ross. I'm also listening to Imperfect Birds by Ann Lamott.

[laughing lioness]

I've been reading Silas by Francine Rivers. It's good and pleasant.

[Kim in Appalachia]

It was a very strange book. I liked it, it was very thought provoking, but I could have done without his obsession with a certain body part. :glare:

 

It was 3 books in one, and it took me three weeks to read. :001_smile: Before that book I finished Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrel I really enjoyed that book. I would like to get the audio version. I think the kids would enjoy listening to it.