Book a Week in 2012 - week 14

[Robin M]

Good morning dolls! Today is the start of week 14 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 - Read A Russian Author Month. Highlighted the first chapter of The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky

 

Also on Wednesday April 4 52 books will be hosting Frank Peretti for his blog tour ASK FRANK so be sure to stop by and give him a big welcome, say hi, ask him a question or two or check out his new book Illusion which I highlighted in week 9. We will be doing a giveaway as well.

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 13

[TN Mama]

I finished #12 The Bishop by Steven James and have read about half of #13 The Queen, also by Steven James. I enjoy the series, but I am looking forward to reading something else. Haven't decided what'll be up next...

 

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. The Bishop - Steven James

13.

[Robin M]

I just spent the last 4 days at the Left Coast Crime mystery conference and meet lots of new to me authors as well as getting to meet some of my favorite authors. Came away with lots of books including Jacqueline Winspear, Cara Black and Harley Jane Kozak. Even had some of them autographed.

 

My Russian author pick is Dostoyevsky and starting The Brothers Karamazov today. Will probably mix it up with a light book but not sure what yet. Audiobook is J.D. Robb's Loyalty in Death.

[Night Elf]

I am thoroughly enjoying reading books from one of Sonlight's Core programs. They are probably fluffing out my list of books but I haven't been disappointed by any that I've read. My goal is to read the books I'm interested in from each Core in progression. Since I can't buy a Sonlight Core program because my kids are doing something else, I'll read the books myself. :)

 

30. The Second Mrs. Giaconda by e.l. konisburg

31. I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

32. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

33. The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

 

Editing to add my completed list:

 

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

26. May Bird Among the Stars by Jodi Lynn Anderson

27. May Bird the Warrior Princess

28. The Giver

29. Otto of the Silver Hand

30. The Second Mrs. Giaconda by e.l. konisburg

31. I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

32. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

33. The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

Edited April 2, 2012 by Night Elf

[Just Robyn]

I finished a few books this week:

 

24.) Catching Fire and 25.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - thus finishing up the Hunger Games series.

 

26.) Home Education by Charlotte Mason - It was nice to read her own words. There are some differences, which I wouldn't consider minor, between what she said and what some Charlotte Mason speakers/writers say.

 

27.) The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster by Richard Brautigan - This is a book of poetry (now only printed in a three-books-in-one edition), sometimes crass, sometimes silly, sometimes descriptive while neither crass nor silly. I thought a few of them were great, a few of them were terrible, and the rest were somewhere in between. Here's a sample:

 

Mating Saliva

 

A girl in a green mini-

skirt, not very pretty, walks

down the street.

 

A businessman stops, turns

to stare at her @$$

that looks like a moldy

refrigerator.

 

There are now 200,000,000 people

in America.

[Jen in PA]

Last week I finished:

 

43. Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I couldn't put this down.

 

44. Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie. Not one of her best, but enjoyable.

 

45. The Tempest -- I managed to squeeze it in before the end of the month. It was a reread for me, but is one of the plays I always enjoy. Also, I was able to hear a nice streaming audio version through my library's website -- Ian McKellan as Prospero and Benedict Cumberbatch as Ferdinand!

 

46. For my personal challenge to read a modern book of poetry each month, I read Sixty Odd by Ursula LeGuin. I have to admit -- before I found this at the library, I didn't even know that she wrote poetry. I had trouble getting into it at first, but ended up finding many of the poems to be surprisingly moving.

 

This week I'll continue with The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future. So far it is covering a lot of the same material in The Shallows, but with a slightly greater emphasis on the long-term effect on "cultured" civilization and civic involvement.

[-M-]

March's "reading life review" entry can be found here. I'll post below for those who don't click to personal sites, though.

 

■ Immortal Bird (Doron Weber)

Memoir. I loaded Immortal Bird onto the Kindle after reading a favorable review in Entertainment Weekly. The memoir deals primarily with the illness and death of the writer's oldest son, Damon, particularly the ways in which healthcare professionals failed to provide consistent diagnoses and appropriate care. The book is also Weber's love song to his son, and it may simply have been too soon for him to pen those lyrics. In a nutshell? I wanted it to be a better, emotionally truer book than it was. Weber's wife and other two children are, at best, tertiary characters in this "family memoir," and Damon is so over-praised that he fails to become real to the reader.

 

■ The Scarlet Pimpernel (Baroness Emmuska Orczy)

Fiction. With the Misses, followed by the 1982 movie ("Sink me!") with Ian McKellan as Chauvelin and Jane Seymour as Marguerite. A re-read for me.

 

■ Sister (Rosamond Lupton)

Fiction. An Amazon Best Books of the Month selection in June 2011, this beckoned to me from a table at Barnes & Noble when we were in Chicago for A Midsummer Night's Dream. A beautifully written blend of family drama and murder mystery, this was an altogether satisfactory book.

 

■ 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.

 

■ The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

Fiction. A re-read. Related entry here.

 

■ The Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare)

Play. Another re-read, with the with the Misses, in anticipation of this. Can it really be five years since I last read this? Related entries here and here.

 

Books read in 2012 (30 to date)

 

■ 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) __________________

[aggieamy]

I am thoroughly enjoying reading books from one of Sonlight's Core programs. They are probably fluffing out my list of books but I haven't been disappointed by any that I've read. My goal is to read the books I'm interested in from each Core in progression. Since I can't buy a Sonlight Core program because my kids are doing something else, I'll read the books myself. :)

 

31. The Second Mrs. Giaconda by e.l. konisburg

32. I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

33. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

34. The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

 

I'm not sure if I should be listing my completed list but it seems like it would make my post long. :)

 

What did you think of the Miss Marple book?

 

I also wonder about posting my whole list. I've been doing it lately but wonder if anyone cares or if it would be better to just show a few. I like it when everyone posts their complete lists because it gives you an idea of what other types of books they've been reading to get ideas on what to read next.

[Alice]

Since I last posted...

 

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Thriller. A woman wakes up daily having no memory or ability to form new memories. She quickly discovers that she has been keeping a journal, the first page of which tells her not to trust her husband. This one kept me guessing the whole book. I would highly recommend if you like thrillers/mysteries (and even if you don't).

 

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

The latest in the Armand Gamache mystery series set in a small town in Quebec. Sort of a modern take on the cozy mystery. I really like this series.

 

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Young adult novel about a dystopian future world where the computer/digital world has become part of our brains. Entertaining and as the best dystopian literature frightening in the ways that it doesn't take much of a stretch to imagine.

 

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Part of reading through the WEM fiction recommendations. I really enjoyed this one. I knew it was going to end badly for Lily but I kept hoping right up to the end.

 

Currently reading:

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt

The History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil McGregor

 

Read in 2012

1. The Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

2. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

3. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

4. I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson

5. The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

6. Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

7. The Rise and Fall of Mt. Majestic by Jennifer Trafton

8. Below Stairs by Margaret Powell

9. Confessions of a Prairie ***** by Alison Arngrim

10.Still by Lauren Winner

11. An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Aduraha Roy

12. City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwel

13. The Shallows by Nicholar Carr

14. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

15. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

16. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

17. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai

18. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure

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

20. Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

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

22. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

23. Feed by M. T. Anderson

24. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

__________________

[Alice]

■ Sister (Rosamond Lupton)

Fiction. An Amazon Best Books of the Month selection in June 2011, this beckoned to me from a table at Barnes & Noble when we were in Chicago for A Midsummer Night's Dream. A beautifully written blend of family drama and murder mystery, this was an altogether satisfactory book.

 

 

This looks very good. Thanks!

[Just Robyn]

What did you think of the Miss Marple book?

 

I also wonder about posting my whole list. I've been doing it lately but wonder if anyone cares or if it would be better to just show a few. I like it when everyone posts their complete lists because it gives you an idea of what other types of books they've been reading to get ideas on what to read next.

 

Well, because I don't feel like folding another load of laundry just yet, here's my 2012 list:

 

1. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (***)

2. The Battle of Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice 4) by John Flanagan (****)

3. Land of Lincoln by Andrew Ferguson(***)

4. God, No! by Penn Jillette (***)

5. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame - Smith(****)

6. Soulless by Gail Carriger (***)

7. Changeless by Gail Carriger (***)

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

9. Blameless by Gail Carriger (***)

10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (****)

11. Heartless by Gail Carriger (***)

12. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (***)

13. How Deaf Children Learn by Mark Marschark and Peter Hauser (****)

14. In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut (****)

15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (****)

16. Leviathan by Scott Westerfield (**)

17. Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold (***)

18. Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur (*****)

19. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (***)

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

21. Timeless by Gail Carriger (***)

22. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins(***)

23. The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante (****)

24. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (***)

25. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (***)

26. The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster by Richard Brautigan (***)

27. Home Education by Charlotte Mason (***)

[Zebra]

I finished #20 The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wolff.

 

Again, I don't have a lot to say about it, it was fine :lol:!!!

[dangermom]

The Pilgrim's Regress by C. S. Lewis--his first published book and pretty obscure.

 

The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan, a medieval work defending the value of women. I LOVE this book. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Pretty much all I can do is burble about it.

 

The Listening Eye, British fluff mystery. Usually I don't blog about these titles, but I thought I would spread the Wentworth love.

[Ali in OR]

I finished two this week. Last week's thread had a couple of mentions of Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret--someone called it a 500 page picture book which sounded intriguing. Our library had one copy left on the shelf, so we picked it up and I read the first 100 pages aloud to the girls that night (to whet their appetites). The 9 yo finished it first, then the 11 yo, and then I finally was allowed to pick it up. Fun book! We all enjoyed it.

 

Sara Addison Allen is perfect for the treadmill. Short enough, skinny enough books to fit on the little stand, light reading that doesn't tax the brain too much, and fun plots that keep me going. I read The Sugar Queen this week and will be starting The Girl Who Chased the Moon tomorrow.

 

And I started Anna Karenina for the Russian Lit challenge. I'm on page 90 of 963 pages, so not even 1/10 of the way through, but I'm getting into it and like it so far.

 

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

26. The Sugar Queen-Sara Addison Allen

25. The Invention of Hugo Cabret-Brian Selznick

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

[Kareni]

Still reading historical romances here.

 

Re-reading Mary Balogh's The Secret Pearl -- a favorite

 

Just finished Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell -- very readable but there were aspects of the hero's character that rubbed me the wrong way

 

Regards,

Kareni

[porque]

My list:

#24 Hunger Games- I am a sucker for dystopian fiction. Liked it fine

#25-Bringing it to the Table by Wendell Berry. Thought provoking look at the problem with industrial agriculture (among other things). Examines the mistake (as the author sees it) of confusing economic gain with social good. Lots to think about. Wish it wasn't a library book so I could refer back to it, but not enough to buy it.

 

 

Read-alouds

#9 Toliver's Secret

#10 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 

DD9

Anne of Green Gables

[Cleopatra]

Last call for the April reading of Twelfth Night. Please join us over at: http://hivemindshake.webs.com/apps/forums/ if you are interested. We've love some more participants!

 

As for books, I've been reading copiously but I'll post an update after Easter!

[Enough]

Last week I finished Protector of the Small: Squire and Protector of the Small: Lady Knight (#s 24 and 25, respectively, for the year) by Tamora Pierce. These are YA fiction, brilliantly done. Fantastic heroine- smart, determined, kick-a$$ strong. For those of you who (like me) enjoyed the Hunger Games series but didn't think it was feminist enough ;), please read the Protector of the Small series.

 

This week I'm reading the introverts book :tongue_smilie:-aka Quiet- and I also plan on finishing Wherever You Go, There You Are (I'm about 3/4 done).

 

ETA my whole list, b/c I agree with aggieamy that I like to see others' lists:

 

1. Skippy Dies

2. Raising Freethinkers

3. The Collaborative Habit

4. By Heart

5. Lost Memory of Skin

6. Hunger Games #1

7. Ahab’s Wife

8. The Sisters Brothers

9. The Feast Nearby

10. Parenting Beyond Belief

11. Hunger Games #2

12. The Shallows

13. Hunger Games #3

14. Momma Zen

15. Why Read Moby-Dick?

16. The Housekeeper and the Professor

17. The Creative Habit

18. Life of Pi

19. The Happiness Project

20. Wayward Saints

21. Protector of the Small: First Test

22. Girl Reading

23. Protector of the Small: Page

24. Protector of the Small: Squire

25. Protector of the Small: Lady Knight

 

 

Edited April 1, 2012 by Enough

[Negin]

I absolutely love this thread. :D

 

I finished:

 

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Loved it.

5 out of 5 Stars

 

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

3 out of 5 Stars - Enjoyable

 

I'm reading

 

Mildred Pierce and have almost given up on it at least twice. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

 

[Stacia]

I'm still working on Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. Fascinating & well-written, but still makes me feel like a total, lazy slob considering all she's accomplished! :tongue_smilie::lol:

 

For the Russian author challenge, I'm working on The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. It's bizarre, & strange, & funny, & challenging. Loving it so far.

 

To respond to a few things from last week's thread....

 

Dangermom: Love the Gorey illustration. Yes, if I were a Russian landowner in 1930, I do think I'd dress that way. :D

 

Aggieamy: It has been ages & ages since I've read Agatha Christie's books (back when I was college age), but I liked Hercule much better than Miss Marple. But, it has been so long, I have no idea why. :lol: (I did end up marrying a Belgian man in real life, so maybe I was predisposed to Belgian guys? ;):tongue_smilie:)

 

*Inna*: Thanks for the rec on the other Bulgakov book. Seeing how much I'm enjoying the current one, I'll probably have to check out the one you recommend too.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Stacia

[Stacia]

I just spent the last 4 days at the Left Coast Crime mystery conference and meet lots of new to me authors as well as getting to meet some of my favorite authors. Came away with lots of books including Jacqueline Winspear, Cara Black and Harley Jane Kozak. Even had some of them autographed.

 

Sounds like a great time! :001_smile:

 

I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

 

I keep thinking I should read this one because it seems like one I'd enjoy.

 

The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster by Richard Brautigan - This is a book of poetry (now only printed in a three-books-in-one edition), sometimes crass, sometimes silly, sometimes descriptive while neither crass nor silly. I thought a few of them were great, a few of them were terrible, and the rest were somewhere in between. Here's a sample:

 

Mating Saliva

 

I've never been a big fan of poetry. But, someday, I think I should try to read a book of poetry. Maybe.

 

I also wonder about posting my whole list. I've been doing it lately but wonder if anyone cares or if it would be better to just show a few. I like it when everyone posts their complete lists because it gives you an idea of what other types of books they've been reading to get ideas on what to read next.

 

I care! I love seeing everyone's lists because I get some great ideas from them.

 

Last year, I posted my entire list through June. Then, starting in July, I started my list of what I read for the remainder of the year. That helped keep it from being too huge, I think....

 

Currently reading:

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt

The History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil McGregor

 

Please be sure to post your reviews of these. They are both books I'm interested in reading.

 

----------------------------

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)

22. Colony by Hugo Wilcken (5 stars)

[Alice]

Please be sure to post your reviews of these. They are both books I'm interested in reading.

 

 

So far I'm finding The Swerve interesting but annoying. He has a very specific agenda in my opinion and I think he is telling the story as it fits his agenda. But I've only read about half so far.

 

100 Objects is interesting. I haven't read very much. It's a good one to dip into here and there. My first thought is it would work well somehow with a chronological history approach (as a supplement? as a review?).

[eaglei]

I just finished reading all of last week's thread and this weeks - there's a powerful-lot of reading going on - and my list of wanna-reads continues to grow!

 

I didn't get to post last week, and I got very little reading done.:glare: Since my last post two weeks ago, here's what little I accomplished:

 

#12 - The Liar's Club, by Mary Karr. I wrote about this in my last post when I was part-way through it, so I won't repeat here.

 

#13 - Safe Haven, by Nicholas Sparks. Meh. I grabbed it off the library shelf hoping for an easy escape. His books are always easy reading but this one, dealing with wife abuse, was overall . . . meh.

 

#14 - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark. Meh. Just one of those books I *thought* I should finally read. Should've thought twice. The only *good* thing to come out of it was learning a new word. The concluding biographical sketch lumped the author among those who believe philosophically in solipsism.

 

#15 - On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser. I am thoroughly enjoying this! Thanks to those who recommended it!

 

I will finish Zinsser's book in about half an hour; not sure what I will read next.

[dangermom]

 

Dangermom: Love the Gorey illustration. Yes, if I were a Russian landowner in 1930, I do think I'd dress that way. :D

 

 

See, I knew I was right! :D

 

I'm glad you're enjoying M&M. So very surreal and weird.

[Stacia]

In honor of the 'Read a Russian author' month, I thought I'd share some interesting notes about the author I'm reading (Mikhail Bulgakov). This is excerpted from the Translator's Introduction (by Mirra Ginsburg) at the beginning of The Master and Margarita.

In 1930, after the censors rejected his play,

The Cabal of the Hypocrites (Moliere)

, Bulgakov, ill and despairing, sent a long and remarkably courageous letter to Stalin. He pointed out that none of his writing was being published, and none of his plays produced.

...

He went on to say that to him impossibility to write was tantamount to being buried alive, and begged the government to order him to leave the country without delay.

...

But if all he had written was not sufficiently convincing, and he was to be condemned to lifelong silence in the USSR, he begged to be assigned to work in the theater -- as a director, pledging himself honestly and "without a tinge of wrecking" to produce whatever plays were entrusted to him, from Shakespeare to the moderns.

...

A month later Stalin telephoned Bulgakov. For some odd reason he had taken a liking from the first to

The Days of the Turbins

, though with the cryptic comment that, "it is not the author's fault that the play is a success." He suggested that Bulgakov apply to the Moscow Art Theater, adding, "I think they will accept you."

What interesting things have you learned about the Russian authors you are reading? :bigear:

[joannqn]

I finished One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No Regrets Life. Saw this on the library shelf and thought it looked interesting. Life most self-help books, it started out a good read but I lost interest half way through.

 

I also finished the third book of the Shadow Children Series: Among the Imposters. I found the first book interesting, but this series is just getting more and more childish (it is a YA series) and uninteresting.

 

I'm currently reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. The big kids and I are reading Across Five Aprils for school, separately not as a read aloud.

[VeganCupcake]

I am finishing up China in Ten Words by Yu Hua and I really like his style of writing, though some of the stories are disturbing. But I'm not sorry to be reading it.

 

For the Read a Russian Author challenge, I also chose Brothers Karamazov. What was I thinking? I may resurface in October. :lol:

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I'm going to start I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella tonight. It's been a while since I've read a fun book of hers. Looking forward to it.

[aggieamy]

Aggieamy: It has been ages & ages since I've read Agatha Christie's books (back when I was college age), but I liked Hercule much better than Miss Marple. But, it has been so long, I have no idea why. :lol: (I did end up marrying a Belgian man in real life, so maybe I was predisposed to Belgian guys? ;):tongue_smilie:)

 

 

Or maybe I need to spend some quality time with some Belgian men to get a good feel for the personalities and charm. Wait. Don't know if I'm going to get DH to buy into that idea. Maybe if they were short with egg shaped heads and elaborate mustaches. :D

[Stacia]

Or maybe I need to spend some quality time with some Belgian men to get a good feel for the personalities and charm. Wait. Don't know if I'm going to get DH to buy into that idea. Maybe if they were short with egg shaped heads and elaborate mustaches. :D

 

:lol:

 

Well, I will say that Belgian guys know their diamonds & chocolates.... Just sayin'.... ;):D

[SunnyDays]

I finished two this week: The Last Olympian and The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and that brings me to a total of 21 books for 2012 so far.

 

Loved Battle Hymn... some of it made you think the mother was a monster, but some of it made me think perhaps I'm not strict enough with my kid, or at least don't expect enough of him!! :D

 

This week: Reading The Peach Keeper and we'll see what else comes up!

[Kareni]

Well, I will say that Belgian guys know their diamonds & chocolates.... Just sayin'.... ;):D

 

... and waffles ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

 

52 Books - Read A Russian Author Month. Highlighted the first chapter of The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky

 

Link to week 13

 

You gals are too smart for me with the challenges. I'd love to join them but wouldn't even know where to start picking a book by a Russian author. I suggest a challenge for the slackers (like me!) of our group some month. :lol:

 

How are you enjoying the PD James audiobook? I love audiobooks and am always looking for suggestions.

[Stacia]

... and waffles ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

... and beer ... ;)

 

(But I don't really care about waffles or beer, so that's why I emphasized the diamonds & chocolate. :lol:)

 

Oh, and don't forget the French Fries (or Belgian Fries, I suppose). Yum.

[Jane in NC]

... and beer ... ;)

 

(But I don't really care about waffles or beer, so that's why I emphasized the diamonds & chocolate. :lol:)

 

Oh, and don't forget the French Fries (or Belgian Fries, I suppose). Yum.

 

For what it's worth, I associate Belgium with moules, frites, and lambic. Yum!

 

Back to books. I finished #17, C.P. Snow's The Two Cultures: and A Second Look, a fifty year old lecture and follow up commentary on the growing division between those educated in the sciences and humanities (hence the "two cultures"). The ensuing decades have not brought these two groups closer, it seems. While the greater point of the initial lecture was the state of education in the 1950's, I found the most salient point in the followup commentary. Apparently Snow's lecture created quite a stir in intellectual circles. Critics were fierce and Snow chose not to respond to them immediately noting:

It seems to me that engaging in immediate debate on each specific point closes one's own mind for good and all. Debating gives most of us much more psychological satisfaction than thinking does: but it deprives us of whatever chance there is of getting closer to the truth.

 

If only the knee jerk politicians and talking heads would heed this advice! "Less talk, more thought" is my new motto.

 

Upon Karin's advice I started reading The Housekeeper and the Professor. Charming so far. And the great Balzac slog continues.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started reading:

 

The Constantine Codex by Paul Maier

 

 

Completed so far:

15. What the Dog Saw

14. What is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission

13. Gods and Kings

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

[Onceuponatime]

Currently reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and getting an education. Whew! Fascinating, disturbing, and enlightening all in one.

[Pink and Green Mom]

#20 - Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of the President, by Candice Millard. Nonfiction. Fascinating book about the assassination and subsequent death of President James Garfield. A whole lot of "who knew."

 

Not sure what is next; I need to go online and figure which of my library books expire first:).

[laughing lioness]

2 weeks ago I went through a couple of these threads and ordered books from the library based on recommends from ya'll (you are my bibliophiliac friends :001_smile:!).

 

I'm in queue for most but just got "Sisters" and have started reading it. It's another murder mystery and supposedly creepy. I'm not too far in to it and am liking the style so am reading for that right now, despite whatever creepiness comes up. The surviving sister is telling the story by writing a letter to the murdered sister. (I see MMV has read it- glad to read your take on it!)

Edited April 2, 2012 by laughing lioness

[jenL]

Last week I forgot to post, but I read Ape House by Sara Gruen. It was pretty good. After liking Water for Elephants, I figured I would try another of her novels. This one was easier to get into than WfE, and I think the story moved along more quickly. The characters were not as complex, however. I'd recommend it if you want something quick.

 

I also read My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. It's about reincarnation and a soul who remembers every person he's ever been which is considered rare among souls. He is seeking a woman he loves, yet she cannot remember that she once loved him. The story takes place in present and past. It moves along swiftly, and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the end though, so I find myself pondering it periodically. If you like time travel type of books, you may like this.

 

I'm now working on The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I'm only about 50 pages in, but I'm enjoying how it is slowly unfolding, and the little clues Atwood is placing along the way that are keeping me guessing/wondering.

 

Here's what I've read thus far....

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

[Jenny in Florida]

I think I missed posting last week, but I've been reading!

 

Here's my current list:

 

22. The Frogs, Aristophanes

21. The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson

20. Hades, Alexandra Adornetto

19. Halo, Alexandra Adornetto

18. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

17. Silence, Becca Fitzpatrick

16. Prometheus Bound, Aeschylus

15. Shockaholic, Carrie Fisher

14. Crescendo, Becca Fitzpatrick

13. Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick

12. The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen

11. Rainwater, Sandra Brown

10. A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

8. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

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

7. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins

6. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

5. Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope

4. The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane, Katherine Howe

3. Angelica, Arthur Phillips

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

1. Clockwork Prince, Cassandra Clare

 

I enjoyed The Name of the Star, which is a YA novel set in a contemporary English boarding school that draws on the history of Jack the Ripper. I kept expecting it to be more, somehow, but I thought the characters were well written and lots of fun, and I liked the way she played with the idea of ghosts.

 

The Frogs was fun, too. Thanks to whoever suggested it as the next read for my son! Of course, now he's looking for every opportunity to squeeze "lost his oil can" into every conversation. But still . . .

 

At the moment, I'm reading Wonderland: A Year in the Life of an American High School, by Michael Bamberger, and I'm listening to the audio version of The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern. I'm reading Wonderland in small chunks here and there in between doing other things, and it works well that way. The Night Circus is very rich and atmospheric, and I'm still trying to figure out what it all means.

[Jenny in Florida]

27.) The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster by Richard Brautigan

 

I adored Brautigan in high school, his poetry and his novels. I think my favorite of his is The Hawkline Monster.

 

It's nice to see others reading him. I remember how excited I was the first time I heard the music duo Trout Fishing in America.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Still reading through the Spenser novels, looking forward to some great new releases this month, specifically the new Iron Druid novel, Tricked on the 24th!

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #15 - "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. Again, I found her wordy, or something. (Found myself wanting to urge her on to the point she was making on occasion.) But the "what to do information" is very insightful. I'm already able to apply some of it to my son.

 

Book #14 - "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain.

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

[luvnlattes]

I finished Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor. It took me a while to get into the book. It takes place on board a ship of passengers emigrating from Ireland. Small parts of the story take place on the ship but the bulk of the novel is told through flashbacks of the main characters and how their lives tie together. I tell ya, by the end, it was a regular Peyton Place or at least that's what it felt like when all the secrets came out! Overall I enjoyed it despite it's slow going at times.

 

This week I'm reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.

[rwjx2khsmj]

Last week I read New Found Land by Allan Wolf. I highly recommend this one if you have tweens/teens studying Lewis and Clark. I loved it and so did my dd13.

 

I'm currently reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

 

Dr. Zhivago is waiting for me at the library so I can join in the Russian Lit. challenge.

[Jane in NC]

Dr. Zhivago is waiting for me at the library so I can join in the Russian Lit. challenge.

I love this book and also recommend the Masterpiece Theater version of it from a few years ago.

 

[Pink and Green Mom]

I also read My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. It's about reincarnation and a soul who remembers every person he's ever been which is considered rare among souls. He is seeking a woman he loves, yet she cannot remember that she once loved him. The story takes place in present and past. It moves along swiftly, and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the end though, so I find myself pondering it periodically. If you like time travel type of books, you may like this.

 

 

 

I heard the same thing about the ending, with someone going as far as to tell me to not even read it. I did hear that she was planning to write a sequel, but that was some time ago. FWIW...

[Night Elf]

What did you think of the Miss Marple book?

 

I liked it! I know I read a few of Christie's books but I had not read that one. I find her books funny because the detective is introduced so late. It was almost as if Miss Marple was an afterthought and used as an extra to wrap up the crime, and not a central part of the story like I would expect a detective book to be.

[Night Elf]

I'm currently reading Wanderlust by Chris Dyer. DH just finished it and thought I'd like it. Apparently it is chick-lit fiction comedy. :tongue_smilie: It's all written in emails. Main character, divorced Kate Bogart, is a travel writer in Europe. She gets involved with a British man but her ex is wanting to get back together with her. I'm not far into it and I'm not used to reading a long series of emails. So far so good though.

 

It reminds me of another book I really enjoyed called Sorcery and Cecila or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C Wrede. It was a series of letters between two cousins, I believe. I remember it took me a while to get into that format as well.