Book a Week in 2012 - Week 15

[Robin M]

Good morning dolls! Today is the start of week 15 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 - National Poetry Month. My tribute to poetry for the month along with some links to bloggers including crime writers who are getting in on the act and writing poetry.

 

Also Read a Russian Author month ( self declared *grin*) - what author have you picked to read?

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 14

 

 

Happy Easter! :grouphug:

[-M-]

I will finish Book #31, Mira Bartok's The Memory Palace, this afternoon.

 

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 _________; unpublished fiction)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) __________________

[Robin M]

The Brothers Karamazov is definitely slow reading and currently on Chapter 7 (Part 1 book 2 chapter 2).

 

Debating between two books to read for G author: The Sherlockian by Graham Moore or One Hundred Years of Solitude by Garbriel Garcia Marquez. Help me decide - which would you read? :bigear:.

 

Finished Robin Lee Hatcher's Fit To Be Tied and Charlie Price's Hear the Dead Cry.

[Violet Crown]

Happy Easter! While away from The Intertubez, I managed to read

 

Henry James, The American

 

- which was so far my favorite James yet. I had also planned to get through

 

St. Augustine, City of God

 

but am only about halfway through, due to Lenten travel and Augustine's desperate need for an editor.

[jenL]

Debating between two books to read for G author: The Sherlockian by Graham Moore or One Hundred Years of Solitude by Garbriel Garcia Marquez. Help me decide - which would you read? :bigear:.

 

.

 

I have not heard of the Moore book, but I really enjoyed One Hundred Years of Solitude. :)

 

As for my reading this week... we were very busy, so I didn't finish a book. I'm steadily working my way through Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (I'm about halfway through). It's haunting how easily I could see our current society fall into a dystopian way of living. What I'm garnering from this novel is no exception. I hesitate to say we would fall under a legalistic religious realm such as being described in this book (from what I've read so far), but the Big Brother mentality and the ability for laws that defy common sense to be created and enforced does not seem unheard of within the slippery slope on which I feel society is currently teetering. Of course, I am just pondering things as I go... once I reach the end, I may have an entirely different point of view of this novel and these ideas...

 

Anyway, that's where I'm at! :) I'm hoping to have it completed within a couple of days since life will be slowing down some.

[Zebra]

This week I read No More Christian Nice Girl (#21) and The Tea Rose (#22).

 

I liked the premise of No More Christian Nice Girl, that there is a difference between being NICE and being GOOD. This is something I have struggled with in the past, and a few years ago this book would have probably blown my mind. Not so much these days ;)!

 

The Tea Rose was far more steamy than most of the books I normally read. I was expecting some sort of proper Jane Austen type of thing...and it was nothing like that. The story was also ridiculous, just sooooo out there. Stop reading this now if you don't want the book spoiled, but the main character invented iced tea and the tea bag, caught Jack the Ripper, while having much mind-blowing teA and becoming wildly rich and famous.

 

You know when you eat something that tastes kind of bad, but you can't stop? Like, you can't tell if it tastes bad or not and you keep eating it because it's kind of addictive? That was this book. :D

[Just Robyn]

I finished two super short books this week:

 

28.) Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris - Before this book I had no idea that MLK Jr. traveled to India to study non-violent resistance. Cool.

 

29.) Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak edited by Marc Falkoff - I can't help but say his last name like I'm issuing a rude command. :D Anyway, it was an interesting book.

[Just Robyn]

Also Read a Russian Author month ( self declared *grin*) - what author have you picked to read?

I've started reading The Diary of the Superfluous Man and Other Stories by Ivan Turgenev. According to wikipedia:

 

 

[Rosyl]

I have had a really good reading week. I will either continue the streak this week or I stall. On deck I have The Core about classical ed, The Help, and 2 AJ Jacobs books.

I read Catching Fire yesterday morning and that was the first book in I don't know how long that I read in COMPLETE SILENCE. It was beautiful to not have to stop every couple of words and refind my place. :glare:

29) Mockingjay Collins

28) Catching Fire Collins

27) I walk in Dread the Diary of Deliverance Trembley A Dear America Book

26) A Hope For Hannah by Jerry Eicher

25) A Year of Living Biblically A.J. Jacobs

24) Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow on audio

23) A Dream For Hannah by Jerry Eicher.

22) Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare on audio

21) A Love That Multiplies, Duggars on Audio

 

20) Ella Finds Love, Eicher

19) Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

18) The Duggars 20 and counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

17) Emotionally Healthy Spiritually by Peter Scazarro

16) Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

15) The Survivor by Beth Wiseman (yet another amish book)

14) The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet audio book

13) Growing up Amish by Beth Wiseman

12) Ella's Wish By Jerry Eicher

11) Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

 

10) The Healing by Wanda Brunstetter

9) Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray

8) The Dark Tide

7) Little Men, Louisa May Alcott on Audio

6) Winter of the Red Snow.

5) The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory.

4) A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry Eicher

3) Longing by Karen Kingsbury.

2) Little Women by Alcott

1) Midummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

[Stacia]

.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Stacia

[Jane in NC]

Happy Easter! While away from The Intertubez, I managed to read

 

Henry James, The American

 

- which was so far my favorite James yet. I had also planned to get through

 

St. Augustine, City of God

 

but am only about halfway through, due to Lenten travel and Augustine's desperate need for an editor.

 

Welcome back Sharon!

 

I'm still slogging away on Balzac's Droll Stories which at times are more like Voyeur Stories. At several points I think "Enough!" but the next story will amuse me sufficiently that I plod forward. I'll finish this eventually.

 

In the meantime, I finished The Housekeeper and the Professor which came recommended by fellow readers on this thread. It is charming although I will admit that in my mathematical studies I have never met anyone like the Professor who exhibits the Ramanujan-like trait of breaking down every number he encounters into a series of odd little factoids. A mathematician offered a review of the novel in a mathematical journal.

 

I am currently reading a mystery from my favorite mystery publisher, Soho Press. What I love about books from this imprint are the international locations. There is the pleasure of a travelogue while having the thrill of the hunt with the mystery. Devil-devil by Graeme Kent takes place in the Solomon Islands--talk about exotic! I feel like I am receiving an anthropology lesson as I read.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm reading The Last Week by Borg and Crossan. I am getting a lot out of Their interpretation of events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Onceuponatime

[Jen in PA]

Last week I finished:

 

#47 The Dumbest Generation:How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future. The trends described in the book are pretty worrying, and confirm a lot of what I have seen in the past few years. An interesting (albeit discouraging) read.

 

#48 A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. This book had lots of suggested activities and ideas for further reading. Not a lot of neuroscience research that hasn't become mainstream knowledge by this point, but more practical suggestions than other books on the topic.

 

This week I'll continue with Distracted:The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age and One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson.

[porque]

Lots of quick reads this week, but I really liked The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

 

#26 Dreams of the Dead quick mystery

#27 We All Fall Down memoir about drug addiction

#28 The Bluest Eye

 

DD9

#33Among the Brave

 

Readalouds

#11 My Brother Sam is Dead

[Kareni]

I completed my re-reading stint of Patrica Briggs' Mercy Thompson novels with River Marked. Now I'm wondering when the next book will come out ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Ali in OR]

I am being inundated with books from the library--they all seem to come available at once. I finished The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather which I first found out about in this thread a few weeks ago. I love being a wife and mom and having a family, but I wouldn't mind spending just a week living her lifestyle--small cabin in a picturesque lakeside setting, cooking good food from mostly local sources, and communing with a dog, a kitten, a bird, and some chickens. I also finished my third Sarah Addison Allen book, The Girl Who Chased the Moon. They are fun, easy reads.

 

I love Anna Karenina, but it keeps getting set aside for books that are coming available from the library that are 14-day checkouts. I'm on page 192 of 963, so about another 100 pages read this week, but it's going to be tough for the next few weeks. I have started The Paris Wife by Paula McClain about Ernest Hemingway's first wife (May book club pick) and I have Quiet by Susan Cain--both 14-day checkouts. And I just got a notice that 11/22/63 is waiting for me and I hear it is 800 pages, and I'm sure it's a 14-day checkout too. I'm going to try to get Paris Wife and Quiet done this week before I pick that one up. I may not get back to Anna for awhile.

 

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

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

27. The Feast Nearby-Robin Mather

26. The Sugar Queen-Sarah 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

[dangermom]

This week I read Bollywood Weddings (a short academic book about Indian-American weddings), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the new book about introverts called Quiet, and Archer's Goon.

 

I read Pushkin's Eugene Onegin for Russian Author Month, but I only just barely finished it and haven't written up a post yet. It was surprisingly easier to read than I expected, and I enjoyed the experience.

[Negin]

The Help

Loved this. :)

 

I gave up about two-thirds of the way through Mildred Pierce. Really didn't care for it much at all, or maybe my timing was way off.

 

Read and loved Yellow Crocus.

4 out of 5 Stars - Really Good.

 

Right now, I'm reading and really enjoying The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. The author is Australian and most of the book, so far, is set there.

 

Edited April 9, 2012 by Negin in Grenada

[Angel]

I finished Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Most of the book was laugh out loud funny, even for a beginning knitter like me! I would suggest you read this if you are a "Knitter" with a capital "K." She says in her book there is a difference between a "Knitter" and a "knitter." :D Actually, if you knit at all, I would recommend it. I didn't always know what she was talking about but her stories and style were hilarious ;)

 

I am behind again after my brief stint at being caught up. Dd's graduation to-do list is looming over my head and we are headed to Boston for dh to run the Boston Marathon next weekend. If only I could read in the car *sigh* however, it just makes me sick.

 

Next on my list is Romeo & Juliet for our Shakespeare study and North by Northanger, the next in the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries. I'm also in the middle of The Sword of Shanara.

 

My dd's are keeping up better than I, I just never have their lists close by when I am typing it seems.

 

13. "Yarn Harlot" by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

"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

[Suzq]

I finished The Preacher's Bride this week after the recommendation from Robin. I enjoyed it. I am in the midst of Left to Tell about the Rwandan Genocide. I am also reading Pride and Prejudice which I have never read. I did see the movie though.

 

I have 14 books finished but a couple of them were very short and really don't count but it feels pretty good since I only read 29 books last year. I see someone here already has read 28 books. Wow! Impressive.

[eaglei]

This week I finished:

 

#16 - No Turning Back, by Marion Bond West. I love her writing! She is so completely honest. This was one of her earlier books - perhaps her second. It features short stories taken from her life and the lessons she learned through them that pertain to the theme and her determination to not turn back from living for Jesus. I first learned about this author through her stories in Guideposts magazine and have since read three (maybe four) of her books. Her lessons learned are so real because she is so real - almost brutally honest about herself - her feelings, her actions, etc.

 

Currently reading:

 

#17 - A Lantern in Her Hand, by Bess Streeter Aldrich. So far, so good.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started reading:

 

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller

The Strength of His Hands by Lynn Austin

 

Completed so far:

17. Song of Redemption

16. The Constantine Codex

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

[joannqn]

#17 The Death Cure showed up at the library finally so I put everything else on hold to read it. There are so many holds for the book that I knew we'd have three weeks for all three of us to get it done. I'm glad I read it. The first book for the series, The Maze Runner, was odd but interesting. The second book, The Scorch Trials, read exactly like the first book but in a different setting. As I was reading the book, I was initially disappointed because I thought it was going to be a repeat of the first two books in yet another setting, but it wasn't. The book had a couple of unexpected twists which was nice, and the ending wasn't the everything it perfect happy ending that many books have.

 

Currently reading:

 

Across Five Aprils -- The bigs and I are reading this and going through the Progeny Press Guide. as part of our Civil War study.

 

Charlotte's Web -- I'm reading this allowed to DS5. It's his first chapter book read aloud, and he's enjoying it. He's never really cared for being read to until recently so this is a big step for him.

 

Uncle Tom's Cabin -- I've been reading this one on my phone at night. The eye strain from reading on the phone prevents me from reading too long. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

 

Just a Minute -- I'm reading this for a book review and have a copy to give away. It was written by the CEO of Compassion International. I've enjoyed the stories in it and agree with the premise.

 

Hiroshima Diary -- I found this at the library's book sale yesterday. It looked interesting. I picked it up just to look at it more closely and got sucked in. It is the diary of a doctor who was injured in the bombing of Hiroshima during WWII. It begins the day of the bombing, though he didn't start writing his diary until two days later. It is very graphic; you definitely get a feel for what they went through, and the translator/editor did a great job with that.

Edited April 8, 2012 by joannqn

[aggieamy]

The Little Prince was nothing like I was expecting. I knew nothing about it but it was on a lot of those "must read as a kid" lists so I decided that I needed to be as well read as a fifth grader and got it from the library. I've decided it's not really a story for children as much as a social commentary though. I don't really know if this is supposed to be for children because I think most of it would have gone over Little Librarian's head.

 

 

In progress:

 

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (current read aloud)

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

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

The Five Minute Face: A Makeup Guide for Every Woman by Carmindy

Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (audiobook)

 

2012 finished books:

 

39. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery YA (***)

38. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton (****)

37. A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond (***)

36. Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie (***)

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 April 9, 2012 by aggieamy

[Storm Bay]

In the meantime, I finished The Housekeeper and the Professor which came recommended by fellow readers on this thread. It is charming although I will admit that in my mathematical studies I have never met anyone like the Professor who exhibits the Ramanujan-like trait of breaking down every number he encounters into a series of odd little factoids. A mathematician offered a review of the novel in a mathematical journal.

 

 

Thanks for the link; I'd never heard of Ramanujan.

[LostSurprise]

31. Corvus: a Life with Birds by Esther Woolfson~non-fiction, birds. I wanted to like this, and often I did. All the personal stories of owning a rook, magpie, crow and various other birds were pretty fun. Unfortunately, her constant rants on corvid apologetics, her opinions on everything from creationism to the silliness of a fear of birds. Eh, I could do without it.

 

30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen~classic literature. I know its a hard few weeks when I find myself gravitating to this novel for the umpteenth time.

 

29. Cyteen: The Betrayal by CJ Cherryh~science fiction, future, space, cloning.

28. Divergent by Veronica Roth~youth fiction, dystopian.

27. The Help by Kathryn Stockett~fiction, '60s, race relations.

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:

 

The Peace War (Vinge)

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (Amsterdam)

 

A long few weeks. I'm not going to push myself too hard right now.

[Night Elf]

34. Wanderlust by Chris Dyer

35. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

36. Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

 

I was excited to read the Richard Peck books, but ended up disappointed with them. The stories weren't nearly as good as A Year Down Yonder. I was also very disappointed with the ending of Here Lies the Librarian. I'm not sure how to say why without giving spoilers.

 

I've started The Phantom Tollbooth. I tried reading this years ago but couldn't get into it. I'm 6 chapters into it and I think I might quit now. It's just too weird for me. Next up is The Westing Game.

 

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

34. Wanderlust by Chris Dyer

35. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

36. Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

[aggieamy]

I've started The Phantom Tollbooth. I tried reading this years ago but couldn't get into it. I'm 6 chapters into it and I think I might quit now. It's just too weird for me. Next up is The Westing Game.

 

I tried The Phantom Tollbooth a number of years ago and thought the same thing. It was just kind of odd and didn't catch me. DH thought the same thing and it's rare for him to give up on a book. Now The Westing Game is a different story - I LOVED it. DH rates it as one of his favorite books. It's a quick read too. You could go start it now and then let me know what you thought of it in the morning. :001_smile:

[SunnyDays]

Ugh... I got very little reading done this week. No books finished, still working on The Peach Keeper, which will be book #22.

[Negin]

30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

One of my all-time favorites.

 

I was also very disappointed with the ending of Here Lies the Librarian.

I despise bad endings or endings without any proper closure. As I often say, I don't need a riding-off-into-the-sunset ending necessarily, but a good ending of some sort would be nice - in movies and in books. :)

[Zebra]

One of my all-time favorites.

 

 

I despise bad endings or endings without any proper closure. As I often say, I don't need a riding-off-into-the-sunset ending necessarily, but a good ending of some sort would be nice - in movies and in books. :)

 

I agree, real life is hard enough!

[Jenny in Florida]

This week, I finished two books, making my current list:

 

24. Wonderland: A Year in the Life of an American High School, Michael Bamberger

23. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

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'm currently listening to the audio verson of Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I'm enjoying it quite a bit during my morning walks and while waiting for kids during rehearsals and performances. The historical details are fun.

[Mom-ninja.]

28.) Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris - Before this book I had no idea that MLK Jr. traveled to India to study non-violent resistance. Cool.

 

 

This has been on my to read list for awhile.

 

 

 

If only I could read in the car *sigh* however, it just makes me sick.

 

 

Same here. So far it seems my dc don't have this problem.

 

 

I'm currently listening to the audio verson of Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I'm enjoying it quite a bit during my morning walks and while waiting for kids during rehearsals and performances. The historical details are fun.

 

My friend has been trying to get me to read these books. :001_smile:

[Just Robyn]

The Little Prince was nothing like I was expecting. I knew nothing about it but it was on a lot of those "must read as a kid" lists so I decided that I needed to be as well read as a fifth grader and got it from the library. I've decided it's not really a story for children as much as a social commentary though. I don't really know if this is supposed to be for children because I think most of it would have gone over Little Librarian's head.

 

I appreciate your thoughts on that book. I still have not read it, didn't even hear about it until college. I've seen it listed by a lot of adults as a favorite; I can't help but think I'm missing out on something! I was just on my way to the library, so maybe I'll pick that up too.

 

 

This has been on my to read list for awhile.

 

 

 

Letter to a Christian Nation is small in height/width dimensions, thin, AND has plenty of white space. It's a nice book for a week when you feel like you don't have time to finish a book.

 

 

I'm currently listening to the audio verson of Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I'm enjoying it quite a bit during my morning walks and while waiting for kids during rehearsals and performances. The historical details are fun.

 

I just (really, just now received/opened it) got this in the mail from somebody on paperback swap!

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #16: "Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy" by Jonni McCoy. Wow, very pertinent! Some of this stuff I already do, and some of the rest, I grew up doing, but traded in for convenience and had forgotten about. But plenty more I'm going to try to incorporate.

 

Book #15 - "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.

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

[aggieamy]

I'm almost embarassed to add this to my list of books but I know that I'm not the only one trying to fancy up my image a bit so I'll add my little review for The Five Minute Face by Carmindy. She's the beautiful blonde lady that does makeup on What Not To Wear. Her book was a fast read but really good advice for simple but nice makeup. If you're a makeup pro then this book isn't for you but if you're wearing it for the first time, want to change things up a bit, or are a teenager - this would be a great book.

 

I'm also the first hour into Half Moon Investigations. Imagine a seedy dark 1930's mystery. Phillip Marlow. Sam Spade. You know what I'm talking about. The men drink gin and are rugged. The women are all beautiful ditzy dames. The bad guys are oh so bad. Now imagine all of the language and feeling of a book like that except it's set in modern day Ireland and the characters are all 11 years old. Yeah. It's awesome. I'll reserve judgement until I see how it ends but so far I'm really digging it.

 

 

In progress:

 

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (current read aloud)

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

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

Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (audiobook)

Half Magic by Edward Eager (recommended by my own Little Librarian)

 

2012 finished books:

 

40. The Five Minute Face: A Makeup Guide for Every Woman by Carmindy (***)

39. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery YA (***)

38. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton (****)

37. A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond (***)

36. Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie (***)

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

[scholarly]

Last week I finished #31 Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian, which gave me a different perspective on some fairy tales that differ significantly in meaning from the original version to the Disney version.

[VeganCupcake]

I finished Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Most of the book was laugh out loud funny, even for a beginning knitter like me! I would suggest you read this if you are a "Knitter" with a capital "K." She says in her book there is a difference between a "Knitter" and a "knitter." :D Actually, if you knit at all, I would recommend it. I didn't always know what she was talking about but her stories and style were hilarious ;)

 

I still have to finish Free-Range Knitter!

 

I finished The Help last night (really liked it) and then started Catherine the Great by Robert Massie. It's very interesting, but what a cast of characters! All these princes and princesses . . . . It makes my head spin.

[Mothersweets]

I finished two books this week!

 

Good Morning, Young Lady - Cinderella-type story set in 1890's Salt Lake City. Great characters that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

 

and

 

The American Heiress - Super rich American girl marries poor but titled English duke. If you liked Downton Abbey, you'll like this.

 

Hmmm, both books were set in the 1890's but couldn't have been further apart in story, tone, and quality of writing. I enjoyed them both but Good Morning,Young Lady is by far the better book.

[Mothersweets]

I finished Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Most of the book was laugh out loud funny, even for a beginning knitter like me! I would suggest you read this if you are a "Knitter" with a capital "K." She says in her book there is a difference between a "Knitter" and a "knitter." :D Actually, if you knit at all, I would recommend it. I didn't always know what she was talking about but her stories and style were hilarious ;)

 

I love Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I've read two of her books - Knitting Rules! and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off - and they are hilarious!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Mom-ninja.]

Letter to a Christian Nation is small in height/width dimensions, thin, AND has plenty of white space. It's a nice book for a week when you feel like you don't have time to finish a book.

 

So like every one of my weeks. ;)

 

 

 

I'm almost embarassed to add this to my list of books but I know that I'm not the only one trying to fancy up my image a bit so I'll add my little review for The Five Minute Face by Carmindy. She's the beautiful blonde lady that does makeup on What Not To Wear. Her book was a fast read but really good advice for simple but nice makeup. If you're a makeup pro then this book isn't for you but if you're wearing it for the first time, want to change things up a bit, or are a teenager - this would be a great book.

 

 

 

I would want to read that book. I'm surrounded by boys so I need my girlie things. It's not at my library though.

 

 

 

Currently reading The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness by Karen Armstrong and loving it.

 

I read that several years ago. I liked it. I haven't gotten around yet to reading her other books, but they are on my list.

 

Seems a lot of books are on my list that I don't get to. :glare:

 

I finished The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child. Thank you for the rec. here. With all the books I've read on dyslexia I have a much deeper understanding for not only my ds but my dh as well. Things he does that used to drive me crazy and irritate me now no longer do because I know the why behind them.

[VeganCupcake]

Currently reading The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness by Karen Armstrong and loving it. Armstrong entered a convent at 17, had a nervous breakdown there, left the Church, then found her 'calling' as a religious scholar. Her memoir is beautiful and engaging, heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, and real. I have two of Armstrong's comparative religion books, A History of God and The Case For God, and both helped me tremendously through a dark spiritual period.

 

Happy reading y'all :auto:

 

I really liked The Spiral Staircase.

[Night Elf]

Now The Westing Game is a different story - I LOVED it. DH rates it as one of his favorite books. It's a quick read too. You could go start it now and then let me know what you thought of it in the morning. :001_smile:

 

Very good book, although it was a bit confusing at times. I had trouble keeping up with the jumping points of view, sometimes in the same paragraph. I had to reread whole paragraphs sometimes to figure out who was thinking what! But the story overall was very clever. I really liked the ending. I love stories that tell what happened to the main characters when the story itself is finished. :)

[Rosie_0801]

I've just finished reading Ben the Bullfinch to my daughter. It was my mum's book, but she gave it to me when she was 5. My dd just turned 5, so now it's hers :)

 

Rosie

[luvnlattes]

I finished State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Most of the time I thought the book was o.k., then the author threw something into the story line that really bugged me. In the end, I did not like this book!

 

I'm working through the A to Z challenge and had a tough time finiding an author for Q. I started a book by Anna Qunidlen that was a snooze. I switched it out for Pretty is What Changes by Jessica Queller. The author has found out that she has the BRCA gene that makes her highly likely to develop breast cancer and how she copes with that knowledge.

[laughing lioness]

Finished 2; Sister by Upton and Laura Ingall's Wilder: A Writer's Life by Hill. My reviews here.

 

Loved both. Sister is a well crafted murder mystery with a surprise ending. Very intriguing, written as a series of letters to the dead sister.

 

LIW- addresses who wrote the Little House books, the complicated relationship between mother and dd; agreat look at the legacy of LIW as well as family systems.

 

During my MFT program we did genogram/systems studies of famous families (Bronte was one- wowza). In Jane Austen Ruined My Life, Patillo actually talks about how Austen was very private because, "look what happened to the Bronte's." (they were dissected by MFT wannabes:001_smile:). One could have a lot of fun diagnosing (o.k., not an MFT approved activity, but I think my years of association with psychologists gives me some wiggle room) the Ingalls-Wilder families :001_smile:

 

Here's my 2012 ltd:

• Blackwood, Shakespeare Stealer (YA)
  
• Blackwood, Shakespeare's Scribe (YA)
  
• Burpo, Heaven is for Real
  
• Craighead George, Far Side of the Mountain (YA)
  
• Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain (YA)
  
• Hill. Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life
  
• King, On Writing
  
• Lamott, Grace (Eventually)
  
• Lamott, Imperfect Birds
  
• Lewis, C.S. Out of the Silent Planet
  
• McEwan, On Chesil Beach
  
• Piccolt, House Rules
  
• Piccolt, Plain Truth
  
• Piccolt, Vanishing Acts
  
• Piccoult, My Sister's Keeper
  
• Potok, Davita's Harp
  
• Sayers, Strong Poison
  
• Sayers, The 9 Tailors
  
• Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
  
• Sayers, Unnatural Death
  
• Sayers, Whose Body
  
• Upton, Sister
  
• Wisemen, et al, An Amish Wedding
  

Edited April 11, 2012 by laughing lioness

[thessa516]

\

 

I'm also the first hour into Half Moon Investigations. Imagine a seedy dark 1930's mystery. Phillip Marlow. Sam Spade. You know what I'm talking about. The men drink gin and are rugged. The women are all beautiful ditzy dames. The bad guys are oh so bad. Now imagine all of the language and feeling of a book like that except it's set in modern day Ireland and the characters are all 11 years old. Yeah. It's awesome. I'll reserve judgement until I see how it ends but so far I'm really digging it.

 

Well, with a pre-review like that, how can I NOT put it on hold at the library? :D

[aggieamy]

I'm getting through a lot this week but they've all been short light reads.

 

I read Half Magic in two short sittings. Another book I would have read the cover off as a kid and I only picked it up because Little Librarian was talking about how much she was enjoying it.

 

Little Librarian and I also finished our read aloud Dealing with Dragons. We both thought all the references to other types of fairy tale stories was really cool. That's a recommendation I got from here. What would I do withyout you guys? Probably read boring books. :001_smile:

 

Well, with a pre-review like that, how can I NOT put it on hold at the library? :D

 

 

I hope you like it. I've got about an hour left on my audiobook and I've been driving the long route when I run errands so I can listen to more.

 

Very good book, although it was a bit confusing at times. I had trouble keeping up with the jumping points of view, sometimes in the same paragraph. I had to reread whole paragraphs sometimes to figure out who was thinking what! But the story overall was very clever. I really liked the ending. I love stories that tell what happened to the main characters when the story itself is finished. :)

 

I've read Westing Game a few times now so I know everyone and what's going to happen but I remember it being hard to keep up with who was who with the changing POV and having a huge cast of characters. I'm glad you enjoyed it though. I'm always nervous I'm going to recommend something and then it will be hated.

 

 

In progress:

 

 

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

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

Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (audiobook)

Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan (read aloud)

 

 

2012 finished books:

 

 

42. Half Magic by Edward Eager (***)

41. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede - Read Aloud (****)

 

Books 1 - 40

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

Edited April 11, 2012 by aggieamy

[Angel]

 

I read Half Magic in two short sittings. Another book I would have read the cover off as a kid and I only picked it up because Little Librarian was talking about how much she was enjoying it.

 

Little Librarian and I also finished our read aloud Dealing with Dragons. We both thought all the references to other types of fairy tale stories was really cool. That's a recommendation I got from here. What would I do withyout you guys? Probably read boring books. :001_smile:

 

 

 

I have been waiting for you to finish Dealing with Dragons! I'm so glad you liked it. Make sure that you read the rest of the series! I can't find them, but a friend of mine said that this series is one of her favorite audio books as well. My older dd and I have read them all. I think I need to introduce younger dd to them.

 

I read Half Magic last year for the first time. I really liked it, too. I am surprised that I didn't read these when I was younger.