Book a Week in 2012 - week 18

[Robin M]

Good morning dolls! Today is the start of week 18 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.

 

52 Books blog-Japan's Golden Week: Japan has 4 holidays that fall within a two week period which means everyone is on holiday during that period of time. Celebrations including girls festival and boys festival. Read a book by a Japanese author, with a Japanese setting or non fiction book about Japan. Busy week since also highlighted authors whose birthdays are this week which includes Joel Rosenberg. If you haven't read his Last Jihad yet, (awesome awesome) now would be a good time to check it out.

 

May is Get Caught Reading Month so think about sharing some pictures of reading activities.

 

We are at the end of Read a Russian Author Month - how did you do?

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 17

Edited April 29, 2012 by Mytwoblessings

[Robin M]

Well, I gave up on The Brothers Karamazov. The chapter in which Ivan went into great detail about different children being killed and how they were killed did me in. I had been thinking about giving up on the book before that, but this did it for me. I found the characters all overly dramatic and irksome.

 

Started reading The Scent of Shadows (book 1 in signs of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson on my nook this morning. New to me author.

 

For A to Z challenge by Author and Title so far

 

Ahab's Wife - Sena Jeter Naslund

By the Light of the Moon - Dean Koontz

Close Case - Alafair Burke

Dead Ringer - Lisa Scottoline

The Emerald Atlas - John Stephens

Fade to Black - Leslie Parrish

Guilt by Association - Marcia Clark

Hear the Dead Cry - Charlie Price

Illusion - Frank Peretti

 

 

Sarah Addison Allen - Garden Spell

John Berendt - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Justin Cronin - The Passage

Jana Deleon - Trouble in Mudbug (#1 Ghost in law series) (ebook)

Diane Emley - The First Cut

Jaspar Fforde - The Eyre Affair

Couldn't get into G author book so have to pick one out

Robin Lee Hatcher - Fit to be Tied

Edited April 29, 2012 by Mytwoblessings

[aggieamy]

It's been a few weeks of slow reading for me but I finally finished Notes from a Small Island and am now back on The Moonstone. I've read three Bill Bryon books in the last year and I just can't figure out if I like him or not. He's very smart and interesting but all of his books have sections that I would simply define as "whiney". Maybe that's just his style and other love it. I would prefer that his editor take those occasional paragraphs out and make the books better. For instance, in Notes from a Small Island he talks about all the things he dislikes about England much more than he talks about the things he does like. Overall it was still an interesting book for an Anglophile like myself.

 

 

In progress:

 

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan (read aloud)

Father Brown Mysteries by GK Chesterton (audiobook)

 

2012 finished books:

 

48. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (***)

47. Casino Royale - James Bond by Ian Fleming (**)

46. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (***)

45. The Lucky Shopping Manual by Kim Lenitt (*****)

44. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (****)

43. Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer - Audiobook (****)

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

[-M-]

Finished four this week:

 

■ The Lifeboat (Charlotte Rogan)

Fiction. One of the books Aunt M-mv gave me for my birthday. A competently written first novel with a neat hook: A young widow narrates (unreliably, of course) her tale of survival following the sinking of the luxury ship on which she and her new husband had been passengers. Related article here.

 

■ Retirement without Borders (Barry Golson)

■ The World's Top Retirement Havens (ed. Margaret J. Goldstein)

■ Let's Go: Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia (ed. Michelle R. Bowman)

Non-fiction. Yes, there is a theme here, and, yes, more titles like this will likely appear on my reading lists in the coming years as this is a topic that greatly interests us. Some related links here, here, and (less sunny) here. This article may also interest some of you: "What's a Gap Year and Why Might You Need One?" (Entrepreneur, April 7). That would be a gap year for adults. Kind of cool.

 

 

Books read in 2012 -- 43 to date

■ Retirement without Borders (Barry Golson; non-fiction)

■ The World's Top Retirement Havens (ed. Margaret J. Goldstein; non-fiction)

■ Let's Go: Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia (ed. Michelle R. Bowman; non-fiction)

■ The Lifeboat (Charlotte Rogan; fiction)

■ iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us (Larry D. Rosen; non-fiction, psychology/technology)

■ The Difference (Jean Chatzky; non-fiction, personal finance)

■ The Pen Commandments (Steven Frank; non-fiction, writing)

■ Timon of Athens (William Shakespeare; play)

■ Going Bovine (Libba Bray; YA fiction)

■ The Memory Palace (Mira Bartók; memoir)

■ Mr. Monster (Dan Wells; fiction)

■ I Don't Want to Kill You (Dan Wells; fiction)

■ The Fiddler in the Subway (Gene Weingarten; non-fiction, journalism/essays)

■ 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; personal finance)

■ 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]

Well, I gave up on The Brothers Karamazov. The chapter in which Ivan went into great detail about different children being killed and how they were killed did me in. I had been thinking about giving up on the book before that, but this did it for me. I found the characters all overly dramatic and irksome.

 

 

Good to know. It's a classic so I did have it on my to-read list but I'm very sensitive to some stuff and children being killed is something that I couldn't take. Thanks for the review.

[Jane in NC]

 

■ Let's Go: Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia (ed. Michelle R. Bowman)

Non-fiction.

 

I regularly borrow travel books from the library, but admittedly I don't read them cover to cover. Just sections and skim other parts. Just a tip: Lonely Planet is better than Let's Go (in my opinion). I like the narrative style of the old Rough Guides. They are slicker now.

 

As noted in other threads, I love Soho imprint mysteries for the bonus vicarious travel thrill.

[-M-]

One of my reading goals for this year was to read more non-fiction. I began rather loftily, asserting that I would read one non-fiction work a week. While that hasn't exactly worked out, I was reviewing my "stats" and see that I've read 15 non-fiction titles:

 

■ Retirement without Borders (Barry Golson; non-fiction)

■ The World's Top Retirement Havens (ed. Margaret J. Goldstein; non-fiction)

■ Let's Go: Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia (ed. Michelle R. Bowman; non-fiction)

■ iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us (Larry D. Rosen; non-fiction, psychology/technology)

■ The Difference (Jean Chatzky; non-fiction, personal finance)

■ The Pen Commandments (Steven Frank; non-fiction, writing)

■ The Memory Palace (Mira Bartók; memoir)

■ The Fiddler in the Subway (Gene Weingarten; non-fiction, journalism/essays)

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

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

■ Immortal Bird (Doron Weber; memoir)

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

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

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

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

 

If we're on Week 18, maybe that's not too shabby, eh? (*wry grin*) I'm still nibbling on The Shallows (Nicholas Carr) and Quiet (Susan Cain). Perhaps I can (finally!) finish them this week. Then again, maybe not. You see, in addition to The Lifeboat (mentioned upthread) and a couple of others, Aunt M-mv also gave me the new Anne Tyler novel for my birthday, and my husband gave me Eric Kandel's new TOME, The Age of Insight, so who knows? (*shrug*) So many books, so little time, right?

 

Happy reading, folks!

[-M-]

Let's Go is all the local library had. It's even an older edition. But it did the trick. Although I didn't read every hotel and restaurant recommendation -- heh, heh, heh -- there was the usual regional, cultural, historical data. Dry but useful. The other two books, though? More than informative (if a little sunny -- they make it seem so easy, maybe too easy).

 

I think the Cultureshock! titles will, in the end, be the most helpful. I'm midway through the Ecuador volume.

[-M-]

I will be late but still plan to finish the Russian author challenge (First Love by Ivan Turgenev). I owe that selection to either the Paris Review blog or Brain Pickings.

[Melinda in VT]

Since I posted last, I've read four books:

 

Before I Go to Sleep (thanks to recommendations here :D)

 

The Monster of Florence--story of an unsolved (or solved-too-often) serial murder case in Florence. I especially enjoyed this one because I was reading it in Florence. Takeaway message--don't get messed up with the Italian justice system.

 

The Housekeeper and the Professor--Who knew a novel with so much math could be so interesting? This is a quiet book, a little sad, but well worth reading.

 

Garden Spells--enjoyable fluff for a rainy week

 

I am currently reading Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. This is extremely entertaining, and I've learned a lot about Yiddish and modern Jewish history. (This is another book that came with our house.)

[Just Robyn]

This week I finished number 31:

 

Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home by Rhonda Barfield

 

I found this book neither particularly informative nor inspirational. It's too bad because it had potential. The author admits in the afterword that the stories seemed sanitized because no one wants to admit their flaws and shortcomings in an interview. I really don't think I would recommend this even to a new or future homeschooler.

[Just Robyn]

Since I posted last, I've read four books:

 

Before I Go to Sleep (thanks to recommendations here :D)

 

The Monster of Florence--story of an unsolved (or solved-too-often) serial murder case in Florence. I especially enjoyed this one because I was reading it in Florence. Takeaway message--don't get messed up with the Italian justice system.

 

The Housekeeper and the Professor--Who knew a novel with so much math could be so interesting? This is a quiet book, a little sad, but well worth reading.

 

Garden Spells--enjoyable fluff for a rainy week

 

I am currently reading Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. This is extremely entertaining, and I've learned a lot about Yiddish and modern Jewish history. (This is another book that came with our house.)

 

That sounds good.

[Zebra]

I had a good week this week. I hit the halfway mark (so I should have some cake, right ;)?) and I enjoyed all my books.

 

I read:

Oink-My Life with Mini-Pigs by Matt Whyman (26)

Safe People by Cloud and Townsend (27)

Confessions of a Prairie B^tich by Alison Arngrim (28)

 

These were all interesting. I never wanted pigs, but this made me want them even less. Mini or not! Safe People is by the authors of Boundaries, which was a life changing book for me. I don't agree with everything these guys say, but they always have good points for me to consider. And the Alison Arngrim book was pretty funny. Not thrilling, but a quick and interesting read on a lot of levels.

[LNC]

1. Daddy Longlegs, Jean Webster - Kindle

2. Dear Enemy, Jean Webster - Kindle

3. Bookends of the Christian Life, Jerry Bridges

-A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnay (didn't like, quit)

4. Gospel Wakefulness, Jared Wilson

5. A Praying Life, Paul Miller - Kindle

-Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen - library on Kindle (didn't like, quit - not doing well with fiction picks this year!)

6. The Book of the Ancient World

7. The Book of the Greeks, both by Dorothy Mills

8. The Greek Way, Edith Hamilton

9. Organized Simplicity - Kindle

10. In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson - library on Kindle

11. Think, John Piper

12. Lit, Tony Reinke

-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Foe - quit!

13.That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week, Ana Homayoun

14. Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, Cindy West

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

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

17. Discovery of Witches - library kindle on kindle

18. Left Neglected, Lisa Genova

19. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith

20. Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, Lisa Patton

21. Yankee Doodle Dixie, Lisa Patton

22. I Capture a Castle, Dodie Smith

23. American Heiress, Daisy Goodwin

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

25. Still Alice, Lisa Genova

26-29. Secret Society Girls #1-4 series Diana Peterfreund

30-33 Hunger Games series

34. Bunheads, Sophie Flack

36. The Sugarless Plum, Zippora Karz

37. As I Remember, Lillian Gilbreth

[Zebra]

This week I finished number 31:

 

Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home by Rhonda Barfield

 

I found this book neither particularly informative nor inspirational. It's too bad because it had potential. The author admits in the afterword that the stories seemed sanitized because no one wants to admit their flaws and shortcomings in an interview. I really don't think I would recommend this even to a new or future homeschooler.

 

I want to read the homeschooling book where if Mom has to explain what 4x5 is one more time, she will get in the car and drive off a cliff Thelma and Lousie style...or after carefully investing $347 on science experiment materials not only does the experiment not work, but it is totally uninteresting and the kids don't get the point. Or the book where after explaining what an object pronoun is for 6 hours, with a whiteboard, M&M's and a musical number, Susie still fails the test. Meanwhile, Grandma is in the kitchen asking Johnny if he is lonely not being allowed to go to school, and when is his mother going to allow him to go to real school like all the normal children who are not being ruined by their parents.

 

But, I have no experience with that life and neither do any of you ;).

 

It reminds me of these celebrities who claim giving birth does not hurt but is more awesome than Disneyland, breastfeeding is super fun and easy, and diapers smell yummy enough to eat.

 

Anyway....:lol:!

[Kim in Appalachia]

I finished Life of Pi last week. I did enjoy the book. It was a huge departure for me, but it was good. I found the writing engaging. I was so carried along by the story that it took till the end that I realized what was going on (I don't want to give anything away, plus it's all debatable). I didn't really agree with the point of the book (or, I guess, what I thought the message was :001_smile: That is debatable too). But I enjoyed it so much that I bought a used paperback version of it so my dd could read it this summer (I borrowed it on my kindle).

 

Right now I'm reading The Secret Piano. It's a non-fiction book about a pianist who grew up/survived the Cultural Revolution in China. It was an Amazon Kindle deal of the day a couple weeks back and I thought it looked good. As a complete splurge I also bought her performance of the Goldburg variations. I put it on my Kindle to listen to while I read. I'm enjoying it. (book and music :001_smile:)

[Suzq]

I want to read the homeschooling book where if Mom has to explain what 4x5 is one more time, she will get in the car and drive off a cliff Thelma and Lousie style...or after carefully investing $347 on science experiment materials not only does the experiment not work, but it is totally uninteresting and the kids don't get the point. Or the book where after explaining what an object pronoun is for 6 hours, with a whiteboard, M&M's and a musical number, Susie still fails the test. Meanwhile, Grandma is in the kitchen asking Johnny if he is lonely not being allowed to go to school, and when is his mother going to allow him to go to real school like all the normal children who are not being ruined by their parents.

 

 

 

Anyway....:lol:!

 

I would be in line at the bookstore to get my copy of this title! Love it.

 

I am excited to say that I finished my 18th book this morning. It was called God Grew Tired of Us. It is written by one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Incredible what he went through and how he persevered. He has come full circle and has set up a medical clinic in Sudan. My husband's uncle, who is a doctor, went there to do surgeries. I plan to have my teens read this book so they can hear about what other people were having to endure while my teens were alive and in this life of ease. Maybe it can ward of some complaints. :001_smile:

[Jane in NC]

A comedy and a tragedy marked this week's reading.

 

Dawn French is probably best known as the comedian/actress who played the Vicar on the BBC program The Vicar of Dibley. Her novel A Tiny Bit Marvellous (#22) was amusing, despite the stereotypical whining of the teenage daughter.

 

Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman (#23), depressed the heck out of me. But this is as good of a time as any for reexamination of the American Dream as Willy Loman defines it.

 

I now move on to Susan Howatch, The Rich are Different, which will definitely take more than a week to read. But so worth it...

[Kareni]

I want to read the homeschooling book where if Mom has to explain what 4x5 is one more time, she will get in the car and drive off a cliff Thelma and Lousie style...

 

But, I have no experience with that life and neither do any of you ;).

 

Don't be too sure about that last statement!

 

 

(This is another book that came with our house.)

 

So, how many other books came with your house?

 

The only book that ever came free to us was in an apartment. It was an illustrated xxx-rated guide and was hidden above the stove in a cabinet next to the stove pipe. I suspect that your gift books were a step above!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Melinda in VT]

So, how many other books came with your house?

 

The only book that ever came free to us was in an apartment. It was an illustrated xxx-rated guide and was hidden above the stove in a cabinet next to the stove pipe. I suspect that your gift books were a step above!

 

We got rid of some of them, but we estimate we kept around 400. It's a pretty diverse collection.

[Negin]

Read The Burning of Grey and I give it 1 Star - rubbish and a waste of my time and $.

 

The Housekeeper and the Professor--Who knew a novel with so much math could be so interesting? This is a quiet book, a little sad, but well worth reading.

Garden Spells--enjoyable fluff for a rainy week

Read both of these this year. Loved The Housekeeper & The Professor.

Garden Spells was nice and just fluff.

 

Confessions of a Prairie B^tich by Alison Arngrim

Loved this.

 

Dawn French is probably best known as the comedian/actress who played the Vicar on the BBC program The Vicar of Dibley. Her novel A Tiny Bit Marvellous (#22) was amusing, despite the stereotypical whining of the teenage daughter.

I've always loved Dawn French and read Dear Fatty by her a while back. Didn't care for it that much. Think I just prefer her in Vicar of Dibley and French & Saunders, etc.

[Just Robyn]

I want to read the homeschooling book where if Mom has to explain what 4x5 is one more time, she will get in the car and drive off a cliff Thelma and Lousie style...or after carefully investing $347 on science experiment materials not only does the experiment not work, but it is totally uninteresting and the kids don't get the point. Or the book where after explaining what an object pronoun is for 6 hours, with a whiteboard, M&M's and a musical number, Susie still fails the test. Meanwhile, Grandma is in the kitchen asking Johnny if he is lonely not being allowed to go to school, and when is his mother going to allow him to go to real school like all the normal children who are not being ruined by their parents.

 

But, I have no experience with that life and neither do any of you ;).

 

It reminds me of these celebrities who claim giving birth does not hurt but is more awesome than Disneyland, breastfeeding is super fun and easy, and diapers smell yummy enough to eat.

 

Anyway....:lol:!

 

Yes! That would be much better. This and what each family does to deal with such problems (even if dealing with it just means sucking it up and marching on).

[Zebra]

Yes! That would be much better. This and what each family does to deal with such problems (even if dealing with it just means sucking it up and marching on).

 

That's a great point. Because sometimes I need to be told, "Yep, your day stunk...join the club!" Not feeling like the only one, is helpful sometimes.

[porque]

This week I finished-

#32 Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir. This was an interesting memoir about a family who was imprisoned after their husband/father led an unsuccessful coup against the king of Morocco. I don't know if there was a problem with the translation or if it could have used better editing, but some parts were choppy, confusing or contradictory.

I also would have liked more context- whether political, cultural, historical or whatever, I really didn't have enough personal knowledge to fully understand.

 

DD9

#38 Rulesby Cynthia Lord

#39 Touching the Waves by Ben Baglio

#40 The Temple of the Ruby of Fire

#41 Minn and Jake

#42 Ereth's Birthday by Avi

#43 Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach

[Ali in OR]

Read The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh as our May book club pick. I loved it! Here's the Amazon blurb:

 

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system with nowhere to go, Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But an unexpected encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning what’s been missing in her life. And when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

 

Also read another 100 or so pages of Anna Karenina and I'm almost 1/3 of the way done! I will finish it eventually, but not by the end of April. Maybe it will be a 3-month challenge for me. I have the library print copy (not sure how many times they'll let me renew it) and I also have it on my kindle, which is a slightly different translation. Making progress, still enjoying it.

 

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

34. The Language of Flowers-Vanessa Diffenbaugh*

33. The Peach Keeper-Sarah Addison Allen

32. 11/22/63-Stephen King*

31. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer-Mark Twain

30. Quiet-Susan Cain*

29. The Paris Wife-Paula McLain

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

[Storm Bay]

I'm alternating between The Death of Truth and the 3rd book in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. There's a diverse pair of books. I'm only reading the latter because someone else brought it home from the library and because I'm still waiting for my holds :toetap05:

[Kareni]

We got rid of some of them {books left in house}, but we estimate we kept around 400. It's a pretty diverse collection.

 

What fun! Enjoy your reading.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[VeganCupcake]

I finished The Year of Magical Thinking last night. Wow. DH and I have been talking about grieving all day today. (He doesn't read the books; he just has to listen to me yak about them all the time. He's a very good sport. :)) The NYT book review said it was deadpan funny at times--I must have missed those parts because I didn't find anything funny about it.

 

Now I have started Siblings Without Rivalry. I'm sorry to say that I need that advice at this point in my parenting journey. :lol:

 

I love the Japanese author/setting/nonfiction reading challenge. I just need some suggestions. I've been looking around for something. I read The Housekeeper and the Professor a month or so ago. I've read some Kazuo Ishiguro. Anyone have any ideas?

 

I'm glad I gave up on Brothers Karamazov on virtually the first page. I couldn't have handled the descriptions of child deaths either. I was really glad that I found Ludmila Ulitskaya instead; she writes good stuff.

[TN Mama]

Finished book #18 today, Sold by Patricia McCormick. I haven't had much time to read this week and read most of this book today. What a beautifully written, heartbreaking tale. Thank you for the recommendation, although I apologize for not remembering who mentioned the book.

 

Just started #19 - Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult. I have read several of her books, though it has been years. This one is for my book club.

[Jen in PA]

Finished last week:

 

# 56 One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. I had trouble getting into this at first because it turned out I had seen it as one of the episodes of Case Histories on PBS, but there were so many changes made that I ended up unsure if I should continue reading. I'm glad I stuck with it -- Atkinson's narrative style is really enjoyable.

 

# 57 Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents' Guide to Helping Children With Executive Functioning. This had lots of very concrete suggestions that I will be implementing with DS.

 

# 58 Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. This was a fascinating book, covering a broad range of topics on how we read and the value of reading.

 

# 59 The Spirit Level by Seamus Heaney. A collection of poems by one of my favorite poets.

 

This week I need to finally get around to Twelfth Night, and DS has "assigned me" The Red Pyramid, so I think I'll give it a try.:D

[ladydusk]

I now move on to Susan Howatch, The Rich are Different, which will definitely take more than a week to read. But so worth it...

 

You might be surprised ... I started it after your post last week and am more than halfway through ... it goes quickly.

 

There's more s3x than I prefer ... it is definitely a rated R (and maybe NC17) book, but it is really good. Really good. I'm glad you kick-started me reading it :)

[ladydusk]

I finished The Year of Magical Thinking last night. Wow. DH and I have been talking about grieving all day today. (He doesn't read the books; he just has to listen to me yak about them all the time. He's a very good sport. :)) The NYT book review said it was deadpan funny at times--I must have missed those parts because I didn't find

anything funny about it.

 

:iagree:

 

No, nothing funny at all.

[Night Elf]

I forgot to post last week, so I'll list both weeks.

 

38. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal

39. The Cat Who Moved a Mountain

 

I really like the Cat Who mysteries. They are just right for those evenings when my brain is ready to settle into a peaceful, happy place. They don't take a great deal of thought. There is no pressure like high action. And I like the way the main character, Qwill, relates to all the people around him. He sort of reminds me of my dad. :)

[KidsHappen]

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

The Hunger Games Companion

The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head

Spontaneous Happiness

The New Bi-Polar Disorder Survival Guide.

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder

The Giver

Unnatural Selection

Breaking Dawn (again)

Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them

Trick or Treatent

Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making US Sicker & Poorer

How to Never Look Old Again

How to Never Look Fat Again

Style on a Shoestring

Bra

Underneath it All

 

Finally finished Sybil Exposed. I have a stacking of style and clothing books I planned to plow through before starting another subject. Not sure if it will be a nonfiction or SK's new book.

[laughing lioness]

Just finished "Where Has Oprah Taken Us: The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous Woman." Review here.

I think this should be required reading for Christians everywhere. Good stuff, and concerning.

 

Started reading Robopocalypse - dystopian sci-fi.

Edited April 30, 2012 by laughing lioness

[Mommyfaithe]

Still reading 11/22/63.

I WILL finish this book:glare:

[Enough]

I read The Night Circus last week. Many people on these threads recommended it, and you can add my wholehearted recommendation to those. Beautifully written. Utterly swept me away into its ethereal, haunting, am-I-awake-or-dreaming? world. Loved, loved, LOVED it. It is books like this that make me thankful for a) being a book lover, and b) subscribing to these 52 Books threads. :D

 

Up for me this week is This Life is in Your Hands. Not sure where I heard about this one, probably a "If you like One Thousand Acres, you'll like..." either on Amazon or Good Reads, but it grabbed my attention.

 

My list for the year:

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

26. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

27. A Thousand Acres

28. Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce)

29. Julie & Julia

30. Wherever You Go, There You Are

31. The Night Circus

[K in MI]

I haven't reported in for weeks. I've been caring for my mom.

 

19. Foreign Enemies and Traitors (Matthew Bracken)

20. Domestic Enemies (Matthew Bracken)

21. Readicide: Why Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It (Kelly Gallagher)

22. Heaven Is Here (Stephanie Nielson)

[rwjx2khsmj]

Not much reading time this week. On our car trip we began listening to Huckleberry Finn.

 

I'm still reading Dr. Zhivago. How did the end of the month get here so quickly?!

[eaglei]

I finished:

 

#19 - The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain. Recommended on earlier Book-a-Week threads. Very good.

 

This week I am reading:

 

#20 - The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer. HOW did I miss this author?! All those years working in libraries, watching others sign out her books all.the.time - and I am just now introducing myself to her books, thanks to members of the Hive who have recommended her on earlier threads. This particular book captures your attention, is hard to put down, and is laugh-out-loud funny! THANKS to those who recommended The Grand Sophy!

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started reading:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

 

Still reading:

The Strength of His Hands by Lynn Austin (final book in a GREAT trilogy!!)

 

Completed so far:

18. The Meaning of Marriage

17. Funny in Farsi

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

[aggieamy]

I finished:

 

#19 - The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain. Recommended on earlier Book-a-Week threads. Very good.

 

This week I am reading:

 

#20 - The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer. HOW did I miss this author?! All those years working in libraries, watching others sign out her books all.the.time - and I am just now introducing myself to her books, thanks to members of the Hive who have recommended her on earlier threads. This particular book captures your attention, is hard to put down, and is laugh-out-loud funny! THANKS to those who recommended The Grand Sophy!

 

I adore Georgette Heyer's books. The Grand Sophy is my favorite but I also really enjoyed Arabella and Frederika.

[Stacia]

I want to read the homeschooling book where if Mom has to explain what 4x5 is one more time, she will get in the car and drive off a cliff Thelma and Lousie style...or after carefully investing $347 on science experiment materials not only does the experiment not work, but it is totally uninteresting and the kids don't get the point. Or the book where after explaining what an object pronoun is for 6 hours, with a whiteboard, M&M's and a musical number, Susie still fails the test. Meanwhile, Grandma is in the kitchen asking Johnny if he is lonely not being allowed to go to school, and when is his mother going to allow him to go to real school like all the normal children who are not being ruined by their parents.

 

But, I have no experience with that life and neither do any of you ;).

 

It reminds me of these celebrities who claim giving birth does not hurt but is more awesome than Disneyland, breastfeeding is super fun and easy, and diapers smell yummy enough to eat.

 

Anyway....:lol:!

 

:smilielol5:

 

P.S. (Are we twins separated at birth???)

 

P.P.S. (I will never think of Thema & Louise the same way again. Now they'll forever be in my mind as harried homeschooling mothers.... ;):lol:)

 

P.P.P.S. (When do we get to pick up hitchhiker Brad Pitt? :D)

[Mothersweets]

I adore Georgette Heyer's books. The Grand Sophy is my favorite but I also really enjoyed Arabella and Frederika.

 

 

I love Georgette Heyer - I think Frederika is my favorite! So glad to hear of a new GH convert. :)

 

 

This week I finished Jane Austen Made Me Do It. Short stories all revolving around JA and/or her characters. Some were very clever and funny, others were boring. I read one or two stories each night before bedtime so this one actually took me more than one week to finish.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Mothersweets

[Stacia]

52 Books blog-Japan's Golden Week: Japan has 4 holidays that fall within a two week period which means everyone is on holiday during that period of time. Celebrations including girls festival and boys festival. Read a book by a Japanese author, with a Japanese setting or non fiction book about Japan. Busy week since also highlighted authors whose birthdays are this week which includes Joel Rosenberg. If you haven't read his Last Jihad yet, (awesome awesome) now would be a good time to check it out.

 

May is Get Caught Reading Month so think about sharing some pictures of reading activities.

 

We are at the end of Read a Russian Author Month - how did you do?

 

Hmmm. Japan's Golden Week may be the trigger I need for starting Haruki Murakami's 1Q84. Also, one of my 'choose a book by its cover' choices is by a Japanese author, so I could have some crossover there (Salmonella Men on Planet Porno by Yasutaka Tsutsui). I will see what books I get around to reading....

 

For get caught reading, I just got back from a weekend at a friend's mountain cabin for our book club. Our book club read The Enchanted April, decided to go somewhere delightful (our friend's cabin), & headed out for a girl weekend of hanging out, discussing books, reading, & watching the movie for The Enchanted April. Ahhhh. It was lovely & so relaxing. (I know it's not May, but that will probably have to do for my unique 'get caught reading' moment. :lol:)

 

For 'read a Russian author month', I did well & read 2 books, one by a male author & one by a female author: The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov and The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin. I loved both of my choices & was blown away by the stories & writing. Wonderful.

[Stacia]

 

This weekend, I read Vanishing Point by David Markson. It's kind of a non-novel, more like a compilation of trivia/notes/factoids that weave a novel from the various parts being artfully arranged in a certain pattern. Interesting & unusual. A book best read in one sitting, I think.

 

I also started I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley. It's the 4th Flavia de Luce book which I've been waiting to read for many months now. Of course, I'm already loving Flavia all over again. :D I am really not a 'series' book reader, but I totally adore this series.

 

I'm reading Anthem by Ayn Rand. I've never actually read her work, so I'm glad to finally be reading her....

 

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

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).

Completed Robin's Read a Russian Author in April Challenge (#24 & #26 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 (4.5 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)

23. Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox (3 stars)

24. The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (4.5 stars)

25. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (3 stars)

26. The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin (4 stars)

27. Vanishing Point by David Markson (3 stars)

[Stacia]

This article may also interest some of you: "What's a Gap Year and Why Might You Need One?" (Entrepreneur, April 7). That would be a gap year for adults. Kind of cool.

 

Sounds like an article I need to read. I'd love a gap year to travel! :D

 

I especially enjoyed this one because I was reading it in Florence.

 

How very wonderful! :001_smile: How was your trip? Any fabulous things to share with us? :bigear: And, your 'inherited' book collection sounds so neat. Can't wait to hear of other titles you read from it too.

 

I love the Japanese author/setting/nonfiction reading challenge. I just need some suggestions. I've been looking around for something. I read The Housekeeper and the Professor a month or so ago. I've read some Kazuo Ishiguro. Anyone have any ideas?

 

I love Ishiguro. He writes so beautifully. Have you tried Haruki Murakami? I really loved his book Kafka on the Shore. I read Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto earlier this year. I fully admit I read it because the author goes by the name Banana. :lol: It wasn't a favorite book of mine, but it was ok. If you like mysteries, you could read another book I read this year -- The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino; it was nominated for this year's Edgar Awards in the 'Best Novel' category. The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki is on my to-read list. I also want to read The Housekeeper and the Professor.

 

I'm now realizing I've already read 2 books by Japanese authors this year. Can I count those for this challenge? LOL. I do want to read Murakami's 1Q84 for sure, though!

 

I read The Night Circus last week. Many people on these threads recommended it, and you can add my wholehearted recommendation to those. Beautifully written. Utterly swept me away into its ethereal, haunting, am-I-awake-or-dreaming? world. Loved, loved, LOVED it. It is books like this that make me thankful for a) being a book lover, and b) subscribing to these 52 Books threads. :D

 

:iagree:

 

I haven't reported in for weeks. I've been caring for my mom.

 

:grouphug: How is she doing? How are you doing?

 

Not much reading time this week.

 

:grouphug: How is your sister? (You were caring for your sister after surgery recently, weren't you?) How are you doing?

Edited April 30, 2012 by Stacia

[NanceXToo]

52 Books In 52 Weeks 2012

 

COMPLETE

 

1. Envy, by J.R. Ward (Fallen Angels series)

 

2. Kiss of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series)

 

3. The Ramayana, A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic, by R.K. Narayan (with my daughter for school reading)

 

4. Dark Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series)

 

5. The Immortal Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series)

 

6. Spell of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series)

 

7. 11/22/63, by Stephen King

 

8. The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1)

 

9. Into the Dreaming, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series)

 

10. A Judgement In Stone, by Ruth Rendel

 

11. The Dark River, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)

 

12. The Golden City, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 3)

 

13. Forbidden Pleasure, by Lora Leigh

 

14. Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

 

15. House Rules, by Jodi Picoult

 

16. Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian

 

17. Wind Through the Keyhole, by Stephen King (This just released a few days ago and is part of The Dark Tower series- it is meant to fit in the middle of the series, it is not a continuation after the end of the story. It consisted mostly of Roland telling stories about his youth to his companions and I read it in two days. It held my interest but didn't add more to the story itself, just kind of more of Roland's background).

 

CURRENT

 

18. The High Flyer, by Susan Howatch.

 

"Successful London lawyer Carter Graham has power, sex-appeal, and a well-ordered life. Everything has gone according to plan, including her recent marriage to Kim Betz, an investment banker with the right combination of looks and position. On the surface it appears to be a match made in heaven. The only problem is Kim's ex-wife. Sophie begins to follow Carter like a shadow, making outrageous claims about Kim's involvement in the occult. Convincing herself that Sophie is mad, Carter moves ahead with her life. But something is amiss- and as Sophie's stories are corroborated by other unwelcome disclosures from Kim's past, Carter is thrown into a terrifying web of suspicion and betrayal, pushing her sanity to the edge. In desperation, Carter seeks help from Nicholas Darrow, the charismatic priest of St. Benet's Healing Center. Though a religious skeptic, Carter hopes to stem the tide of darkness that threatens to envelop her life- and begins a compelling journey into the very nature of good and evil, wisdom and redemption."

[Hedgehogs4]

I have been considering joining this group for some time. I am afraid that by joining I will fail miserably...but I have been reading so much lately, I'm almost on track anyway!!

 

What do you do if you don't quite get a book finished or miss a week? Just roll it over into the following week?

[NanceXToo]

I have been considering joining this group for some time. I am afraid that by joining I will fail miserably...but I have been reading so much lately, I'm almost on track anyway!!

 

What do you do if you don't quite get a book finished or miss a week? Just roll it over into the following week?

 

Just keep reading :) List the books you've read and see what happens by the end of the year. Some people read way more than 52. Some people don't make the 52. Either way you're still reading, discussing, getting ideas, and aiming for reading a lot, so it's all good! :D Plenty of people will come on and say they're "still" reading the book from last week or whatever. I wouldn't stress over it. It's meant to be for fun. Feel free to join in!