Book a Week in 2012 - Week 19

[Robin M]

Good morning dolls! Today is the start of week 19 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 - Dean Koontz: Just read my first Koontz novel so highlighting the author and his books today. Plus another round of author birthdays this week.

 

What new books or authors have you discovered this week?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 18

[Robin M]

I started my month with another new Nora The Last Boyfriend #2 in the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy. Now I'm reading The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri for TLC Book tours. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book Lacemakers of Glenmarra.

 

 

For my A to Z by author and title challenge, the books on deck right now are: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Helpless by Daniel Palmer (review book), The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears, The Inquisitors Key by Jefferson Bass (review book from William Morrow) And just picked up Cherry Adair's newest Afterglow which of course I'll have to read soon. It just happened to jump into my cart while I was shopping at Target a few days ago. *grin*

[Zebra]

This week I read Holy Ghost Girl by Donna Johnson(29) and Tom Cruise by Andrew Morton(30).

 

It was an interesting reading week....I grew up Pentecostal so the first book brought back many childhood memories. I have no idea why I picked up the Tom Cruise at the library. I have never been a Tom Cruise fan, and I have no idea why I read it. But I did, and it was interesting. Mostly about Scientology. You just never know what you're going to find at the library ;)!

 

This week I am still working through Overtreated (which is making my blood boil, and it's hard to read more than a few pages at a time) and I just started Water for Elephants.

[Just Robyn]

I finished two books this week - though one of them was super short.

 

32.) Embassytown by China Mieville - This book was great - 4.5 stars. Negatives - it was hard to get into. I seriously considered abandoning it several times. I finally came to a paragraph about linguistics, and that kept me going until I found a couple pages about linguistics, and it was all love from there. I think the story could use more characterization. I was emotionless about most of the events in the story, but it was still all very interesting; I wasn't bored with the events. I will definitely be reading another Mieville book in the future. Also, I'm hoping to read more fiction books that incorporate linguistics, if any of you know of any.

 

 

33.) The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger. Obviously I saw you guys talking about this last week. I recognized it as one I've seen at the library and considered reading, and after reading your posts I had to go get it. I sat down and read it immediately when I got home, completely forgetting about the groceries until I saw dh putting them away. ("Oops. Thanks.")

 

Maybe what follows counts as spoilers? I have a hard time deciding how much is too much in that regard:

 

 

 

 

 

I like the idea of the bookmobile and I think I would be motivated to create a "respectable" collection just like the girl in the story. I guess there's some vanity I need to work on. I think though this story uses reading as an example, you could substitute any hobby/interest/etc. and tell the same sad story of overdoing it and neglecting other important parts of your life.

[Stacia]

I'm reading Mark Hodder's The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man (the sequel to one of my favorite books, The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack). I just love Hodder's steampunk, adventure-filled world with Sir Richard Burton as the leading man! :D

 

From Goodreads:

 

"It is 1862, though not the 1862 it should be...

 

Time has been altered, and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the king’s agent, is one of the few people who know that the world is now careening along a very different course from that which Destiny intended.

 

When a clockwork-powered man of brass is found abandoned in Trafalgar Square, Burton and his assistant, the wayward poet Algernon Swinburne, find themselves on the trail of the stolen Garnier Collection—black diamonds rumored to be fragments of the Lemurian Eye of Naga, a meteorite that fell to Earth in prehistoric times.

 

His investigation leads to involvement with the media sensation of the age: the Tichborne Claimant, a man who insists that he’s the long lost heir to the cursed Tichborne estate. Monstrous, bloated, and monosyllabic, he’s not the aristocratic Sir Roger Tichborne known to everyone, yet the working classes come out in force to support him. They are soon rioting through the streets of London, as mysterious steam wraiths incite all-out class warfare.

 

From a haunted mansion to the Bedlam madhouse, from South America to Australia, from séances to a secret labyrinth, Burton struggles with shadowy opponents and his own inner demons, meeting along the way the philosopher Herbert Spencer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Doyle (father of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).

 

Can the king’s agent expose a plot that threatens to rip the British Empire apart, leading to an international conflict the like of which the world has never seen? And what part does the clockwork man have to play?

 

Burton and Swinburne’s second adventure—The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man—is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and a deepening mystery that pushes forward the three-volume story arc begun in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack."

 

I'm also reading Unclutter Your Life in One Week. But, seeing as how it is taking me more than a week to read it, I don't think I'll be uncluttering my life in just one week. ;):lol:

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

My Goodreads Page

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

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)

28. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (4 stars)

Edited September 12, 2014 by Stacia

[Stacia]

tell the same sad story of overdoing it and neglecting other important parts of your life.

 

Such as reading so much you forget to put away the groceries? ;):lol: (Sorry! Couldn't resist!)

 

I may have to try both of the books you mention. I keep seeing Mieville's name in particular cropping up often & I'm kind of curious about his writing....

[-M-]

Finished three -- the first, thanks to last week's thread; the second, for Robin's challenge; and the third because Fun Home was so remarkable:

 

■ The Night Bookmobile (Audrey Niffenegger; graphic novel)

■ First Love (Ivan Turgenev; fiction)

■ Are You My Mother? (Alison Bechdel; graphic memoir)

 

I've still got active bookmarks in Quiet and The Shallows (the shame, the shame), and I am halfway through Donald Ray Pollock's startling, grim, and, yes, unputdownable novel, The Devil All the Time. If I were a bettin' woman, I'd say that will be the forty-seventh addition to my list.

[-M-]

Message deleted

Edited May 8, 2012 by Mental multivitamin

[aggieamy]

M-MV and Crstarlette - It's very interesting that you had similar POV on The Night Bookmobile. That makes sense to me and would make the plot of the book more logical. Overall though it still gave me an icky feeling.

 

Continuing on my love affair with Agatha Christie stories I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . This was my first time reading this book and didn't know what to expect except that people tended to find it really interesting or they really hated what Christie did in the end. SPOILERS IN WHITE: It ended up being my first experience with an unreliable narrator in a book. I've read tons of mysteries but hadn't seen that yet. Meh. It made for an interesting twist but it also made me dislike the book a little. I had grown attached to Dr. Sheppard and didn't like seeing that I had been decieved by him. It was well written though because I didn't see it coming at all.

 

 

In progress:

 

Maus by Art Spiegelman

On Writing by Stephen King (re-read for book club)

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (ladies book club)

Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan (read aloud)

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (audiobook)

Father Brown Mysteries by GK Chesterton (audiobook)

 

2012 finished books:

 

51. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (***)

50. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (****)

49. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffinegger (*)

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 - Audiobook (***)

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

Edited May 6, 2012 by aggieamy

[Kareni]

I'm currently rereading Patricia Briggs' Fair Game which is the author's latest Alpha and Omega novel. (I had quite the start when the page number jumped from 231 to 262; fortunately, the missing pages were at the back of the book.)

 

I also reread the short story “Seeing Eye†by Patricia Briggs in the Strange Brew anthology as it features two characters (Moira and Tom) who played a role in the second Alpha and Omega novel.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Just Robyn]

Such as reading so much you forget to put away the groceries? ;):lol: (Sorry! Couldn't resist!)

 

I may have to try both of the books you mention. I keep seeing Mieville's name in particular cropping up often & I'm kind of curious about his writing....

 

:D Well, that's probably how it starts. In another couple of years I'll be giving you all much more talk show worthy stories of neglect.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[eaglei]

This week I read some fluff:

 

#21 - Love Finds a Home, by Wanda E. Brunstetter. My introduction to this author. Three short stories. Quick. Predictable. Brain candy.

 

Currently, I am near the beginning of:

 

#22 - Arabella, by Georgette Heyer. So far, another engaging page-turner and delightfully funny, too!

[Negin]

I loved and finished The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt. Really good - 4 out of 5 Stars. Thank you, Stacia :grouphug:. I'm quite sure it was you anyway. :D

 

I just started a very large book - a Baha'i book. It will take me a while to get through - The Child of the Covenant.

 

[Jen in PA]

 

Continuing on my love affair with Agatha Christie stories I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . This was my first time reading this book and didn't know what to expect except that people tended to find it really interesting or they really hated what Christie did in the end.

 

 

I have this (as well as Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?) to read this week or next -- looking forward to both.

 

Last week I finished #60, Scapegoat: A History of Blaming Other People. It started out much stronger than it finished -- the writing seemed much choppier and the arguments less elegant as the book progressed. Still, it was full of interesting tidbits.

 

I started a few things this week but had trouble sticking with any one book for long. I just started Kill Shakespeare (graphic fiction, someone mentioned it on here but I don't recall who!). That is lots of fun so far, so will probably be what I turn to later today (assuming I don't spend all of my "free time" finishing my Coursera logic homework and watching Sherlock).

[laughing lioness]

Read Triggers, Robocopolypse and The Green Mile. Reviews here.

 

Sawyers, who wrote Triggers, is a new author for me- a big winner in the Hugo and Nebula worlds. (Thanks Robin, I never would have picked it up if I hadn't heard about those awards from you). An interesting look at how singularity might come about by evolution. His premise wasn't believeable, imho, though he explained it reasonably enough to keep me going.

 

Loved The Green Mile.

[aggieamy]

I have this (as well as Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?) to read this week or next -- looking forward to both.

 

That looks really interesting. The ending left me with some questions so I'll be interested to read more about it. Thanks for mentioning it. (And please log off and go read The Murder of ... so we can discuss it here. :001_smile: I accidentally spoiled the ending for my DH so I need someone to talk to it about.)

[cjgrubbs]

I finished 2 books this week - maybe there is hope that I will catch up!

 

Here is my list:

1. Radical - Platt

2. The Vikings - Janeway

3. Beorn the Proud

4. A Midsummer night's Dream - Shakespeare

5. Ahab's Wife

6. Books that Build Character

7. Shadow Spinner

8. Adam of the Road

9. The Mystery of the Roman Ransom

10. Raising Real Men - Young

11. The 17th Swap - McGraw

12. Barnheart - Woginrich

13. Unveiled: Tamar - Francine Rivers

14: A Parcel of Patterns - Jill Walsh

15: Unveiled: Rahab - Francine Rivers

Edited May 6, 2012 by cjgrubbs
typo

[K in MI]

#23. The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started Reading:

Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints by John Piper

 

Still reading:

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

 

Completed:

19. The Strength of His Hands

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

[ladydusk]

Read my second Heyer in 5 days :) I read Sylvester and enjoyed it. It's a paperback and falling apart in pieces... any suggestions on repairing it?

 

I enjoyed it very much. Sylvester and Phoebe were enchanting and flawed characters. They were well drawn.

 

 

2012 Books Reviews

1. Lit! by Tony Reinke

2. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

3. Words to Eat By by Ina Lipkowitz

4. How to Tutor Your Own Child by Marina Koestler Ruben

5. Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R Gaines (spectacular)

6. The Cat of Bubastes by GA Henty (Audio from Librivox)

7. The Last Battle by C S Lewis (Audiobook)

8. A Praying Life by Paul E Miller

9. Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students by Christine Fonesca

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

11. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

12. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

13. How to Write a Sentence by Stanley Fish

14. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

15. The Rich Are Different by Susan Howatch

16. The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

17. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

[Onceuponatime]

Currently reading the Hunger Games. It has sucked me in.

 

Recently finished The Housekeeper and the Professor, a lovely poignant book.

[Ali in OR]

Didn't finish anything this week but have 3 in progress. I read another 100 pages of Anna Karenina--still not at the half-way point yet. A bit too much of Konstantin Levin and how to make the peasants more productive in this week's reading. On the treadmill I'm reading Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. This is a freebie I was given in a park last month on World Book Night. I'll save my thoughts for when I finish it. And finally, Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James became available from my library hold list this week and I'm about half-way through.

[rieshy]

I too succumbed to The Hunger Games and finally read the last two books. I also read Wilhelm Tell by Schiller.

 

I've just started Momo, by Michael Ende and would have finished Das doppelte Lottchen by Kästner, if I hadn't misplaced it, grrrr...

 

I have to say the end of Hunger Games really hit me hard; maybe that was just my hormones. I was glad to see that there was not a tidy bow wrapping it all up. The mother in me wondered what type of mom Katniss would make and was glad that Peta could balance out her probable mothering-coldness.

[rwjx2khsmj]

I'm still reading Dr. Zhivago. I did get the mp3 version from the library. I'm hoping that listening to it will speed me to the ending.

 

I read The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta.

The kids and I finally finished Robinson Crusoe!:party:

[Rosie_0801]

The bolded bit is what struck me, too. Why do we read what we read?

 

What happens when we read for all the wrong reasons?

 

Ok, I have a question. What is a wrong reason for reading? To try and look clever doesn't seem like a bad reason to me. Vain perhaps, but so what?

 

All I've finished this week has been 'Heidi Grows Up' which I was reading to dd. I don't think it really counts for this challenge though.

 

Rosie

[VeganCupcake]

I just finished Big in China. (I linked to my review.) I liked it a lot. I guess it's being made into a movie soonish, too, produced and directed by Ivan Reitman.. If you are or were an expat, you might really like it a lot.

 

Now, onto The Roads to Sata: A 2000-Mile Walk through Japan by Alan Booth. Can't wait!

[aggieamy]

Ok, I have a question. What is a wrong reason for reading? To try and look clever doesn't seem like a bad reason to me. Vain perhaps, but so what?

 

All I've finished this week has been 'Heidi Grows Up' which I was reading to dd. I don't think it really counts for this challenge though.

 

Rosie

 

I wonder that too. I read because I enjoy it. Sometimes I read stuff that's fun or silly or way to easy for me or is a classic or something I think I'm supposed to read even if it's boring. I don't believe that there's a wrong way to read. It's such a personal thing that I don't believe there can be a wrong reason.

[aggieamy]

After thinking on it all night I'm going to rate Maus by Art Spiegelman as a 4. It's an interesting book in that it's a graphic novel written about WWII and the concentration camps. A quick but not light read. The Jews were drawn as mice but it was still pretty disturbing although well written. It will have you thinking.

 

In progress:

 

On Writing by Stephen King (re-read for book club)

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (ladies book club)

Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan (read aloud)

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (audiobook)

Father Brown Mysteries by GK Chesterton (audiobook)

 

2012 finished books:

 

52. Maus by Art Spiegelman (****)

51. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (***)

50. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (****)

49. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffinegger (*)

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 - Audiobook (***)

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

Edited May 7, 2012 by aggieamy

[Negin]

Rosie

I'm laughing at your siggy quote "taking an active stance against green and orange vegetables." :lol: :grouphug:

[Rosie_0801]

I'm laughing at your siggy quote "taking an active stance against green and orange vegetables." :lol: :grouphug:

 

Passive is leaving them on the plate.

Active is tossing them on the floor. :glare:

[Negin]

Passive is leaving them on the plate.

Active is tossing them on the floor. :glare:

:lol: :D :lol:

[Onceuponatime]

The panel in which she describes reading as if she were eating for two made me wonder if Niffenegger were making a sly comment about why some people read what they read. In other words, do we choose to read, say, Middlemarch on the el train because we think we look clever -- or because we actually want to read Middlemarch? What happens when we read with an mental eye to what our personal librarian will think of us? What happens when we read for all the wrong reasons? What happens when reading supplants life utterly?

 

"Years passed."

 

Alexandra is a character not entirely dissimilar to Henry Bemis, who also read without much investment in the life going on about him. For that reason, the book reminded me of a "Twilight Zone" episode -- dark and ambiguous.

 

Postscript: I am not a fan of Niffenegger's novel The Time Traveler's Wife. At. All. But I found this book [rather interesting] thought-provoking and compelling, apparently, as it remains on my mind.

 

I'm intrigued. I think I'll have to read this book now. ;)

 

I have read to look clever. When I was in my teens, I carried around a list of "classics" that an English teacher had given me. I read off the list for years. In between times I read Mary Stewart, Daphne DuMaurier, and Agatha Christie for enjoyment.

 

I've read books that were extremely popular so I didn't feel left out and could converse with other people who had read them. If they had questionable content, I usually hid those under my mattress. I still feel uncomfortable when I know a book would be frowned upon by my father. By now I know that my mother has read more trash than I have. They have divorced. There is still a thrill when I can say, "Yes, I've read that too." However, I absolutely refuse to read Twilight. I have limits. Maybe even those are not wholely my own.

 

I live in a town that is one square mile and the library is only 1,000 square feet. (Thank goodness there are about 5 other simliar libraries in the system from which to request books, so it is not horrendous.) I live in full view of the library, the librarian knows my name. You bet I think about how she views what I check out. I also think about how my children and my husband view what I check out. People who know I am a reader and consider themselves readers often ask me what I am reading or if I've read any "good books" recently. I don't always tell the whole truth.

At least I am honest about my refusal to read overtly "Christian" fiction.

 

Yes, I also read to escape from real life, its duties and responsibilities. I have since I was a child. It is a socially acceptable addiction.

 

One reason I have to read this book is because over the last few years I have had a habit of reading what one friend calls meta-books, books about books. I'm not usually disappointed.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Onceuponatime

[Lizzie in Ma]

Rereading the Kate Daniels series. On book three.

Best of all, I bought Jenny Lawson's book Friday and laughed my way through it this weekend. The Bloggess rocks. What a fantastic read.

http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Pretend-This-Never-Happened/dp/0399159010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336392571&sr=1-1

[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 (newest in Dark Tower series)

 

18. The High Flyer, by Susan Howatch.

 

CURRENT

 

19. Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund

 

"A magnificent, vast, and enthralling saga, Sena Jeter Naslund's Ahab's Wife is a remarkable epic spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. Inspired by a brief passage in Moby Dick, it is the story of Una, exiled as a child to live in a lighthouse, removed from the physical and emotional abuse of a religion-mad father. It is the romantic adventure of a young woman setting sail in a cabin boy's disguise to encounter darkness, wonder, and catastrophe; the story of a devoted wife who witnesses her husband's destruction by obsession and madness. Ultimately it is the powerful and moving story of a woman's triumph over tragedy and loss through her courage, creativity, and intelligence."

 

(I know, I'm probably the last of us to read that book)! :)

[Kim in Appalachia]

Last week I finished 2 books. One was The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variations, by Zhu Xiao-Mei. I enjoyed that book. I think I may have mentioned it last week, because I was close to done. I know little about China and it's history, so I enjoy reading and learning more about it. Her story is amazing and I was moved by her determination for music.

 

I also finished a book that I've been reading in small bits all year, and it's called Run like a Mother. It's a non-fiction, inspirational book about running. I liked it. I recently book their 2nd book, Train Like a Mother

 

I just started China Mieville's The Kraken. I enjoyed his Embassytown and I'm interested in the book he has coming out soon titled Railsea. So far I'm enjoying The Kraken, but it's different then Embassytown. I got the book from the library. They didn't have it available to borrow in an e format, which I'm missing a lot. I made good use of the dictionary function while reading Mieville last time. :001_smile:

[-M-]

Message deleted

Edited May 8, 2012 by Mental multivitamin

[-M-]

One reason I have to read this book is because over the last few years I have had a habit of reading what one friend calls meta-books, books about books. I'm not usually disappointed.

 

Books about books and books about reading are some of my favorites, too. Have you read The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (Alan Jacobs)? From my site, if you're interested: Chapbook entry here; two other related entries here and here.

[porque]

Books read this week:

 

Me

#32 /We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

#34 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

 

Readalouds

#12 Carry On Mr Bowditch

 

DD9

#44 Thea Stilton and the Ghost of the Shipwreck

[Onceuponatime]

Books about books and books about reading are some of my favorites, too. Have you read The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (Alan Jacobs)? From my site, if you're interested: Chapbook entry here; two other related entries here and here.

 

My library system doesn't currently have it. It's on my list, though.

 

Thanks for the links.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Onceuponatime

[Just Robyn]

I just started China Mieville's The Kraken. I enjoyed his Embassytown and I'm interested in the book he has coming out soon titled Railsea. So far I'm enjoying The Kraken, but it's different then Embassytown. I got the book from the library. They didn't have it available to borrow in an e format, which I'm missing a lot. I made good use of the dictionary function while reading Mieville last time. :001_smile:

 

Yes, while reading Embassytown I was wishing I had it on my Nook. *sigh* "The computer's in the other room. I guess I don't care what that word means." *double sigh* I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Kraken.

[Kim in Appalachia]

Yes, while reading Embassytown I was wishing I had it on my Nook. *sigh* "The computer's in the other room. I guess I don't care what that word means." *double sigh* I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Kraken.

 

 

I ended up really enjoying Embassytown. While reading it I couldn't decide. There were parts that were hard to get through, and even the ending seemed odd, but I kept thinking about that book for weeks. I kept thinking about some of the ideas he was presenting. I ended up finding it fascinating. I felt the same way about 1Q84. It was so weird at times, but I'm still thinking about it. I love when books do that. :001_smile:

[Mom-ninja.]

After thinking on it all night I'm going to rate Maus by Art Spiegelman as a 4. It's an interesting book in that it's a graphic novel written about WWII and the concentration camps. A quick but not light read. The Jews were drawn as mice but it was still pretty disturbing although well written. It will have you thinking.

 

 

While my cousins from Germany were visiting we went to B&N. They had this series on a big display. My cousins were shocked and literally gasped when they saw the books. They were astounded that the books had swastika on and in them. It is illegal to use this symbol in Germany.

 

 

I bought Jenny Lawson's book Friday and laughed my way through it this weekend. The Bloggess rocks. What a fantastic read.

http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Pretend-This-Never-Happened/dp/0399159010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336392571&sr=1-1

 

Is this the big metal chicken lady?

 

 

 

I also finished a book that I've been reading in small bits all year, and it's called Run like a Mother. It's a non-fiction, inspirational book about running. I liked it. I recently book their 2nd book, Train Like a Mother

 

 

My sil might like those. She runs.

 

 

 

I finished Enchanted April and started the movie. :001_smile:

[Stacia]

Passive is leaving them on the plate.

Active is tossing them on the floor. :glare:

 

:smilielol5:

 

However, I absolutely refuse to read Twilight. I have limits.

 

:smilielol5: (P.S. Good for you! :001_smile:)

 

over the last few years I have had a habit of reading what one friend calls meta-books, books about books. I'm not usually disappointed.

 

I would love to know some titles. :001_smile:

 

I finished Enchanted April and started the movie. :001_smile:

 

Which do you like better? When I watched the movie, I was happy I had read the book first as I think it explained some things that may not have been clear otherwise.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[LostSurprise]

32.) Embassytown by China Mieville - This book was great - 4.5 stars. Negatives - it was hard to get into. I seriously considered abandoning it several times. I finally came to a paragraph about linguistics, and that kept me going until I found a couple pages about linguistics, and it was all love from there. I think the story could use more characterization. I was emotionless about most of the events in the story, but it was still all very interesting; I wasn't bored with the events. I will definitely be reading another Mieville book in the future. Also, I'm hoping to read more fiction books that incorporate linguistics, if any of you know of any.

 

 

I had to take this back to the library. I just could not get into it. Thanks for the review. I may give it another chance.

 

The Native Tongue series by Suzette Haden Elgin contains a lot of linguistics (she has a PhD in Linguistics). Its feminist speculative fiction. I believe she was publishing a newsletter on linguistics and science fiction for a while.

 

 

Do you mind if I friend you on Shelfari?

Edited May 8, 2012 by LostSurprise

[LostSurprise]

40. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller~memoir, stories, Christianity. There's a movie out so I pulled this one off the shelf. I enjoyed a lot of what Miller had to say. He strikes the right balance of humility and humor, but sometimes I felt he judged conservative people unfairly...as unfairly as he feels they judge others. I can understand that he felt stifled by their culture, but often the person doing the stifling was himself. He wasn't willing to be different and see if he would be accepted. I'm glad he found a place where he does fit in and I think the subject is an important one.

 

39. Just Take a Bite! by Lori Ernsberger~non-fiction, food issues, special needs. I'm reading this for some issues my son is going through. Very thorough, not only about 'picky' eaters but about children with medical issues. Includes goals and therapy tasks. Excellent.

 

38. Suspense and Sensibility by Carrie Bebris~Jane Austen, Mystery.

37. Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris~Jane Austen, Darcys, Mystery, supernatural.

36. Superfudge by Judy Blume~fiction, classic children's book.

35. The Explosive Child by Ross Greene~non-fiction, behavior, children

34. Cyteen 2: The Rebirth by CJ Cherryh~science fiction, cloning.

33. The Peace War by Vernor Vinge~science fiction, future, technology.

32. Whiskey Breakfast by Richard Lindberg~memoir, Swedish Immigration, Chicago.

31. Corvus: a Life with Birds by Esther Woolfson~non-fiction, birds.

30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen~classic literature.

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.

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

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

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

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

21. Putting Down Roots: Gardening Insights from Wisconsin's Early Settlers by Marcia Carmichael~non-fiction, history, gardening.

20. Gudrun's Kitchen: Recipes from a Norwegian Family by Irene and Edward Sandvold~cookbook, biography.

19. Twelve Owls by Laura Erickson~non-fiction, birds.

18. A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell~fiction, WWII

17. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge~science fiction, space

16. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card~classic science fiction, read aloud.

15. Flour by Joanne Chung~cookbook, baking

14. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby~light fiction, humorous

13. Making the Most of Shade by Larry Hodgson~non-fiction/gardening

12. Growing Perennials in Cold Climates by Mike Heger~non-fiction/gardening

11. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson~mystery

10. Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith~historical fiction

9. The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day~fiction

8. The Alphabet in the Park by Adelia Prado~poetry

7. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman~non-fiction/medical

6. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus~speculative fiction

5. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Woods~juvenile

4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Jester~(read aloud) juvenile

3. The Alienist by Caleb Carr~Mystery

2. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton~Fiction

1. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt~Fiction

 

Working on:

Five Quarters of the Orange (Harris)

The Long Retreat (Krivak)

Blood Meridian (McCarthy)

[Mom-ninja.]

 

 

Which do you like better? When I watched the movie, I was happy I had read the book first as I think it explained some things that may not have been clear otherwise.

 

The book is much better. I don't like the people they chose for the movie. Lotty is supposed to be blond as is Caroline, and Rose is supposed to have dark hair. Really bothers me that they don't in the movie.

 

 

 

That's number thirty for the year! Last year at this time I was only on #15, so I've doubled my numbers. I'm so cool :001_cool: (ok ... not really :lol:)

 

That all depends on why you're doing all this reading. Is it to brag or because you're vain? Are you reading for the right reasons? ;):tongue_smilie:

 

(Please note that I am very much joking. )

 

 

Well done on taking time for yourself to read. :D

 

 

Rosie, my 3 yr old puts in his veggies (or anything else he doesn't want to eat) onto his dad's plate. He just calmly picks them up, one by one, reaches over, and puts them on dh's plate. Cracks me up.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Kleine Hexe

[aggieamy]

That all depends on why you're doing all this reading. Is it to brag or because you're vain? Are you reading for the right reasons? ;):tongue_smilie:

 

(Please note that I am very much joking. )

 

 

 

LOL. I know this wasn't directed at me but I found it very funny. We should all admit if we are reading for the wrong reasons. I'll go first. I'm reading because it's more enjoyable than TV to me and it gives me something to do in the evening rather than meal plan like I'm supposed to be doing. I also am reading to impress you guys. Aren't you impressed by all the cozy mysteries and children's books I read? How about all the fashion and makeup books I read ealier this year? I know, you are all assuming that I'm a highfalutin intellectual by my book choices. :tongue_smilie:;) It's an interesting discussion though on the reasons we read.

Edited May 8, 2012 by aggieamy

[-M-]

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Edited May 8, 2012 by Mental multivitamin