Robin M Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 (edited) Good Morning, my lovelies! Today is the start of week 21 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. Â 52 Books Blog - Modernism: Talking about literary style modernism. If you've read James Joyce's Portrait of a Young Artist, Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse or other modernist authors you've had the joy of reading stream of consciousness narrative. It takes a bit of getting used too, being pulled into the mind of characters whose thoughts go from here to there and back again. It can be amusing, exasperating, mind expanding or make your brain explode,:lol: depending on the story. Â Modernism mini challenge: I've had The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald on the shelves for a few years now and for some reason have never gotten around to reading it. I seem to be stuck at G and H in my A to Z Challenge because there are a few interesting books on my shelves that struck my fancy. And it's also on SWB's list of books to read from the Well Educated Mind. So.... My quest will be to start reading The Great Gatsby this week. Who wants to join me? Â What are you reading this week? Â Â Â Â Â Â Link to week 20 Edited May 20, 2012 by Mytwoblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Â Hey, Lizzie, thanks for raving about the Iron Druid Chronicles. I finished the first book, Hounded, today & enjoyed it. It's a super fun fantasy romp & perfect as a summer read, imo. Â I'm still working on Blue Nude and Anthem. Â I've also started The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav. Â From amazon.com: "At an Esalen Institute meeting in 1976, tai chi master Al Huang said that the Chinese word for physics is Wu Li, "patterns of organic energy." Journalist Gary Zukav and the others present developed the idea of physics as the dance of the Wu Li Masters--the teachers of physical essence. Zukav explains the concept further: The Wu Li Master dances with his student. The Wu Li Master does not teach, but the student learns. The Wu Li Master always begins at the center, the heart of the matter.... This book deals not with knowledge, which is always past tense anyway, but with imagination, which is physics come alive, which is Wu Li.... Most people believe that physicists are explaining the world. Some physicists even believe that, but the Wu Li Masters know that they are only dancing with it. The "new physics" of Zukav's 1979 book comprises quantum theory, particle physics, and relativity. Even as these theories age they haven't percolated all that far into the collective consciousness; they're too far removed from mundane human experience not to need introduction. The Dancing Wu Li Masters remains an engaging, accessible way to meet the most profound and mind-altering insights of 20th-century science." ---------------------------- Â More interesting choices from stacia to add to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Started Helpless by Daniel Palmer. Gorging on Devon Monk's urban fantasy Allie Beckstrom series and currently on Magic on the Hunt. Unearthing The Great Gatsby and going to start reading for modernism mini challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Oh! Am I first?! Maybe if I type fast enough :D I finished The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks last night. I am a huge fan of fantasy and have been meaning to read these for quite some time. I was hugely disappointed in the first half of the book. I really didn't get pulled into the characters or their struggle at all. The second half did pick up a bit that I finally cared what was going to happen but I still felt a detachment to the characters. I will probably read the other two books in the first trilogy but not anytime soon. This first book certainly wasn't the caliber of Robert Jordan and David Eddings whose characters are your "friends." I think this is Book #19 for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Hmmm... I will think about reading The Great Gatsby. I tried it in high school and hated it, didn't finish it. I wouldn't mind giving it another try. ETA: Nope. I can't make myself do it. Â I've been reading more of the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce and have finished the second and third books in the series. Â 35.) In the Hands of the Goddess and 36.) The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. Â I also finished number 37.) Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. There was great insight in this book about books and education, not to mention life in general. I thought things moved away from romantic and/or wise and towards slightly crazy when he started talking about sleeping with wasps and letting mice run up his pant legs. It made me think, There are probably some other awful things he's not telling me. It was a great book I'd like to read again sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Hey, Robin, I guess I don't have to post my current reading since you've already done it for me. :lol: I actually saw the Wu Li book mentioned on another thread here (about non-fiction reading).  Actually, I've set Blue Nude aside for right now. It's really lovely, truly artistic, but it's also a bit brooding. W/ the way my real life has been for the past couple of months, I need to skip brooding for right now. I'll definitely pick up the book again, but maybe in colder weather. However, I guess I'll remain somewhat in brooding territory since my book club is reading Wuthering Heights. :tongue_smilie: (I need to get started on it soon!)  So, I'm still working on The Dancing Wu Li Masters and Anthem.  52 Books Blog - Modernism: Talking about literary style modernism. If you've read James Joyce's Portrait of a Young Artist, Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse or other modernist authors you've had the joy of reading stream of consciousness narrative. It takes a bit of getting used too, being pulled into the mind of characters whose thoughts go from here to there and back again. It can be amusing, exasperating, mind expanding or make your brain explode,:lol: depending on the story.  :D Ohhhhhhh, fun! Of course, I tend to love extremely modern literature. (Does the term "Modernism" really apply only to those authors around the 1920s & 30s -- or does the term still apply to writers who are producing new novels even today?) Probably won't hop into The Great Gatsby right now (I read it a long time ago), but it could be fun esp. since Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, & Tobey McGuire are filming the movie these days.   I thought things moved away from romantic and/or wise and towards slightly crazy when he started talking about sleeping with wasps and letting mice run up his pant legs. It made me think, There are probably some other awful things he's not telling me. It was a great book I'd like to read again sometime.  :lol: I need to read this.  ---------------------------- 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).  My rating system: 5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Decently good; 2 = Ok; 1 = Don't bother (I shouldn't have any 1s on my list as I would ditch them before finishing)...  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 AmĂƒÂ©lie 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) 29. The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (4 stars) 30. Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland (2 stars)  31. Hounded by Kevin Hearne (4 stars) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Gorging on Devon Monk's urban fantasy Allie Beckstrom series and currently on Magic on the Hunt. Â I've enjoyed that series, too. Â I read and enjoyed Mary Balogh's latest historical romance The Proposal. (Though I prefer some of her others over this book -- namely, Slightly Dangerous and The Secret Pearl.) Â Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 I read 4 books last week- still just in love with Gaudy Night. Â I started The Harbinger- interesting look at Isaiah and 9/11 but I'm bogging down with it. The Biblical prophecy is interesting but the conclusions are obvious. Â Started Technopoly by Neil Postman. Amusing Oursleves to Death is a must read imho, and I'm curious to see what Postman has to say next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 It's been several weeks since I had time to write about the books I've been reading. Here are the last 5 books I've finished and finally reviewed this week: Â 17. Inkheart by Funke 16. Henry V by Shakespeare 15. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Tolkien 14. Drumbeats in Williamsburg by Lawrence 13. A Spy in Williamsburg by Lawrence Up next is Dante's The Divine Comedy: The Inferno, Shakespeare's Richard III, Inkspell by Funke, and another book by Aiken in the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series. Â Books for 2012: 12. The Boggart and the Monster by Cooper 11. Macbeth by Shakespeare 10. The Boggart by Cooper 9. The History of the Kings of Britain by Monmouth 8. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Aiken 7. Winning His Spurs by Henty 6. The Song of Roland by Sayers 5. Sink Reflections by Cilley 4. A Midsummer's Night Dream by Shakespeare 3. Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Verne 2. Beowulf by Heaney 1. Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half by Economides Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 No shame. I have several in progress and was still compelled to begin three more, only one of which I finished -- The Wave, the plot of which some of you may remember from the one-hour "tv special" in the early '80s.  Just started:  ■The Fault in Our Stars (John Green; YA fiction) â– Bringing up Bebe (Pamela Druckerman; non-fiction)   *Still* in progress (for a while, apparently):  ■The Shallows (Nicholas Carr; non-fiction) â– Quiet (Susan Cain; non-fiction) â– Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 1 (Conor McCreery; YA fiction)  In progress:  ■The Iceman Cometh (Eugene O'Neill; play) â– The Devil All the Time (Donald Ray Pollock; fiction) â– Exposure (Mal Peet; YA fiction)   Completed this year:  ■The Wave (Todd Strasser; YA fiction) â– When You Were Mine (Rebecca Serle; YA fiction) â– Are You My Mother? (Alison Bechdel; graphic memoir) â– First Love (Ivan Turgenev; fiction) â– The Night Bookmobile (Audrey Niffenegger; graphic novel) â– Retirement without Borders (Barry Golson; non-fiction) â– The World's Top Retirement Havens (ed. Margaret J. Goldstein; non-fiction) â– Let's Go: Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia (ed. Michelle R. Bowman; non-fiction) â– The Lifeboat (Charlotte Rogan; fiction) â– iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us (Larry D. Rosen; non-fiction, psychology/technology) â– The Difference (Jean Chatzky; non-fiction, personal finance) â– The Pen Commandments (Steven Frank; non-fiction, writing) â– Timon of Athens (William Shakespeare; play) â– Going Bovine (Libba Bray; YA fiction) â– The Memory Palace (Mira BartĂƒÂ³k; memoir) â– Mr. Monster (Dan Wells; fiction) â– I Don't Want to Kill You (Dan Wells; fiction) â– The Fiddler in the Subway (Gene Weingarten; non-fiction, journalism/essays) â– The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins; fiction) â– The Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare; play) â– The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg; non-fiction) â– Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books (Leah Price; non-fiction) â– Sister (Rosamund Lupton; fiction) â– The Scarlet Pimpernel (Baroness Emmuska Orczy; fiction) â– Immortal Bird (Doron Weber; memoir) â– Defending Jacob (William Landay; fiction) â– Sweet Tooth Vol. 4: Endangered Species (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction) â– Sweet Tooth Vol. 3: Animal Armies (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction) â– Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction) â– Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction) â– The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (Jan-Philipp Sendker; fiction) â– Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher; YA fiction) â– Stop Acting Rich... And Start Living Like a Real Millionaire (Thomas J. Stanley; non-fiction; personal finance) â– Our Town (Thornton Wilder; play) â– Wool 5 (Hugh Howey; fiction) â– The Crucible (Arthur Miller; play) â– Wool 4 (Hugh Howey; fiction) â– Wool 3 (Hugh Howey; fiction) â– Adventure Unleashed (______ __. _________; unpublished fiction) â– Wool 2 (Hugh Howey; fiction) â– Wool (Hugh Howey; fiction) â– The Project (Brian Falkner; YA fiction) â– Like Shaking Hands with God (Kurt Vonnegut, Lee Stringer; non-fiction) â– The Autobiography of an Execution (David R. Dow; non-fiction) â– Feed (MT Anderson; fiction) â– Coriolanus (William Shakespeare; play) â– Artist's Journal Workshop (Cathy Johnson; non-fiction, art) â– The English Teacher (Lily King; fiction) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 This week I was completely enchanted by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Lovely book. Currently reading the last Sisters Grimm Book, The Council of Mirrors (yes, I'll be counting a kid book. Love the series). And of course I'm still reading Anna Karenina. It's on the Kindle in my purse, ready to go whenever I have a few minutes to read.   Books Read in 2012 (* = contenders for my 2012 Top Ten) 37. The Night Circus-Erin Morgenstern* 36. Houskeeping-Marilynne Robinson 35. Death Comes to Pemberley-P.D. James 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 PeregrineĂ¢â‚¬â„¢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 HandmaidĂ¢â‚¬â„¢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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 This week I read: Â Jane-Emily --I wish I'd read this when I was a kid! Lovely creepy ghost story, just right for a 10yo. Recommended to me. Of This and Other Worlds--nice book of C. S. Lewis essays on literary topics. I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced--excellent memoir/biography of a young Yemeni girl forced into marriage at just 10 years old. She made headlines by getting to the courthouse and asking the judge to grant her a divorce. Lots of info about child brides. The Western Lit Survival Kit--funny/irreverent tour through Western Literature, starting with Homer and ending in modern lit. Very fun. V is for Vengeance--the latest Sue Grafton! Â Â I just finished Dracula last night and am 3/5 of the way through The Old Curiosity Shop. Ooh, and I got this wonderful memoir called Nervous Conditions, but I've only just started it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 This week I introduced myself to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson by reading A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. I also read Lethal by Sandra Brown. Predictably, I enjoyed Doyle much more than Brown. Â I'm still reading Dr. Zhivago and just started The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I also tried to read A Big Little Life: Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean Koontz but abandoned that rather quickly. If someone thinks it's a can't miss, please, let me know and I'll try it again. Â The Great Gatsby sounds like something I'd like to read again. I read it in high school but don't remember much except that the woman's name was Daisy. When does it need to be finished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 My quest will be to start reading The Great Gatsby this week. Who wants to join me? Â No way! :001_smile: But I will be eagerly looking forward to what you have to say about it (and any others who read it *with* you). Â I finally broke down and read The Great Gatsby a couple years ago and, as I posted that year, it was my least favorite book; a complete waste of time; shallow and boring. I doubt I will ever reread it to see if my opinion changes. :001_smile: Â I recall talking that year with someone IRL who is also an avid reader. When he asked me what my favorite book so far that year was, I said I had no answer for that, but I could readily tell him the worst -- after which there was silence, then a quiet, "That's my all-time favorite book." Seems he rereads this book often. For the life of me, I can't see why... Â Anyway, I'll be waiting with interest to see what you think. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 My reading life this year is astonishingly and shamefully slow... Â This week I finished: Â #23 - Life Among the Savages, by Shirley Jackson. Hilarious - just as the cover art and the back blurb promised. It was laugh-out-loud funny. Though it is fiction, it is based on the real-life experiences - with literary license allowed ;) - of the authors' family -- two young children at the book's beginning and four by the end. Delightfully, realistically FUNNY! Â Currently reading: Â #24 - Resurrection in May, by Lisa Samson. Christian fiction by an author that generally can be counted upon to deliver easy-reading page-turners with an occasional thought-provoking idea. Â Not sure what is up next. Still trying to whittle down my stack of books, and trying really hard to avoid the library in order to accomplish that goal. Not likely to succeed as I've already been thinking about when would be a good time this week to trek to the library and roam the stacks for awhile.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 I read 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.' Â Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 (edited) This week I read the Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger then the Death of Ivan Ilych by Tolstoy. They ended up mushing together in my mind. I read The Night Bookmobile because I wanted to and Ivan Ilych as teeny tiny concession to Russian literature. I was thankful it was over quickly. Well, maybe not as quickly Ivan's family might have wished. At least the librarian had some kind of redemption. Â Then I read The First Paul by Marcus Borg. He is challenging me. Â Today I started The Narnian by Alan Jacobs. It was the only book by him my library has, but I already want to read some others. Edited May 21, 2012 by Onceuponatime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristangrace Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Allen Jacobs. It was the only book by him my library has, but I already want to read some others. Â Alan Jacobs was one of my college profs--I really like his stuff, too! And if you e-mail him with a comment on his books, he will e-mail you back. I think he recently started working as a technology contributor for The Atlantic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 I finished listening to The Night Circus which was read by Jim Dale. Divine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 (edited) 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 Treatment 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 Underneath it All Sybil Exposed. 11 22 63 Haunted Heart: Life and Times of Stephen King Oh No She Didn't Nina Garcia's Look Book Underneath is All The Pocket Stylist What Not to Wear for Every Occasion What you Wear Can Change Your Life What Not to Wear Dress Your Best Wear This, Toss That Nothing to Wear What Should I Wear The Style Checklist Style Clinic Edited May 21, 2012 by KidsHappen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 (edited) Little Librarian insisted that I read Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace because she loved it and I had never read it as a child. Great children's book. It was cute and sweet. I highly recommend it to any eight year olds reading this thread. :001_smile: Â Â Â In progress: Â Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (ladies book club) The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence) by Agatha Christie Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan (read aloud) Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (audiobook) Â 2012 finished books: Â Â 57. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (*****) 56. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King (****) 55. Death of a Gossip by MC Beaton (****) 54. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (**) 53. On Writing by Stephen King (*****) 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 (****) Â Books 1 - 40 Â Amy's Rating System: Â ***** - Fantastic, couldn't put it down **** - Very good *** - Enjoyable but nothing special ** - Not recommended * - Horrible Edited May 21, 2012 by aggieamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I FINISHED ANNA KARENINA! :hurray: Â I am going to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making next. Been wanting to read this YA book for awhile. Sounds like a great reprieve after Anna K. Â Now that summer is here, I hope to get a lot more reading in; this year I have not read much. I enjoyed The Great Gatsby the two times I have read it and would love an excuse to read it again. Â So happy to finally get to post in this thread again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgrubbs Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I LOVED all things F. Scott Fitzgerald in highschool, including The Great Gatsby. I will try to pick that one up at the library this week. I even dressed up as Zelda, his wife, and performed a monologue I wrote as her for my AP junior English class. My teacher was so moved she cried! and then asked me to perform it for the Senior AP English class later in the day. I haven't thought about that in years! Â This week I finished The House I Loved by Titania de Rosney. I picked this up at the library strictly because I was attracted to the cover! While I didn't LOVE it, it drew me in and I enjoyed it well enough. Â I also read Francine Rivers' Unshaken: Ruth. I have enjoyed this series immensely! Â I am still reading The Connected Child as a homestudy assignment. It's a well written book with lots of helpful info regarding helping adopted children adapt to their new family. Â And today I picked up Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire based on some comments on these boards this week. It's very interesting and I hope to get some motivation and inspiration from reading it! Â So I've read 17 books this year. Hopefully I can do some catching up over the summer and meet the 52 book goal by year end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Little Librarian insisted that I read Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace because she loved it and I had never read it as a child. Great children's book. It was cute and sweet. I highly recommend it to any eight year olds reading this thread. :001_smile:   In progress:  Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (ladies book club) Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (recommended by Little Librarian) The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence) by Agatha Christie Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan (read aloud) Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (audiobook)  2012 finished books:   57. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (*****) 56. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King (****) 55. Death of a Gossip by MC Beaton (****) 54. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (**) 53. On Writing by Stephen King (*****) 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  I must have missed it when you hit 52. Not even half way through the year and you're past the goal. Hooray!:party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I should be done with The Long Retreat tomorrow.  44. Exploring Garden Style by Tauton Press~non-fiction, gardening, design. This is edited articles and pictures from a gardening magazine, but I found the variety intriguing. Not good for how-to information, but good for gathering garden ideas.  43. Homeschooling Children with ADD (and Other Special Needs) by Lenore Hayles~non-fiction, education, medical issues. There was a lot of reasoning about why you should home educate kids with special needs, and a ton of listed book resources, but not a lot of other information. Focused mainly on ADD or autism.  42. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafrisi~non-fiction, memoir, Iran, literature. 41. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris~fiction, France, WWII, food. 40. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller~memoir, stories, Christianity. 39. Just Take a Bite! by Lori Ernsberger~non-fiction, food issues, special needs. 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: The Long Retreat (Krivak) Blood Meridian (McCarthy) The Essential Garden Design Workbook (Alexander) Food Chaining (Fraker) The Sacred Journey (Beuchner) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My quest will be to start reading The Great Gatsby this week. Who wants to join me? Â No way! I despised the characters so much I couldn't even enjoy hating them. Â But you enjoy it, won't you? :D Â Â Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Book #26 - "The Prophet of Yonwood" by Jeanne Duprau. Yes, this is out of order, but there is a long hold list on #2, and I figured the prequel could be done out of order.Did you like this? I really liked City of Ember, but People of Sparks was kind of disappointing so I didn't pursue any of the other books. Well, I'd probably give "City of Ember" 4/5, and "Prophet of Yonwood" 3/5. I liked it, but kept wondering how the author was going to tie into "Ember" and yet resolve the story. Without giving anything away, I thought the solution was brief and late, and therefore somewhat anti-climactic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Completed: Book #28 -"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins. I'd heard this one was a "departure" from the other two, but neither DH and I thought so. DH described it as the third act in a third act play, and I'd agree. Compelling, like the other two. They pulled in dyslexic DH, who read each one in less than two days, which is quite an accomplishment! Only Harry Potter and Star Wars have done that for him before. Â Book #27 - "Well-Educated Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer. Book #26 - "The Prophet of Yonwood" by Jeanne Duprau. Book #25 - "City of Ember" by Jeanne Duprau. Book #24 - "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. Book #23 - "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson. Book #22 - "Deconstructing Penguins" by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone. Book #21 - "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli. Book #20 - "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins. Book #19 -"Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Book #18 - "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Book #17 - "Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month" by Deborah Taylor-Hough. Book #16 - "Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy" by Jonni McCoy. 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Gak, I really need to update my blog page. I am reading Lies My Teacher Told Me and the new Robert Parker novel written by Ace Atkins. I was kind of appalled when I found out someone was taking over the series and so far my fears have been realized. It is one thing to not get Spencer quite right, but to ruin Hawk is unforgivable. I am so sad but I have to finish it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 This week...  Started Reading: A Good American by Alex George  Still reading: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking  Completed: 21. Insurgent 20. Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 This week I read Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler(34). It was okay. A lot of it was about how he left the Amish and went back like 4 times. He was very torn, and really felt like he was going to hell at first when he left. I totally understand that. Â I am reading Weird by Craig Groeschel this week, and I hate it...so I am having a hard time getting through it. Â If you listen to a book on tape, does that count? I am trying to get Quiet ILL....how ironic, I am going to LISTEN to a book called QUIET :lol:! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Â I have also started another book: The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar: Â From amazon.com: Â "LATE EXTRA! BOMB OUTRAGE IN LONDON! Â A masked terrorist has brought London to its knees -- there are bombs inside books, and nobody knows which ones. On the day of the launch of the first expedition to Mars, by giant cannon, he outdoes himself with an audacious attack. Â For young poet Orphan, trapped in the screaming audience, it seems his destiny is entwined with that of the shadowy terrorist, but how? His quest to uncover the truth takes him from the hidden catacombs of London on the brink of revolution, through pirate-infested seas, to the mysterious island that may hold the secret to the origin not only of the shadowy Bookman, but of Orphan himself... Â Like a steam-powered take on V for Vendetta, rich with satire and slashed through with automatons, giant lizards, pirates, airships and wild adventure. The Bookman is the first of a series." Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012  ■Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 1 (Conor McCreery; YA fiction)   I got halfway through this before I really started to enjoy it -- Volume 2 was much more consistent, IMO.  Finished last week: 61. Kill Shakespeare Vol. 1 62. Kill Shakespeare Vol. 2 63. The New Kitchen Garden  This week I must finish up Finnish Lessons and Imagine: How Creativity Works because they are due back at the library with other patrons waiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Added a bunch of books from this month... I have been reading a lot of Goodreads recommendations based on fiction books I have liked... Â 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. American Heiress, Daisy Goodwin 23. Before I go to Sleep, S.J. Watson 24. Still Alice, Lisa Genova 25-28. Secret Society Girls #1-4 series Diana Peterfreund 29-31. Hunger Games series 32. Bunheads, Sophie Flack 33. The Sugarless Plum, Zippora Karz 34. A Voice in the Wind, Francine Rivers 35. Church History, Eusebius 36. The Book of the Ancient Romans, Dorothy Mills 37. The Roman Way, Edith Hamilton 38. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, E. Lockhart 39. The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides 40. Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Marisha Pessl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Added a bunch of books from this month... I have been reading a lot of Goodreads recommendations based on fiction books I have liked... Â What did you think of Special Topics in Calamity Physics? Just curious because I read that one a few years ago.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 (edited) What did you think of Special Topics in Calamity Physics? Just curious because I read that one a few years ago.... Â I'm reading that this week - on page 100. I think it is clever. I enjoyed the Frankie-Banks book a lot and Goodreads recommended this one also. Â I hear the plot picks up around p. 300. I also heard it had tons of footnotes like David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, but I don't see actual footnotes or a bibliography in my edition. Just parentheses with citations - is that what the critics mean by footnotes? Confused a bit - but enjoying it! Edited May 21, 2012 by LNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I finished Why We Get Fat (my #28 for the year) by Gary Taubes last night. Overall, there's little to argue with. It jibes with what I already feel about refined foods. But I have some questions about it--like pseudo-estrogens in today's environment and how they are operating on weight, and I do question how long-lived the Inuit were prior to the introduction of Western foods. Â I've got On Writing by Stephen King on the nightstand, ready to start when I get a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 (edited) Added a bunch of books from this month... I have been reading a lot of Goodreads recommendations based on fiction books I have liked... Â Do you find that you like the books that Goodreads recommends for you? Â If you listen to a book on tape, does that count? I am trying to get Quiet ILL....how ironic, I am going to LISTEN to a book called QUIET :lol:! Â I count them. It takes me a lot longer to get through an audiobook than a regular book and I figure you are still consuming literature in pretty close to it's original format. Â I must have missed it when you hit 52. Not even half way through the year and you're past the goal. Hooray!:party: Â Thank you. There's a few read alouds in there bumping my numbers up but this thread has really motivated me to get back into reading consistently and reading good books. My personal goal for the year is 100 books. Â I FINISHED ANNA KARENINA! :hurray:Â I am going to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making next. Been wanting to read this YA book for awhile. Sounds like a great reprieve after Anna K. Â Now that summer is here, I hope to get a lot more reading in; this year I have not read much. I enjoyed The Great Gatsby the two times I have read it and would love an excuse to read it again. Â So happy to finally get to post in this thread again! Â Congrats on finishing Anna Karenina. You simply must give an update on The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making because based on the title alone that sounds like a fun read. Edited May 21, 2012 by aggieamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Do you find that you like the books that Goodreads recommends for you? I guess I'm not actually reading recommendations based on my shelves, but the ones that if I click on a book I like - to the right it lists other books read by people who liked this book. Make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Hello Fellow Readers! Â Life has been busy for me with not much time for reading. I did finish #24, Doctored Evidence, a Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery by Donna Leon. Â Still working on The Rich Are Different. I was unable to pack this 700+ page novel from the library into my airplane carry-on and do look forward to finishing it in the days ahead. Â To answer a question from Karin about Gladys Mitchell: I don't know which of her mysteries are best. My library has very few of them. :glare: Perhaps a fan website might help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 (edited) Last night Little Librarian couldn't sleep so she and I stayed up late finishing Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan. We both enjoyed the story and it had really nice pictures. Now we're trying to figure out our next read aloud. We're trying to decide between The School Story and The White Stallion of Lippizza. Any suggestions on which one? Â I also finished The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence) by Agatha Christie. There were parts I found to be really silly and hard to believe but it still had a strong typical British mystery ending. You know, where you think you know who the bad guy is but then you think you're wrong but it turns out you were right all along. :001_smile: I like those type of stories. Â To read or not to read The Great Gatsby with y'all? That is the question. I like the book and have read it a few times already. I've got a few books I need to read and get back to the library and if I finish with those I'll join in the Gatsby read along. Â In progress: Â Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (ladies book club) The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs (recommended here) Free-Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (Why yes, I do have an Agatha Christie obsession! Thank you for noticing. :)) Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (audiobook) Â 2012 finished books: Â 59. The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence) by Agatha Christie (****) 58. Tales of Robin Hood by Tony Allan - read aloud (****) 57. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (*****) 56. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King (****) 55. Death of a Gossip by MC Beaton (****) 54. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (**) 53. On Writing by Stephen King (*****) 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 (****) Â Books 1 - 40 Â Amy's Rating System: Â ***** - Fantastic, couldn't put it down **** - Very good *** - Enjoyable but nothing special ** - Not recommended * - Horrible Edited May 21, 2012 by aggieamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I'm reading that this week - on page 100. I think it is clever. I enjoyed the Frankie-Banks book a lot and Goodreads recommended this one also. Â I hear the plot picks up around p. 300. I also heard it had tons of footnotes like David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, but I don't see actual footnotes or a bibliography in my edition. Just parentheses with citations - is that what the critics mean by footnotes? Confused a bit - but enjoying it! Â From what I remember of the book, yes, the parentheses w/ citations are the 'footnotes'. I thought the book was pretty good; it kind of reminded me a little bit of Donna Tartt's "The Secret History". Â from aggieamy: "Do you find that you like the books that Goodreads recommends for you?"Â I guess I'm not actually reading recommendations based on my shelves, but the ones that if I click on a book I like - to the right it lists other books read by people who liked this book. Make sense? Â I agree. I've had good luck w/ finding recommendations through Goodreads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 :D Ohhhhhhh, fun! Of course, I tend to love extremely modern literature. (Does the term "Modernism" really apply only to those authors around the 1920s & 30s -- or does the term still apply to writers who are producing new novels even today?) Probably won't hop into The Great Gatsby right now (I read it a long time ago), but it could be fun esp. since Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, & Tobey McGuire are filming the movie these days.     Looks interesting, Look forward to seeing it.  There doesn't seem to be an agreement on line when the post modern period kicked in so I don't really know.   The Great Gatsby sounds like something I'd like to read again. I read it in high school but don't remember much except that the woman's name was Daisy. When does it need to be finished?    I LOVED all things F. Scott Fitzgerald in highschool, including The Great Gatsby. I will try to pick that one up at the library this week. I even dressed up as Zelda, his wife, and performed a monologue I wrote as her for my AP junior English class. My teacher was so moved she cried! and then asked me to perform it for the Senior AP English class later in the day. I haven't thought about that in years!  We aren't in any rush as I couldn't find the book yesterday. :001_huh: It may be double parked behind other books so now I need to find it first. Funny. When I could care less about reading it, the book was always in the my face somehow. And now.... Hmm! I may end up listening to the audio version. No time frame at this point.     I FINISHED ANNA KARENINA! :hurray:   Yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I read three books last week! Â 1. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier - loved it! Â 2. The Reading Promise:My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma. Good. Â 3. I Am Half Sick of Shadows:A Flavia de Luce Novel This is the fourth one and my favorite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I read 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.' Rosie Rosie, this looks like fun :D. Never heard of it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enough Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I started- and finished- This Life is in Your Hands on Sunday. Highly, highly recommended. Utterly engrossing; simultaneously inspiring and heart-breaking. Â I am already in mourning that this season of Masterpiece Mystery 'Sherlock' is over, so I think I'm going to read some Sherlock Holmes (Doyle) this week to help me manage my grief. :lol: Â I also started Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power and How They Can Be Restored by Marcus Borg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I finished Mansfield Park yesterday. It is my very favorite Austen book (yes, I know). I had wanted to read it specifically to consider education as that is quite a theme in the book. I'm so glad I was looking at that and wrote a little about it in my review. Â 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 18. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (great read aloud) 19. Sins of the Fathers by Susan Howatch (wow!) 20. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (very good) 21. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (favorite) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Rosie, this looks like fun :D. Never heard of it before. Â I think the tv series it is based on can be found on Youtube. I've seen bits of it. Â Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Gorging on Devon Monk's urban fantasy Allie Beckstrom series and currently on Magic on the Hunt.  Ooh, I never heard of that one but it looks like something I would like! It's going on my list! :D   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 (Dark Tower series)  18. The High Flyer, by Susan Howatch.  19. Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series, Book 1)  20. Heir to the Shadows, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series, Book 2)  21. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer  CURRENT  22. Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.