Book a Week in 2012 - Week 21

[Stacia]

Looks like The Great Gatsby movie will be an interesting take on the book:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20597788,00.html

(preview clip in the article)

[Jane in NC]

Looks like The Great Gatsby movie will be an interesting take on the book:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20597788,00.html

(preview clip in the article)

 

Thanks for the heads up. Gatsby is one of my favorite books so I find it surprising to read that some cannot finish it.

[Guest]

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.

 

I read about this book here and am so glad that I did! I finished it this morning and I loved it! What a fun book. I thought the writing was just delicious - so rich; I felt like every description, every vivid color was just right in front of me. Very Alice in Wonderland meets The Phantom Tollbooth. The story follows September, a 12-year old, irascible girl into Fairyland, where she meets various characters and ventures on a quest for the Marquess of Fairyland. Looking forward to the sequel, and also to sharing it with my kids when they get a little older.

 

 

I also loved the illustrations in the book:

Edited May 23, 2012 by Guest

[Stacia]

Picked up The Great Gatsby at the library & have started reading it.

 

I loved it when I read it years ago. It's lovely to get back into it.... :D

[ladydusk]

I'm not counting it for this year because I read more than half of it last year and allowed it to get buried and buried ... but I finally finished Anthony Esolen's Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child. I liked it a lot. It scared me, but encouraged me too.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I finished listening to The Night Circus which was read by Jim Dale. Divine!

 

Ooooh. I bet that was good. I enjoyed the book, but Jim Dale reading it would take it to another level. :D

[Kim in Appalachia]

I finished the Kraken, by China Mieville.

 

I wanted to like this book, but I found it hard to follow and then I thought the end was too weird. I like weird, but it bordered on the absurd. There were too many, "You got to be kidding??" at the end of the book. I enjoy Mieville's writing style, and I enjoy how thought provoking he can be, but this was too much.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I FINISHED ANNA KARENINA! :hurray:

 

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.

 

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.

 

So happy to finally get to post in this thread again!

 

 

I loved Anna Karenina! I was so completely immersed in that book that I found myself as depressed as she was. :tongue_smilie:

 

I have The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland on my wish list. It looks fun.

[Rosyl]

I can't believe that I have missed 5 weeks! I know that my reading slows down, but 2 books in 5 weeks is slow for me, lol. I am also still reading Vanity Fair. I broke down and bought a copy because at this rate I just might not finish until the 2013 reading challenge.

 

The 2 books that I read this week are:

34) Loving by Karen Kingsbury

This was OK, not the ending I expected, but tolerable.

 

33) Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish

This was a good read. I liked it alot and will read other stuff by her. It was messy, meaning loose ends weren't tied up because it resembled life and life can't always be wrapped with a happy ending.

 

32) The Core by Leigh Bortins

31) Breaking Intimidation by John Bevere This was a little charasmatic for my taste, but good.

30) Big Decisions Linda Byler

29) Mockingjay Collins

28) Catching Fire Collins

 

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

26) A Hope For Hannah by Jerry Eicher

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

24) Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow on audio

23) A Dream For Hannah by Jerry Eicher.

22) Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare on audio

21) A Love That Multiplies, Duggars on Audio

 

20) Ella Finds Love, Eicher

19) Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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

17) Emotionally Healthy Spiritually by Peter Scazarro

16) Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

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

14) The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet audio book

13) Growing up Amish by Beth Wiseman

12) Ella's Wish By Jerry Eicher

11) Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

 

10) The Healing by Wanda Brunstetter

9) Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray

8) The Dark Tide

7) Little Men, Louisa May Alcott on Audio

6) Winter of the Red Snow.

5) The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory.

4) A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry Eicher

3) Longing by Karen Kingsbury.

2) Little Women by Alcott

1) Midummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

[Angel]

I read about this book here and am so glad that I did! I finished it this morning and I loved it! What a fun book. I thought the writing was just delicious - so rich; I felt like every description, every vivid color was just right in front of me. Very Alice in Wonderland meets The Phantom Tollbooth. The story follows September, a 12-year old, irascible girl into Fairyland, where she meets various characters and ventures on a quest for the Marquess of Fairyland. Looking forward to the sequel, and also to sharing it with my kids when they get a little older.

 

 

I also loved the illustrations in the book:

 

What age would you recommend it for?

[Guest]

What age would you recommend it for?

 

Gosh, not having older kids, I'm not sure. It has some slightly darker undertones. There are two witches married to one man (one for when he is human and one when he is animal), although that is a short part and not central to the plot. Then there is a part where she kills and eats a fish that is kind of gross. A few fighting and bloody scenes. The main character is 12; I could see this as a read aloud at maybe 9 or 10 as I would want to talk over a few things.

[Robin M]

Picked up The Great Gatsby at the library & have started reading it.

 

I loved it when I read it years ago. It's lovely to get back into it.... :D

 

 

Awesome!

 

 

 

I found my copy finally. Buried at the bottom, in the back row of huge pile of books. What was I thinking? Will get started reading it tomorrow.

[laundrycrisis]

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children;

Celestially Auspicious Occasions

2. The Mysterious Benedict Society; The Invention of Hugo Cabret

3. The Picture of Dorian Gray

4. Wuhu Diary

5. The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child

6. Kingdom of Children

7. Values: Lighting the Candle of Excellence : A Practical Guide for the Family by Marva Collins; Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder, The: New Revised Edition by Stephanie Marohn

8. Ordinary Children, Extraordinary Teachers by Marva Collins

9. Marva Collins' Way

10. Parenting a Child With Asperger Syndrome: 200 Tips and Strategies by Brenda Boyd

11. Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer

12. Parenting Your Asperger Child: Individualized Solutions for Teaching Your Child Practical Skills by Alan T. Sohn

13. Hitchhiking through Asperger Syndrome by Lise Pyles

14. Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian (John Elder Robison); Quirky, Yes---Hopeless, No (Cynthia La Brie Norall)

15. Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting; The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

16. ADD/ADHD Drug Free: Natural Alternatives and Practical Exercises to Help Your Child Focus by Frank Jacobelli

17. Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts: A Stress-Free Journey to Original Design by Rayna Gillman

18. The Shut-Down Learner Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child by Richard Selznick, PhD; Pretending to be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome by Liane Holliday Willey

19.Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders by Kenneth Bock

20. look me in the eye by John Elder Robison

 

I am not counting the seven Shakespeare adaptations by Bruce Coville that I went through, and I am just starting Running With Scissors

Edited May 24, 2012 by laundrycrisis

[Kareni]

I just finished The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale; it's a historical romance that takes place partly in Arabia and partly in England. I enjoyed it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[laughing lioness]

Finished Murder Must Advertise by Sayers. I can't help it. I'm in love with her writing, in love with her characters.

Technopoly is good and all of that, too.

[Mom-ninja.]

Ooooh. I bet that was good. I enjoyed the book, but Jim Dale reading it would take it to another level. :D

 

I have the biggest crush on Jim Dale. He's so wonderful. I'm on a mission to listen to every performance he's done.

 

 

 

I started The Great Gatsby last night. I read it in high school but don't remember much. So far I'm enjoying it. I like the choice of adjectives.

 

I've got too many books going at once. I need to buckle down and finish the ones I'm reading before starting new ones. The problem is that I just hauled home a stack from the library.

[eaglei]

I've got too many books going at once. I need to buckle down and finish the ones I'm reading before starting new ones. The problem is that I just hauled home a stack from the library.

 

I had to chuckle over this! I woke up this morning saying to myself, "No, you may NOT go to the library today! Yes, I know they are closed on Monday. Yes, I know it will likely be another week before you can go. BUT, you have WAY TOO MANY books right here at home to read! NO LIBRARY TODAY!" :glare:

 

Aargh. It didn't help that I HAD to be in town today for another two reasons and both errands took me to within a block or two of the library. Dh is home today and went with me. I told him, "I am NOT going to the library - DON'T ASK!"

 

The deed is done ... oh my ... :001_unsure:

[Zebra]

I just finished Weird by Craig Groeschel(35) and Is Everyone Hanging out With Me? By Mindy Kaling(36).

 

I guess my problem with Weird is that, as a homeschooling...I invented weird....:lol:. Not me exactly, but going against the flow and doing what I think is right is not really an issue for me. If it was, I wouldn't be homeschooling, which in turn opened the floodgates to all the other counterculture things I do. Yep, the homeschoolers don't need any weird lessons ;)!

 

The Mindy Kaling book I just happened to see at the library, and it was a quick and okay read. I love The Office, and she seemed more down to earth than I expected. Which isn't saying much!

[Maus]

Completed:

Posting from my phone, since we are out camping and don't have any other internet. Looks like the phone can't handle the formatting I had, but oh, well. I'm getting a lot of reading done......

 

Book #30 - ”The Diamond of Darkhold” by Jeanne DuPrau. I liked it. The first, City of Embers, was the best of the series, but the ending was satisfactory. I'll let my kids read these if they are inclined.

 

Book #29 - ”The People of Sparks” by Jeanne DuPrau. It was okay. Probably a pretty accurate portrayal of what would happen if two cultures suddenly had to live together.

 

Book #28 -"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins.

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

[VeganCupcake]

I finished reading On Writing by Stephen King last night (linked to my review). I liked it alright--didn't love it. It did motivate me to want to set aside some time each day to write, though.

 

I started Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. I am really enjoying it so far. My only criticism is that it seems kind of improbable that an American-born Chinese could just jump on a plane and go to the People's Republic of China in the 50s, but who knows.

[Kareni]

I've recently reread two historical romances by a favorite author, Jo Goodman.

 

Never Love A Lawman

 

Only In My Arms

 

I enjoyed revisiting them both.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[ladydusk]

I read another Heyer. It was more of a mystery than usual, which I enjoyed :)

 

 

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)

22. The Toll Gate by Georgette Heyer

[Sparkle]

Sorry I've been MIA for a few weeks - life has been a bit crazy. I don't think I've posted since Week 16 :blushing:

 

Quick recap of what I've read:

44. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

45. Thicker than Water by Rett MacPherson

46. Died in the Wool by Rett MacPherson

47. Grime and Punishment by Jill Churchill

48. Farewell to Yarns by Jill Churchill

49. Mulch Ado About Nothing by Jill Churchill

50. Why Have They Taken Our Children? by Jack Baugh

51. God, the Universe, and Hot Fudge Sundaes by Norma Howe

 

and currently reading The Venetian Affair by Helen MacInnes.

 

I need to go back and read the threads and catch up and what you all have been reading - I know I've missed some good stuff :)

 

ETA: Didn't everyone have to read The Great Gatsby in high school? I've read it several times although not lately. I used to like it a lot, but I think now I would find it kind of icky. Also, add me to the Dorothy Sayers fan club. I love her books.

Edited May 27, 2012 by Sparkle

[Robin M]

Link to week 22 - please continue conversation in new thread