Book a Week in 2012 - Week 22

[Robin M]

Good Morning, my lovelies! Today is the start of week 22 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 - The Great Gatsby: highlighted F.Scott Fitzgerald and an excerpt from the first chapter. I finally found my copy. It had somehow gotten buried at the bottom of one of my triple parked bookshelves. Must have been one of those subconscious I'll won't be reading it anytime soon things. :laugh: Starting it today. Join me!

 

Author Birthdays: Tipping our hats to the classics

 

May 27 - Dashiell Hammett and Tony Hillerman. May 28 - Ian Fleming. May 29 - G.K. Chesterton and T.H. White

 

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 21

[Robin M]

Finished reading Helpless by Daniel Palmer. Interesting but one of those that just went way too much into detail making it a bit dry and detracting from the story. Read another urban fantasy - Dark Descendant by Jenna Black. She blogs with a group of authors at Deadline Dames along with Devon Monk, Rachel Vincent and Keri Arthur to name a few. All good authors, especially if you like urban or paranormal fantasy.

 

On tap this week - The Great Gatsby, 2nd book by Jenna Black Deadly Descendant (nook book) and The Face of a Killer by Robin Burcell (iphone) Never thought I'd read a book on my cell phone. At least I'll won't ever get bored again when out and about and caught having to wait for whatever.:lol:

[Night Elf]

I've lost all interest in reading. Is this what happens when people drop out? I don't want to drop out. :tongue_smilie: I have finished 39 books. We're about to go on vacation and I'll be listening to at least 2 audiobooks on the long car drive, a Sue Grafton novel and a Cat Who book by Lillian Jackson Braun.

[Robin M]

I've lost all interest in reading. Is this what happens when people drop out? I don't want to drop out. :tongue_smilie: I have finished 39 books. We're about to go on vacation and I'll be listening to at least 2 audiobooks on the long car drive, a Sue Grafton novel and a Cat Who book by Lillian Jackson Braun.

 

We all go through phases when don't feel like reading. Usually happens to me after finishing a real intense book or rather long book. No need to drop out. Audio books count and you couldn't have picked any better. Love Sue Grafton and just downloaded one of braun's to my nook. Enjoy your vacation, have fun. Look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

[Just Robyn]

Finished a few books this week.

 

38.) I completed the Song of the Lioness series by finishing Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce. I thought this series was fantastic and I am happy to be able to recommend it to friends with daughters and to be able to give them a full account of the s*x. It is such a great story about becoming a woman, from beginning puberty, through the exploration of love and relationships, to finding out what you want in a mate and in life. The main character is a strong, independent, adventurous girl/woman who subverts ideas of male dominance while enjoying her femininity.

 

39.) Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan (Ranger's Apprentice 7) - I am still enjoying reading this series with my ds. We are reading them out of written order, and in the story's chronological order per the suggestion of a woman at the bookstore. (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 5, 6...)

 

40.) The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - The main story - The Yellow Wallpaper - was chilling, a deliberate commentary on the "rest cure" and an inadvertent horror story. The other stories were pretty good feminist stories, interesting and enjoyable, sometimes thought provoking, but it is obvious why they are the "other stories" and The Yellow Wallpaper gets the fame.

 

41.) The Stranger by Albert Camus - I really liked this story and found the writing similar to Kafka's. The character's were interesting. I looked at parts of the Cliff's Notes and thought something along the lines of, He meant that? Well, the character didn't actually say that. If he would have said that, or clearly implied it, I would have enjoyed this much more. I may look at it again before returning it to the library.

Edited May 27, 2012 by crstarlette

[Stacia]

52 Books Blog - The Great Gatsby: highlighted F.Scott Fitzgerald and an excerpt from the first chapter. I finally found my copy. It had somehow gotten buried at the bottom of one of my triple parked bookshelves. Must have been one of those subconscious I'll won't be reading it anytime soon things. :laugh: Starting it today. Join me!

 

 

"Look here, old sport," he broke out surprisingly, "what's your opinion of me, anyhow?"

 

 

 

A little overwhelmed, I began the generalized evasions which that question deserves.

:D Ah, yes, The Great Gatsby. I loved it when I read it so long ago & I love it still (just finished it last night). Fitzgerald's ode to & commentary on the Jazz Age elite, it's a beautifully-worded American classic of love, optimism, irony, & tragedy. So glad you invited us to read it with you, Robin! <insert big, happy sigh here> :001_smile: Looking forward to seeing Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of this classic for the big screen at the end of this year....

 

Still working on The Bookman, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, and Anthem.

 

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

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 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)

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)

32. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (5 stars)

Edited May 27, 2012 by Stacia

[Onceuponatime]

I'm about halfway through The Narnian. I've got a bunch of books going about Esther (of the Bible). I don't know if I will finish any of them, they are mostly being used as references for a Bible class.

[SunnyDays]

Beth, I'm just coming off a non-reading phase myself. I've been trying to finish the same book for a month. :) It's just a rut, we all have them!! Hope yours ends soon.

 

As for me, I finally stayed up late and finished that book last night!! It was "Sushi for Beginners" by Marian Keyes. Now I'm reading a Kindle freebie, "A Hearth in Candlewood" by Delia Parr. Then I have another one by Sarah Addison Allen, and a couple more on hold at the library.

 

So far I've completed 28 books this year, and halfway through the 29th. I actually have "The Great Gatsby" on my to read list (haven't read it since high school) so maybe I'll move that up and read it sooner!

[Kim in Appalachia]

I just started Wind Up Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi.

 

I'm only on chapter 4. There has been a lot of action and I'm trying to get a feel for it. I think I'm going to like it. I will say that his writing is excellent and I'm loving the premise. It's dystopian, looking at results/consequences of global warming.

[porque]

Didn't finish any books last week, but made it through two this week,

 

#39 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

 

#40 A Fine Balanceby Rohinton Mistry. This was a very long book set in India, primarily in the mid 1970's. Another book that underscored my lack of knowledge of world history. It reminded me of a kind of Indian Candide things kept getting worse and worse, but at least one of the characters was eternally hopeful-all evidence for such optimism to the contrary.

[Angel]

I finished The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare this week. It was not included in our Shakespeare study this year. However, we went to see it at our local Shakespeare company on Wednesday, and I wanted to read it before we saw it. I know that this play is listed under the comedies but I didn't find it funny. Our local company did a great job with it, though. I didn't start anything else last week because of dd's graduation. I have one more major thing, our Shakespeare class wrap-up, and then I have a pile of books waiting to be started. In my pile are the next Flavia book, the next two Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery books, and a book of my older dd's choosing.

 

I've lost all interest in reading. Is this what happens when people drop out? I don't want to drop out. :tongue_smilie: I have finished 39 books. We're about to go on vacation and I'll be listening to at least 2 audiobooks on the long car drive, a Sue Grafton novel and a Cat Who book by Lillian Jackson Braun.

 

We saw these books at Goodwill the other day and dd17, the cat lover, was interested. Are these clean like Agatha Christie or are they more racy??

[Melinda in VT]

Since I last posted:

 

Hope, A Tragedy--it's hard to give my complete reaction to this book without spoiling the ending. Suffice it to say that I did not enjoy spending time in the narrator's head and was thrilled when the book ended. This was a book club pick, not one I picked up on my own.

 

The Name of the Rose--again, my main thought about this book would spoil the ending. I enjoyed this, mostly, although it dragged at times. Much, much better plot-to-word ratio that Foucault's Pendulum by the same author, which I read at the end of last year.

 

The Secret Holocaust Diaries--I think I picked this one up as a Kindle deal (possibly free). It's the WW2 experiences of a Ukrainian girl sent to Germany to work. The editorial explanations throughout the book often seem unnecessary and heavy-handed, but it is a slightly different perspective on WW2 than I've heard before, so it was interesting enough to keep reading.

 

I'm casting around for what to read next. I'm considering a Salman Rushdie, as we have several in the house. Cry the Beloved Country, Love in the Time of Cholera, and The Plot Against America are also possibilities. I'm leaning toward raiding my teen's bookshelves for some YA, possibly the first in the Scott Westerfield series. Pretties. Uglies, something like that.

[laughing lioness]

True Confessions; I'm obsessed. Reading Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy Sayers. The last Lord Peter, Harriet Vane mystery. Only 2 left, and I'm already grieving the end of this fabulous jaunt. sniff. sniff.

[eaglei]

Finished:

 

#24 - Resurrection in May, by Lisa Samson. As expected, an easy-reading page-turner with the occasional surprise tossed in and the occasional thought-provoking idea.

 

Currently reading:

 

#25 - No Longer a Slumdog: Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis, by K.P. Yohannan. This was unexpectedly sent to me by someone I just *met* over the phone. By the missionary (both from and to India), it is a mix of heart breaking stories and statistical facts. Before each chapter, he puts a quote. The opening quotation, by Teresa of Avila, is sobering:

 

"Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and that there is only one glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing."

 

I suspect the next book may not be so somber . . . but I've not chosen one yet.

[VeganCupcake]

#40 A Fine Balanceby Rohinton Mistry. This was a very long book set in India, primarily in the mid 1970's. Another book that underscored my lack of knowledge of world history. It reminded me of a kind of Indian Candide things kept getting worse and worse, but at least one of the characters was eternally hopeful-all evidence for such optimism to the contrary.

 

This sounds so interesting. I might have to check it out.

 

I'm devouring (well, as much as I can with sick kids and a sick DH) Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. I keep wondering why Joy is so foolish and blind, but I guess I was pretty foolish when I was her age, too. :tongue_smilie: I'm really identifying with her mother, Pearl.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started Reading:

Desiring God by John Piper

Still reading:

A Good American

 

Completed:

23. They Say/I Say:The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

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

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

[dangermom]

My books for the week:

 

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton. Another exciting Kinsey story, this time with mafia guys and crooked cops. Well just one bad cop.

Dracula by Bram Stoker. Classic shivery horror, surprisingly better than I expected. Also, I learned who Van Helsing is.

The Old Curiosity Shop, by Dickens. At last! It took me months because I tried to read it on my tablet. Paper is better for Dickens. Good story.

The Invisible Man, by H. G. Wells. Another classic that was better than I expected. I didn't know the story at all.

 

I'm in a read-along for Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker, and I just now finished a great book--Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions. Really good.

[Kareni]

She [Jenna Black] blogs with a group of authors at Deadline Dames along with Devon Monk, Rachel Vincent and Keri Arthur to name a few.

 

This looks interesting; thanks for sharing the link.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[joannqn]

I read The Giver this week. I was pretty unhappy with the ending but was happy to learn that my interpretation of the ending was wrong, per the author.

[LostSurprise]

48. Q: a Novel by Evan Mandery~fiction, quirky, time travel. There were several things I liked about this book. It was super quirky. It had a lot of tangents. It was intelligent. It explored ideas of what makes a good life. It had fun exploring New York. Some downsides, the main character was awfully wishy-washy. Its annoying how long he allows his future selves to tell him how to live his life in pursuit of happiness. Some of the characters mediocre prose also took up too many pages. While somewhat humorous, it was never humorous enough to carry that much space.

 

47. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi~memoir, criminal case, serial killer. I found this a very easy (short chapters) and completely involving read about the famous Italian serial killer. What is so enthralling is that not only do the two authors decide to find the killer 25 years later, but also the extent to which they are targeted by the Italian judicial system for having a differing opinion. Engrossing.

 

46. Food Chaining by Fracker~non-fiction, food issues, picky eaters. Detailed behavioral look at the different types of food issues. Food chaining to increase types of food eaten.

 

45. The Long Retreat by Andrew Krivak~memoir, Jesuit. I enjoyed this. Krivak studied and worked as a Jesuit for 8 years before leaving to marry. An very honest look at the call and process of becoming a Jesuit.

 

44. Exploring Garden Style by Tauton Press~non-fiction, gardening, design.

43. Homeschooling Children with ADD (and Other Special Needs) by Lenore Hayles~non-fiction, education, medical issues.

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:

Blood Meridian (McCarthy)

The Essential Garden Design Workbook (Alexander)

The Sacred Journey (Beuchner)

North by Northanger (Bebris)

 

*~top 5 books of the year (so far)

**~best book of the year (so far)

[Jen in PA]

Finished this week:

 

64. Twelfth Night (a reread -- but I had totally forgotten huge chunks!)

65. What to Read When. This had lots of good ideas for future read-alouds.

66. Imagine: How Creativity Works. I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- it covered a surprising amount of material and I am hoping to reread it once the wait list at the library goes down.

 

Started today: The Other Wes Moore. This is really fascinating so far.

[Ali in OR]

I read Carrie Bebris' Pride and Prescience after finding out about the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mysteries here. I enjoyed it--thought it was better than Death Comes to Pemberley. It was perfect for the treadmill, so I'll probably get more from the library. Still progressing through Anna Karenina--I think I'm about 56% done according to my kindle. I think the next Hunger Games book is waiting for me now at the library, so I'll probably start that one this week.

 

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

38. Pride and Prescience-Carrie Bebris

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 Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs

19. The Mysterious Affair at Styles-Agatha Christie

18. A String in the Harp-Nancy Bond

17. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats-Jan-Philipp Sendker*

16. The Lacuna-Barbara Kingsolver*

15. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows-Alan Bradley

14. Garden Spells-Sarah Addison Allen

13. The Prince and the Pauper-Mark Twain

12. Romeo and Juliet-William Shakespeare

11. The Shallows-Nicholas Carr

10. The Handmaid’s Tale-Margaret Atwood

9. Mudbound-Hillary Jordan*

8. The Other Wind-Ursula Le Guin

7. What the Dog Saw-Malcolm Gladwell

6. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall-Anne Bronte

5. Tehanu-Ursula Le Guin

4. The Scarlet Pimpernel-Baroness Orczy

3. The Paleo Diet-Loren Cordain

2. Peter Pan-James Barrie

1. The Farthest Shore-Ursula Le Guin

[Just Robyn]

Since I last posted:

 

Hope, A Tragedy--it's hard to give my complete reaction to this book without spoiling the ending. Suffice it to say that I did not enjoy spending time in the narrator's head and was thrilled when the book ended. This was a book club pick, not one I picked up on my own.

 

This author looks interesting. Have you (or has anybody here) read anything else by him?

[TN Mama]

It seems I keep forgetting to update. Recent reads:

 

#19 - Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

#20 - The Homeschool Experiment by Charity Hawkins

#21 - Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton

Starting today #22 - 11th Hour by James Patterson

 

 

1. Moon Over Manifest - Clare Vanderpool

2. Room - Emma Donoghue

3. The Pawn - Steven James

4. The Rook - Steven James

5. Drowned Maiden's Hair - Laura Amy Schlitz

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

7. Kisses from Katie - Katie Davis

8. Hannah's Gift - Maria Housden

9. Mudbound - Hillary Jordan

10. Aunt Dimity's Death - Nancy Atherton

11. The Knight - Steven James

12. The Bishop - Steven James

13. The Queen - Steven James

14. Through My Eyes by Nathan Whitaker and Tim Tebow

15. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

16. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

17. Ketchup is a Vegetable and Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves by Robin O'Bryant

18. Sold by Patricia McCormick

[Night Elf]

I finished We saw these books at Goodwill the other day and dd17, the cat lover, was interested. Are these clean like Agatha Christie or are they more racy??

 

Oh no, not racy at all. The main character, Qwileran is an older man, about 50ish. He is a journalist who ends up solving crimes simply because he has good intuition and the ability to be a listener to anyone about anything. He believes he gets little hints from one of his cats, Koko. For example, if the murderer is a ship captain, Koko knocks books about the sea off the bookshelf. Qwill is a bibliophile and also treats his cats like equals. In the first several books, he lives in a big city and is broke as a church mouse. Later he inherits a gazillion dollars and moves to a very rural area. In those books, there are women who will try to flirt with him but it's nothing saucy or anything like that. He fends them off fairly easy because he's not interested. The one love interest he does get that lasts a long time is a librarian his age who is very proper. The books never go into detail about what they do on their evenings together. :)

[Melinda in VT]

This author looks interesting. Have you (or has anybody here) read anything else by him?

 

I haven't. I wouldn't mind taking a look at Foreskin's Lament. As somehow who left the conservative religion in which I was raised, I find other people's spiritual journeys very interesting.

[Mom-ninja.]

I read The Giver this week. I was pretty unhappy with the ending but was happy to learn that my interpretation of the ending was wrong, per the author.

 

Where did you find the author's interpretation?

[aggieamy]

I've been out of town for work and for fun so I got through a ton of books in the last few days. Unfortuanately they were all pretty mediocre. :glare:

 

Death of a Cad by MC Beaton - I had read the first one and thought it was okay so decided to try the second in the series. The romantic interest was so lame that it made it almost impossible to read. It was like the romance sections were written by a twelve year old girl with no clue as to what real relationships are like.

 

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - this was for ladies book club and not my typical type of novel. I love mysteries, historical fiction, and some fantasty. This was a future sci fi novel when almost all of mankind was wiped out. Great writing. Interesting subject. I didn't realize it was part of a trilogy. The book just ended like mid-chapter with no conclusion. That sucked.

 

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs - I've been reading quite a bit of non-fiction this year and have decided I don't like non-fiction books. I love the story but not the authors opinion on things. Gosh. I'm beginning to feel like a whiney reader.

 

A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie - Another Miss Marple book. Exactly what I expected - proper British people killing each other off.

 

In progress:

 

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglass Adams

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

Free-Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy

Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil (read aloud)

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

 

2012 finished books:

 

63. Death of a Cad by MC Beaton (**)

62. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (***)

61. The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs (***)

60. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (***)

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 (****)

 

Books 1 - 40

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

Edited May 29, 2012 by aggieamy

[Mom-ninja.]

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs - I've been reading quite a bit of non-fiction this year and have decided I don't like non-fiction books. I love the story but not the authors opinion on things.

 

 

I don't agree with most (if not all) of his opinions either.

[Stacia]

I finished Lavie Tidhar's The Bookman today. I'd probably give it 2.5 stars....

 

I really wanted to like this book, I promise. Yet, I just didn't really care that much about it. (I'm actually kind of surprised I finished it.)

 

"The Bookman" has some of the fun elements of steampunk, many neat references to literature, & plenty of action (each chapter ending in a little cliff-hanger). However, the story is a hot mess -- hard to follow, many rabbit trails that lead nowhere, & a protagonist that stumbles through the entire book as a 'pawn', unaware of what's going on. That's a problem, somewhat, because the reader also stumbles along, unaware of what's going on -- the plotting is just too directionless, imo. And, it gives a rather lukewarm feeling about the protagonist -- I just didn't care that much about him or his adventures.

 

If the author had ditched half of the 'cool' mentions of things related to Victoriana/steampunk, tightened the plot & characterization, I think he would have had a fabulous book. But, he didn't, so what could have been fabulous is, at best, mediocre. I'm disappointed.

[-M-]

Girl Detective is hosting "The Shelf Discovery Project" beginning June 4:

The Project: In the summer of 2012, we’re going to read a chapter a week from

Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading.

Each of its 10 chapters has a theme, and essays on several books. In addition to the chapter, read one of the books from the chapter, OR a book from your reading past OR a modern YA or adult book, OR a genre book (sci fi, fantasy, mystery, etc.) that fits the theme. OR don’t read a book, just read along, or reminisce on the ones that you did. To recap: read a chapter, and a book from or related to that chapter. Or remember rather than read a book. Then discuss. Or just lurk. See? Easy. Fun!

Delighted by the prospect of "reading like a girl" this summer, I happily reread Shelf Discovery (Lizzie Skurnick) over the weekend and made plans. Of the seventy-four "teen classics" discussed in Skurnick's survey of books that shaped the imaginations of women of a certain era (a complete list is included in Girl Detective's post), I chose, with two exceptions, books I have not read.

 

Chapter 1

Still Checked Out: YA Heroines We’ll Never Return

Read: Danny, the Champion of the World (Roald Dahl)

 

Chapter 2

She’s at That Age: Girls on the Verge

Read: Tiger Eyes (Judy Blume)

 

Chapter 3

Danger Girls: I Know What You Did Last Summer (Reading)

Read: I Am the Cheese (Robert Cormier) and Daughters of Eve (Lois Duncan)

 

Chapter 4

Read 'Em and Weep: Tearing Up the Pages

Read: Tell Me if the Lovers are Losers (Cynthia Voight)

Extra credit: I plan to reread Jacob Have I Loved (Katherine Paterson).

 

Chapter 5

You Heard It Here First: Very Afterschool Specials

Read: Are You in the House Alone? (Richard Peck)

 

Chapter 6

Girls Gone Wild: Runaways, Left Behinds and Ladies Living Off the Fat of the Land

Read: The Endless Steppe: A Girl in Exile (Esther Hautzig)

 

Chapter 7

She Comes by It Supernaturally: Girls Who Are Gifted and Talented

Read: Jane-Emily (Patricia Clapp)

Note: This will be a reread, but for some reason, unlike many of the other books on the list, this one doesn't coming back to me fully realized and smelling like mowed grass and Coppertone.

 

Chapter 8

Him She Loves: Romanced, Rejected, Affianced, Dejected

Read: Happy Endings are All Alike (Sandra Scoppetone) and In Summer Light (Zibby O'Neal)

 

Chapter 9

Old Fashioned Girls: They Wear Bonnets, Don’t They?

Read: Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Joan Aiken)

 

Chapter 10

Panty Lines: I Can’t Believe They Let Us Read This

Read: Domestic Arrangements (Norma Klein)

 

Doesn't this sound like a lovely way to pass the summer? Hop on over and check it out!

Edited January 18, 2013 by Mental multivitamin
clarity

[-M-]

#52 Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting (Pamela Druckerman; non-fiction)

 

#51 Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading (Lizzie Skurnik; non-fiction)

 

#50 Bossypants (Tina Fey; non-fiction)

 

#49 The Fault in Our Stars (John Green; YA fiction)

 

A complete list of books read in 2012 can be found

here.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Mental multivitamin
to correct numbering

[Robin M]

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs - I've been reading quite a bit of non-fiction this year and have decided I don't like non-fiction books. I love the story but not the authors opinion on things. Gosh. I'm beginning to feel like a whiney reader.

 

Even though I didn't agree with his view, I found it highly amusing and interesting. And he was honest in that it didn't change how he felt, but had been educated along the way.

[Robin M]

Girl Detective is hosting "The Shelf Discovery Project" beginning June 4:

The Project: In the summer of 2012, we’re going to read a chapter a week from

Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading.

Each of its 10 chapters has a theme, and essays on several books. In addition to the chapter, read one of the books from the chapter, OR a book from your reading past OR a modern YA or adult book, OR a genre book (sci fi, fantasy, mystery, etc.) that fits the theme. OR don’t read a book, just read along, or reminisce on the ones that you did. To recap: read a chapter, and a book from or related to that chapter. Or remember rather than read a book. Then discuss. Or just lurk. See? Easy. Fun!

Delighted by the prospect of "reading like a girl" this summer, I happily reread Shelf Discovery (Lizzie Skurnick) over the weekend and made plans. Of the seventy-four "teen classics" discussed in Skurnick's survey of books that shaped the imaginations of women of a certain era (a complete list is included in Girl Detective's post), I chose, with two exceptions, books I have not read.

 

Chapter 1

Still Checked Out: YA Heroines We’ll Never Return

Read: Danny, the Champion of the World (Roald Dahl)

 

Chapter 2

She’s at That Age: Girls on the Verge

Read: Tiger Eyes (Judy Blume)

 

Chapter 3

Danger Girls: I Know What You Did Last Summer (Reading)

Read: I Am the Cheese (Robert Cormier) and Daughters of Eve (Lois Duncan)

 

Chapter 4

Read 'Em and Weep: Tearing Up the Pages

Read: Tell Me if the Lovers are Losers (Cynthia Voight)

Extra credit: I plan to reread Jacob Have I Loved (Katherine Paterson).

 

Chapter 5

You Heard It Here First: Very Afterschool Specials

Read: Are You in the House Alone? (Richard Peck)

 

Chapter 6

Girls Gone Wild: Runaways, Left Behinds and Ladies Living Off the Fat of the Land

Read: The Endless Steppe: A Girl in Exile (Esther Hautzig)

 

Chapter 7

She Comes by It Supernaturally: Girls Who Are Gifted and Talented

Read: Jane-Emily (Patricia Clapp)

Note: This will be a reread, but for some reason, unlike many of the other books on the list, this one doesn't coming back to me fully realized and smelling like mowed grass and Coppertone.

 

Chapter 8

Him She Loves: Romanced, Rejected, Affianced, Dejected

Read: Happy Endings are All Alike (Sandra Scoppetone) and In Summer Light (Zibby O'Neal)

 

Chapter 9

Old Fashioned Girls: They Wear Bonnets, Don’t They?

Read: Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Joan Aiken)

 

Chapter 10

Panty Lines: I Can’t Believe They Let Us Read This

Read: Domestic Arrangements (Norma Klein)

 

Doesn't this sound like a lovely way to pass the summer? Hop on over and check it out!

 

 

Yes it does. I have this book and several of Lois Duncan's books as well as a few others. I bought the book a couple years ago when someone else proposed the challenge but didn't get too far except for reading Shelf Discovery. Sounds like an excellent idea and think I'll join in.

[joannqn]

Where did you find the author's interpretation?

 

Well, the fact that the main character shows up in the third book means he didn't die of hyperthermia like I thought. When I read it, I didn't realize it was a trilogy.

[VeganCupcake]

I have three books on the go right now: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen and Listen So Your Kids Will Talk by Mazlish and Faber, and Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden.

[Stacia]

I have started Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. We're reading it for my book club.

[Rosie_0801]

I read 'A Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady' which was about as pretty as can be! I was terribly excited to see pictures of plants and animals I've read about but never seen. :)

 

Rosie

[K in MI]

Haven't been reading as much these past few months. I finished #24: Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities (Amy Stewart). At least I'm not behind yet! :)

[Just Robyn]

I read 'A Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady' which was about as pretty as can be! I was terribly excited to see pictures of plants and animals I've read about but never seen. :)

 

Rosie

 

That would be great! I am often disappointed while reading when they mention a plant and I don't know what it looks like. (But of course I don't go look it up.)

[Melinda in VT]

 

47. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi~memoir, criminal case, serial killer. I found this a very easy (short chapters) and completely involving read about the famous Italian serial killer. What is so enthralling is that not only do the two authors decide to find the killer 25 years later, but also the extent to which they are targeted by the Italian judicial system for having a differing opinion. Engrossing.

 

 

 

DH and I read this when we were in Florence in April, and part-way through (DH was slightly ahead of me in the book), DH started telling me that if the Italian police asked me any questions, I should say nothing and insist on a lawyer. In my comments on it in an earlier thread, I said that I am now convinced Amanda Knox is innocent just because the Italian police think she's guilty. What a wild story.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Finished Lies My Teacher Told me

Reading Greg Cox's Underworld series

[Stacia]

Hey, Lizzie in MA, I have to thank you again for recommending Kevin Hearne's series. I bought all 4 books on a whim, based on your praise of them. I totally enjoyed the first one & mentioned them to my teen dd, thinking she would like them too. She zipped right through all 4 of them & totally loved them too. :001_smile: (Now I just need to get around to reading books 2-4 myself.)

[LostSurprise]

DH and I read this when we were in Florence in April, and part-way through (DH was slightly ahead of me in the book), DH started telling me that if the Italian police asked me any questions, I should say nothing and insist on a lawyer. In my comments on it in an earlier thread, I said that I am now convinced Amanda Knox is innocent just because the Italian police think she's guilty. What a wild story.

 

Its so crazy that the same prosecutor who came up with all those wild ideas in the book is the same one on the Amanda Knox case.

[Mom-ninja.]

Well, the fact that the main character shows up in the third book means he didn't die of hyperthermia like I thought. When I read it, I didn't realize it was a trilogy.

 

I didn't know it's a trilogy.

 

 

 

I have started Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

 

 

I read that and it depressed me the way a good book can.

 

 

 

I read 'A Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady' which was about as pretty as can be! I was terribly excited to see pictures of plants and animals I've read about but never seen. :)

 

Rosie

 

That looks like a fun read.

 

Haven't been reading as much these past few months. I finished #24: Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities (Amy Stewart). At least I'm not behind yet! :)

 

Would this be okay for an 11 yr old?

 

 

Hey, Lizzie in MA, I have to thank you again for recommending Kevin Hearne's series.

 

I have that on my wish list.

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #32 - "Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, And the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero" by Michael Hingson. A Literary Masterpiece it was not, but I enjoyed it. I have a certain fascination with 9/11 survivor stories as one of my MIL's former exchange students was among them. She walked down from the 80th floor of the North Tower.

 

Book #31 - "America's Hidden History" by Kenneth C. Davis. Different format than his "Don't Know Much About" series. Very fascinating stories not commonly told about American History. I liked it a lot.

 

Book #30 - "The Diamond of Darkhold†by Jeanne DuPrau.

Book #29 - "The People of Sparks†by Jeanne DuPrau.

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

[joannqn]

I didn't know it's a trilogy.

 

I didn't either until I mentioned it on FB and someone mentioned it.

 

The second book is Gathering Blue and takes place a few years later than The Giver, in a village, with different characters. It just ends without any real ending.

 

The third book is Messenger and has various characters from the first two books meeting. I don't know the plot because I haven't read this one yet. It's next on the list.

[Stacia]

I finished Anthem by Ayn Rand. This was the first Rand book I've read. It was pretty good, very spare & direct. Her style fits well with her theme, imo.

 

In addition to continuing The Dancing Wu Li Masters (about quantum physics -- sometimes my brain hurts when reading this :tongue_smilie::lol:) and Wuthering Heights (this crew sure takes the 'fun' out of dysfunctional relationships ;)), I've started some entertaining summer reading: Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich.

 

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

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 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)

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)

32. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (5 stars)

33. Anthem by Ayn Rand (3 stars)

[Jane in NC]

Progress! I finished #25, Susan Howatch's powerful novel, The Rich are Different. Yes it is a retelling of Julius Caesar set in the '20's and '30's--but I thought it was more fascinating as a commentary of the financial system and the uber weatlthy. Any book that uses the Glass Steagall Act to motivate the plot is my kind of book.

 

Howatch is smart and a wonderful writer. I have jumped into the 700+ page sequel, Sins of the Fathers.

 

I also listened to #26, an audio book version of Josephine Tey's The Singing Sands. All of the Inspector Grant novels are fabulous--I should probably reread the series.

 

 

 

 

'

[ladydusk]

Progress! I finished #25, Susan Howatch's powerful novel, The Rich are Different. Yes it is a retelling of Julius Caesar set in the '20's and '30's--but I thought it was more fascinating as a commentary of the financial system and the uber weatlthy. Any book that uses the Glass Steagall Act to motivate the plot is my kind of book.

 

Howatch is smart and a wonderful writer. I have jumped into the 700+ page sequel, Sins of the Fathers.

 

I actually think I liked Sins of the Fathers better. Hope you enjoy it!

 

I've got Cashelmara and Penmarric to take with me on vacation.