Book a Week in 2012 - week 27

[Kareni]

Finished Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton. It's a short book and only took me an hour or two to read. I thought that the jokes I understood were funny but I only understood half of them. All the Canadian jokes went over my head along with some of the book ones. I guess that I'm not as well read as I thought.

 

My feeling about the book were similar, and I'll admit to not even finishing it. I seem to recall that it became work more than pleasure.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I finished Mozart's Wife and probably because of the mood I was in, I'd give it 2 Stars. If I was in a better mood, I'd likely give it 3. Nonetheless, I think he was a real jerk.

 

Having difficulty reading and focusing these days. Lots of magazines and have just started The Full Cupboard of Life. An easy read.

 

[Stacia]

Having difficulty reading and focusing these days.

 

:grouphug:, friend.

 

With your new avatar, maybe you need to re-read the Harry Potter books. :D

[Robin M]

Irish author discovery: Dermot Healy

 

Celebrated Irish author Dermot Healy’s first novel in more than ten years is a rich, beguiling, compassionate, and wonderfully funny story about community, family, love, and bonds across generations.

 

 

Set in an isolated coastal town in northwest Ireland, Long Time, No See centers around an unforgettable cast of innocents and wounded, broken misfits. The story is narrated by a young man known as Mister Psyche who takes up with and is then drawn into a series of bemusing and unsettling misadventures with two men some fifty years his senior—his grand uncle Joejoe and Joejoe’s neighbor The Blackbird—wonderful, eccentric characters full of ancient jealousies and grudges and holding some very dark secrets.

 

 

Written with great lyrical power and a vivid sense of place and published to rapturous reviews in England and Ireland, Long Time, No See is a sad-comic tapestry of life and death that celebrates the incredibly rich lives of ordinary people.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Mytwoblessings

[Robin M]

Woohoo - another great offer from Barnes and Noble. If you haven't started Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, now is your chance. The first book City of Bones is available for nook for .99 cents.

[Rosie_0801]

I finished 'Merry Wives of Windsor' last night.

 

 

Rosie

[Jane in NC]

How would you compare it to Barbara Pym. I've only read one (I think also on your recommendation). We seem to enjoy those British authors ;)

 

Barbara Pym has more depth and is a better writer. To be far, though, I think that they different sorts of writers (well, opinion based on reading one of Macaulay's books whereas I have read all of Pym's).

 

Ooohhh...have I mentioned another of my favorite authors, Angela Thirkell? She picks up where Trollope left off in the fictional county of Barsetshire, creating a recurring cast of characters over the decades. Wonderful stuff!

[ladydusk]

Barbara Pym has more depth and is a better writer. To be far, though, I think that they different sorts of writers (well, opinion based on reading one of Macaulay's books whereas I have read all of Pym's).

 

Ooohhh...have I mentioned another of my favorite authors, Angela Thirkell? She picks up where Trollope left off in the fictional county of Barsetshire, creating a recurring cast of characters over the decades. Wonderful stuff!

 

I think that even though the writing is very different, there's just something about those British women authors, though, that ties them together. Hard to put my finger on it. Pym is very different from Howatch and Mary Stewart and Georgette Heyer and Austen, too.

 

Her wiki is a who's who of British writers and artists, isn't it? I've not read Trollope, is that a problem (not that my library has any Thirkell ... [argh]) I'm amused that she was appalled that those educated as she had been might read her writing.

[Kareni]

I just finished Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh; it's the 11th book in her Psy-Changeling (paranormal romance) series. I enjoyed the book and the romance between the two main characters. I have to admit though that after reading the other ten books over the course of six years, I have a tendency to forget the finer details of all the background stories that are on going.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

 

Her wiki is a who's who of British writers and artists, isn't it? I've not read Trollope, is that a problem (not that my library has any Thirkell ... [argh]) I'm amused that she was appalled that those educated as she had been might read her writing.

 

I have not read much Trollope myself but I still adore Thirkell! Looks like I'll be scanning library book sales for some of her books for you.

[eaglei]

I'm late posting this week because we just got our power back late yesterday.

 

While sitting on the porch, hoping unsuccessfully for some night-air coolness, I finished #33 by flashlight. It was well worth it!

 

#33 - The Gift of Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok. When I signed this book out of the library, I was both eager to read the sequel to My Name is Asher Lev and dubious as to whether it would be as absorbing. It was every bit as absorbing, and very compelling.

 

Currently reading:

 

#34 - Mother, by Kathleen Norris. This is a book I have heard about for literally years and - again, literally - spent years looking for a used copy. Finally found one at a library sale a few years ago - on their *free* table! Enjoyable so far.

 

Not sure what I will read next, but it will be something in my personal stacks that I'm yet trying to whittle down; public library (and most of town) is still without power. Am I ever glad I have a stash of books here! :D

[Negin]

:grouphug:, friend.

With your new avatar, maybe you need to re-read the Harry Potter books. :D

Thanks, Stacia. :grouphug:

I'm considering it :lol:. Already read them twice.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[MicheleinMN]

I don't know what # book I am on, but I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I really enjoyed it! I also finished The Family Corleone, but I came away from it feeling sad and disillusioned.

 

I am reading The Spellman Files and Faithful Place right now.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I've finished the 2nd book in the T.A. Baron's Merline series.

Hit a "fill a bag for a buck" sale and bought some fun summer reading. Read a fun, stupid book about genetically modified sharks called Hunger, started the first A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature.

Now I have to spend a day cleaning my house then get back to my reading.

Also started Once Burned by Jeanine Frost.

[VeganCupcake]

I finished When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams. It discusses women finding their voices. I wonder if have found mine--I think in most areas, I have.

 

I'm sort of floundering around trying to find something to read, starting a few things and then deciding not to continue. For now, I'm reading Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.

[laughing lioness]

I finally, finally finished 5 Red Herrings by Sayers. As Cailitin says, "it was stupid." My least fav Sayers book. I was confused most of the way through- too many strange details.

I tried picking up the Dick Van Dyke book but it's not thrilling me. I somehow lost the Illusions book by Peretti from the library. Oy vey.

 

Eaglei- I will be looking for "The Gift of Asher Lev" . Potok rocks, as long as he sticks to post WWII. Read "Old Men at Midnight" last year and it was meh.

 

I have a ton of reading dh wants me to get through- it is mainly therapy and theology. I might just bury myself in Have His Carcase by Sayers instead- Caitilin (these bds) brought over a whole bag of Sayers for me to dive into. :001_smile::001_smile:

 

here's my list to date:

• Bauer, SW, The History of the Medieval World
  
• Blackwood, Shakespeare Stealer (YA read-aloud)
  
• Blackwood, Shakespeare's Scribe (YA read-aloud)
  
• Burpo, Heaven is for Real
  
• Craighead George, Far Side of the Mountain (YA read-aloud)
  
• Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain (YA read-aloud)
  
• Grange, Capt. Wentworth's Diary
  
• Hall, Moore; Same Kind of Different as Me
  
• Henry, King of the Wind (YA- read-aloud)
  
• Hill. Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life
  
• Howatch, High Flyer
  
• King, On Writing
  
• King, The Green Mile
  
• Lamott, Grace (Eventually)
  
• Lamott, Imperfect Birds
  
• Lewis, C.S. Out of the Silent Planet
  
• Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters
  
• Mansfield, Where Has Oprah Taken Us?
  
• McCuthcheon, D*amn, Why Didn't I Write That?
  
• McEwan, On Chesil Beach
  
• Patillo, The Dashwood Sisters Tell All
  
• Piccolt, House Rules
  
• Piccolt, Lone Wolf
  
• Piccolt, Plain Truth
  
• Piccolt, Vanishing Acts
  
• Piccoult, My Sister's Keeper
  
• Potok, Davita's Harp
  
• Sawyers, Triggers
  
• Sayers, 5 Red Herrings
  
• Sayers, Gaudy Night
  
• Sayers, Murder Must Advertise
  
• Sayers, Strong Poison
  
• Sayers, The 9 Tailors
  
• Sayers, The Busman's Honeymoon
  
• Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
  
• Sayers, Unnatural Death
  
• Sayers, Whose Body
  
• Upton, Sister
  
• Wilson, Robocopolypse
  
• Wisemen, et al, An Amish Wedding
  
• Wolf, The Upper Zoo
  

Edited July 5, 2012 by laughing lioness

[eaglei]

I tried picking up the Dick Van Dyke book but it's not thrilling me. I somehow lost the Illusions book by Peretti from the library. Oy vey.

 

Eaglei- I will be looking for "The Gift of Asher Lev" . Potok rocks, as long as he sticks to post WWII. Read "Old Men at Midnight" last year and it was meh.

 

Sorry that the Dick Van Dyke book was unappealing. This was one Hollywood bio that I actually enjoyed. :)

 

Be mindful that The Gift of Asher Lev is set twenty years after My Name is Asher Lev concludes. I simply could not put these books down. :)

 

Do you have any Chaim Potok novels that you especially recommend? My intro to this author was Davita's Harp; these are the only three I've read. If memory serves, the library has four or five books by him. Of course, they are still closed due to the power outage, and their website is not currently up, either.

 

Also, which Sayers book would you recommend as the intro to this authors' writing?

[Robin M]

5 must reads about Ernest Hemingway

 

 

Came across this quote tonight and just had to share:

 

 

"There are books so alive that you're always afraid that while you weren't reading, the book has gone and changed, has shifted like a river; while you went on living, it went on living too, and like a river moved on and moved away. No one has stepped twice into the same river. But did anyone ever step twice into the same book? ~Marina Tsvetaeva"

[Stacia]

I have started a book I picked up at the library today: Osa and Martin: For the Love of Adventure by Kelly Enright.

[Kareni]

A favorite historical romance author of mine is Mary Balogh, and I've been reading some of her older romances as I locate them. (She has quite the back list having written some sixty plus novels.) Most recently read with pleasure is Courting Julia.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[laughing lioness]

Sorry that the Dick Van Dyke book was unappealing. This was one Hollywood bio that I actually enjoyed. :)

 

Be mindful that The Gift of Asher Lev is set twenty years after My Name is Asher Lev concludes. I simply could not put these books down. :)

 

Do you have any Chaim Potok novels that you especially recommend? My intro to this author was Davita's Harp; these are the only three I've read. If memory serves, the library has four or five books by him. Of course, they are still closed due to the power outage, and their website is not currently up, either.

 

Also, which Sayers book would you recommend as the intro to this authors' writing?

 

I'm not done with Dick Van Dyke yet- I love him and got the book cause you recommended it.

Potok's "big name book" is "The Chosen." Just beautiful. Davit's Harp and Asher Lev are my next fav.

For Sayers- start with either The Nine Tailors or Guady Night.

Hope you get power soon- is the weather beastly hot there?

[ladydusk]

Two more Eddings ... finishing The Belgariad. I might wait to start The Mallorean series. Maybe I'll go back to some Howatch. Wheel of Fortune :)

 

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

23. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (audio book)

24. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (audio book)

25. Penmarric by Susan Howatch

26. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch

27. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

28. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

29. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings

30. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings

31. Castle of Wizadry by David Eddings

32. Enchanter's End Game by David Eddings

[laughing lioness]

Two more Eddings ... finishing The Belgariad. I might wait to start The Mallorean series. Maybe I'll go back to some Howatch. Wheel of Fortune :)

 

 

 

Where to start with Howatch- I did not like High Flyer. I have to ill the series SWB recommends. What else?

[NanceXToo]

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

 

18. The High Flyer, by Susan Howatch.

 

19. Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 1)

 

20. Heir to the Shadows, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 2)

 

21. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer

 

22. Queen of the Darkness, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 3)

 

23. The Invisible Ring, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series)

 

24. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James

 

25. Fifty Shades Darker, by E.L. James

 

26. Fifty Shades Freed, by E.L. James

 

27. Dreams Made Flesh, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series)

 

CURRENT (and still getting pushed aside for other books)

 

28. Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund

 

29. Goodnight Nobody, by Jennifer Weiner

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished A Weekend with Mr Darcy which was a fun, fast, and cute romance. I loved all the Austen references. I can see why Robyn snatched Dan up so quickly. I would have too. :D

[ladydusk]

Where to start with Howatch- I did not like High Flyer. I have to ill the series SWB recommends. What else?

 

The Rich are Different and then The Sins of the Fathers. Not from a Christian perspective/writer ... These two books are set in the 1920s-1960s on Wall Street and based on the lives of Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar. I liked the second better, but while you wouldn't have to read the first, you'll understand the second way better if you do.

 

They have none of the psychological/paranormal aspects that she works through in The High Flyer (St Benet's series).

 

Penmarric, Cashelmara, and Wheel of Fortune are based on the Plantangenets. I did not care for Cashelmara. I found it very very disturbing - with physical, emotional, and psychological torture. I loved Penmarric. I remember liking Wheel of Fortune which I read a number of years ago.

 

Her early gothic romances are fine, good for that style (think Victoria Holt/Mary Stewart) but she really hit her stride in the 70s with these family sagas, IMO.

 

ETA: My recommendation for you is: The Rich are Different and then Sins of the Fathers. I realize it got buried in the mess of titles.

Edited July 6, 2012 by ladydusk

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #38 - "Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Susan C. Pinsky. Should I start thinking about getting myself evaluated if I keep relating to these books I get to help my kids? :tongue_smilie: I could really see the suggestions Ms. Pinsky shares helping the whole family, not just the members we believe to be ADHD. I like "everything visible" organizing, too.

 

Book #37 - "Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood" by Marilyn vos Savant.

Book #36 -"A Young People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn.

Book #35 - "Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School" by Martin L. Kutscher & Marcella Moran.

Book #34 - "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" by Mark Adams.

Book #33 - "The Lightening Thief" by Rick Riordan.

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.

Book #31 - "America's Hidden History" by Kenneth C. Davis.

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

[Angel]

I finished The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells today. It was a library book sale find. I had been slowly working on this for a couple of weeks. It was not a long story but for the first half I could only take it in small doses. What a disturbing tale! I was horrified in the beginning and wasn't sure if I could continue. The last half moved along better.

 

Warning: Christian content in the following paragraph you may not want to read...

 

I was appalled at Moreau's evolutionary ideas and how that "justified," in his mind, what he was doing. I am not a huge "Worldview" person and read (and watch movies) for the enjoyment, not to dissect this worldview or that from it. However, Wells really throws it in your face here. I couldn't help but wonder what may be going on in the secular science world today with modern technology and the human being just another step on the evolutionary ladder. I prefer to be an ostrich and not think of these things and found the book and the thoughts it led me to thoroughly disturbing.

 

Sorry for the Christian content. And I'm not looking to debate. As most of you know, I don't usually post anything like that, as I actually hate debating and conflict. I usually post my book and how many I've read with rarely any thoughts about it. But no book this year has brought out such feelings in me and I wanted to be able to share my thoughts. I hope that is ok.

 

Thanks to Dawn, I have begun rereading The Belgariad myself. After The Island of Doctor Moreau, it is a breath of fresh air :D

[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

16. The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood

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

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

19. The Shut-Down Learner Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child by Richard Selznick, PhD

20. Pretending to be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome by Liane Holliday Willey

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

22. Look me in the eye by John Elder Robison

23. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

24. Atypical - Life with Asperger's in 20 1/3 Chapters by Jesse Saperstein

25. Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

26. The Fire Within by Chris D'Lacey

27. Slouching Toward Adulthood ... Observations from the Not-So-Empty Nest by Sally Koslow

 

Next up - Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner

Edited July 7, 2012 by laundrycrisis

[Stacia]

Finally, my reading has picked up after being in a lull for awhile. I've finished two books this week...

 

The Colors of Infamy by Albert Cossery:

I stumbled across this book on the library rack of new books. Having never read Cossery (whose works have only recently been translated), I thought this novella might be an interesting treat. I found it to be a mildly amusing allegory about corruption & the differences between the haves & the have-nots. Of course, being an allegory, his themes & commentary on them are universal & timeless. I think Cossery did a lovely job of giving a glimpse of life in Cairo. Definitely worth reading if you want to try a modern allegory.

 

Osa and Martin: For the Love of Adventure by Kelly Enright:

This is a fairly interesting biography of Osa & Martin Johnson (mainly set from the 1910s to the 1940s), who were known/wildly popular for their photos & films of Africa (& the South Pacific). In addition to their photos, films, lecture circuits, the Johnsons also provided specimens/dioramas used in natural history museums & brought animals to various zoos in the US. Prior to reading this, I had never really thought about the person/people behind the stuffed animal exhibits in museums. Although they started out hunting on their African trips, they later morphed into being bigger proponents of not hunting (for the most part) & leaving the animals in their natural habitats. More of the book focused on Osa, who was an impressive adventurer.

 

Some of their time spent in the South Pacific was in search of cannibal tribes to film. Having read Thor Heyerdahl's "Fatu-Hiva" (about his time living in the South Pacific, part of the time w/ the last remaining cannibal of a particular tribe), this was another interesting glimpse of life on remote islands about 100 years ago.

 

I enjoyed the photos that were included from their various trips & safaris. (There were a couple of typos in the book that bugged me, though.)

 

I've now started an alternative-history book (centered around the sinking of the Titanic), The Company of the Dead by David Kowalski.

 

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

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:

Books I read January-June 2012

37. Clutter Busting Your Life by Brooks Palmer (3 stars)

38. The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje (5 stars)

39. The Colors of Infamy by Albert Cossery (3 stars)

40. Osa and Martin: For the Love of Adventure by Kelly Enright (3 stars)

Edited September 12, 2014 by Stacia

[aggieamy]

I've had a very lazy morning and read. Finished my Miss Marple mystery, 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie. The killer wasn't who I guessed and there was a romance that was left a little open ended that has been driving me crazy. Who did the girl marry?!?! :)

 

In progress:

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

Order from Chaos by Liz Davenport

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (recommended here)

Supermarket by Satoshi Azuchi (for book club)

Calico Bush by Rachel Field (read aloud)

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

 

2012 finished books:

 

79. 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie (***)

78. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton (****)

77. 84, Charing Cross by Helene Hanff (****)

76. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (****)

75. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore (***)

74. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by PD James (***)

73. Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura Williams (***)

72. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (****)

71. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien (****)

70. The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien (**)

69. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (****)

68. The School Story by Andrew Clement - read aloud (****)

67. The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (*)

66. Free-Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy (***)

65. Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil -read aloud (***)

64. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglass Adams (*****)

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 July 8, 2012 by aggieamy

[Kareni]

...

27. Slouching Toward Adulthood ... Observations from the Not-So-Empty Nest by Sally Koslow

 

 

 

laundrycrisis,

 

Did you enjoy the book? I'd love to hear a few thoughts if you're willing to share.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[VeganCupcake]

I finally finished my book club book (I was listening to the audio book), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I did not enjoy it at all. Well, maybe I loved to hate it. :lol: The author had a problem with using too many similes. It was as bad as a piece of old string cheese, opened and chewed on by my 3 year old, then put in a plastic bag and hidden at the back of the fridge for two weeks.

 

I started listening to Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. I like it a lot so far. The language is great.

[Negin]

I finally finished my book club book (I was listening to the audio book), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I did not enjoy it at all. Well, maybe I loved to hate it. :lol: The author had a problem with using too many similes. It was as bad as a piece of old string cheese, opened and chewed on by my 3 year old, then put in a plastic bag and hidden at the back of the fridge for two weeks.

:lol: Thank you for this. This has been on and off my wish list for a few years now. Now, I've taken it off permanently. :lol:

[Rosie_0801]

I've just finished Errol, Fidel and the Cuban Rebel Girls. Sometimes I read a book and wonder why it was ever written. This one was of those kinds of books.

 

Rosie

[Negin]

Sometimes I read a book and wonder why it was ever written. This one was of those kinds of books.

:smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5:

My first good laugh of the morning. :D Rosie, thank you. :grouphug:

The one and only review is also funny - not even available to U.S. buyers. ;)

[Stacia]

I finally finished my book club book (I was listening to the audio book), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I did not enjoy it at all. Well, maybe I loved to hate it. :lol: The author had a problem with using too many similes. It was as bad as a piece of old string cheese, opened and chewed on by my 3 year old, then put in a plastic bag and hidden at the back of the fridge for two weeks.

 

I've just finished Errol, Fidel and the Cuban Rebel Girls. Sometimes I read a book and wonder why it was ever written. This one was of those kinds of books.

 

:smilielol5: This is why I *love* this thread -- brutally honest reviews! :D

[Robin M]

Link to week 28 - please continue conversation in new thread