Book a Week in 2012 - week 30

[Robin M]

Good morning, afternoon, evening depending on where you are. I'm posting this tonight since I'm taking the night shift with my mom and will come home and crash and won't be up to post this in the morning. She's doing better, still weak and has a ways to go before she can come home. If one of you would kindly bump this in the morning so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Thanks.

 

Good Morning, my lovelies! Today is the start of week 30 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 - Christy Awards:Named in honor of Catherine Marshall's most famous novel Christy, are given for excellence in Christian fiction. Yes, more books to add to your ever growing wishlists. *grin*

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 29

[Robin M]

Currently reading Becca Fitzpatrick's Silence, 3rd in Hush Hush series.

[PeacefulChaos]

I'm reading Auschwitz by Miklos Nyiszli. It's... wow. o.O

[SunnyDays]

Oh wow, I don't think I've posted for a couple weeks, at least!!

 

I recently finished up some cozy mysteries, including the first three (all that's written so far!) of Sheila Connolly's Museum series. I am starting "Plantation" by Dorothea Benton Frank, and I have a couple non-fiction on my Kindle I might work in there as well.

 

My total for the year so far is 43 books.

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for starting this thread - this week and every single week. Glad to hear that your mom is doing better. Thinking of you all and praying. :grouphug:

 

I'm reading Auschwitz by Miklos Nyiszli. It's... wow. o.O

This looks good, but I'm worried that it might sadden me too much. :confused:

 

I can't remember if I posted last week or not. I finished and liked (given my mood and not being able to handle anything even remotely serious):

Full Cupboard of Life

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

I give 3 Stars to both, which, with my rating system means "Enjoyable". :)

I'm now reading and so far really enjoying The Enchanted April. I want to be there in that villa in Italy. I really, really do ... Thank you for this thread and whoever mentioned it a few months ago. :grouphug:

 

[LNC]

We are still reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. I'm on Goblet of Fire. My kids are on the 3rd and 5th book. I've slowed down on HP, bc I'm leading a middle school book club and take time to prepare for that each week. We are reading Emma, Jane Austen now. I'm also reading lots of homeschool books to get ready for next year...

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm now reading and so far really enjoying The Enchanted April. I want to be there in that villa in Italy. I really, really do ... Thank you for this thread and whoever mentioned it a few months ago. :grouphug:

 

 

 

I liked that book, and I'm also on the hunt for a villa.

 

My reading has slowed down a bit as I'm side tracked with curricula research. So many choices.

[Violet Crown]

Since I last posted, I finished Edward E. Gordon's Centuries of Tutoring and Selected Short Stories by Henry James, and am working simultaneously on Arthur's Britain and Doctor Brodie's Report by Borges. And, of course, the perennial City of God.

 

Centuries of Tutoring is a self-published exhaustive overview of the history of one-on-one teaching in the west, from ancient Greece to (very briefly) the homeschooling movement. The most interesting point for a homeschooler is that the concept of parent-to-child education as a distinct category is extremely recent. Through history, it's just been one possible tutoring arrangement out of many: the real distinction has been between individual versus teacher-to-class education. For instance, Thomas More tutored his own daughters, not because he thought it was important for them to be taught at home by a parent, but because he happened to be the best-qualified tutor available.

 

The discussion of Victorian "fireside education" will be interesting to those who take a Charlotte Mason approach. And there are copious extracts from the goldmine of books, journals, and letters of tutors that Gordon has dug up, with their advice, discoveries, and frustrations. From the Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian, a tutor in Virginia on the eve of the Revolution:

 

"When I am bedizen'd with these clamorous children, sometimes I silently exclaim--Once I was told, now I know I feel how irksome the Pedagogy Scheme is--Fanny--I say Fanny, don't you hear me, Fanny and Betsy, sit down--pray, Sir, must I multiply here by 32--Yes, thick-Scull...."

 

Personally, I was quite taken with the adventures of Caledonia "Callie" Wright, a circuit-riding tutor of Civil War-era Texas who took up the trade (just down the river from Austin!) after her father's business failed.

 

Unfortunately the book shows its lack of an editor by frequent typos, occasional repetitions, and interesting statements not developed or explained. I will be keeping it around, though, as a valuable historical resource. Above all, it opened my eyes to how exceptionally recent, and unprecedented in western civilization, was the 20th century notion that school education should be preferred to education through tutoring. We are not the outliers here; we are the historical mainstream.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Sharon in Austin
Fat fingers

[prairiegirl]

I am definitely not reading a book in a week this year. Right now I am knee-deep in pre-reading for this upcoming school year. I finished 'The Hounds of the Baskervilles" last week and am now in the middle of "Rilla of Ingleside" by L.M.Montgomery and "The Innocence of Father Brown" by Chesterton. I am also reading 'Beauty in the Word" by Stratford Caldecott. I am finding this book to be very interesting.

[-M-]

Currently reading Pariah, zombie fiction from Bob Fingerman. Not exactly "great" (let alone, "great lit") but it's entertaining and light, which is what this rainy morning post-bike ride requires.

 

Books read in 2012 (77 as July 22)

■ Things We Didn't See Coming (Steven Amsterdam; fiction)

■ Brain Power: Improve Your Mind as You Age (Michael J. Gelb and Kelly Howell; non-fiction)

■ The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need (Andrew Tobias; non-fiction)

■ The Tale of Paradise Lost: Based on the Poem by John Milton (Nancy Willard; fiction)

■ A Thousand Cuts (Simon Lelic; fiction)

■ Falling for Hamlet (Michelle Ray; YA fiction)

■ Happy Endings Are All Alike (Sandra Scoppettone; YA fiction)

■ Amped (Daniel H. Wilson; fiction)

■ Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything (Joshua Foer; non-fiction)

■ The Group (Mary McCarthy; fiction)

■ The Age of Miracles (Karen Thompson Walker; fiction)

■ Othello (William Shakespeare; play)

■ Are You in the House Alone? (Richard Peck; YA fiction)

■ Lament for a Son (Nicholas Wolterstorff; non-fiction)

■ The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains (Nicholas Carr; non-fiction)

■ Daughters of Eve (Lois Duncan; YA fiction)

■ Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson; fiction)

■ I Am the Cheese (Robert Cormier; YA fiction)

■ Gone, Girl (Gillian Flynn; fiction)

■ Roy Lichtenstein, 1923-1997 (Janis Hendrickson; non-fiction)

■ Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars (Rob Thomas, editor; non-fiction)

■ Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury; fiction)

■ Tiger Eyes (Judy Blume; YA fiction)

■ The Iceman Cometh (Eugene O'Neill; play)

■ The Devil All the Time (Donald Ray Pollock; fiction)

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

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

■ Bossypants (Tina Fey; non-fiction)

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

■ The Wave (Todd Strasser; YA fiction)

■ When You Were Mine (Rebecca Serle; YA fiction)

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

■ First Love (Ivan Turgenev; fiction)

■ The Night Bookmobile (Audrey Niffenegger; graphic novel)

■ Retirement without Borders (Barry Golson; non-fiction)

■ The World's Top Retirement Havens (ed. Margaret J. Goldstein; non-fiction)

■ Let's Go: Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia (ed. Michelle R. Bowman; non-fiction)

■ The Lifeboat (Charlotte Rogan; fiction)

■ iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us (Larry D. Rosen; non-fiction, psychology/technology)

■ The Difference (Jean Chatzky; non-fiction, personal finance)

■ The Pen Commandments (Steven Frank; non-fiction, writing)

■ Timon of Athens (William Shakespeare; play)

■ Going Bovine (Libba Bray; YA fiction)

■ The Memory Palace (Mira Bartók; memoir)

■ Mr. Monster (Dan Wells; fiction)

■ I Don't Want to Kill You (Dan Wells; fiction)

■ The Fiddler in the Subway (Gene Weingarten; non-fiction, journalism/essays)

■ The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins; fiction)

■ The Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare; play)

■ The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg; non-fiction)

■ Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books (Leah Price; non-fiction)

■ Sister (Rosamund Lupton; fiction)

■ The Scarlet Pimpernel (Baroness Emmuska Orczy; fiction)

■ Immortal Bird (Doron Weber; memoir)

■ Defending Jacob (William Landay; fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 4: Endangered Species (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 3: Animal Armies (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods (Jeff Lemire; graphic fiction)

■ The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (Jan-Philipp Sendker; fiction)

■ Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher; YA fiction)

■ Stop Acting Rich... And Start Living Like a Real Millionaire (Thomas J. Stanley; non-fiction; personal finance)

■ Our Town (Thornton Wilder; play)

■ Wool 5 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ The Crucible (Arthur Miller; play)

■ Wool 4 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ Wool 3 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ Adventure Unleashed (______ __. _________; unpublished fiction)

■ Wool 2 (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ Wool (Hugh Howey; fiction)

■ The Project (Brian Falkner; YA fiction)

■ Like Shaking Hands with God (Kurt Vonnegut, Lee Stringer; non-fiction)

■ The Autobiography of an Execution (David R. Dow; non-fiction)

■ Feed (MT Anderson; fiction)

■ Coriolanus (William Shakespeare; play)

■ Artist's Journal Workshop (Cathy Johnson; non-fiction, art)

■ The English Teacher (Lily King; fiction)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[eaglei]

Robin, Thank you so much for doing this thread - even with so much else that is much more serious, on your mind. Prayers for a quick recovery for your mom!

 

This week I finished:

 

#38 - On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan. Not what I thought it would be and there were moments when I wondered WHY I was continuing to read it; however, the TMI-aspect aside (a driving force of the total story), I am glad I finished this quick-reading book. Perhaps one of the most *profound* statements I've read this year was contained within this book:

 

"This is how the entire course of a life can be changed - by doing nothing."

 

The inside back jacket included this phrase in its description:

 

"... Lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken."

 

Admittedly, I thought on these two comments quite a bit (and still am...)

 

#39 - The Perfect Life, by Robin Lee Hatcher. My introduction to this Christian fiction writer. Meh. Too many obvious things and too pat an ending.

 

Currently reading:

 

#40 - A Glass of Blessings, by Barbara Pym. Saw this author recommended on these threads and decided to give her a try. Have only just started, so no comments yet.

[Just Robyn]

I didn't get much reading in this last week. I did manage to read a quick graphic novel.

 

55.) Aya - by Marguerite Abouet - This is the first book in a fiction graphic novel series portraying middle class life in the Ivory Coast in the 70s.

[Zebra]

This week I finished (51) Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith.

I enjoyed it. It's funny how everyone kind of hated the Queen because of Diana, and now popular opinion is that Diana had mental problems and the Queen endured a lot with grace and dignity.

 

I guess the lesson here is sometimes in life if you can calmly wait the "crazy" people/situations out, you'll come out on top.

[Mom-ninja.]

This week I finished (51) Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith.

 

 

Is this the book that talks down about the fact that she didn't go to school?

[dangermom]

I've mostly been reading curriculum in a planning frenzy!

 

But I did manage to read Bab: a Sub-Deb, which is SO funny. It's from 1917 and the story of a girl who just can't wait to 'come out'--but meanwhile she gets into a lot of scrapes. It's a free download on Kindle or probably anywhere, so read it!

 

And, here's my odd one: I read The Communist Manifesto.

[Kareni]

I re-read Dragon Bound (A Novel of the Elder Races) by Thea Harrison and enjoyed it once again. It's a paranormal romance.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kelly1730]

I finally finished Peace Like A River this afternoon. It was a really good book, different from my usual genre, but that's probably a good thing:) Not sure what I'll read next, I know that I have plenty to chose from both in my library list and on my Kindle because of all the great books recommended on here.

 

Thank you for doing this thread each week, Robin, and glad to hear that your mom is feeling better.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm now reading and so far really enjoying The Enchanted April. I want to be there in that villa in Italy. I really, really do ... Thank you for this thread and whoever mentioned it a few months ago. :grouphug:

 

 

I couldn't find the book, but the dvd was in the library. It was very nice. Does anyone know how closely it follows the book?

[Onceuponatime]

Back in religion again, I'm reading God and Empire by John Dominic Crossan.

[Ali in OR]

Checking in again after being absent a couple of weeks.

 

I finally finished Anna Karenina from the April challenge! Woohoo! I enjoyed it, even though it took me so long to get it done. Also finished the second Jane Austen mystery and The House of the Seven Gables which I was pre-reading as a possible home school book.

 

I have two from the library in progress--the third Jane Austen mystery book and The Power of Habit (someone here recommended this) which I'm finding very interesting. The type of book I quote to my dh and kids. Both are due this Thursday, so gotta get reading.

 

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

46. Anna Karenina-Leo Tolstoy*

45. Jane and the Man of the Cloth-Stephanie Barron

44. The House of the Seven Gables-Nathaniel Hawthorne

43. Mockingjay-Suzanne Collins

42. The Vitamin D Solution-Michael F. Holick

41. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor-Stephanie Barron

40. Suspense and Sensibility-Carrie Bebris

39. Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins

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

[Negin]

I liked that book, and I'm also on the hunt for a villa.

My reading has slowed down a bit as I'm side tracked with curricula research. So many choices.

Yes, a villa would be lovely.

My reading is also quite slow these days. I feel stressed, distracted, overwhelmed, and it doesn't help when most of the books that I have just don't interest me much at the moment. :confused:

[Dolphin]

Is it to late to join in? I have been distracted.

I am reading the Immortal Life on Henrietta Lacks

[Stacia]

She's doing better, still weak and has a ways to go before she can come home.

:grouphug: Glad to hear she's improving & sending good thoughts & wishes to you gals....

 

I couldn't find the book, but the dvd was in the library. It was very nice. Does anyone know how closely it follows the book?

(re: The Enchanted April)

I enjoyed the book better than the movie. (I know almost everyone says that, but there are times I like movies better than books.) I think the book did a better job of describing the characters & their internal motivations; I'm not sure the movie adequately showed that, especially in the first half or so. Overall, though, I think the movie followed the book/storyline pretty closely (of course some details were omitted).

 

I've been in a reading rut. Too much work, travel, etc... lately, so I just haven't had much time or energy left over to read. However, this morning, I started Gail Carriger's Soulless. (Yay for PaperbackSwap!) Seems like it will be right up my alley & perfect for a fun summer read.

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

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)

[Storm Bay]

Wow, I hadn't realized I'd been away so long.

 

My reading is also quite slow these days. I feel stressed, distracted, overwhelmed, and it doesn't help when most of the books that I have just don't interest me much at the moment. :confused:

 

I'm with you on this. This week I'm rereading The Hunger Games because dd's & I saw the movie (I've now seen it twice as it didn't work out for the 3 of us to go together).

 

Once upon a time summer was a quieter time for the dc & I. Whatever happened to that time???

[aggieamy]

Robin, thank you for starting this thread - this week and every single week. Glad to hear that your mom is doing better. Thinking of you all and praying. :grouphug:

 

 

Ditto everything Negin said. I love these threads and always look forward to seeing what all my friends are reading.

 

I am cutting it close but I just finished Super Market for my book club that's meeting this afternoon. It was tranlated from Japanese and I wonder if some of my problem with the book was bad translating or bad writing. The plot was basically a man is asked by his cousins to take over the super market chain they own. First he has to learn how to run the business because his background is banking so he starts working there, uncovers embezzling, and makes friends with the workers. The story was good but the women in the novel were pointless and unbelievable so that took away from the story. There was also lots of talk of men crying and that was very hard to relate to. DH has never come home from work in tears because of a coworker so everytime a guy started crying in the story it was distracting and took me out of the book.

 

If you are looking for a Japanese novel I'd suggest either Kitchen or The Housekeeper and the Professor instead.

 

 

In progress:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Crocodiles on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin

Calico Bush by Rachel Field (read aloud)

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

 

2012 finished books:

 

84. Supermarket by Satoshi Azuchi (**)

83. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (*****)

82. Stein on Writing by Sol Stein (****)

81. Order from Chaos by Liz Davenport (**)

 

Books 41 - 80

 

Books 1 - 40

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

Edited July 23, 2012 by aggieamy

[Storm Bay]

 

If you are looking for a Japanese novel I'd suggest either Kitchen or The Housekeeper and the Professor instead.

 

 

 

Is Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto? I tried to look for it but there are a gazillion books with the word Kitchen in them in my library network.

[aggieamy]

Is Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto? I tried to look for it but there are a gazillion books with the word Kitchen in them in my library network.

 

Yep. That's the one. It's a short fast read but really good. I will add a warning that there are sad parts but the overall feel of the book is optimistic.

[Shawneinfl]

Brought a whole bag of books to read while I was on vacation last week but only managed to finish one: The Litigators by John Grisham. Definitely a quick pool-side read but I enjoyed it since I have read a Grisham courtroom novel in years.

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #41 - "The Eye of the Sun - Part One of Blackwood: Legends of the Forest" by Les Moyes. MY BROTHER wrote this book. Yes, I'm shouting! He finally got his ADHD self in gear and finished the book he's been working on for, like, 15 years. He has self-published on Amazon, so far just as an eBook. (It will eventually be available as print-on-demand.) Some strange things happened when he uploaded, like an entire chapter that's underlined, so it's rough, but I think he did a pretty good job. It's a little busy (hmm, could be the ADHD...) -- it follows some fairly minor characters down what seem to be rabbit trails -- and reminded me of many RPG games, which I'm not fond of, but I'm a very proud big sister!

 

Book #40 - "The Fallacy Detective" by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn.

Book #39 - "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes. Translated by John Ormsby.

Book #38 - "Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Susan C. Pinsky.

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

[Stacia]

Completed:

Book #41 - "The Eye of the Sun - Part One of Blackwood: Legends of the Forest" by Les Moyes. MY BROTHER wrote this book. Yes, I'm shouting! He finally got his ADHD self in gear and finished the book he's been working on for, like, 15 years.

 

Way cool! Congrats to your brother, the author. :001_smile:

[Maus]

Way cool! Congrats to your brother, the author. :001_smile:

Thanks! I'll pass it along!

[Negin]

The Litigators by John Grisham.

Thanks for reminding me of this. I really loved his first few books - all the legal courtroom stuff.

 

Book #41 - "The Eye of the Sun - Part One of Blackwood: Legends of the Forest" by Les Moyes. MY BROTHER wrote this book.

Congratulations! :D You must be so proud. :)

[prairiegirl]

I am finally coming out of my reading slump and am slowly catching up. I just finished 'Rilla of Ingleside' by L.M.Montgomery (surprisingly, I really liked it,) am finishing up "Beauty in the Word' by Stratford Caldecott (it is a treatise on Classical Education-a follow up to 'Beauty for Truth's Sake'- found this to inspiring) and am in the middle of 'The Innocence of Father Brown' by Chesterton.

[Storm Bay]

Yep. That's the one. It's a short fast read but really good. I will add a warning that there are sad parts but the overall feel of the book is optimistic.

 

Thanks. I've put it on hold, and I'll try it :).

[Angel]

I finished Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings a couple days ago. I really encourage anyone who likes fantasy but hasn't read Eddings to do so! What a great storyteller! I don't know what number that puts me at. We had VBS last week and our teen history trip next week and I'm a little off kilter.

 

Off to see what everyone else has read...

[Angel]

Once upon a time summer was a quieter time for the dc & I. Whatever happened to that time???

 

If you find out, please let me know!!! I am appalled at how busy I have been. :tongue_smilie:

[Violet Crown]

Prayers for your mom, Mytwoblessings.

 

Finished a short story collection, Doctor Brodie's Report, Jorge Luis Borges. Dang I love Borges. By the way if anyone has any idea what the titular story is about, please tell me.

 

Well that's book #9 for the year. I'm officially on the Book of the Month subset of the Book a Week challenge.

[JennW in SoCal]

Well that's book #9 for the year. I'm officially on the Book of the Month subset of the Book a Week challenge.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

And what's more -- you are ahead as it is only month 7!!

 

I am almost finished with the 2nd book in the Bartimaeus triology, The Golem's Eye. Like the 1st in the series it is well written, complex, funny and unpredictable fantasy. I'm listening to it while I frantically try to finish crocheting an afghan for my son before he leaves for college next month. I'm going to continue listening to the 3rd book then the prequel.

 

I am also reading a wonderful new dragon book called Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman. I saw her at a panel at Comic-con last week, then heard several book sellers raving about it. This is her first novel, though she has written for comic books for many years. I am enjoying it, and haven't been bothered as I first thought I might be by the premise that dragons can turn into human form. Apparently, according to my D&D playing ds, that is trope out there in fantasy world -- I had never heard of it. But it works in this world.

 

The other 2 novels in my stack from Comic-con include The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin, which I bought and got autographed because she was so interesting and articulate in a panel discussion, and a freebie marketing proof of Daughter of the Sword, by Steve Bein. That one was thrust into my hand by a publisher -- it won't be out until October. It is a Japanese urban fantasy -- I'll let y'all know what I think.

[Violet Crown]

:lol::lol::lol:

And what's more -- you are ahead as it is only month 7!!

 

I am almost finished with the 2nd book in the Bartimaeus triology, The Golem's Eye. Like the 1st in the series it is well written, complex, funny and unpredictable fantasy. I'm listening to it while I frantically try to finish crocheting an afghan for my son before he leaves for college next month. I'm going to continue listening to the 3rd book then the prequel.

 

I am also reading a wonderful new dragon book called Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman. I saw her at a panel at Comic-con last week, then heard several book sellers raving about it. This is her first novel, though she has written for comic books for many years. I am enjoying it, and haven't been bothered as I first thought I might be by the premise that dragons can turn into human form. Apparently, according to my D&D playing ds, that is trope out there in fantasy world -- I had never heard of it. But it works in this world.

 

The other 2 novels in my stack from Comic-con include The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin, which I bought and got autographed because she was so interesting and articulate in a panel discussion, and a freebie marketing proof of Daughter of the Sword, by Steve Bein. That one was thrust into my hand by a publisher -- it won't be out until October. It is a Japanese urban fantasy -- I'll let y'all know what I think.

 

Ah, being ahead means it's time to really buckle down to City of God. Only eight books of it to go!

 

So what is a Japanese urban fantasy? Last year dh made me read Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. That sort of thing?

[Kareni]

 

The other 2 novels in my stack from Comic-con include The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin, which I bought and got autographed because she was so interesting and articulate in a panel discussion....

 

I read and enjoyed the first two books of Jemisin's earlier Inheritance Trilogy; I feel I need to reread those before reading the third book. I'll be interested in hearing what you think of her newer work.

 

(And, yes, I just read a paranormal romance -- Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison -- in which the main character, a dragon, could shape shift to human form.)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[LostSurprise]

I'm afraid a ton of stuff on hold came in to the library at the same time.

 

76. Grow Fruit by Alan Buckingham~gardening, fruit, bushes and trees. Good design, nice photos. Really nicely laid out. Good information on plant types (and where they work best), scheduling, and pruning (nice illustrations for this). The season by season guide is the best part.

 

75. The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries by Karen Szklany Gault~gardening, fruit, bushes and trees. I don't think this is a complete guide, but it has a lot of information about soil testing, soil types, planting, and mulch. Its worth a library visit if you're in the planning stages of planting fruit trees or bushes. Minimal pictures and book design.

 

74. The Art of Preserving by Williams-Sonoma~food preservation, jams, recipes. This one is midway between Well-Preserved and Blue Ribbon Preserves. Its beautiful (of course) with lots of photos (unlike Blue Ribbon Preserves). It does have a nice selection of recipes (unlike Well-Preserved), but its not encyclopedic (unlike BRP which has almost any straight recipe you can imagine). Okay.

 

73. Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda Amendt~food preservation, recipes, fair competitions. This had a lot of recipes. A LOT. Pictures and presentation are limited in favor of packing this full of the usual jam and jellie recipes but also cordials, syrups, conserves, toppings. Lots of stuff. And she gives pointers for winning competitions (what judges are looking for, what gets disqualified). I may put this on my Amazon list because its so comprehensive.

 

72. Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone~non-fiction, food preservation, recipes. This was okay. Short introduction on canning and freezing. Bone did an interesting thing by adding a preserve recipe (Cherries with Wine for instance) then adding 2-3 recipes where you could use the preserves. Limited number of recipes included.

 

71. The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima~Japanese literature, psychological, isolation. Finally done! I've been dragging myself through this one for awhile. The last 100 pages was better then what came before. Mishima took a real life situation, a Buddhist acolyte who burned down a very old temple, and formed it into a novel on isolation, the frustrations of young adults, and a philosophical quest of beauty, knowledge, and nihilism. In some ways it reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye (also a '50s novel) but with a lot more metaphysics. Not easy to get through. I didn't like the characters and usually didn't care about what was happening. Not a shiny happy novel.

 

70. Sundiver by David Brin~science fiction, aliens, mystery. I had higher expectations for this then it merited. Its the prequel to the series (which I haven't read) regarding Mankind's place in a universe where species 'uplift' each other, meaning when a species has enough intelligence another species genetically modifies it or otherwise trains it to more intelligence...and 100,000 years of servitude. Man is one of the few with no 'Protector' and was not forcibly taken into protection/modification only because it had 2 obvious 'Client' races (dolphins, chimpanzees). I thought it would deal more with the implications of its premise, but it turned into a mediocre mystery set during exploration of our son.

 

69. Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking by Susan Cain~non-fiction, introversion.

68. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall~children's fiction, sisters, adventure. *

67. The Intrigue at Highbury by Carrie Bebris~Jane Austen, mystery, Mr. & Mrs. Darcy.

66. Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters by Marilynn Brass and Sheila Brass~cookbook, 20th century, collecting recipes.

65. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy~fiction, southern gothic, coming of age, abusive family.

64. The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James~fiction, Charlotte Bronte, biography, journal.

63. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman~youth fiction, California, Gold Rush.

61. The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum~non-fiction, forensic science, chemistry, New York, Prohibition. *

60. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons~parody, farm family/life, '30s.

59. The Green Mile by Stephen King~supernatural, prison, 1930s. *

58. The Sacred Journey by Frederick Buechner~religious, memoir, childhood.

57. Wisconsin Gardens & Landscapes by Mary Lou Santovec~public gardens, Wisconsin.

56. Sarabeth's Bakery by Sarabeth Levine~cookbook, baking, pastries.

55. Essential Pleasures edited by Robert Pinsky~poetry, compilation, audio CD included.

54. Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer~cookbook, ice cream

53. The Sea Gull by Anton Chekhov~Russian, play.

52. A few hundred pages of Hyperion and all of Farewell to Hyperion by Dan Simmons~science fiction, future worlds, pilgrim tales.

51. North by Northanger by Carrie Bebis~Jane Austen, mystery

50. The Essential Garden Design Workbook by Rosemary Alexander~non-fiction, gardening, landscape design.

49. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: a Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston~fiction, '20s, NY, Paris, coming of age.

48. Q: a Novel by Evan Mandery~fiction, quirky, time travel.

47. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi~memoir, Italy, criminal case, serial killer.

46. Food Chaining by Fracker~non-fiction, food issues, picky eaters.

45. The Long Retreat by Andrew Krivak~memoir, 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) ~I will finish this, I will.

The Strange Case of Spring-heeled Jack

The Deception at Lyme (Bebris)

Fruit Trees in Small Spaces

Modern Fruit Science

Edited July 24, 2012 by LostSurprise

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished The Age of Innocence on audio. It just stopped. I thought my mp3 messed up because the book ended so abruptly.

[Storm Bay]

Ah, being ahead means it's time to really buckle down to City of God. Only eight books of it to go!

 

When I googled City of God all of the first page was about a Christian philosophy book (or is it a series that sometimes appears in a large volume?) Is that what you mean?

[VeganCupcake]

I finished Wild: Lost and Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. I didn't really know exactly what I was getting into when I started, so I was a bit surprised, but overall, I really liked it.

 

I'm still listening to Gatsby and now looking for something to read. Hmmm.

[Violet Crown]

When I googled City of God all of the first page was about a Christian philosophy book (or is it a series that sometimes appears in a large volume?) Is that what you mean?

 

It's this, St Augustine's magnum opus, written in 22 books between AD 413 and 427. The first ten books take some slogging through, as they're composed of Augustine's detailed refutation of various now-vanished polytheistic theologies and philosophies, including an extended refutation of a book that hasn't survived to the modern era. But the sailing is a little clearer now.

 

I was slowed considerably by needing to get hold of a better translation. The Dods translation, which I bought for my Kindle, preserves Augustine's lengthy Latinate sentences, whereas most modern translations break them down into shorter sentences more typical of English. I finally lost my temper when I got to a section that was about teA in Eden, where Dods decided that it was too salubrious for the casual reader and so left it in Latin! Now my Latin is okay, but it was annoying: if I pay for a translation, I would like my book actually translated. So I poked around the used book stores until I found an affordable Bettenson translation.

Edited July 25, 2012 by Sharon in Austin

[Zebra]

I just finished #52! Whooopppeee, I don't have to read for the rest of the year :lol:!!!

 

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

[Stacia]

I just finished #52! Whooopppeee, I don't have to read for the rest of the year :lol:!!!

 

:party: and :lol:

[Pink and Green Mom]

I was in a reading slump but these two books got me out of it and I read these two books in two days.

 

#38- Love You More, by Lisa Gardner. Murder/mystery isn't typically my thing but I really enjoyed the twists with this one. Very easy read and kept me engrossed from page 1.

 

#39- This Is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper. I loved this. A family of 4 grown children (and their families) - many of them hadn't spoken to each other in years - sit shiva together with their mother for seven days after their dad dies. I laughed out loud in several places - the book had lots of humor in it.

 

Next up is Dragonfly in the Amber (book 2 after Outlander), and then something nonfiction. I have several Allison Weir books (Queen Mary, Ann and Mary Boleyn, etc) - not sure why but I'm in the mood to read one of those.

[Stacia]

The Booker longlist is out. More to add to my 'to-read' list!!!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2012/jul/25/booker-prize-longlist-2012-open-thread?newsfeed=true

 

:001_smile: