Book a Week in 2012 - Week 32

[Robin M]

Good Morning, Dolls! Today is the start of week 32 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 - Difficult Books: Discovered the website The Millions where they talk about books, art and culture. They have a difficult book series and highlighted some of the books they consider the most difficult of the difficult. Have you read any of them? What is the most difficult book you've read so far?

 

Some interesting, bizarre and unique holidays for this week:

 

5 Friendship Day - First Sunday in August

5 International Forgiveness Day - First Sunday in August

5 Sisters Day - First Sunday in August

5 Work Like a Dog Day

6 Wiggle Your Toes Day

7 National Lighthouse Day

8 Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

 

9 Book Lover's Day

10 Lazy Day

10 National S'mores Day

11 Presidential Joke Day

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 31

[Robin M]

Currently reading Hour of the Hunter by J.A. Jance on my Nook. It was a friday freebie some time ago and finally getting around to reading it. Good so far.

 

The brilliant psychopath Andrew Carlisle spent only six years in prison for the brutal torture–murder of a young girl of the Tohono O'odham tribe. The testimony of Diana Ladd—a teacher on the reservation—put Carlisle behind bars, and now she can't ignore the dark, mystical signs that say a predator has returned to prowl the Arizona desert. Because no matter where Diana and her young son hide . . . he will find them.

 

Finished Carlos Ruiz Zafon's newest Prisoner of Heaven. Enjoyed it and makes me want to reread Shadow of the Wind and The Angels Game. It wasn't as deep and mysterious as the other two, but more of an emotional read. Followed two time lines that eventually blended.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Onceuponatime]

Just finished It's Like This, Cat and The Graveyard Book. I'm trying to catch up on Newberry award winners I haven't read. I liked both of them. The Graveyard Book reminded me of HP with "the boy who lived."

 

Currently reading a biography of Francis of Assissi.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Onceuponatime

[Zebra]

I just finished #53 The Solider's Wife (Leroy). It took place on the island of Guernsey during WWII, which seems to be a popular topic lately in literature.

 

I have no idea what I am going to read next!

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm reading The Egg and I and enjoying it. She reminds me of my grandmother. I guess that's why they were good friends. They were very similar.

[-M-]

#88 Fly Away Home (Jennifer Weiner; fiction)

#87 Frankenstein (Mary Shelley; fiction)

#86 What Alice Forgot (Liane Moriarty; fiction)

 

Because it was on the B&N table when I was grabbing something else and I have a soft spot for Weiner, with the Misses, and due to a recommendation/post here, respectively.

 

The Island of Dr. Moreau (H.G. Wells) and Three Sisters (Anton Chekov) are in queue, the latter because we have tickets to see the Tracy Letts / Anna D. Shapiro adaptation being staged at the Steppenwolf. And The Year of Learning Dangerously (Quinn Cummings) should land on my Kindle tomorrow.

 

Later this week, the Misses are taking Mr. M-mv on a daytrip -- a Father's Day gift planned for late summer to avoid crowds. I plan to bike ten to twelve miles with them before they depart, shower, don summer pajamas, and retire to the couch to read. All. Day. Long.

 

Bliss.

 

Anyway, I hope/expect to have more additions to my list of Books Read in 2012 after that. (*smile*)

 

As for the difficult books listed in the article you linked, none.

 

As always, thanks for hosting the Book a Week threads, Robin.

[PeacefulChaos]

Working on The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson this week. I like it so far.

I didn't end up finishing Auschwitz before it expired. :( I just couldn't read a ton of it at once like I can others.

[Stacia]

This past week, I finished Soulless by Gail Carriger and The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio (one of the therapists on the tv show Hoarders). I enjoyed both books. Soulless was a mix of fantasy & romance w/ some steampunk tossed in. I think I'd enjoy continuing the series at some point. The Hoarder in You was (yet another) book I've read dealing w/ decluttering, etc.... It was more clinical in tone than many decluttering books out there, but I think that's to be expected since she's a therapist. If you've seen Hoarders, you will be familiar w/ some of the things that she covers in the book. However, the book is not just for & about hoarders. It addresses people's drive to collect/acquire/keep things all along a continuum, from fairly minimalist to extreme hoarding. Most people fall somewhere along the scale w/ fewer being at each end. Overall, it's informative & interesting.

 

Today, I finally started What Alice Forgot, which my book club is reading. My problem is that my book club meets in about an hour, and I'm only about halfway through the book. :lol: So far, it's fine; I suppose it's chick lit, which is not really my genre of choice. I guess I'll find out how the book ends at my meeting, so I'll have to see if I feel like finishing it or will give it up.....

 

Also, I'm still working on The Rook, though I haven't spent any time on it this past week. The subtitle on the book cover is "On Her Majesty's Supernatural Secret Service" to give you an idea. Intriguing & well-done so far, especially for a first-time author.

 

Robin, no I haven't read any of the books on the difficult list. Yikes. Not sure I would even want to tackle them. :tongue_smilie::lol:

 

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

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)

 

41. Hexed by Kevin Hearne (4 stars)

42. Soulless by Gail Carriger (3 stars)

43. The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio (3 stars)

[laughing lioness]

I finished DLS' Have His Carcase. My review is #3 here. I'm currently reading Dorothy L. Sayers The Centenary Celebration. It's a collection of literary DLS nerds writing about Sayers, her work, life and brillance. I'm getting the inside scoop on Wimsey and Vane and feeding my own inner literary nerd:001_smile:.

I have Technopoly to finish...along with Raising Real Men (review copy), as well as What They Don't Teach You at Film School and Pocket Posh Guide to a Great Home Video...

It's been a slow reading month for me, but here's my list for the year.

• 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, Justin Morgan Had a Horse (YA read-aloud)
  
• 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
  
• Peretti, Illusions
  
• 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, Have His Carcase
  
• 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
  
• Van Dyke, My Lucky Life
  
• Wilson, Robocopolypse
  
• Wisemen, et al, An Amish Wedding
  
• Wolf, The Upper Zoo
  

[Ali in OR]

Almost done with Stephanie Barron's Jane and the Genius of the Place (Jane Austen mystery #4). Next I'll see if I can get #5 from the library. I'm also planning to read All Creatures Great and Small so I can discuss it with dd when it's assigned to her this fall.

[VeganCupcake]

This past week, I finished Soulless by Gail Carriger and The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio (one of the therapists on the tv show Hoarders). I enjoyed both books. Soulless was a mix of fantasy & romance w/ some steampunk tossed in. I think I'd enjoy continuing the series at some point. The Hoarder in You was (yet another) book I've read dealing w/ decluttering, etc.... It was more clinical in tone than many decluttering books out there, but I think that's to be expected since she's a therapist. If you've seen Hoarders, you will be familiar w/ some of the things that she covers in the book. However, the book is not just for & about hoarders. It addresses people's drive to collect/acquire/keep things all along a continuum, from fairly minimalist to extreme hoarding. Most people fall somewhere along the scale w/ fewer being at each end. Overall, it's informative & interesting.

 

 

I liked The Hoarder in You, too. Just yesterday, I found myself asking if tossing a particular item on my bathroom counter would be for the greater good. The answer was yes. :)

 

I finished Farm City by Novella Carpenter and really enjoyed it. We got chickens this spring and we definitely don't live in a rural area, so it was very apropos.

 

I started Quiet by Susan Cain and I have 1493 by Charles C. Mann on the go, too. So far, both of them are great. I keep turning to my DH and telling him tidbits from 1493.

[eaglei]

Working on The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson this week. I like it so far.

 

I will be interested in hearing your comments on this! Someone just told me about this book recently and, along with someone else, mentioned it again today - and even read part of the introduction to me! They are quite excited about it and seem to be finding it *revolutionary* in their lives.

[eaglei]

This week I finished:

 

#41 - The Amateur, by Edward Klein. Political; therefore, no comments. :)

 

#42 - The Amateur Marriage, by Anne Tyler. I could not put this book down! Thanks to those who recommended it! The author seemed to take the commonalities, the tritenesses, of marriage and weave them into a compelling enough story that, days after closing the back cover, you find the characters still with you. Are all of this authors' books this good? Do you recommend another of her books?

 

Currently reading:

 

#43 - Light a Penny Candle, by Maeve Binchy. About a hundred pages into this over 800-page book. (The library had only one copy - the large print copy and it is printed on something akin to rice paper and is over 800 pages)! It's a tad slow, but I'll stick with it (at least for now) as I'm a bit curious about some of the characters.

[Shawneinfl]

After a week of starting books and quickly losing interest, I've settled down with The Cloud Atlas. So glad I purchased it for the Nook - can't remember the last time I've had to use the dictionary feature so often. I'm still working on The Book Thief and Full Body Burden on audio but my kids moved the cd player and I haven't gotten it back yet. I hope to get caught back up but with one daughter just graduated from college last week and one heading off to college next week, I've been just a little distracted.

 

On a side note: dd18 and I went to see The Intouchables at the movie theater today and both thought it was fantastic. I found out about it on another WTM thread and looked it up. Best movie I've seen since "The King's Speech" a few years back. After the movie dd declared "I must learn to speak french!"

[Just Robyn]

 

52 Books Blog - Difficult Books: Discovered the website The Millions where they talk about books, art and culture. They have a difficult book series and highlighted some of the books they consider the most difficult of the difficult. Have you read any of them? What is the most difficult book you've read so far?

 

I have not read any of those "most difficult of the difficult" books. The most difficult book I've read so far? Looking through what's on my goodreads list - maybe Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson. It's hard to remember back too far, so that'll have to do. I'd like to make myself read The Faerie Queene sometime.

 

This week I only finished a graphic novel, Wilson by David Clowes, and I really didn't like it. Bleh.

[Stacia]

I liked The Hoarder in You, too. Just yesterday, I found myself asking if tossing a particular item on my bathroom counter would be for the greater good. The answer was yes. :)

 

That's cool. Have you read the books by Brooks Palmer? I think if you like The Hoarder in You, you might enjoy his books too.

 

After a week of starting books and quickly losing interest, I've settled down with The Cloud Atlas. So glad I purchased it for the Nook - can't remember the last time I've had to use the dictionary feature so often. I'm still working on The Book Thief and Full Body Burden on audio but my kids moved the cd player and I haven't gotten it back yet. I hope to get caught back up but with one daughter just graduated from college last week and one heading off to college next week, I've been just a little distracted.

 

On a side note: dd18 and I went to see The Intouchables at the movie theater today and both thought it was fantastic. I found out about it on another WTM thread and looked it up. Best movie I've seen since "The King's Speech" a few years back. After the movie dd declared "I must learn to speak french!"

 

Can't wait to see what you have to say about Cloud Atlas. It is one I've wanted to read, but it fell off my radar until I saw the preview for it recently. So, now I'm on the waitlist for it from the library.

 

I agree about The Intouchables. Fab movie. Dh & the dc loved it too. My in-laws went today based on our recommendation & they both loved it.

[ladydusk]

I finished A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle this evening. Such a beautifully written book. L'Engle is a joy to read and thought-provoking as always. A forty year old book seems surprisingly contemporary in the issues presented. Definitely recommended.

 

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

33. Persuasion by Jane Austen

34. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber (phenomenal)

35. A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

[Kareni]

Currently reading Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins; it's a contemporary romance. I've read and enjoyed several other books by this author recently, and I'm enjoying this one, too.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

I finished What Alice Forgot today. It was pretty good for chick lit (not my genre of choice). Most everyone in my book club enjoyed reading it. We had been looking for a light, fun read for our summer book & this was one that was suggested. I don't think it was quite as light as I was expecting & it was perhaps a tad more bittersweet than I anticipated, but overall, I mostly enjoyed the story & liked the premise behind it. It did make me cry (which I hate as I always end up w/ a headache :tongue_smilie: -- just took some Excedrin), so I didn't like that about it, but then again, I'm a total sap for stories (or maybe I'm just moody today). :lol:

 

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

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)

 

41. Hexed by Kevin Hearne (4 stars)

42. Soulless by Gail Carriger (3 stars)

43. The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio (3 stars)

44. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (3 stars)

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #44 - "A Nation Rising" by Kenneth C. Davis. A follow up to his "Hidden History." I hope he's working on more of these. I've had a lot of, "so THAT's what that was about" moments as I've read these forgotten stories behind some American History events. Well-written.

 

Book #43 - "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan.

Book #42 - "The School for the Insanely Gifted" by Dan Elish.

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

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

[Robin M]

NPR's list of top 100 best young adult novels

[Violet Crown]

#10, Macbeth.

 

Not much to report on Macbeth, except that I'd forgotten the existence of the Hecate scene (III.v, and an interpolation in IV.i), because it's never performed, being obviously not by Shakespeare. It really is dreadful writing; but this is the first time I noticed that Hecate's appearance also destroys the ambiguity about whether there's really something supernatural going on or not.

 

Re: the most difficult books - I've read Swift's Tale of a Tub, Richardson's Clarissa (unabridged!), some of the Hegel (under duress), and the first 3 books of The Faerie Queene (I thought Britomart would have been an awesome girl's name, but dh kept vetoing it).

 

I thought Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! was much more difficult than Clarissa, which really isn't difficult in the least but just endless. I'm also dubious about including the two philosophical works; philosophy is a technical subject, and any important work in a technical field is going to be extremely difficult going.

[ErinE]

I hope you don't mind if I jump in. I've been lurking on the threads, but I haven't posted anything yet. I'm hoping I'll get motivation to read some good books.

 

#42 - The Amateur Marriage, by Anne Tyler. I could not put this book down! Thanks to those who recommended it! The author seemed to take the commonalities, the tritenesses, of marriage and weave them into a compelling enough story that, days after closing the back cover, you find the characters still with you. Are all of this authors' books this good? Do you recommend another of her books?

 

Anne Tyler, yes! I highly recommend her. All her books have been an enjoyable read. My favorite is the Accidental Tourist. The little scenes just grabbed me. The quality ranges, but I think all her books are well done.

 

I just finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which I thought was a lovely little book. It isn't great literature, but the descriptions are evocative and the story kept me interested.

 

Also finished Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. A sci-fi classic I'd never read before. Pretty good.

 

Right now, I'm reading The Lost Kingdom by Julia Flynn Siler. A history of Hawaii's last queen and its final years as an independent monarchy.

 

Also working on The Civil War: The Second Year Told by Those Who Lived It edited by Stephen W. Sears. A great book with excellent primary sources including letters, speeches, newspaper accounts, and journal entries. Although I'd read and liked Frederick Douglass's authobiography, I am so impressed with the man that comes through his speeches and articles. I also find George McClellan to be as much of an egoist as the history books portray.

[Pink and Green Mom]

Just finished #40 - Tell The Wolves I'm Home, by Carla Rifka Brunt. I really enjoyed this one. A great story you could get lost in.

[Storm Bay]

NPR's list of top 100 best young adult novels

 

Thanks for posting this. I've read about 1/4 of those and have to say that many of those I've seen & rejected as something to read. Naturally, I don't agree with all of the choices :). There are a few I might try.

 

My dd's have read some of the ones I have & some different ones.

[Storm Bay]

Wow, I thought I hadn't been hear in about a week & it's been two.

 

I've read a few things. Thanks to whomever it was that mentioned Summer at Tiffany. http://www.amazon.com/Summer-at-Tiffany-Marjorie-Hart/dp/0061189529 For those who haven't read it or heard of it, it's a memoir by a woman who, with her friend, was one of the first two women to every work on the sales floor if Tiffany's in 1945. She verified her memories with her best friend & others, plus had old letters, etc, which helped.

 

Another book I enjoyed is Between the Keys: the (Mis)Adventures of the Five Browns,http://www.amazon.com/Life-Between-Keys-Adventures-Browns/dp/1597775894 which is by the 5 Browns themselves. Who are the 5 Browns? Five young Mormon siblings who all studied piano at Julliard & who are working to help foster a love of classical music in people under age 30 (some of them are still under 30, if not most of them). Not only that, but they are the first to have music arranged for 5 pianos.

 

In addition, I reread the Hunger Games series as all 3 of my dc were reading it.

 

 

34. Little (Grrl) Lost

35. Out of Sight, Out of Time

36. The Hunger Games

37. Catching Fire

38. Mockingjay

39. Life Between the Keys: the (Mis)Adventures of the Five Browns

40. Summer at Tiffany

[Violet Crown]

NPR's list of top 100 best young adult novels

 

I've read 12 of those, four because I was forced to (by high school teachers or my book club) - of those four, Lord of the Flies was the only one that didn't leave me resentfully wishing for those hours of my life back.

 

Dh tried to make me read Dune, but unlike Mrs Anderson in eleventh grade, he couldn't make me comply. :D

[Stacia]

NPR's list of top 100 best young adult novels

 

I find it depressing that the Twilight series is on the list (& in the top 30).

 

Really glad to see Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series on there, though. So awesome! :D

[Luckymama]

According to my Goodreads page, I've read 82 books this year. I know I've read more than that---I tend to add books to GR in spurts :D---so I'll have to check my Kindle history for library ebooks.

 

Today I finished The American Way of Eating:undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, farm fields and the dinner table by Tracie McMillan. The author worked for about a year (undercover, not out as a journalist) picking grapes/peaches/garlic in California, at two Walmarts in the Detroit area in the grocery and produce sections, and at an Applebee's in NYC. She writes about her daily life, what and how she ate, and about the lives of her coworkers. She addresses living conditions, the availability of food (fresh, processed, prepared) to those working for minimum sub-minimum wages, urban gardening in Detroit, etc. Very interesting book that I highly recommend :)

[aggieamy]

I am LOVING Dawn's Early Light. I'm so glad y'all recommended it.

 

NPR's list of top 100 best young adult novels

 

Thanks for posting that. I'm suprised at how many I've read. There's an interesting mix of books - old classics, soon-to-be classics, and books that I think are horrible (ie Twilight).

 

I hope you don't mind if I jump in. I've been lurking on the threads, but I haven't posted anything yet. I'm hoping I'll get motivation to read some good books.

 

 

Welcome! We're a hodgepodge of readers and all are welcome. Be warned though - once you start hanging out here your "Books To Read" list will triple.

[Stacia]

Welcome! We're a hodgepodge of readers and all are welcome. Be warned though - once you start hanging out here your "Books To Read" list will triple.

 

:iagree:

 

And, welcome, ErinE. :001_smile: Looking forward to all the books you suggest too...

[Stacia]

I finished The Rook tonight. Wow. I loved this book. It was a fast-paced, complex mix of fantasy & spy thriller with a unique plot & great characters. I think it was also kind of fun that the bad guys were Belgians in this one; usually, the Belgians aren't the bad guys in books, lol. ;) A fun, engrossing read -- definitely recommended.

 

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

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)

 

41. Hexed by Kevin Hearne (4 stars)

42. Soulless by Gail Carriger (3 stars)

43. The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio (3 stars)

44. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (3 stars)

45. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley (5 stars)

Edited September 13, 2014 by Stacia

[Stacia]

I have started reading The Nazi Séance: The Strange Story of the Jewish Psychic in Hitler's Circle by Arthur J. Magida.

[AllSmiles]

Stacia said, "I finished The Rook tonight. Wow. I loved this book. It was a fast-paced, complex mix of fantasy & spy thriller with a unique plot & great characters. I think it was also kind of fun that the bad guys were Belgians in this one; usually, the Belgians aren't the bad guys in books, lol. A fun, engrossing read -- definitely recommended."

 

I saw this book recently and I thought it looked interesting. Now I will definitely have to add it to my tbr list.

[AllSmiles]

This week I read:

 

#44 - Across Five Aprils By Irene Hunt - this was a good book describing the emotions a family during the Civil War time might have experienced.

 

 

#45 - A Mystery of Errors by Simon Hawke - I really wanted to like this book, but I felt a little disappointed. This book is a mystery book and one of the characters in it is William Shakespeare. This book is fictional but is set during Shakespeare's lost years when no one really knows what he was up to. I felt like the author took a really long time working up to the mystery, and by then the answers seemed a little obvious. I did see potential though so I will eventually try the next book in this series.

 

#46 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - I loved the book and I loved the afterword by the author!

[LostSurprise]

Had to return The Girl Who Navigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making...it was just too precious. It seemed to be trying too hard. The word choice was particularly convoluted for children/teen lit, so I have to assume they were going for adults. I also returned Mario Bitaly's Simple Family Meals because it was a bit much for our family. You'd have to live in a major city to get most of the supplies.

 

81. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa~mathematics, friendship, family, baseball. I liked this. It didn't overwhelm me, but its a happy novel with a deep love of number theory. A mathematics professor with an 80 minute memory is cared for by a housekeeper and her son.

 

80. Jennifer, Hecate, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg~children's fiction, friendship, witchcraft. I've had this on a shelf for a long time and I've been cleaning out books so I decided to read it before it goes. Two girls become friends as one trains the other to be a 'Master witch.' It was okay. Konigsburg is a good writer. I enjoyed seeing how she kept things simple but kid-friendly. The end was disappointing...or her climax was unreachable so everything else turned into 'everything is fine and everyone is happy.' Eh.

 

Best of the Year

*Top 5

**Number 1

 

79. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls~memoir, southwest, early 30th century.

78. The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder~science fiction, alternate history, Richard Burton, steampunk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

41. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris~fiction, France, WWII, food. *

36. Superfudge by Judy Blume~fiction, classic children's book.

30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen~classic literature.

28. Divergent by Veronica Roth~youth fiction, dystopian.

23. Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks~non-fiction, memoir.

18. A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell~fiction, WWII **

16. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card~classic science fiction, read aloud.

11. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson~mystery

7. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman~non-fiction/medical

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 Zookeeper's Wife (Ackerman)

Doc (Russell)

Crossing (Yoors)

Edited August 10, 2012 by LostSurprise

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Stacia]

Had to return The Girl Who Navigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making...it was just too precious. It seemed to be trying too hard. The word choice was particularly convoluted for children/teen lit, so I have to assume they were going for adults.

 

You know, I tried reading that a few months ago. I got part-way through, but never finished. It just didn't hold my interest. Maybe this is why? Most people rave about it, but I wasn't as wowed.

 

Wow! That looks ... fascinating ? interesting ? disturbing ? The cover makes it look like pulp fiction, but I assume it is nonfiction? I am going to look for that in my library.

 

It is non-fiction. The life (& gall) of Hanussen is quite fascinating, but the writing of the book is pretty poor, imo. I will finish it (it's a quick read), but the writing is absolutely driving me nuts.

[PeacefulChaos]

I finished up book 12 (YES I'm way behind everyone else... :leaving: Oh, well...) The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.

I reviewed it on my blog (link in my sig), overall I give it a 4 out of 5. It was pretty good (I was prepared not to like it and was pleasantly surprised!) and it gave me a fresh perspective on prayer. He also talks a bit about goals and stuff, and I want to get around to making a list. :)

[aggieamy]

I know that everyone else seems to have loved it and I hope I won't be asked to leave and never return to the Book-a-Week threads but I'm giving up on Dawn's Early Light. Elswyth Thane's writing is beautiful and I was loving the book for the first 100 pages. Then it slowly dawned on me who the love interest was going to be and I had this overwhelming feeling of icky-ness. I also didn't like that female character at all so it was a double whammy of the book just going from awesome to can't read another page.

[Mothersweets]

I'm reading The Egg and I and enjoying it. She reminds me of my grandmother. I guess that's why they were good friends. They were very similar.

 

 

Wait a minute - your grandmother knew Betty MacDonald? How cool is that?!!

[Mom-ninja.]

Wait a minute - your grandmother knew Betty MacDonald? How cool is that?!!

 

Yeah, I just found out a bit ago. I happened to mention to my dad that I read the boys Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and he says, "Oh, yeah Mrs MacDonald. I liked her." Then went on to tell me that when he was a child they were neighbors, my grandmother was a good friend of hers, and he and his siblings would play there with her girls. He said, "They had an awful lot of chickens. We would get in trouble when we tried to play with those chickens."

 

I just stared at him opened mouthed for a few moments.

[Violet Crown]

I finished up book 12 (YES I'm way behind everyone else... :leaving: Oh, well...) The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.

I reviewed it on my blog (link in my sig), overall I give it a 4 out of 5. It was pretty good (I was prepared not to like it and was pleasantly surprised!) and it gave me a fresh perspective on prayer. He also talks a bit about goals and stuff, and I want to get around to making a list. :)

 

I've just finished #10. You can be in the Book of the Month Club with me. :)

[aggieamy]

Yeah, I just found out a bit ago. I happened to mention to my dad that I read the boys Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and he says, "Oh, yeah Mrs MacDonald. I liked her." Then went on to tell me that when he was a child they were neighbors, my grandmother was a good friend of hers, and he and his siblings would play there with her girls. He said, "They had an awful lot of chickens. We would get in trouble when we tried to play with those chickens."

 

I just stared at him opened mouthed for a few moments.

 

That is so cool. Your family has a close link with a celebrity. A literary celebrity - they're the best kind of celebrity. :001_smile:

[Rosie_0801]

I just finished reading P&P to dd and 'Alice on the Line' by Doris Blackwell to myself. I love that book :)

 

I was delighted to find the Abhorsen series on the Young Adult link. That series is awesome!

 

:)

Rosie

[Onceuponatime]

I just finished Walk Two Moons, another Newberry book. After I closed the book I shed some tears for mothers with tiny lives who feel the need to fill up the spaces.

 

As always, I wonder why this is a children's book and what a child would carry away from it, maybe it is to think about walking in your mother's shoes before you judge her. I don't know if a child would get the message. I'm not a child anymore, I am the mother. Perhaps that's why it affected me the way it did.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Onceuponatime

[LostSurprise]

Jennifer, Hecate, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth:

 

This was one of my absolute favorite books as a kid! :001_wub: I don't know how I would have liked it if my first exposure was as an adult, of course, but in 4th grade or so I probably could have quoted parts. In fact, I'm pretty sure my original copy is still in a box somewhere. My folks had no problems with ghost/witches/vampire books for kids and to this day I am grateful. :D

 

We all have stuff like that. Sometimes I'm afraid to re-read things. I tried to read Homer Price to my boys, a book I remember adoring, and it was disappointing. :confused:

Edited August 10, 2012 by LostSurprise

[LostSurprise]

I just finished Walk Two Moons, another Newberry book. After I closed the book I shed some tears for mothers with tiny lives who feel the need to fill up the spaces.

 

As always, I wonder why this is a children's book and what a child would carry away from it, maybe it is to think about walking in your mother's shoes before you judge her. I don't know if a child would get the message. I'm not a child anymore, I am the mother. Perhaps that's why it affected me the way it did.

 

:iagree:

 

I was waiting for ds in the elementary library once and read a few chapters of this. It hooked me and I got my own copy and read the whole thing. Great book.

[Mothersweets]

Yeah, I just found out a bit ago. I happened to mention to my dad that I read the boys Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and he says, "Oh, yeah Mrs MacDonald. I liked her." Then went on to tell me that when he was a child they were neighbors, my grandmother was a good friend of hers, and he and his siblings would play there with her girls. He said, "They had an awful lot of chickens. We would get in trouble when we tried to play with those chickens."

 

I just stared at him opened mouthed for a few moments.

 

Oh my gosh. Very awesome! Although I think I might start to wonder if any of my relatives were the inspiration for a character in one of her books. :tongue_smilie: