Book a Week in 2012 - week 35

[Kim in Appalachia]

Patrick Rothfuss is quite the rock star in the fantasy fiction world at the moment. He is a hoot at conventions and signings and I've enjoyed his books and read his blog.

 

BUT -- I want to warn you and any one else who is lulled into thinking this is a safe series for young teens because of the innocence of the first book. The 2nd book is rather raunchy!! Not graphic but holy cow there is a huge section all about hot fairy *ahem* "hook ups". My 17 yo has read it but I wouldn't have handed it to him when he was 13 or 14!!

 

Oh my. I didn't realize that. And I was going to hand it to my 12 year old! I think I'll hold off.

 

I have listened to Rothfuss on different Vlogs, and I enjoy hearing him. I really wanted to like the book.

[aggieamy]

Sometimes I feel like I must be the most critical reader alive. For ladies book club we're reading Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. I went into it with a fairly open mind because I knew the reviews on here were mixed but I hated it. It wasn't so horrible that I couldn't finish it but I found she was overly stereotyping and critical of American parenting styles - I know lots of American parents and NONE of them parent like the people she used as examples in her book. She also glossed over a lot of huge negatives in French culture like women making substantially less money, no breastfeeding, and how important the man in the family is. She also tried to make it sound like a plus that children spent long days in childcare centers. There were plusses but they were already things I already do so I found them to be such basic common sense I didn't think they needed to be listed in a book. Make your children us good manners. Is it necessary to include advice like that in a parenting book?!?! I'm somewhat concerned that all the other gals in my book club are going to love it.

 

 

In progress:

 

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglass Adams

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

The Cat SWho Played Brahms by Lillian Jackson Braum (audiobook)

 

2012 finished books:

 

95. Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman (**)

94. Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren (****)

93. The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler (***)

92. Playful Learning by Mariah Bruehl (***)

91. The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lillian Jackson Braun - audiobook (****)

90. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie (***)

89. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman - YA (****)

88. The Mirror Cracked Side to Side by Agatha Christie (***)

87. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (*****)

86. Crocodiles on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (***)

86. The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin - YA (***)

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

[Stacia]

.

[Storm Bay]

I re-read 'The Einstein Syndrome.' I read it last year with dd in mind, and this time with ds in mind. He fits the profile quite well.

 

Rosie

 

Is it good? My middle one has his learning profile (or the one they believe he had), but I'm not sure if she has the Einstein Syndrome. I periodically think abut reading ths book.

 

I love Victoria Holt. Of course I started reading them in high school, so there's a nostalgia factor. But they're great. And, yes, quite clean. No s3x and no swearing (at least as far as I remember).

 

My favorite is Pride of the Peacock.

 

f.

 

Is that from the 1970s? I used to read her in high school, and wouldn't mind rereading one from then. My library doesn't have any from that far back.

 

Hello everyone!

 

....

 

 

Last week I read that book you mentioned, Genesis & it was well worthe reading. I have to run so can't say more now. I'm glad you read it & wrote about it.

[dangermom]

Can I join in? :D

I love France and I know that I would love Belgium even more. :) Barely a day goes by that I don't dream of visiting Brugges.

 

 

Oh my goodness, now I want a rainy northern European day. It's been hot and dry here for months, and for the last two weeks or so it's been smoky with wildfires too.

 

So, yeah, let's all go to Belgium!

[Rosie_0801]

Is it good? My middle one has his learning profile (or the one they believe he had), but I'm not sure if she has the Einstein Syndrome. I periodically think abut reading ths book.

 

I don't know what to tell you, really. It's only the beginning of research on the topic so there is perhaps one person in the world qualified to diagnose it. It's probably best for making maternal intuition more comfortable than making your brain feel comfortable. When it comes down to it, I do what I do with my kids because there doesn't seem to be anything else to do. Books and experts don't change the kid and don't let me see into the future.

 

In short, I dunno. :tongue_smilie:

 

Rosie

[KidsHappen]

1 The Hunger Games

2 Catching Fire

3 Mockingjay

4 The Hunger Games Companion

5 The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head

6 Spontaneous Happiness

7 The New Bi-Polar Disorder Survival Guide.

8 New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder

9 The Giver

10 Unnatural Selection

11 Breaking Dawn (again)

12 Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them

13 Trick or Treatment

14 Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making US Sicker & Poorer

15 Sybil Exposed

16 How to Never Look Old Again

17 How to Never Look Fat Again

18 Style on a Shoestring

19 Underneath it All

20 Oh No She Didn't

21 Nina Garcia's Look Book

22 Underneath is All

23 The Pocket Stylist

24 What Not to Wear for Every Occasion

25 What you Wear Can Change Your Life

26 What Not to Wear

27 Dress Your Best

28 Wear This, Toss That

29 Nothing to Wear

30 What Should I Wear

31 The Style Checklist

32 Style Clinic

33 11 22 63

34 Haunted Heart: Life and Times of Stephen King

35 Just After Sunset

 

 

Break for absolutely insane summer.

 

 

36 Psychopathic Rage

37 Sleep Thieves

 

ETA: Still reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

[Jane in NC]

Last week I read that book you mentioned, Genesis & it was well worthe reading. I have to run so can't say more now. I'm glad you read it & wrote about it.

 

Oh I am glad to hear this, Karin! It was such an atypical book for me which just goes to show that it is worthwhile crawling out of our comfort zone occasionally.

 

Something that I think is noteworthy that I learned from the web: Genesis (by Bernard Beckett) was marketed to young adults in New Zealand (home of the author) but is considered adult fiction here. Hmmmm.... (Jane is sitting on her hands to avoid making a snarky comment on the American reading public.)

[Stacia]

Something that I think is noteworthy that I learned from the web: Genesis (by Bernard Beckett) was marketed to young adults in New Zealand (home of the author) but is considered adult fiction here. Hmmmm.... (Jane is sitting on her hands to avoid making a snarky comment on the American reading public.)

 

Interestingly, The Book Thief was done the opposite way between the US & Australia -- for adults in Australia, for the YA market in the US.

[VeganCupcake]

Sometimes I feel like I must be the most critical reader alive. For ladies book club we're reading Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. I went into it with a fairly open mind because I knew the reviews on here were mixed but I hated it. It wasn't so horrible that I couldn't finish it but I found she was overly stereotyping and critical of American parenting styles - I know lots of American parents and NONE of them parent like the people she used as examples in her book. She also glossed over a lot of huge negatives in French culture like women making substantially less money, no breastfeeding, and how important the man in the family is. She also tried to make it sound like a plus that children spent long days in childcare centers. There were plusses but they were already things I already do so I found them to be such basic common sense I didn't think they needed to be listed in a book. Make your children us good manners. Is it necessary to include advice like that in a parenting book?!?! I'm somewhat concerned that all the other gals in my book club are going to love it.

 

I felt the same way--that the book was pretty much "well, duh." I feel like there's a kind of Francophilia these days: French women don't get fat, French kids eat everything, French kids are nearly perfect. I appreciate French culture, but I certainly don't think it's perfect.

[Negin]

Oh my goodness, now I want a rainy northern European day. It's been hot and dry here for months, and for the last two weeks or so it's been smoky with wildfires too.

So, yeah, let's all go to Belgium!

:D :grouphug: :D

[VeganCupcake]

I finished The Shallows last night. I liked it--though I don't know anyone who would read an ebook the way he described--going to related Wikipedia pages and reading them instead of reading the book? Sounds like someone who didn't want to read the book in the first place. :lol:

[Storm Bay]

I don't know what to tell you, really. It's only the beginning of research on the topic so there is perhaps one person in the world qualified to diagnose it. It's probably best for making maternal intuition more comfortable than making your brain feel comfortable. When it comes down to it, I do what I do with my kids because there doesn't seem to be anything else to do. Books and experts don't change the kid and don't let me see into the future.

 

In short, I dunno. :tongue_smilie:

 

Rosie

 

Thanks, I'll keep it in my perhaps list.

 

Oh I am glad to hear this, Karin! It was such an atypical book for me which just goes to show that it is worthwhile crawling out of our comfort zone occasionally.

 

Something that I think is noteworthy that I learned from the web: Genesis (by Bernard Beckett) was marketed to young adults in New Zealand (home of the author) but is considered adult fiction here. Hmmmm.... (Jane is sitting on her hands to avoid making a snarky comment on the American reading public.)

 

Hmmm, makes you wonder, doesn't it? I thought of having one of my dd's read it, but they're not interested. It's an atypical read for me, too.

 

Interestingly, The Book Thief was done the opposite way between the US & Australia -- for adults in Australia, for the YA market in the US.

Interesting. Dd & I both read that one.

[-M-]

My reading week was off to a slow start because I decided to reread Three Sisters after seeing the Tracy Letts adaptation at the Steppenwolf this Sunday. (Yes, I just read it for the first time last week.) The staging was exquisite, but the translation was awkwardly "modernised," and the delivery was... odd, to say the least. I felt that I *needed* to reread it.

 

Anyway.

 

Book #93 will be Unwholly (Neal Shusterman), the follow-up to Unwind; I am about halfway through.

 

 

And Book #94 will be Hamlet because we secured tickets to an upcoming performance at the Writers' Theatre.

Completed:

 

#92 The Island of Dr. Moreau (H.G. Wells; fiction) With the Misses -- neat symmetry with our recent reading of Frankenstein (e.g., discussion of irresponsible "fathers," scientific fervor v. ethics, etc.)

#91 The Year of Learning Dangerously (Quinn Cummings; memoir) Cummings presents herself as a wry, bright, but often socially awkward introvert (in other words, someone many of us would understand well and probably like), but more than once, I detected an unappealing arrogance in her narrative voice. (Consider, for example, the chapter on the Christian homeschooling conference.) Then there is the question of the book's purpose: Is it a memoir masquerading as a survey of homeschooling methods? or vice versa? It is not a fully realized version of either, so it succeeds as neither. In short, it was thin, hollow read that made me wonder why I had bothered.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Mental multivitamin

[Just Robyn]

I applaud you for reading anything by Hemingway. I had to read The Old Man and the Sea in high school and hated it. Over the years I tried to re-read it and tried to read some of his other writing. I. Just. Can't.

 

I just noticed The Old Man and the Sea is number 64 on Goodread's list of "The Most Begun "Read but Unfinished" (Initiated) books ever."

[Rosyl]

53) Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshaar I love her descriptions of life in Ancient times.

52) Wizard of Oz (to my dc) Baum

51) The waiting Susan Woods Fisher\

50) Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

49) Haven by Susan Woods Fisher

48) Cottage By The Sea by Robin Jones Gunn

 

47) Missing by Shelley Shepard Gray

46) Finally and Forever Robin Jones Gunn

45) Love Story by Erich Segal which is from my birthmonth, week and year. I really liked it.

44) The Wounded Heart Adina Senft

43) The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

42) Home Another Way Christa Parrish I liked this one alot.

41) The 1/2 Stitched Quilting Club Wanda Brunstetter

40) The Choice Suzanne Fisher Woods

 

 

39) Love on the Line Deeann Gist

38) Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii Robin Jones Gunn

37) Coming Attractions Robin Jones Gunn

36) On a whim Robin Jones Gunn

35) Peculiar treasures Robin Jones Gunn

34) Loving by Karen Kingsbury

33) Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish

32) The Core by Leigh Bortins

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

30) Big Decisions Linda Byler

 

29) Mockingjay Collins

28) Catching Fire Collins

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

26) A Hope For Hannah by Jerry Eicher

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

24) Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow on audio

23) A Dream For Hannah by Jerry Eicher.

22) Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare on audio

21) A Love That Multiplies, Duggars on Audio

 

20) Ella Finds Love, Eicher

19) Hunger Games bySuzanne Collins

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

17) Emotionally Healthy Spiritually by Peter Scazarro

16) Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

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

14) The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet audio book

13) Growing up Amish by Beth Wiseman

12) Ella's Wish By Jerry Eicher

11) Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

 

10) The Healing by Wanda Brunstetter

9) Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray

8) The Dark Tide

7) Little Men, Louisa May Alcott on Audio

6) Winter of the Red Snow.

5) The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory.

4) A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry Eicher

3) Longing by Karen Kingsbury.

2) Little Women by Alcott

1) Midummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

[Entropymama]

I've got All Creatures Great and Small on my nightstand. Are you enjoying it? I loved his treasury of stories for children so I hope I enjoy his adult stories as well.

 

ETA: "Adult" as in "his intended audience is not children" not *ahem* ADULT STORIES. I can't imagine James Herriot writing a racy story. I'd probably like it better than most other racy stories out there because you know it'd have a happy ending and be set in rural England.

 

:lol::lol:

 

How do you all keep a running list? Save it somewhere? Cut and paste from last week?

[aggieamy]

:lol::lol:

 

How do you all keep a running list? Save it somewhere? Cut and paste from last week?

 

I keep a running list by quoting myself and updating my old post when I finish a book. If there's a better way of doing that then I'd like to know it myself.

[Storm Bay]

I just noticed The Old Man and the Sea is number 64 on Goodread's list of "The Most Begun "Read but Unfinished" (Initiated) books ever."

 

I don't remember hating it, & I read it without having to read it. Dd, 14, read it for summer reading & liked it so much that she bought a used copy at a used curriculum fair.

 

The book I loathe is The Grapes of Wrath. Is that on the list???

[Just Robyn]

I don't remember hating it, & I read it without having to read it. Dd, 14, read it for summer reading & liked it so much that she bought a used copy at a used curriculum fair.

 

The book I loathe is The Grapes of Wrath. Is that on the list???

 

Number 32. :001_smile:

 

I too really liked The Old Man and the Sea. Dh says he read it in high school and hated it.

 

I haven't read The Grapes of Wrath yet. (You can go ahead and laugh. Don't worry. I know how ridiculous that sounds.)

[Stacia]

.

[Lady Florida.]

 

ETA: Still reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

 

I tried to read that about a year ago, and couldn't get into it. I think it was just timing, and would like to try again. It's still on my TBR list.

 

It was such an atypical book for me which just goes to show that it is worthwhile crawling out of our comfort zone occasionally.

 

 

 

This is why I like book clubs. I have a hard time reading outside of my comfort zone, and book clubs helps me do just that.

 

Interestingly, The Book Thief was done the opposite way between the US & Australia -- for adults in Australia, for the YA market in the US.

 

Interesting. Dd & I both read that one.

 

I read it a while back. It was one of those book club reads that I would not have chosen on my own, but loved it. I'm having ds read it for school this year.

[CAMom]

For Negin... :lol:

 

 

 

:lol::lol:

 

I have about 20 pages left in Middlesex. Stacia, I decided to finish it because you said you loved. I actually did end up really enjoying it!:)

[Stacia]

I have about 20 pages left in Middlesex. Stacia, I decided to finish it because you said you loved. I actually did end up really enjoying it!:)

 

Yay! So glad you ended up enjoying it. I think it's a wonderful book. I just adore Cal/Callie.

[CAMom]

Yay! So glad you ended up enjoying it. I think it's a wonderful book. I just adore Cal/Callie.

 

OK, finished! I agree! What a fantastic narrator! I'm glad I stuck with it!

[Negin]

For Negin...

:smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5:

Stacia, I'm not usually into dragons, but this one is cool. :D :lol: :grouphug:

 

Yay! So glad you ended up enjoying it. I think it's a wonderful book. I just adore Cal/Callie.

:iagree:

I love Cal/Callie. It's been almost a year since I read Middlesex. I still think of her at times. :)

[Storm Bay]

Number 32. :001_smile:

 

I too really liked The Old Man and the Sea. Dh says he read it in high school and hated it.

 

I haven't read The Grapes of Wrath yet. (You can go ahead and laugh. Don't worry. I know how ridiculous that sounds.)

 

Well, it makes sense to me that a lot more people don't finish The Grapes of Wrath than The Old Man & the Sea:001_smile:.

 

For Negin... :lol:

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Pink and Green Mom]

Just finished #43 - Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert Massie. Good nonfiction read about the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

[Negin]

Stacia, this one's for you. :lol:

Not that it has anything to do with books, but I know that you like cats.

Here's a bob cat. I keep looking at this and giggling. :lol: :D

 

[Stacia]

Stacia, this one's for you. :lol:

Not that it has anything to do with books, but I know that you like cats.

Here's a bob cat. I keep looking at this and giggling. :lol: :D

:lol:

 

Ok, the funny thing is that I was getting my hair cut today. I usually wear my hair very short, but am currently growing it out (it still would be very short by most people's standards, though) to see if I want a short bob. Should I print this photo & take it w/ me next time to show the stylist? ;):D

[Negin]

Ok, the funny thing is that I was getting my hair cut today. I usually wear my hair very short, but am currently growing it out (it still would be very short by most people's standards, though) to see if I want a short bob. Should I print this photo & take it w/ me next time to show the stylist?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

:smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5:

 

Just saw this, but I like yours better. :D

[Stacia]

Yes! Yes! Yes!

:smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5:

 

Just saw this, but I like yours better. :D

Ok, I'll be sure to tell the stylist that it's the look my friend recommends for me. :lol:

 

Oh, Princess Peach & Yoshi! That's cool. (But, I always play as Toad. :lol:)

[Negin]

Ok, I'll be sure to tell the stylist that it's the look my friend recommends for me. :lol:

I wish I could be there with you. :lol: :grouphug:

[ladydusk]

[phew] In under the wire. I finished The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L'Engle this evening. Such an interesting book. I loved the stories of her mother's ancestors.

 

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

36. My Man, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse

37. Right Ho, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse

38. The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L'Engle

[Stacia]

I finished Terry Pratchett's Thud! today. As always, Pratchett is both entertaining & thought-provoking....

 

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

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)

46. The Nazi Séance by Arthur J. Magida (2 stars)

47. Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi (5 stars)

48. Thud! by Terry Pratchett (4 stars)

[Violet Crown]

I finished reading Verne's Around the World in 80 Days to Middle Girl. It was fun, though we had to have some discussion about the depictions of Hinduism and Mormonism. Unfortunately I saw the twist ending coming (I think it was the second time Passepartout refused to adjust his watch for the time zone), which made the final build-up excruciating. But Middle Girl loved it.

[Robin M]

 

Link to week 36 - please continue conversation in new thread.