Jump to content

Menu

Book a Week in 2012 - week 37


Recommended Posts

I'm throwing my hat back in the ring! I'm still reading Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, but I'm almost done with that. I'm also reading Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma, but according to Goodreads, I'm still 17 books behind for my 52 book challenge.

 

However, this is my last week of babysitting infants, and my niece went back to school, and our German exchange student left, and I'll finally have a bit of normalcy back in this house. I'm planning to do my darndest to catch up. Wish me luck. I do have 3 craft fairs coming up for which I need to do a bit of work, but maybe I'll just spend the last 3 weeks of December reading!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robin - Have you listened to your Cat Who audiobook yet?

 

I finished How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by Esme Codell. Very good book - not as good as Jim Trelease but still a book a parent should have in their library. Lots of book lists. The informatin is good but not particularly easy to read. I'd consider it more of a reference than anything.

 

Almost done with my James Herriot book! I think I have a mini-crush on him. :001_smile:

 

In progress:

 

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

Very Good, Jeeves by PD Wodehouse (ladies book club)

Carry on, My Bowditch by Jean Lee Lantham (read aloud)

 

2012 finished books:

 

98. How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by Esme Codell (*****)

97. Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen (***)

96. The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lillian Jackson Braun (****)

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

 

I just found out what these threads are all about! How did I not know this was going on? I hope I'm not being presumptuous just joining in.

 

Besides teacher's editions, currently I am reading ....

 

The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women and the Artists They Inspired by Francine Prose

It's interesting and I've been talking with Dh a lot lately about the role of women in the lives of artists. I hate to say it, but so often the art becomes the mistress, whether it be written or visual art.

 

At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman which I love, love, love. Her sense of humor is brilliant. I've read parts out loud b/c my family was desperate to know what was making me laugh out loud. I'm even thinking of using some of the essays as models for personal essay writing. They are so genuine and interesting.

 

and our read-aloud: Pride & Prejudice, which we are all enjoying.

 

I wish I could remember other books I've read this year. Maybe if I keep up with these threads I can come up with a list. I've got some ideas from all the other lists I see.

 

Welcome! And way to jump in with a good book recommendation. I've added At Large and At Small to my to-read list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This week I read Jefferson's Sons, a y/a novel based on the historical evidence for Thomas Jefferson having a long term relationship with Sally Hemings.

 

I have this niggling feeling that Latin American authors and I don't mix, just like Russian authors and I don't seem to mix.

Me too.

:lol:

 

 

[ /QUOTE]

 

Stacia,

 

Thanks for your reply last week; your answer did help me, and now I know that magic realism isn't my cup of tea.

 

This conversation about Latin American novelists reminded me of a novel I read by Kathleen Azevedo, even though her work is more of a Brazilian/American cultural conflict.

 

The only reason I finished this book, aside from the fact that it is fairly well written, is that many years ago I knew the author. It is a disturbing novel, so only for those who like that sort of thing, and she is listed on LatinoStoires.com. This is her website http://www.kathleenazevedo.com/bio.html

 

The book is here http://www.amazon.com/Dreamers-Camino-Latina-Latino-Literary/dp/0816524904

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, I'll do it. :001_smile: I need to order a copy of the book, since it looks like my library has copies of the movie but not of the book. (Have you seen the movie?)

 

 

I like the movie. It's not the sort of movie you want to watch over and over, but I do like it.

 

 

Anyone wanting a postcard had better pm me their address. :)

 

Rosie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tidbits like that are why I've never read her book Stiff. :lol:

 

Okay, what is she writing that you don't like about it? I'm concerned because Stiff is one of my suggestions for book club this month. It seemed appropriate for Halloween but if there's questionable material I want to suggest something else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just finished "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan. It was my dd12's choice for me. I had read the first book in this new series early in the year but got busy with my own reading and forgot to come back to this second one. I am liking this series better than the original Percy Jackson books. More originality (the part about the Amazons was great!).

 

#35 "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

#34 "Venetia" by Georgette Heyer

#33"Enchanters' End Game" by David Eddings

"Castle of Wizardry" by David Eddings

"A Proper Companion" by Candice Hern

"Magician's Gambit" by David Eddings

"Queen of Sorcery" by David Eddings

"Pawn of Prophecy" by David Eddings

"The Island of Doctor Moreau" by H. G. Wells

"Darcy's Voyage" by Kara Louise

"A Red Herring Without Mustard" by Alan Bradley

"Below Stairs" by Margaret Powell

"The Deception at Lyme" by Carrie Bebris

"The Intrigue at Highbury" by Carrie Bebris

"Faro's Daughter" by Georgette Heyer

"The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare

"The Sword of Shanara" by Terry Brooks

"The Matters at Mansfield" by Carrie Bebris

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare

"Juliet" by Anne Fortier

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare

"North by Northanger" by Carrie Bebris

"Yarn Harlot" by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

"Suspense and Sensibility" by Carrie Bebris

"The Tempest" by William Shakespeare

"Cotillion" by Georgette Heyer

"Pride and Prescience" by Carrie Bebris

"Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by Tom Stoppard

"Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

"The Sisters Grimm" by Michael Buckley

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling

"The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan

"Henry V" by William Shakespeare

"The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Completed:

Book #50 - "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Mentioned I finished this and DH admitted he had to read it in High School, LOL! And he still remembers the opening line!

 

This is the first time I've read it. I was always rather put off by what I'd heard of it, perhaps because as a teen in the late 70's/early 80's, I still knew girls who were obsessed with obtaining a husband. (One girl I knew became a BYU cheerleader because she was sure she could attract Steve Young that way; he was still at BYU then.)

 

I was more compelled to finish than I thought I would be :D !

 

Book #49 - "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift.

Book #48 - "No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned me a Master's Degree at Age Sixteen" by Alexandra Swann.

Book #47 - "What to Read When" by Pam Allyn.

Book #46 - "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City" by Greg Witt.

Book #45 - "Freeing Your Child From Anxiety" by Tamar Chansky.

Book #44 - "A Nation Rising" by Kenneth C. Davis.

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, what is she writing that you don't like about it? I'm concerned because Stiff is one of my suggestions for book club this month. It seemed appropriate for Halloween but if there's questionable material I want to suggest something else.

 

Well, I have not read Stiff. My mom read it quite a few years ago and there was something very specific in there that made her tell me that *I* shouldn't read it. It was something that she knew would personally bother me. I have no idea what it is but she has never told me not to read a book, so I am definitely taking her word for it.

 

Actually, it may be a great October pick. Maybe someone who has actually read it can comment more...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, what is she writing that you don't like about it? I'm concerned because Stiff is one of my suggestions for book club this month. It seemed appropriate for Halloween but if there's questionable material I want to suggest something else.

 

 

I haven't read it either. I commented earlier that I just read her book, Bonk. Based on that book I've decided not to read Stiff. I did, however, really enjoy Packing for Mars.

 

 

She does talk about simulating life in space in an arid environment, but I can't remember where it was. I'm drawing a blank at the moment. The toilet scene in which she's giving it a whirl is funny.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...