Book a Week in 2012 - Week 41

[Robin M]

Good Morning, dear hearts! Today is the start of week 41 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 - Hot Ice by Cherry Adair: One of my favorite romantic suspense authors has a new book in her T-Flac series coming out on October 15. She's self publishing in ebook on this particular one instead of going through her publisher. It will actually be up on Amazon and all online etailers on the 15th.

 

Publisher Weekly has some interesting books this week listed in their Best New books for the week of October 8th.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 40

[Robin M]

Donuts!!!!

 

:lol:

 

Chocolate covered glazed. You guys are such a bad influence.

 

 

Still in a non fiction mode: Reading and working through Writing Begins with the Breath by Laraine Herring and 2/3rds of the way through Journeys on the Silk Road by Joyce Morgan and Conrad Walters. I'm starting to get grumpy and that usually happens when I haven't read fiction for a while. Need to go through my stacks, pick out a book and disappear into la la land for a while.

[Angel]

My dh made me walk by the donuts in Kroger this morning. :glare: I told him they were soft and I could eat them easily after my dental work but he didn't get the hint.

 

Back on topic...:lol:...I started Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on my Kindle ap and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as a read aloud with my dd.

[Just Robyn]

Publisher Weekly has some interesting books this week listed in their Best New books for the week of October 8th.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

Checked out the Publisher Weekly list, and I'm so glad you posted that. I'll be adding that Vonnegut book to my to-read list.

 

Haven't finished anything since last week, but I'm working on We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, and I jumped on the bandwagon and started Outlining Your Novel by K. M. Weiland.

[laughing lioness]

Donuts!!!!

 

:lol:

 

Chocolate covered glazed. You guys are such a bad influence.

 

 

Still in a non fiction mode: Reading and working through Writing Begins with the Breath by Laraine Herring and 2/3rds of the way through Journeys on the Silk Road by Joyce Morgan and Conrad Walters. I'm starting to get grumpy and that usually happens when I haven't read fiction for a while. Need to go through my stacks, pick out a book and disappear into la la land for a while.

 

The kids begged for danish for LL snack on Friday. What to do? I bought them! Made for a whole happy Lego League club!

 

Adding Writing Begins to my list! :001_smile:

 

Checked out the Publisher Weekly list, and I'm so glad you posted that. I'll be adding that Vonnegut book to my to-read list.

 

Haven't finished anything since last week, but I'm working on We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, and I jumped on the bandwagon and started Outlining Your Novel by K. M. Weiland.

 

LOVED Vonnegut in high school. Haven't read anything by him for years. Post what you think about it, K?

 

Still working through The Rich are Different- it's about 600 pgs. I'm about 300- love the characterization and the different voices. A few surpries as Howatch changed voices, which changed my ideas of characters. Getting kind of tired of the sordid s*x. I know it's all part of it, and integral to the analogy but I'm finding it tedious.

[VeganCupcake]

I finished 1491 by Charles Mann last night and I really liked it--better than I liked 1493, I think. There were a few moments when my eyes glazed over, and I'm hopelessly confused about which Inka was which, but it did begin to reframe my understanding of Native American cultures, which I admit is really lacking.

 

I started Picnic at Hanging Rock and thus far it is interesting.

 

Still listening to Moby Dick and Packing for Mars. It doesn't seem like Packing for Mars is very well suited for audio, because there are footnotes and asides that are inserted in reading and I get a bit lost sometimes.

[Ali in OR]

I finished two this week. First was The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll by Jean Nathan, a biography of Dare Wright who wrote The Lonely Doll. My dds like The Lonely Doll (not everyone does--includes a scene of a teddy bear spanking a naughty doll). Youngest wanted to check it out from the library but we couldn't remember the author. The card catalog also brought up this biography and I was curious so I checked it out. Dare Wright was dominated by her mother and a bit off in many ways. She looked a lot like Edith, the doll in The Lonely Doll. In fact, she made over Edith, her childhood doll, to look like herself, and there are a lot of other similarities between Edith and herself. Kind of interesting.

 

I also finished our book club book for October, The Orphan Sister by Gwendolen Gross. It was just okay. I thought the protagonist was rather self-absorbed. The theme was also similar to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (missing father who is off to see a dying first wife/love), but I enjoyed Heartbeats much more.

 

Not sure what is up next. I'm reading Silas Marner on the Kindle because dd is supposed to be reading it and will have a writing assignment on it soon. I read it some 25 years ago--don't remember too much. Need something else for the treadmill too.

[Jane in NC]

Donuts!!!!

 

:lol:

 

Chocolate covered glazed. You guys are such a bad influence.

 

 

My dh made me walk by the donuts in Kroger this morning. :glare: I told him they were soft and I could eat them easily after my dental work but he didn't get the hint.

 

 

You guys are cracking me up!

 

What is this week's distraction? More donuts or should we move on to popcorn? :lurk5:

Edited October 7, 2012 by Jane in NC

[aggieamy]

Donuts!!!!

 

:lol:

 

Chocolate covered glazed. You guys are such a bad influence.

 

 

Still in a non fiction mode: Reading and working through Writing Begins with the Breath by Laraine Herring and 2/3rds of the way through Journeys on the Silk Road by Joyce Morgan and Conrad Walters. I'm starting to get grumpy and that usually happens when I haven't read fiction for a while. Need to go through my stacks, pick out a book and disappear into la la land for a while.

 

Robin (and anyone else that wants to answer) - what are your favorite books on writing? I'm trying to read a lot of writing books to gear up for NaNo. 24 days to go!

 

Note to everybody - Stop whatever you are doing and go put Beauty on your library reserve list if you haven't read it yet. It will only take a day or two and it is such a fun sweet read. It's a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story done by Robin McKinley and it's simply wonderful. I'm blaming my sleep deprivation today on it. I think it's a little too high of a reading level for DD otherwise I would have her read it.

 

In progress:

 

White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry (read aloud)

Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne (book club)

Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Breathnach

 

2012 finished books:

 

107. Beauty by Robin McKinley (*****)

106. Time and Again by Jack Finney (****)

105. The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can: Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds (**)

104. Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (***)

103. Carry on, My Bowditch by Jean Lee Lantham - read aloud (*****)

102. Outlining Your Novel by KM Weiland (****)

101. Living in a Nutshell - Posh and Portable Decorating Ideas for Living in Small Spaces by Janet Lee (***)

100. Very Good, Jeeves by PD Wodehouse (*****)

99. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot (*****)

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

[eaglei]

This week I finished only one book (another slow week . . .):

 

#55 - Leafy Rivers, by Jessamyn West. This is the first book by this author that I have read. Some of her phrasing and descriptions are quite good. The character's tales, set in this early 1880's story, seemed more retrospective, but wasn't hard to follow.

 

Later on today, I'll start a book that I hurriedly and randomly plucked from the library shelves:

 

#56 - 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life, by John Kralik.

[prairiegirl]

I read 'The Descendants' by Kaui Hart Hemmings. It wasn't a bad read but I had George Clooney in my head as the lead character (the role he plays in the movie,) if he wasn't there, I don't think I would have liked it as much. :001_smile:

 

I am now reading 'Death at Pemberley' by P.D.James. I have read so many P&P knock-offs lately, though, that I am getting them all mixed up which makes reading this book a bit confusing.

[Shawneinfl]

Finally finished another book - "Killing Kennedy" by Bill O'Reilly. Wow. There is so much I didn't know about that time in history - even though I was born just two weeks before the Cuban missile crisis. I never realized how close we were to total nuclear war with Russia.

 

This was a quick read and fascinating for me. What a tragic family. Poor Jackie. I don't know how anyone could deal with all she had to. I'm wondering now if his "Killing Lincoln" book will be as good.

[shanvan]

I am now reading 'Death at Pemberley' by P.D.James. I have read so many P&P knock-offs lately, though, that I am getting them all mixed up which makes reading this book a bit confusing.

 

Yup, same problem here. I'm currently reading Second Impressions by Ava Farmer. I keep thinking I read it before, but I haven't. I am astounded at how closely the author has matched Jane Austen's style. We heard her speak about a week ago and she did an unbelievable amount of research in order to make the book as historically accurate as possible. Dd was thrilled to have her autograph the book. I haven't read enough to comment overall, but so far I like it. I'll also mention that all of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to Chawton House Library which promotes the study and research of early English women’s writing. They have an impressive online collection of novels which I will be investigating further this winter.

 

Last week, after finishing The Hidden Hand, I grabbed one of the library books I had stacked on my nightstand. I ended up reading A Portrait of Charles Lamb by David Cecil. Interesting, fascinating, but sad to read about how he cared for his sister after she attacked and killed their mother. I'm still trying to sort out what mental disorder she may have suffered. Now I'd like to read some of Lamb's letters and essays. This newest fascination was sparked by Anne Fadiman's constant references to Lamb in her book of essays (listed below).

Recent Reads:

A Portrait of Charles Lamb by David Cecil

The Hidden Hand by EDEN Southworth

Pride & Prejudice

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

At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman

[ariasmommy]

Note to everybody - Stop whatever you are doing and go put Beauty on your library reserve list if you haven't read it yet. It will only take a day or two and it is such a fun sweet read. It's a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story done by Robin McKinley and it's simply wonderful. I'm blaming my sleep deprivation today on it. I think it's a little too high of a reading level for DD otherwise I would have her read it.

 

Done! :D Look forward to getting it.

 

I finished #45 last week: Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The father was an interesting character, to say the least. :tongue_smilie:

[Onceuponatime]

I haven't posted in a while. This week I read Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. I'm now reading Do Butlers Burgle? by P.G. Wodehouse.

[ladydusk]

Still working through The Rich are Different- it's about 600 pgs. I'm about 300- love the characterization and the different voices. A few surpries as Howatch changed voices, which changed my ideas of characters. Getting kind of tired of the sordid s*x. I know it's all part of it, and integral to the analogy but I'm finding it tedious.

 

Definitely my biggest problem with Howatch. I usually lightly skim through those sections to catch plot/discussion but miss the *ahem.

 

Trying to guess where you are, probably in Steve's section? I think later sections are tamer - but, I skim a lot of that so don't really remember.

[ladydusk]

I'm slowly working on Eric Metaxas' Bonhoffer biography. It's starting to pick up now with the end of WWI. It's very good, though. He's making very the thread of Bonhoffer's upbringing very clear. I hope this clarity lasts throughout the book.

[Rosie_0801]

Haven't finished anything since last week, but I'm working on We by Yevgeny Zamyatin,

 

:shudder: I don't think I'll ever voluntarily read dystopia again.

 

I read Rosalind Creasy's 'Edible Flower Garden,' and ate broccoli flowers in my sandwich.

 

And I started reading 'Picnic to Hanging Rock' to dd. I posted some links in last week's thread so if anyone who is reading didn't see them, here they are.

 

Rosie

[Lady Florida.]

I resisted getting donuts last week, despite the corruption efforts of some on this thread. ;)

 

I am now reading 'Death at Pemberley' by P.D.James. I have read so many P&P knock-offs lately, though, that I am getting them all mixed up which makes reading this book a bit confusing.

 

Death at Pemberley has been on my TBR list for quite a while. Let us know what you think when you finish it.

 

Finished: Dracula, by Bram Stoker, and really enjoyed it.

 

Started: Deal Breaker: The First Myron Bolitar Novel, Harlen Coben. Several years ago I read Long Lost, which is part of the Myron Bolitar series. I've been wanting to go back and read them from the beginning, and recently found out my library has all of the e-books.

 

Still reading: Don Quixote - This is slow going. I don't think I can read with the online group that's taking 2 weeks for every 10 chapters. Try as I might, I just can't read that slowly.

 

The Young Adult & Parent book club chose Carrie for this month's book, so ds and I will both be reading it. It was the first Stephen King novel I read. That was over 30 years ago, and have never re-read it.

 

__________________________________________________

Books read in 2012 - in no particular order.

43. Dracula, Bram Stoker

42. Our Husband, Stephanie Bond

41. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl, Timothy Egan

40. Defending Jacob, William Landay

39. Scorpion House, Maria Hudgins

38. The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins

37. Midnight in Austenland, Shannon Hale

36. To Kill a Mockingbird (re-read it because I assigned it to ds and wanted it to be fresh in my mind).

35. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer

34. The Poet and the Murderer, Simon Worrall

33. Nearly Departed in Deadwood, Ann Charles

32. Swan Song, Lee Hanson (not the famous one of the same title, but a mystery set in the Orlando area)

31. The Broken Token, Chris Nickson

30. The Count of Monte Cristo

29. I'd Listen To My Parents If They'd Just Shut Up: What to Say and Not to Say When Parenting Teens, Anthony E. Wolf

28. Gone, Michael Grant

27. Murder in Mykonos, Jeffrey Siger

26. The Hanover Square Affair, Ashley Gardner

25. Murder Behind the Scenes: A Victorian Mystery, Isabella Macready

24. Uneasy Spirits: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery, Louisa Locke

23. Murder in a Mill Town, P.B. Ryan

22. The Sign of the Four (Sherlock Holmes)

21. Accomplished in Murder, Dara England

20. Maids of Misfortune, Louisa Locke

19. The Butterfly Forest, Tom Lowe

18. Chasing China: A Daughter's Quest for Truth, Kay Bratt

17. Immortal in Death, J.D. Robb

16. Rapture in Death, J.D. Robb

15. The Well Educated Mind, SWB

14. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living, Tsh Oxenreider

13. Castle Cay, Lee Hanson

12. The Cater Street Hangman, Anne Perry

11. Callander Square, Anne Perry

10. Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, Geraldine Brooks

9. Cold Cruel Winter, Chris Nickson

8. Watching Jeopardy, Norm Foster

7. To the Grave: A Genealogical Mystery, Steve Robinson

6. Florida Heat, Rainy Kirkland

5. A Regimental Murder, Ashley Gardner

4. The One Minute Organizer, Donna Smallin

3. In the Blood, Steve Robinson

2. The Hangman's Daughter, Oliver Potzsch

1. Etsy 101 Sell Your Crafts on Etsy, Steve Weber

[laughing lioness]

Definitely my biggest problem with Howatch. I usually lightly skim through those sections to catch plot/discussion but miss the *ahem.

 

Trying to guess where you are, probably in Steve's section? I think later sections are tamer - but, I skim a lot of that so don't really remember.

 

Dawn- yep, Ceaser got murdered and it got back to the story line- :lol:. I'm almost done with Steve's section and loved it- I've loved the persepctives (one of the things that fascinates me about Piccolt's writing, too). Great read! already added "Sins" to the library queue.

 

Done! :D Look forward to getting it.

 

I finished #45 last week: Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The father was an interesting character, to say the least. :tongue_smilie:

Don't miss "Belles on Thier Toes" by the Gilbreaths. It's every bit as funny and loveable!

 

Robin (and anyone else that wants to answer) - what are your favorite books on writing? I'm trying to read a lot of writing books to gear up for NaNo. 24 days to go!

 

Note to everybody - Stop whatever you are doing and go put Beauty on your library reserve list if you haven't read it yet.

 

Added Beauty.

Best writing books: King on Writing. Bird by Bird by Lamott.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started Reading:

What Angel's Fear: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery

 

 

Still reading:

Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose

Alone With God by John MacArthur

 

Completed:

33. The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

32. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

31. Frankenstein

30. The Lotus and the Cross

29. Desiring God

28. Blood Feud: The Hatfields and the McCoys

27. Among the Gods

26. The Deadliest Monster

25. Faith of My Fathers

24. A Good American

23. They Say/I Say:The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

22. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

21. Insurgent

20. Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints

19. The Strength of His Hands

18. The Meaning of Marriage

17. Funny in Farsi

16. The Constantine Codex

15. What the Dog Saw

14. What is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission

13. Gods and Kings

12. A Skeleton in God's Closet

11. My Hands Came Away Red

10. The Omnivore's Dilemma

9. Dead Heat

8. Redeeming Love

7. Family Driven Faith: What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God

6. Organized Simplicity

5. Year of Wonders

4. The Holiness of God

3. The Paris Wife

2. The Peach Keeper

1. Relic

[Robin M]

Robin (and anyone else that wants to answer) - what are your favorite books on writing? I'm trying to read a lot of writing books to gear up for NaNo. 24 days to go!

 

K.M Weiland's Outlining Your Novel.

James Scott Bell - Revision and Self Editing, Plot and Structure, Art of War for Writers.

 

Ditto Bird by Bird by Lamont

Stephen King's On Writing.

 

Those ought to keep you busy!!

[Stacia]

Still working on the same two books:

 

Picnic at Hanging Rock (the illustrated edition) by Joan Lindsay for Rosie's reading challenge.

Visit Sunny Chernobyl by Andrew Blackwell.

 

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

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 (2 stars)

45. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley (4 stars)

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

47. Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballentine & Tee Morris (3 stars)

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

49. Thud! by Terry Pratchett (3.5 stars)

50. Wide Open by Nicola Barker (3 stars)

 

51. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (4 stars)

52. The Merciful Women by Federico Andahazi (3 stars)

53. The Vampyre by John William Polidori (3 stars)

54. Living in a Nutshell by Janet Lee (3 stars)

55. Dracula by Bram Stoker (4 stars)

[Stacia]

Checked out the Publisher Weekly list, and I'm so glad you posted that. I'll be adding that Vonnegut book to my to-read list.

 

Looking forward to your review of it. I'm a huge Vonnegut fan.

 

I finished 1491 by Charles Mann

 

I've had this on my shelf awhile & need to get around to reading it!

 

Note to everybody - Stop whatever you are doing and go put Beauty on your library reserve list if you haven't read it yet. It will only take a day or two and it is such a fun sweet read. It's a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story done by Robin McKinley and it's simply wonderful. I'm blaming my sleep deprivation today on it. I think it's a little too high of a reading level for DD otherwise I would have her read it.

 

I've requested it. It sounds like one my teen dd would really enjoy as she has always loved fairy tales/fables & their various retellings....

 

And I started reading 'Picnic to Hanging Rock' to dd. I posted some links in last week's thread so if anyone who is reading didn't see them, here they are.

 

Saw your links last week, Rosie, & spent a little time looking through them. Hoping to have more time this week to further explore them.

 

Do you know if this story is entirely fiction or is it based on a real-life disappearance? Urban (or bush) legend?

 

It's pretty neat so far (I'm about halfway at this point).... I must say that it has never occurred to me that a wallaby rushing by might scare a horse. ;):lol: (Not something we normally see around here anyway, lol.) Loving the Australian settings & descriptions. I'm guessing Hanging Rock is so unique/enchanting because it's the only (or one of the few) large/tall land formations in that area? Am I guessing correctly or am I completely off the mark?

[Kareni]

I started reading I've Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella. I had requested it from the library after I saw it mentioned in a discussion on epistolary novels. (It includes a number of emails and text messages rather than letters.) I read a few pages in bed and was not immediately drawn into the book; however, what struck me was how very British it was with words such as Hoovering, hob, and nicked. I asked my husband, "Would you ever use the word 'nicked'?" He answered, "Never!"

 

Since I was too comfortable to get up to find another book, I skipped ahead ten or twenty pages and gave the book a second try. Three hours later .... It's now only fair to say that I enjoyed the book.

 

Today I finished the book A Soldier's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why) by Jean Johnson. I'd previously read a series of fantasy/romances by this author which were fun and lighthearted. This new book is classified as science fiction and is absolutely unlike her other books in style or content. I surprised myself by enjoying it very much (though I will admit that I kept looking for a romance that wasn't there!)

 

Grammar gurus are invited to comment as to whether the series name -- Theirs Not to Reason Why -- is correct. Ought it have an 's appended to theirs or the word is after theirs? Your thoughts?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I finished The Thirteenth Tale. I'd give it 3 Stars.

 

I'm now reading The Sense of an Ending.

 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

 

Picnic at Hanging Rock (the illustrated edition) by Joan Lindsay for Rosie's reading challenge.

Visit Sunny Chernobyl by Andrew Blackwell.

I wonder if I'll like this. It looks interesting.

[Jane in NC]

Dawn- yep, Ceaser got murdered and it got back to the story line- :lol:. I'm almost done with Steve's section and loved it- I've loved the persepctives (one of the things that fascinates me about Piccolt's writing, too). Great read! already added "Sins" to the library queue.

 

 

 

:lol: Howatch has two more fans because of Dawn.

 

Still working on Sharon Astyk's Making Home. Admittedly, I did not read much last week although I did go through a growing stack of magazines. (I have also made the decision not to resubscribe to several of them.)

 

And because this fiction reader must always have a novel going, I started a novel that has been gathering dust on the bedside: The Book of Salt by Monique Truong. The novel is told from the perspective of a Vietnamese cook in the Parisian expatriate household of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.

 

Notice I still have the food thing going...

[Lizzie in Ma]

Re-reading Seanan McGuire's October Daye series because the new one just came out!

http://seananmcguire.com/toby.php

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Just Robyn]

LOVED Vonnegut in high school. Haven't read anything by him for years. Post what you think about it, K?

 

Will do!

 

:shudder: I don't think I'll ever voluntarily read dystopia again.

 

Was We the novel that turned you against dystopia - or which one(s)? Gotta say, I love dystopian literature. It's like a good therapist (free!) or maybe just a really good coffee buddy.

 

And I just remembered, I actually did read The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi last week.

 

 

From the author of Persepolis, comes this illustrated fairy tale. Rose is one of three daughters of a rich merchant who always brings gifts for his girls from the market. One day Rose asks for the seed of a blue bean, but he fails to find one for her. She lets out a sigh in resignation, and her sigh attracts the Sigh, a mysterious being that brings the seed she desired to the merchant. But every debt has to be paid, and every gift has a price, and the Sigh returns a year later to take the merchant's daughter to a secret and distant palace.

Edited October 8, 2012 by crstarlette

[LostSurprise]

I liked We. It wasn't the best dystopian I ever read but you can see its influence on other dystopian lit like 1984 or Anthem.

 

 

I've always loved Cheaper by the Dozen. Its nothing like the movies. I used to read and re-read it as a teen.

 

Still working on several but I've had a lot of homework lately. I keep adding a book or two here and there which doesn't help. :tongue_smilie: I should be done with The Gypsies (better than his WWII one) and Town Like Alice soon.

[Jane in NC]

I've always loved Cheaper by the Dozen. Its nothing like the movies. I used to read and re-read it as a teen.

 

 

I just picked up the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen at a recent library book sale. Has anyone read Belles on Their Toes?

[dangermom]

I don't have much finished this week, just The Castle of Otranto, the first (and funniest!) Gothic novel written.

 

I'm also reading and posting on one M. R. James story a day, which is a lot of fun!

[dangermom]

I just picked up the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen at a recent library book sale. Has anyone read Belles on Their Toes?

 

I have. I think a lot of it revolves around their mother dealing with raising 12 kids as a widow. It's pretty good.

[aggieamy]

I wish I could remember who recommended Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Breathnach because that was a charming little book and I'd like to thank them. I picked about half a dozen ideas I want to try at Halloween and Christmas to add to our existing holiday traditions.

 

In progress:

 

White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry (read aloud)

Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne (book club)

Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

 

2012 finished books:

 

108. Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Breathnach (****)

107. Beauty by Robin McKinley (*****)

106. Time and Again by Jack Finney (****)

105. The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can: Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds (**)

104. Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (***)

103. Carry on, My Bowditch by Jean Lee Lantham - read aloud (*****)

102. Outlining Your Novel by KM Weiland (****)

101. Living in a Nutshell - Posh and Portable Decorating Ideas for Living in Small Spaces by Janet Lee (***)

100. Very Good, Jeeves by PD Wodehouse (*****)

99. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot (*****)

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

[Storm Bay]

I've started 3 books, and am not sure if I'll finish the novel or not, and we'll see how well I do on the other 2 books.

 

Nonfiction: Until it Hurts: America's Obsession with Youth Sports and How it Harms Our Kids http://www.amazon.com/Until-It-Hurts-Americas-Obsession/dp/0807021180

 

Reversing Religious Repression: A New Subtitle for the Sermon on the Mount http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19/182-5204879-9302938?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=reversing+religious+repression&sprefix=Reversing+Religious%2Cstripbooks%2C103

 

Novel: Readme by Neal Stephenson http://www.amazon.com/Reamde-Novel-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0062191497/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349719979&sr=1-1&keywords=readme+neal+stephenson My eldest brought home his novel Anathem, but I'm not into that book at all at this point in my life. I haven't decided if I like it or not yet; it's definitely not something that grabbed me right away, but part of it takes place in BC (Canada, for those on the East Coast that think Boston College in error;).)

 

 

You guys are cracking me up!

 

What is this week's distraction? More donuts or should we move on to popcorn? :lurk5:

 

My middle dd is going to make Apple Crisp & also Baking Powder Biscuits, both from scratch, this afternoon. How about those?

 

 

I just picked up the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen at a recent library book sale. Has anyone read Belles on Their Toes?

 

Let me know if you like it; I read the first one when I was a kid & reread it with my dc. I'll read the other if you like it, because that will make 2 here that did (can't remember now who told you they liked it after this post of yours.)

Edited October 8, 2012 by Karin

[Storm Bay]

Hooray--I just figured out how to put pictures in here without some complicated method!!!!! :party:

 

 

Okay, that may not be exciting for everyone, but I've wanted to do this so many times.

[Violet Crown]

I don't have much finished this week, just The Castle of Otranto, the first (and funniest!) Gothic novel written.

 

I'm also reading and posting on one M. R. James story a day, which is a lot of fun!

 

Otranto! Yes, hilarious! Crushed by a giant helmet....

[CAMom]

Hi Everyone!:)

 

A just finished Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleeza Rice. I really enjoyed reading about her upbringing.

 

I'm currently reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

[Stacia]

I finished The Thirteenth Tale. I'd give it 3 Stars.

 

I'm now reading The Sense of an Ending.

Negin, I agree w/ your rating of The Thirteenth Tale. It's enjoyable enough. Looking forward to your review of The Sense of an Ending.

 

I started on this yesterday because I love Lovecraft and Sherlock Holmes (ok yes I am a total nerd). Plus the cover art is fantastic!

I agree. Awesome cover art. :thumbup1:

 

I don't have much finished this week, just The Castle of Otranto, the first (and funniest!) Gothic novel written

I wish I could remember who recommended Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Breathnach because that was a charming little book and I'd like to thank them.

I will have to look for both of those books. Thanks for mentioning them.

[Just Robyn]

I liked We. It wasn't the best dystopian I ever read but you can see its influence on other dystopian lit like 1984 or Anthem.

This is why I wanted to read it, and I am enjoying seeing the similarities, meeting the predecessor of Winston et al. There is a quote on the wikipedia page for Player Piano by Vonnegut:

 

 

This link to Brave New World and Player Piano I knew about ahead of time and is why I chose to read it, but 1984 and Anthem are other books I've thought of while reading.

[eaglei]

Finally finished another book - "Killing Kennedy" by Bill O'Reilly. Wow. There is so much I didn't know about that time in history - even though I was born just two weeks before the Cuban missile crisis. I never realized how close we were to total nuclear war with Russia.

 

This was a quick read and fascinating for me. What a tragic family. Poor Jackie. I don't know how anyone could deal with all she had to. I'm wondering now if his "Killing Lincoln" book will be as good.

 

So glad you posted this! I am looking forward to reading Killing Kennedy. My library doesn't have it yet and it will likely be a couple months before they get it . . . :glare:

 

I read Killing Lincoln and wondered if Killing Kennedy would be as good! :)

 

Done! :D Look forward to getting it.

 

I finished #45 last week: Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The father was an interesting character, to say the least. :tongue_smilie:

 

I read this YEARS ago and remember that I enjoyed it quite a lot! There is a sequel, Belles on Their Toes, written by one of the sons. As I recall, it was good, but the first was better. Still worth finishing the story, though . . .

 

Hi Everyone!:)

 

A just finished Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleeza Rice. I really enjoyed reading about her upbringing.

 

I'm currently reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

 

Who is the author of the Bonhoeffer book? I recently heard the end of a talk by someone who had written about him. It was quite fascinating, but I missed the author's name. (I was driving and lost the signal).

[Storm Bay]

This link to Brave New World and Player Piano I knew about ahead of time and is why I chose to read it, but 1984 and Anthem are other books I've thought of while reading.

 

My eldest dd came home with 1984 on Friday, which surprised me. So far, she likes it, because she likes Sci-Fi, but she's only reading it at school. She's readingAnathem at home, and the word anathem is a play on the words anthem & anathema. (http://www.amazon.com/Anathem-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0061474096) I'll have to look for We, although it's hard to say if she'd read it if it's not as good as the others.

 

ETA This is how the author's last name was spelled in our library network Zam´i`atin , but this is how it is on the book I found online "Zamyatin".

Edited October 8, 2012 by Karin

[CAMom]

 

 

 

Who is the author of the Bonhoeffer book? I recently heard the end of a talk by someone who had written about him. It was quite fascinating, but I missed the author's name. (I was driving and lost the signal).

 

Eric Metaxas. :)

[LostSurprise]

Belles on Their Toes is rather serious compared to Cheaper by the Dozen. I think only a few of the kids had graduated when the father passed away. The mother made a promise that all the children would be supported through college. There's a lot of pulling together and trying to make it through and not as much of the hilarity that Frank Gilbreath infused into Cheaper by the Dozen. Its still worth reading though. I've always had a lot of respect for their mother.

 

I'm a Neal Stephenson fan but I haven't read Reamde yet. Anathem is interesting in an academic monks/mystery/parallel cultures and religions kind of way, but its slow going. Its not as focused as Cryptonomicon (excellent) or The Diamond Age (one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time).

 

On a food note: No doughnuts, but I made apple, pear, cranberry crisp last night. Oh, it was good! Today I made plum kuchen because the in-laws were stopping by and with Scandinavians if you have coffee and cake everything is just fine.

[Rosie_0801]

Saw your links last week, Rosie, & spent a little time looking through them. Hoping to have more time this week to further explore them.

 

Do you know if this story is entirely fiction or is it based on a real-life disappearance? Urban (or bush) legend?

 

Fiction bought to life. People swear they see ghosties there. That's hardcore fiction, isn't it?

 

I must say that it has never occurred to me that a wallaby rushing by might scare a horse. ;):lol: (Not something we normally see around here anyway, lol.)

The little blighters jump out of nowhere! It'd be the suddenness not the wallaby itself that would scare a horse. We drivers of cars have the same problem.

 

Loving the Australian settings & descriptions. I'm guessing Hanging Rock is so unique/enchanting because it's the only (or one of the few) large/tall land formations in that area? Am I guessing correctly or am I completely off the mark?

We have the Macedon Ranges, so the country isn't as flat as a pancake, but basically you're right. Ooh. Sharing a part of my country (loaded phrase) is so exciting. I only wish you could smell the heat, dust and eucalypts!

 

 

Was We the novel that turned you against dystopia - or which one(s)? Gotta say, I love dystopian literature. It's like a good therapist (free!) or maybe just a really good coffee buddy.

 

Oh no. It makes me need a therapist. I'm a sensitive soul. ;) And have freedom fighters in my recent family background. :sneaky2:

I had to read Lord of the Flies in high school. I recognised its quality and hated it all. I read 'We' at uni because my scarily intelligent and highly theoretical friend (as opposed to my average, practical self) said I would never achieve anything I could presume to call educated without reading this book. She was an interesting bod. :)

 

I should be done with ... Town Like Alice soon.

Yay for Australian classics! Lol. I love this book!

 

Rosie

Edited October 8, 2012 by Rosie_0801

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I finished my 24th book for the year this week: The Rescuers by Sharp and reviewed it on my blog. It was a read aloud with my 8yo son, and we enjoyed it enough that we started the sequel this morning. I'm nearly finished with Pilgrim's Progress and also need to work on Ivanhoe this week as well since my 13yo is ahead of me.

[eaglei]

Eric Metaxas. :)

 

Thank you! I'm going to look for this book; request it at the library if necessary. Is it a fairly new copyright?

 

On a food note: No doughnuts, but I made apple, pear, cranberry crisp last night. Oh, it was good! Today I made plum kuchen because the in-laws were stopping by and with Scandinavians if you have coffee and cake everything is just fine.

 

Okay - the bolded part - did you make THREE different crisps - or did you make ONE with all three fruits? If the latter, how about sharing the recipe (if it's not a family secret . . .) :) Thank you! :)

[Just Robyn]

My eldest dd came home with 1984 on Friday, which surprised me. So far, she likes it, because she likes Sci-Fi, but she's only reading it at school. She's readingAnathem at home, and the word anathem is a play on the words anthem & anathema. (http://www.amazon.com/Anathem-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0061474096) I'll have to look for We, although it's hard to say if she'd read it if it's not as good as the others.

 

ETA This is how the author's last name was spelled in our library network Zam´i`atin , but this is how it is on the book I found online "Zamyatin".

 

Anathem looks really interesting, and I've had Neal Stephenson on my mind as an author I ought to try out, so thanks for that.

 

I'm a Neal Stephenson fan but I haven't read Reamde yet. Anathem is interesting in an academic monks/mystery/parallel cultures and religions kind of way, but its slow going. Its not as focused as Cryptonomicon (excellent) or The Diamond Age (one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time).

 

Good to know. If I decide to read Anathem, I'll be forewarned.

[LostSurprise]

Okay - the bolded part - did you make THREE different crisps - or did you make ONE with all three fruits? If the latter, how about sharing the recipe (if it's not a family secret . . .) :) Thank you! :)

 

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-cranberry-and-pear-crisp/

 

I used almond flour instead of the walnuts and it seemed better with 3 pears/3 apples. So good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!