Book a Week in 2012 - week 44

Robin M · October 28, 2012

Good Morning, my lovelies! Today is the start of week 44 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 - National Novel Writing Month: November is National Novel Writing Month and highlighted a few writing books including The Writer's Journey, Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler which is based on psychological writings by Carl Jung and the myth making philosophy of Joseph Campbell.

Be sure to check out Publisher's Weekly Best New Books for the Week of October 29th which includes James Scott Card's Ruins, Jacqueline Kelley's Return to the Willows (imaginative sequel to Wind in the Willows) and Black Flower by Korean novelist Young-ha Kim.

What are you reading this week?

Link to week 43

Edited October 28, 2012 by Mytwoblessings

Paisley Hedgehog · October 28, 2012

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Stacia · October 28, 2012

I finished Cloud Atlas this week. (Tam, I saw your comment in last week's thread that you have also read it. :001_smile:)

I think Cloud Atlas is a fascinating book of interwoven stories. Loved that Mitchell used different times/periods/writing styles for the six main story lines. I also enjoyed the cyclical nature of the story itself, of themes repeated in our past, present, and future histories -- lots to ponder, imo.

Now for a slight spoiler... (mouse over text to see it):

I read this book after seeing previews for the movie. As I came to each section, I remembered scenes from the preview that correlated to the book. When I got to "Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After", I realized that much of the preview seems to focus on Tom Hanks & Halle Berry as characters from that section of the book. Knowing Tom Hanks was playing that character & reading the dialect (which I didn't really like) in that section, I kept hearing Hanks' voice as Forrest Gump for that entire section of the book. :lol: So, I think imagining that section (my least favorite part of the book) being read in Forrest Gump's voice tainted my impression of that section. ;)

I've now started Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Not too far into it yet, but I'm charmed so far. Plus, as I walked through a dark room last night, I realized that the book cover glows in the dark. That's fun! :D

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

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).

Completed Rosie's Local Reading Challenge (#56 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 SÃ©ance 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 stars)

50. Wide Open by Nicola Barker (3 stars)

51. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel GarcÃa MÃ¡rquez (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)

56. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (3 stars)

57. Visit Sunny Chernobyl by Andrew Blackwell (4 stars)

58. John Dies at the End by David Wong (4 stars)

59. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (4 stars)

Robin M · October 28, 2012

I've set aside Bram Stoker's The Snake's Pass and don't think I'll be reading it. Just can't get into it. I'm pretty sure it's the native dialect and the god awful spelling that is putting me off and making it impossible to read.

"I do.' says St. Pathrick, an' he was so much mulvathered at the shnake presumin' to sthay, afther he tould thim all to go that for awhile he didn't think it quare that he could sphake at all."

"Well, ye see, surr, when you're writin' a letther to a girrul, ye can't begin widout a 'My dear' or a 'my darling' an' thin she has the grip iv the law onto ye! An' ye do be badgeed be the counsillors, an' ye do be frowned at be the judge, an ye do be laughed at be the people, an' ye do have to pay yer money, an' there ye are!"

Making my head explode.

Violet Crown · October 28, 2012

I've set aside Bram Stoker's The Snake's Pass and don't think I'll be reading it. Just can't get into it. I'm pretty sure it's the native dialect and the god awful spelling that is putting me off and making it impossible to read.

"I do.' says St. Pathrick, an' he was so much mulvathered at the shnake presumin' to sthay, afther he tould thim all to go that for awhile he didn't think it quare that he could sphake at all."

Somehow I'm hearing Sean Connery's voice there.

Just finishing Arthur's Britain. The book is a little dated, but it's definitely of interest to homeschoolers. Alcock's big contribution to Arthurian-era history is his meticulous and convincing argument that, contrary to the story of Hengist and Horsa and the Anglo-Saxon-Jutish invaders taking the island by fire and sword and driving the British into the remote western places, in fact the archeological evidence is for gradual settlement and intermarriage rather than displacement. The other story got traction because that's the way the Germanic settlers preferred to tell it.

Stacia · October 28, 2012

I have a huge stack of new-to-me horror/mystery waiting in my TBR pile since there have been so many great books reviewed all over the bloggosphere this October. I think I will be reading until next April to catch up :hurray:

Can't wait to see your list!

Making my head explode.

Yikes. No wonder! These days, I don't think I'd want to wade through that either!

eaglei · October 28, 2012

Finished only one book this week:

#59 - Ladder of Years, by Anne Tyler. This is turning out to be my default author - when I'm in a rush and don't know what I want to read, I dash into the library and grab an Anne Tyler novel. Again, I was not disappointed. I was surprised by my reaction to the ending, though. I should have been pleased, yet I find myself still wishing it had been otherwise . . . I won't say anymore in order to avoid spoilers.

Currently reading:

#60 - Think and Grow Rich! by Napoleon Hill. I heard a speaker this week (completely different topic) who mentioned this book as pivotal in his life. Regardless of what the title sounds like, may I just say that I need all the encouragement and positive thinking/prayer/ideas, etc., that I can get right now because we are going through some extremely rough times . . . If I am only encouraged through this book, then it will have been a help and worth the time . . .

Kareni · October 28, 2012

I finished Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships by Lee Binz.

This book is well worth reading if you are homeschooling or intend to homeschool your children through high school as it covers the construction of transcripts and course descriptions. A transcript is almost always required for admission to college. In addition, course descriptions (plus counselor letter, homeschool profile, and reading lists) are often required by selective colleges.

Lee Binz includes the transcripts of each of her sons as well as course descriptions, so the reader gets to see what each entails.

I personally didn't care for the transcript style she used for her sons' transcripts (it's a list format which I find less clear than other formats); I also found her course descriptions to be lengthy (each is a page long and included course grading components and individual assignment grades). That said, she states in her book that there are myriad ways of making both transcripts and course descriptions. In fact, the transcript format I used (organized by both grade and subject) was included as a sample.

All provisos aside, I'd recommend reading this book as early as seventh or eighth grade and well into the high school years.

Regards,

Kareni

Storm Bay · October 28, 2012

I'm nearly finished The Hobbit but read a y/a quickly called The Empress of Elsewhere by Theresa Nelson. I'm also reading Reversing Religious Repression which has a lot of good research in it, but he uses a lot of bold face & italics which drives me batty--if the content weren't so good, I'd scrap it, but the quality of work is much better than the typeface.

I finished Cloud Atlas this week. (Tam, I saw your comment in last week's thread that you have also read it. :001_smile:)

I think Cloud Atlas is a fascinating book of interwoven stories. Loved that Mitchell used different times/periods/writing styles for the six main story lines. I also enjoyed the cyclical nature of the story itself, of themes repeated in our past, present, and future histories -- lots to ponder, imo.

I skipped the spoiler because I put a hold on this book, but I'm last in line for both places I put it on hold (you can do that if its entered twice). Guess the movie coming out has increased interest. I'm intrigued by the 6 main story lines in different genres.

Somehow I'm hearing Sean Connery's voice there.

J

What a hunk--too bad he's far too old (and taken, but I'm married & not interested in switching, just in drooling.) He's older than my dad, which means he's in his 80s now.

Edited October 28, 2012 by Karin

dangermom · October 28, 2012

The only book I posted on this week was The Atlas of Love, a novel about 3 grad students who start living together in order to raise an unexpected baby and try to make a family. I enjoyed it very very much except for the one character, and you can read my rant about it if you want, but except for that it was great.

I finished my Gothic readalong book but haven't posted the final one yet, and otherwise am all taken up with MRJ stories and haven't had the energy to do much else blog-wise.

rwjx2khsmj · October 28, 2012

This week I finished The Endless Forest by Sara Donati. I enjoyed reading a series that was complete. It was nice that I could read it all and not wait for the next book.

ariasmommy · October 28, 2012

I finished #48 last night: Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers. A morgue, a dissection room, a dead body in a bathtub - I think that qualifies as a scary October read (scary enough for me, anyway!). :tongue_smilie:

Pink and Green Mom · October 28, 2012

I've finished 3 books this week. I have had my nose buried in a book all weekend, as evidenced by the sorry state of my house, the absense of homecooked meals, and the fact that I have no lessons planned for the upcoming week...

#54 - We Need To Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver. This was a great book about a (fictional) boy who was responsible for a school massacre. The story is told from his mom's perspective, in letters his mother is writing to her estranged husband 2 years after the fact. The book was so riveting I could not put it down.

# 55 - Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles. A story about a single woman in her 20s living in NYC in 1937. I liked this one a lot more than I thought I would.

#56 - Beautiful Disaster, by Jamie McGuire. Egads, this was awful. I cannot believe I wasted a day of my life on this carp. It made Shades of Grey seem deep and well written. It is about a college bad boy and a pink cardigan-wearing goodie goodie who - gasp - get together in a most dysfunctional relationship. It is as bad as it sounds.

Not sure what is up next. Looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to!

Just Robyn · October 29, 2012

I've been reading A Game of Thrones all week. I was hoping to finish by yesterday, but then I started in on some writing projects, so I've still got about 1/4 of the book left to read. It's entertaining. I'll probably read the next book in the series, though not right away.

Also, my library's annual book sale was this weekend, so I picked up a stack of books. The one that lingers on my mind is Ultravioleta by Laura Moriarty. I don't think I've heard of this book or the author, but the description, title, and cover all called to me.

"ULTRAVIOLETA is in the first place a mind that is spacious, with spangled depths on the order of William Blake and Phillip K. Dick. Our Mental Travelers are shining, friendly, off-hand and amorous astronauts, humans, monsters, aliens, and constructions, and they move through the galaxy on wings of a consciousness that is more than permeable...[Moriarty] has invented a new kind of tale in which the materiality of language and the magic of story combine in ever more wondrous agreements"--Robert Gluck

I finished Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships by Lee Binz.

Thanks for the review on this. I've got a few more years before I'll need it, but I better put it on my to-read list just so I don't forget about it.

Negin · October 29, 2012

I've now started Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

Stacia, this looks good. :)

Anne Tyler. This is turning out to be my default author - when I'm in a rush and don't know what I want to read

I've read quite a few of her books and have enjoyed them. My problem is that I don't quite remember which ones I've read.

I need all the encouragement and positive thinking/prayer/ideas, etc., that I can get right now because we are going through some extremely rough times

:grouphug:

I finished Picnic at Hanging Rock last night. Thank you, Rosie, for the lovely gift. :grouphug: :D

I'd give it 3 Stars. I liked it a lot, but wish there was stronger closure. I'm not a huge fan of filling-in-the-blanks. Really loved the Australian turn-of-the-century feel. I'd like to see the movie.

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay â€“ nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish â€“ waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if theyâ€™re that bad.

KidsHappen · October 29, 2012

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

36 Your Prescriptions are Killing You

37 The Anti-Depression Solution

38 Deadly Choices

39 Confessions of a Scary Mommy

40 Secondhand Chic

41 The Weight of the Nation

42 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Mom-ninja. · October 29, 2012

What a hunk--too bad he's far too old (and taken, but I'm married & not interested in switching, just in drooling.) He's older than my dad, which means he's in his 80s now.

Fine wine gets better with age and so do some men. For example, Jim Dale (in his 70s) can be my boyfriend any day. I'd have him read to me every day. :D

I finished book #54 Money Smart Kids by Gail Vaz-Oxlade.

Eh, I get what she's saying but I don't agree with some things.

-M- · October 29, 2012

Recently completed:

#118 Never Knowing (Chevy Stevens) Fiction.When Toby's Room appeared in my list of recommendations, Pat Barker's magnificent Regeneration Trilogy, which I read and pressed on anyone who would listen years ago, was recalled to me. Suddenly, there were a couple of Barker novels in my cart, and I thought, In for a penny, in for a pound, and perused the rest of the recommendations. Never Knowing was among them, and the price, which should have frightened me off, actually sold it: $2.73 in hardcover. (At this writing, it is $1.93.)

Yes, I'm certain quality fiction can be had at deep discounts, but this was not that. Never Knowing is simply a bound Lifetime movie: Adopted adult daughter never felt good enough. Has fraught family relationships, a handsome fiance, a whiny kid, a trusty dog, and an interesting job (one that allows her to run off and/or act erratically without making (m)any excuses). Visits a therapist. Tracks down her birth mother. A private detective later, learns the sordid truth about her conception! Gunshots! Kidnapping! Death! And of course, the requisite "twist." It was all so durned predictable.

And yet... not an altogether unpleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Heh, heh, heh.

Complete list of books read in 2012 can be found here.

In progress:

As always, there are an embarrassing number of active bookmarks on my nightstand, in my knapsack, on my desk, etc. Chief among them? Quiet (Susan Cain). Still. Sigh. Perhaps I should give up. She lost me just past the midpoint, and while I identify with so much of what she's written, I find that some of her points are forced and/or overly simplistic.

Let's see, I will soon finish my reread of Watership Down (Richard Adams), but I will *not* finish Dracula (Bram Stoker) by Halloween. I think The Birding Life (Laurence Sheehan) and Black Watch (Gregory Burke) will be done by month's end, though.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Mental multivitamin

Stacia · October 29, 2012

A few free Kindle give-aways this week:

http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?p=3772

Kim in Appalachia · October 29, 2012

This week I finished, Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. The book was dense, and spent a lot of time world building. The plot was good but the ending was a bit disappointing. This is my 3rd Mieville book. The first one I read was Embassytown, which I enjoyed. I also read The Kraken, which I thought was terrible.

His writing is amazing which is why I keep going back, but it may be awhile before I pick up The Scar

I just got a book from the library, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon.

I also would like to read Cloud Atlas. It looks like an interesting book, but I may need to read a quick thriller or something easy before tackling another hard book.

Storm Bay · October 29, 2012

Well, I've finished rereading The Hobbit and am now deciding between 2 books I found on the new book shelf at the library. Both have great reviews. Have any of you read either or both of these?

The only book I posted on this week was The Atlas of Love, a novel about 3 grad students who start living together in order to raise an unexpected baby and try to make a family. I enjoyed it very very much except for the one character, and you can read my rant about it if you want, but except for that it was great.

I just ordered this from the library after reading your review & also because there was a praise quote by Marisa de los Santos who has written a couple of novels I liked (and one not quite as much.) I'll just take that character with a grain of salt. I have found that unless someone practices a faith with full conviction, or gets good editing insight & advice from someone who does, they mess things up every time.

Fine wine gets better with age and so do some men. For example, Jim Dale (in his 70s) can be my boyfriend any day. I'd have him read to me every day. :D
.

:001_smile::001_smile:I just have a hang up about a boyfriend or dh the same age as my parents is all. Of course I do know someone born the same year as my mother married to a woman born the same year as me & it works, I just can't do it. But I do think that Sean Connery was much more handsome when he was middle aged and on than he was when he was younger, but that might also be because those old movies are dated.

aggieamy · October 29, 2012

Whew. Was on a reading streak last night.

Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce - YA. Quick read and I loved how everything was tied together at the end.

Village School by Miss Read - I'm a huge Anglophile but even my love of all things British didn't make this book fun to read. It read like a boring documentary of the life of a teacher in a small school in a village after WWII. It was sweet and nice and boring.

In progress:

Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling (read aloud)

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Seven Percent Solution Being a Reprint from the Files of John Watson by Nicholas Meyer

Face by Sherman Alexie

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Marukami (book club)

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

2012 finished books:

113. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce (****)

112. Village School by Miss Read (**)

111. White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry - read aloud (****)

110. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (*****)

109. Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (**)

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

Edited November 2, 2012 by aggieamy

Lady Florida. · October 30, 2012

I didn't get a chance to post last week, but I finished 2 books since I last posted. I'm at 46 now.

Drool Baby, C.A. Newsome - a cozy mystery. This was a sequel to one of her earlier books, and while I enjoyed it it seemed that she just wanted to wrap things up.

Gone Girl: A Novel, Gillian Flynn Wow. I just finished this one this morning and I'm still not sure what I think.

In progress:

Drop Shot, Harlan Coben

I have The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on hold at the library. I'm looking forward to it. It sounds fascinating but incredibly sad.

My Goodreads page

Violet Crown · October 30, 2012

I have The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on hold at the library. I'm looking forward to it. It sounds fascinating but incredibly sad.

Great Girl was assigned that early in the semester, and assures me it was much better than the other assigned books.

LostSurprise · October 30, 2012

I read Tom's Midnight Garden last year. I enjoyed it too. :)

101. Blue Chicory by Lorine Niedecker~poetry, unfinished, last work. There were parts of this I really enjoyed. The unfinished fragments were some of the more interesting parts (more impact). The longer sections spent too much time commenting on her reading then saying something about her life. I liked the poem about her husband better than the long ones on Darwin or Thomas Jefferson.

100. Insurgent by Veronica Roth~youth fiction, adventure, series, future world. I liked this more then I thought I would. The plot moved quickly and we got to see more of the society, the gifts and drawbacks of the different classes. One drawback was the repetitive emotions of the main character. It was tiresome to hear how depressed she was about what happened in book 1 every other chapter. Nice ending twist. I'll be willing to read book 3 when it comes out.

*Top 10

**Best of the Year

99. I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells~fiction, adventure, sociopath, teen narrator.

98. Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent~memoir, midwives, California, birth stories.

97. Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein~science fiction, future worlds, survival.

96. The Gypsies by Jan Yoors~'30s, Gypsy/Rom culture.

95. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute~fiction, WWII, Australia, Malaya, romance.

94. Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty~fiction, deep South, family. *

91. True Grit by Charles Portis~western, coming of age, humor/irony. **

85. Doc by Mary Doria Russell~historical fiction, American plains, Doc Holliday.

82. Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota by Lynn Steiner~gardening, native plants. *

81. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa~mathematics, friendship, family, baseball.

79. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette ~memoir, biography, southwest

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

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. *

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

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

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

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. Sometime when I can access a Spanish translator on the computer.

The Zookeeper's Wife (Ackerman)

Drinking Coffee, Elsewhere (Packer)

First We Have Coffee

American Pie: my search for the perfect pizza (Reinhart)

dangermom · October 30, 2012

I just ordered this from the library after reading your review & also because there was a praise quote by Marisa de los Santos who has written a couple of novels I liked (and one not quite as much.) I'll just take that character with a grain of salt. I have found that unless someone practices a faith with full conviction, or gets good editing insight & advice from someone who does, they mess things up every time.

You are exactly correct, I think. It's just something that colors everything a person does, and it's so difficult to get inside a different, uh, worldview I guess the word would be. You'll never get it just right.

I lent the book to a friend to read because I knew she'd love it, but would also have good comments about that character. She felt pretty much the same as I did--really enjoyable book, but the author did not run that by someone who really knows. I think she thought she knew more about Mormons than she really did.

Paisley Hedgehog · October 31, 2012

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Angel · October 31, 2012

I finished #40 Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers. It's the one I left at the dentist a few chapters before the end. I liked it. A little on the darker magic side at first but then it lightened up a bit. I liked that Theodosia reminded me of my favorite little girl detective, Flavia de Luce. :D I will be giving it to my dd12 to read.

Speaking of dd12, here is her list for the year...

38. The Land of the Dead by Mary Pope Osborne

37. Day of the Dragon King by Mary Pope Osborne

36. Princess Academy (audio) by Shannon Hale

35. Circles of Seven by Bryan Davis

34. The Candlestone by Bryan Davis

33. Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis

32. Double Fudge by Judy Blume

31. Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume

30. Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne

29. Matilda by Roald Dahl

28. Season of the Sandstorms by Mary Pope Osborne

27. The One-Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne

26. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

25. A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne

24. Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne (read twice)

23. Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume

22. Lions at Lunchtime by Mary Pope Osborne

21. Ghost Town at Sundown by Mary Pope Osborne

20. Superfudge by Judy Blume

19. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

18. Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret by Liz Kessler

17. Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist by Liz Kessler

16. Emily Windsnap and the Monster of the Deep by Liz Kessler

15. Dolphins at Daybreak (audio) by Mary Pope Osborne

14. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

13. The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

12. Hamlet: For Kids by Lois Burdett

11. Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne

10. Sunset of the Sabre Tooth by Mary Pope Osborne

9. Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne

8. Changes for Julie by Megan McDonald

7. Julie's Journey by Megan McDonald

6. Julie and the Eagles by Megan McDonald

5. Happy New Year, Julie by Megan McDonald

4. Julie Tells Her Story by Megan McDonald

3. Meet Julie by Megan McDonald

2. The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe

1. Bunnicula by James Howe

I am pretty sure I missed a couple books somewhere. :glare: I had her down for only two books for June, July, and August and that can't be right because she finished her library summer book reading chart. Dd is a great reader but is easily intimidated by long books or small print.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Angel
forgot a book

Just Robyn · October 31, 2012

I am pretty sure I missed a couple books somewhere. :glare: I had her down for only two books for June, July, and August and that can't be right because she finished her library summer book reading chart. Dd is a great reader but is easily intimidated by long books or small print.

Me too.:)

ETA: If I want to read a long book, I'll tend to read it on my Nook. I can't see the size of the book, and I can change the size of the font. I know this is ridiculous. It is the same number of pages, and I can see how many pages there are. Regardless, not seeing the thickness of the book helps take my mind off how long it will take me to finish so I can just enjoy the book.

Edited November 1, 2012 by crstarlette

Storm Bay · October 31, 2012

I just went to add the last 2 books I read to my list & found out I've read 52. Guess I can take the rest of the year off, eh?;) Here it is, but I'm actually planning to read a few more, even though it looks like no one has read the books I asked about because so far no one has answered my question about The Coward's Tale & Three Strong Women (have any of you read it???)

1. This isn't what it looks like / Pseudonymous Bosch

2. The Hour that Changes the World

3. A Tale of Two Castles

4. Papaâ€™s Daughter

5. The Proposition J. Ivory

6. Fall of Giants

7. School of Fear

8. I am Half-Sick of Shadows

9. The Housekeeper and the Professor

10. Winning with People.

11. Strong Poison

12. Whose Body?

13. Clouds of Witness

14. Under the Overpass

15. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

16. Home for the Holidays (5th mother-daughter book club book)

17. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection

19. The Memory Keeperâ€™s Daughter

20. 3rd Incorrigibles book

21. Iâ€™d Tell You I Love You, But Then Iâ€™d Have to Kill You

22. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

23. Donâ€™t Judge a Girl by Her Cover

24. Once

25. A Friend at Midnight

26. Winterâ€™s Child

27. Beauty Sleep

28. Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C Clarke

29. The Heist Society

30. The Storytellerâ€™s Daughter

31. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

32. Jane and the Man of the Cloth; Being the Second Jane Austen Mystery

33. Falling Together Marisa de los Santos

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

41. Thursdayâ€™s Child

42. Genesis Bernard Beckett

43. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

44. A Conspiracy of Friends by Alexander McCall Smith

45. Jeffersonâ€™s Sons

46. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie

47. Feeling Sorry for Celia

48. Winter of the World Ken Follet

49. Donâ€™t Turn Around Michelle Gagnon

50. Reamde Neal Stephenson

51. The Empress of Elsewhere

52. The Hobbit

Stacia · October 31, 2012

.

Storm Bay · November 1, 2012

on 52!

As far as the two books you mentioned, no, I haven't read either. (Never had even heard of them.) Both have neat cover art, though, imo.

Thanks. I like that picture, too. I'm off to start one of those books with no guidance & hope I make a good choice :). Perhaps I'll be the first in this group to read it.

aggieamy · November 1, 2012

I just went to add the last 2 books I read to my list & found out I've read 52. Guess I can take the rest of the year off, eh?;) Here it is, but I'm actually planning to read a few more, even though it looks like no one has read the books I asked about because so far no one has answered my question about The Coward's Tale & Three Strong Women (have any of you read it???)

Yeah! Another Book-a-Week Victory!

I haven't read either of the books either. I'll be interested in your reviews though.

Kareni · November 1, 2012

I'm currently reading and enjoying The Year of Learning Dangerously by Quinn Cummings; I'm finding it a quick and pleasant read. The author shows her own insecurities about homeschooling which is refreshing.

I'm also browsing through The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens by Debra Bell. I don't agree with everything she says, but it's been a worthwhile read thus far.

Regards,

Kareni

Paisley Hedgehog · November 1, 2012

.

Angel · November 1, 2012

Me too.:)

ETA: If I want to read a long book, I'll tend to read it on my Nook. I can't see the size of the book, and I can change the size of the font. I know this is ridiculous. It is the same number of pages, and I can see how many pages there are. Regardless, not seeing the thickness of the book helps take my mind off how long it will take me to finish so I can just enjoy the book.

:lol: And here I thought she would grow out of it! Seriously, though, I wonder if a Kindle or Nook would help her. I never thought of that. She is very tech-y. The girl doesn't have a very open mind about starting new books. It drives her sister and I crazy. The Magic Tree House books are for her co-op class. They are doing unit studies based on the books, taking time and digging deeper into the history or science of each book.

Lady Florida. · November 1, 2012

but I will *not* finish Dracula (Bram Stoker) by Halloween.

I decided Dracula would be my October scary read. I started and finished it early in the month, then wondered why I didn't wait until closer to Halloween to read it.

LostSurprise · November 1, 2012

102. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman~WWII, memoir, Warsaw. At first I was put off by the awkward point of view (is it 3rd person? is it 1st person?) in this part memoir, part re-imagining of the experience of zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski working to preserve their family and hide Jews in their defunct zoo in WWII Warsaw, but Ackerman managed to use most of her tangents effectively giving the reader a view of other interesting people of the time period. Her metaphors/similes were interesting and added to the emotion of story. Her re-imagining was backed by quotes from Antonina's journal and other sources. Very inspiring. Its easy to mourn with the Jews during this time period, but while reading this I also mourned with the Poles...to go through all that, to face horror, to fight in such great numbers for their Jewish neighbors, to have Warsaw ordered completely annihilated by the Germans, to spend 2 bloody months retaking their city (while the Russians waited for them to spend the men so they wouldn't have to) only to have the Russians swoop in afterward and take everything.

103. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn~memoir, Paris, cooking school. I enjoyed this. It was better than Under the Table, a similar book I read a few years ago. Flinn has the ability to relate drama without making things sound like a soap opera. The recipes included were interesting. Plus, who doesn't dream of living in Paris as you find what you love (in a partner, in life).

104. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart~children's fiction, spies. Great read-aloud. The characters really lend themselves to characterization and the chapters are perfect length. Even my 3rd son, who doesn't generally like to be read to (no Lord of the Rings, no EB White) begged for this.

*Top 10

**Best of the Year

101. Blue Chicory by Lorine Niedecker~poetry, unfinished, last work.

100. Insurgent by Veronica Roth~youth fiction, adventure, series, future world.