Book a Week in 2012 - week 45

[Robin M]

Good Morning, my pretties! Today is the start of week 45 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 - Thomas Wharton: highlighting a new to me author.

 

Publisher Weekly column: The 13 Worst Review of Classic Books

 

Publisher Weekly Blog: PW is about to come out with their 2012 Best books list. Editors talk about their picks for the best books (so far)

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 44

[Robin M]

Did you remember to set your clocks back an hour? Happy to get my hour back.

 

I'm reading Thomas Wharton's Salamander and enjoying it so far. Wanted to read something completely different from what I'm working on with Nanowrimo. Managed to accomplish that. It's definitely different - but good.

[aggieamy]

I was very confused this morning when I looked at my clock in my bedroom and it said 9 am but the alarm on my phone hadn't gone off. My phone realized it was only 8 am. Yay. Extra sleep.

 

Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling - Little Librarian and I did this as a read aloud and I didn't know what to expect. We read it in one sitting and both loved it.

 

Seven Percent Solution Being a Reprint from the Files of John Watson by Nicholas Meyer - I love Sherlock Holmes so this was a fun fanfic read.

 

Face by Sherman Alexie - My attempt to read poetry. His poems were rather profane but I find that I keep thinking of them. I like his style.

 

 

In progress:

 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (read aloud)

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Marukami (book club)

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

 

2012 finished books:

 

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

115. Seven Percent Solution Being a Reprint from the Files of John Watson by Nicholas Meyer (***)

114. Face by Sherman Alexie (****)

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

[Stacia]

Still working on To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism by Chuck Thompson.

 

 

[/color][/indent]--------------------------

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 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 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)

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)

60. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (3 stars)

[Jane in NC]

To Aggieamy: All of Holling C. Holling's books are terrific! I love the illustrations!

 

I am currently reading the dark comedy Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander. His name may ring a bell as a regular contributor to This American Life and the New Yorker. So far so good!

 

[Stacia]

I am currently reading the dark comedy Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander.

 

I have been wondering about this book. I look forward to your final review! :001_smile:

[Just Robyn]

Face by Sherman Alexie - My attempt to read poetry. His poems were rather profane but I find that I keep thinking of them. I like his style.

 

Awesome! I recently listened to this Modern Scholar lecture series on Walt Whitman and Sherman Alexie was talked about as a contemporary poet influenced by Walt Whitman. He's on my to-read list. (And, BTW, the lectures were excellent.)

 

I finished A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin - enjoyed it. Today I finished Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales - by several authors. This is all the slayer tales and vampire tales in one book. I liked most of the stories. A bunch of different artists, so different styles throughout. I started Picnic at Hanging Rock yesterday.

[dangermom]

I finished my October readalong of The Italian, which was fun.

 

I finally finished Piers the Plowman, which is loooong.

 

I read A Homemade Life, which has recipes!

[prairiegirl]

I finished "The Cat's Table" by Michael Ondaatje. I can't say that I loved the book but I tolerated it. The writing style kept me reading it.

 

I am now reading "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson. This is a very funny book but it would be much better, imo, if it didn't have so much swearing in it.

[laundrycrisis]

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children;

2. Celestially Auspicious Occasions

3. The Mysterious Benedict Society

4. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

5. The Picture of Dorian Gray

6. Wuhu Diary

7. The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child

8. Kingdom of Children

9. Values: Lighting the Candle of Excellence : A Practical Guide for the Family by Marva Collins

10. Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder, The: New Revised Edition by Stephanie Marohn

11. Ordinary Children, Extraordinary Teachers by Marva Collins

12. Marva Collins' Way

13. Parenting a Child With Asperger Syndrome: 200 Tips and Strategies by Brenda Boyd

14. Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer

15. Parenting Your Asperger Child: Individualized Solutions for Teaching Your Child Practical Skills by Alan T. Sohn

16. Hitchhiking through Asperger Syndrome by Lise Pyles

17. Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian (John Elder Robison)

18. Quirky, Yes---Hopeless, No (Cynthia La Brie Norall)

19. Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting

20. The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood

21. ADD/ADHD Drug Free: Natural Alternatives and Practical Exercises to Help Your Child Focus by Frank Jacobelli

22. Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts: A Stress-Free Journey to Original Design by Rayna Gillman

23. The Shut-Down Learner Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child by Richard Selznick, PhD

24. Pretending to be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome by Liane Holliday Willey

25.Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders by Kenneth Bock

26. Look me in the eye by John Elder Robison

27. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

28. Atypical - Life with Asperger's in 20 1/3 Chapters by Jesse Saperstein

29. Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

30. The Fire Within by Chris D'Lacey

31. Slouching Toward Adulthood ... Observations from the Not-So-Empty Nest by Sally Koslow

32. Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner

33. Outliers

34. Shadow of Night

35. The Dyslexic Advantage

36. Asperger's From the Inside Out

37. College Prep Homeschooling

38. The Case Against Adolesence

39. Teach Your Children Well - Parenting for Authentic Success

I am behind but not sure what I am reading next.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Negin]

I'm loving a book that will take me a while to get through - a Baha'i history book about an amazing family The Maxwells of Montreal.

 

 

Still working on To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism by Chuck Thompson.

 

Stacia, this has been on my wish list for some time.

[Lady Florida.]

Almost finished with Into Thin Air. Next up: Either Yellow Crocus or Fade Away (the next Myron Bolitar mystery by Harlen Coben).

 

 

The “hellholes†on his no-go list include the African Congo, India, Mexico City, and Walt Disney World.

 

I'm not a fan of The Mouse House, and I've heard it called many things. Hellhole isn't one of them, but it could fit, especially during tourist season. I'd almost want to read the book just to see his take on WDW.

 

*Note: We moved to this area before WDW opened. I remember going back in the day when you needed tickets for rides (Does anyone even know what the phrase "E ticket ride" means anymore?) Every relative we never met wanted to come to Florida to visit us, which really meant use our house as a free hotel and use us as guides to take them to Disney World. I quickly tired of the place (there was only the Magic Kingdom then). It was fun to go as each new park opened, but they also got old fast. I will go once every few years and not have a bad time, but it is not the theme park I'd go to if given a choice between the Big 3 in Orlando.

 

Whew! Sorry for the totally OT rant. I'm okay now. :lol:

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started Reading:

The Hole in our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung

 

 

Still reading:

Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose

 

 

Completed:

37. Romeo and Juliet

36. The Night Circus

35. Alone With God

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

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

[laughing lioness]

I finished The Sins of the Fathers (Thank-YOU, JANE (of book and donought/donut fame!).

 

Here's what I thought- great character developement. Howatch does a great job of managing a complicated plot. Both books (the Rich are Differerent) are about a disorganized family system with the filthy rich partiarchs believeing that since they have money and power they can manipulate everyone's lives; which they do.

 

I got to Sebastian and almost put the book down but since I was 400 pages in to it I decided to finish it. I did not like the last 2 "chapters." I just couldn't relate to the characters who were dark, moody and depressing. And it ends tragically.

So,....good read from character, plot pov, but depressing.

 

I have MOby Dick out - again. I figured since Karen in CO could do it, so could I. Still on Ch. 1. Still waiting for the magic to happen....

[Mom-ninja.]

My book #56 was Navajo Code Talkers. Interesting but short. The writing was not what I'm used to.

[Mom-ninja.]

I have started Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert). (Yes, I realize that I will be the last woman in the US to have read this, and I haven't seen the movie either :D )

 

I haven't seen the movie or read the book. I have no desire to after hearing reviews.

[Ali in OR]

I finished another Jane Austen mystery this week--I enjoy all of those. They have been my treadmill reading in recent months. I also finished The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, a pick for my book club. I enjoyed that one too. It interweaves the story of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young's 19th wife who divorced him and went on the lecture circuit denouncing polygamy, with a modern story of a 19th wife in one of those polygamous sects who is accused of murdering her husband. Her gay son who was kicked out of the sect at age 14 is trying to prove her innocence and the story is told from his point of view.

 

Books Read in 2012 (* = contenders for my 2012 Top Ten)

60. The 19th Wife-David Ebershoff

59. Jane and His Lordship’s Legacy-Stephanie Barron

58. Coraline-Neil Gaiman

57. The Graveyard Book-Neil Gaiman

56. Silas Marner-George Eliot

55. The Orphan Sister-Gwendolen Gross

54. The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll-Jean Nathan

53. The Rook-Daniel O’Malley

52. All Creatures Great and Small-James Herriot

51. The Hobbit-J.R.R. Tolkien

50. Jane and the Stillroom Maid-Stephanie Barron

49. Jane and the Genius of the Place-Stephanie Barron

48. Jane and the Wandering Eye-Stephanie Barron

47. The Power of Habit-Charles Duhigg*

46. Anna Karenina-Leo Tolstoy*

45. Jane and the Man of the Cloth-Stephanie Barron

44. The House of the Seven Gables-Nathaniel Hawthorne

43. Mockingjay-Suzanne Collins

42. The Vitamin D Solution-Michael F. Holick

41. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor-Stephanie Barron

40. Suspense and Sensibility-Carrie Bebris

39. Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins

38. Pride and Prescience-Carrie Bebris

37. The Night Circus-Erin Morgenstern*

36. Houskeeping-Marilynne Robinson

35. Death Comes to Pemberley-P.D. James

34. The Language of Flowers-Vanessa Diffenbaugh*

33. The Peach Keeper-Sarah Addison Allen

32. 11/22/63-Stephen King*

31. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer-Mark Twain

30. Quiet-Susan Cain*

29. The Paris Wife-Paula McLain

28. The Girl Who Chased the Moon-Sarah Addison Allen

27. The Feast Nearby-Robin Mather

26. The Sugar Queen-Sarah Addison Allen

25. The Invention of Hugo Cabret-Brian Selznick

24. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks-Rebecca Skloot*

23. The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins

22. Not a Fan-Kyle Idleman

21. Wildwood-Colin Meloy

20. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs

19. The Mysterious Affair at Styles-Agatha Christie

18. A String in the Harp-Nancy Bond

17. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats-Jan-Philipp Sendker*

16. The Lacuna-Barbara Kingsolver*

15. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows-Alan Bradley

14. Garden Spells-Sarah Addison Allen

13. The Prince and the Pauper-Mark Twain

12. Romeo and Juliet-William Shakespeare

11. The Shallows-Nicholas Carr

10. The Handmaid’s Tale-Margaret Atwood

9. Mudbound-Hillary Jordan*

8. The Other Wind-Ursula Le Guin

7. What the Dog Saw-Malcolm Gladwell

6. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall-Anne Bronte

5. Tehanu-Ursula Le Guin

4. The Scarlet Pimpernel-Baroness Orczy

3. The Paleo Diet-Loren Cordain

2. Peter Pan-James Barrie

1. The Farthest Shore-Ursula Le Guin

[Storm Bay]

My book #56 was Navajo Code Talkers. Interesting but short. The writing was not what I'm used to.

 

How was it different? I'm sure it's not because it's a y/a book.

 

I'm loving a book that will take me a while to get through - a Baha'i history book about an amazing family The Maxwells of Montreal.

 

 

 

Stacia, this has been on my wish list for some time.

 

Did you remember to set your clocks back an hour? Happy to get my hour back.

 

 

 

Yes. Although I hate seasonal time changes, this is one ritual I am always on top of. I used to have the weekends memorized until they changed the system, but now I have a printout I made a few years ago that lists the changes until sometime in the late teens or so of this century. I plan this, trying to figure out ways to make the change easier, but that doesn't work too well now that my dds are in ps & have to get up at 6 am. However, falling back is always the easier change.

[Mom-ninja.]

How was it different? I'm sure it's not because it's a y/a book.

 

 

It was just too superficial. It had no depth.

[Storm Bay]

It was just too superficial. It had no depth.

 

Okay, I'll skip it. I've always found that topic intriguing since I heard of it. I'm guessing it was made public because Navajo is now online or published or something so it would no longer be unbreakable.

[Lady Florida.]

I have started Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert). (Yes, I realize that I will be the last woman in the US to have read this, and I haven't seen the movie either :D )

 

I tried to read it more than once, but couldn't even get halfway through Eat. I loaned it to someone, and nearly a year later she remembered she had it and tried to give it back. I told her to give it to someone she thought would want to read it. I haven't seen the movie, but after not being able to read the book, I don't care to.

 

This isn't meant to put you off reading it - many people loved the book. I just wasn't one of them.

[Stacia]

I have started Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert). (Yes, I realize that I will be the last woman in the US to have read this, and I haven't seen the movie either :D )

 

I read it a few years ago & loved it. As an author, I think she just exudes joy. I remember laughing out loud while reading & smiling most of the way through it. It's nothing earth-shattering, but it was a totally enjoyable read, imo.

 

Never saw the movie. Didn't really have an interest in it....

[ladydusk]

Book #44 is going to be Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers. I don't know how I missed her when I was reading mystery after mystery - loved Hercule Poirot - in Jr High/High School. Glad to find her now. I'll be putting the next book on my wishlist.

 

 

 

2012 Books Reviews

1. Lit! by Tony Reinke

2. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

3. Words to Eat By by Ina Lipkowitz

4. How to Tutor Your Own Child by Marina Koestler Ruben

5. Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R Gaines (spectacular)

6. The Cat of Bubastes by GA Henty (Audio from Librivox)

7. The Last Battle by C S Lewis (Audiobook)

8. A Praying Life by Paul E Miller

9. Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students by Christine Fonesca

10. Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody (fantastic read aloud)

11. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

12. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

13. How to Write a Sentence by Stanley Fish

14. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

15. The Rich Are Different by Susan Howatch

16. The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

17. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

18. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (great read aloud)

19. Sins of the Fathers by Susan Howatch (wow!)

20. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (very good)

21. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (favorite)

22. The Toll Gate by Georgette Heyer

23. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (audio book)

24. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (audio book)

25. Penmarric by Susan Howatch

26. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch

27. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

28. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

29. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings

30. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings

31. Castle of Wizadry by David Eddings

32. Enchanter's End Game by David Eddings

33. Persuasion by Jane Austen

34. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber (phenomenal)

35. A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

36. My Man, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse

37. Right Ho, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse

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

39. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

40. Never Gone by Laurel Garver

41. The Secret of Contentment by William B Barcley

42. A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

43. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

44. Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers

[Negin]

Next up: Either Yellow Crocus

I read this earlier this year and liked it. Funny, I thought it was you who had recommended it. I guess it was someone else.

 

it is not the theme park I'd go to if given a choice between the Big 3 in Orlando.

:iagree:

Which one is your favorite? I'd love to know and I enjoyed your "rant", even though I didn't consider it to be a rant at all.

[Jane in NC]

Book #44 is going to be Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers. I don't know how I missed her when I was reading mystery after mystery - loved Hercule Poirot - in Jr High/High School. Glad to find her now. I'll be putting the next book on my wishlist.

 

 

You are in for a treat! Dorothy Sayers is one of my favorites! I have a friend who used to say that his two favorite Englishmen were Lord Peter Wimsey and Bertie Wooster.

[Jane in NC]

I finished The Sins of the Fathers (Thank-YOU, JANE (of book and donought/donut fame!).

 

Here's what I thought- great character developement. Howatch does a great job of managing a complicated plot. Both books (the Rich are Differerent) are about a disorganized family system with the filthy rich partiarchs believeing that since they have money and power they can manipulate everyone's lives; which they do.

 

I got to Sebastian and almost put the book down but since I was 400 pages in to it I decided to finish it. I did not like the last 2 "chapters." I just couldn't relate to the characters who were dark, moody and depressing. And it ends tragically.

So,....good read from character, plot pov, but depressing.

 

I have MOby Dick out - again. I figured since Karen in CO could do it, so could I. Still on Ch. 1. Still waiting for the magic to happen....

 

You are welcome. Howatch's books can be challenging when one of the despicable characters picks up the narration of the story. She really understands use and abuse of power (often power bought by money).

 

I read Moby Dick a few years ago after my son told me I had to--it was one of the best books he had ever read. I loved it. We have spent a lot of time in New England coastal towns where whaling was the economy. I saw the book both as literature and as a lens into the past.

[Lady Florida.]

I read this earlier this year and liked it. Funny, I thought it was you who had recommended it. I guess it was someone else.

 

I might have mentioned it or linked to it. It's been on my to-read list for quite a while. Glad to hear you liked it. It got decent reviews on Amazon, but I always take them with a grain of salt.

 

 

 

 

Which one is your favorite? I'd love to know and I enjoyed your "rant", even though I didn't consider it to be a rant at all.

 

I don't dislike WDW. It's just that I've been so many times in the past 40+ years that nothing feels new there anymore. My favorite is Universal - both parks.

[Storm Bay]

 

I read Moby Dick a few years ago after my son told me I had to--it was one of the best books he had ever read. I loved it. We have spent a lot of time in New England coastal towns where whaling was the economy. I saw the book both as literature and as a lens into the past.

 

That's a book I enjoyed when I picked it up as a teen (or close to becoming one), but I had a lot of trouble with it when I tried it again for one of the book challenges (on this thread or another WTM book thread or group), and I hadn't even visited New England until I was over 30.

[Jane in NC]

That's a book I enjoyed when I picked it up as a teen (or close to becoming one), but I had a lot of trouble with it when I tried it again for one of the book challenges (on this thread or another WTM book thread or group), and I hadn't even visited New England until I was over 30.

 

How interesting! The Boy had wondered if land locked people had trouble with the book because they did not understand the power of the sea. Moby Dick explained to him why the New England town he knows well had a "candle house", a building where whale blubber was formerly processed.

[6packofun]

Do we all have to be "lovelies" or "pretties" or "dear hearts"? Can I vote for something else? LOL ;)

 

Anyhow... I'm reading The Twelve by Justin Cronin. After that it's Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman and then I am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley).

[Robin M]

Do we all have to be "lovelies" or "pretties" or "dear hearts"? Can I vote for something else? LOL ;)

 

What would you prefer? abecedarian, brainiac, bookworm, egghead, bibliophile, dweebs, disciple, or learned ones. Our roget's thesaurus just came in so I'm well armed. :lol:

[Robin M]

Happy dance: 3rd book in Nora Robert's Boonsboro Trilogy just arrived - The Perfect Hope.

 

Off to read

Edited November 7, 2012 by Mytwoblessings

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Stacia

[Negin]

I don't dislike WDW. It's just that I've been so many times in the past 40+ years that nothing feels new there anymore. My favorite is Universal - both parks.

That's one that we haven't yet been to. Would love to go. Too many places I'd love to visit and too little time (as well as $). :)

[laughing lioness]

Book #44 is going to be Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers. I don't know how I missed her when I was reading mystery after mystery - loved Hercule Poirot - in Jr High/High School. Glad to find her now. I'll be putting the next book on my wishlist.

 

44. Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers

 

Whose Body is the first and Lord Peter's not really fully developed. It just keeps getting better@

 

You are in for a treat! Dorothy Sayers is one of my favorites! I have a friend who used to say that his two favorite Englishmen were Lord Peter Wimsey and Bertie Wooster.

Yep:001_smile:.

 

You are welcome. Howatch's books can be challenging when one of the despicable characters picks up the narration of the story. She really understands use and abuse of power (often power bought by money).

 

I read Moby Dick a few years ago after my son told me I had to--it was one of the best books he had ever read. I loved it. We have spent a lot of time in New England coastal towns where whaling was the economy. I saw the book both as literature and as a lens into the past.

 

Yes- I just got so bogged down in trying to figure out if Sebastian was mentally ill or not- until I got to Scott who I decided WAS!

It's been a crummy week. I have not read one page.

[Stacia]

I finished To Hellholes and Back. I found it to be an entertaining, yet quite cynical, look at the places traveled. I liked that the author is highly opinionated & gives his unvarnished opinion of the places & people he meets. (Not everyone may appreciate his extremely straightforward style of writing. Thompson reminds me of a mix of Anthony Bourdain & Bill Maher.) The author is not 'politically correct' & doesn't necessarily paint a rosy picture of the places he visited, but I appreciated the detailed info about his travels.

 

Finally, I'm getting around to my Banned Books choice this year: Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology, edited by Amy Sonnie. This document lists books challenged/banned in 2010/11, which is where I saw Revolutionary Voices. (And, fortunately, my library system has it.)

 

From Booklist:

 

"Gr. 9-12. "This is for the idea that I am only a sexual being. . . . This is for the idea that queerness only has to do with sex." Jason Roe's prose poem opens this anthology with words that get in your face and under your skin. Not all of the young writers featured here may be revolutionaries, but they all embrace a queer youth culture that is about gender, race, and class as much as it is about sexuality. The voices are raw and sometimes unpolished, and the language is passionate, powerful, and only occasionally graphic. What holds these selections together is the writers' urgent need to define themselves in their own terms. In "Impossible Body," Lisa Lusero confesses that she purposely cut her hair so people would know she was a lesbian: "Passing for straight makes me feel invisible. And I hate that. I want to be seen clearly and explicitly for who I am. Don't assume your world is mine. Then again, don't assume it isn't." These are classic YA voices."

 

[Storm Bay]

How interesting! The Boy had wondered if land locked people had trouble with the book because they did not understand the power of the sea. Moby Dick explained to him why the New England town he knows well had a "candle house", a building where whale blubber was formerly processed.

 

Ah, but I grew up near the shores of the Pacific (the biggest ocean :D), although not a whaling town (but lots of logging & fishing plus a pulp mill about 15 miles away). Not only that, we went to Europe by ship when I was 3 & returned that way when I was 4 (from NYC to the Netherlands, I believe.) Not only that, but we took the train to get there the first time (which I've totally forgotten) True, the two memories I have of the ship are inside and don't involve the ocean, but as far as I know I was never sea sick (or if I was, it didn't last long, because I was feeling physically well in both memories.) We went out on the boat a number of times a year, but Vancouver Island is a natural breakwater & most of the time we were in inlets (aka Fjords if you're in Norway--same geological feature) so it wasn't the open sea. I had seen some larger waves at age 8 when we visited Hawaii (on a tight budget & we stayed with friends who were there for the year.) That's probably why I can relate.

[Violet Crown]

15. E. M. Forster, A Passage to India

 

Temporarily abandoning non-fiction. I have a hearing in a criminal matter coming up next week (don't worry, I'm the complainant, not the defendant!) and I have been such a mess of nerves that I just want to bury myself in novels.

 

This was my first Forster, and I'm interested in reading more.

[Stacia]

15. E. M. Forster, A Passage to India

 

:grouphug: on being a bundle of nerves.

 

I read "A Passage to India" in high school & was SO bored by it. I've wondered if I'd like/appreciate it more now that I'm older, but I've never gotten around to trying it again....

[Jane in NC]

15. E. M. Forster, A Passage to India

 

Temporarily abandoning non-fiction. I have a hearing in a criminal matter coming up next week (don't worry, I'm the complainant, not the defendant!) and I have been such a mess of nerves that I just want to bury myself in novels.

 

This was my first Forster, and I'm interested in reading more.

 

Forster makes me swoon....I have also enjoyed A Room with a View, Where Angels Fear to Tread and Howard's End. But Passage is best of all...

 

Good luck on the hearing.

[Jane in NC]

I read "A Passage to India" in high school & was SO bored by it. I've wondered if I'd like/appreciate it more now that I'm older, but I've never gotten around to trying it again....

 

Bored?? Yeah, you had to be young. It is a magical, wonderful book!

[Stacia]

.

[Storm Bay]

If you love literary fiction, including Russian novels, then you may love the novel I just decided not to read at this point in my life, although it's not Russian. There were many years when I would have read this entire novel because it is very well written. It's one of the ones I mentioned before, but I'm going to give you the links so you can read about it for yourself. This author has one some very prestigious literary awards.

Three Strong Women by Marie NDiaye (half French, half Senegalese, now lives in Berlin, according to this review)

 

NYT review http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/books/review/three-strong-women-by-marie-ndiaye.html?pagewanted=all

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307594696

[aggieamy]

Hey, Google's illustration is pretty neat today (in honor of Bram Stoker's 165th birthday).

 

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2012/1108/Bram-Stoker-books-How-Dracula-created-the-modern-vampire

 

Did you bid on his desk? I'm sure it would look great in your family room. :001_smile:

[Stacia]

Did you bid on his desk? I'm sure it would look great in your family room. :001_smile:

 

:lol: Uh....... no.

[Violet Crown]

Today was exciting: we took a homeschooling field trip to the courthouse and learned about subpoenas. A nice older man stopped to offer a smiling "Good morning!" at Middle Girl, looking so adorable and out-of-place with her braids and US history book. I was just thinking he looked pretty out of place himself, then recognized him as the judge.

 

I also started A Room With a View and the déjà vu is convincing me that I've read it before. But since I don't recall how it goes, I'll continue. Senility begins to set in, I see. Soon I'll just be able to keep Brideshead Revisited, The Power and the Glory, and War and Peace next to my cot in the Old Folks' Home, and never be bored by re-reading.

 

:grouphug: on being a bundle of nerves.

 

I read "A Passage to India" in high school & was SO bored by it. I've wondered if I'd like/appreciate it more now that I'm older, but I've never gotten around to trying it again....

 

Oh, definitely try again. High school convinced me I loathed Henry James and Nathaniel Hawthorne, but reading them as an adult, I understood why they're classics. (I still loathe Salinger, however.)

 

Forster makes me swoon....I have also enjoyed A Room with a View, Where Angels Fear to Tread and Howard's End. But Passage is best of all...

 

Good luck on the hearing.

 

I think I may just have to skim Room, say "Oh yes, I remember now," and go on to Howard's End. I vaguely recall the movie.

 

If you love literary fiction, including Russian novels, then you may love the novel I just decided not to read at this point in my life, although it's not Russian. There were many years when I would have read this entire novel because it is very well written. It's one of the ones I mentioned before, but I'm going to give you the links so you can read about it for yourself. This author has one some very prestigious literary awards.

Three Strong Women by Marie NDiaye (half French, half Senegalese, now lives in Berlin, according to this review)

 

NYT review http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/books/review/three-strong-women-by-marie-ndiaye.html?pagewanted=all

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307594696

 

Thanks for the recommendation and reviews. It does look good. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[Kareni]

 

*Note: We moved to this area before WDW opened. I remember going back in the day when you needed tickets for rides (Does anyone even know what the phrase "E ticket ride" means anymore?)

 

I remember E tickets, so don't feel lonely.

 

I've been reading a lot of contemporary romances lately. Recently read and enjoyed:

 

That Thing Called Love by Susan Andersen

Crazy On You by Rachel Gibson

Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

 

*Note: We moved to this area before WDW opened. I remember going back in the day when you needed tickets for rides (Does anyone even know what the phrase "E ticket ride" means anymore?)

 

Oo! I remember! My dad worked for Dow Chemical in Anaheim when I was little, and got an employee discount. We went to Disneyland a lot.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Sharon in Austin

[-M-]

Recently completed:

 

#125 One for the Books (Joe Queenan; non-fiction) Queenan's much linked and shared WSJ article "My 6,128 Favorite Books" (October 22) was adapted from One for the Books. Since books about books and the reading life are some of my favorites, this was a delight.

 

#124 Watership Down (Richard Adams; fiction) This was my third pass through this deceptively simply novel. As Sawyer says, ""Helluva book. It's about bunnies."

 

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

 

In progress:

 

■ Dracula (Bram Stoker; fiction) Completed Chapter 10 of 27. With the Misses. We'll be done by November 20, after which we'll tackle The Misanthrope (Molière), in anticipation of The School for Lies at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

 

■ Moby-Dick (Herman Melville; fiction) Completed Chapter 4 of 135. The Misses and I are doing the Moby-Dick Big Read, a chapter a day, so we'll be on this into 2013. We're also enjoying Matt Kish's wonderful art book, Moby-Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page.

 

■ And so many, too many other books.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Mental multivitamin