Robin M Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Did you remember to set your clocks back an hour? Happy to get my hour back. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 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 SĂƒÂ©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 GarcĂƒÂa MĂƒÂ¡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) 60. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (3 stars) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 To Aggieamy: All of Holling C. Holling's books are terrific! I love the illustrations! Â 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! Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I am currently reading the dark comedy Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander. Â I have been wondering about this book. I look forward to your final review! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 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. Â 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.) Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I finished my October readalong of The Italian, which was fun. Â I finally finished Piers the Plowman, which is loooong. Â I read A Homemade Life, which has recipes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 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. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 .  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Almost finished with Into Thin Air. Next up: Either Yellow Crocus or Fade Away (the next Myron Bolitar mystery by Harlen Coben).   The Ă¢â‚¬Å“hellholesĂ¢â‚¬ 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: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I finished The Sins of the Fathers (Thank-YOU, JANE (of book and donought/donut fame!). Â 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. Â 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. Â 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.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 My book #56 was Navajo Code Talkers. Interesting but short. The writing was not what I'm used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 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 ) Â I haven't seen the movie or read the book. I have no desire to after hearing reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 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 LordshipĂ¢â‚¬â„¢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 OĂ¢â‚¬â„¢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 PeregrineĂ¢â‚¬â„¢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 HandmaidĂ¢â‚¬â„¢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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 My book #56 was Navajo Code Talkers. Interesting but short. The writing was not what I'm used to. Â How was it different? I'm sure it's not because it's a y/a book. Â 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. Â Â Â Stacia, this has been on my wish list for some time. Â Did you remember to set your clocks back an hour? Happy to get my hour back. Â Â Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 It was just too superficial. It had no depth. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 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 ) Â 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. Â This isn't meant to put you off reading it - many people loved the book. I just wasn't one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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 ) Â 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. Â Never saw the movie. Didn't really have an interest in it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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. Â Â Â 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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. Â 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. Â Â Â Â 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. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Â 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. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 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. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Do we all have to be "lovelies" or "pretties" or "dear hearts"? Can I vote for something else? LOL ;) Â 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). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Do we all have to be "lovelies" or "pretties" or "dear hearts"? Can I vote for something else? LOL ;) Â 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: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) Happy dance: 3rd book in Nora Robert's Boonsboro Trilogy just arrived - The Perfect Hope. Â Off to read Edited November 7, 2012 by Mytwoblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) . Edited November 8, 2012 by Stacia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 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 $). :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 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. Â 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.) Â From Booklist: Â "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." Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 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. Â 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 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.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 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.... Â Bored?? Yeah, you had to be young. It is a magical, wonderful book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 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: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Did you bid on his desk? I'm sure it would look great in your family room. :001_smile: Â :lol: Uh....... no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 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 dĂƒÂ©jĂƒÂ 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012  *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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) Â *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?) Â 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) 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 (MoliĂƒÂ¨re), 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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