Book a Week in 2012 - Week 46

[Robin M]

Good Morning, good afternoon or good evening depending on where you are. Today is the start of week 46 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 - Neil Gaiman: Happy Birthday to Neil. Read one of his books in his honor this month.

 

PW Best New Books for the Week of November 12th

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

Link to week 45

[Robin M]

Finished reading Thomas Wharton's Salamander. Definitely a unique book and well worth reading.

 

"Nicholas Flood, an unassuming eighteenth-century London printer, specializes in novelty books -- books that nestle into one another, books comprised of one spare sentence, books that emit the sounds of crashing waves. When his work captures the attention of an eccentric Slovakian count, Flood is summoned to a faraway castle -- a moving labyrinth that embodies the count's obsession with puzzles -- where he is commissioned to create the infinite book, the ultimate never-ending story. Probing the nature of books, the human thirst for knowledge, and the pursuit of immortality, Salamander careens through myth and metaphor as Flood travels the globe in search of materials for the elusive book without end."

 

Haven't decided on my next fiction reading. Started Parenting the Teenage Brain: Understanding a work in progress which I hope is going to help me quit knocking heads with my kiddo and start working together to get through this phase peacefully.

[*Inna*]

Finished "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. Blew me away... Great writing, but I wish she weren't so fond of F-word...

 

Started "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke.

[prairiegirl]

Finished "Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly--I loved it! It was written in story form, it wasn't just a bunch of dry facts. There were lots there that I didn't know.

 

I am now reading "The Long Way Home" by Andrew McCarthy.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Just Robyn]

I finished a bunch this week.

 

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. I really enjoyed this. The prose, which initially bored me, after a few chapters sucked me in and added to the mysterious feel of the story. Thanks to Rosie for recommending it to all of us and to Stacia for sending it to me. I probably never would have read this otherwise.

 

Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K. M. Weiland. - Thanks you Robin for telling us all about it. I'm glad I got this on my Nook, because I'm sure I'll return to it.

 

The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang - An easy-to-read interesting book about digital pets with personalities and the capacity to learn. Not the best prose or characters, but it's interesting enough and a quick enough read that it evens out.

 

The Three Incestuous Sisters by Audrey Niffenegger - I loved the story- am ambivalent about the way it is told. In spreads of two pages, one page being an illustration, most spreads had very few words. I couldn't help but wish she'd made a 500 - 1,000 page novel out of her story, but I can't deny the effect of the way she chose to tell it, almost every page is kind of a big deal, super fast paced, and the art is lovely.

 

Illuminations by Arthur Rimbaud - A book of prose poetry. As for the poetry itself, I'm not sure I liked the opacity of some of it, but as a book, I love it. I got this from the library, but found myself wishing I owned a copy and had a highlighter in hand. I wanted to write 100 different novels or short stories as I read this - wanting to expand upon a phrase here, a sentence there. Here's an excerpt from "Workers"

 

This didn't seem to tire my woman as much as it did me. In a puddle left in a rather steep path by last month's flood she showed me some tiny fish.

Edited November 11, 2012 by crstarlette

[Ali in OR]

I read Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley and enjoyed it very much. Someone here recommended it a couple of months ago. Thanks!

 

Nothing in progress at the moment, though I'll need to start something for the treadmill tomorrow.

 

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

61. Beauty-Robin McKinley

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

[Narrow Gate Academy]

It's been awhile since I posted last, but I finally finished and reviewed another 3: #25-Pilgrim's Progress by Bunyan, #26-Miss Bianca by Sharp, and #27-Ivanhoe by Scott. In my current stack to read are Pride and Prejudice by Austen, The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, By the Great Horn Spoon by Fleischman, and A Christmas Carol by Dickens.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Narrow Gate Academy
typos

[Kareni]

Recent reads:

 

Reflected in You by Sylvia Day -- I enjoyed this but it's not for the easily offended. I'm looking forward to the concluding volume of the trilogy.

 

Fair Game (Alpha And Omega) by Patricia Briggs -- This was a re-read.

 

Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson -- The front cover compares this urban fantasy debut to works by Patricia Briggs and Kelley Armstrong; the book was a pleasant read about the only female werewolf in existence but not of the caliber of those named authors.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kim in Appalachia]

I hated it. The book was The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon.

 

The book has beautiful prose, but the story was dragging. I stuck with it till half way, then decided I had had enough.

 

I just started Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman. I'm excited about this book. I've read 50 pages so far, and I'm enjoying it.

[aggieamy]

Also working on a giant oversized coffee table book on French cooking that was written by Georganne Brennan, author of A Pig In Provence (possibly the best foodie memoir ever!). I will never cook a single thing out of this book, but sometimes I just get in the mood to read recipes. Is that weird?

 

Happy reading!

 

I love reading recipe books too. I picked up one by Martha Stewart that was fun to read but I didn't make a single recipe in there to make. She must have a lot more free time than I do to be able to stuff grapes for a party.

 

I read Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley and enjoyed it very much. Someone here recommended it a couple of months ago. Thanks!

 

 

 

That was me! Glad you like it.

[Storm Bay]

How this group has influenced my holiday shopping:

 

I've bought the first Jane Austen mystery for one of my nieces who loves Jane Austen's books, Summer at Tiffany for my mil who was living and working in NYC at that time, and Papa's Wife for my sil (dd of my mil) as dh's dad (died when dh was 16) came from Norway as did their grandparents on their mother's side.

 

How about you?

 

Well, but while I've forgotten what was in a book, I've never before forgotten that I'd read a certain book at all. Just like while I don't remember a blessed thing from high school math, I do remember that I passed Calculus.

 

I'm going to assume that you are much younger than I am;), although it's possible that you just have a better memory than I do.

 

I blame it all on pregnancy. I had a fabulous memory until I became a mother...

 

Right, I'd forgotten all about that:glare::001_smile:

My sister says, the reason that your memory goes after becoming a mother because there is a lot of fat in breastmilk and there is a lot of fat in the brain, and we know we didn't lose the fat in our hips (or wherever else it went)!;)

 

She then told me that some patients actually believe her.

 

Dh & I saw the movie Cloud Atlas tonight. I recently read the book because I wanted to read it before seeing the movie.

 

The movie was well-worth seeing, esp. on a big screen -- such a huge, roving story w/ lovely sets & some great acting/costuming/makeup. The music is lovely. And, yet, in spite of the vastness & scope of the story, it really is a focus on individuals & individual actions.

 

I'd say it helps to have read the book first, but dh hadn't & was able to follow the movie pretty well. (Of course, I talked to him a lot about the book as I was reading it too.)

 

(Yes, that's Hugh Grant in the 1st & 2nd pics on the bottom row -- I totally didn't recognize him as the Kona warrior in that part of the movie.)

 

Really quite a lovely book & quite a lovely film.

By the time I get that book from the library it will be out of the theatres, so hopefully it won't take long to come out on DVD. I hate to have books ruined by seeing the movie first, although the first time I read Pride and Prejudice was after seeing the PBS miniseries on it in 1980 (so well before Colin Firth, who can never be Mr. Darcy to me, as David Rintoul was superb in that role.)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Storm Bay]

I love reading recipe books too. I picked up one by Martha Stewart that was fun to read but I didn't make a single recipe in there to make. She must have a lot more free time than I do to be able to stuff grapes for a party.

 

 

 

That was me! Glad you like it.

 

If you also like humourous mysteries as well as reading recipes, you can get both in the series listed here http://www.tamarmyers.com/novels.htm under the Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries. I read The Crepes of Wrath first and found it very funny. However, I'm not much of a mystery reader so only read a few of these. There is an ongoing story about the protagonist, so I didn't go back to read the first ones.

[-M-]

My Ideal Bookshelf, which I posted about here, was #126 for me. (Complete list of books read in 2012 can be found here.) I had thought I'd get a *boatload* of reading done this weekend... and succeeded in reading only the Sunday papers and the current issue of TIME.

 

:glare:

 

What was I doing instead of reading? Well, I did spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the "perfect" bag into which I would put some books. (*wry grin*) I think many readers are in perpetual pursuit of both perfect rucksacks (or satchels or what-have-you) and paper products (journals, Post-Its, notebooks of all sizes and varieties, etc.), no? Or is it just this reader? My husband would like to know. Heh, heh, heh.

[Stacia]

Working on two that I started a few days ago....

 

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson. I'm reading this one for my book club.

 

The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin. (I think I originally requested this from the library as part of my spooky October reading -- the book does have a ghost-related theme -- but, quite frankly, I'm not totally sure on where I heard about this book or why I requested it. :001_huh::tongue_smilie::lol:)

 

Liking both of them so far.

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

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).

Completed Banned/Challenged Books Week Challenge (#62 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)

 

61. To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, & the Art of Extreme Tourism by Chuck Thompson (3 stars)

62. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology, ed. by Amy Sonnie (3 stars)

[dangermom]

This week I finally finished Aristotle's Rhetoric. Took me forever. Boring. (Now I'm reading Plato's Republic, which is not quite so boring, but they are wrong about everything.)

 

I read The Dharma Bums, which I didn't even know was a book until recently.

 

And I finished Nabokov's Lectures on Literature, which was great. I wish I could read the one on Russian literature, but the library doesn't have it and I haven't read all the books yet anyway; he does assume you've read them. I have also not read Proust or Joyce, but oh well.

[Stacia]

Finished reading Thomas Wharton's Salamander. Definitely a unique book and well worth reading.

 

This book sounds like one I'd love to read. Thanks!

 

I finished #72 The Secret History by Donna Tartt, a book I absolutely love and reread at least every couple of years (review linked). If you like atmospheric mysteries in an academic setting, this is the book for you.

 

Still reading: Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) -- I like the writing and that the entries are quite short. It is great for reading while at the doctor's office or waiting for taekwondo practice to finish. However, the self-absorption of the author is beginning to be annoying (but I guess that is to be expected in a memoir ...) . I dunno. This one is definitely taking a back seat to my other books.

 

New this week: The Stockholm Octavo (Karen Englemann) -- found this one through an ad at Goodreads and am really liking it. It is a historical adventure with a dash of magic, and the plot/setting reminds me a great deal of The Scarlet Pimpernel and A Tale of Two Cities. I picked it up Friday afternoon and am already close to finished :D

 

Loved The Secret History so many years ago when I read it. (Have you read Tartt's The Little Friend? I also enjoyed that one.) I also really enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love. Just a fun, enjoyable ride of a book, imo. Glad you've mentioned The Stockholm Octavo. I, too, saw it on Goodreads & think it looks fabulous. So glad to see your review of it!

 

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. I really enjoyed this. The prose, which initially bored me, after a few chapters sucked me in and added to the mysterious feel of the story. Thanks to Rosie for recommending it to all of us and to Stacia for sending it to me. I probably never would have read this otherwise.

 

...

 

The Three Incestuous Sisters by Audrey Niffenegger - I loved the story- am ambivalent about the way it is told. In spreads of two pages, one page being an illustration, most spreads had very few words. I couldn't help but wish she'd made a 500 - 1,000 page novel out of her story, but I can't deny the effect of the way she chose to tell it, almost every page is kind of a big deal, super fast paced, and the art is lovely.

 

Glad you enjoyed Picnic. Can we as a group discuss it now??? :bigear: (Is there anyone else still working on it?)

 

Is the Niffenegger book a new one by her? Will have to look up that one. Sounds kind of neat. I've read two of her other books (Time Traveler & Fearful Symmetry) & had both likes & dislikes w/ both books.

 

I just started Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman. I'm excited about this book. I've read 50 pages so far, and I'm enjoying it.

 

:thumbup1:

 

How this group has influenced my holiday shopping:

 

Mostly, it makes my own Christmas list quite long! ;)

 

Hope you enjoy Cloud Atlas (both the book & the movie)!

 

My Ideal Bookshelf, which I posted about here, was #126 for me.

 

Love that. (I think it's one that is going on the Christmas list for me (per my answer to Karin above. :lol:)

 

Oh, and to answer your dh's question... it's not just you. I love paper things, from books to cards to notepads & beyond!

[Stacia]

I read The Dharma Bums, which I didn't even know was a book until recently.

 

How would you compare this to On the Road (which I didn't really like very much when I read it)? I know when I checked out On the Road, the librarian mentioned to me that Dharma Bums was his better (best?) work in her opinion.

[6packofun]

I am reading Panorama City by Antoine Wilson. I love the voice of the main character, but because the sentence structure follows how he *speaks*, almost every one is a run-on sentence! That took some getting used to, but now it "fits" and I'm enjoying it.

[ladydusk]

I left my book (The White Horse King about Alfred the Great ... very good so far) at my parents' yesterday [boo]

 

So I have to start something else ... what to start? What to start?

[LostSurprise]

Finished reading Thomas Wharton's Salamander. Definitely a unique book and well worth reading.

 

 

I read that a year or two ago. It was very strange but interesting. Its storytelling on an older scale. I did wish it tied more together (that's probably my modern spirit) in the end but it was a fun journey.

[aggieamy]

I left my book (The White Horse King about Alfred the Great ... very good so far) at my parents' yesterday [boo]

 

So I have to start something else ... what to start? What to start?

 

Have you read the Secret Keeper by Kate Morton yet? You'll love it! (I know that because you and I have similar tastes and I thought it was great.)

[LostSurprise]

How would you compare this to On the Road (which I didn't really like very much when I read it)? I know when I checked out On the Road, the librarian mentioned to me that Dharma Bums was his better (best?) work in her opinion.

 

Does anyone like either of these? I read On the Road and disliked it so much I had to listen to Dharma Bums on audiotape while doing something else. Dharma Bums was better, but only because it had less pretense to artiness and more stories about interesting people.

 

 

I love to read cookbooks. I'm reading Baking in America right now. It has historical angles which I enjoy. (I read Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters this year and enjoyed the discussion of how women find, keep, and save recipes.) The author recommends William Woys Weaver so I'm thinking of trying him next.

[-M-]

Recently completed:

 

#127 Stay Close (Harlan Coben; fiction) Meh. Should have been more entertaining than it was.

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

 

In progress:

 

■ Dracula (Bram Stoker; fiction) Continued; with the Misses.

 

■ Moby-Dick (Herman Melville; fiction) As I mentioned, 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.

[LostSurprise]

106. The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern~magic, circus, competition, romance. I really enjoyed this book. It involved 2 children raised by different masters to compete with creativity and magic. It had great atmosphere. I loved the time period and the slow reveal. Great book. *

 

105. First We Have Coffee by Margaret Jensen~Norwegian immigrants, spiritual life, memoir, coming of age. I had this recommended to me so I thought my MIL would like it. It was okay.

 

*Top 10

**Best of the Year

104. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart~children's fiction, spies.

103. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn~memoir, Paris, cooking school.

102. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman~WWII, memoir, Warsaw.

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

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

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.

Drinking Coffee, Elsewhere (Packer)

Autumn Journal (MacNeice)

The House at Riverton (Morton)

The Little Book (Edwards)

The Sisters Brothers

[Storm Bay]

106. The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern~magic, circus, competition, romance. I really enjoyed this book. It involved 2 children raised by different masters to compete with creativity and magic. It had great atmosphere. I loved the time period and the slow reveal. Great book. *

 

 

 

You've only read 106 books?;) Wow, you put me to shame:001_smile:.

[dangermom]

How would you compare this to On the Road (which I didn't really like very much when I read it)? I know when I checked out On the Road, the librarian mentioned to me that Dharma Bums was his better (best?) work in her opinion.

 

Well, I read On the Road about 20 years ago so it's hard to say. I actually liked On the Road, but not for the same reasons most college students do--it seemed to me that the book chronicled Cassady's dissolution, like he was actually falling apart with meaninglessness. He did everything the opposite of his parents, but that's not actually a good reason to do anything and it didn't work for him. Anyway that was all long ago and I don't really remember anymore--I should read it again to find out if I'm remembering right.

 

Dharma Bums shifts between meditating in, and finding meaning in, nature, and city scenes where everyone is pretty screwed up (albeit having a lot of fun at it). Worrying amounts of wine get drunk. Cock-eyed Buddhism all over the place. Lots about the joys of the simple life, although the simple life does not always involve not mooching off your sister (sometimes it does though).

 

It's shorter than OTR, and supposed to be better-written, but I can't really make that comparison since it's so long since I read OTR.

 

 

Also, am I the only person on this board who disliked The Secret History? I bet I am. I probably would have liked it better if it had been about half as long and had at least one character I might actually want to meet.

[ladydusk]

Have you read the Secret Keeper by Kate Morton yet? You'll love it! (I know that because you and I have similar tastes and I thought it was great.)

 

I haven't. I keep thinking she's the same person as Sarah Addison Allen which I found a little too "adult" for my preferences. Can you compare?

 

I think I'm going to work some on one of the others I'm in the midst of and keep forgetting, at least for today. I have half of Our Island Story read on my Kindle and am part-way through Bonhoeffer, which is good but not perhaps on the beach ...

[LostSurprise]

You've only read 106 books?;) Wow, you put me to shame:001_smile:.

 

I read @20 last year (maybe...that's a kind guess). Feel better? ;) Some years are just better for reading than others.

[LostSurprise]

Also, am I the only person on this board who disliked The Secret History? I bet I am. I probably would have liked it better if it had been about half as long and had at least one character I might actually want to meet.

 

I didn't actively dislike it, but I was not that impressed. I liked the premise but it lost me maybe half way through.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started Reading:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

 

 

Still reading:

Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose

 

 

Completed:

38. The Hole in our Holiness

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

__________________

[aggieamy]

I haven't. I keep thinking she's the same person as Sarah Addison Allen which I found a little too "adult" for my preferences. Can you compare?

 

I think I'm going to work some on one of the others I'm in the midst of and keep forgetting, at least for today. I have half of Our Island Story read on my Kindle and am part-way through Bonhoeffer, which is good but not perhaps on the beach ...

 

I've never read Sarah Addision Allen but there wasn't anything adult in the Kate Morton book. There was some reference to s%x but it wasn't graphic or even described in detail. More of a referenced off screen thing. It's the only book that everyone in my ladies book club gave five stars too.

[ladydusk]

I've never read Sarah Addision Allen but there wasn't anything adult in the Kate Morton book. There was some reference to s%x but it wasn't graphic or even described in detail. More of a referenced off screen thing. It's the only book that everyone in my ladies book club gave five stars too.

 

Wonderful! I'll put it on my list :) Thanks!

[Violet Crown]

Still reading A Room With a View. The déjà vu stopped abruptly after the first five chapters, so I conclude I started it and then quit. But it's really good; I fault my younger, callower self.

[Stacia]

I finished The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin today. Overall, I thought it was fine. The book kind of reminds me of a Sarah Addison Allen book (which is funny since I see she just popped up in a few other posts too) -- an easy-to-read, entertaining enough book; no brain power needed & a quick read. Overall, it's a mostly charming/cozy style, but does have a somewhat sinister turn or two in it. The pacing was fine until close to the end, when things picked up/changed tone unexpectedly & a quick wrap-up was tacked on; it felt a bit disconcerting after the more languid pace of most of the book. Not sure I'm thrilled w/ the title either (it is explained a bit); maybe something else would have been better?

 

My final take -- recommended if you want a brain candy type book similar to Sarah Addison Allen's books, but with a few ghosts along for the ride. Think along the lines of "I see dead people" but in a cozy (not creepy) way. ;):tongue_smilie::lol:

[Storm Bay]

I read @20 last year (maybe...that's a kind guess). Feel better? ;) Some years are just better for reading than others.

 

I feel much better now:001_smile:.

[Angel]

Dd12 is sick today so we spent some time finishing up our read aloud, #41 The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. As when I read it to my older dd years ago, it has a bit of a slow start but certainly ends with a bang. Dd and I enjoyed it.

 

Funny you were speaking of Christmas presents, I was coming on to ask about a couple books for dd18. How is the Divergent book by Veronica Roth? I am looking at either that or Beauty that was just mentioned in last week's thread. She enjoyed the Hunger Games and I thought she might enjoy Divergent. (I can't stand dystopian). Are either of these books too "adult." We are not comfortable with horrible language and s*x. I believe these are both young adult, but I have read some young adult books in the last couple years that I can't believe got the name :blink:

[aggieamy]

Dd12 is sick today so we spent some time finishing up our read aloud, #41 The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. As when I read it to my older dd years ago, it has a bit of a slow start but certainly ends with a bang. Dd and I enjoyed it.

 

Funny you were speaking of Christmas presents, I was coming on to ask about a couple books for dd18. How is the Divergent book by Veronica Roth? I am looking at either that or Beauty that was just mentioned in last week's thread. She enjoyed the Hunger Games and I thought she might enjoy Divergent. (I can't stand dystopian). Are either of these books too "adult." We are not comfortable with horrible language and s*x. I believe these are both young adult, but I have read some young adult books in the last couple years that I can't believe got the name :blink:

 

Since I'm pushing Beauty I'll answer for that book. It was very clean. Not even a hint of s%x. Just a wonderful nice telling of a classic fairy tale.

[dangermom]

 

Funny you were speaking of Christmas presents, I was coming on to ask about a couple books for dd18. How is the Divergent book by Veronica Roth? I am looking at either that or Beauty that was just mentioned in last week's thread. She enjoyed the Hunger Games and I thought she might enjoy Divergent. (I can't stand dystopian). Are either of these books too "adult." We are not comfortable with horrible language and s*x. I believe these are both young adult, but I have read some young adult books in the last couple years that I can't believe got the name :blink:

 

Divergent is pretty similar to Hunger Games--no sex (romance, obvs) or language--hugely violent though. I cannot speak for the two sequels on account of I haven't read them.

[Angel]

Since I'm pushing Beauty I'll answer for that book. It was very clean. Not even a hint of s%x. Just a wonderful nice telling of a classic fairy tale.

 

Divergent is pretty similar to Hunger Games--no sex (romance, obvs) or language--hugely violent though. I cannot speak for the two sequels on account of I haven't read them.

 

Awesome! Thank you both! This is just the kind of info I needed. Now I just need to make a decision :D I think dd would love either one. Maybe I should look at Half-Price Books and see if I can find both ;)

[LostSurprise]

I think Divergent is fine for a teen, but it does do a slightly more steamy romance (without sex so far) than Hunger Games. Plus there's a threat of rape in the first book.

 

I haven't read the other book.

[Robin M]

In regard to the upgrade - I saved the amazon wishlist list to microsoft word so if anyone wants me to email it or if anyone wants to be added to it, let me know. Keeping fingers crossed nothing is lost in the transition because I simply don't have time to copy all book a week threads. Have you updated your wishlists for christmas?

 

Nudge Nudge wink wink hint hint!

 

I just finished reading a young adult story - The Theory of Everything by J.J. Johnson. It was pretty good for a ya book.

 

"Ever since Sarah Jones best friend Jamie died in a freak accident, life has felt sort of...random. Sarah has always followed the rules her father is the school superintendent, and she's always been a good student, a good pal, a good girlfriend. Now what? Her grades are plummeting, she and her boyfriend are drifting apart, and if she doesn't get her act together, her parents might have to resort to taking her beloved dog Ruby away from her. In a last ditch effort to pull it together, Sarah ends up working for Roy, a local eccentric who owns a Christmas tree farm, and who might also be trying to understand the rules, patterns, and connections in life. Will life ever make sense again?"

[aggieamy]

In regard to the upgrade - I saved the amazon wishlist list to microsoft word so if anyone wants me to email it or if anyone wants to be added to it, let me know. Keeping fingers crossed nothing is lost in the transition because I simply don't have time to copy all book a week threads. Have you updated your wishlists for christmas?

 

Nudge Nudge wink wink hint hint!

 

I just finished reading a young adult story - The Theory of Everything by J.J. Johnson. It was pretty good for a ya book.

 

"Ever since Sarah Jones best friend Jamie died in a freak accident, life has felt sort of...random. Sarah has always followed the rules her father is the school superintendent, and she's always been a good student, a good pal, a good girlfriend. Now what? Her grades are plummeting, she and her boyfriend are drifting apart, and if she doesn't get her act together, her parents might have to resort to taking her beloved dog Ruby away from her. In a last ditch effort to pull it together, Sarah ends up working for Roy, a local eccentric who owns a Christmas tree farm, and who might also be trying to understand the rules, patterns, and connections in life. Will life ever make sense again?"

 

Good warning. I'll copy my book list, I don't want to lose that!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Storm Bay]

Divergent is pretty similar to Hunger Games--no sex (romance, obvs) or language--hugely violent though. I cannot speak for the two sequels on account of I haven't read them.

 

How is the writing in Divergence compared with The Hunger Games? While I don't like the violence, my dc all liked that series.

[laughing lioness]

I'm reading Girls on the Edge: the 4 factors driving the new crisis for gilrs by Dr. L. Sax- oy vey. Very concerning. Makes me kinda glad I homeschool;)

 

I really, really plan to finish Moby Dick in 2012.

[Robin M]

In regards to the upgrade, I was wondering if the Goodreads group would go active again? I am not a member there but I've seen it. (I am not even sure who the mod is)

 

I really haven't been paying too much attention to the goodreads group, but guess I can make an effort starting with 2013 to include a thread each sunday of each week over there for discussion purposes. Or appoint someone to handle that for me. Any volunteers? That way for folks who aren't on well trained mind, they can discuss as well.

[Robin M]

I really, really plan to finish Moby Dick in 2012.

 

You can do it. Waving reading pom poms. Keep going!

[Jane in NC]

Before the boards go dark, I should give Stacia a review of Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander. It is a black comedy with moments that are laugh-out-loud funny. The book has some interesting twists that are quite thought provoking. Yet I can't help but wonder if we all would have been better served if Auslander had taken his concept and crafted a really terrific short story/novella for the New Yorker. The middle of the book just dragged for me. I tired of Sol Kugel's rants, rants that initially had been entertaining. I thought that the last sixty pages or so were great. We are faced with the problem of the middle...

 

On to book #51 for me. Almost there! I decided to read another mystery/police procedural by the Swedish duo Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Roseanna is the novel that introduced Detective Martin Beck. What completely delights me is that my library has kept this 1967 novel on the shelf all these decades. There is a pocket in the back for the old fashioned date due card with a note that a fine of two cents per day shall be charged for over due books. Ah, a well loved and well thumbed book...

 

Everyone should periodically borrow oldies but goodies from the library to keep classics in circulation lest they be tossed. I try to do my part!

 

Cheers!

Jane