Book a Week in 2012 - Week 50

[Robin M]

Good Morning, dolls! Today is the start of week 50 in our quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are 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 - Oh Canada: Highlighting the The Canada Council for the Arts 2012 Governor General's Literary Awards plus a look back at Yann Martel's What is Stephen Harper reading project.

 

Publisher Weekly: Best New Books for the Week of December 10, 2012 and

 

10 Best Christmas Romance novels by romance novelist Anne Browning Walker. Three of my favorite authors are on the list - Robyn Carr's Bring Me Home For Christmas (Virgin River series) Debbie Macomber's Angels at the Table (not your typical angels but I loved them) and J.D. Robb's (aka Nora Roberts). Holiday in Death (in death series) which I think is a strange choice for a Christmas novel but I loved it all the same.

 

 

 

Goodreads 2012 Choice Awards highlighting the best books of the year will have you adding to your wishlists. :)

 

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 49

[Robin M]

I'm 2/3rds of the way through The Great Hunt (#2 in the Wheel of Time series) by Robert Jordan. Also reading The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler. Plus steampunk mystery ebook Devil on a Sparrow's Wing by Calista Taylor.

[Robin M]

 

I'm now starting The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Though it has been years since I read "The Shadow of the Wind" (& I never read the sequel "The Angel's Game"), I am happy to see one of my favorite characters (Fermín) taking a leading role in the story. Plus, it's always great when books pay homage to The Count of Monte Cristo... you just can't go wrong with that.

 

"The internationally acclaimed

New York Times

bestselling author Carlos Ruiz Zafon takes us into a dark, gothic Barcelona and creates a rich, labyrinthine tale of love, literature, passion, and revenge in which the heroes of

The Shadow of the Wind

and

The Angel's Game

must contend with a nemesis that threatens to destroy them.

 

Barcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son named Julian, and their close friend Fermin Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a mysterious stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and threatens to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades in the city's dark past. His appearance plunges Fermin and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s and the early days of Franco's dictatorship. The terrifying events of that time launch them on a search for the truth that will put into peril everything they love and ultimately transform their lives.

 

Full of intrigue and emotion,

The Prisoner of Heaven

is a majestic novel in which the threads of

The Shadow of the Wind

and

The Angel's Game

converge under the spell of literature and bring us toward the enigma hidden at the heart of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a collection of lost treasures known only to its few initiates, and the very core of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's enchanting fictional world."

 

Loved this series and you'll have to read The Angel's Game when you are done. Reading The Prisoner of Heaven made me want to go back and read the other two books.

[Just Robyn]

Finished Night by Elie Wiesel.

 

Have started a Ranger's Apprentice book with my oldest son and also My Ideal Bookshelf and Let's Pretend This Never Happened. Thanks for the ideas, ladies! These are fun books to end the year with. My Ideal Bookshelf would be great as a reference book. It's one I could go back to time and time again for fresh inspiration on books to read, what types of books someone in a certain creative profession would read, books I've never read that seem to end up on many people's top 10 or 20 lists.

[Jane in NC]

Maybe someone here knows why Denis Johnson's novella Train Dreams was on my library list. Lovely little book by an author who won the National Book Award a couple of years ago. I just don't remember if it was one of you girls who recommended this or one of those things that I heard about on Diane Rehm. Her radio program often has book chats.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Zebra]

It can't be week 50, where did 2012 go?

 

This week I finished #73 Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Definitely in my top ten, it was a great book. The book raised so many good issues for discussion. How the various countries treated POW's, or how much the human body can endure. All kinds of things to think about.

 

It was hard to get into at first, and it was difficult to get through at some points. The main character got tortured so much I just kept thinking, "When is this poor guy going to die or get rescued or something?" But, I appreciated the idea that he had this horrible experience and there was no silver lining. It stunk, it took years from his life, he was never compensated and there was no justice in the end. Because, that's what the reality of life is. Horrible things happen and you just have to somehow move on from them.

 

So if you want a nice uplifting holiday read...don't read this :laugh: .

[-M-]

Last five completed:

 

#137 Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl (Stacey O'Brien; non-fiction)

#136 The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller; fiction)

#135 The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien; fiction)

#134 The Misanthrope (Molière; play)

#133 Counterfeit Kids: Why They Can't Think and How to Save Them (Ron Baird; non-fiction)

 

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

 

ETA: My personal goal or challenge was to read 52 non-fiction books in 2012. At this writing, I've completed 48. The Magic 8 Ball says, "Reply hazy, try again," when I wonder if I will meet the goal.

[Robin M]

ETA: My personal goal or challenge was to read 52 non-fiction books in 2012. At this writing, I've completed 48. The Magic 8 Ball says, "Reply hazy, try again," when I wonder if I will meet the goal.

 

Only 4 more to go, you can do it. You have 21 days left and cheering you on to the finish line. I'm sure you can find short but not too short and meaningful ones to read. :)

[Ali in OR]

I'm almost done with a couple. The library keeps churning out books that I put on hold last summer--aack! Right before Christmas is NOT when I have time to read! And they're new books, so I only get 14 days. I turned in The Casual Vacancy without even opening it. I'll put it back on the hold list. I'm now reading Jonah Lehrer's Imagine which someone here recommended and I hope to finish it before I have to turn it in tomorrow. I want dh to read it to (he's skimmed some of it) as a lot of it applies to his work. I've also quoted parts of it to the girls--lots of good stuff in there. Then Gone Girl came up last week--I've been holding off trying to get Imagine done, so I will now have one week to read that. I'm also almost done with Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife (book 2) which I read on the treadmill.

[ariasmommy]

It can't be week 50, where did 2012 go?

 

This week I finished #73 Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Definitely in my top ten, it was a great book. The book raised so many good issues for discussion. How the various countries treated POW's, or how much the human body can endure. All kinds of things to think about.

 

It was hard to get into at first, and it was difficult to get through at some points. The main character got tortured so much I just kept thinking, "When is this poor guy going to die or get rescued or something?" But, I appreciated the idea that he had this horrible experience and there was no silver lining. It stunk, it took years from his life, he was never compensated and there was no justice in the end. Because, that's what the reality of life is. Horrible things happen and you just have to somehow move on from them.

 

So if you want a nice uplifting holiday read...don't read this :laugh: .

 

This is on my to-read list, but I haven't worked up the nerve to read it yet. Well, I did read the preface, and that was already pretty intense! My husband, dad, sister and even my mom loved it, though hubby did admit the torture part was hard to get through.

 

I finished The Chimes by Charles Dickens last night. I know this is often lumped together with several of his other Christmas stories, so I'm not sure if I should count it as #55 or not. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dickens' great great grandson, Gerald Dickens, who was really quite good at doing the different voices for various characters and expressing the emotion of the story.

 

 

[eaglei]

Finished one book this week that I had actually started a few weeks ago:

 

#65 - Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. Classic positive thinking. Good reminder of the importance of what we feed our minds. A bit repetitious, though.

 

#66 - They Call Him The Walking Bible, by Robert F. Campbell. Biography of Jack Van Impe; just started yesterday; so far, so good. This is another qualifier from the Dusty Books Stack!

 

At this time last year, I had read 75 books (80 for the year), so I am a bit behind - happy, though, to have surpassed 52! Happy, also, to have cleared out about 21 books that have been in my To-Be-Read stack for way too long!

[eaglei]

#137 Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl (Stacey O'Brien; non-fiction)

Did you enjoy this? I've been debating whether to read this . . .

 

ETA: My personal goal or challenge was to read 52 non-fiction books in 2012. At this writing, I've completed 48. The Magic 8 Ball says, "Reply hazy, try again," when I wonder if I will meet the goal.

 

 

You can do it! You have one of the longest reading lists I've seen on here (enviably so)! You definitely can do this!

 

I'm also almost done with Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife (book 2) which I read on the treadmill.

 

 

This trilogy has been sitting on my shelf for . ev . er . . . For some reason it seems daunting; so tell me, is it worth the time to read this?

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started Reading:

Instructing a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

Forbidden by Ted Dekker

 

 

Still reading:

 

 

Completed:

44. Stuff Christians Like

43. Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose

42. Gone Girl

41. Matched

40. Days of Blood and Starlight

39. Daughter of Smoke and Bone

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

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished The House at Tyneford. I cried.

[Violet Crown]

Started 19. Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, vol. 1. So much for the thought of getting through 20 books this year. You can bet I'm going to count each 700-page volume as a separate book!

 

I'm through the first three chapters, and it's a wild ride so far. Like if the Arthurian romances were written by an Italian with ADHD.

[Lady Florida.]

Finished: Blackbird Rising: A Novel of the American Spirit, and enjoyed it very much.

 

I'm back to my historical mysteries, this time with Captain Lacey in The Sudbury School Murders.

 

I'm embarrassed to say I've never read Toni Morrison, and I put Beloved on hold at the library today.

[eaglei]

I'm embarrassed to say I've never read Toni Morrison, and I put Beloved on hold at the library today.

 

 

Please don't be embarrassed - then I would have to join in, too, and I'd rather not . . . :001_smile:

(I haven't even added her to my reading list, much less put her on hold at the library . . .) :ohmy:

[rwjx2khsmj]

I've been reading Uncle Tom's Cabin for-ev-er! and I finished it this week. It was a worthwhile read but not one that was easy for me. Completing that novel allowed me to do some lighter reading. I've flown through several other books. Here's my list for the week:

• How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren
  
• The Three Incestuous Sisters: An Illustrated Novel by Audrey Niffenegger
  
• Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray
  
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
  

Calling Invisible Women is a book that I'll be recommending far and wide. It was an entertaining read but it made me think in a brain stretching kind of way.

[dangermom]

Robin, I have a question--will you be designing a new button for 52 weeks or will it be the same? I need to know for blog-decoration purposes! ;)

[dangermom]

This week I finished:

 

The History and Topography of Ireland, by Giraldus Cambrensis. A lovely little medieval book that talks about Ireland from the invading Normans' point of view (the invasion is not so lovely but it's not mentioned either). This finished off my medieval lit challenge!

 

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. A classic, but not one I cared for a whole lot, even though I usually love that sort of thing.

 

Operation Mincemeat, by Ben MacIntyre. A WWII adventure about a secret operation to fool the Nazis and invade Europe! Nonfiction--it really happened.

[Ali in OR]

[/font][/size]

 

 

 

 

This trilogy has been sitting on my shelf for . ev . er . . . For some reason it seems daunting; so tell me, is it worth the time to read this?

 

 

I read the first one last year. It's not exactly light reading--I didn't jump immediately to the next book, but it's fairly accessible. Think of it as a book for a lit class. I have Norwegian ancestry so I enjoy reading and picturing what life may have been like for my ancestors. I'm actually enjoying the marriage themes the author explores--they are certainly applicable today. A father who wants a husband for his daughter that is a good man who will take care of her. A daughter who falls for the handsome sexy guy of questionable character. The long term costs of her choice to marry this guy. I think it's worth reading.

[Stacia]

Working on The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

 

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

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)

63. The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin (2 stars)

64. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson (3 stars)

65. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (2 stars)

66. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (3 stars)

[Robin M]

Robin, I have a question--will you be designing a new button for 52 weeks or will it be the same? I need to know for blog-decoration purposes! ;)

 

 

 

I do a new one every year. Give me a few days. Right now I'm see sawing on how to word the inspirational read mini challenge.

[JennW in SoCal]

I've finished books number 36 and 37 and am working on numbers 38-40.

 

#36 is Dodger, the latest book by Terry Pratchett. It is not set in Discworld but is rather a historical fantasy, a story set in Victorian London complete with historical figures but with enough tweaks to disqualify it as historical fiction. I really liked it -- it is funny and delightful -- and if I were still homeschooling I would make it part of a high schooler's English literature and modern history reading, along with Bill Bryon's At Home. Dodger, as the title suggests, concerns a character named Dodger, much like the Dodger from Oliver Twist, and it features Charles Dickens and several other prominent people from the period of whom I previously knew nothing. The author notes at the end of the book give background to all these people and to some of his thought process in writing the book.

 

#37 is all Robin's fault. She mentioned Viridis, a steampunk (steamy-steampunk) work that was free on kindle, so I downloaded it right away as I was in need of some mindless fluff. This was fun, though I think the story and setting were actually strong enough that it could have not been such a steamy romance, focusing more on the mystery instead. Then again I would have had to pay closer attention and I needed pure escape. So never mind my critique!

 

I'm still reading and enjoying Bright Lights, No City, though it isn't quite the right kind of distraction I need during this busy time of year.

 

Today I started listening to Christmas Carol, a recording by Tim Curry which was an audible freebie for members a few years ago. He makes a great narrator! This is technically a reread as I had read it aloud to my boys several years ago, but listening to this recording is new and will make a pleasant companion to driving around town this week.

 

I've got another bit of fluff going, a mystery by Rhys Bowen called Bless the Bride. It is also light and fluffy, but also interesting as the author clearly did quite a bit of research on Chinatown life in NYC circa 1900.

 

And that may be the end of the reading for this year. My boys both arrive home from college next weekend and I'll be making cookies and watching movies and enjoying the bustle of a full house!

[Negin]

Reading Chasing Rainbows - easy read. :)

 

[Violet Crown]

You changed your name (almost) back!

[prairiegirl]

I finished 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. That was my 'Wow!' book of the year. The ending shook me up and really got under my skin. This is one of those books that I will be thinking about long after I have closed the book.

 

I am now reading 'Casual Vacancy' by J.K.Rowling.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Stacia]

Loved this series and you'll have to read The Angel's Game when you are done. Reading The Prisoner of Heaven made me want to go back and read the other two books.

I am interested to hear your thoughts on this one. I read The Shadow of the Wind last year and thought it was just 'ok'. I never got around to the sequel. I had read The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte not too long before, and I kept mentally comparing the two. Both are mysteries set around books / bookstores / literature, and Shadow came up short. If the third of the series is good, I may have to go back and pick Zafon up again. When we were talking about challenges last week, I had mentioned how I wanted to do something with books vs. movies. Well, it must have been a great idea because a fellow blogger is doing the exact same thing! B) The link for sign-ups is available at A Novel Challenge that Robin linked up last week. I am getting an early start because I just finished reading # 83 for the year The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, one of my favorite black and white movies ever. My book vs movie review is linked. It was great to finally read the book which, I am surprised to say, I really enjoyed. I don't have any books going at the moment so I need y'all to inspire me. :bigear:

 

I will keep you posted on what I think of Zafon's book. So far, I'm enjoying it. Years ago when I read The Shadow of the Wind, I ended up liking it less than I had anticipated I would. I loved parts of it, yet other parts were too 'gothic horror' for me. How was The Club Dumas? I've read his book The Queen of the South, but nothing else by him. I've always thought I would enjoy The Club Dumas. It's on that huge list of to-read books that I keep....

 

My book club is doing a book/movie combo this time (The Great Gatsby).

 

Don't know how active you are on Goodreads, but they have a similar reading group:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/62603-books2movies-club

(I've joined the group, but haven't been active on it yet.)

 

My Ideal Bookshelf and Let's Pretend This Never Happened. Thanks for the ideas, ladies! These are fun books to end the year with. My Ideal Bookshelf would be great as a reference book. It's one I could go back to time and time again for fresh inspiration on books to read, what types of books someone in a certain creative profession would read, books I've never read that seem to end up on many people's top 10 or 20 lists.

 

That does sound like a great way to round-out the reading year!

 

I'm embarrassed to say I've never read Toni Morrison

 

I've never read any of her work either.

 

#37 is all Robin's fault. She mentioned Viridis, a steampunk (steamy-steampunk) work that was free on kindle, so I downloaded it right away as I was in need of some mindless fluff. This was fun, though I think the story and setting were actually strong enough that it could have not been such a steamy romance, focusing more on the mystery instead. Then again I would have had to pay closer attention and I needed pure escape. So never mind my critique!

 

I have that one downloaded on my computer Kindle software. I'm just not into reading electronic copies, though, so I haven't gotten around to reading it.

 

Reading Chasing Rainbows - easy read. :)

 

Looks like a sweet story. Let us know what you think when you're finished with it.

 

I finished 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. That was my 'Wow!' book of the year. The ending shook me up and really got under my skin. This is one of those books that I will be thinking about long after I have closed the book.

 

Is it a depressing book (or one that is likely to make me cry)?

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Jane in NC]

I loved The Club Dumas. It is a murder mystery / adventure in the book world, which draws heavily on The Three Musketeers. I think at least a cursory knowledge of Three Musketeers will enhance your understanding of the book. I went in totally cold (I didn't even realize there are actually four musketeers in the Dumas book, not three) and still was able to keep up with the plot. The reason I haven't read more Perez-Reverte even though I enjoyed him was that I want to read the source material he uses first, then read his spin-off. Sadly, I never seem to get around to the primary sources. Maybe this year ....

 

Oh yeah, The Club Dumas was made into a Johnny Depp movie called The Ninth Gate. It follows the book exactly, so I'm not sure why the title change. It is rated R and definitely not for the kids, but I enjoyed that too.

 

Both my husband and I went on a Perez-Reverte kick maybe ten years ago or so. We both loved The Club Dumas and The Flanders Panel. I can't remember which other novels I read but I found them to be fascinating.

 

I had no idea that The Club Dumas had been made into a film. Off to check out now...

[Robin M]

For those who have been curious "Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy" is today's Amazon Deal $4.99

 

I'll pass but I won't pass on Sourcebooks 10th Day of Christmas special "A Place beyond Courage" by Elizabeth Chadwick $2.99 Ebook at Barnes and Noble. I love her historical fiction which is saying a lot because I don't read a lot of it.

 

p*rn or historical - which way will you go? :ph34r:

[aggieamy]

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. A classic, but not one I cared for a whole lot, even though I usually love that sort of thing.

 

Operation Mincemeat, by Ben MacIntyre. A WWII adventure about a secret operation to fool the Nazis and invade Europe! Nonfiction--it really happened.

 

I didn't enjoy A Child's Christmas in Wales either. I really expected to love it but I just found it ... meh.

 

I think I'll add Operation Mincemeat to my and DH's to read list. Sounds interesting.

 

For those who have been curious "Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy" is today's Amazon Deal $4.99 I'll pass but I won't pass on Sourcebooks 10th Day of Christmas special "A Place beyond Courage" by Elizabeth Chadwick $2.99 Ebook at Barnes and Noble. I love her historical fiction which is saying a lot because I don't read a lot of it. p*rn or historical - which way will you go? :ph34r:

 

For my book club we are doing a White Elephant book exchange and three out of the nine of us were going to be "funny" and bring 50 Shades of Grey. I'm glad we all confided in each other that we had that idea for a joke because it would have been a really sad exchange if that happened.

[Jane in NC]

A Child's Christmas in Walesby Dylan Thomas. A classic, but not one I cared for a whole lot, even though I usually love that sort of thing.

I didn't enjoy A Child's Christmas in Wales either. I really expected to love it but I just found it ... meh.

 

Just had to add my vote in favor of A Child's Christmas in Wales.

There were the Useful Presents: engulfing mufflers of the old coach days, and mittens made for giant sloths; zebra scarfs of a substance like silky gum that could be tug-o'-warred down to the galoshes; blinding tam-o'-shanters like patchwork tea cozies and bunny-suited busbies and balaclavas for victims of head-shrinking tribes; from aunts who always wore wool next to the skin there were mustached and rasping vests that made you wonder why the aunts had any skin left at all; and once I had a little crocheted nose bag from an aunt now, alas, no longer whinnying with us. And pictureless books in which small boys, though warned with quotations not to, would skate on Farmer Giles' pond and did and drowned; and books that told me everything about the wasp, except why.

 

And on the topic of favorite Christmas short stories, let me add an obscure very short tale by Hemingway, A North of Italy Christmas. This along with A Child's Christmas in Wales are my favorites to read aloud this time of year.

 

How about you? Any seasonal read out louds that may be off the beaten path?

[Lady Florida.]

Zafon's books look interesting. I was reading a review of The Prisoner of Heaven that suggested reading both of the previous books in the series first. It said those two could be read in any order, but the third is much better if you've already read the first two.

 

 

I have that one downloaded on my computer Kindle software. I'm just not into reading electronic copies, though,

 

I can count on one hand the number of novels I read that were not e-books since receiving my Kindle 2 years ago. I just find it so much easier. In fact, I just mailed a check to The Free Library of Philadelphia so I can check out e-books from them. My library system is decent, but there are many e-books they either don't have, or only have a license for one or two copies.

 

I still prefer to read reference books, especially cookbooks and craft books, in traditional format, but for general reading I'm a full e-book convert. :D

[Robin M]

Zafon's books look interesting. I was reading a review of The Prisoner of Heaven that suggested reading both of the previous books in the series first. It said those two could be read in any order, but the third is much better if you've already read the first two.

 

 

Absolutely better is you have read the first two. At least that way you know what's going on and who the players are. If I hadn't read the other two books first, I would have been lost with The Prisoner of Heaven.

 

One of my favorite thriller authors has come out with a ya thriller and is making it available in ebook temporarily for $1.99 available at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I've already downloaded it. Don't Turn Around.

 

 

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa's talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life. But what Noa and Peter don't realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who'd stop at nothing to silence her for good.

 

 

 

I finished The Great Hunt #2 in the Wheel of Time series. Enjoyed it just as much as the first. Added the 3rd book The Dragon Reborn to my wishlist. Maybe hubby will buy it for me for christmas.

 

Now I just need to decide what going to read next..... Cheerio!

[Robin M]

I loved The Club Dumas. It is a murder mystery / adventure in the book world, which draws heavily on The Three Musketeers. I think at least a cursory knowledge of Three Musketeers will enhance your understanding of the book. I went in totally cold (I didn't even realize there are actually four musketeers in the Dumas book, not three) and still was able to keep up with the plot. The reason I haven't read more Perez-Reverte even though I enjoyed him was that I want to read the source material he uses first, then read his spin-off. Sadly, I never seem to get around to the primary sources. Maybe this year ....

 

Oh yeah, The Club Dumas was made into a Johnny Depp movie called The Ninth Gate. It follows the book exactly, so I'm not sure why the title change. It is rated R and definitely not for the kids, but I enjoyed that too.

 

 

 

 

I checked out The Club Dumas on amazon and now I want it.

[Negin]

You changed your name (almost) back!

:)

Looks like a sweet story. Let us know what you think when you're finished with it.

It's sweet, very light and fluffy. Just what I need at the moment - beach/poolside reading. :)

[Rosyl]

59) Damascus Way Oke and Bunn 60) Small Gardens by John Moreland 61) Hidden Flame Oke and Bunn 62) The Bridesmaid Beverly Lewis 63) -66) Where Do I Go?, Who do I Lean On,? Who Do I Talk To? and Who is My Shelter? by Neta Jackson 67) Coming Home Karen Kingsbury 68) A Womans Place by Lynn Austin 69) A Sugarcreek Christmas by Shelley Shepherd Gray 70) In my Fathers House Brock and Bodie Thoene 71) A Thousand Shall Fall Thoene 72) Found Suzanne Woods Fisher 73) The Giver by Lois Lowry--I loved this book. Sequel Son on deck and the 2 go alongs--I don't know if I will read them to my kids, though. Lyne

[Lady Florida.]

One of my favorite thriller authors has come out with a ya thriller and is making it available in ebook temporarily for $1.99 available at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I've already downloaded it. Don't Turn Around.

 

Thank you! That looks like something ds will like. I just bought it and sent it to his Kindle. There is also a free novella that's sort of a prequel. I downloaded that one too.

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished Jane Eyre last night. Loved it.

 

Now I just need to read Anne to complete a round of Bronte sisters.

[laughing lioness]

Just finished The Art of Non-conformity by Chris Guillabeau. Loved it- very 4 Hour Work Weekish, but full of good ideas and ways to move along in life. I'd forgotten- I have options! My life is not defined by my circumstances. A great read just before end of year evaluations (cause I just do that around New Year's).

 

The kids and I read The Best Christmas Pagent Ever yesterday as a read-aloud, (thanks, Gals!) and lol throughout!

[Maus]

 

I'm with Zebra: How could it possibly be week 50 already?

Completed:

Book #61 - "Talking Back to OCD" by John S. March, MD. This one is now on my Amazon list. I still like "What to Do..." better for my son for now, as I think he can work through that one on his own as many times as he needs to. "Talking Back..." is more detailed and thorough, so I think we'll eventually use it.

 

Book #60 - "Moby Dick: or, the White Whale" by Herman Melville. Technically, a re-read, since we read it in High School. Funny, though. The only familiar parts were the opening line, the closing scene, and the whole bit about Ambergris. So, how far did that put me ahead of those who have never read it? (Ok, so I always did have the ability to read directly from my eyes to my mouth/pencil-on-test-paper without actually involving my brain/memory. It's useful when you have to read the same book to your toddler that you've already read 10 times today. And, High School was -- uh, don't think I want to admit this -- 27 years ago.) Silliness aside, it was a lot easier to read this time. I think that's partly due to reading it on my Kindle, with the instant dictionary, and partly due to a wider life-experience, and partly due to the chronological reading as I'm trying to work through WEM.

 

Book #59 - "Freeing Your Child From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" by Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D.

Book #58 - "What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD" by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.

Book #57 - "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Book #56 - "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.

Book #55 - "America: The Story of Us, Book 3 - A House Divided Cannot Stand" by Kevin Baker.

Book #54 - "America: The Story of Us, Book 2 - Creating the West" by Kevin Baker.

Book #53 - "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens.

Book #52 - "America: The Story of Us, Book 1 - The World Comes to America" by Kevin Baker, et. al.

Book #51 - "The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains" by Nicholas Carr.

Book #50 - "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.

Book #49 - "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift.

Book #48 - "No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned me a Master's Degree at Age Sixteen" by Alexandra Swann.

Book #47 - "What to Read When" by Pam Allyn.

Book #46 - "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City" by Greg Witt.

Book #45 - "Freeing Your Child From Anxiety" by Tamar Chansky.

Book #44 - "A Nation Rising" by Kenneth C. Davis.

Book #43 - "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan.

Book #42 - "The School for the Insanely Gifted" by Dan Elish.

Book #41 - "The Eye of the Sun - Part One of Blackwood: Legends of the Forest" by Les Moyes.

Book #40 - "The Fallacy Detective" by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn.

Book #39 - "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes. Translated by John Ormsby.

Book #38 - "Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Susan C. Pinsky.

Book #37 - "Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood" by Marilyn vos Savant.

Book #36 -"A Young People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn.

Book #35 - "Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School" by Martin L. Kutscher & Marcella Moran.

Book #34 - "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" by Mark Adams.

Book #33 - "The Lightening Thief" by Rick Riordan.

Book #32 - "Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, And the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero" by Michael Hingson.

Book #31 - "America's Hidden History" by Kenneth C. Davis.

Book #30 - "The Diamond of Darkhold†by Jeanne DuPrau.

Book #29 - "The People of Sparks†by Jeanne DuPrau.

Book #28 - "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins.

Book #27 - "Well-Educated Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer.

Book #26 - "The Prophet of Yonwood" by Jeanne Duprau.

Book #25 - "City of Ember" by Jeanne Duprau.

Book #24 - "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.

Book #23 - "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson.

Book #22 - "Deconstructing Penguins" by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone.

Book #21 - "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli.

Book #20 - "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins.

Book #19 - "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.

Book #18 - "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Book #17 - "Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month" by Deborah Taylor-Hough.

Book #16 - "Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy" by Jonni McCoy.

Book #15 - "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.

Book #14 - "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain.

Book #13 - "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett.

Book #12 - "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.

Book #11 - "Extraordinary, Ordinary People" by Condoleezza Rice.

Book #10 - "The Pig in the Pantry" by Rose Godfrey.

Book #9 - "The Virgin in the Ice" by Ellis Peters.

Book #8 - "The Leper of St. Giles" by Ellis Peters.

Book #7 - "St. Peter's Fair" by Ellis Peters.

Book #6 - "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua.

Book #5 - "Monk's Hood" by Ellis Peters.

Book #4 - "Flash and Bones" by Kathy Reichs.

Book #3 - "Spider Bones" by Kathy Reichs.

Book #2 - "One Corpse Too Many" by Ellis Peters.

Book #1 - "A Morbid Taste for Bones" by Ellis Peters.

[Kareni]

I've continued on my reading binge of romance novels (generally with little or no literary merit) and have recently finished Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster.

 

I've also started Teaching in the Land of Kimchi: Discovering South Korea As a Working Ground by Melissa Christine Karpinski since my college senior is planning to teach English in Korea after graduation. Thus far, it's a worthwhile read.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Audible.com daily deals is all about Christmas today including A Christmas Carol narrated by Tim Curry. Wide variety for $5.95

 

I have two books left to read for my chunky book challenge this year so decided going to finally dive into Christopher Paolini's Inheritance.

 

And since thinking of next year's reading plan, started a conversation about Well Educated Mind Fiction reads in a new thread for those who aren't participating in 52 books. Hop on over and let me know which books you've read so far from the fiction list.

[Angel]

You changed your name (almost) back!

 

And I'm so glad! I thought I had it figured out but wasn't sure. I hate change :D

 

I finished The Great Hunt #2 in the Wheel of Time series. Enjoyed it just as much as the first. Added the 3rd book The Dragon Reborn to my wishlist.

 

:hurray: I'm so glad to have company. However, I will be behind you. 45 pages to go in New Spring and then I'll begin The Eye of the World.

 

AND you have never read Pride & Prejudice?!?! :willy_nilly:

[ariasmommy]

Audible.com daily deals is all about Christmas today including A Christmas Carol narrated by Tim Curry. Wide variety for $5.95

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Robin! I grabbed Jimmy Carter's Christmas in Plains, as I recently enjoyed his An Hour Before Daylight. :)

[Stacia]

Loved this series and you'll have to read The Angel's Game when you are done. Reading The Prisoner of Heaven made me want to go back and read the other two books.

 

I finished The Prisoner of Heaven & enjoyed it. I may indeed have to go back and read The Angel's Game at some point. I'm also curious to see if the next book that comes out will be the final chapter...?

 

It has been quite a few years since I read The Shadow of the Wind. Yet, when reading The Prisoner of Heaven, I felt a pretty strong sense of déjà vu. I'm not sure if this stems from things I remembered from the first book or because of strong parallels to The Count of Monte Cristo or what.... So, for a good portion of the book, I felt like I knew what was going to happen w/ just the final parts being 'new' to me. Still, it was a decent, quick read. I'd rate it similar to The Shadow of the Wind, but w/ less gothic horror.

 

On a separate note, I saw the Canadian book I wanted to read (Pierre Berton's Klondike) pop up on PaperbackSwap, so I've requested it in anticipation of the upcoming challenge. :thumbup1:

[Robin M]

I finished The Prisoner of Heaven & enjoyed it. I may indeed have to go back and read The Angel's Game at some point. I'm also curious to see if the next book that comes out will be the final chapter...?

 

It has been quite a few years since I read The Shadow of the Wind. Yet, when reading The Prisoner of Heaven, I felt a pretty strong sense of déjà vu. I'm not sure if this stems from things I remembered from the first book or because of strong parallels to The Count of Monte Cristo or what.... So, for a good portion of the book, I felt like I knew what was going to happen w/ just the final parts being 'new' to me. Still, it was a decent, quick read. I'd rate it similar to The Shadow of the Wind, but w/ less gothic horror.

 

On a separate note, I saw the Canadian book I wanted to read (Pierre Berton's Klondike) pop up on PaperbackSwap, so I've requested it in anticipation of the upcoming challenge. :thumbup1:

 

Awesome Stacia and love your new picture.

 

Have majority of mini challenges updated on the blog with the Mr. Linky up to sign up for 2013. The new header is up and will make a smaller widget to use for blog side bars. Canada challenge is still under construction as well as master list of possible mini weekly challenges throughout the year. Will post the list of questions for thing about for wrap up in next Sunday's thread.