Book a Week in 2012 - Week 51

[Robin M]

Good Morning, dolls! Today is the start of week 51 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 - Pride and Prejudice: Happy birthday Jane Austen. To all those who haven't read P & P yet, now would be a good time. I'll haven't yet **gasp** so please join me this week in reading it or another one of her books this week.

 

I know we're all planning for next year but now is the time to start thinking about which books this year were your favorites, not so favorite, new author or genre discoveries,or a subject you never thought you'd read about for our wrap up next week. I'll post the official unofficial list of questions next Sunday.

 

And for a bit of lighthearted enjoyment - I posted Lewis Carrol's Poem Hunting of the Snark.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 50

[Robin M]

Yes, I'm really going to read Pride and Prejudice this week. Pulling her off the shelf, dusting her off and diving in - sometime - today, tonight, err tomorrow. But this week. Yeah that's the ticket! I finished Old Man's War by John Scalzi which was actually pretty good. I've been following him on Whatever it seems like forever. He's an interesting guy. I am also listening to J.D. Robb's Indulgence in Death (#31 in her in death series)

[Jane in NC]

Robin,

I hope you don't mind if I repost something that I added to the old thread this morning.



Happy Reading to ALL!!

[Giraffe]

Well, my Amazon bender is over. DH cut me off. :blush:

 

So no more recommending books for a few months, KThxBye.

 

:leaving:

 

I guess I'll just start my TBR/Dusty Books challenge a couple weeks early. No new books until April 1st! (GULP!)

 

[Just Robyn]

Finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount and Thessaly La Force, Open Heart by Elie Wiesel and, as a Christmas read, the book/short story The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke.

 

Yesterday I started The Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut, and I'm still reading the fifth Ranger's Apprentice book, The Sorcerer of the North, by John Flanagan.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Kareni]

Happy Reading to ALL!!

 

What a great poster, Jane. Books are a necessity after all.

 

Finished ... a Christmas read, the book/short story The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke.

 

It's a lovely story, isn't it?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

I am reading Chinese Letter by Svetislav Basara (СветиÑлав БаÑара), a contemporary Serbian author.

 

Here's an article from the translator on how she went about translating this book.

 

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

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)

67. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (3 stars)

68. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (2 stars)

[Negin]

Yes, I'm really going to read Pride and Prejudice this week.

One of my favorite books of all time. And right after finishing it, I absolutely loved the Colin Firth, BBC version. Thought it was very true to the book.

Imagine the following theme -- “My mom died. My feet hurt. My mom died. My pack is too heavy. My mom died.†-- repeated ad nauseam for 300 pages, and you will have Wild.

One thing I did take away from this book is that while I expect (hope?) my children will grieve my passing, I certainly pray they do not completely go off the rails like Wild’s author did. Drug use, imploded families, promiscuousness, a destroyed marriage, and adrenaline-fueled risk-taking extreme behavior are all laid at the foot of a mother’s death and … whew! … I hope my kids are more grounded than that. It is kind of frightening, actually.

I haven't read it and no longer plan on doing so. Thank you for turning me off. I had a feeling that this was the theme and, quite frankly, I simply can't be bothered. :)

 

I've read:

The Power of Patience - 4 Stars

Chasing Rainbows - 3 Stars

and now I'm reading a really fun book about two teenage girls growing up in South Wales (where I grew up) and their obsession with David Cassidy. The book is hilarious at times and reminds me of my accent in a previous life. I grew up with an extremely strong Welsh accent.

 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

[Negin]

I just remembered that I should probably share the list of books I've read in 2012. I reached my goal. My original goal was 26 books. Once I got to that, I raised it higher. I never, ever thought that I would read 52. As I've said before, I really and truly am not caught up in the numbers. This is just for fun. I'm sharing this list, since I will not be online after this week for a few weeks. Robin, I'd like to thank you, as always, for this wonderful thread.

 

1. Lessons from the Mountain by Mary McDonough – 3 Stars
    
   
2. Garden Spell by Sarah Addison Allen – 2 Stars
    
   
3. Let the Great World Spin – 2 Stars
    
   
4. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett – 4 Stars
    
   
5. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett – 4 Stars
    
   
6. The Housekeeper and the Professor – 4 Stars
    
   
7. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress – 3 Stars
    
   
8. Nothing to Envy – Ordinary Lives in North Korea – 5 Stars
    
   
9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – 3 Stars
    
   
10. Cage of Stars – 2 Stars
     
    
11. Raquel Welch - The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program – 4 Stars
     
    
12. Dear Fatty by Dawn French – 2 Stars
     
    
13. Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd – 3 Stars
     
    
14. Absolutely by Joanna Lumley – 4 Stars
     
    
15. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons – 3 Stars
     
    
16. Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes – 1 Star
     
    
17. The Devil in the White City – 2 Stars
     
    
18. An Unexpected Twist – 3 Stars
     
    
19. The Pig in the Pantry and Other Homeschool Tales – 2 Stars
     
    
20. Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits – 4 stars
     
    
21. Callanetics – 4 Stars
     
    
22. Fifth Avenue by Christopher Smith – 1 Star
     
    
23. Contagious – 2 Stars
     
    
24. The Orchard: A Memoir – 4 Stars
     
    
25. Sold by Patricia McCormick – 5 Stars
     
    
26. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – 3 Stars
     
    
27. Yellow Crocus – 4 Stars
     
    
28. Dress Your Best – 2 Stars
     
    
29. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – 4 Stars
     
    
30. Madame Tussaud – 3 Stars
     
    
31. The Burning of Grey – 1 Star
     
    
32. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt – 4 Stars
     
    
33. The Child of the Covenant – 5 Stars
     
    
34. Mozart’s Wife – 2 Stars
     
    
35. Full Cupboard of Life – 3 Stars
     
    
36. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies – 3 Stars
     
    
37. The Enchanted April – 4 Stars
     
    
38. The Litigators – 2 Stars
     
    
39. Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip – 4 Stars
     
    
40. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? – 3 Stars
     
    
41. The Hammer of Eden – 2 Stars
     
    
42. Life Recipes From My Mother: Timeless Lessons for Living a Contented Life – 3 Stars
     
    
43. Atonement – 1 Star
     
    
44. Unbroken – 2 Stars
     
    
45. Mary – 2 Stars
     
    
46. The Thirteenth Tale – 3 Stars
     
    
47. Sense of an Ending – 2 Stars
     
    
48. Pictures of You – 4 Stars
     
    
49. The Year of Magical Thinking – 3 Stars
     
    
50. The Picnic at Hanging Rock – 3 Stars
     
    
51. The Maxwells of Montreal – 5 Stars
     
    
52. Night Corridor – 2 Stars
     
    
53. The Elegance of the Hedgehog – 5 Stars
     
    
54. Now is the Time – 3 Stars
     
    
55. Rebecca – 4 Stars
     
    
56. The Power of Patience – 4 Stars
     
    
57. Chasing Rainbows – 3 Stars
    

 

For fun, here are the images of just some of my favorite books of the year, the ones that I really and truly love.

 

 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

[Jane in NC]

A lightweight selection for me at the moment. I am reading Rennie Airth's second Inspector Madden mystery, The Blood-Dimmed Tide. The first in the series (River of Darkness) was good enough for me to open the second. This sequel has its perplexing moments though. Madden has retired to the countryside to be a gentleman farmer. He stumbles across a body so he is pulled into the mystery in a tangential way. This leaves a large cast of other characters chipping away at the mystery. It almost seems that there are too many characters weaving in and out of the storyline. I wish that there was a dramatis personae so that I could keep track of everyone's first and last names. Who is Sal? I wondered at one point. Oh, the dog!

[-M-]

Number of books read in 2012: 133 *

Complete list

here.

 

Last five read:

 

â–  Counterfeit Kids: Why They Can't Think and How to Save Them (Ron Baird) Non-fiction. After reading Joanne Jacobs' entry on Baird -- "Helicopter-ed kids in the classroom" -- I downloaded Counterfeit Kids to the Kindle. Throughout, I nodded and even periodically spluttered, "Amen! Sing it, brother!" You can check out the preface and a sample chapter here. Recommended.

 

■ The Misanthrope (Molière) Play. Read with the Misses in anticipation of The School for Lies at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Related entry here.

 

â–  The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) Fiction. A re-read for both me and Mr. M-mv, this time with the Misses in anticipation of the movie.

 

â–  The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller) Fiction. This book, a re-imagining of the Achilles narrative as a love story, will not appeal to everyone, but I though it was both moving and compelling. Reviews (mixed) here, here, here, and here.

 

â–  Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl (Stacey O'Brien) Non-fiction. The Misses and I were working on this book more than two years ago but ended up setting it aside, apparently. A recent discussion about wildlife rehabilitation led us to remember O'Brien's memoir, and then we wondered, "Hey! How did that end?" We simply restarted, which is just as well since the first two-thirds of the book are better than the last third. By the time she began struggling with her own crippling health issues and Wesley's advanced age and inevitable death, she was -- as expected -- not the same person she was at the beginning of the narrative, but her story ceases to be as engaging -- or perhaps, more fairly, as easy to relate to -- at the conclusion as it was at the outset.

 

In progress:

 

With the exception of Moby-Dick, the following books may be completed by the end of the year.

 

â–  The End of Your Life Book Club (Will Schwalbe) Non-fiction. This will likely be the next book completed.

 

â–  The Uncoupling (Meg Wolitzer) Fiction. I admired her The Ten-Year Nap (related entry here), but this is a bit of a slog. We'll see.

 

â–  Here Comes Trouble (Michael Moore) Memoir. (Still) listening to this compelling, author-narrated memoir when I ride my bike, which is mounted on a trainer in the garage for the winter.

 

â–  Physics for Future Presidents (Richard A. Muller) Non-fiction. With Miss M-mv(ii).

 

â–  Shine (Lauren Myracle) YA fiction.

 

â–  Quiet (Susan Cain) Non-fiction.

 

â–  Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 2 (Conor McCreery) Graphic fiction.

 

â–  Moby-Dick (Herman Melville) Fiction. Completed Chapter 17 of 135. As I mentioned, the Misses and I are doing the Moby-Dick Big Read.

 

* The revised (effective December 13) total to date reflects that fact that the five volumes of Hugh Howey's Wool saga are more appropriately considered a single work.

[eaglei]

Have finished only one book again this week . . .

 

#66 - They Call Him The Walking Bible, by Robert F. Campbell. Biography of Jack Van Impe. Inspiring, especially his incredible self-discipline in Bible memorization. I was glad the author included a chapter on Van Impe's *formula* for the 8,000 verses he had memorized as of the 1977 publication of this book.

 

Currently about to conclude a book that fits into one of those categories about reading an author you've never read before:

 

#67 - A Virtuous Woman, by Kaye Gibbons. Each chapter alternates husband and wife first person narration, which lends itself quite well to realistic writing. Not sure yet what I think about the overall story . . .

 

Next up will either be a re-reading of C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, or, a Nicholas Sparks fluff novel :leaving: - :auto:

[Robin M]

Stacia and Negin - I think I'm going to borrow your rating system. Love the lists and will be perusing them and adding to my wishlist. Don't know how I missed some of them.

 

Negin - Thank you and I'm so happy you enjoyed your reading so much that you surpassed your goal without worrying about the numbers. Quality and enjoyment is more important.

 

MM - I know you can get 4 more non fiction books done and meet that 52 goal for the year. Still cheering you onward and upward.

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: everybody

[Ali in OR]

I finished two this week and enjoyed them both--Jonah Lehrer's Imagine and Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter II: The Wife.

 

I've been trying to read Gone Girl this week but I think I will have to return it to the library tomorrow unfinished. At another time of year I would have read the whole thing, but I have to say I probably won't bother to check it out again. I know a lot of people enjoyed that book a lot, but I don't care about the protagonists at all and while well-written, I don't really want to read this twisted story. I'm finding the book stressful to read. I did cheat and read the end--don't feel the need to fill in all of the details.

[Stacia]

I know we're all planning for next year but now is the time to start thinking about which books this year were your favorites, not so favorite, new author or genre discoveries,or a subject you never thought you'd read about for our wrap up next week. I'll post the official unofficial list of questions next Sunday.

 

Yay! Love everyone's annual wrap-up!

 

Happy Reading to ALL!!

 

LOVE the photo, Jane!

 

Well, my Amazon bender is over. DH cut me off. :blush: So no more recommending books for a few months, KThxBye. :leaving: I guess I'll just start my TBR/Dusty Books challenge a couple weeks early. No new books until April 1st! (GULP!)

 

I need to seriously join you on this one! LOL. (So, did you get any good stuff on your Amazon bender? :bigear: }

 

My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount and Thessaly La Force, Open Heart by Elie Wiesel and, as a Christmas read, the book/short story The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke. Yesterday I started The Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut

 

I still really want to read My Ideal Bookshelf since it seems to be going over well here! Also, I just requested The Story of the Other Wise Man from my library. Love Vonnegut, but Sirens of Titan was not one of my faves. Will be curious to hear what you think of it....

 

by the end of it I was worn out and fed up. Imagine the following theme -- “My mom died. My feet hurt. My mom died. My pack is too heavy. My mom died.†-- repeated ad nauseam for 300 pages, and you will have Wild. One thing I did take away from this book is that while I expect (hope?) my children will grieve my passing, I certainly pray they do not completely go off the rails like Wild’s author did. Drug use, imploded families, promiscuousness, a destroyed marriage, and adrenaline-fueled risk-taking extreme behavior are all laid at the foot of a mother’s death and … whew! … I hope my kids are more grounded than that. It is kind of frightening, actually.

 

Great review. I hadn't been too interested in reading Wild anyway, but you've definitely helped make sure it stays off my to-read list.

 

I just remembered that I should probably share the list of books I've read in 2012. I reached my goal. My original goal was 26 books. Once I got to that, I raised it higher. I never, ever thought that I would read 52. As I've said before, I really and truly am not caught up in the numbers. This is just for fun. I'm sharing this list, since I will not be online after this week for a few weeks. Robin, I'd like to thank you, as always, for this wonderful thread.

 

Love your list, Negin! So glad you posted it before you go offline for a little bit. (Hurry back! :001_smile: ) And :thumbup1: on exceeding your goal AND on enjoying your reading!

 

 

â–  Quiet (Susan Cain) Non-fiction

 

I'm rooting for you to finish this one before the end of the year because it will help you meet your NF goal & also because I know it's been languishing on your list awhile. ;) :001_cool:

 

I've been trying to read Gone Girl this week but I think I will have to return it to the library tomorrow unfinished. At another time of year I would have read the whole thing, but I have to say I probably won't bother to check it out again. I know a lot of people enjoyed that book a lot, but I don't care about the protagonists at all and while well-written, I don't really want to read this twisted story. I'm finding the book stressful to read. I did cheat and read the end--don't feel the need to fill in all of the details.

 

I kept debating about reading this, but eventually took my name off of the (very long) waitlist at the library. I just don't think it's one I would enjoy....

 

Finished Chinese Letter tonight. Hmmm. It made me think of a lighter form of Kafka (esp. The Trial), perhaps? I saw a reference that compared this author's work to Samuel Beckett's works, but I've never read Beckett so I can't compare. (Guess I need to add Beckett to my to-read list.) Chinese Letter is a mix of thought-provoking, banal, slightly surreal, contemporary, somewhat philosophical, & sometimes oddly funny musings in an unclear setting/sphere of action. Different, fairly interesting, & quick read.

[6packofun]

Finished:

 

#84 Wild by Cheryl Strayed, an Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 pick and Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Memoir/Autobiography.

 

I wish I had read this book in one long, marathon read because I really enjoyed it for the first couple of days and hundred pages. As it is, though, it stretched out for over a week and by the end of it I was worn out and fed up. Imagine the following theme -- “My mom died. My feet hurt. My mom died. My pack is too heavy. My mom died.†-- repeated ad nauseam for 300 pages, and you will have Wild.

 

One thing I did take away from this book is that while I expect (hope?) my children will grieve my passing, I certainly pray they do not completely go off the rails like Wild’s author did. Drug use, imploded families, promiscuousness, a destroyed marriage, and adrenaline-fueled risk-taking extreme behavior are all laid at the foot of a mother’s death and … whew! … I hope my kids are more grounded than that. It is kind of frightening, actually.

 

 

 

Wow, I felt very much the same about Wild !

 

This week, I read Switch: How to Change Things When Life is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath. (Still reading this one, actually.) I find it very interesting and I love the varied stories about how something small, but KEY can result in huge, productive changes in different lives! Stories from the business world, medicine, housewives and average Joes, behavioral issues, etc. It's not a cure-all set of steps, it's discovering what change will work for you. There is more science behind it, but very positive, practical, and even uplifting.

 

City of Women by David Gillham. I thought this one was very well-written. One quibble I had is with the motivation for some of the main character's choices...still not sure what it was! But I enjoyed her progress throughout the story and thought the ending was superb. Set in the holocaust, how one German "hausfrau" must make the choice to continue turning a blind eye or DO something, no matter how small, with the circumstances that present themselves to her. Gives a view of the holocaust from the perspective of the German women left behind to support the "Fatherland" and the homefront.

 

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith. Short and sweet (and mostly clean!) story about how a 17yo girl meets a young man at the airport/on her flight (after missing the intended flight). The romance is less of what makes this good, IMO, than the way the girl must deal with her feelings about going to her father's wedding after he left her mother for another woman. I thought the author was very authentic in the treatment about how a young woman might feel and, having been there (with divorced/remarried parents), I could really relate!

 

Now reading Wild Girls by Mary Stewart Atwell.

[Rosie_0801]

I'm due to finish reading 'Anne of Green Gables' to dd tonight.

 

And I'm finally, lazy butt that I am, writing postcards from Hanging Rock. I have one for Stacia, VeganCupcake and Negin written, and have one left over. Who wants it?

[aggieamy]

Robin - I can't wait to hear what you think of P&P. :)

 

Finished: #84 Wild by Cheryl Strayed, an Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 pick and Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Memoir/Autobiography. I wish I had read this book in one long, marathon read because I really enjoyed it for the first couple of days and hundred pages. As it is, though, it stretched out for over a week and by the end of it I was worn out and fed up. Imagine the following theme -- “My mom died. My feet hurt. My mom died. My pack is too heavy. My mom died.†-- repeated ad nauseam for 300 pages, and you will have Wild.

 

There's still days when I get teary eyed thinking about how much I miss my grandmother and she's been gone for a year now. There's no way I could handle this book. Thanks for the review (warning?).

 

I grew up with an extremely strong Welsh accent.

 

This totally threw me and I had to double check the name to make sure I was thinking of the right person. I don't picture you with a Welsh accent. An islander accent maybe but not that particular island.

 

Way to go on suprassing your goal. That's fantastic. Pack some good books to take on your trip and then tell us all about them when you get back.

 

A lightweight selection for me at the moment. I am reading Rennie Airth's second Inspector Madden mystery, The Blood-Dimmed Tide. The first in the series (River of Darkness) was good enough for me to open the second. This sequel has its perplexing moments though. Madden has retired to the countryside to be a gentleman farmer. He stumbles across a body so he is pulled into the mystery in a tangential way. This leaves a large cast of other characters chipping away at the mystery. It almost seems that there are too many characters weaving in and out of the storyline. I wish that there was a dramatis personae so that I could keep track of everyone's first and last names. Who is Sal? I wondered at one point. Oh, the dog!

 

Is this a British mystery? The British love to have their cast of fifty people in a mystery and in the last chapter they all sit around in the library to find out who the murderer was. I know exactly what you're talking about with having a hard time keep track of people because I do the same thing.

 

"Now who was George?" *rapidly flips back 50 pages* "Oh that's Sir Cheswick! Whoa. And he's married to Donna. I was wondering who the heck she was."

 

I finished two this week and enjoyed them both--Jonah Lehrer's Imagine and Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter II: The Wife. I've been trying to read Gone Girl this week but I think I will have to return it to the library tomorrow unfinished. At another time of year I would have read the whole thing, but I have to say I probably won't bother to check it out again. I know a lot of people enjoyed that book a lot, but I don't care about the protagonists at all and while well-written, I don't really want to read this twisted story. I'm finding the book stressful to read. I did cheat and read the end--don't feel the need to fill in all of the details.

 

I bet I've put this on and off my to-read list three times this year. Think I'll take it off again now. :)

 

Yay! Love everyone's annual wrap-up!

 

Me too. Keep 'em coming gals. Everyone is required to do a year end wrap of favorite books and least favorite books and funny reading happenings this year. If you don't do then I'll have no choice but to keep liking you anyway and continue intereacting with you in 2013.

[aggieamy]

I'm due to finish reading 'Anne of Green Gables' to dd tonight. And I'm finally, lazy butt that I am, writing postcards from Hanging Rock. I have one for Stacia, VeganCupcake and Negin written, and have one left over. Who wants it?

 

Me me! If nobody has claimed it yet I would love it. DD would get such a kick seeing a postcard from around the world.

[Rosie_0801]

Me me! If nobody has claimed it yet I would love it. DD would get such a kick seeing a postcard from around the world.

 

 

Pm me your address!

[*Inna*]

 

• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. A re-read. I have forgotten how much I enjoy her books. :)
  
• Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Neat idea, poor execution. I didn't care for his style of writing at all.
  
• Currently reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Non-fiction. Love it. Very thought provoking.
  

 

[Negin]

Negin - Thank you and I'm so happy you enjoyed your reading so much that you surpassed your goal without worrying about the numbers. Quality and enjoyment is more important.

:grouphug:

 

Love your list, Negin! So glad you posted it before you go offline for a little bit. (Hurry back! ) And :thumbup1: on exceeding your goal AND on enjoying your reading!

Stacia, thank you. Looking forward to being back in just a few weeks. :)

 

City of Women by David Gillham.

I just heard about this and have been curious. Might add it to my wish list.

 

I have one for Stacia, VeganCupcake and Negin written, and have one left over. Who wants it?

Can't wait! :)

 

This totally threw me and I had to double check the name to make sure I was thinking of the right person. I don't picture you with a Welsh accent. An islander accent maybe but not that particular island.

I was born in Iran and grew up in Wales.

 

Way to go on suprassing your goal. That's fantastic. Pack some good books to take on your trip and then tell us all about them when you get back.

Thank you. :)

[The Governess]

I'm still working through Les Mis - over 820 pages finished. Just got through a very tense scene that involved Jean being held prisoner by Thenardier, Marius watching the whole thing through a hole in the wall, and Jean escaping just before being recognized by Javert. Whew! The play is fantastic but it skips over so much! I stopped for a break after this; the next section is titled "A Few Pages of History," but I've gotten to know Victor Hugo a bit by this point and I don't believe him. ;)

 

For a break, today I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I liked it a lot, and cried a lot. I'm putting a couple of his other titles on my to-read list.

[Heather in Neverland]

This week...

 

Started reading:

Shiver

Shepherding a Childs Heart

 

 

Still reading:

Pride and Prejudice

 

Completed:

47. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

46. Forbidden

45. Instructing a Childs Heart

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

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Jane in NC]

I was waiting for Robin's list of questions, but I have already done a 2012 Year In Books Review on my blog with all my favorite reads of the year. It is too long to copy and paste or I'd repost it here. Pretty please pop over and take a look? :blush:

 

I guess I should be working on typing up my giant list of books finished (an all-time personal best!), but I just don't have the energy.

Nice wrap-up! Your blog post reminds me to put The Stockholm Octavo on my TBR list. Indeed a beautiful cover!

 

[Zebra]

I am having a rough week in terms of reading.

 

I started Ian Kershaw's 2 part Hilter bio. I think both books are about 600 pages. I got to about page 300 of the first one and thought "WHY am I still reading this?". But you know, it's the end of the year and there's all this pressure to get my numbers up :laugh:. I hate to have read 300 pages of a book and not finish it! The book was just so....boring, ironically. Dull. Then I realized that I had already read a huge book by him earlier this year called The End which was also tough to get through. He needs a proofreader or something. His books are like encyclopedias.

 

Then I started The Princess Bride. I didn't like the movie, so it makes sense to read the book....I think I am just burnt out from life in general and need to sit in front of the TV and eat Cheetos.

 

A funny thing happened to me this week. I was waiting in line at a bookstore, reading the back of a book. A woman came up to me and said, "Oh, that book was SOOOOOO good!" and I said to her, "Yeah, I was standing her trying to remember if I have read it or not!" And she laughed and laughed, and I thought, only a true reader would find that hilarious.

[ladydusk]

We've been so busy going and doing that I'm just not getting much read right now. I'm halfway through Ben Merkle's The White Horse King. It's very good, I'm just not getting to it.

 

I'm also working on the last of Howatch's Family Sagas: The Wheel of Fortune. It is excellent, but I'm still early in the first person's perspective.

[Just Robyn]

 

I was waiting for Robin's list of questions, but I have already done a 2012 Year In Books Review on my blog with all my favorite reads of the year. It is too long to copy and paste or I'd repost it here. Pretty please pop over and take a look? :blush:

 

I guess I should be working on typing up my giant list of books finished (an all-time personal best!), but I just don't have the energy.

 

Added Song of Achilles to my to-read list. Have you read In the Woods by Tana French? I think that one's in my goodreads recommendations.

[luvnlattes]

I finished The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. The main character is a young woman who has aged out of the foster care system. The novel alternates between her adult life and the experiences that shaped her when she was in foster care. The story drew me in from the beginning and, while there were a few parts that were a bit "off," I connected with the character enough that I was brought to tears near the end. It's not a sad story but I could empathize with her situation, hence the tears.

 

This was #41 for me. I think I'll finish the year with about 44 or 45 since I'm listening to one book on CD and am halfway through a Max Lucado book right now.

[prairiegirl]

I don't think I will get 52 books read this year. I'm close but not close enough. I finished 'In the Bleak Mid-Winter' by Julia Spencer-Fleming. It was a good fluff mystery. I am now reading 'Falling for Hamlet'. I don't know if I will be able to finish it, though. I also started 'The Casual Vacancy' by Rowling but I returned it. The s@xual stuff was just a bit too much for me. It seemed like she was trying too hard in that area.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Violet Crown]

Woke up this morning not sick with the flu. What a wonderful and novel feeling. Meanwhile, having been horizontal for a week, I read quite a bit more than usual (though falling asleep while reading, and the intermittent attacks of dizziness, not to mention small people who strongly felt being in bed meant I should be reading to them, interfered occasionally). Anyhow, last night I finished

 

19. Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, vol. 1

 

My initial take on this - as if the Arthurian romances were written by an Italian with ADHD, and maybe some help from John Cleese - is unchanged. Here's a scene where Duke Astolfo (good guy) has to fight Orrilo, who can rejoin severed bits of his body and can only be defeated if a certain hair is plucked from his head - but which one? Astolfo has a plan:

 

Orrilo's fist is severed, club and all;

Both arms Astolfo chops, complete with hands,

Now with a transverse stroke, now vertical,

He slices and truncates and flying sends

Orrilo's limbs; but whereso'er they fall,

He picks them up and instantly their ends

Re-join the parent stump and so once more

His members function as they did before.

 

The duke, dismounted, after many blows,

Slashes Orrilo through from nape to chin;

And quickly, for he has no time to lose,

He leaps back to the saddle, grasping in

His hand the bloody scalp, on which there grows

The magic hair which he must pluck to win.

He gallops off towards the river Nile,

To stop Orrilo finding it; meanwhile,

 

The stupid monster had not understood

And in the dust was groping for his head;

But when he realized that through the wood

The Duke Astolfo on his horse had sped,

He flung himself as quickly as he could

Upon the saddle of his thoroughbred.

He would have liked to shout: 'Come back! Come back!'

But of his mouth he felt a grievous lack.

 

 

... and so on. Few of the adventures go on for more than a page or two - except for the siege of Paris, the central action - and no sooner does one of the many, many heroes, heroines, or villains gallop off from one adventure than he stumbles, sometimes literally, across the next. The pacing is frenetic, the romance is PG-13, the violence is lavish but cartoonish, and the whole first volume clocks in at 827 pages, counting the worthwhile introduction and the absolutely necessary (and really helpful) appendices that let you keep all the characters and action sorted out. Five stars.

 

I'm going to take a break and try some of that fluffy reading I hear so much about, then on to volume 2.

[JennW in SoCal]

Just skimming through the first 33 posts in this thread is a big enough reading challenge for me today! Life has been a merry whirlwind around here and for the last 3 days I've not had a chance to finish a couple of chapters in a fluff mystery, Bless the Bride by Rhys Bowen or the less than 7 minutes on my Chirstmas Carol audio recording read by Tim Curry.

 

I have, however, been listening to Pride and Prejudice at bedtime in order to turn my brain off after such busy days. I know it so well that I'm not tempted to stay awake to follow the story, so I set the timer on my iPhone for 30 minutes, put on my ear buds and drift off to sleep. Have you started it, Robin? Some of my all time favorite fictional characters inhabit Austen books. In P&P it is Mr. Collins, in Emma it is Mrs. Elton, and in Persuasion it is Sir Walter. They are so perfectly absurd.

 

Oh, and I am listening to Hogfather while I'm in the car. I first listened to it last year, I think, and I'm cracking up all over again. If you like audio books, I highly recommend any of Terry Pratchett books as the narrator, Stephen Briggs, is excellent.

[Violet Crown]

Jane in NC: love the photo.

 

Stacia: Thanks for that article by the translator. Literary translation is a fascinating subject. And I highly recommend Beckett; while I was reading your linked essay, I thought about how Beckett wrote in a non-native language (French) precisely to avoid stylistic nuances that a native speaker would have present in his writing.

 

ETA: Guilty pleasure confession: I used to watch Quantum Leap in college with friends, and whenever Sam Beckett would portal somewhere, we'd shout at the screen "I can't go on, I'll go on!" Yes, we had no lives then. I recommend reading Krapp's Last Tape while watching Quantum Leap on Netflix.

[Stacia]

Hey you guys, Robin desperately needs our prayers & good thoughts right now...

http://forums.welltr...as-disappeared/

 

ETA: He has been found safe!

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/445545-pray-pray-pray-james-has-disappeared/page__st__50#entry4553881

[ariasmommy]

If you like audio books, I highly recommend any of Terry Pratchett books as the narrator, Stephen Briggs, is excellent.

 

Yes, he is! I listened to Going Postal earlier this year, and he did a marvelous job with all the voices, especially Mr. Pump. I need to listen to Making Money soon...

 

#56 was Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl by Dannah Gresh - didn't necessarily agree with everything, and I'm not going to host sleepovers and put in a pool and huge tv to entertain my kids and their friends ;) , but she did make some important points and have some good suggestions on how to relate to and discuss important stuff (like s@x) with your preteen daughters.

 

ETA: So glad your ds is back safe, Robin!

[Just Robyn]

Robin, so glad everything turned out okay. How scary!

 

Yes. In the Woods is the first of her Dublin Murder squad mysteries. Tana French's books form a loose series where the action of one doesn't necessarily follow the other, so you don't have to read them in order. However, she does introduce the characters in a sort of way that builds as you read each of the books. I loved In the Woods

 

Thanks for this. I can put In the Woods on my to-read list now, and I'm interested rather than just a whole lot of skeptical.

[Kareni]

I'm glad to hear that your son is safely home, Robin.

 

I've been rereading Thea Harrison's Dragon Bound, the first in her Elder Races series. I put a couple of the sequels on my holiday wish list; I'm hopeful.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[justme824]

I've missed reading so much and I am really looking forward to the challenge next year. I am browsing the old lists to see what I can add to my TBR list. Next year I hope to read more of the books my son recommends. He's almost nine and keeps putting books on my nightstand that he thinks I will enjoy. I hope to split my time down the middle - 26 books from his recs, 26 from my list.

 

Right now I am reading, per his request, 39 Clues: Maze of Bones. And per my request, Pandemonium, which I am having such mixed feelings about. It is nothing like the first in the series, but I keep hoping it will get better.

 

Looking forward to next year. And also the best book lists that I hope to see around in the near future ;)

[dangermom]

I've been reading a bunch. I'm behind on blogging now...but I did read:

 

The Brides of Rollrock Island, that was a weird one. About selkies.

 

Bye-Bye Babylon, a sort of sketchbook of memories about the civil war in Lebanon 1975-1979.

 

Pink and Blue, a really great history of children's clothing in America. Covers the past couple hundred years.

 

Below Stairs, a memoir of life as a kitchen maid and cook back in the old days, when servants got one afternoon off a week if they were lucky. Great stuff. The author is very sharp and insightful.

 

For a list of all the books I read this year, read my list on my blog. It's too long to post here. I'll hit 200 by Christmas. (And I'm never going to count again; it was fine for one year but no more.)

[Just Robyn]

For a list of all the books I read this year, read my list on my blog. It's too long to post here. I'll hit 200 by Christmas. (And I'm never going to count again; it was fine for one year but no more.)

 

 

Way to go! I can't imagine reading that much; I'm just not a fast enough reader. Love your eclectic list.Classics, fluff, non-fiction, poetry, plays....

[VeganCupcake]

Pink and Blue, a really great history of children's clothing in America. Covers the past couple hundred years.

 

Below Stairs, a memoir of life as a kitchen maid and cook back in the old days, when servants got one afternoon off a week if they were lucky. Great stuff. The author is very sharp and insightful.

 

These look so interesting! More for my TBR list, of course.

 

I finished Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus and found it really inspiring.

[laundrycrisis]

This is where I'm at:

 

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 Adolescence

39. Teach Your Children Well - Parenting for Authentic Success

40. The Parents We Mean to Be

41. Smart Moves

42. What Kids Need to Succeed

43. Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

44. How Children Succeed - Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

45. Sparks - How Parents Can Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenager

46. The Core Program: Fifteen Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life

 

I'm currently reading "You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded)". I know I won't get to 52 books this year, so I'm spending some time reading through the stack of four different magazines I get that I haven't been reading since June !

[UnionJack]

You guys are amazing! Very inspiring. Maybe I will try to join you in 2013.

[Negin]

Have you read In the Woods by Tana French? I think that one's in my goodreads recommendations.

This has been on my wish list for the longest while.

[aggieamy]

 

I was waiting for Robin's list of questions, but I have already done a 2012 Year In Books Review on my blog with all my favorite reads of the year. It is too long to copy and paste or I'd repost it here. Pretty please pop over and take a look? :blush:

 

I guess I should be working on typing up my giant list of books finished (an all-time personal best!), but I just don't have the energy.

 

 

Great review for the year! What fun. I think I'll copy the questions over and try to answer them myself. Of course, you seem to have a better memory than I do about books. I looked at the titles of some of the books I read earlier this year and I don't remember much about them.

 

• [*]The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. A re-read. I have forgotten how much I enjoy her books. :)

 

I love love love Agatha Christie. I'm reading the ABC Murders right now.

[Mom-ninja.]

Robin, glad your ds was found quickly and safely.

[eaglei]

Robin, glad your ds was found quickly and safely.

 

I agree!