Book a Week in 2013 - week one

[Just Kate]

This will be my first year joining :)

 

Here is my current lineup. Life is still winding down this week so I am keeping the reads simple. I've got some good titles lined up next.

 

*Confessions of a Praire B*tch

*Merry Christmas Alex Cross

*The Sea of Monsters as a family read aloud

*Little Bitches a read aloud with my older

*39 Clues series per my older's request (trying to read some of his suggestions this year)

 

I just finished reading Confessions of a Prairie B**** this morning! It had been on my to-read list for a while, but my library didn't carry it. I received a nice iTunes gift card for Christmas and decided to buy this through iBooks. I really enjoyed it. Allison is hilarious, yet part of her story is very sad. While I don't care much about current movie/TV stars, reading this book did make me curious to see what has happened to some of the actors from my favorite childhood shows.

[wormbuy]

I am joining this year, my reading (for self) has been slim for the last 8 years. I am currently reading The History of the Ancient World which I started about this time last year. I am about 1/4 of the way through. I will need to find something else to read with it so that I do not have to slow of a start, I am thinking Anne of Green Gables asI have never read it.

[LNC]

I wanted to read a light fiction series for Christmas vacation. I love to read about the Gilded Age (biographies), so I looked around on Goodreads and found the Tea Rose trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly. I made it to p. 400 out of 557. Preposterous!!!! I just cannot go on. If anyone has a rec for a good novel set in the Gilded Age, I would love it.

 

I am moving on to To Kill a Mockingbird. I have never read it.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

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[Lizzie in Ma]

I am reading the Vampire for Hire series right now, read all four four of them. They were fun, not great but definitely readable.

Now off to a new adventure in Peter V. Brett's Painted Man.

[jenL]

For the past 2 years, I have given this a go, but I end up not finishing... Maybe the 3rd time's a charm? I hope so because I do love to read! I just wish life did not interfere so much...

 

I'm reading A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children by James T. Webb. It's helping me to understand my eldest son better since we had him tested this fall.

 

I'm also starting The Hobbit today as a read-aloud with my boys. I haven't read it since 5th grade, so I'm actually looking forward to it.

[Joanne]

I'm also starting The Hobbit today as a read-aloud with my boys. I haven't read it since 5th grade, so I'm actually looking forward to it.

 

 

I started reading The Hobbit to my oldest before he could read well himself. He was still on c-v-c words. We were still working our way through it when he moved on in reading level, so then we'd take turns reading it to each other.

 

It was one of our favorite memories of his childhood.

 

(I did the same thing with The Secret Garden and my dd, but that didn't take as long!).

 

Poor 3rd child never had that experience, except for when I read aloud during group homeschooling.

[Just Robyn]

Is this the one by J. Samuel Walker? Please post your review when you're done. Love Good Omens! Seems like a book you would enjoy too, I think, crstarlette! Have you read a lot of magical realism? I think One Hundred Years of Solitude is a given in that category, if you haven't read it already. (However, I didn't enjoy his book Love in the Time of Cholera.) Also, Allende's The House of the Spirits is pretty popular. I read The Master and Margarita last year (for the Russian challenge) & really enjoyed it. The other book I read for the Russian challenge would also qualify in the magical realism category: The Dream Life of Sukhanov (especially good if you like/appreciate/know modern & surrealist art/artists). Also, Murakami's Kafka on the Shore was great, imo. (Many cite his book, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, as his best. Haven't read it, but it's on my list.... His book 1Q84 is on my list for this year too.) I see The Night Circus popping up on the lists you mentioned -- did you read that one last year? I've heard Pedro Páramo is great, but I haven't read that one yet. Calvino would probably be a good one to add in your category. I see that Hopscotch is on one of the Goodreads lists. That's one that Robin & I are planning to read at some point. Maybe you could join us on that one...? I love magical realism/surreal books. A few I didn't notice right away on the lists, but that I'd recommend are Sleeping in Flame by Jonathan Carroll, The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, and Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. (I loved all three of these.) Can't wait to see your final list! I'll be curious for your final review. I re-read this last year for my book club. I really didn't remember it (had read it in high school), other than "Heathcliff" and "the moors". I know many love Pillars, but it wasn't really my cup of tea. (I did finish it, though.) I agree -- zero is weird! LOL. Like JennW says... Happy New Year to all of you! I thought this book was hilarious (if profanity-filled).... I've had this one on my want to read list for a year now. I'm hoping a PaperbackSwap copy will come through soon! Can't wait to read your review of it.

I'll have to check out coursera. May just find something interesting to take. In regards to magical realism - I enjoyed Carlos Ruiz Zafon and his The Shadow in the Wind. Definitely worth checking out. One Hundred Years of Solitude was okay. Either Stacia or Mental Multivitamin read The Green Mile and really enjoyed it. I have Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin , Chocolat, Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar and 1Q84 in my TBR pile. We have several people who read them this year and really enjoyed. Will let you know once I get around to reading them. Oh! Night Circus and Raw Shark Texts definitely. Stacia and I will be reading Hopscotch together at some point - just have to decide when so if anyone else wants to join in they have time to get the book.

 

You two rock! Thanks for all the suggestions. I definitely want to read One Hundred Years of Solitude this year. I've only read one book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and that was way back in college - barely remember it. Same thing with Isabel Allende. Murakami is an author I have yet to read and am intrigued by. I think I'll try to match some of these up with the continent challenge. I just put in a request for my library to get Hopscotch; I'd love to join in on that one.

[trinchick]

 

Let's Pretend This Never Happened started out being hilarious in a sick and twisted kind of way. I looked past the offensive language b/c of the humor. But, It is very quickly losing its appeal and I'm probably going to scrap it b/c the author so clearly trounces on some of my deeply held beliefs and I'm not finding it amusing any more. Plus, there are some things in the book I'd NEVER want my kids to read, so it shouldn't be around the house. JMHO though, not trying to start a debate about book labeling or anything like that. Some of the book made me laugh out loud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read this book last year and had the same experience as you. Started off great - laughed out loud through many of the first chapters, but it went downhill quick and I had the sense that she was just recycling blog material. Had to push myself through to the end of that one.

 

I'm just about done with A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison, which has been really quite good. I'm at the part now where they just tie up all the loose ends so it's winding down.

 

For a read aloud with DD, we're about halfway through with The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright, which we're both enjoying thoroughly. Not sure if it will count for the 52 books, but still thought I'd mention it since I'm always looking for read aloud suggestions and assume others are the same.

[skyday]

Count me as another one reading Anne of Green Gables. It's a read aloud for dd9 and me. I'm also reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I just started it last night and am not far enough along to have a real opinion yet.

[Plateau Mama]

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-).

 

I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless?

 

I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

[shanvan]

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-).

 

I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless?

 

I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

 

 

I will just say, that while I try to stick to mostly quality literature, there are several on my list currently that I would NEVER place in that category (not wanting to start a debate, but can a book that has the 'f' word on just about every page--and sometimes more than once-- really fall into the quality literature category?)

 

I think you should join.

 

I have not found a good way to utilize audio books. I have listened to some lectures while exercising on the treadmill, but I'm not sure how I'd do with book length audios. Maybe I'd exercise longer or more consistently. I might try it.

[Lynnae]

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-).

 

I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless?

 

I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

 

I'll happily admit to reading drivel. You should join.

 

That said, I think I'm going to try to read Anne of Green Gables this month. Shamefully, I've never read it. I picked up the audio book Anne of the Island for $1 at a yardsale last summer, but I want to read the first two books in the series before I listen to it.

 

I'm interested to hear how people use audiobooks, too. The only time I've really listened to audiobooks is on long road trips with the family.

[trinchick]

I can chime in on audiobooks since I use them a lot. May not be helpful, though, since I know that many of you are SAHM. I work four days a week and have a one-hour commute in each direction. I listen to books on my ride just about every day.

 

As an aside, for anyone looking to try audiobooks, I heartily recommend To Kill a Mockingbird read by Sissy Spacek. By far the best audiobook I have ever listened to. The book is great, as we all know, but her reading is spectacular.

[LostSurprise]

As soon as I finish The Inn at Angel Island by Thomas Kincaid and Katherine Spencer, I'll be reading a classic dusty and chunky book: Vanity Fairby William Makepeace Thackeray. Writing wise I'm reading The Writer's Journey by Christoper Vogler.

 

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Vanity Fair. Thackeray does not make any of the characters fully likeable (if they're good, they're wimpy or just wrongheaded), in fact he often makes fun of the characters...and himself...in a light way. I enjoyed that. I usually don't but he had just the right balance to make you realize how human we all are. And like most pre-20th century novels there are going to be moments you roll your eyes with some of the sentimentality of the some of the characters.

 

The Handmaid's Tale~I found it engrossing when I read it a few years after college. Later I reread it and realized that something bothered me. What bothers me is that Atwood doesn't really understand fundamentalists. She doesn't understand their motivations, so the villains are just villains and the book never rises to anything more than a standard dystopian horror. I never got a feel that the characters were real people. It seemed more like a liberal's (ie someone who isn't familiar with fundamentalists as people) nightmare.

[aggieamy]

Who is the author of Getting Things Done? Several books with this title come up on Goodreads.

Thanks.

This is what I am currently reading. The author is David Allen.

 

I've read his book twice now and have implemented quite a few things from it and it's helped a lot with my organization. You gals are making me want to read it again. Let me know what you thought of it.

 

It is the most beautiful New Year's Day here sunny, 72 degrees and a nice breeze. I'm headed out to the back porch to finish Beauty (A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast).

 

That was one of my top books of 2012. I hope you like it.

 

I'm still working on The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Too much noise around the house for me to get settled into reading. Dd18 heads back to work tomorrow (she's a nanny for a teacher friend of ours so has public school schedule) and I will get back into the school routine with dd12 on Thursday. Hopefully, we have a calm and peaceful January and I can focus a bit on my Robert Jordan books.

 

Me too. I'm reading on my Kindle and I'm only at 10%. Not far enough to be so hooked that I'm willing to give up copious amounts of sleep to finish the book. That's normally how my chunksters get finished. :) Keep me updated on your progress because I'm chugging right along with you. (It also doesn't help that I've got two book club books that I've got to get read in the next week.)

 

In Progress:

 

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

Eye of the World (Wheel of Time 1)by Robert Jordan

The Happiness Project & Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin (for ladies book club)

The Postmortal by Drew Magary (for book club)

 

2013 finished books:

 

None yet!

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

***** - Fantastic, couldn't put it down

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

[aggieamy]

*Little Bitches a read aloud with my older

 

Britches? :) Or it's possibly not a book that I'm familiar with.

 

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-). I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless? I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

 

Pshaw! We've got everything on this list. Tasteless drivel, high literature, romance, graphic murder mysteries, epic religious tomes, YA. Everything. You read what you want to read and them come back and tell us all about it.

 

One of the number one rules for readers is to never feel like you have to defend your taste in books. Besides a lot of us here are big fans of drivel so we're always looking for recommendations!

[I.Dup.]

I am reading The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston. It is indeed terrifying!! And very engrossing.

[jenangelcat]

So here's my current list so far. Lots of fluff.

 

Leviathan- Scott Westerfeld

The Chrysalids- John Wyndham

The Eyre Affair-Jasper Fforde

The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood

The Tar-Aiym Krang- Dean Alan Foster

The Woman Who Died A Lot- Jasper Fforde

The Friday Society-Adrienne Kress

[LostSurprise]

Still working on The Little Book~'60s music star time travels to turn of the century Vienna, meets Freud and the Jung Wien. The book moves around a lot: WWII spies, Buddy Holly, the emergence of anti-semitism as a political tool, medieval cathedrals, sex, philosophy, mentors, the perfect pitch.

 

And chugging through Mad Mary Lamb~about Charles Lamb's sister and co-author of Tales from Shakespeare. Its interesting to learn about women's roles (especially single women) and treatment for mental illness during the time period but I've put it down too many times. I just want to finish it this time. One of my 5/5/5 challenges is finishing books I've started already.

[Lady Florida.]

I'm reading The Handmaid's Tale.

This book terrified me. Actually, it still terrifies me. I passed it on to my mother, and it terrified her too.

 

It terrified me too. Still does when I think about it. I'm also reading Margaret Atwood - Alias Grace.

 

I started Democracy in America, which covers 3 mini challenges - WEM books, dusty books, chunksters

[VeganCupcake]

I listen to audio books while exercising and when cleaning or doing other things around the house when my kids are in bed or otherwise engaged. I do get interrupted sometimes, but it still works well for me.

[Lady Florida.]

So my next book is When We Were the Kennedy's. I picked it up a few days ago on a Kindle daily deal and it sounds interesting.

 

 

 

I just finished that a week or so ago, and found it very interesting. I got the ebook from my library.

[Trillian]

 

 

You two rock! Thanks for all the suggestions. I definitely want to read One Hundred Years of Solitude this year. I've only read one book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and that was way back in college - barely remember it. Same thing with Isabel Allende. Murakami is an author I have yet to read and am intrigued by. I think I'll try to match some of these up with the continent challenge. I just put in a request for my library to get Hopscotch; I'd love to join in on that one.

 

I really enjoyed a lot of those mentioned. I intend to read IQ84 this year after loving The Wind Up Bird Chronicles last. I guess I should look not Hopscotch as well. Like Water for Chocolate is another one n the magical realism category that I enjoyed.

[Stacia]

Wow, Atwood must be the most-read author on here this week! Personally, I've never liked her books & really cannot get into her writing style. She's really not to my taste. (Needless to say, I'm not planning on reading Atwood for the Canadian challenge. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/wink.gif )

 

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-).

Oh, please join & feel free to share the drivel. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/thumbup1.gif We don't bite & we have all kinds of reading tastes on this thread. No worries!

[UrbanSue]

Britches? :) Or it's possibly not a book that I'm familiar with.

 

 

 

Pshaw! We've got everything on this list. Tasteless drivel, high literature, romance, graphic murder mysteries, epic religious tomes, YA. Everything. You read what you want to read and them come back and tell us all about it.

 

One of the number one rules for readers is to never feel like you have to defend your taste in books. Besides a lot of us here are big fans of drivel so we're always looking for recommendations!

 

 

 

It's been interesting reading this list for me because I'm kind of the opposite--a fact I'm not exactly proud of!--and my standards in what is worth my reading time are so high that I get bogged down and don't end up reading anything. I don't have a book budget but we have thousands of books already. Most of them are non-fiction chunksters or kids books But there are several in the middle that I finally pulled off the shelves for my 52 books shelf just so that I could have some hope of meeting the goal. These are good books, I'm sure, but they are light fiction and things that I would have considered a "waste of time" before. But I'm slowly realizing that there is probably a lot of great modern stuff out there and it would do me some good to get into it.

 

Kind of how we'll let our reluctant reader kids read kid magazines or comic books or, just, anything, sometimes to get them in to the habit of enjoyable reading, I think that just setting up a pile of whatever looks fun whether it be drivel or YA or 19th century classics we've read a million times, it all keeps us in the habit of reading. Which then opens the door to reading really challenging things when we have the time and mental space for it. Does that make sense?

 

Anyway--I'm new to this but I think I've already seen how good this challenge is at broadening reading horizons in all directions.

[luvnlattes]

I'm also reading Getting Things Done thanks to the disorganized thread.

[SilverFirefly]

I dropped out pretty early on last year, but I think I will try again in 2013. I am in the middle of a couple of books right now which I won't be counting as I started them in 2012. My first book for this year is The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I am about a quarter of the way through and finding it intriguing. Elaine

 

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong here...but I think you are allowed to count books started in 2012 as long as you finish them in 2013. I happened to be reading the Memory Keeper's Daughter while I was pregnant and had the tests for Downs come back with increased risk. This book was good in its own right, but it really helped me to see the possibilities.

 

For the past 2 years, I have given this a go, but I end up not finishing... Maybe the 3rd time's a charm? I hope so because I do love to read! I just wish life did not interfere so much... I'm reading A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children by James T. Webb. It's helping me to understand my eldest son better since we had him tested this fall. I'm also starting The Hobbit today as a read-aloud with my boys. I haven't read it since 5th grade, so I'm actually looking forward to it.

 

Would love to hear how you like A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children in the end (and any similar books that you have found particularly helpful. My DS is too young to be fully tested but appears to be 2E.

 

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-). I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless? I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

 

I've been listening to audiobooks of children's novels in the car with DS when we have 20-40 minutes blocks of time driving to weekly therapy appointments or whatever. It keeps him occupied, adds to his literary exposure, and allows me to listen to great children's literature I haven't read for a while.

[Lady Florida.]

Oh, please join & feel free to share the drivel. :thumbup1: We don't bite & we have all kinds of reading tastes on this thread. No worries!

 

 

Definitely join! I am sure that my historical mysteries and cozy mysteries belong in the drivel category, but I will continue to read and enjoy them.

[Rosie_0801]

Finished Anne of Avonlea and started Anne of the Island. Not sure if dd heard any of it or if she was asleep. :)

[Coffeemama]

I'm half-way through Switch and am also reading 'In the Beginning' A Catholic understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall by Pope Benedict XVI. I think I'm going to do the 555 challenge, but I've only decided on one category so far, religion.

My other goal is to have a reading blog ready for week 2.

[RocCityMom]

I'm reading Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman this week. Excited to be joining this year!

[PaulainTx]

I'm reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.

[readinmom]

I can chime in on audiobooks since I use them a lot. May not be helpful, though, since I know that many of you are SAHM. I work four days a week and have a one-hour commute in each direction. I listen to books on my ride just about every day.

 

As an aside, for anyone looking to try audiobooks, I heartily recommend To Kill a Mockingbird read by Sissy Spacek. By far the best audiobook I have ever listened to. The book is great, as we all know, but her reading is spectacular.

 

 

:iagree:

 

I use this audio book in the classroom. Love the way Spacek portrays Scout.

[Nissi]

Books I'm reading this week: Community by Brad House ( Christian non fiction) and A Calm Brain: Unlocking Your Natural Relaxation System by Gayatri Devi, M.D. I am halfway through both books and enjoying them tremendously. Both advocate for community! The book choices were random.

[Lady Florida.]

:iagree: I use this audio book in the classroom. Love the way Spacek portrays Scout.

 

I can easily imagine her doing a great job with that book.

[AllSmiles]

I read a cozy mystery this week called Do Unto Others. Jordan Poteet has just returned to his small hometown and taken a job as the city's head librarian. He is constantly at odds with a local patron, Beta Harcher, who wants to have a large number of books banned from the library. When Beta Harcher is found dead Jordan Poteet becomes the main suspect. This was a fun and easy read. I enjoyed the small town library setting. Small towns don't ever seem to be as sweet as they seem.

[Lady Florida.]

I read a cozy mystery this week called Do Unto Others. Jordan Poteet has just returned to his small hometown and taken a job as the city's head librarian. He is constantly at odds with a local patron, Beta Harcher, who wants to have a large number of books banned from the library. When Beta Harcher is found dead Jordan Poteet becomes the main suspect. This was a fun and easy read. I enjoyed the small town library setting. Small towns don't ever seem to be as sweet as they seem.

 

Sounds like the kind of cozy mystery I'd enjoy. As for the bolded, small towns can be deadly. I'm old enough to remember Murder She Wrote (Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher). That little town in Maine had at least one murder every week. ;) Dh and I have been watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix. The small English village settings have 2-4 murders per episode. Moral: Never move to a small town or village. :lol:

[thessa516]

Another drop out from last year trying again. I just checked GoodReads and I did read 52 books, I just quit posting to the thread. Plus I know I read some other books but forgot to record them.

 

 

ETA: Because I completely forgot to say what I'm reading. Getting Things Done by David Allen (re-read), Anne of Green Gables is on hold at the library for me, and Personal Kanban by Benson & Barry.

 

I'm in for the first time this year, and I'm already so excited about the possibilities! This week I started two books: The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn A memoir about a chef who graduates from Le Cordon Bleu, isn't sure what to do next, and ends up teaching a class of novices how to embrace their inner cooks, or something like that. (I'm only two chapters in.)

 

I enjoyed this book. I ended up reading her other book, too, but I liked Kitchen Counter more. I found out that our local cooking school offers a similar class. I wanted to sign up but it was $1000 for 12 classes! :ohmy: I'll just have to improve my cooking skills through books and YouTube videos.

[5LittleMonkeys]

I'm starting off with a book I bought for dd13 upon the recommendation of someone here (sorry I can't remember who). I loved the synopsis I read on Amazon and it got great reviews...however, when it got here dd13 nearly fainted. It's 816 pages! She isn't a reader and so is a bit intimidated. I decided to read it first so I could get her excited about it.

 

It is Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe. I won't be able to get it finished by the end of this week though so I'm also going to read The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, so I can get a book completed by Sunday (just to make me feel accomplished ;) ). I think I'll make myself a mini-challenge to read all the Poirot mysteries. :)

[Robin M]

Erica over on Goodreads just pointed out Canada Reads 2013 on CBC Books. The contenders for 2013 include a couple authors highlighted on the Oh Canada List. Head on over to CBC and check out the books - they have excerpts from each one. Then wonder around a bit and check out past winnersand nominees.

 

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

 

Age of Hope by David Bergen

 

Away by Jane Urquhart

 

Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLenna

 

February by Lisa Moore

 

 

I'm leaning towards Away and added it to my wishlist. Sorry if I'm testing your buying ban resolves. :)

[Robin M]

This will be my first year joining :)

 

Here is my current lineup. Life is still winding down this week so I am keeping the reads simple. I've got some good titles lined up next.

 

*Confessions of a Praire B*tch

*Merry Christmas Alex Cross

*The Sea of Monsters as a family read aloud

*Little Bitches a read aloud with my older

*39 Clues series per my older's request (trying to read some of his suggestions this year)

 

Cough cough snort snort. Ahem! Did you perhaps mean Little Britches. :lol: Welcome to the challenge.

[Robin M]

Robin: I linked up the 52 Books, Chunkster/Dusty, and Do The Continental challenge on my blog. Not that I have traffic or anything, but it may send some folks your way. I will unlink if you prefer; just pm me. Looks like a lot of us will be reading The Handmaid's Tale and Anne of Green Gables this month! Those were two books that I felt everyone else has read already so I am excited to have company. I have not touched our school books since Christmas break started and simply must spend some time this week planning. Will try to check back in after I actually finish a book. :seeya:

 

No problem at all- the links and widgets are there for who ever wants to add them to their blogs.

 

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-). I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless? I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

 

I work two days a week at our shop so I started listening to audio books in the car. It kind of segued from there to while gardening or doing some drawing, sometimes while treadmilling. Generally during a time when my guys are engaged elsewhere and don't need my constant attention.

 

So here's my current list so far. Lots of fluff. Leviathan- Scott Westerfeld The Chrysalids- John Wyndham The Eyre Affair-Jasper Fforde The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood The Tar-Aiym Krang- Dean Alan Foster The Woman Who Died A Lot- Jasper Fforde The Friday Society-Adrienne Kress

 

Doesn't look like fluff to me. I love steampunk so adding The Friday Society to my wishlist. Mercy it's been years since I read Dean Alan Foster and took a trip with Flinx and Pip. Makes me want to dig through my old boxes of sci fi and see what I still have.

[Jane in NC]

I'm reading Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman this week. Excited to be joining this year!

This one is sitting in my library bag.

 

Note to Stacia: Gillespie & I is a library copy, otherwise I'd pass it along to you after I finish it.

 

Looks like I can participate in two challenges by reading Alice Munro's story collection Castle Rock: Canadian author and Dusty Book. Go me.

[Lady Florida.]

Wow, Atwood must be the most-read author on here this week! Personally, I've never liked her books & really cannot get into her writing style. She's really not to my taste. (Needless to say, I'm not planning on reading Atwood for the Canadian challenge. ;) )

 

The only 2 I read are The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake. Loved the first one, not so much with the second. I'm barely into Alias Grace, so the jury's still out on that one. I wasn't planning for her to be my Canadian author; I just decided to read something else of hers after the thread about book warnings. I'm actually planning to read Shoeless Joe for the challenge. It's been gathering "dust" in my Kindle archives for some time now.

[Robin M]

Well the old back isn't too happy about lying about instead of moving, but no, that's not the trouble. I stepped outside the other day and didn't land in the standard fashion. So now I have pulled ligaments in my foot. Somehow I'm supposed to both get off my butt and live life, and sit on my butt resting so it will heal properly. So the plan is to sit on my butt as much as possible for the next two months, so I'm not damaging further at a faster rate than I'm healing. My mother did the same thing last year, didn't rest properly, and was still having trouble 8 months later. I don't think that is a good choice. So here I am, in bed, reading and writing a curriculum for next year. So I'm being productive, if not in a house worky way.

 

Ow! You poor dear. I wrenched my knee last week and after three days of sitting around, was going stir crazy. Got a lot done paperwork and blog wise, but still. Hope you have a good pair of crutches so you aren't totally bed and housebound. Take it easy and have fun with the family pitching in to help. I've been laid up a few times and had to get used to not being in control of what went where and just appreciate that it was being taken care of.

[aggieamy]

I'm starting off with a book I bought for dd13 upon the recommendation of someone here (sorry I can't remember who). I loved the synopsis I read on Amazon and it got great reviews...however, when it got here dd13 nearly fainted. It's 816 pages! She isn't a reader and so is a bit intimidated. I decided to read it first so I could get her excited about it.

 

It is Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe. I won't be able to get it finished by the end of this week though so I'm also going to read The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, so I can get a book completed by Sunday (just to make me feel accomplished ;) ). I think I'll make myself a mini-challenge to read all the Poirot mysteries. :)

 

I spent a lot of time contemplating doing a mini-challenge to read all the Poirot books. I adore Agatha Christie. I've read about 4/41 of the Poirot books and 8/14 of the Miss Marple stories. I think I'd tire out of mysteries if I tried all of his but I might try to finish the Miss Marple stories. Good luck on your challenge. I'll have a lot of fun reading which ones were your favorites.

[TammyinTN]

I'm reading A Thread Unbroken by Kay Bratt.

[Storm Bay]

I'm finishing up a book I started in 2012 and will post the title when I'm done, since I posted it once already. I'm thinking through what I want for the 5/5/5 challenge (which categories, although one is pretty much decided), etc. I saw the movie of the musical Les Miserables and checked out the unabridged version of the book so I could reread a couple of sections. I'm not sure if I'll read it or not, or perhaps read an abridged version (reread) for the chunkster challenge. I'm going to put holds on a few of last year's top favourites that I haven't read yet as well.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for WWI history or historical fiction? We spend a lot of time in the Flanders region of Belgium, and I would love more books that help me humanize the history of the region.

 

I don't recall if Flanders comes up in this novel, but if you want a lot of the politics, etc before & during the war, Ken Follet's Fall of Giants covers the peri-WWI era http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451232852 . It's the last WW I book I've read.

 

. I started Atwood's Penelopiad this week. (Canadian!) I might bail - Atwood is often painful to read and the chorus of hanged maids, always disturbing in the Odyssey itself, are already heartwrenching here.... but the elegant prose and deft characterization make the painful truths and even more painful questions engaging.

I"m not a fan of Atwood as a rule, either. I'm going to steer clear of her for the Canadian challenge.

 

Pillars is one of my faves of all time. Not as crazy about the sequel though.

I bailed on the sequel, and only read the first 1/4 to 1/3 and the last part.

 

I stepped outside the other day and didn't land in the standard fashion.

 

That line had me ROLF in a rather unsympathetic way, but really do hope you heal well and soon.

 

I'm reading The Handmaid' s Tale. (So that covers Canada!) :) I'm finding it entertaining, but also profoundly disturbing. I think I'll be finished tomorrow, and then I will start The Hobbit.

For what it's worth, not all Canadian novels are that disturbing, but Atwood is certainly one of Canada's leading literary writers, albeit one of my personal least favourites.

 

Everyone is tempting me with Handmaid's Tale

I'll be interested to see what you think. I haven't "seen" you for a while, since I'm not on the forums as much anymore, and am glad to see you again.

 

. Looks like a lot of us will be reading The Handmaid's Tale and Anne of Green Gables this month!

Two such drastically different books, too.

 

The Handmaid's Tale~I found it engrossing when I read it a few years after college. Later I reread it and realized that something bothered me. What bothers me is that Atwood doesn't really understand fundamentalists. She doesn't understand their motivations, so the villains are just villains and the book never rises to anything more than a standard dystopian horror. I never got a feel that the characters were real people. It seemed more like a liberal's (ie someone who isn't familiar with fundamentalists as people) nightmare.

This observation is spot on, yet I did find the tale engrossing. It's one of only 2 books of hers I read and didn't loathe completely, dispite the disturbing tale.

 

I was going to join, but it looks like you all read actual, quality books, not the drivel I read. ;-). I have a question. How do you all utilize audio books? I love the idea of them but it seems as soon as I put headphones on all the kids suddenly want to talk to me. I can't get into them while I'm running. I need the beat of he music. Am I just hopeless? I read a lot (37 books on my kindle alone last year), but I feel I could read so much more if I could utilize audio books!

 

There is plenty of light reading that goes on here. The first week this forum is busy and you see a lot of literary stuff, but it's a very mixed group, and some of us have very eclectic reading habits.

 

Erica over on Goodreads just pointed out Canada Reads 2013 on CBC Books. The contenders for 2013 include a couple authors highlighted on the Oh Canada List. Head on over to CBC and check out the books - they have excerpts from each one. Then wonder around a bit and check out past winnersand nominees. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese Age of Hope by David Bergen Away by Jane Urquhart Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLenna February by Lisa Moore I'm leaning towards Away and added it to my wishlist. Sorry if I'm testing your buying ban resolves. :)

 

Thanks! I'm going to save this page. Who knows, I might do Canadian authors for part of my 5/5/5. However, the orginal challenge said Candian born & raised Canadian author, so it's good to double check. I just found a book by an Irish Canadian writer, but he was born in Ireland & grew up there, so even if I liked that book, it wouldn't have counted (and it's an Irish story, to book :).)

[Joanne]

I have 15 minutes of lunch at work left. I may make some coffee and read. :thumbup1: