Book a Week in 2013 - week five

[tammyw]

I just finished reading Infidel. There were parts that were exceptionally hard to read (very graphic about female circumcision), but it definitely taught me a lot. Doing this book-a-week project, I am feeling more educated about history than ever before. And I'm just eager to learn more and more. It's been really wonderful so far. Next up, Matterhorn, about the Vietnam War. It's a long one - 600 pages! I will probably have to take two weeks to read it, so I'll slip in an easier read to fill my quota :)

 

So far my finished list is:

 

1. Unbroken

2. Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

3. Seabiscuit

4. Infidel

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Finished Catching Fire and started Mockingjay. I resisted reading the Hunger Games trilogy but caved last week when I was too lazy to go to the library (I have the trilogy on my NOOK). Now I read them any chance I get and will be soon finished the last one.

 

So far I have read (in no particular order):

1.Wild Days

2. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (audio)

3. Rebel Fire

4. The Hunger Games

5. Artist's Journal Workshop

6. Catching Fire

[Robin M]

Finally dived into a dusty chunkster - Black Order (sigma force series) by James Rollins. It will keep me occupied for a while. :001_smile:

 

"A sinister fire in a Copenhagen bookstore ignites a relentless hunt across four continents. Arson and murder reveal an insidious plot to steal a Bible that once belonged to Charles Darwin. And Commander Gray Pierce dives headlong into a mystery that dates back to Nazi Germany...and to horrific experiments performed in a now-abandoned laboratory in Poland. A continent away, madness ravages a remote monastery in Nepal, as Buddhist monks turn to cannibalism and torture. Lisa Cummings, an American doctor investigating the atrocity, is suddenly a target of a brutal assassin. And Lisa's only ally is Painter Crowe, director of SIGMA Force, who already shows signs of the baffling malady. Now it is up to Gray Pierce to save them both as SIGMA Force races to expose a century-old plot that threatens to destroy the current world order . . . and alter the destiny of humankind forever."

[MtnMama]

Lord Peter Wimsey fans: the Kindle Daily Deal for today is Gaudy Night for $1.99:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Gaudy-Night-Wimsey-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B008JVJDVO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1359460795&sr=8-6&keywords=dorothy+sayers

 

 

 

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Finally dived into a dusty chunkster - Black Order (sigma force series) by James Rollins. It will keep me occupied for a while. :001_smile:

 

"A sinister fire in a Copenhagen bookstore ignites a relentless hunt across four continents. Arson and murder reveal an insidious plot to steal a Bible that once belonged to Charles Darwin. And Commander Gray Pierce dives headlong into a mystery that dates back to Nazi Germany...and to horrific experiments performed in a now-abandoned laboratory in Poland. A continent away, madness ravages a remote monastery in Nepal, as Buddhist monks turn to cannibalism and torture. Lisa Cummings, an American doctor investigating the atrocity, is suddenly a target of a brutal assassin. And Lisa's only ally is Painter Crowe, director of SIGMA Force, who already shows signs of the baffling malady. Now it is up to Gray Pierce to save them both as SIGMA Force races to expose a century-old plot that threatens to destroy the current world order . . . and alter the destiny of humankind forever."

Hmm, this has piqued my interest, but do you need to read this series in any order?

[Lady Florida.]

Loved the Book Theif. I found the author's choice of narrator fascinating!

 

I loved it too. I read it for a book club a few years ago, and one of the members just couldn't get past the narrator. She skipped book club that month. She tried again, and still couldn't read it. People, including her teenage daughter, kept bugging her to try again. The third time was a charm for her, as she ended up not only getting through it, but loving it.

 

 

Finished Catching Fire and started Mockingjay. I resisted reading the Hunger Games trilogy but caved last week when I was too lazy to go to the library (I have the trilogy on my NOOK). Now I read them any chance I get and will be soon finished the last one.

 

 

I read The Hunger Games and thought it was okay, but had no desire to finish the trilogy. Ds devoured all three, and kept telling me I needed to finish the series. Months later, I tried again, and ended up hooked.

 

The Hunger Games trilogy is the reason I got ds a Kindle of his own. Since I had the series on my Kindle, that's how he read it. It would have been okay, except that he and I both like to read before bed. He always wanted my Kindle at night, the same time I wanted it. Dh finally asked me when I was going to break down and buy the kid his own Kindle.

[shanvan]

First time posting this year (I think). This is a lazy post b/c I don't have a lot of time. I'll come back later to dress it up better!

 

So far this year I've read:

 

Survivor's Guide to Homeschooling - this in an effort to cull my collection of homeschooling books. It's in the donation pile now. Good for someone just starting out. Not neccessary for me to keep.

 

The House at Riverton by Kate MOrton - kept me reading as her novels do, but i'm getting a little weary of her themes and they are becoming predictable.

 

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick - Very interesting and I learned a lot. Favorite read so far.

 

To Marry an English Lord - I learned something, but found this book very disjointed.

 

A Step Further by Joni Eareckson Tada - found at our local Goodwill. Found this very inspiring and am reading w/ my Dc now.

 

Currently reading:

Call the Midwife - Jennifer Worth's memoir. I find it even more interesting than the series.

Life on the Edge by Dr. James Dobson - I have mixed feelings about this one.

 

ETA: Oh, and for Down the Rabbit Hole--I have Wild Days set aside to read--but i'm scared to read it b/c I might want to change something I'm doing yet again! How ridiculous is that!

[NotSoObvious]

I'm reading Cutting for Stone. I won't finish this week. I'm already behind!!!

[LostSurprise]

Finished:

8. Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card~fantasy, alternative early America, witchcraft/magic. I needed something simpler to get me through Fear and Loathing. This was fine. I'm not usually a fantasy reader (I've read more this year for some reason). There was an interesting tension between magic (viewed as a positive thing in this novel) and 'good Christian people.' The novel follows an alternate American pioneer timeline, where Britain still controls part of the southern part of the country, the French control Canada, the Puritans control New England, there are still Dutch and Swedish colonies, Pennsylvania and its western territories are the closest to what we would call 'America,' and magic/hexes/knacks are common since most people with the biological knack for it were persecuted out of England. Card continues with his 'young boy with a special gift' theme and creates Alvin, a young Maker, discovering his destiny. Series to follow. Not sure if I'll pick up the next or not.

 

7. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson~satire, American dream, drug trip. I saw the movie first so I wasn't sure how similar this would be. The movie did nail down most of the humor and mania, but very little of the hopelessness. I knew I should find some things funny, but mostly I felt depressed for the entire book. The higher, farther, more of the '60s had landed them right on their a$$es, crumbled idealism, and left them only with the reminder that they can't get off the dam# carousel, literally. There's a scene in Circus-circus about that. There are a few really great lines, classically well-crafted journalism, in the first section. They, along with guessing which parts were real and which were Gonzo journalistic license, got me through the first section. By the second section, other than the irony of them covering a police drug conference, there's very little humor or epiphany and its all pretty dark. Mostly them running away from the consequences of their actions and covering their tracks. I think it makes a good counterpoint story to the '60s and Woodstock (only 2 years before), but I wouldn't recommend it based on the humor, unless you like really dark humor. (Dewey Decimal Challenge, 000s)

 

Top Ten *

Best of the Year **

6. Soulless by Gail Carriger~steampunk, vampires, werewolves, Victoriana.

5. Away by Jane Urquhart~Ireland, Canada, emigration, magical realism, family saga. (Canadian challenge) *

4. Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim~autobiography, Germany pre-WWI, gardening, women's roles*

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer~fiction, WWII, letters, humor

2. The Little Book by Seldon Edwards~fiction, Vienna, time travel

1. Mad Mary Lamb by Susan Tyler Hitchcock~biography, 19th century, women's roles, mental illness (Finally Finished challenge)

 

 

Working:

 

The Great Human Diasporas (DDC challenge, 500s)

The House by the Sea (journal)

The Light Between Oceans (Stedman)

Breakfast with Socrates (DDC challenge, 100s)

Changeless

[Robin M]

Hmm, this has piqued my interest, but do you need to read this series in any order?

 

No need. The sigma force novels are all standalone though involve same group of characters. I havent read in any certain order. The ones I have read are all good.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

No need. The sigma force novels are all standalone though involve same group of characters. I havent read in any certain order. The ones I have read are all good.

Good to know. I decided to start with his first book for now (Subterranean) but after that try one of the Sigma Force books

[Storm Bay]

This week I finished a very light read in a series I enjoy because it promotes classics to kids. Wish You Were Eyre The book club is reading Jane Eyre, of course, but there are also a few tie-ins to A Scarlet Letter which a couple of the girls in the book are also reading for school. I've started Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women as one of my Dewey Decimal challenge books. I found it when looking for a different book of hers I've used for research. I"m also still reading Les Mis.

 

This weeks book was Catcher in the Rye and I dislike it SO MUCH! But I'm almost done so I'm going to soldier through. Next week's book is Fehrenheit 451. I checked out C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity so that's on the list too.

 

fwiw worth, Ioathed Catcher in the Rye but liked Fahrenheit 451 in high school (both read just for fun). I still liked the latter book when I reread it again. I've also checked Mere Christianity out of the library but have started a couple of other books first; I"ve never read that one before.

] Flames Across the Border by Pierre Berton - a sequel to The American Invasion of Canada, it describes the Canadian portion of the War of 1812 from 1813 to the end. I still enjoyed Berton's prose (and am eager to read more of his works), but I felt this volume gave too much attention to the details of too many individual battles. TAIoC was a perfect balance of forest and trees, and this book didn't quite live up to that. ...but I highly recommend both books; they are a vivid portrayal of the events and personalities of this heartbreaking conflict that left so many dead on both sides, and shattered Native American hopes only to end with a treaty that, on paper, left everything as it was before the war began. (I must give a brief shout out to the quote on the title page: Falstaff's ruminations on honor. *squee*)

 

Okay, I'm nearly convinced to finally read Pierre Berton. My dad has read him for years & put him on his top 10 Canadian authors, but I've never even cracked open one of them.

 

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery Read this as a readaloud with my boys. They liked it just fine, but I swooned. Mourned when it was over. Sigh.

 

While I didn't swoon over the book (I've read the entire series as an adult, just a couple as a kid, but they're not all equally good) this is why all female cardinals on my back deck are called Cardelia (the males are all Ricardo as a salute to I Love Lucy, which I liked as a kid, and one of the episodes has a scene that is in my all time favourite comedy scenes--the one with Lucy & Harpo Marx. Having done a lot of theatre I've done the miror stuff they obviously had rehearsed even though you don't really rehearse it as an excercise.)

 

However, I'm the only one here who calls them Cardelia & Ricardo.

 

It will be a re-read for me, and one of my favorites. I don't really start despising the denizens of great literature for another century. Right now the only thing keeping me going through my forced read-aloud of Tale of Two Cities (which Middle Girl loves) is the unrealistic hope that, before the end of the book, Lucie Manette will go to the guillotine.

 

There are a few tiresome areas in this book, but the ending made the book for me, and what made it for me. I didn't hate Lucie the way you do, but she's not why the ending made the book for me.

 

I'm a little late today but check out the Jane Austen 200th anniversary Pride and Prejudice Readathon http://www.janeauste...ustenreadathon/

 

:ack2: All of this P&P talk is making me think I need to read it when I already have a growing pile!!!

[Mnemosyne]

Just read the No-Cry Sleep Solution, in an effort to get my son to sleep through the night without me having to get up almost hourly. We'll see how her suggestions work tonight... I foresee having to revisit this book throughout the week, however. ;)

 

4. The No-Cry Sleep Solution (Jan 29)

3. Redwall (Jan 23)

2. Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie (Jan 22)

1. The Four Hour Chef (Jan 1)

[jenangelcat]

I finished Mass Effect-Revelation last night. It was pretty good for a novel based on a video game. I'm not entirely surprised as most of the game is story via dialogue with a little bit of fighting thrown in. The book was a prequel and gave some nice back story about the game's universe. It's a standalone novel, you don't need to play the games first to understand it. The book is about an Alliance lieutenant who is trying to unravel the mystery of an attack on a top secret Alliance base. Not as much space opera as I'd like but it was still a fun read.

[Hoot]

Today I finished Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine, a book about the authors' trips to various locations in search of some of the most endangered species. My best friend in high school gave me this book before graduation and, I have to say that I loved it just as much a second time as I did the first. I don't typically re-read books but this one has been begging to be re-read for awhile now.

 

Next up is Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim.

 

Completed So Far

 

1. Best Friends by Samantha Glen

2. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien

3. The Gift of Pets: Stories Only a Vet Could Tell by Bruce Coston

4. Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess

5. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine

[WiseOwlKnits]

I'm reading Cutting for Stone. I won't finish this week. I'm already behind!!!

 

 

Oh, that is one of my favorite ever books!! Enjoy it!!!

[PollyOR]

Tears of joy! I finally finished The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. The title is misleading. The afterword actually explains the book's topic. Reading it was a like/hate relationship. So much good information about influenza and yet there was too much information. I appreciate how he explained scientific terms and processes for those of us not in the medical profession, but there was so much repetition throughout the book and that darn phrase "This was only influenza" inserted over and over again. < me pulling out my hair!>

 

Polly (who is almost giddy to be moving on to a different book) ;)

 

edited to add: You can read the "afterword" by using the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon.

[Stacia]

I finished The Twelve Rooms of the Nile by Enid Shomer. I'd give it 3.5 stars. Filled with lovely prose & luscious descriptions, "The Twelve Rooms of the Nile" is an intricately-researched historical fiction novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Shomer's detailed depictions of both Florence Nightingale & Gustave Flaubert, as well as her gorgeous descriptions of Egypt itself. Seemingly, quite a few people have enjoyed the sections about Nightingale more than the ones about Flaubert; I have the opposite opinion -- I enjoyed the parts about Flaubert & sometimes felt slightly vexed at Nightingale's intermittent whiny attitude. Shomer's writing is lovely & complex (at times more of an extended character sketch than much of a plot).... Recommended especially for lovers of historical fiction &/or Victorian-style travelogues in exotic locales.

[Angel]

I finished The Twelve Rooms of the Nile by Enid Shomer. I'd give it 3.5 stars. Filled with lovely prose & luscious descriptions, "The Twelve Rooms of the Nile" is an intricately-researched historical fiction novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Shomer's detailed depictions of both Florence Nightingale & Gustave Flaubert, as well as her gorgeous descriptions of Egypt itself. Seemingly, quite a few people have enjoyed the sections about Nightingale more than the ones about Flaubert; I have the opposite opinion -- I enjoyed the parts about Flaubert & sometimes felt slightly vexed at Nightingale's intermittent whiny attitude. Shomer's writing is lovely & complex (at times more of an extended character sketch than much of a plot).... Recommended especially for lovers of historical fiction &/or Victorian-style travelogues in exotic locales.

 

 

Stacia,

 

I can't get a good vibe from the reviews on whether or not this book is "R" or "PG-13." Love the premise, but no need to order if it's an "R." What do you think? Thanks!

[Stacia]

I can't get a good vibe from the reviews on whether or not this book is "R" or "PG-13." Love the premise, but no need to order if it's an "R." What do you think? Thanks!

 

Well, Flaubert was a regular visitor of prostitutes & that is covered in some detail in parts of the book. The Wikipedia entry for Flaubert says,

Flaubert was very open about his sexual activities with prostitutes in his writings on his travels.

As this book is seemingly well-researched &, at times, even uses direct quotes from letters & journals of both Nightingale & Flaubert, there is some straightforward writing of sex & sexual practices. To me, it came across as a typically European/French open attitude about sex vs. Nightingale's more repressed upbringing/limited knowledge of the topic.

 

Hard for me to rate it between PG-13 or R, but I'd probably lean a little more toward R.

[PaulainTx]

I've finished The Cloud Atlas by Liam Callahnan, (14) A Light Between Two Oceans by M. L. Stedman, (15) and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. (16) I loved Wolf Hall and was happy to find there is a sequel and our library actually has it!

[JennW in SoCal]

About 12 Rooms of the Nile...

 

Recommended especially for lovers of historical fiction &/or Victorian-style travelogues in exotic locales.

 

In that case it is going on my "to be read" list!

 

Stacia, have you ever read any of the works by Isabella Bird? She was the real thing -- a Victorian explorer and travel writer. Many of her works are free or cheap in the Kindle store, though I didn't see a Kindle version of the one book I remember reading by her, The Yangtze Valley and Beyond. In any case there are many of her books available, accounts of her visiting Hawaii and exploring Colorado when it first became a state.

 

I'm reading a book that might be of interest to those of you into sci-fi, steampunk and other kinds of pop culture. It is Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture, a mish mash book about Comic-Con and about the future business model of comic books and all related, multi-platform (games, movies, books, merchandise) spin offs. It is a perfect quick read if you simply want to vicariously visit Comic-Con. I'm undecided yet about the business side of the book.

[Angel]

Well, Flaubert was a regular visitor of prostitutes & that is covered in some detail in parts of the book. The Wikipedia entry for Flaubert says,

As this book is seemingly well-researched &, at times, even uses direct quotes from letters & journals of both Nightingale & Flaubert, there is some straightforward writing of sex & sexual practices. To me, it came across as a typically European/French open attitude about sex vs. Nightingale's more repressed upbringing/limited knowledge of the topic.

 

Hard for me to rate it between PG-13 or R, but I'd probably lean a little more toward R.

 

Thanks so much! I was hoping you were going to say PG- 13 :glare: Oh, well. Plenty of other good books out there. And it's not like I was going to pick it up right away, I was just trying to decide whether or not to add it to my list when I finish my Robert Jordan books.

[aggieamy]

 

Thanks so much! I was hoping you were going to say PG- 13 :glare: Oh, well. Plenty of other good books out there. And it's not like I was going to pick it up right away, I was just trying to decide whether or not to add it to my list when I finish my Robert Jordan books.

 

*sounds of Amy hurriedly reading* Angel - you haven't finished the second one yet have you? I'm at 85% and will probably finish today or tomorrow at this rate. Yay! I think the last half is going a lot faster than the first half.

 

DD and I finished Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady as a read aloud. It was okay. We have had some really amazing read alouds lately so I had high hopes for this one. It was a quick easy read but the plot was pretty predictable.

 

In Progress:

 

The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates (read aloud)

Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey) by Dorothy Sayers

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (audiobook)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

 

2013 finished books:

 

11. Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady (***)

10. Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin (**)

9. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (*****)

8. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (*****)

7. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (**)

6. Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry (****)

5. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (***)

4. The Unwritten by Mike Carey (****)

3. The Postmortal by Drew Magary (**)

2. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (*****)

1. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (***)

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

[Stacia]

Well, since we're in the midst of severe tornado weather & sirens going off, I'm skipping today's run to the library. In the meantime, I picked up one of dh's books that was here on the table: Lee Child's The Hard Way (part of the Jack Reacher series). I don't normally read this type of book, but I need something easy & mindless (going through a very stressful week here) & this looks like it will fit the bill....

 

From Publisher's Weekly:

Starred Review. In bestseller Child's 10th novel to feature ex-army MP Jack Reacher (after 2005's One Shot), a sidewalk cafe encounter in New York City plunges Reacher into one of his most challenging—and thoroughly engrossing—adventures to date. Acting out of "reflex and professional curiosity" (and the promise of a generous fee), Reacher agrees to help sinister ex-army officer Edward Lane, whose posse of six Special Forces veterans are even more ominous than he, track down his kidnapped daughter and trophy wife. Since the kidnapping of wife number one five years earlier ended in her death, Lane cautions Reacher that he will not brook police interference ("You break your word, I'll put your eyes out"). From Lane's quarters in the West Side's venerable Dakota apartment building to the shady sections of SoHo and Greenwich Village, the author's atmospheric descriptions make Manhattan a leading player, with menace lurking at every intersection. The inevitable showdown, on a farm outside a tiny English village, ranks as one of Child's most thrilling finales.

[aggieamy]

Well, since we're in the midst of severe tornado weather & sirens going off, I'm skipping today's run to the library. In the meantime, I picked up one of dh's books that was here on the table: Lee Child's The Hard Way (part of the Jack Reacher series). I don't normally read this type of book, but I need something easy & mindless (going through a very stressful week here) & this looks like it will fit the bill.... From Publisher's Weekly:

 

((HUGS)) Sorry about your hard week. Escape into a good book and avoid the tornados!

[Stacia]

Stacia, have you ever read any of the works by Isabella Bird? She was the real thing -- a Victorian explorer and travel writer. Many of her works are free or cheap in the Kindle store, though I didn't see a Kindle version of the one book I remember reading by her, The Yangtze Valley and Beyond. In any case there are many of her books available, accounts of her visiting Hawaii and exploring Colorado when it first became a state.

 

No, I haven't read any of her works, but thanks for the tip! I will definitely be checking her out...!

 

Thanks so much! I was hoping you were going to say PG- 13 :glare: Oh, well. Plenty of other good books out there. And it's not like I was going to pick it up right away, I was just trying to decide whether or not to add it to my list when I finish my Robert Jordan books.

 

The descriptions/text didn't bother me, but if you're quite sensitive to topics like that, I'd agree that skipping it might be the best course of action. Do you like historical fiction? If so, have you read Madame Tussaud, City of Thieves, and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress?

[Susan in TN]

This week's book comes courtesy of Mrs. Mungo - "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" by Douglas Adams. His opening description of airports was just what I needed :).

[Luckymama]

Goodreads tells me I've read 38 books so far this year :eek: I think 4 are novellas which I won't count. I've been feverish for 48 hours so have been reading almost constantly...when not asleep!

 

I hope I can copy in a list. Some things are difficult to do on an iPad.

[BigMamaBird]

After Catcher in the Rye I was starting to get a little wary of my 20th Century Lit. resolution, but then I read Fahrenheit 451 and discovered a new favorite author! I love Ray Bradbury! I'm so happy that I found something that I really enjoyed, I'm actually considering going out and buying a copy of this because it really spoke to me. The part about shucking the kids into school younger and younger so they could be molded into what the government wants easier really hit home.

 

Anyhow, I liked Bradbury so much I went out to the library and borrowed his The Illustrated Man. It's next on my list after Grapes of Wrath and Mere Christianity.

 

Books Finished

 

1 - All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren

2 - Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

3 - Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (Canadian Challenge Entry)

4 - Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

5 - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (my new author fixation!)

[Maus]

Completed:

Book #15 - "Friends, Lovers, Chocolate" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)

Book #14 - "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.)

 

 

Book #13 - "Portuguese Irregular Verbs" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, German character, German/Swiss/Italian/Ireland/Indian settings.)

Book #12 - "In Cold Pursuit" by Sarah Andrews. (Antarctica setting.)

Book #11 - "Anna Karenina" by Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy. (Russian; or WEM challenge.)

Book #10 - "The Sunday Philosophy Club" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.)

Book #9 - "The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #8 - "The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #7 - "The Double Comfort Safari Club" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #6 - " Tea Time for the Traditionally Built" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #5 - "Crime and Punishment" by Fydor Dostoevsky. (Russian; or WEM challenge.)

Book #4 - "The Miracle of Speedy Motors" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #3 - "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #2 - "Blue Shoes and Happiness" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

Book #1 - "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

[PollyOR]

Reading Great Expectations. Pip is off to London. :) This is my first time through the book though I think I have watched the 1998 film.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Jane in NC]

Finally caught back up on this thread! I've been out preparing for, undergoing, and now recouping from surgery. I thought being bed-bound for a few days would give me more time to read but it hasn't turned out that way so far.

Sending you best wishes for a quick recovery!

 

Jane

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Finished Mockingjay (my #7 book)

I am so glad I decided to read this series. It was NOT what I thought. I was a little worries because I had heard a lot of comments on disliking the end. Nothing I hate more then reading a good book/series and the end feels like the author rushed it or went in a direction that makes you go 'What the...!" I actually liked the ending in Mockingjay. It felt real, not all tied with a cute bow, and everyone lived happily ever after, type of ending, but one that seemed right.

[Angel]

*sounds of Amy hurriedly reading* Angel - you haven't finished the second one yet have you? I'm at 85% and will probably finish today or tomorrow at this rate. Yay! I think the last half is going a lot faster than the first half.

 

 

 

Did you finish?!?! I have NOT finished the second one yet. Closing in on 400 pages!! The second book hops along at a quicker pace since there is less set up of new characters. It picks up right where the first one ends. And your right, the second half of book one is a lot faster because you are really getting into the story.

 

Can't wait to hear what you think!

[tammyw]

I slipped in an easier read - Shooting Kabul. It fits in with my theme of historical non-fiction (though this one is fiction). It was really good actually. Now my dd9 is reading it, and after she finishes it, we will go through the "reading club" questions at the end of the book!

[Abeille]

I haven't had as much time for reading over the last couple of weeks, but my new books are:

 

9. The Unseen Guest (Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3) - Maryrose Wood My ds and I enjoyed this installment in the series just as much as the earlier ones. We'll be picking up #4 when it comes out in May, but it will be good to have a bit of a break until then.

8. Justice Hall - Laurie R. King (Mary Russell #6)

7.The Game - Laurie R. King (Mary Russell #7) I goofed and read the Mary Russell books out of order, but it didn't really matter. I enjoy how well the author captures the atmosphere of exotic places, without romanticizing them or glossing over uncomfortable details. I especially liked reading about a part of colonial India I'm not familiar with in The Game (the border provinces under near-absolute control of local princes). My only issue with these books (albeit a minor one) is the pacing; they all have a long, detailed buildup but then end very suddenly. All the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily, but the whirlwind of activity in the last quarter of the book always feels a bit jarring to me.

 

Current reads are:

Locked Rooms - Laurie R. King (Mary Russell #8) - barely into this, but it's good so far

Banquet for the Damned - Adam Nevill - I think this is supposed to be an atmospheric ghost story blended with an occult thriller, but I'm not enjoying it much so far. If it doesn't pick up and make me care sometime soon, it will be abandoned.

999: 29 Original Tales of Horror and Suspense - ed. Al Sarrantonio - I started this because I was stuck out of the house without a book (the horror!) and I remembered I had a few books in Google Books on my phone. Short stories seemed suited to reading while out and about. As with most short story collections, some are good and some are not so good. This collection seems a bit weighted towards pieces that I end up thinking "Huh? What was *that*?" at the end, which I find frustrating. However, there are some gems in here too, and so I persevere.

The Sea of Trolls - Nancy Farmer - The new read-aloud with ds, to go along with the Vikings in history. I vaguely remember reading this to my oldest, and enjoying it.

The Woman Who Married a Cloud: The Collected Short Stories of Jonathan Carroll - still plodding. I think by now this book qualifies as both a dusty and a chunky. I am determined to finish this book. Maybe this week!

 

Previously finished:

6. Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

5. The Hidden Gallery (Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #2) - Maryrose Wood

4. Bent Road - Lori Roy

3. Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

2. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit- Jeannette Winterson

1. A Cupboard Full of Coats - Yvette Edwards

 

Boo, the formatting on this post is terribly wonky. I've tried to fix it, but I'm giving up now. Someday I will have a nice, neat formatted list like the rest of you!

[Storm Bay]

So I started Pride & Prejudice last night, but got too sleepy to get in 100 pages (I wanted to read it in 3 days & it takes me about 6 hours.) I'm enjoying the first part better than I did last time and am reminded why this is one of my favourite novels despite the weak plot (it's basically the same as most genre romance, which is something I don't generally care for as much as I like love stories with happy endings.)

]Just read the No-Cry Sleep Solution, in an effort to get my son to sleep through the night without me having to get up almost hourly. We'll see how her suggestions work tonight... I foresee having to revisit this book throughout the week, however. ;)

So, what technique does she suggest? I was far to soft to be able to get any of my dc to sleep through the night prior to weaning except with ds who was nursed the longest and I had to start sleeping longer because I had another with night terrors & I was far too sleep deprived.

*sounds of Amy hurriedly reading*

 

:rofl: :rofl: I'm trying to figure out if those sounds are you reading aloud, turning pages or what :).

 

After Catcher in the Rye I was starting to get a little wary of my 20th Century Lit. resolution, but then I read Fahrenheit 451 and discovered a new favorite author! I love Ray Bradbury! I'm so happy that I found something that I really enjoyed, I'm actually considering going out and buying a copy of this because it really spoke to me. The part about shucking the kids into school younger and younger so they could be molded into what the government wants easier really hit home. Anyhow, I liked Bradbury so much I went out to the library and borrowed his The Illustrated Man. It's next on my list after Grapes of Wrath and Mere Christianity. Ray Bradbury (my new author fixation!)

 

I read most of Bradbury's books that were out by the time I was in high school (or came out during them???), and they're not all quite the same as Fahrenheit 451, so it will be interesting to see what you think of his other books. I've forgotten most of his books, but had always remembered about Fahrenheith 451 (but was surprised when I reread it a few years ago as I first read it in the 1970s, so some things hadn't come out yet, such as ear buds) and a couple of others.

 

I hate, hate, hated The Grapes of Wrath, so since we're 2 for 2 on these past two books, I'm interested to see how you like this one.

[aggieamy]

[/size] Did you finish?!?! I have NOT finished the second one yet. Closing in on 400 pages!! The second book hops along at a quicker pace since there is less set up of new characters. It picks up right where the first one ends. And your right, the second half of book one is a lot faster because you are really getting into the story. Can't wait to hear what you think!

 

FInished! I'm so proud of myself. It is my first finished Chunkster in awhile and I admit that had me a bit overwhelmed in the beginning. I enjoyed it. I liked the characters and my complaint that it was slow at the beginning changed at the end. It picked right up. Now I'm committed to reading the next one to see what happens next. Thanks for getting me started on this series, Angel.

 

I'm trying to figure out if those sounds are you reading aloud, turning pages or what :).

 

I was going to say page turning but it's more of a soft tapping as my finger hits the next page in my Kindle.

 

I woke up early this morning and couldn't sleep and finished another book too. Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey) by Dorothy Sayers – I read the first of this series last year and thought it was okay. I love Brit mysteries and everyone on here was such a fan of the series that I thought I’d give it another go. Liked this book much better than the first, maybe because I knew the characters already? Who knows! Now I’m hooked on the series though.

 

In Progress:

 

The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates (read aloud)

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (audiobook)

The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit

 

2013 finished books:

 

13. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy Sayers (****)

12. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (****)

11. Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady (***)

10. Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin (**)

9. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (*****)

8. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (*****)

7. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (**)

6. Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry (****)

5. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (***)

4. The Unwritten by Mike Carey (****)

3. The Postmortal by Drew Magary (**)

2. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (*****)

1. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (***)

 

Amy's Rating System:

 

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

**** - Very good

*** - Enjoyable but nothing special

** - Not recommended

* - Horrible

[Mnemosyne]

Just completed reading WTM (skimming through resources and such). It really helped expand my views on schooling (and not just at home) and helped me realize how bad my own education really was. I'll definitely be keeping this book around to act as a reference for a while.

 

5. The Well-Trained Mind (Jan 31)

4. The No-Cry Sleep Solution (Jan 29)

3. Redwall (Jan 23)

2. Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie (Jan 22)

1. The Four Hour Chef (Jan 1)

[PollyOR]

Finally caught back up on this thread! I've been out preparing for, undergoing, and now recouping from surgery. I thought being bed-bound for a few days would give me more time to read but it hasn't turned out that way so far.

 

 

Good to hear you are on the mend. :)

[Trillian]

I slipped in an easier read - Shooting Kabul. It fits in with my theme of historical non-fiction (though this one is fiction). It was really good actually. Now my dd9 is reading it, and after she finishes it, we will go through the "reading club" questions at the end of the book!

 

 

How was this? I own it, wanted DS to read but from the description, he thought it would be too intense. Real-life drama he avoids, fantasy and the like he's o.k. with. Just curious, I won't make him read it.

[Kareni]

Just finished the historical romance Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight by Grace Burrowes which I enjoyed.

 

Also reread most of Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega series which I highly recommend.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

FInished! I'm so proud of myself. It is my first finished Chunkster in awhile and I admit that had me a bit overwhelmed in the beginning. I enjoyed it. I liked the characters and my complaint that it was slow at the beginning changed at the end. It picked right up. Now I'm committed to reading the next one to see what happens next. Thanks for getting me started on this series, Angel.

 

 

:hurray:

 

There is no slow beginning with the next one. It starts right off! I have about 250 pages to go! I am glad you enjoyed it in the end!

[aggieamy]

[/size] :hurray: There is no slow beginning with the next one. It starts right off! I have about 250 pages to go! I am glad you enjoyed it in the end!

 

It's a new you! I like it.

 

I'm glad I stuck it out despite my fear of Chunksters. I've got a few books I have to finish for book club then I'm going to jump into the next book.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Stacia]

Finally caught back up on this thread! I've been out preparing for, undergoing, and now recouping from surgery. I thought being bed-bound for a few days would give me more time to read but it hasn't turned out that way so far.

 

:grouphug: Hope your recovery goes smoothly & quickly!

[Robin M]

Finally caught back up on this thread! I've been out preparing for, undergoing, and now recouping from surgery. I thought being bed-bound for a few days would give me more time to read but it hasn't turned out that way so far.

 

I did start on one of my dusty books, Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone . I am about 50 pages in and really enjoying it. I had expected Collins's writing to be a bit dense and long-winded like his buddy Charles Dickens, but that's not the case. The Moonstone is available for free download at BN, Amazon, and Gutenberg.org

 

 

*hugs* Hope you have a smooth recovery. You'll be back to reading in no time at all.

[Robin M]

[/size] :hurray: There is no slow beginning with the next one. It starts right off! I have about 250 pages to go! I am glad you enjoyed it in the end!

It's a new you! I like it. I'm glad I stuck it out despite my fear of Chunksters. I've got a few books I have to finish for book club then I'm going to jump into the next book.

 

I'll be ready to dive into # 3 The Dragon Reborn in the next week or so.