Book a Week in 2013 - week six

[Robin M]

Good morning, dear hearts! Today is the start of week 6 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. The link is below in my signature.

 

52 Books blog - Hallie Ephron: I'm a sucker for psychological suspense novels so when I read this description, I simply had to get Never Tell a Lie:

 

"Eight months pregnant and nervous about the future, Ivy Rose doesn't recognize the woman approaching her and husband David as they attempt to rid themselves of the decades worth of junk cluttering up their suburban home. The woman says she's Melinda White--their former high school classmate, now pregnant also--and asks if she might revisit the old Victorian house she recalls playing in as a child. David takes her inside. But Melinda never comes out. With her husband a suspect in the bizarre disappearance and probably murder of the near stranger he claims not to remember, Ivy must now dive into a deadly whirlpool of deceit, betrayal, and terrifying alternate histories in pursuit of a shocking trust--a truth that could destroy everything...."

 

Somehow the book got buried in my stacks and forgotten until William Morrow publishing sent an email asking if I wanted to review her latest book which is coming out in April -- There was an Old Woman which sounded equally intriguing. After reading an excerpt of the first chapter, I said, "Of course" which subsequently reminded me of the other book and off I went to look through the stacks to find Never Tell a Lie. Now you know what I'll be reading this week. *grin* The book has also been made into a movie called And Baby Will Fall and is showing on Lifetime network on February 8th. Sounds like a good time to do a Book to Movie comparison.

 

Check out Publisher Weekly's Best New Books for the Week of February 4, 2013 with several interesting books I'm adding to my wishlist including House of Earth by Woody Guthrie (posthumously and finished by Johnny Depp), an autobiography of sci fi author J.G. Ballard called Miracles of Life: Shanghai to Shepperton, as well as a couple historical fiction novels and Maurice Sendak's final work, My Brother's Book.

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 5

[Robin M]

I finished reading Diana Rowland's Sins of the Demon #3 in her demon series. Pouting because it ended in a cliffhanger and # 4 won't be out until the end of the year. Really hate that but guess I'll be rereading the series later in the year to catch up. Reading # 2 in Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - City of Ashes. Then I'll be starting Never Tell a Lie.

[PollyOR]

I liked The Eyre Affair so much I immediately borrowed Lost in a Good Book from the library. I decided I had better read Great Expectations first. I loved it! I've seen snippets of movies, so I thought it would be a depressing story about heartbreak. I had no idea the mystery and adventure that were also part of the story. The ending seemed a little too tidy. Maybe I'll search out the original ending and see which one I like best.

[Violet Crown]

This week I'm enjoying the evergreen Tom Jones. Free on the Kindle, which was nice since my old hardcover Everyman edition is big and heavy. Lots of hanging around in doctors' and dentists' offices this week, alas, with more to come in upcoming weeks, so the Kindle is my friend and escapist fiction, with occasional dips into Kempis' Imitation, is my sustenance.

 

I so love Fielding.

[TN Mama]

I just added Never Tell a Lie to by Want to Read list. Sounds good!

 

This morning I began book #8, Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio. Jio is a new to me author, that I've only discovered reading these book-a-week threads. The first two kept me up well past midnight to finish because I just could not put them down.

 

#1 - Worth the Weight (free on Kindle) - not my typical read

#2 - The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen - really enjoyed

#3 - The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand - ehh it was ok

#4 - The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott - loved!

#5 - Come to the Table - Neta Jackson - I've been reading these books dating back to the beginning of the Yada Yada Prayer Group. I really like the story lines/characters.

#6 - The Bungalow by Sarah Jio - loved!

#7 - Confessions of a Prairie B*tch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim

#8 - The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

[Just Robyn]

Didn't get much reading done the past several days. I'm still working on The Story of the Stone and The Power of Half. Won't get much reading done today either. Dh and I have a movie day planned which started with my desire to watch Bram Stoker's Dracula while eating garlic bread and drinking tomato juice.

[Ali in OR]

Didn't finish anything this week but can't resist the chance to get in on this thread early! Currently reading ChiRunning while I walk on the treadmill to try to learn how to run in such a way as to not get plantar fasciitis ever again. Also reading Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises--our March bookclub pick.

[Mothersweets]

Prairie Tale: A Memoir by Melissa Gilbert. I read Nellie's book - Confessions of a Prairie Bi**h, a year or two ago so when I saw this at the library I picked it up. Yep, it's true...Mary is the true Prairie Bi**ch here, lol. She actually doesn't go that deep into her Little House days; this covers her entire life. Apparently she had some heavy-hitters in the entertainment industry for relatives and I'm sure that is what helped her get started in the business.

 

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden. Yes, another Regency novel. and yes, this one is as silly as the rest. I did appreciate how the author obviously knows about the time period and how the Royal Navy worked. I gave it two stars on my Goodreads page.

 

Still working on Brave Companionsby David McCullough.

[Onceuponatime]

I just finished The Night Circus. It was very good, if you don't get lost with all the scene/time changes. A magical book. :-)

 

I've just got one little bit left in Excavating Jesus. Yay!

[Diann]

I finished Love and War and started on Heaven and Hell by John Jakes.

 

Diann

[prairiegirl]

I read 'Joseph Anton' by Salman Rushdie this past week. This is Rushdie's memoir of the time when the Ayotollah Khomeini put a death sentence on Rushdie due to his book The Satanic Verses. It was a good book, though, at times it did get slogged down with name dropping. I am now on Book #10--Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer.

[SunnyDays]

Robin, Never Tell a Lie looks interesting!! Might have to try that one out. :)

 

This week I read These Things Hidden, by Heather Gudenkauf. Total books read for January: 11

 

Still working on Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, and we'll see what else pops up this week!!

[Jane in NC]

This week I'm enjoying the evergreen Tom Jones. Free on the Kindle, which was nice since my old hardcover Everyman edition is big and heavy. Lots of hanging around in doctors' and dentists' offices this week, alas, with more to come in upcoming weeks, so the Kindle is my friend and escapist fiction, with occasional dips into Kempis' Imitation, is my sustenance.

 

I so love Fielding.

 

I suppose that I could give it a try on the Kindle but I am reading the Heritage Press edition of Tom Jones with its magnificent illustrations by T.M.Cleland.

 

I too love Fielding and am especially enjoying the commentaries that begin each book.

 

Still working on Tom Jones and Benfey's lovely memoir Red Brick, Black Mountain, White Clay. The latter is a treat for those interested in pottery; the Albers, Bauhaus and Black Mountain; or meditations on art. As one who never quite understood the deep lines some have drawn between art and craft, I particularly enjoy reading about something I love dearly: NC mud, i.e. clay.

 

I spent much of yesterday as a visitor in a glass artisan's studio where I learned a great deal about the chemistry, physics and art of glass blowing. Benfey's meditations on the role of art in community strike me as particularly relevant.

[Kareni]

I finished Shades of Gray: A KGI Novel by Maya Banks at o'dark thirty this morning. I've read and enjoyed others in this romantic suspense series, and I found this one a good read, too. This book does contain violence and a rape, so be warned.

 

"P.J. and Cole were sharpshooting rivals on the same KGI team and enjoyed a spirited, uncomplicated camaraderie. Until the night they gave in to their desires and suddenly took their relationship one step further. In the aftermath of their one-night stand, they’re called out on a mission that goes terribly wrong, and P.J. walks away from KGI, resolved not to drag her teammates into the murky shadows she’s poised to delve into.

 

Six months later, Cole hasn’t given up his search for P.J., and he’s determined to bring her back home where she belongs. Bent on vengeance, P.J. has plunged into a serpentine game of payback that will make her question everything she’s ever believed in. But Cole—and the rest of their team—refuse to let her go it alone. Even if it means sacrificing their loyalty to KGI, and their lives…"

 

I also bought and read my own copy (it's just out in paperback) of Patricia Briggs' Fair Game. It was a reread for me, and I recommend it. It's the latest in the Alpha and Omega series.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I finished to books last week: book 5 - The Black Cauldron by Alexander (reviewed here) and book 6 - Children of the New Forest by Marryat (reviewed here). Both were excellent.

 

Ongoing

One Year Bible

Oliver Twist by Dickens

Glittering Images by Howatch

 

Finished

6; Children of the New Forest by Marryat

5. The Black Cauldron by Alexander

4. Anne of Avonlea by Montgomery

3. Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery

2. Talking Money by Chatzky

1. Pride and Prejudice by Austen

[Kim in Appalachia]

I just finished Tehanu, by Ursala Le Guin. That is the 4th in the EarthSea series. I am still in love with the series and the writer. The books are not page turners in the traditional sense but instead you can't put them down because you don't want to leave the world she created. There are 2 more in the series, but I still have to get them.

 

I just got a book that I had on hold from the library for my Kindle. It's Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. I thought I would try it out. I have no idea what to expect. I think I'll have a hard time pulling my mind and heart away from Earthsea.

[Stacia]

I'm still working on The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. It was written in 1958 & has been republished a couple of times. It's an amusing, full-of-life, bohemian, modern-day (circa 1958) picaresque novel of Sally Jay, a young American living, loving, and frolicking in Paris.

 

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

My Goodreads Page

My PaperbackSwap Page

Working on Robin's Dusty &/or Chunky Book Challenge.

Working on Robin's Continental Challenge.

Working on LostSurprise's Dewey Decimal Challenge. Complete Dewey Decimal Classification List here.

 

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)...

 

2013 Books Read:

01. Women of the Klondike by Frances Backhouse (3 stars). Challenges: Dusty; Continental/North America; Dewey Decimal/900s.

02. Equator by Miguel Sousa Tavares (3 stars). Challenges: Dusty, Continental/Europe; Africa.

03. UFOs, JFK, & Elvis by Richard Belzer (2 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal/000s.

04. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (4 stars). Challenge: Continental/North America.

05. The Twelve Rooms of the Nile by Enid Shomer (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental/Africa.

06. The Hard Way by Lee Child (2 stars).

[Kim in Appalachia]

I just finished The Night Circus. It was very good, if you don't get lost with all the scene/time changes. A magical book. :-)

 

I've just got one little bit left in Excavating Jesus. Yay!

 

 

Night Circus was magical. I enjoyed it. I heard someone wants to make it into a movie, but I don't think they will be able to pull it of. But the book is a lovely place to lose yourself in.

[Elinor Everywhere]

This week a slower reading week for me, as it was busy with kid stuff, my mom's birthday, and my mom's birthday present I got her - the most adorable little kitten named Junior Mint!

 

So, I haven't finished anything since my post mid-last week, but here's my current:

 

 

The Iliad (Robert Fagles translation)

Worship Without Words: The Signs & Symbols of our Faith, by Patricia S. Klein - I'm almost done with this one, and it's a book I'll keep on the shelf for reference when things pop up throughout the liturgical year that I don't understand

Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey series), by Dorothy L. Sayers - not loving this, but willing to give Lord Peter a few more books afterwards to see if he catches on with me

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley - audiobook, which I rarely make the time to listen to! Sigh. I'm really struggling with the audio-book genre, but I've made it to chapter 3. I'm only listening while I walk the dog, but sometimes I walk with a friend/family member and then I don't get to listen at all. I'm determined to increase my attention span to auditory learning, so I will not give up!!

 

 

Here's what I've finished:

1. South to Alaska, by Nancy Owens Barnes

2. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, by the Countess of Carnarvon

3. My Dear Charlotte, by Hazel Holt

4. Perfect Health Diet, by Paul Jaminet

5. The Mousetrap, by Ruth Hanka Eigner

6. Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, & Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand

7. Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God, by Swami Prabhavananda

8. Agincourt: A Novel, by Bernard Cornwell

9. Big Backpack - Little World, by Donna Morang

10. Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf, by David Madsen

[eaglei]

I am so impressed with all the books that have been posted - deep reading by so many. Not so with me - still reading for escape and for pleasure!

 

I never did post last week, so this post covers last week and this week.

 

I finished these:

 

#4 - The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared, by Alice Ozma. This wasn't what I expected, though I'd be hard-pressed to define just what it was I expected . . . It seemed more like vignettes. It wasn't bad, though, and I enjoyed it. Some of the stories that reflect her amazing dad's dedication to the promise are very touching. I particularly found myself taken with the closing chapters, where Alice writes about her father's then-current life choices, and even got all choked-up and weepy with one of the stories - both in reading it and in retelling it to dh.

 

#5 - Earl Hamner: From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow: A Biography, by James E. Person, Jr. I have been wanting to read this biography for six or seven years now. I was somewhat disappointed. The author wrote the story of Hamner's life more like a research paper; much of the book includes comparisons of Earls' work with other book authors/script writers. Nonetheless, I think the *man* does come through. He is probably a little- or perhaps, under-appreciated writer of both books and scripts, but remains a humble person with surprising influence.

 

#6 - So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading, by Sara Nelson. This book was shelved next to Alice Ozma's book and caught my attention because of the title - something I myself have often said (and I suspect every book-lover has said it, too)! It was quick reading but a waste of time, imho. From the jacket and preface, it appeared that she was attempting to show how the books she read each week for a year juxtaposed with her actual life, and, how books tend to *choose* people, rather than the other way around. I think she failed at both premises, but with scant more success with the former - however, only in terms of her history, not that current week. Also, I recognized only a few of the books she highlighted within the text. Many of her choices would simply not be mine, which would have been okay had she succeeded (in my view) with her intentions.

 

Currently reading:

 

#7 - Breathing Lessons, by Anne Tyler. Being disappointed with the last two books and lacking in time, I decided to grab a book off the library shelf by this *go-to* author. I only learned about Tyler last year (here on these book threads), and I'm glad I did. This book is fast-reading, a page-turner and, as with the other of her books I've read, Anne has a genuine way of catching relationship nuances just right. I'm more than halfway through and I just started it last night! I'm hoping for a chunk of time later today - I can probably finish it!

 

Waiting in the wings is the Mitch Albom book, The Time Keeper.

[Outdoorsy Type]

Last week I finished Perelandra by C.S. Lewis. It was thought provoking at times, and I enjoyed it. The funny thing is that the antagonist in the book, the "unman", reminded me of Randal Flagg from Stephen King's The Stand. The basic good vs. evil storyline is similar too, although everything else is completely unrelated between the two books.

 

I'm now on to the last of The Space Trilogy, That Hideous Strength by Lewis. I'm also wrapping up the last two chapters of The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe by Lewis as a read aloud.

 

My books this far:

1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

2. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

3. Out Of The Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis

4. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis

 

 

Reading

 

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

That Hideous Strength.

 

I hope to be "caught up" this week. :)

[Parrothead]

I don't know if these count. I don't have time for pleasure reading. All of my time is taken up in read text books. I'm currently reading Miller-Levine Biology, SWB's The History of the Ancient World and The Well Educated Mind. I'm also reading A Cultural Landscape.

[rwjx2khsmj]

The only books I finished this week were our two read alouds: The Life and Poetry of W.B. Yeats and Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.

 

On my own I'm reading The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.

[Soror]

Still behind but not giving up. Still haven't made it to the library due to illness, the kids and then my own. I hope we are now all on the mend for the rest of winter!

[Robin M]

The things you do for love. Our wonderful neighbors love to put off sirens and firecrackers when ever the 49ers get a touchdown. This drives my sensory sensitive aspie son absolutely up the wall crazy. So, we are heading out to the comic book store, then Barnes and Noble and the mall. Yes, I'm breaking my buying ban all in the name of love of course. So many good books on my wishlist. Which ones shall I get?

[Trillian]

I liked The Eyre Affair so much I immediately borrowed Lost in a Good Book from the library. I decided I had better read Great Expectations first. I loved it! I've seen snippets of movies, so I thought it would be a depressing story about heartbreak. I had no idea the mystery and adventure that were also part of the story. The ending seemed a little too tidy. Maybe I'll search out the original ending and see which one I like best.

 

I'm in the midst of Great Expectations for the same reasons; I can't say I'm loving it. I read Pride and Prejudice last week because my book club chose Death Comes to Pemberley for this month (I just started it). I feel like between Austen and Dickens it's a lot of didactic reading for me this month, well written, but moralistic.

 

Also in progress are two read alouds, Fellowship of the Rings and Bomb: the Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Deadliest Weapon.

 

I'm also reading Physics and Engineering for Future Presidents.

[KRG]

I just finished Becoming Sister Wives. I'm not sure what I am going to read next. I've downloaded quite a bit on the Kindle and need to see what I have on there now.

[ChrisB]

Pluggin' along....

 

Completed:

 

1. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, The Countess of Carnarvon

2. Heart of Stone, Jill Marie Landis

3. Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

4. A Love Surrendered, Julie Lessman

5. The Baker Street Letters, Micheal Robertson

6. Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery

[Lynnae]

I'm actually finishing one book a week! That's a record for me. My goal was 26 books this year, so I'm doing well. This week I finished Sent by Hilary Alan and Captive Heart by Dale Cramer (my first fiction read of the year).

 

Currently I'm reading

• Getting Things Done by David Allan
  
• Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer
  
• Loving God With All Your Mind by Elizabeth George (that's for a Bible study, so it's slow going)
  

Completed this year

• Etched...Upon My Heart by Jill Kelly
  
• Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman
  
• The 5 Money Personalities by Scott & Bethany Palmer
  
• Sent by Hilary Alan
  
• Captive Heart by Dale Cramer
  

[AllSmiles]

I liked The Eyre Affair so much I immediately borrowed Lost in a Good Book from the library. I decided I had better read Great Expectations first. I loved it! I've seen snippets of movies, so I thought it would be a depressing story about heartbreak. I had no idea the mystery and adventure that were also part of the story. The ending seemed a little too tidy. Maybe I'll search out the original ending and see which one I like best.

So are all of his books based on a classic?

[BigMamaBird]

I'm most of the way through Grapes of Wrath. I feel kind of bad saying it because it's so bleak and sad, but I'm really enjoying this book. It's like "hopelessness, hopelessness, hopelessness, crystal clear slice of life, hopelessness, etc."

 

I just love Ma Joad. There was a bit about her early on where it described her as "the citadel of the family." I'll never experience a fraction of the heartbreak she did, but she was this pillar of strength that glued the family together. She's a character I can really look up to.

 

I'm glad I'm reading this one. I can see so many cultural references which are made, based on this book.

 

Books completed

 

1 - All the King's Men

2 - A Stranger in a Strange Land

3 - A Handmaid's Tale

4 - Catcher in the Rye

5 - Fahrenheit 451

[zillymom]

I just finished my first "real" book in Italian in a loooooong time, Il grande albero by Susanna Tamaro. It was such a sweet story. The publisher relates its charm to that of The Little Prince, and I have to say, I agree! I know some of you are, or have kids who are, studying Italian - if you're at a solid intermediate level or above, you'd be fine reading this book.

 

Today I'm starting an advance copy of French Twist: An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting by Catherine Crawford.

 

12. Il grande albero by Susanna Tamaro

11. Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin

10. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

9. Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood

8. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis

7. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

6. What My Mother Gave Me by Elizabeth Benedict

5. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

4. S is for Space by Ray Bradbury

3. The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Alfred J. Church

2. Imperfect Harmony: Singing Through Life's Sharps and Flats by Stacy Horn

1. Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything by Laura Grace Weldon

[SJ.]

I finished three books last week, one was an audiobook.

 

The first (audio)book was Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer. It translated well into the audiobook format and kept me engaged in the story, five stars. It was a happy coincidence that a book I picked up at the library was the sequel (and my 2nd book for the week), The Fifth Assassin. I found it an easy read, engaging, and a great sequel - 5 stars.

 

The third book I finished was Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini. I don't normally gravitate towards historical fiction and I think that is why I gave it 3 stars. I am curious what others who enjoy historical fiction would rate it. It wasn't as engaging as a drama or thriller but I feel like I finished it in a reasonable amount of time. It left me wanting to read more about the main character, Elizabeth Keckley. Perhaps I will read her memoir sometime this year,

Behind the Scenes in the Lincoln White House: Memoirs of an African-American Seamstress.

 

 

I have decided to dedicate the beginning of this month to Dickens, as suggested by Robin. I think I am going to start with A Tale of Two Cities but I also have Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and Our Mutual Friend on my shelves. For a moment I thought I would just dedicate the entire month to Dickens, but we'll see.

 

Happy reading everyone! :)

[Lizzie in Ma]

Really wasn't ready to start anything new after finishing the fantastic Allie Beckstrom series. Rereading Bill Bryson's I'm a Stranger Here Myself. An old and beloved favorite.

[Murmer]

Finished: The Road to Memphis by Mildred Taylor

 

Currently Working On:

Downstairs: West With the Night by Beryl Markham

Upstairs: No Phule Like an Old Phule by Robert Aspirin

Kindle: Forever More by Kathy Hake

IPhone: Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Sweet Boy Read Aloud: The Yellow Fairy Book

Angel Girl Read Aloud: The Wind In The Willows

WTM: Don Quixote

IPad: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock (for Canada)

 

Total Finished in 2013: 10

[WiseOwlKnits]

I've read:

 

Oryx and Crake

Dragon House

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Wilder Life

 

And this week I finished The Light House. It was a great read. Thanks to whoever posted about it before!

 

This week I'm reading Birthmarked, another reccommendation I got from this group!

[Rose in BC]

Week one: The Father's Tale, Michael O'Brien

Week two: 30 Days to Social Media by Gail Z Martin (professional development)

Week three: Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

Week four: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Week five: Collaboration Handbook, by Winer & Ray (reading it for professional develpment ).

 

Week six: Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

[mumto2]

Well I read several books this week because of travel. I enjoyed most of them but my favorite was my one semi serious book "Judgement Call" by J.A. Jance. It was with one of her continuing characters Sheriff Joanna Brady. My favorite series by this author is the J.P. Beaumont mysteries.

 

I just started "The Light Between the Oceans" by M.L.Steadman. I also picked up the remaining Iron Druid books at the library this afternoon!

 

Completed this week:

 

10) My Dear Charlotte by Hazel Holt

11) The Innocent Witness by Terri Reed

12) Undercover Pursuit by Susan May Warren

13) Protecting Her Own by Margaret Daley

14) Out of Time by Shirlee McCoy

15) Her Reason to Stay by Anna Adams

16) No Matter What by Janice Kay Johnson

17) Navy Rules by Geri Krotow

18) Anything for Her by Janice Kay Johnson

19) Hidden Agenda by Kara Lenox

20) Judgement Call by J.A. Jance

[mumto2]

I hope it is OK to post Dd's books too. When she found out about this group she wanted to join too. So far this year she has read:

 

1) Gaudy Night by Dorthy Sayers

2) The Last Dragon Slayer by Jasper Fforde

3) The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde

4) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Canada challenge)

5) Beauty and the Beast by Jenni James

6) Sleeping Beaty by Jenni James

7) The Hollow Bettle by Susannah Appelbaum

8) Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon

9) Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

 

Currently reading Oliver Twist for the Dickens challenge.

[laughing lioness]

Am reading Lavinia by LeGuin. It is beautiful and as a result I have forgiven her for The Wizard of Earthsea. She writes like L'Engle and Sayers, classically trained and from a different era.

It's about this Lavinia: "Roman mythology, Lavinia is the daughter of Latinus and Amata and the last wife of Aeneas.This is Aeneas from the Trojan War, who arrives with a large body of Trojans."

My 2 youngest are memorizing Horatius at the Bridge and this story feels so familiar because of Horatius. It also has the feel that the mythical and the real do dwell side-by-side.

[ladydusk]

I finished Sally S Wright's Watches of the Night last night. I really enjoyed it. I'm sad there's only one more Ben Reese book to read! This one focused on themes of seeing rightly, I thought, and talked more about that in my review.

 

Book Reviews

 

1. The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great by Benjamin Merkle

2. Publish and Perish by Sally S Wright

3. Pride and Predator by Sally S Wright

4. Pursuit and Persuasion by Sally S Wright

5. Out of the Ruins by Sally S Wright

6. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

7. Watches of the Night by Sally S Wright

[Lisa in SC]

This week I finished I Saw the Angel in the Marble and The House at Pooh Corner (which was simply delightful, and I hadn't read it in ages). I don't know what this week will bring. I need to visit the library tomorrow and also take a look at my unread books at home. So, for 2013, I've finished:

 

6. The House at Pooh Corner

5. I Saw the Angel in the Marble

4. We Need to Talk About Kevin

3. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

2. Enough

1. Kisses from Katie

[mlbuchina]

I didn't finish anything this past week. I haven't been in the reading mood, really, and I don't like it.

 

I started The New Atkins for a New You, and am almost finished with it. I also downloaded A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows and started it. I love it, and I am barely into it. I just love anything to do with the Outlander series. Well, almost anything. I haven't liked the Lord John novels.

 

So this is how it is shaping up:

 

6. The New Atkins for a New You ~ reading

5. A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows

4. Liberty and Tyranny

3. Corelli's Mandolin

2. The Neverending Story

1. The Hobbit

[Robin M]

Back from our shopping trip - thanks to you guys I picked up The Left Hand of Darkness, Moonwalking for Einstein, Still Life, and The Hot Zone.

[mlbuchina]

OK, I just finished A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows ( :crying: ), and I seriously cannot wait for Written in my Heart's Own Blood to come out sometime this year. That is all.

[Stacia]

I simply had to get Never Tell a Lie:

 

Sounds scary & creepy! <shudder>

 

Dh and I have a movie day planned which started with my desire to watch Bram Stoker's Dracula while eating garlic bread and drinking tomato juice.

 

:D

 

I just finished The Night Circus. It was very good, if you don't get lost with all the scene/time changes. A magical book. :-)

 

I agree -- magical book! Loved it!

 

I read 'Joseph Anton' by Salman Rushdie this past week. This is Rushdie's memoir of the time when the Ayotollah Khomeini put a death sentence on Rushdie due to his book The Satanic Verses. It was a good book, though, at times it did get slogged down with name dropping.

 

I would like to read this. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

I spent much of yesterday as a visitor in a glass artisan's studio where I learned a great deal about the chemistry, physics and art of glass blowing. Benfey's meditations on the role of art in community strike me as particularly relevant.

 

Sounds awesome!

 

With Fate Conspire by Marie Brennan: final book in the Onyx court series with the faerie world below London. This one is set in the Victorian era and is, like the others, brilliantly researched, and enticingly written, I was, once again, drawn bit by bit into the story and the characters, until I was breathless, with tears in my eyes at the climax. I won't quibble about the imperfections... and I am very, very eager for the release of her newest book (coming out this week):

 

Sounds like a neat series. I will have to check it out....

 

I just finished my first "real" book in Italian in a loooooong time, Il grande albero by Susanna Tamaro. It was such a sweet story. The publisher relates its charm to that of The Little Prince, and I have to say, I agree! I know some of you are, or have kids who are, studying Italian - if you're at a solid intermediate level or above, you'd be fine reading this book.

 

I wish I knew Italian! Sounds like a lovely book & I'd love to read Italian....

 

The third book I finished was Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini. I don't normally gravitate towards historical fiction and I think that is why I gave it 3 stars. I am curious what others who enjoy historical fiction would rate it. It wasn't as engaging as a drama or thriller but I feel like I finished it in a reasonable amount of time. It left me wanting to read more about the main character, Elizabeth Keckley. Perhaps I will read her memoir sometime this year,

Behind the Scenes in the Lincoln White House: Memoirs of an African-American Seamstress.

 

I just saw this book a day or two ago. Could be interesting..... (I enjoy historical fiction.)

 

Week six: Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

 

Please post what you think of this when you're finished w/ it. I've always heard great things about it....

 

Back from our shopping trip - thanks to you guys I picked up The Left Hand of Darkness, Moonwalking for Einstein, Still Life, and The Hot Zone.

 

Glad you had a productive trip. ;) :lol: Did it keep your ds happy too?

[Rosie_0801]

Year of Impossible Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi. This covered the end of the Japanese invasion of Korea, and the beginning of North Korea.

[Negin]

Year of Impossible Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi. This covered the end of the Japanese invasion of Korea, and the beginning of North Korea.

 

Rosie, this sounds interesting.

 

My reading has been very slow. When we went to the vet's the other month, I met a nice lady who lived near the late Daphne du Maurier/her museum or whatever. I was reading Rebecca at the time. She left me a bunch of books to read. So now I'm reading my first book by P.D. James - Death in Holy Orders.

 

[Heather in Neverland]

Started Reading:

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800)

 

Still Reading:

Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100)

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters by Albert Mohler (American author, DD class 300)

The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200)

 

Finished:

6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800)

5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800)

4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600)

3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800)

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800)

1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

 

[Paisley Hedgehog]

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