Mnemosyne Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Finally caught up! Finished some books that had been half finished for a while, and made sure to carve out time to actually read and relax for a while! 2013 13. The Second Treatise of Government (Mar 27) - Not a lot of pages, but it was a tough read, even having read a synopsis before starting. The author has a way of writing that is difficult to understand - the punctuation kept messing me up and forcing me to reread sections. I didn't really enjoy the book, and I feel like he kept repeating himself over and over on a couple topics. However, it was a valuable glimpse into history and how people thought back then. 12. Raising Musical Kids (Mar 26) - I really liked this book, even though a lot of it applies more to kids that will be in the public school system rather than homeschooled. The author has some great insights on creating a musical home environment and making music a joy in a kid's life rather than just another chore. I highly recommend it. 11. The Well-Educated Mind (Mar 25) - I enjoyed this book, but I feel like the amount of writing and thinking the author wants you to do for each book is a little... too much... for each book. I can see the value for it in some more difficult books (such as Second Treatise), though. I am not currently planning on doing one of the book lists right away, but maybe a little later in the year, after the baby is born and things settle down a little. I am most interested in the biographies and history sections. I would definitely add some books and get rid of others, though. 10. Common Sense (Mar 18) 9. James Potter and the Vault of Destinies (Mar 18) 8. James Potter and the Curse of the Gate Keeper (Mar 15) 7. James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing (Mar 15) 6. The Power of Concentration (Mar 13) 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Looks like I'm going to have to go and "ignore" a bunch of people who I disagree with vehemently. *Looking at you gals who hate The Great Gatsby* Maybe we can just agree to disagree about that book. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 And Jennifer Estep's newest in the Gin Blanco Elemental Assassin series just released as well. I've only read the first Black Dagger Brotherhood book but have the 2nd one in my stacks. The 4th book in her fallen angels series is out - Rapture - which I just downloaded. Yeah! Haven't read anything by Cole yet. But Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series intrigues me so just downloaded Skinwalker as well. Thanks. I forgot about Deadly Sting (Elemental Assassin). Thanks for the reminder, I just downloaded it. I started Rapture but put it aside temporarily, I'm not sure about giving Matthias a second chance. This might be a hard sell for me. I'm also having a little bit harder time with Lover at Last. I have to keep myself from skipping over sections and I keep putting it down. J.R. Ward's books don't usually last more than a day and this one auto downloaded on Tuesday. I read Wicked Lies: A Dark Mission Novella Tuesday morning while the kids had swim lessons, so maybe it's just that it's the second book this week that the author has moved to a M/M relationship. Anyway, I'm only 70% done. Twice Tempted was good. It is the continuation of Leila and Vlad's story. I've always liked Vlad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 The last chapter in the list 131 sends you to 58 which sends you back to 131 Ok, I went back & read those two chapters (but I stopped after that instead of continuing the endless loop). They probably made as much sense to me (w/ having skipped all the chapters I hadn't read yet as if I had read them in conjunction w/ all the chapters. :tongue_smilie: ) I mean, I love quirky, avant-garde books, but this one left me :confused1: much of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Also, I've started another South American book: A Funny Dirty Little War by Osvaldo Soriano. I found his name because the last South American book I read (The Tenth Circle by Mempo Giardinelli) had Soriano listed in the dedication. When I looked up Soriano, one of the tidbits on Wikipedia was: Shortly after the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional coup d'etat in Argentina in 1976, he moved to Brussels first (where he met his wife Catherine), and then to Paris, where he lived in exile until 1984. While in France he befriended Julio Cortázar, with whom he founded the short-lived experience of the monthly magazine Sin censura. (Cortazar is the author of Hopscotch.) Anyway, A Funny Dirty Little War is described as: In this political satire of postwar Argentina, a group of village officials, ordered by their city bosses to find "infiltrators," brands the council leader and the local tax collector "Marxist-Communists" and sets out to arrest them. The two falsely accused men put up a fight, leading quickly to a siege of city hall, shootings, assassinations, arson, bombings. In a day, much of the village is destroyed in a spurious fight between people who all consider themselves followers of Peron. (Typically, a series of hostile notes between the two sides ends with the same phrase, "Peron or Death!") Reminiscent of works by Kurt Vonnegut and Vladimir Voinovich, this farce mirrors Argentina's self-destruction over the last three decades. Although written in 1980, it was published in that country only after the fall of the military junta in 1983. http://www.amazon.com/Funny-Dirty-Little-Osvaldo-Soriano/dp/0930523180/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364500099&sr=1-1&keywords=a+funny+dirty+little+war Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I just finished a book that I found very enjoyable. Addition by Toni Jordan From Publishers Weekly "Grace Lisa Vandenburg, the narrator of this pleasant neurotic-girl-meets-boy debut, is 35 years old and has been addicted to counting since she was eight. She lives alone in Melbourne, Australia, and is on sick leave from her teaching job, filling her weeks with counting—steps and syllables and bites and things—and sticking to her rigid routines, which include trips to the cafe and phone calls from her mother and self-absorbed younger sister. The only person in her life Grace relates to is her 10-year-old niece, Hilary, who is as quirky and charming as Grace is. Things are fine until Grace meets Seamus Joseph O'Reilly, an Irish transplant who works at the local movie theater. Grace has not been on a date in two years and six months and hasn't been in love in forever, but as things progress with Seamus, she realizes what she has been missing. With some gentle encouragement, Grace agrees to test her boundaries and tries to find a happy medium between her obsession and living a full life. The novel does everything a sweet, agreeable romantic comedy should. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title." Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Jumping in to say Hey! and to say I finally finished book 4 of The Wheel of Time series, The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan. Five enthusiastic stars! This book starts with a bang and doesn't stop. Jordan really digs deeper into the characters in this book and takes us for a ride to the farthest edges of his magical world. I won't say much else since a couple of you will eventually be getting to them. This is my favorite book so far, though. I was at the bookstore today, dd talked me into going, and I had my hands on the final book (#14). I am so anxious to get there!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I just finished a book that I found very enjoyable. Addition by Toni Jordan Regards, Kareni Thanks for the book recommendation! I just downloaded the book. It sounds like a light fun read and boy, do I need something like that right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 About those books I posted upthread... Number of books read in 2013: 24 Complete list of books read in 2013 can be found here. Number of books read since last "reading life review" post: 4 _____________________________ â– Measure for Measure (William Shakespeare (1603); Folger ed. 2005. 288 pages. Drama.) With the Misses, in anticipation of the Goodman Theatre production. (Reviews here and here.) I purchased the tickets the day they went on sale. Alas, the "Intended for mature audiences" note was appended to the to the play description some time after my purchase. While the Misses are certainly mature, you can't un-see what folks are saying is quite the spectacle, so it looks as if I'm going alone. We have ordered the BBC film from the library, though. â– Wave (Sonali Deraniyagala; 2013. 240 pages. Memoir.) From the horror of Deraniyagala's loss to the brutal honesty with which she describes her grief journey, this was a difficult but worthwhile read. Recommended. â– The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death (Jean-Dominique Bauby; 1998. 131 pages. Autobiography.) Teresi mentions Bauby in his book, and as this memoir had been sitting of the shelves forever, it seemed as good as time as any to read it. Intelligent, beautiful, and haunting. Highly recommended. â– The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers (Dick Teresi; 2012. 368 pages. Non-fiction.) An article in the May 2012 issue of Discover sent me in search of this book, which, by turns, horrified and fascinated me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Jumping in to say Hey! and to say I finally finished book 4 of The Wheel of Time series, The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan. Five enthusiastic stars! This book starts with a bang and doesn't stop. Jordan really digs deeper into the characters in this book and takes us for a ride to the farthest edges of his magical world. I won't say much else since a couple of you will eventually be getting to them. This is my favorite book so far, though. I was at the bookstore today, dd talked me into going, and I had my hands on the final book (#14). I am so anxious to get there!!! You are cruising! Are you going to start the next one now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 For fans of the paranormal: The 20 Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Last Decade from the Barnes and Noble Book Blog and a reply from the Angieville blog: Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Past Decade Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Also, tonight I read Osvaldo Soriano's Winter Quarters, the sequel to A Funny Dirty Little War. Gripping, sparse story. Goes well when read with its predecessor, Funny Dirty Little War. Together, the two books weave a tale of the absurdity to which people descend in times of unrest, war, and political machinations. http://www.amazon.co...uarters soriano This racy sequel to Osvaldo Soriano's acclaimed novel, A Funny Dirty Little War, was a bestseller in Argentina after the fall of the military dictatorship in 1983. Two performers past their prime have come to the provincial town of Colonia Vela, the setting of A Funny Dirty Little War, to open a local festival. Strangers to each other, this punch-drunk boxer and off-the-charts tango singer become loyal friends, even unto death. The boxer has been selected to fight the local hero, the army's champ who has national ambitions. It soon becomes clear that the town vigilantes and military toughs don't mean for any trophies -- or the mayor's daughter -- to go to these "losers." As the underdogs try to go the distance, Soriano's gritty, Chandleresque prose builds to a harrowing picture of a society in the grip of a bizarre and terrifying struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Currently reading The Panic Virus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I re-read The Great Gatsby last year and loved it--loved the economy of Fitzgerald's writing, especially. :) We will have to agree to disagree on this thread. I just finished listening to The Geography of Bliss. It was a fun listen. Moldova is a place I don't know enough about! I actually want to learn more about it, even though it doesn't sound like a particularly fun place. I also wonder how Iceland is doing after the banking crisis. I am reading The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond and I am enjoying it immensely. I just got into the childrearing chapter and since I'm in the throes of that phase of life, it's incredibly interesting. There are other sections I'm really excited about, too, like treatment of the elderly and questions of physical health. Just started listening to The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, and I'm probably going to want to change everything about what we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Women are all beautiful and intelligent having advanced degrees and positions of high regard yet find themselves as damsels in distress which the good guy rescues. :p My dh loves this author and I've wondered what the draw was. It must be because he's picturing ME as the damsel in distress. :D :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 You are cruising! Are you going to start the next one now? :lol: Cruising?!?! I have read 4 books in 3 months! I hardly feel like I'm cruising lol! My dd and I are shooting a wedding tomorrow out of town, as soon as that is over I will be starting book 5. It's her first wedding and only my second so I am nervous. It's a small second wedding of my dh's friend. Anyway, I plan to spend Monday, the last day of our spring break, reading and school planning ;) On a happy note, I think I'm killing the chunkster challenge :001_tt2: 4. The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan (680 pages) 5 enthusiastic stars :D 3. The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (544 pages) 3.5 stars 2. The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (599 pages) 4.5 stars 1. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (702 pages) 4 stars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I finished Anna Karenina! I. Finished. Anna. Karenina. Once Anna's story ended, the rest was slow and painful. I was determined to finish it though, and I did. Like Middlemarch, this is not a book I ever plan to read again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Congrats on finishing Anna. I actually liked the rest of the story after her ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I finished the first book of a new paranormal series which I enjoyed very much. Leigh Evans’s The Trouble with Fate Here's the review where I first heard about it. Book two in the series, The Thing About Weres: A Mystwalker Novel, comes out in July. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I'm in Book Eight of Herodotus! The war has started! The dude has run from Marathon, Thermopylae was defended and fell, and we are at Salamis with the fleet. I feel awful being excited about a war, but it's almost over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Well, I finished Don Quixote and I have to say I LOVED IT! I enjoyed Part I more than Part II. Ok, I know I am simplifying the novel by what I am about to say and I understand there are many layers to the book that I did not get, but it reminded of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. :leaving: There were so many times I laughed out loud. I could say more about this book if I had a way with words. But as my husband has said, "Some people have a way with words and some not have way." I "not have way". :001_smile: This week I am starting The Pilgrim's Progress and Rome Sweet Rome. I have had Rome Sweet Rome for over a year and am now in the mood to read it. In Process: The Pilgrim's Progress Completed: 12.) Don Quixote 11.) Simplicity Parenting 10.) The Well-Educated Mind 9.) Gone Girl 8.) Last Child in the Woods 7.) East of Eden 6.) The $100 Start Up 5.) A Christmas Carol 4.) Dracula 3.) The Night Circus 2.) Switch 1.) Getting Things Done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 The only thing I've finished is The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Danielewski (House of Leaves). Its a bizarre mixture of campfire ghost story and performance art. The back flap says it was released in a limited handmade edition at first (the illustrations are sewing or embroidary) and that its performed on Halloween night with shadow puppets. Purposely poetic (double edged sword ;)). I thought there were a lot of unfinished and unused aspects of the story which was frustrating. It was a story though, I could feel the narrative winding through it, even some of the creepiness (which usually doesn't affect me much). I would really be interested in seeing what someone else thinks. Danielewski wrote the very meta House of Leaves we talked about a bit last year. Tam, I'm reading this now. Just got it from the library. (Making sure I read it in daylight hours. :lol: ) So far, I like it. (Which is better than I can say for two of his other books. House of Leaves scared me too much by page 10 & I never got past that point.) Tried Only Revolutions at one point, but couldn't get into it. So, maybe my third time trying him will be a charm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 An interesting tidbit of news: Amazon has acquired Goodreads. Do you think it's a good idea, bad idea or just ambivalent. I love Amazon but when I heard the news wasn't happy about it. I like Goodreads as it stands now and how you can link to any online store to buy a book. Is it going to become exclusively Amazon now? If it does, that locks out the Nook readers and personally I don't like the Kindle so..... As in all things will have to wait and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 For fans of the paranormal: The 20 Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Last Decade from the Barnes and Noble Book Blog and a reply from the Angieville blog: Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Past Decade Regards, Kareni Interesting list by the B&N blog but The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. Seriously? But the op is a guy after all so can see why he picked the books he did. I've only read 6 of the authors from the list: Briggs, Hamilton, Petterssen, Harris, Peeler and Hamilton. Authors I would have like to see on the list are Devon Monk, Carrie Vaughn and Jennifer Estep. I like Angie's List and would be more prone to checking out and reading the books from her list than Paul's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulainTx Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 This week I finished Salt, Sugar, and Fat by Michael Moss and (46) Lessons from Madam Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris by Jennifer L. Scott.(47) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Congrats on finishing Anna. I actually liked the rest of the story after her ending. It wasn't completely boring, I did like a few parts. I especially liked when Levin realized he does love his child, after considering what could have happened in the storm. Mostly though it seemed like Tolstoy rambling while trying to figure out what he believed, and doing it through Levin. I was already familiar with Tolstoy and his beliefs, and how they changed over time, so that part bored me. Well, I finished Don Quixote and I have to say I LOVED IT! I enjoyed Part I more than Part II. Ok, I know I am simplifying the novel by what I am about to say and I understand there are many layers to the book that I did not get, but it reminded of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. :leaving: There were so many times I laughed out loud. I could say more about this book if I had a way with words. But as my husband has said, "Some people have a way with words and some not have way." I "not have way". :001_smile: I started reading this last year with an online reading group. I was really enjoying it, and we were following the Yale Open Courses lecture while reading. The professor could get boring sometimes, but most of the time his love for the book shone through, and he helped put a lot of it in perspective. The group fell apart but I plan to go back to reading it, and watching the lectures. The parts I did read are a combination of hilarious and sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 An interesting tidbit of news: Amazon has acquired Goodreads. Do you think it's a good idea, bad idea or just ambivalent. I love Amazon but when I heard the news wasn't happy about it. I like Goodreads as it stands now and how you can link to any online store to buy a book. Is it going to become exclusively Amazon now? If it does, that locks out the Nook readers and personally I don't like the Kindle so..... As in all things will have to wait and see what happens. When I started a thread about this on the main chat board, I initially considered posting here. I figured we'd eventually get around to discussing it anyway. As I said in my thread, I'm not sure how I feel about it but I have concerns. One of my concerns is Nook readers too, even though I don't own a Nook, My DIL and several IRL friends have Nooks, and I know some of you do too. I truly hope they just "own" it but leave it alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I started Bitch in a Bonnet and I like it so far. It's a nice easy read after Anna Karenina. Thank you Mothersweets! You're welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 The only thing I've finished is The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Danielewski ... I would really be interested in seeing what someone else thinks. Well, I got my cup of coffee, got comfy in the sunroom (in case it got too spooky for me :tongue_smilie: ), & read this in one sitting. My initial thoughts.... It reads very well as a piece of ongoing modern poetry. (I don't even consider myself a fan of poetry.) At first, I wondered if I should try to read each color quote as a separate thread, but quickly discarded that notion. I didn't really try to keep the different 'speakers' straight, rather read it straight-through as voices interweaving. I enjoyed Danielewski's word-play too -- sometimes giving a lighter edge, sometimes giving a more sinister edge.... The fact that different overlapping speakers told the increasingly spooky story made me think of the chorus of witches that Shakespeare employed to great effect. As such, I think this would be great to see/hear as a performance. I liked the use of white space (& black space), along w/ the embroidery photos. Even all the pinholes in the cover added to the multidimensional feel of this work as more than just writing; as I saw it mentioned somewhere, it is performance art/multimedia. The story itself was engrossing, especially through the beginning and middle, but I felt that the ending was a bit anti-climatic. A tale of revenge? Redemption? Hatred? Forgiveness? Shattered illusions? Interesting piece. Definitely worth reading. I'm glad you mentioned it! Wish I could have seen this performance of it: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2010/11/mark-z-danielewskis-halloween-party.html P.S. Crstarlette, I think you might also really enjoy reading this.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Well, last year I read a bunch of memoirs. This year I'm reading murder mysteries. The murder mysteries are much more a genre that I've always read. I'm kinda annoyed that no one introduced me to Lord Peter when I was much younger and reading Agatha Christie ... Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I finished Unnatural Death and today I finished Murder in the Bellona Club. In between we finished Emil and the Detectives as a fun family read. My husband mostly fixed my laptop! Huzzah! As long as it lives on my desk and I don't move it too much I'm feeling pretty good about it. Which means I've been reading all y'all's posts on my android, but not posting much because I cannot type without myriad typos on that thing. I'm very behind on both reading (glad I got ahead in January) and the EdX class I'm taking on The Ancient Greek Hero for which I'm reading the Iliad. I'm going to blame March Madness - Go Buckeyes! A couple of new GoodReads friends from the list - yay! I think that's about it ... so happy to be back-ish :) 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 8. Code of Silence by Sally S Wright 9. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi 10. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield (excellent) 11. Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers 12. Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner 13.The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 This year I'm reading murder mysteries. The murder mysteries are much more a genre that I've always read. Murder mysteries = my go-to genre. If I don't know what I want to read, I can always find a murder mystery. The time period doesn't matter either. I like historical murder mysteries as well as ones set in the present day. This year I'm trying to branch out and try other genres. I did just start another murder mystery today though. Mystral Murder It's my Kindle Owner's Lending Library book for March. I read and enjoyed the first two in the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Concerning Addition by Toni Jordan -- Thanks for the book recommendation! I just downloaded the book. It sounds like a light fun read and boy, do I need something like that right now! I hope you'll enjoy it. Be warned that it does have some poignant parts. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 For fans of the paranormal: The 20 Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Last Decade from the Barnes and Noble Book Blog and a reply from the Angieville blog: Best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Past Decade Interesting list by the B&N blog but The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. Seriously? Ah, I haven't read that one (and you're not inspiring me to do so!). ... I've only read 6 of the authors from the list: Briggs, Hamilton, Petterssen, Harris, Peeler and Hamilton. Authors I would have like to see on the list are Devon Monk, Carrie Vaughn and Jennifer Estep. I went through the list again. It turns out that I've read nine of the authors -- Briggs, Hamilton, Pettersson, Harris, Ashley, McGuire, Richardson, Butcher, and Harrison. I like Angie's List and would be more prone to checking out and reading the books from her list than Paul's. I like her list, too. I've read all of those save for Sunshine, Prey, and Nightshifted. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 This year I'm trying to branch out and try other genres. I did just start another murder mystery today though. Mystral Murder It's my Kindle Owner's Lending Library book for March. I read and enjoyed the first two in the series. I read that one a few weeks ago. I enjoyed it.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I finished a few more: 55) An Officer's Engagement by Debby Giusti 56) An Engagement in Seattle: Groom Wanted/ Bride Wanted by Debbie Macomber 57) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahme-Smith I really enjoyed this. It was overall historically accurate( at least to the level of my knowledge ;)) with the paranormal weaved in. Almost believable! I was amazed at how much I liked it. Another late night. I was reading it simply because people in the UK kept asking me about it because of the movie. I haven't seen the movie but I enjoyed the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Concerning Addition by Toni Jordan -- I hope you'll enjoy it. Be warned that it does have some poignant parts. Regards, Kareni I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to start it after John Dies at the End, which is laugh out loud funny! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Completed: Book #35 - "Maphead" by Ken Jennings. Loved the chapter on Geocaching! Totally related to it. :laugh: Book #34 - "Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James. (WEM) Book #33 - "Earthly Deligihts" by Kerry Greenwood. (Australian author, Australian setting.) Book #32 - "The Year of Learning Dangerously" by Quinn Cummings. Book #31 - "The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #30 - "The Forgotten Affairs of Youth" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #29 - "The Charming Quirks of Others" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #28 - "I am Half-Sice of Shadows" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #27 - ""Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs" by Ken Jennings. Book #26 - "Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales & Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids" by Ken Jennings. Book #25 - "A Red Herring Without Mustard" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #24 - "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" by Tarquin Hall. (British author, Indian setting.) Book #23 - "The Lost Art of Gratitude" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #22 - "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #21 - "Academic Homeschooling: How to Give Your Child an Amazing Education and Survive" by Tracy Chatters. Book #20 - "The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #19 - "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy. (WEM.) Book #18 - "The Careful Use of Compliments" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #17 - "The Right Attitude to Rain" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #16 - "Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder" by Shamini Flint. (Singaporean author, Malaysian setting.) 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 This week I finished Salt, Sugar, and Fat by Michael Moss and (46) Lessons from Madam Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris by Jennifer L. Scott.(47) Oooh, I want to read both of these! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 My high schoolers are reading Things Fall Apart now, so I already had it on my list. They started reading it the day before he died. I'm reading a Terry Blackstock mystery but will get to Things Fall Apart next. I'm behind in numbers but striving to catch up. I was ahead until week six when the kids had a flurry of activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Well, I finished Don Quixote and I have to say I LOVED IT! I enjoyed Part I more than Part II. Ok, I know I am simplifying the novel by what I am about to say and I understand there are many layers to the book that I did not get, but it reminded of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. :leaving: There were so many times I laughed out loud. I could say more about this book if I had a way with words. But as my husband has said, "Some people have a way with words and some not have way." I "not have way". :001_smile: I just started reading Don Quixote (on chapter 12), and now that you said it, I completely agree with the bolded! It has had me laughing out loud from page one. I have even stopped my dd9 while eating lunch to share some of his antics. She just looked at me like I was the one driven mad by books. LOL I had to quote the part from the beginning where Cervantes is describing the reading withering Don Quixote's brain till he went mad to my dh, and he said that sounded like me!! :smilielol5: :mellow: :ohmy: :toetap05: I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to start it after John Dies at the End, which is laugh out loud funny! Holly Now that I have had time to process it, I have decided that I really enjoyed John Dies at the End. I have started the sequel, This Book is Full of Spiders, and it is just as enjoyable. I am half way through it now, and am just loving the ride. ETA: I finally got a Goodreads page. Maybe I can figure out how to use it. Pop on over and help a poor fellow bibliophile out: my Goodreads page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zillymom Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I just read Born To Read: Unschooling in the New Paradigm by Kytka Hilmar-Jezek. The Kindle edition was free on Amazon the other day. It was riddled with typos and errors - lots of kitten killing going on with those apostrophes! It also had a condescending tone toward working mothers and anyone who homeschools with a different philosophy than she does. Definitely left a bad taste in my mouth, and I was disappointed... there's a lot about unschooling I find attractive, but there's just no need to put down other schooling choices in the way it was done. I just posted a full review with examples on my book blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Well, I finished Don Quixote and I have to say I LOVED IT! I enjoyed Part I more than Part II. Ok, I know I am simplifying the novel by what I am about to say and I understand there are many layers to the book that I did not get, but it reminded of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. :leaving: There were so many times I laughed out loud. I could say more about this book if I had a way with words. But as my husband has said, "Some people have a way with words and some not have way." I "not have way". :001_smile: I just started reading Don Quixote (on chapter 12), and now that you said it, I completely agree with the bolded! It has had me laughing out loud from page one. I have even stopped my dd9 while eating lunch to share some of his antics. She just looked at me like I was the one driven mad by books. LOL I had to quote the part from the beginning where Cervantes is describing the reading withering Don Quixote's brain till he went mad to my dh, and he said that sounded like me!! :smilielol5: :mellow: :ohmy: :toetap05: Thank you to the two posters above for bringing back wonderful memories for me. My father's favorite book was Don Quixote. He would reread it every three or four years and every single time he would laugh so hard that tears were streaming down his cheeks! When I was a little girl, I always wondered about the power of that book. It has been a very busy week for me. I have been on the road with other fish to fry and have barely kept up with the news let alone read. Today I have tons of cooking to do but I shall keep book in hand while stirring the pot. I am making my way through Paulo Coelho's Aleph and wondering why he is a best selling author. If this were a challenging read, it would have dumped it. Since it is not, I am sticking with it and trying to figure out its appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I am making my way through Paulo Coelho's Aleph and wondering why he is a best selling author. If this were a challenging read, it would have dumped it. Since it is not, I am sticking with it and trying to figure out its appeal. It was different! I just got invited to a discussion with the author on Goodreads--I think it is next Tuesday. I have to admit that I am not exactly filled with questions about the book. Just remember you have now completed the South American continental challenge in a relatively painless manor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 It was different! I just got invited to a discussion with the author on Goodreads--I think it is next Tuesday. I have to admit that I am not exactly filled with questions about the book. Just remember you have now completed the South American continental challenge in a relatively painless manor! Not yet completed but that is indeed another reason that I am sticking with the book. Does the author's accessibility to his readers add to his popularity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I really needed to rest and relax my brain so I read an old favorite called The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White. It a YA novel about a 16 yo girl whose mom runs for President and wins. I really like all the characters in the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 ETA: I finally got a Goodreads page. Maybe I can figure out how to use it. Pop on over and help a poor fellow bibliophile out: my Goodreads page I sent you a msg there. I finished Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck. I read this on a whim and glad I did. It gave me some chuckles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Not yet completed but that is indeed another reason that I am sticking with the book. Does the author's accessibility to his readers add to his popularity? Maybe, I have only had a Goodreads account for a month so I don't know how common these invites are. But he is availiable for the whole day to answer questions about the one Robin is reviewing. I hope they don't ruin Goodreads. Dd just set up an account last week. My suggested reading was not great but hers was right on. She has read several of her suggestions and liked them. All appeared to be age appropriate and taste appropriate. I was amazed because she entered maybe 100 books. Many suggestions were old. So not overly sales driven just helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 BTW, how do you find the Kindle Owner's Library? I can never seem to find a list of just the books available for lending. Whenever I do a search, it always pulls up a mish-mash of titles. Here's the list. From here you can browse by category (on the left). Even though you have to choose the book from your Kindle, I prefer to browse from my computer. Once I find a title I want then I go to my Kindle and get it. ETA: There's probably an easier way but here's what I do: -In the Amazon search bar drop down list, choose Books. -Leave the search bar blank and click Go. -Scroll down on the left until you find Prime Eligible. Click. -Under Format (tabs at the top) choose Kindle. That should bring up all of the KOLL books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Here's the list. From here you can browse by category (on the left). Even though you have to choose the book from your Kindle, I prefer to browse from my computer. Once I find a title I want then I go to my Kindle and get it. ETA: There's probably an easier way but here's what I do: -In the Amazon search bar drop down list, choose books. -Leave the search bar blank and click Go. -Scroll down on the left until you find Prime Eligible. Click. -Under Format (tabs at the top) choose Kindle. That should bring up all of the KOLL books. Thanks for this. I was trying to look some things up on my Kindle in the library section, but I kept getting for purchase books. Seems like if you are in the library section, when you do a search you should get library books. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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