Book a Week in 2013 - week nineteen

[Robin M]

Good Morning, dolls! Today is the start of week 19 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 - Out of Africa: Hey, it's May! Are you ready to gad about Africa? I'm ready to sail across the south Atlantic ocean to Cape Town and wind my way up through the continent of Africa. It is the 2nd largest continent covering about 11.7 square million miles with 54 countries so lots of ground to cover. Currently in my backpack is Chinua Achebe's, Things Fall Apart, Sena Jeter Naslund's Adam and Eve, and Chimamanda Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun. Adichie has a wonderful speech, courtesy of Ted, talking about the Danger of a Single Story, which I've mentioned before, but if you haven't listened to it yet, now's the time. You'll definitely want to read one of her books, once you've heard her speak.

 

If you go to the linkbar Out of Africa on the 52 books blog, you'll discover links to a variety of African authors. Check out the books list on Goodreadsand Ivor Hartmann's list of must read African Authors. And one of my new favorite sites, flavorwire, has a list of 10 Young African Writers You Should know. Also check out Lost in Books - Take Away Saturday posts on fiction and non fiction selections from South Africa, Egypt, Kenyaand Zimbabwe.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 18

[Robin M]

I just finished reading Dean Koontz's Odd Apocalypse - another one of his unputdownable odd thomas books. Not sure what's next. Need something light before I dive in Joe HIll's N0S4A2

[Negin]

I finished Triple - 2 Stars. Liked it a lot at first, but then it dragged on. Since then I've tried at least 4 books and they've all failed my 10% Rule. None of them appeal to me.

 

 

 

 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

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

[Lady Florida.]

I mentioned my finished books in last week's thread but a quick recap -

 

The Great Gatsby - audio book narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. The people in this book could easily exist today. Maybe that's what keeps it popular. I'm annoyed that the cover is a movie tie-in.

 

Freshwater Road - Denise Nicholas - loved it

 

Currently Reading:

 

In the Time of the Butterflies - I think it was Eliana who first mentioned it here. I'm really enjoying it, though I know what sad event is coming.

 

A Covent Garden Mystery - I always need one of my mysteries for fluff reading.

 

Nicholas Nickleby - audio book (No, I didn't pay $32 for it as shown in the link. It's a library audio book.)

 

 

I'm at 28 books for the year, 11 ahead of schedule according to Goodreads. This is the first month I missed my dusty books challenge. Nothing I'm currently reading/listening to has been on my shelves for any amount of time that would qualify as "dusty".

[Remudamom]

The Doll, so boring I forgot who wrote it. Hoping for a better read next week. 8(

[Ali in OR]

Finished Kathleen Grissom's The Kitchen House. In the late 1700s, an Irish girl's parents die while emigrating to America. She is taken as an indentured servant to be raised by slaves in the kitchen house of a plantation. The black slaves become family to her. The book depicts many struggles they endure at the hands of evil white men in power. I thought it was good; enjoyed the first half more than the second half which gets pretty disturbing.

 

 

Books Read in 2013

18. The Kitchen House-Kathleen Grissom

17. Code Name Verity-Elizabeth Wein

16. Pandora’s Lunchbox-Melanie Warner

15. The Light Between Oceans-M.L. Stedman

14. Gaudy Night-Dorothy Sayers

13. Warrior Girls-Michael Sokolove

12. The Shape of the Eye-George Estreich

11. The Tiger’s Wife-Tea Obreht

10. The Hare with Amber Eyes-Edmund de-Waal

9. The Panic Virus-Seth Mnookin

8. Chi Running-Danny Dreyer

7. Speaking from Among the Bones-Alan Bradley

6. The Sun Also Rises-Ernest Hemingway

5. North by Northanger-Carrie Bebris

4. Train Dreams-Denis Johnson

3. Northanger Abbey-Jane Austen

2. Sense and Sensibility-Jane Austen

1. The Great Influenza-John M. Barry

[Onceuponatime]

Having been ill, plus studying three subjects online. I've decided not to task my brain cells and have been indulging in books that are relatively light. I've recently read Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart and Daphne by J. Picardie. I'm currently reading The Pigeon Pie Mystery.

[Pawz4me]

I"m currently working on #20 The Da Vinci Code. I'm probably one of the last people on earth to read it . . . :lol:

[Mom-ninja.]

I"m currently working on #20 The Da Vinci Code. I'm probably one of the last people on earth to read it . . . :lol:

 

I just picked up Angels & Demons which I've wanted to read for years. Enjoy the book.

[Lady Florida.]

I"m currently working on #20 The Da Vinci Code. I'm probably one of the last people on earth to read it . . . :lol:

 

My dh just finished it last week. While he's seen the movie, he hadn't read the book.

[eaglei]

Ugh... I didn't finish any books this week... I'm still reading the same two (New Passages, by Gail Sheehy; and, How to Interpret Dreams and Visions, by Perry Stone; plus, another Francine Rivers novel). Too much going on and my favorite me-time activity (reading) is paying the price...

 

This is my favorite thread, though, so I posted anyway as a way to mark this thread and also to see what you-all are reading, so my wanna-read list can grow even longer! :001_smile:

[Just Robyn]

I finished 1Q84 and two more graphic nonfiction Victorian murder books - Jack the Ripper and The Borden Tragedy. I also just finished Ender's Game; it was intense.

[Butter]

I've read something like 25 book now. This week I finished The Secret Garden. Loved it, of course. I also read The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler. I can't say I loved it, but it was actually enjoyable (the author had a good, conversational style). I've long wondered *how* he did what he did (becoming dictator, getting the Reichstag to give over so much power to him, getting people to follow him, etc.). The book explained all of it. I don't understand it (particularly how he became an anti-Semite), but I feel like I have a better knowledge of the whole thing. I'm very glad I read it and recommend it highly. Now I'm reading The Andromeda Strain.

[Stacia]

The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin serves up 2 parts mob story, 1 part noir to make a gripping, ripping fun yarn about the Jewish mob in 1960s NYC. Definitely recommended.

 

Here's what Stephen King had to say about the book:

The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats just may be the best book you never read. Think The Godfather on laughing gas, or Catch-22 with guns. It's also as good a novel about life in the 60s as you'll ever pick up. Witty, sexy, thrilling, and all story. You can't put the damn thing down. If you're still one of the blessed who reads for pleasure, get this book, because it's a pleasure to read.

(I know someone on this thread posted about World Book Night -- where book lovers get multiple copies of one particular book & then distribute them in areas where there may not be many readers with the hopes of sparking a love of books & reading. Apparently, Stephen King chose The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats to be the book that has a couple of 'preview' chapters included with his book that was being distributed in the giveaway....)

 

Here's a description/review of the Shoeshine Cats book that I like.

 

Still working on Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore for my book club.

 

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

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 (Canada); Dewey Decimal – 900s.

02. Equator by Miguel Sousa Tavares (3 stars). Challenges: Dusty; Continental – Europe (Portugal) & Africa (São Tomé and Príncipe).

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 (USA).

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

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

07. The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy (3 stars).

08. Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (Canada).

09. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (3.5 stars).

10. The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt (4 stars).

 

11. Our Lady of Alice Bhatti by Mohammed Hanif (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Pakistan).

12. Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr (4 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 600s.

13. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Sweden).

14. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Pakistan).

15. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (4 stars).

16. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (2.5 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 900s.

17. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

18. Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar (3 stars). Challenges: Dusty & Chunky; Continental – South America (Argentina).

19. The Tenth Circle by Mempo Giardinelli (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

20. Nick & Jake by Jonathan Richards and Tad Richards (3.5 stars). Challenge: Dusty.

 

21. A Funny Dirty Little War by Osvaldo Soriano (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

22. Winter Quarters by Osvaldo Soriano (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

23. The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski (3.5 stars).

24. Wheat Belly by William Davis M.D. (2.5 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 600s.

25. Secret Societies by Kelly Knauer (2 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 300s.

26. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (2.5 stars).

27. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (5 stars). Challenges: Dusty & Chunky; Continental – Asia (Japan).

28. The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

[Giraffe]

I"m currently working on #20 The Da Vinci Code. I'm probably one of the last people on earth to read it . . . :lol:

 

 

Nope, I haven't yet read it either. One day.

 

I'm going to have to live vicariously through y'all for a few weeks. Starting a 4 week intensive course to qualify as an ESL teacher. If it isn't the course or DD it's just not getting done between now and May 31. Gulp.

[mumto2]

My library does have it http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/smile.gif I was amazed -- now that I read the part of your review about Stephen King and printing part of it in his book I understand why!

 

Ok, ok, I fully admit that I'm posting now (instead of earlier) because I wanted to finish my book & post about it.

So, does your heart go pitter

or maybe...

or perhaps...?

 

If so, The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin serves up 2 parts mob story, 1 part noir to make a gripping, ripping fun yarn about the Jewish mob in 1960s Here's what Stephen King had to say about the book:

 

 

(I know someone on this thread posted about World Book Night -- where book lovers get multiple copies of one particular book & then distribute them in areas where there may not be many readers with the hopes of sparking a love of books & reading. Apparently, Stephen King chose The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats to be the book that has a couple of 'preview' chapters included with his book that was being distributed in the giveaway....)

 

Here's a description/review of the Shoeshine Cats book that I like.

 

Still working on Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore for my book club.

 

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

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 (Canada); Dewey Decimal – 900s.

02. Equator by Miguel Sousa Tavares (3 stars). Challenges: Dusty; Continental – Europe (Portugal) & Africa (São Tomé and Príncipe).

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 (USA).

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

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

07. The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy (3 stars).

08. Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (Canada).

09. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (3.5 stars).

10. The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt (4 stars).

 

11. Our Lady of Alice Bhatti by Mohammed Hanif (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Pakistan).

12. Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr (4 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 600s.

13. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Sweden).

14. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Pakistan).

15. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (4 stars).

16. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (2.5 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 900s.

17. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

18. Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar (3 stars). Challenges: Dusty & Chunky; Continental – South America (Argentina).

19. The Tenth Circle by Mempo Giardinelli (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

20. Nick & Jake by Jonathan Richards and Tad Richards (3.5 stars). Challenge: Dusty.

 

21. A Funny Dirty Little War by Osvaldo Soriano (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

22. Winter Quarters by Osvaldo Soriano (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

23. The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski (3.5 stars).

24. Wheat Belly by William Davis M.D. (2.5 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 600s.

25. Secret Societies by Kelly Knauer (2 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 300s.

26. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (2.5 stars).

27. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (5 stars). Challenges: Dusty & Chunky; Continental – Asia (Japan).

28. The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin (4 stars).

 

[Tullia]

I've finished with the Brontë rabbit trail--at least for now. It had been several years since I'd read Wuthering Heights, so I thought I'd go through it again. Maybe it's an age thing, but this time I was more focused on Nellie Dean. I found myself chuckling over the narrator's offhand decision to detour to Gimmerton at the end of the book.

 

I also managed to find time to read all of Cryptonomicon. So what if the kitchen floor didn't get mopped this week? Anathem is still my favorite, but I enjoyed this one because the characters seem plausible; several remind me of people I know IRL. ;)

[melmichigan]

I'm still working my way through Robynn Carr's Virgin River Novels. I'm currently working on book nine.

 

I did take a break for the final book in the Dark Mission Novels, One for the Wicked by Karina Cooper. I have had a harder time with the last two stories, Wicked Lies and this book. I went back and read the last two chapters in the final book the next morning hoping I was missing something reading so late at night. The book wrapped up the loose ends and brought back a lot of previous characters, but something was missing for me.

 

Week 18

101. Whispering Rock (A Virgin River Novel) by Robynn Carr.

102. A Virgin River Christmas ( A Virgin River Novel) by Robynn Carr.

103. Second Chance Pass (A Virgin River Novel) by Robyn Carr.

104. Temptation Ridge (A Virgin River Novel) by Robyn Carr.

105. Paradise Valley (A Virgin River Novel) by Robyn Carr.

106. One for the Wicked: A Dark Mission Novel by Karina Cooper.

107. A Legacy of Secrets by Carol Mainelli.

[Mom-ninja.]

Nope, I haven't yet read it either. One day.

 

I'm going to have to live vicariously through y'all for a few weeks. Starting a 4 week intensive course to qualify as an ESL teacher. If it isn't the course or DD it's just not getting done between now and May 31. Gulp.

 

Good luck

[Robin M]

Forgot to mention Sherry at Semicolon whose working on, at this point, a lifelong reading through Africa project - check out her links

 

 

Also for those of us who like reading series - check out Order of Books.com with complete list of all books series in order.

[MelAR05]

I was too busy to post anything last week but finished (19) A Love That Multiplies by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, (20) Fahrenheit 451 and (21) All Quiet on the Western Front. I am glad to have read all three but for obviously different reasons. Vacation begins on Friday so this is a busy week trying to get everything in order but I hope to read a lot on vacation. For this week, I plan to read either Murder on the Orient Express or The House at Riverton. This will be my first Kate Morton book and first Agatha Christie for that matter. For beach side reading :coolgleamA: I plan to take along Unbroken, Ford County Stories by John Grisham, and Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer.

[MelAR05]

If so, The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin serves up 2 parts mob story, 1 part noir to make a gripping, ripping fun yarn about the Jewish mob in 1960s NYC. Definitely recommended.

 

 

Here's what Stephen King had to say about the book:

 

 

(I know someone on this thread posted about World Book Night -- where book lovers get multiple copies of one particular book & then distribute them in areas where there may not be many readers with the hopes of sparking a love of books & reading. Apparently, Stephen King chose The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats to be the book that has a couple of 'preview' chapters included with his book that was being distributed in the giveaway....)

 

I am adding this one to my list. :thumbup1:

[Heather in Neverland]

Started Reading:

The Infernal Devices #2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill (British author, DD class 200)

 

 

Still Reading:

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:

18. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800)

17. God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts (British author, DD class 200)

16.The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Canadian Author, DD Class 800)

15.The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 900)

14. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Chinese author, DD class 800)

13. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (American author, DD class 900)

12. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500)

11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600)

10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200)

9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300)

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

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

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)

[Kareni]

Today I read the contemporary romance Too Hot to Handle by Victoria Dahl. It was a pleasurable book to read.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mlbuchina]

I'm so happy I was able to make a big dent in 1Q84 today. I'm almost finished with Book 2, and am looking forward to Book 3. :coolgleamA:

 

We finished listening to Pippi Longstocking. The girls loved it! We are almost finished with By the Shores of Silver Lake, and will start The Long Winter. We have really been enjoying the Little House books.

 

 

The Round Up:

 

28. Pippi Longstocking

27. On the Banks of Plum Creek

26. Hiroshima

25. Farmer Boy

24. 1984

23. This Book is Full of Spiders

22. Little House on the Prairie

21. Evolutionism and Creationism

20. John Dies at the End

19. Much Ado About Nothing

18. Little House in the Big Woods

17. Hooked

16. Anne of the Island

15. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

14. Anne of Avonlea

13. Anne of Green Gables

12. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

11. The Swiss Family Robinson

10. Little Women

9. How We Get Fat

8. The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye

7. Outlander

6. The New Atkins for a New You

5. A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows

4. Liberty and Tyranny

3. Corelli's Mandolin

2. The Neverending Story

1. The Hobbit

[VeganCupcake]

We finished listening to Pippi Longstocking. The girls loved it! We are almost finished with By the Shores of Silver Lake, and will start The Long Winter. We have really been enjoying the Little House books.

 

 

Pippi! That is one I hadn't thought of that my DD will love. She's in a Little House phase right now and just named our newest chickens Laura and Mary. :lol:

 

I finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I liked it very much. I haven't seen the movie, but now that I've read the book, I can't help but ask who thought it would make a good film?!? Likely someone who had not read the book.

[Laura Corin]

I finished The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox last week - as I mentioned before, it felt more like the explication of an issue than a novel. And I couldn't work out how it worked thematically. There was an air of three or four interwoven short stories, rather than one over-arching work.

 

Currently listening to Lolita, read by Jeremy Irons. I'm finding it quite disturbing. By my bed is one of the Shetland mysteries by Ann Cleeves.

 

1: Mr Briggs' Hat

2: Busman's Honeymoon (re-read) - Dorothy Sayers

3: Notwithstanding (re-read for book group) - Louis de Bernieres

4: Bad Pharma - Ben Goldacre

5: The Pages - Murray Bail

6: Great Tales From English History.

7: Unnatural Causes - PD James (re-read)

8: Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson (re-read)

9: Jack Maggs - Peter Carey

10: Why - Everyday Answers to Scientific Questions - Joel Levy

11: Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

12: Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead - Paula Byrne

13: Evelina - Frances Burney

14: To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

15: Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

16: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey - Carnarvon

17: Seven Years in Tibet - Heinrich Harrer

18: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell

 

Laura

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Mom-ninja.]

 

Currently listening to Lolita, read by Jeremy Irons. I'm finding it quite disturbing.

 

 

 

Yep, that is why I will not be reading that book. I don't care if it is a classic.

[Laura Corin]

Yep, that is why I will not be reading that book. I don't care if it is a classic.

 

 

Jeremy Irons' voice really draws you in too.

 

Laura

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Laura Corin]

Have you ever seen the movie version of Lolita with Jeremy Irons as Humbert? Totally creepy. Ick.

 

 

I haven't, no. I loved JI's reading of Brideshead Revisited and had always intended to read Lolita. The combination of the voice and the tale is, however, disturbing. My library has him reading James and the Giant Peach. Maybe I'll choose that next!

 

Layra

[Stacia]

If you go to the linkbar Out of Africa on the 52 books blog, you'll discover links to a variety of African authors. Check out the books list on Goodreadsand Ivor Hartmann's list of must read African Authors. And one of my new favorite sites, flavorwire, has a list of 10 Young African Writers You Should know. Also check out Lost in Books - Take Away Saturday posts on fiction and non fiction selections from South Africa, Egypt, Kenyaand Zimbabwe.

 

I need to decide which African books to read, especially since I seem to have read very few African authors during my lifetime.

 

Thanks, Robin, for mentioning Flavorwire last week. I had so much fun poking around that website after you linked it. Fab!

 

Having been ill, plus studying three subjects online. I've decided not to task my brain cells and have been indulging in books that are relatively light.

 

Hope you're feeling better. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/grouphug.gif

 

I finished 1Q84

 

I read your comments about it on Goodreads, but are you going to post them here too? http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/bigear.gif

 

This week I finished The Secret Garden. Loved it, of course. I also read The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler.

 

I'm chuckling because those two books seem like a pretty strange combo! http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/lol.gif

 

I finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I liked it very much. I haven't seen the movie, but now that I've read the book, I can't help but ask who thought it would make a good film?!?

 

That was one book (along with Wuthering Heights) that I really didn't like. Ugh. In fact, I had tried reading it (after rave reviews from friends), had stopped, had completely erased it from my mind; then, many years later, I picked it up again, started reading, had the weirdest sense of deja vu (duh!), and finally figured out that I had read part of it in the past. I made it all the way through the second time, but it was rough going.

 

Oh, and for those reading Pippi Longstocking, the version illustrated by Lauren Child is great. Her art just fits wonderfully.

[Murmer]

Finished: Time Capsule by Lurlene McDaniel, To Have or To Hold by Josi Kilpatrick, Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless by Melody Carlson and Thinking Love by Sonya Shafer

 

Currently Working On:

Downstairs: Marriage and Family Relations by BYU

Upstairs: Sarah's Story by Ruth Elwin Harris

Kindle: Forgotten: Germs, Genes, & Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today by David Clark

IPhone: A Flower Blooms in Charlotte by Milam McGraw Propst

Sweet Boy Read Aloud: The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh and the World of Christopher Robin by A. A. Milne

Angel Girl Read Aloud: The Wind In The Willows

WTM: Don Quixote

IPad: The Purple Land by W. H. Hudson (South America)

Personal Enrichment: Teaching the Essentials of Reading with Picture Books by Alyse Sweeney

 

Total Finished in 2013: 44

[Mom-ninja.]

I haven't, no. I loved JI's reading of Brideshead Revisited and had always intended to read Lolita. The combination of the voice and the tale is, however, disturbing. My library has him reading James and the Giant Peach. Maybe I'll choose that next!

 

Layra

 

That will be quite the switch.

[Just Robyn]

I read your comments about it on Goodreads, but are you going to post them here too? :bigear:

 

What the heck!

 

Regarding structure, this novel was masterfully crafted. The interconnectedness of the characters and their thoughts, actions and experiences was amazingly detailed. Also, the descriptive analogies were a pleasure to read. However, I can't ignore the fact that while reading this novel, I spent a lot of time either mildly curious or just plain bored. That is not the way a person wants to spend 925 pages.

 

Also, for the Walt Whitman section of my 5/5/5 I just finished Thieves of Paradise by Yusef Komunyakaa. Whitman wrote Kosmos, and here's the first section of Komunyakaa's poem - also entitled Kosmos.

 

Walt, you shanghaied me to this

oak, as every blood-tipped leaf

soliloquized "Strange Fruit"

like the octoroon in New Orleans

 

who showed you how passion

ignited dogwood, how it rose

from inside the singing sap.

You heard primordial notes

 

murmur up from the Mississippi,

a clank of chains among the green

ithyphallic totems, betting your heart

could run vistas with Crazy Horse

 

& runaway slaves. Sunset dock

to wh*rehouse, temple to hovel,

your lines traversed America's

white space, driven by a train whistle.

[Lady Florida.]

I finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I liked it very much. I haven't seen the movie, but now that I've read the book, I can't help but ask who thought it would make a good film?!? Likely someone who had not read the book.

 

 

I'm old enough to remember a time when Les Miserables was not a musical, and I remember thinking that when I first heard about the musical. I had already read the book years before in high school, and I thought, "Who would think this book would make a good musical?".

 

I finished The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox last week - as I mentioned before, it felt more like the explication of an issue than a novel. By my bed is one of the Shetland mysteries by Ann Cleeves.

 

 

I keep meaning to try this series. My library has several copies of the first one, so I added it to my wish list at their website. I usually check my wish list before heading to the library, so maybe I'll pick it up next time I'm ready for something new.

[mumto2]

I recently finished Brazen Virtue by Nora Roberts. Basically it was an enjoyable easy read.

 

I just finished Kiss if Midnight: A Midnight Breed novel by Lara Adrian which I know I found on this board. I enjoyed it. It definately had a different vampire then what I am used to. This made the storyline a bit unpredictable beyond the typical hunky vampire meets troubled beautiful woman which are favorite escapes for me. They are Aliens who have lived on our planet for hundreds of years in this series! Not weird just some different customs and no garlic etc. One Holy water scene but quick. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

[-M-]

â–  Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 288 pages. Fiction.) Suicide. Emotional abuse. Cutting. Divorce. This is twenty-first-century "problem novel" if ever there were one! More about JCO here.

 

â–  Dare Me (Megan Abott; 2012. 304 pages. Fiction.) Looking for "television in print," I stumbled on this psychological study of cheerleaders and their new coach. Got what I came for.

 

â–  The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life (Robin Stern; 2007. 288 pages. Non-fiction.) Background information for a fiction piece.

 

â–  Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked (James Lansdun; 2013. 224 pages. Non-fiction.) From Amazon's description:

...

Give Me Everything You Have

chronicles the author’s strange and harrowing ordeal at the hands of a former student, a self-styled “verbal terrorist,†who began trying, in her words, to “ruin him.†Hate mail, online postings, and public accusations of plagiarism and sexual misconduct were her weapons of choice and, as with more conventional terrorist weapons, proved remarkably difficult to combat. James Lasdun’s account, while terrifying, is told with compassion and humor, and brilliantly succeeds in turning a highly personal story into a profound meditation on subjects as varied as madness, race, Middle East politics, and the meaning of honor and reputation in the Internet age.

â–  Harvest (A.J. Lieberman; 2013. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.) A grisly journey into the underground world of organ transplants.

 

â–  The Guilty One (Lisa Ballantyne; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.) The conclusion is apparent in the first fifty pages, but the secondary story was a taut psychological study.

 

 

 

Completed:

 

â–  Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked (James Lansdun; 2013. 224 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Harvest (A.J. Lieberman; 2013. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)

â–  The Guilty One (Lisa Ballantyne; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 288 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Dare Me (Megan Abott; 2012. 304 pages. Fiction.)

â–  The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life (Robin Stern; 2007. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Henry VIII (William Shakespeare (1613); Folger ed. 2007. 352 pages. Drama.)

â–  The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald; 1925/1980. 182 pages. Fiction.) *

â–  Attachments (Rainbow Rowell; 2011. 336 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Reconstructing Amelia (Kimberly McCreight; 2013. 400 pages. Fiction.)

â–  The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers (Margaret George; 1998. 960 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Picasso and Chicago: 100 Years, 100 Works (Stephanie D'Alessandro; 2013. 112 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Measure for Measure (William Shakespeare (1603); Folger ed. 2005. 288 pages. Drama.)

â–  Wave (Sonali Deraniyagala; 2013. 240 pages. Memoir.)

â–  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death (Jean-Dominique Bauby; 1998. 131 pages. Autobiography.)

â–  The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers (Dick Teresi; 2012. 368 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Human .4 (Mike A. Lancaster; 2011. 240 pages. YA fiction.)

â–  Warm Bodies (Isaac Marion; 2011. 256 pages. Fiction.)

â–  The Underwater Welder (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 224 pages. Graphic fiction.)

â–  After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story (Michael Hainey; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Philip K. Dick; 1968. 256 pages. Fiction.) *

â–  Accelerated (Bronwen Hruska; 2012. 288 pages. Fiction.)

â–  The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger; 1951. 288 pages. Fiction.) *

â–  Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes; 1966. 324 pages. Fiction.) *

â–  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford; 2009. 301 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Dai Sijie; 2002. 104 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Revival, Vol. 1 (Tim Seeley; 2012. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)

â–  Saga, Vol. 1 (Brian K. Vaughan; 2012. 160 pages. Graphic fiction.)

■ La Bohème: Black Dog Opera Library (2005. 144 pages. Libretto, history, and commentary.)

â–  The 13 Clocks (James Thurber (1950); 2008. 136 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (Susannah Cahalan; 2012. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2003. 288 pages. Drama.) *

â–  Don't Turn Around (Michelle Gagnon; 2012. 320 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors (Ann Rule; 2012. 544 pages. Non-fiction.)

â–  Daddy Love (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 240 pages. Fiction.)

â–  Life after Death (Damien Echols; 2012. 416 pages. Non-fiction.)

 

* Denotes rereads.

[Lady Florida.]

If so, The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin serves up 2 parts mob story, 1 part noir to make a gripping, ripping fun yarn about the Jewish mob in 1960s NYC. Definitely recommended.

 

 

 

 

I am adding this one to my list. :thumbup1:

 

 

This looks like a fun read, so I checked with the library and they have the ebook. At first I thought I'd add it to my wish list so I don't forget about it. Then I thought that maybe it will be getting more attention what with Stephen King quoting it and all. If that happens, there will probably be a long waiting list. Since it was available now I went ahead and borrowed it. I'm almost finished with In the Time of the Butterflies, and the loan period is 3 weeks, so there didn't seem to be any reason to wait. I look forward to reading it! How can you not want to read a book that includes a character named Frit von Zeppelin? :D

[melmichigan]

I just finished Kiss if Midnight: A Midnight Breed novel by Lara Adrian which I know I found on this board. I enjoyed it. It definately had a different vampire then what I am used to. This made the storyline a bit unpredictable beyond the typical hunky vampire meets troubled beautiful woman which are favorite escapes for me. They are Aliens who have lived on our planet for hundreds of years in this series! Not weird just some different customs and no garlic etc. One Holy water scene but quick. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

 

I love the Lara Adrian Midnight Breed series, enjoy! :)

[Stacia]

I've started Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner. I've never read Faulkner -- I have been wanting to for many years, but have also been a little scared to try him as I've heard he is quite daunting to read. I'm not far into it yet, but am already loving Faulkner's style. I mean, I've got it bad -- I am already head-over-heels in :001_wub: with his writing....

 

I already have to wonder, though, if people who are not from the southern US find it hard to read this book -- just his phrasing/cadence/descriptive style? To me, it seems an extension of a southern storytelling style & I found it relatively easy to fall into the cadence of the wording. To me, there's some familiarity, some comfort, some connection in 'hearing' how some of this story is being told. But, if you've never had any or much exposure to that style, is it hard(er) to read? I'm just curious as to others' experiences reading Faulkner, esp. since I was loath to tackle him for awhile....

 

I did see this nugget of info on Wikipedia (I'm not yet to chapter 6 :lol: ):

The 1983 Guinness Book of World Records claims the "Longest Sentence in Literature" is a sentence from Absalom, Absalom! containing 1,288 words. The sentence can be found in Chapter 6; it begins with the words 'Just exactly like father', and ends with 'the eye could not see from any point'. The passage is entirely italicised and incomplete.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[ladydusk]

I finished the first of the Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins. I think I picked it up during one of those Kindle Jane Austen free stuff weekends. I don't think I'll read any more of them, certainly not if I have to pay for them. I'm just glad to finally finish a book again. I started Hidden Art with a group of friends and The Exact Place by Margie Haack, a memoir. And I'm amid several other things. Maybe I'll keep finishing things.

[Lady Florida.]

I wish I could make the photo smaller, and maybe I'll delete it later, but I had a minor crisis yesterday. That's In the Time of the Butterflies I was reading. It slipped out of my hand, and hit the corner of a bench. The screen shows no outward damage, so it obviously broke something internal. It's frozen on that screen. I can't go to the home screen or even turn it off.

 

Luckily I have a Kindle Fire, and the Kindle app on my phone, so I was able to finish the book. Dh and ds also have Kindles. That's why I called it a minor crisis. Still, this one was mine, and I had all my collections organized the way I like them. This Kindle is 3 years old (it's the original Keyboard model), so no warranty. I do however, have a refurbished Kindle Paperwhite on the way. I wanted a Paperwhite eventually, but I didn't think "eventually" would come so soon.

 

 

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Stacia]

Aaaah, Faulkner! I've not seen his name mentioned in these threads. His writing reminds me of the uncle at the family reunion who has just a few too many then starts rambling away about old times. (yes, I'm from the South; born & bred)

 

I wrote my senior honors thesis in college on The Sound & the Fury back about a million years ago. Faulkner and his stream of consciousness style always appealed to me much more than his contemporaries, Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Never thought about its being a regional preference, but perhaps it is.

 

 

Doesn't every southern family gathering have the uncle like that, along w/ the family eccentric? ;) :lol:

 

I do really wonder if there is a regional preference for Faulkner's style. I'm also from the South (& have spent most of my life living in the South); even though I've ever only driven through Mississippi, I feel an immediate, deep kinship w/ his descriptions. I *know* these places, these people, these ways of speaking.... Kwim?

 

I didn't think "eventually" would come so soon.

 

 

Ack. That's not fun. Sorry to hear it.

[luvnlattes]

I haven't posted in a while but I have been reading. Last week I finished Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason. It was a crime novel that takes place in Iceland and was recommended on my Goodreads page. Some sites call it an "Icelandic thriller" but there was no heart pounding or rapid page turning which is what makes a book a thriller to me. It was a straightforward whodunit that wasn't bad. I gave it 3 stars.

 

This week I'm reading Mudbound by Hillary Jordan.

[Mom-ninja.]

Oh no! See this is one reason I'm leery about e-readers. I mean eventually they *will* stop working. Then you have to get another one if you want to read your ebook collection.

 

A hard copy book is practically forever....at least for a few generations give or take barring no fire or water gets near it. But if you drop a book it won't rebel against you. :p

 

This coming from the person who has a Kindle and a Nook for herself, a Kindle for two out of three kids, and bought a Kindle for the mil. :lol:

[mlbuchina]

Luckily I have a Kindle Fire, and the Kindle app on my phone, so I was able to finish the book. Dh and ds also have Kindles. That's why I called it a minor crisis. Still, this one was mine, and I had all my collections organized the way I like them. This Kindle is 3 years old (it's the original Keyboard model), so no warranty. I do however, have a refurbished Kindle Paperwhite on the way. I wanted a Paperwhite eventually, but I didn't think "eventually" would come so soon.

 

 

Oh, no! I'm glad you could finish your book, though. Hope you enjoy the Paperwhite!