Book a Week in 2013 - week twenty

[Stacia]

:grouphug: :grouphug: , Eliana. I've missed you & will be keeping you in my thoughts.

 

My dd created this image (not the quote, obviously ;), that's from one of our favorites - Roald Dahl).

 

 

I love it, Negin! Kudos to your dd!

 

Well, I took a break from 1Q84 again. I am going to finish this book at some point. It has never taken me this long to read a book in my whole life! I don't know what it is about this book. I sit down to read it, and think it won't take very long, but I end up in some time paradox where reading a sentence takes three times as long as normal.

 

 

It sounds like you are in Murakami's alternate world... maybe 2Q13? :lol: (Or maybe you're really just Alice in Wonderland & fell down the rabbit hole?)

 

I just wanted to say thank you for this thread. Although I don't think my stuff is suitable for here (its more boring learning styles/Special Needs/curriculum & methods types books).

 

 

:seeya: & welcome. Feel free to jump in & share.

 

It's been awhile since I checked in so here's the whole list.

 

 

Good to see you again, RWJ! What did you think of Legend & of The Rules of Civility?

 

I think I've read 26 books so far. Halfway to 52!

 

 

:cheers2:

[Negin]

My life got hijacked several weeks ago by the hardest 'curve ball' I've ever had. As the debris begins to settle, I'm trying to get out of crisis mode, though normal is a long way off.

:grouphug: Eliana, I hope and pray that life gets back to normal soon.

 

I love it, Negin! Kudos to your dd!

Thanks, Stacia. :)

[Onceuponatime]

Since Sunday, I've read Miss Zukas and the Library Murders- so, so.

 

I started on A Confederacy of Dunces yesterday and am almost halfway through. Not that I like it, it's more like being stuck on a train that's out of control and has been out of control for a while. Since I'm this far, I might see it through to the end, but I suspect that the queazy feeling won't ever come to a conclusion and the reader just has to jump off the train at the end of the book.

[Laura Corin]

Finished Raven Black by Ann Cleeve - a more-than-competent mystery, with interesting insights into Shetland society. I also finished Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult - not my usual style but okay, I suppose. Still making my way through Lolita - on the penultimate disc.

 

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

19: Raven Black - Ann Cleeve

20: Plain Truth - Jodi Picoult

 

Laura

[Stacia]

I started on A Confederacy of Dunces yesterday and am almost halfway through. Not that I like it, it's more like being stuck on a train that's out of control and has been out of control for a while. Since I'm this far, I might see it through to the end, but I suspect that the queazy feeling won't ever come to a conclusion and the reader just has to jump off the train at the end of the book.

 

Boy, it has been a really, really long time since I read that book. I know it is highly recommended & I remember thinking it was ok, but I like your review of it because it seems apropos (as least, from what I remember of it)....

 

In the meantime, I've decided to give up on Alif the Unseen. The book is fine, even a bit entertaining, but it seems like it is a YA book (even though it is not filed that way at the library). YA is not my thing & I have many other books sitting here that I'd rather be reading. I made it through about 175 pages (not quite halfway) -- it sort-of reminds me of The Children of the Lamp series (fun YA series), but w/ more of a techno-geek bent (of course mixed w/ jinn). Based on what I've read so far, I'd probably give it 3 stars overall & would recommend it for those who want a YA mix of modern-day Middle East/technology/jinn/fable.

 

In the meantime, I've (barely) started one I have been eagerly anticipating: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.

 

“A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be.â€

 

In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao first plans to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who’s lived more than a century. A diary is Nao’s only solace—and will touch lives in ways she can scarcely imagine.

 

Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao’s drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future.

 

Full of Ozeki’s signature humor and deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth, A Tale for the Time Being is a brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.

[mumto2]

I finished #75 A Red Herring with Mustard by Alan Bradley. It was another Flavia book and it was lovely. They are great reads but I really do not understand why they are considered adult books. On to the next in the series as soon as I have time.

 

Also finished #76 In Rides Trouble (Black Knights) by Julie Ann Walker. Fun read with more in the series. Hopefully I will eventually find them at a library because while I enjoy them not enough to buy the last half of a series.

 

Just started The Charm School by Nelson DeMille. I read it when it first came out in 1988 and loved it. Currently reading it to see if it could add atmosphere to our modern history cold war studies. A bit chunky at almost 700 pages so I don't want to assign "atmosphere" unless dd and maybe ds will love it.

[mlbuchina]

It's so good to see you, Eliana. I hope things return to normal quickly. :grouphug:

 

 

It sounds like you are in Murakami's alternate world... maybe 2Q13? :lol: (Or maybe you're really just Alice in Wonderland & fell down the rabbit hole?)

 

 

 

:lol: I think you may be right!!

 

 

I think I've read 26 books so far. Halfway to 52! I finished The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton He really knew how to craft a good book. Truly a talented writer, and that was one of his early ones (1969). Now I'm reading A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes by Annette Funicello.

 

 

I read The Andromeda Strain years and years ago. I agree with you about Crichton: great for summer reading. I enjoyed the movie Andromeda Strain as well. I think it was the first sci-fi flick I ever saw.

 

 

I love Michael Crichton. Two recent (well not SO recent, I read them when they came out) ones I loved were Prey and Next. Both, considering the current state of the world, especially in Science, could become true. I haven't read Pirate Latitudes....sounds like a weird title coming from him. I more went into dystopian novels and genetic experiments after that. Anything pre-Prey from Crichton I think I have read.

 

Funnily enough, when other kids my age were reading Babysitter Club, and Pony stuff, I was reading Michael Crichton,

 

 

I love Michael Critchton, too. My favorites are The Sphere and The Andromeda Strain. I was also reading him, along with as much sci-fi and fantasy as I could find, when the kids around me were reading stuff like Sweet Valley High. Some of the authors I was really into back then were him, Sidney Sheldon, Terry Brooks, Dean Koontz, and Anne McCaffrey. You know, I wish I could get a list of the books I checked out at the library when I was a kid. I know there are some books on it that I would love to reread, but can't remember the title or authors of them. I just remember pieces and parts of the stories.

 

As to Pirate Latitudes, I think that was a manuscript he was working on that was found after he died. He hadn't finished it, but they published it anyway.

[Stacia]

It was another Flavia book and it was lovely. They are great reads but I really do not understand why they are considered adult books. On to the next in the series as soon as I have time.

 

 

I love that series, as does my 12yo ds. I can see how they could be classified as YA, but at least they're 'smart' YA (vocabulary-wise, imo).

 

As I've mentioned previously, The Book Thief is filed as YA here in the US, yet was not listed as YA in its native Australia.

 

I wonder what criteria are used to classify books as YA (or not)? Is it something suggested by the publisher or something that libraries decide...???

[Jane in NC]

I started on A Confederacy of Dunces yesterday and am almost halfway through. Not that I like it, it's more like being stuck on a train that's out of control and has been out of control for a while. Since I'm this far, I might see it through to the end, but I suspect that the queazy feeling won't ever come to a conclusion and the reader just has to jump off the train at the end of the book.

 

 

Decades ago, it seemed that part of the charm of Confederacy of Dunces was its posthumous publication. One wondered what else the author would have done. I remember sitting on a park bench in Central Park and reading this book, laughing aloud.

 

And now, girls, today's etiquette tip:

 

 

Madame Bovary noticed that several of the ladies had not put their gloves inside their glasses.

 

 

I am reading the Penguin Classics edition of Flaubert's novel, written and annotated by Geoffrey Wall who notes:

 

Provincial women of Emma's social class did not customarily drink wine at dinner parties. They would signify their intention to abstain by putting their gloves inside their wineglasses. Emma is impressed by the sophistication of those who are not intending to abstain.

 

Let it be known that your dear Aunt Jane has never placed her gloves in her wine glass. :lol:

[Hoot]

Finished "Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea With Ocean Experts" by Ellen J. Prager. This was a pre-read for DS14's Marine Biology course for the year after next. Excellent book and very interesting.

 

 

 

Completed So Far

 

1. Best Friends by Samantha Glen

2. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien

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

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

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

6. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim

7. Beowulf by Seamus Heaney

8. The Odyssey by Homer (Fagles translation)

9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

10. The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling by Quinn Cummings

11. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson

12. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

13. Tales of an African Vet by Dr. Roy Aronson

14. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

15. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie

16. Kisses From Katie by Katie Katie Davis

17. Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan

18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

19. Zoo by James Patterson

20. St. Lucy's School for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell

21. Russian Tortoises in Captivity by Jerry D. Fife

22. Leopard Geckos for Dummies by Liz Palika

23. The 8th Confession by James Patterson

24. Leopard Geckos: Caring for Your New Pet by Casey Watkins

25. The Ultimate Guide to Leopard Geckos by Phoenix Hayes Simmons

26. 9th Judgement by James Patterson

27. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson

28. 11th Hour by James Patterson

29. 12th of Never by James Patterson

30. Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea With Ocean Experts by Ellen J. Prager

[Heather in Neverland]

I just finished To Kill a Mockingbird. I can't believe I waited until now to read that book. It was amazing.

[Storm Bay]

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson

3 stars

 

 

Renee Michell, concierge at a building of exclusive homes for the wealthy, hides her brilliance behind her short, squat, ugly body and a mask of intellectual dullness, convinced that this is how things need to be. Paloma, younger daughter of residents there, also hides her brilliant intellect and secretly plans to commit suicide on her 13th birthday to escape the meaningless darkness of life and set fire to the family apartment to spite her family who don't give her a moment's peace to think unless she hides. Enter Ozu, a bright, thinking, wealthy Japanese man who purchases an apartment upon the death of its owner, who not only sees past the masks Paloma and Renee wear, but also befriends Renee and helps the two of them connect.

 

The book is not only very well written, but it has also been translated to retain beauty and nuance of language that captures the philosophical flavour of the novel in a different language. However, it is becoming increasingly irritating to read books where anyone who is hyper-intelligent just "knows" that there is nothing but what we can see, similar to existentialism or authenticity, and that other thought is inherently weaker. It's blatantly inaccurate to conclude that this is the end of all intelligent, deep thought; there are hyper-intelligent, deep thinking people who come to vastly different conclusions. One might argue that these are just the characters and not the author speaking, but in this case I highly doubt it given that Barbery is a professor of philosophy. A great, and I suspect unwitting, irony of this book is the self-fulfilling fear/prophecy that Renee has about what will happen if she steps out of intellectual hiding and makes a friend out of her class. The ending for Paloma is much more believable and works in the novel's favour. Therefore, despite the brilliant use of language, the wit, and some lovely scenes, I am giving this book a 3 for lack of intellectual originality and a bit of a rushed ending.

[Stacia]

The book is not only very well written, but it has also been translated to retain beauty and nuance of language that captures the philosophical flavour of the novel in a different language. However, it is becoming increasingly irritating to read books where anyone who is hyper-intelligent just "knows" that there is nothing but what we can see, similar to existentialism or authenticity, and that other thought is inherently weaker. It's blatantly inaccurate to conclude that this is the end of all intelligent, deep thought; there are hyper-intelligent, deep thinking people who come to vastly different conclusions. One might argue that these are just the characters and not the author speaking, but in this case I highly doubt it given that Barbery is a professor of philosophy. A great, and I suspect unwitting, irony of this book is the self-fulfilling fear/prophecy that Renee has about what will happen if she steps out of intellectual hiding and makes a friend out of her class. The ending for Paloma is much more believable and works in the novel's favour. Therefore, despite the brilliant use of language, the with, and some lovely scenes, I am giving this book a 3 for lack of intellectual originality and a bit of a rushed ending.

 

I enjoyed reading your review. I tried reading this book a few years ago, but I wasn't drawn in by any of the characters or by the plot, so I ended up not finishing it. Your review is somewhat unique from many I've read because so many people seemed utterly entranced & in love w/ the book. I couldn't see what they loved, so your review at least gives me a glimpse of both the positives & negatives of the book. It is published by Europa (the publishing company I fell in love w/ a year or two ago); their books just feel lovely to hold -- they're the 'right' size & heft to appeal very much to me. Even so, the story couldn't overcome the appealing packaging, imo.

[Robin M]

My life got hijacked several weeks ago by the hardest 'curve ball' I've ever had. As the debris begins to settle, I'm trying to get out of crisis mode, though normal is a long way off.

 

 

Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis: Debs at War made me want to revisit this, especially the FANY sections. I love most of Willis's books, and these are no exception.

 

 

 

 

:grouphug: There you are. I had just been wandering where you disappeared to. Hope everything is settling down for you. Now I want to read Connie Willis. More books to add to my wishlist. :)

 

I love Michael Critchton, too. My favorites are The Sphere and The Andromeda Strain. I was also reading him, along with as much sci-fi and fantasy as I could find, when the kids around me were reading stuff like Sweet Valley High. Some of the authors I was really into back then were him, Sidney Sheldon, Terry Brooks, Dean Koontz, and Anne McCaffrey. You know, I wish I could get a list of the books I checked out at the library when I was a kid. I know there are some books on it that I would love to reread, but can't remember the title or authors of them. I just remember pieces and parts of the stories.

 

As to Pirate Latitudes, I think that was a manuscript he was working on that was found after he died. He hadn't finished it, but they published it anyway.

 

 

Oh I loved The Sphere. Should dig it out of storage and reread it. I tried reading a while back Pirate Latitudes but gave up halfway through. It just wasn't up to his usual standards. I know what you mean about all the books read when younger. It would be nice to revisit. Once I got older and had a job, I bought all my books which is why I have boxes and boxes of old books in the closet and garage. Periodically I'll go through and pull out a few. In the mood to do that - reread oldies.

 

 

 

Particularly since nothing is really sticking with me right now. I read too many contemporary romances in a row and my brain started to shrivel. I've started Hill's N0S4A2 and although it's good I keep straying. I've picked up and abandoned several new books this past week, so just reread a couple of oldies - paranormals Hamilton's Hit List and Arthur's Moon Swoon. Downloaded a bunch a books from B&N's 2.99 sale and a couple from Audible's $4.95 begin at the Beginning of the series sale. Currently listening to Nora Robert's Sea Swept and have to say the male narrator is doing a pretty good job with the female voices. Also started first time author read ( ebook) Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn. It's has promise.

[Lady Florida.]

I just added Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore as I keep reading good things about it in various places, .

 

 

I wouldn't call this a great book, but it was very definitely fun IMO. Literature meets technology. Old vs. new. Past-Present-Future. There lot of references to pop culture and current tech companies (Google figures prominently in the story). <------ None of these are spoilers btw. If I'd paid attention to the reviews I came across before reading it, I probably wouldn't have read it. One type says this book only appeals to people under 30. I'm, um, a *great deal* past 30 :D and enjoyed it. Other reviews complained about lack of developed characters. Maybe I missed something, but to me the people weren't the main characters. Books and technology were the most important "characters". I hope you enjoy the book and read it for what it is.

 

 

YA is not my thing & I have many other books sitting here that I'd rather be reading.

 

 

It's not mine either. I loved the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games series, and The Book Thief (which apparently is only a YA book depending on your country of residence). All three of those have easily crossed over from YA and are popular among adults. Other than that, I can't say I've enjoyed other YA books. I have a lot of adult friends who love YA, and I feel bad expressing my feelings about them. Most of the adult women I know who read and enjoy YA also have teenage daughters who are reading them. I don't know if that's the difference. There are few books/series ds has suggested I read, but we don't normally like the same books. He tried to get me to read the Gone books and the Maze Runner books, neither of which appealed to me. I tried, but just didn't like them. The only ones he convinced me to read that I really liked were The Hunger Games books.

[ladydusk]

I finished The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit despite its sad parts. Rod Dreher writes beautifully. Definitely worth the read.Sill working on Margie Haack's The Exact Place.

 

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

14. The Devil on Lammas Night by Susan Howatch

15. The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins

16. The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher (very very good)

[Mom-ninja.]

Van Helsing's accent (in Stoker's novel) has caused me to develop a crush. Although, if he weren't so secretive he might have spared himself some trouble. Stop being so mysterious already! On the other hand, don't stop cause it's kind of sexy.

[VeganCupcake]

I'm not really interested in YA fiction, either. I didn't even really care for Harry Potter and didn't finish reading the series. :leaving: I have a lot of friends who read a lot of YA literature, and so our book club selection this month is Fever 1793, which I started, but am not really enjoying. I haven't decided if I'll keep reading.

 

I finished listening to Moll Flanders and got a kick out of it. Now I'm listening to Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

 

I'm also reading Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking, and I'm trying to get into it. It's not that engaging so far.

[mlbuchina]

I. FINALLY. FINISHED. IT. :svengo:

[mumto2]

I finished James Patterson's Alex Cross, Run last night. Nothing special simply the next one. The good news is I can return it so yhe next person on the huge wait list can read it. :)

 

I do enjoy YA fiction. I have been thinking about some of the comments here and wondering why.... when I only started reading it recently. Part of that I am sure is because of the age of my dc's. It is fun to join in with thier interests when possible. But also there is so much more of it I think. Many clever supernatural and time travel books seem to be YA. Both genres I have always enjoyed but from a more serial romance novel perspective are now frequently described as YA. The genre names are just a bit more trendy like steam punk etc. I have learned many new ways of describing books since joining this group. I had never even heard of a cozy mystery although they are my favorites. :lol:

 

I suspect the title YA has really evolved in the past decade and am becoming really curious about how it is bestowed. Stacia raised some excellent points earlier. Is is just a publisher's marketing decision or do they have actual standards? Probably enough of my musings for now....

[Jane in NC]

I do enjoy YA fiction. I have been thinking about some of the comments here and wondering why.... when I only started reading it recently. Part of that I am sure is because of the age of my dc's. It is fun to join in with thier interests when possible. But also there is so much more of it I think. Many clever supernatural and time travel books seem to be YA. Both genres I have always enjoyed but from a more serial romance novel perspective are now frequently described as YA. The genre names are just a bit more trendy like steam punk etc. I have learned many new ways of describing books since joining this group. I had never even heard of a cozy mystery although they are my favorites. :lol:

 

I suspect the title YA has really evolved in the past decade and am becoming really curious about how it is bestowed. Stacia raised some excellent points earlier. Is is just a publisher's marketing decision or do they have actual standards? Probably enough of my musings for now....

Agreeing that YA fiction has been undergoing an evolution. Once upon a time it seemed that the smaller YA shelves at the library contained a few books with more "mature" content as well as some that were of general interest to younger people in their discovery of self, books that contained more complex writing or vocabulary than some of those on the juvenile shelves. There clearly became a need for a separation though of YA books from juvenile with publication of novels like Feed. I wonder if librarians ponder target audiences when shelving books.

 

There was a time when I enjoyed YA fiction, particularly books from modern authors. A lot of adult best sellers strike me as poorly written and often feature too much gratuitous sex and violence for my taste. I found interesting stories and better writing over on the YA shelves.

 

But the current crop of Dystopian and supernatural books are just not my thing. Admittedly I read more YA stuff when my son was of the age to borrow these books which he would then place in my hands.

[Onceuponatime]

I decided to toss the Confederacy of Dunces and am reading The Murders of Richard the III by Elizabeth Peters. Since we've paid attention to continents and countries in our reading this year, I've noticed I have a tendency to be an Anglophile.

[Stacia]

There was a time when I enjoyed YA fiction, particularly books from modern authors. A lot of adult best sellers strike me as poorly written and often feature too much gratuitous sex and violence for my taste. I found interesting stories and better writing over on the YA shelves.

 

But the current crop of Dystopian and supernatural books are just not my thing. Admittedly I read more YA stuff when my son was of the age to borrow these books which he would then place in my hands.

 

 

A lot of adult best sellers *and* YA best sellers strike me as poorly written & both often feature too much violence for my taste. I guess one thing that I don't really like about YA is that often, even though the books are for teens, the stories are still pretty simplistic -- simple sentence structure, simple plot, simple characterization, etc.... Harry Potter, imo, is one that stood out from the crowd simply (no pun intended) by being better in all areas. (I've read only the first one in the HP series even though ds keeps bugging me to finish them.) I like some of the more classic dystopian books out there, but the current crop holds no interest for me; otoh, I enjoy supernatural stories, but I generally don't like the YA versions I've tried.

 

I do enjoy YA fiction. I have been thinking about some of the comments here and wondering why.... when I only started reading it recently. Part of that I am sure is because of the age of my dc's. It is fun to join in with thier interests when possible. But also there is so much more of it I think. Many clever supernatural and time travel books seem to be YA. Both genres I have always enjoyed but from a more serial romance novel perspective are now frequently described as YA. The genre names are just a bit more trendy like steam punk etc. I have learned many new ways of describing books since joining this group. I had never even heard of a cozy mystery although they are my favorites. :lol:

 

I suspect the title YA has really evolved in the past decade and am becoming really curious about how it is bestowed. Stacia raised some excellent points earlier. Is is just a publisher's marketing decision or do they have actual standards? Probably enough of my musings for now....

 

 

Hey, steampunk is not just YA. :toetap05: (Mark Hodder's Burton & Swinburne series is steampunk for grown-ups. :thumbup1: ) I've tried some other steampunk books (Parasol Protectorate, Phoenix Rising) that have been ok & seem to straddle the YA/adult markets.

 

Found some info about the YA designation over on Wikipedia. It doesn't necessarily answer anything, but does provide some background.... https://en.wikipedia...g-adult_fiction

 

The only Crichton I really had trouble with was Eaters of the Dead, which was turned into The 13th Warrior, which was *gasp* I felt better than the book.

 

 

I sometimes like the movies better too. (Case in point: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.)

 

I'm not really interested in YA fiction, either. I didn't even really care for Harry Potter and didn't finish reading the series. :leaving: I have a lot of friends who read a lot of YA literature, and so our book club selection this month is Fever 1793, which I started, but am not really enjoying. I haven't decided if I'll keep reading.

 

I finished listening to Moll Flanders and got a kick out of it.

 

 

I've seen the Fever book recommended so many times, but I've never had the slightest interest in reading it, lol. Good to hear about Moll Flanders -- definitely one I want to read.

 

Van Helsing's accent (in Stoker's novel) has caused me to develop a crush. Although, if he weren't so secretive he might have spared himself some trouble. Stop being so mysterious already! On the other hand, don't stop cause it's kind of sexy.

 

 

:lol:

 

Are you listening to Dracula or some other variation on it?

 

I wouldn't call this a great book, but it was very definitely fun IMO. Literature meets technology. Old vs. new. Past-Present-Future. There lot of references to pop culture and current tech companies (Google figures prominently in the story). <------ None of these are spoilers btw. If I'd paid attention to the reviews I came across before reading it, I probably wouldn't have read it. One type says this book only appeals to people under 30. I'm, um, a *great deal* past 30 :D and enjoyed it. Other reviews complained about lack of developed characters. Maybe I missed something, but to me the people weren't the main characters. Books and technology were the most important "characters". I hope you enjoy the book and read it for what it is.

 

It's not mine either. I loved the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games series, and The Book Thief (which apparently is only a YA book depending on your country of residence). All three of those have easily crossed over from YA and are popular among adults. Other than that, I can't say I've enjoyed other YA books. I have a lot of adult friends who love YA, and I feel bad expressing my feelings about them. Most of the adult women I know who read and enjoy YA also have teenage daughters who are reading them. I don't know if that's the difference. There are few books/series ds has suggested I read, but we don't normally like the same books. He tried to get me to read the Gone books and the Maze Runner books, neither of which appealed to me. I tried, but just didn't like them. The only ones he convinced me to read that I really liked were The Hunger Games books.

 

 

I agree pretty much about the Mr. Penumbra book. It wasn't great writing (or story) by any stretch of the imagination, but it was relatively entertaining (even though I'm way past age 30 too). I did get tired of the Google adoration in it. (Extreme product placement like that seems to be more of a norm these days in popular fiction, at least from what I've noticed.... It's not a trend I like, but it is perhaps reflective of our consumer-driven culture.)

 

Even though I have a teen and an almost-teen, I just don't overlap very much w/ their reading (if they're reading YA). They know I just don't like most of that stuff, lol. :tongue_smilie: And they know not to mess with me & my reading choices. :sneaky2: :laugh:

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm reading Dracula so the accent on paper is translated in my head which means his voice sounds just like I want it to. :drool5:

[Stacia]

I'm reading Dracula so the accent on paper is translated in my head which means his voice sounds just like I want it to. :drool5:

 

Ah, ok! LOL.

[Stacia]

.

[mumto2]

Stacia - I will attempt to find an adult (Burton and Swinburne) Steampunk novel and try it. :lol:

[bobbeym]

I have finally finished Diana Gabaldon's Voyager for the umpteenth time. Still not sure how I'm going to make it through all 7 of those books before December!

 

Got to read a pre-release, beta copy of A Melody for James, the new Christian suspense novel by Hallee Bridgeman. I must admit that I enjoyed it far more than her romantic Jewel trilogy.

 

I have 2 other books on hold at the library to pick up tonight. One is half-finished, the other not started.

 

I'm supposed to be reading a book for church as part of our youth ministry, but I have issues with the book and don't really want to read it. But I will b/c at least I know how to point my kid in the right direction when the other leaders tell him otherwise.

[Stacia]

Question for all my reading friends....

 

I'm thinking about putting together a 'continental challenge' list of books for ds to read in 7th/8th grade. He reads at a high school level & has excellent vocabulary skills, but is still fairly sensitive to topics (esp. horrific/depressing things).

 

Books can be either fiction or non-fiction; fun or serious... (meaning they don't all have to be 'academic' books).

 

Any recommendations or ideas of books to include on the list?

[Violet Crown]

12. Carlos Fuentes, The Old Gringo

 

"Don't you understand? I want to die. That's why I came here. To be killed."

Huddled against the old man's breast, Harriet smelled the fresh lotion on his shirt; she lifted a loving hand and stroked the old man's lean, clean-shaven cheeks, free for once of the customary white stubble. He was a handsome old man. It frightened her, suddenly, to realize he was clean, shaved, perfumed, as if in preparation for some great ceremony. But she was unexpectedly distracted by the distant commotion in the village. Arroyo was speaking to the people, moving rapidly and with authority among them. The gringos were watching from a distance, but they saw him in close detail: cruel and tender, just and unjust, resentful and self-confident, active and lazy, modest and arrogant: the quintessential Latin Indian. They watched him as they stood in an embrace, immersed in odors and deceits, silhouetted against the setting sun, far from their own cities and rivers, subjugated by the feeling of revelation that "like the face of God in the desert" comes but once or twice in a lifetime.

 

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

 

Well-written, but just not my literary preference. Long passages of dreamlike explorations of characters' motivations leave me skimming to the end of the paragraph. And I got that the father issues all the characters had were saying something important about Mexico and the nature of revolution; that point felt overmade. Finally - and call me a prude - but I just don't appreciate graphic sex scenes that don't serve any clear literary purpose by their details.

 

More Pindar.

[Just Robyn]

Crstarlette - Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series looks good plus the author is Australian. I'll have to check it out.

 

These are good wholesome books. I've been meaning to write the author a letter requesting that he write an adult book about Halt, one of the characters in the Ranger's Apprentice series.

 

I thought the same thing about The Fifty Year Sword.

 

I need to look up The Castle of Otranto. Sounds interesting.

 

The Castle of Otranto was a quick read - and fun. And it's interesting in a literary way because it's considered the first Gothic novel. I enjoy seeing the origins of things.

 

I've had The Castle of Otranto on my Kindle for a while. Maybe I'll give it a try. Northanger Abbey might just be my favorite Austen novel. It's definitely the most entertaining. Her wit really comes out in that one. Since you've read The Castle of Otranto, you should be able to recognize her send-up of gothic novels.

 

Yes, it was great! I probably would have been better off if I had read The Mysteries of Udolpho, but oh well. That's another one for the to-read list.

[aggieamy]

I have completed ZERO books in the last two weeks. :( It's been a combination of a mini-reading slump and crazy busy. We were planning on selling our house in June so a week ago we met a realtor and showed him around our house. A few days later he called and said he had someone who might be interested in our house and could they just do a quick look through. We now have 43 days to find a house and move! Eeek! Our house sold and now we have to find something and there's not much we've been seeing in our price range. Double eek!

 

Question for all my reading friends....

 

I'm thinking about putting together a 'continental challenge' list of books for ds to read in 7th/8th grade. He reads at a high school level & has excellent vocabulary skills, but is still fairly sensitive to topics (esp. horrific/depressing things).

 

Books can be either fiction or non-fiction; fun or serious... (meaning they don't all have to be 'academic' books).

 

Any recommendations or ideas of books to include on the list?

 

 

Are you looking for things more of a classical nature or just fun?

[Stacia]

Are you looking for things more of a classical nature or just fun?

 

 

Both.

[zillymom]

This week I'm reading The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler (fiction) and A Complicated Marriage: My Life with Clement Greenberg by Janice Van Horne (memoir).

 

Last week I finished The Liars' Gospel by Naomi Alderman, a fictional retelling of Jesus' life (from a Jewish historical context) by four people close to him (Mary, Judas, Caiaphas, and Barabbas).

 

Stacia - Hope you enjoy the Ruth Ozeki book as much as I did!

[Violet Crown]

I probably would have been better off if I had read The Mysteries of Udolpho, but oh well. That's another one for the to-read list.

Udolpho is pretty skimmable, to my recollection.

I have completed ZERO books in the last two weeks. :( It's been a combination of a mini-reading slump and crazy busy.

No worries. :) Life sometimes does that to you.

[Guest]

I finished Kostova's The Swan Thieves last night for the second time. I don't know anyone else who liked that book, but I love it. I started The Paris Wife this morning and think it seems promising. Oh! I read (or skimmed parts, rather) of Nurture by Nature: Understand Your Child's Personality Type - And Become a Better Parent which I loved! It has you figure out your kids' Myers-Briggs personality types and gives suggestions to better parent them. I have one child who is a carbon copy of me (or so I thought!) and one child who is the complete opposite. I bought it to hopefully glean some insight to her personality and what makes her tick. I have totally become a MB fanatic since joining this forum, so it was right up my alley and really resonated with me.

 

Since we're weighing in on Crichton, I loved Timeline, although I didn't feel it was a "great" book. I tried reading Pirate Latitudes and didn't care for it and didn't get far into it. I never tried anything else by him, although I should.

 

My reading this year has been abysmal and I hope to do some catching up this summer. :)

[Storm Bay]

A lot of adult best sellers *and* YA best sellers strike me as poorly written & both often feature too much violence for my taste. I guess one thing that I don't really like about YA is that often, even though the books are for teens, the stories are still pretty simplistic -- simple sentence structure, simple plot, simple characterization, etc.... Harry Potter, imo, is one that stood out from the crowd simply (no pun intended) by being better in all areas. (I've read only the first one in the HP series even though ds keeps bugging me to finish them.) I like some of the more classic dystopian books out there, but the current crop holds no interest for me; otoh, I enjoy supernatural stories, but I generally don't like the YA versions I've tried.

 

 

 

Y/A, like anything else, has a great deal of variation in quality and reading levels. It encompasses different ages and intellectual capacities of y/a, IMO. One y/a book which doesn't have anything simplistic about it and was released as an adult novel in the US (y/a in New Zealand, where it was written) is Genesis by Bernard Beckett. It's written like a Socratic dialogue and ponders what it is that makes consciousness, but it is a scifi book as well.

 

I hate most y/a, but I say I like it because there is enough of it I do like that I'll read some of it. I have noticed, however, that as my kids get older I'm more selective in y/a, and tend to read more of it geared to older y/a.

[Robin M]

Link to week 21 - please continue conversation in new thread