Book a Week in 2013 - week twenty five

[Rosie_0801]

I just finished reading 'The Last Samurai' by Helen De Witt.

 

The first half was the best fun I've had in ages. The second half was annoying, but I enjoyed finding it annoying until the last page.

[Stacia]

I just finished reading 'The Last Samurai' by Helen De Witt.

 

The first half was the best fun I've had in ages. The second half was annoying, but I enjoyed finding it annoying until the last page.

 

Good to know. I picked that book up a few months ago at the library (part of a humongous stack that I didn't get through) & ended up returning it unread w/ the intention of checking it out again later. Sounds like I need to go find it again.... Glad you reminded me about it.

[Stacia]

Yipee. I am back at home after 3+ weeks away (lovely weeks), but now I'm back to my ancient computer that has no 'enter' key issues on here, so I'll take my small victories where I can find them! LOL.

 

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (American author, DD class 800)

 

Please give a review when you're finished. I've had this on my to-read list for awhile now.

 

had many hilarious typos, my favorite being: "the twenty two feces of famous people staring vacantly in her direction". Yes, that pretty much sums it up - the feces of famous people versus the faces. And twenty-two feces, mind you. :smilielol5:

 

Yes, my completely juvenile, inner 8yo boy is still totally laughing over this one.

 

I am now reading The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack

 

Hope you enjoy it. Loved the historical bits. And how can you not love Burton & Swinburne as partners?!

 

55. The Solitude of Prime Numbers Paolo Giordano (Italy)

 

How did you like this. Is is one that has been on my to-read list.

 

It was A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. I'm on a long waiting list for The Kite Runner, and I saw he had a new one out, so I thought I try the one I could get. I was disappointed. While the story was engaging the writing was poor. It felt as if it were written at a 5th grade level. and It almost felt like proganada. I did finish it, and I did shed a tear (nothing like a tear jerker), so I gave it 2 stars on Goodreads.

 

I have never read Hosseini's books & have always thought I should because I've only ever seen glowing reviews. So, I appreciate your different perspective on the book. For some reason, even though I've always felt that I 'should' read him, I've also always felt somewhat ambivalent about picking up his books....

 

And, because I haven't had my updated list handy these past few weeks, I'm adding it now....

 

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

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 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). Challenges: Dusty; Continental – North America (USA).

29. Sacré Blue by Christopher Moore (3 stars).

30. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Japan) & North America (Canada).

 

31. Phoebe & the Ghost of Chagall by Jill Koenigsdorf (3 stars).

32. I Will Have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

33. Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost (3 stars). Challenge: Dewey Decimal – 900s.

34. Hammett Unwritten by Owen Fitzstephen (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

35. All Men Are Liars by Alberto Manguel (5 stars). Challenges: Continental – South America (Argentina) & Europe (Spain); Pick A Book By Its Cover

36. This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong (3 stars).

[Stacia]

The Peach Keeper was just a peach of a book. ( http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/lol.gif I crack me up, sometimes.) It was just a light and enjoyable little read; perfect for summer. I have visited my library and got all the books by these two authors that they had: The Lake of Dreams (Kim Edwards), Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen, and The Girl Who Chased the Moon (Sarah Addison Allen). Now I just need to decide which one I want to read next, although Chocolat is sitting here beckoning me, as well as another book I found while at the library. This one is going to be my Book by It's Cover pick:

 

I don't know anything about it, and I am going to try and not read the copy on the flap.

 

If you enjoy the Sarah Addison Allen books & want something in a similar, light-read type of style, check out Phoebe & the Ghost of Chagall.

 

I recognize that cover art. Someone on here recommended it about a year ago. It was one of those (like so many times), I picked up in a huge library pile but didn't get around to reading it before I needed to return it. Let me know what you think of it. It's still one I'm interested in reading. My to-read piles are always too big!

[luvnlattes]

I finished a few more books since I last posted.

 

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson popped up on Overdrive when I was browsing audiobooks. I loved it because it was the perfect book for me at the perfect time. It's a Christian book about taking risks and facing challenges. This author was the narrator and his energy was contagious.

 

I don't remember why I ordered Conversations with Millionaires by Mike Litman but I must have thought it would be something really inspiring because I requested via inter-library loan. I started this book on vacation when I ran out of other books to read. The only reason I finished it was because I had gotten so far before we came home. It felt like one big infomercial, which I guess it was. It consisted of transcripts from Mike Litman's (never heard of him) radio program where he interviewed these various people. It wasn't what I expected at all and I didn't care for it.

 

Finally, I finished Private Games by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan. I was hoping for a sinister-feeling "bad guy" which I felt Private Berlin delivered. The villain here wasn't as interesting to me. I also thought one of the moves by the main character wasn't realistic so I only gave this book 2 stars on Goodreads, meaning it was just ok.

 

That brings my tally to 28.

[Chocolate Rose]

Byzantium by Lawhead. A very good read.

 

I've had this sitting on my nightstand for a few years waiting to be read. It keeps getting pushed back because some other book has gotten my attention. Thanks for the reminder!

[Storm Bay]

I finished The Long Way Home, the sequel to the y/a thriller The Last Thing I Remember, which is a quartet & the next two books are taking a long time to arrive. Not that it's stellar writing for my tastes, but I want to see how it ends :toetap05: . In the meantime, I reading a Charles Swindoll book on Grace, another nonfiction, finishing up The Hound of the Baskervilles and I've started another dystopian novel because I liked the cover when I saw it in transit at the library one day (what a reason to read the book! It's okay; nothing stellar but not bad, either, and it's called Match.

 

I have no idea why there is an extra space between the first 2 lines of my paragraph or why this forum gives me such a hard time when I try to correct moving backward once I've used italics (but those are probably fodder for a different forum).

 

A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh - This was not particularly a good book. I had a difficult time trying to decide who was the main character and the mystery was pretty weak. It seemed that at the last minute the author randomly picked one of the characters to be the murderer and then came up with some unconvincing clues to tie it all together. And there was an unrelated Russian crime ring randomly thrown in.

 

Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer – There are some crazy people out there climbing mountains and doing things I have no interest in. I hope my daughter never finds one of those guys and wants to marry them. Still I had a morbid amount of fun reading the book because I felt like I was peeking into the life of people with too much free time and too much money and a complete disregard for their own safety.

 

In Progress:

 

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (read aloud)

The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (audiobook)

What to Eat by Marion Nestle

 

2013 finished books:

 

49. Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer (****)

48. A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh (**)

 

Wow, you're nearly at 52 books!

 

 

How would Wodehouse be for kids (like 11 and 8)? I was thinking of him for our next long trip.

 

I agree that it would be over their heads. If you can get your hands on some, I highly recommend Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe stories. My niece lent us hers when she was about your kids' ages & my kids & I all loved them. Some are poignant, many are funny and he is a brilliant story teller; he wrote them & they are in print, but the are fabulous.. They are short stories, but long enough that 3 fit on 1 CD. If you google Vinyl Cafe you should be able to get the link to CBC where there are recordings, but you usually listen to other things before the stories start.

[Storm Bay]

How did you like this. Is is one that has been on my to-read list.

 

RE: The Solitude of Prime Numbers

 

I give it 2 stars. On the one hand, the author can write well. On the other hand, it's heavy and tragic. I couldn't like either of the protagonists because they hate themselves so much and or grieve for so long and neither seek nor want help. One revels in their self destructive behaviour, which was distasteful to me on such a long term basis. I couldn't like their parents who didn't do enough to help them and stayed stuck where they were. The book cover says they are misfits, but both reject offers of friendships at times. There was a time before these characters hated themselves at the beginnings of their back stories, but not long enough for me to really develop a connection with them.

 

That said, I liked it well enough to read the entire book, so perhaps I could have given it a 3, and I won't say whether or not there is any light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Other people have loved this book. The person I read a review about this book from gave it 4 stars; I read it because I really liked the title, which is not a logical reason to read a book, but nevertheless has led me to read a few books over the years.

[MomtoCandJ]

I'm reading Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary- Era Women and the Radical Men They Married.

[Stacia]

RE: The Solitude of Prime Numbers

 

I give it 2 stars. On the one hand, the author can write well. On the other hand, it's heavy and tragic. I couldn't like either of the protagonists because they hate themselves so much and or grieve for so long and neither seek nor want help. One revels in their self destructive behaviour, which was distasteful to me on such a long term basis. I couldn't like their parents who didn't do enough to help them and stayed stuck where they were. The book cover says they are misfits, but both reject offers of friendships at times. There was a time before these characters hated themselves at the beginnings of their back stories, but not long enough for me to really develop a connection with them.

 

That said, I liked it well enough to read the entire book, so perhaps I could have given it a 3, and I won't say whether or not there is any light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Other people have loved this book. The person I read a review about this book from gave it 4 stars; I read it because I really liked the title, which is not a logical reason to read a book, but nevertheless has led me to read a few books over the years.

 

 

Ah, thanks so much for the detailed review. I may still have to try it, but heavy & tragic is not what I'm wanting right now, so it will continue to wait for some perhaps (very) future time....

 

I think picking a book by its title is a perfectly logical reason to select a book, just as picking by the cover art is too. :)

[Kareni]

Last night I finished the paranormal romance Tiger Magic by Jennifer Ashley. It's the latest in her Shifters Unbound series, and I enjoyed it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I read Kevin Hearn's "Grimoire of the Lamb". It was a novella, only 70 pages, so I am not counting it but mentioning it because some here are fans. It was good. No dragging -- usually I put his books down part way through and resume much later. Anyway I liked the story which is essentially about one of the books in his store. I don't think I am giving too much away! :)

 

Also finished "Cry Wolf" by Patricia Briggs. The next one is waiting at the library. That says it all!

 

Finally, just finished "Whisky Beach" by Nora Roberts. A good one imo. I read it in basically one sitting so enjoyable.

 

So far I have had a good week bookwise. :)

[mlbuchina]

I finished Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen today. She's the author of The Peach Keeper, and I liked this just as much, if not a little more, than it. It's a nice, lighthearted, fun, little book. A great summer read.

[Just Robyn]

Hope you enjoy it. Loved the historical bits. And how can you not love Burton & Swinburne as partners?!

 

I am enjoying it; thank you for recommending it! You're right, they make a great pair, and there are so many fun and interesting historical characters. I'm sure I'll recommend this to other people. My husband seems very interested in it, too, and I like reading the same books as him, so hopefully he'll pick it up.

[Kareni]

Yesterday I finished Fatal Affair: Book One of the Fatal Series by Marie Force. (The link takes you to the FREE Kindle edition.) This is a romantic suspense novel which I enjoyed. I've read most of this series out of order but have still enjoyed each book.

 

"Washington, D.C., Metro Police Detective Sergeant Sam Holland needs a big win to salvage her career--and her confidence--after a disastrous investigation. The perfect opportunity arises when Senator John O'Connor is found brutally murdered in his bed, and Sam is assigned to the case. Matters get complicated when Sam has to team up with Nick Cappuano, O'Connor's friend and chief of staff...and the man Sam had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their sexual chemistry still sizzles, and Sam has to fight to stay focused on the case. Sleeping with a material witness is another mistake she can't afford--especially when the bodies keep piling up."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Wow, my family (really dh &ds) are forcibly pulling me into the 21st century. I am typing from my new ipad mini right now. Perhaps I will have to try ebooks at some point?

[Rosie_0801]

I've been meaning to read this for years, but have never gotten around to it. ...but you have intrigued me. Annoying how? I don't think I've ever *enjoyed* being annoyed by a book before!

 

 

I'm not really sure how to answer without providing spoilers! Um. Deception for selfish gains always bothers me, but the results amused me, so I enjoyed being annoyed until the end. I didn't appreciate the ending, but maybe other people do.

[mumto2]

Wow, my family (really dh &ds) are forcibly pulling me into the 21st century. I am typing from my new ipad mini right now. Perhaps I will have to try ebooks at some point?

 

 

I can't believe I am saying this but I love, absolutely love ebooks! They are even better now that I can get a better variety from my library. I can read in the middle of the night in bed without disturbing dh. Wonderful! Oddly enough when I go to bed with a charged kindle on my bedside I sleep really well. :lol:

 

Enjoy your new toy!

[Giraffe]

You might want to look at War and the Iliad and/or Homeric Moments.

 

War and the Iliad has some fascinating view of Homer and his characters (though I wish I'd skipped the introduction and the final essay. I loved reading Weil and Bespaloff's thoughts, but was less fond of the rest). Here's the publisher's description:

 

 

 

Homeric Moments is a treasure trove of reactions based in close, thoughtful readings of the Iliad & the Odyssey by a incredible classical scholar

Publisher's description:

 

 

Fascinating! I'll look them up now. :)

[Rosie_0801]

I just finished reading 'Europe Speaks Arabic' which was ever so much fun because etymology is one of the coolest things ever.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Hoot]

Today, I finished The Greeening by S. Brubaker.

 

I wanted to love this book; I really did. While a valiant first effort by Brubaker, this book needed an editor in the worst possible way. The innumerable mechanical errors made it incredibly difficult to stay focused on the story. I found myself mentally inserting commas and reworking sentences so as to make better sense of them. A familiar internet meme stuck with me throughout as I read:

 

Let's eat grandma.

Let's eat, grandma.

PUNCTUATION SAVES LIVES!

 

If a story is exceptionally engaging, the mechanical errors can be forgiven if not wholly overlooked. Unfortunately, that isn't the case with, "The Greeening." The cardinal rule as a writer is "show, don't tell." There is so much over-explanation in even the simplest of scenes that it distracts the reader from what is really happening. At times, it felt like the author was writing something between a book and a movie script. Additionally, the dialog was painfully unrealistic and oftentimes laughable. Likewise, the story itself was incredibly thin despite its 416 pgs. I kept waiting for the meat of the story, but it never delivered. In fact, by the mid-point of the book I was wondering if the characters would ever do anything besides go out to eat, sit down to a meal, scarf down brunch, etc. The constant description of the day-to-day mundanity became less humorous and more irritating as the book wore on. By the end, I felt like it was a series of food descriptions with a murder thrown in for good measure. Subtracting out all of the mundane, this could have been a decent short story.

 

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

31. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication by Kathleen M. Dudzinski & Toni Frohoff

32. The Greeening by S. Brubaker

[Stacia]

Today, I finished The Greeening by S. Brubaker.

 

I wanted to love this book; I really did. While a valiant first effort by Brubaker, this book needed an editor in the worst possible way. The innumerable mechanical errors made it incredibly difficult to stay focused on the story. I found myself mentally inserting commas and reworking sentences so as to make better sense of them. A familiar internet meme stuck with me throughout as I read:

 

Let's eat grandma.

Let's eat, grandma.

PUNCTUATION SAVES LIVES!

 

 

Wow, after your description, I'm surprised you stuck w/ it the whole way through.

 

And lol about the meme. I got that on a baby onesie for an editor pal of mine when her grandson was born. :D

[Hoot]

Wow, after your description, I'm surprised you stuck w/ it the whole way through.

 

And lol about the meme. I got that on a baby onesie for an editor pal of mine when her grandson was born. :D

 

 

The biggest reason I stuck with it to the end is that I know the author personally. We are not best friends or anything, but I know her well and we spent a lot of time together several years ago. I should also say that I intentionally misspelled "greeening" in the title for this very reason. I know first-time authors can be kind of rabid about Googling themselves looking for reviews and such. I don't want her to find this and be hurt by it. Truly, I applaud her effort and her ability to have written a. whole. book. because I couldn't do it. But, I also don't want to give her a 5-star rating just because I know her either. It's such a fine line between being truthful and not hurting someone's feelings.

[Robin M]

Link to week 26 - please continue conversation in new thread