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Book a Week in 2013 - Week thirty-five


Robin M
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Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 35 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 - Pick a book with a color in the title:  Time for a mini challenge! Choose a book to read with a color in the title. To make life interesting, yesterday afternoon,  I did a status update asking those online to quickly pick a color, any color.  Drum roll please.  The first response was sage.  Click over to 52 Books blog and see what books I found with the color sage in the title from Amazon and Barnes and Nobles and then let me know which one you think I should read?  

Your challenge is to pick a color, randomly and quickly as possible, but.... You can't pick the color yourself.   Have your hubby, wife, significant other, children or whomever you wish pick one for you and then search for a book with that color in the title.   Don't tell them why - just say "Quick, pick a color, any color and tell me what it is."  Then pick out a book to read with that color in the title.

 

 

 

Check out Mumto2 link about 20 must read Steampunk books - an introduction to the genre.  I have some of these authors in my stacks

 

What are you reading this week? 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 34

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I'm in a dabbling mode and haven't quite decided which book  I'm going to settle on. In the past couple days have started Frank Delaney's Ireland, Carrie Vaugn's Kitty in the Underworld, and Laurell Hamilton's A Caress of Twilight.  Plus I have If on a Winter's Night a Traveler staring me in the face, sayng read me, read me.  :laugh:  Gave up on Journey's Under the Moon, both the book and the writing class.  Once I found a few typos in the book, I went into proofreading mode rather than reading and learning mode.  And unfortunately, it affected my opinion of the author/teacher.  Time crunch also had something to do with withdrawing from the class, but this was the icing on the cake.

 

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52 Books Blog - Pick a book with a color in the title:  Time for a mini challenge! Choose a book to read with a color in the title. To make life interesting, yesterday afternoon,  I did a status update asking those online to quickly pick a color, any color.  Drum roll please.  The first response was sage.  Click over to 52 Books blog and see what books I found with the color sage in the title from Amazon and Barnes and Nobles and then let me know which one you think I should read?  

 

I vote for the Zane Grey book because then you have a color in both the title and the author's name!

 

Regards,

Kareni

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So, does anyone else find themselves finishing a book on Friday or Saturday and then waiting for Sunday's new thread to post?

 

I finished two books recently.

 

The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal

 

"In this sumptuous new novel, Barbara O’Neal offers readers a celebration of food, family, and love as a woman searches for the elusive ingredient we’re all hoping to find….

It’s the opportunity Elena Alvarez has been waiting for–the challenge of running her own kitchen in a world-class restaurant. Haunted by an accident of which she was the lone survivor, Elena knows better than anyone how to survive the odds. With her faithful dog, Alvin, and her grandmother’s recipes, Elena arrives in Colorado to find a restaurant in as desperate need of a fresh start as she is–and a man whose passionate approach to food and life rivals her own. Owner Julian Liswood is a name many people know but a man few do. He’s come to Aspen with a troubled teenage daughter and a dream of the kind of stability and love only a family can provide. But for Elena, old ghosts don’t die quietly, yet a chance to find happiness at last is worth the risk."

 

I enjoyed this book very much.  It has ghosts, but I'd classify them as compassionate ghosts.  (Would that still work for your October reading, Stacia?)  It also has some yummy recipes.

 

Last night I finished

The Second Chance Café (A Hope Springs Novel) by Alison Kent

 

"Growing up, Kaylie Flynn was shuffled from foster home to foster home before being welcomed into Winton and May Wise’s family. It was May who taught Kaylie the comfort of home, and the healing power of baking the perfect brownie. Years later, May leaves Kaylie the money she needs to open her own café in the charming Victorian house they once shared. Now back in Hope Springs, Kaylie’s determined to finally make all her dreams a reality—and unearth answers to lingering questions about her past.

 

Soon, however, Kaylie’s carefully laid plans take an unexpected turn. The house needs far more work than she realized, and Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires, is proving to be a very handsome and very unneeded distraction from her quest to uncover the truth about her parents. When a crisis threatens to destroy everything she’s worked so hard to build, Kaylie must decide where her heart lies: with the ghosts of her past or the love and promise of her future."

 

This was another pleasant read, but with less oomph than the first book above. 

 

 


Has anyone else noticed connections in their reading this year?

 

Well, both of these books had recipes!  So, an unintentional connection.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

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Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O'Brian - did I already list this one? Can't remember as it has been a couple weeks since I have posted.

 

Letter of Marque by Patrick O'Brian

 

Fortune's Mistress by Mary Chase Comstock

 

The Lady's Fate by Anne Gallagher

 

The Dreamer by May Nicole Abbey

 

I've read 46 books this year.

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After last week's discussion of connections and themes running through our reading lists, I pulled mine out for examination. No surprise that it contains a bunch of mysteries set in Europe.  These sorts of books are my recreational addiction.

 

But I found it interesting that the 15th century seems to enter into so many of my choices.  Earlier in the year I read The Swerve.  While it focuses on the work of Lucretius, the hero of this tale is Poggio Bracciolini who brings the long lost On the Nature of Things to light in the 15th century. 

 

My Shakespearean rereads were Richard III and Henry IV Part One, again set in the 15th century.  In the weeks ahead I will reread Henry IV Part Two.

 

I am also working my way through Dorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolo Series set during this most interesting of times in European history.  I have read Niccolo Rising, The Spring of the Ram and am currently inching my way through Race of Scorpions, chunksters all with stories motivated by the very real political and banking factions of the 15th century.

 

Then there was the 15th century pub with its exposed beams and wonky floors where we found lodging in Canterbury   How many pilgrims had passed this way? 

 

Here is to my personal reading Renaissance!

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I always try to finish something and save it for the new thread. That way I can find the thread easily. :)

 

"Unseen" by Karin Slaughter -- I have read her books for years. This was very satisfying in the sense that an old character or two returned so I got an update. ;) Not great and not bad, simply a good next in an ongoing story.

 

 

"The Beekeeper's Apprentice " the first Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes book by Laurie R. King. It was enjoyable. For those of you looking for books for "young" teens the first of this series meets my criteria. Not as fun as Flavia imo. Looking forward to seeing what dd thinks of it.

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Then there was the 15th century pub with its exposed beams and wonky floors where we found lodging in Canterbury   How many pilgrims had passed this way?

I have to ask this, does your pub face a roundabout near the city walls?

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So, does anyone else find themselves finishing a book on Friday or Saturday and then waiting for Sunday's new thread to post?

 

Sometimes I will wait to post, or if I posted Friday or Saturday then I fret about whether to repeat myself on Sunday.  Then there are Sundays like this when I am *this* close to finishing a book and I wonder if I should wait to post when I have actually finished.   And how exactly did it get to be Sunday again already?

 

As of noon today my current reads are:

 

Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett (will be finished this evening)

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende 

Price of Love (short story collection)

 

....and, thanks to Stacia, I downloaded the entire Edgar Allen Poe collection and started the Pym narrative last night!!

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I have to ask this, does your pub face a roundabout near the city walls?

We stayed at The King's Arms a bit outside the walls but nearer the East Canterbury train station which was our arrival point. The King's Arms has delicious food, lovely real ales and amazing ciders. But the latter seems true for much of Kent.

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We stayed at The King's Arms a bit outside the walls but nearer the East Canterbury train station which was our arrival point. The King's Arms has delicious food, lovely real ales and amazing ciders. But the latter seems true for much of Kent.

Sounds lovely, your description reminded me of a hotel we stayed at in Canterbury years ago for our first anniversary. I wondered if we could have been some long ago pilgrims. ;) My practical dh said there are alot of 15th century pubs with beams, which is somewhat true. Glad you had a great trip. We love visiting that area.

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Sounds lovely, your description reminded me of a hotel we stayed at in Canterbury years ago for our first anniversary. I wondered if we could have been some long ago pilgrims. ;) My practical dh said there are alot of 15th century pubs with beams, which is somewhat true. Glad you had a great trip. We love visiting that area.

This was our first visit to Canterbury, our second to the UK. Given my son's involvement with an archaeological dig and a relationship with a British girl, I susoect we will be back sooner than later. My project for the months ahead is growing the travel fund!

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Since my last post, I've completed:

 

#71 The Merry Wives of Windsor (William Shakespeare (1597?); Folger ed. 2004. 320 pages. Drama.)
#70 The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir (Katrina Kenison; 2009. 320. pages. Non-fiction.) 
#69 The Amateurs (Marcus Sakey; 2009. 400. pages. Fiction.)

 

My complete list can be found here.

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I'm still having trouble making time for reading, but I finished Ranger's Apprentice 9 - Halt's Peril - and Sam Harris' short book Free Will. I thought this Ranger's Apprentice book was the weakest one in the series so far, and I'm really ready to be done with those books.

 

I started reading Wild Scholars because I'm going to check out the Coursera class that the author helps teach (Creativity, Innovation and Change), and today I also started reading the second Percy Jackson book.

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Managed to complete three novels this week:

 

#49 The Guest Book, by Marybeth Whalen.  Christian fiction.  A new-to-me author.  Saw the book in a bookstore and liked the cover art, so borrowed it from the library.

 

#50 The Beginner's Goodbye, by Anne Tyler.  Typical Tyler and good as usual.  She captures human thought, feelings, emotions, so realistically well.  Thanks to whoever recommended this title on an earlier thread - Negan, I think.  My seventh book read this year on a Kindle.

 

#51 The Chance, by Karen Kingsbury.  Christian fiction.  Typical Kingsbury.

 

Currently reading:

 

#52 Help, Thanks, Wow:  The Three Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott.

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My hard disk crashed last week and I lost my book list which was kind of freeing. I thought I could just read whatever (and howmuchever) I wanted for the rest of the year. Dh is really good at all computer stuff and he restored most of my data, so I actually still have the list, but I think I'll abandon it anyway and just report whatever I happen to read, even if I fall off the book-a-week pace.

 

I read a bunch of short stories which is one reason I wanted to leave the list behind. I wanted to find a Tolstoy I could share with the girls this year as we just don't have time for Anna Karenina! I think we'll read his How Much Land Does a Man Need. Then in the same book I found Fitzgerald's Bernice Bobs Her Hair and I think they might like that and it hits a certain roaring twenties note.

 

For August book club we read Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. It was told from the perspective of an autistic boy's imaginary friend. It was a mostly light read which we all enjoyed, but nothing too amazing.

 

I decided to drop The Gulag Archipelago at this time--just don't have the time that it would require.

 

Dh and I have been fighting over the library's copy of Salt, Sugar, Fat which is very good. This is about what the food industry has done to their products to keep us wanting more and eating too much bad stuff--basically maxxing out sugar, fat, and salt. We have to return it tomorrow and neither of us is done with it. I've started skimming and skipping some chapters that cover topics I've read in other books (eg Lunchables in Pandora's Lunchbox).

 

I'll pick up our next book club book by Ann Patchett tomorrow--State of Wonder. That's about it from me.

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Am working on...

 

Pym by Mat Johnson

The Complete Works of Marvin K. Mooney by Christopher Higgs

The Shaman's Coat: A Native History of Siberia by Anna Reid

 

It seems kind of funny that I'm focused on cold weather places between Poe's Pym, Johnson's Pym, & my non-fiction Siberia book. And, since the Pym stories are set (at least mostly) in Antarctica, I thought it was cool to get a National Geographic email w/ this month's photos featuring Untamed Antarctica. I would really love to visit Antarctica someday. (I've been north of the Arctic Circle, so I'd love to go south of the Antarctic Circle, just to do it.)

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

My Goodreads Page

My PaperbackSwap Page

 

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:

Link to Books # 1 – 40 that I’ve read in 2013.

 

41. If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

42. They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books, edited by David Rose (2.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (England).

43. The Late Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

44. Stoker’s Manuscript by Royce Prouty (4 stars).

45. Captain Alatriste by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Spain).

46. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (4 stars).

47. Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Israel).

48. The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe/Asia (Russia).

49. The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six by Jonathon Keats (3 stars).

50. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Brazil & Argentina).

 

51. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

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Dd just picked Viridian. Viridian.....not sure I can manage this challenge. For those who are wondering blue/green color. Never should have asked an artist to pick a color, any color. :lol:

Oh my!   I did find this info:  Viridian takes its name from the latin viridis, meaning "green".  So if you can't find any titles with Viridian, you have an out and can go with green.

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52 Books Blog - Pick a book with a color in the title:  Time for a mini challenge!

...

Check out Mumto2 link about 20 must read Steampunk books - an introduction to the genre.  I have some of these authors in my stacks

 

I will see if I can get to the mini-challenge.

 

And, thanks for relinking the Steampunk list. I've read two of them (Soulless & Boneshaker). Have heard of many of the others. Will have to check some of them out....

 

I enjoyed this book very much.  It has ghosts, but I'd classify them as compassionate ghosts.  (Would that still work for your October reading, Stacia?)  It also has some yummy recipes.

 

...

 

Well, both of these books had recipes!  So, an unintentional connection.

 

That may indeed work. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Love seeing everyone's connections.

 

After last week's discussion of connections and themes running through our reading lists, I pulled mine out for examination. No surprise that it contains a bunch of mysteries set in Europe.  These sorts of books are my recreational addiction.

...

I am also working my way through Dorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolo Series set during this most interesting of times in European history.  I have read Niccolo Rising, The Spring of the Ram and am currently inching my way through Race of Scorpions, chunksters all with stories motivated by the very real political and banking factions of the 15th century.

...

Here is to my personal reading Renaissance!

 

 

I have the Dunnett books down on my want-to-read list, thanks to you mentioning the first one months ago....

 

The Renaissance reading sounds like a fun & interesting place to be!

 

I always try to finish something and save it for the new thread. That way I can find the thread easily. :)

...

"The Beekeeper's Apprentice " the first Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes book by Laurie R. King. It was enjoyable. For those of you looking for books for "young" teens the first of this series meets my criteria. Not as fun as Flavia imo. Looking forward to seeing what dd thinks of it.

 

LOL. I always want to easily find this thread too. Read The Beekeeper's Apprentice many years ago & enjoyed it. (Never have read any of the sequels, though.)

 

Sometimes I will wait to post, or if I posted Friday or Saturday then I fret about whether to repeat myself on Sunday.  Then there are Sundays like this when I am *this* close to finishing a book and I wonder if I should wait to post when I have actually finished.   And how exactly did it get to be Sunday again already?

 

As of noon today my current reads are:

 

Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett (will be finished this evening)

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende 

Price of Love (short story collection)

 

....and, thanks to Stacia, I downloaded the entire Edgar Allen Poe collection and started the Pym narrative last night!!

 

I know what you mean about posting, or waiting to post, or wondering about reposting, or.... :lol:

 

Yay, hope you enjoy Poe's weird narrative!

 

Oh, a color challenge is perfect for me because this morning I finished Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz.  It counts as my Australia/Oceania book for the Continents Challenge.

...

I started one of the Flavorwire beach reads The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wrecker.  It has some gorgeous cover art and a cool premise based on Arabic and Jewish folktale / traditional tales but then .....  I picked up Night Film by Marisha Pessl.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Everything else will stop until I finish this book.  Not kidding.  Back in a day or two with an update ....

 

I read a Horwitz book a couple of years ago & enjoyed it. Will have to check out Blue Latitudes.

 

I have The Golem and the Jinni on request from my library (but currently suspended so I will get it about a month or so from now).

 

Since my last post, I've completed:

 

#71 The Merry Wives of Windsor (William Shakespeare (1597?); Folger ed. 2004. 320 pages. Drama.)

#70 The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir (Katrina Kenison; 2009. 320. pages. Non-fiction.) 

#69 The Amateurs (Marcus Sakey; 2009. 400. pages. Fiction.)

 

My complete list can be found here.

 

Glad to see you popping back in again, M-mv.

 

My hard disk crashed last week and I lost my book list which was kind of freeing. I thought I could just read whatever (and howmuchever) I wanted for the rest of the year. Dh is really good at all computer stuff and he restored most of my data, so I actually still have the list, but I think I'll abandon it anyway and just report whatever I happen to read, even if I fall off the book-a-week pace.

 

Sounds like a good plan!

 

Violet Crown (yes, I double-checked the spelling of that :laugh: ), thought you might enjoy Flavorwire's list of Seafaring Must-Reads for a Swashbuckling Summer. It includes A High Wind in Jamaica, Treasure Island, & The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.

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Oh my!   I did find this info:  Viridian takes its name from the latin viridis, meaning "green".  So if you can't find any titles with Viridian, you have an out and can go with green.

 

There is a Viridis book that is a free Kindle download on amazon. It's listed as a steampunk romance.

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I would have never read these if the new movies weren't coming out, so kudos to the BBC or whoever bankrolled films that had nothing to do with superheroes and computer generated, 3D whatevers.

I must have missed this information. I just looked it up and am looking forward to it.

 

David Tennant is doing Richard II for the Royal Shakespeare Co this fall and I would absolutely love to see that production.  If only the TARDIS would pick me up for the evening ....  sigh ...

I've seen online snippets of his performance as Hamlet but want to see the whole thing.

 

 

So, does anyone else find themselves finishing a book on Friday or Saturday and then waiting for Sunday's new thread to post?

Yes! There have been times when I'd start to post and think I might as well wait for the new thread.

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http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Viridian.html?id=6QJA1gaabHAC&redir_esc=y

 

There is actually a book by that title. Our library system has seven copies available. Seven all at branches. I do not understand. Anyway look at the cover and glance at the description. Dd was laughing loudly at the though of my reading that. I think I will have a look at the green idea. Two books with red in my stack....I should have asked my other child!

 

Oh my!   I did find this info:  Viridian takes its name from the latin viridis, meaning "green".  So if you can't find any titles with Viridian, you have an out and can go with green.

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http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Viridian.html?id=6QJA1gaabHAC&redir_esc=y

 

There is actually a book by that title. Our library system has seven copies available. Seven all at branches. I do not understand. Anyway look at the cover and glance at the description. Dd was laughing loudly at the though of my reading that.

 

Uhhhhhhhh... that one would be a big NO for me. :lol:

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Dh and I have been fighting over the library's copy of Salt, Sugar, Fat which is very good. This is about what the food industry has done to their products to keep us wanting more and eating too much bad stuff--basically maxxing out sugar, fat, and salt. We have to return it tomorrow and neither of us is done with it. I've started skimming and skipping some chapters ....

 

There's skim milk; now there's skim reading!

 

Dd just picked Viridian. Viridian.....not sure I can manage this challenge. For those who are wondering blue/green color. Never should have asked an artist to pick a color, any color. :lol:

 

Amazon shows a surprising number of books with Viridian in the title.  I'm intrigued by the description for My Viridian Rose by Andre LaBouyer.

 

"The book is unique in that it has some very side-splitting, funny scenes, along with some very sad moments as well. It is packed with adventure, yet reeks of playful romance."

 

'Reeks of playful romance.'  Doesn't that sound (cough, cough) enticing?

 

Regards,

Kareni

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This week I read Dimanche, a collection of short stories by Irene Nemirovsky.  I enjoyed her writing style and the point of view of the French just before WWII was interesting.  It was kind of sad, knowing what happened to her and knowing what was going to happen to the world, while at the same time reading the stories of these people living right on the brink of all of it.  I'd like to read one of her full length novels soon, my library doesn't have the greatest selection, but it does have a few of her's.

 

 

1 - All The King's Men â€“ Robert Penn Warren                                                            27 - Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

2 - A Stranger in a Strange Land â€“ Robert Heinlein                                                   28 - Selected Short Stories - William Faulkner
3 - A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood                                                                  29 - 100 Years of Solitude -  Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4 - Catcher in the Rye â€“ J.D. Salinger                                                                      30 - Dune - Frank Herbert
5 - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury                                                                           31 - Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
6 - The Grapes of Wrath â€“ John Steinbeck                                                                32 - One Day in the Life o Ivan Desinovich -  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
7 – Murder on the Orient Express â€“ Agatha Christie                                                  33 - Beloved - Toni Morrison
8 – The Illustrated Man â€“ Ray Bradbury                                                                   34 - Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
9 – The Great Gatsby â€“ F. Scott Fitzgerald                                                                35 - Dimanche - Irene Nemirovsky
10 – The Hiding Place â€“ Corrie Ten Boom
11 – The Square Foot Garden â€“ Mel Bartholomew
12 - Catch-22- Joseph Heller
13 - Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad
14 - Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie
15 - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
16 -O, Pioneers!- Willa Cather
17 - Miss Marple - The Complete Short Story Collection - Agatha Christie
18 - Ringworld - Larry Niven
19 - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce
20 - Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
21 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
22 - Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin
23 - The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow
24 - The War of the Worlds- H.G Wells
25 - The Girl with the Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier 
26 - The Golden Ball and Other Stories - Agatha Christie
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I did do a search of my libraries for " My Viridian Rose" because it appeared to be the most readable of the ones listed in Goodreads. I really don't get how a green rose is romantic so was interested but viridian is a really fun word per dd which might explain the title.

 

At least I am sorted. I have Stacia's Viridis ready on my kindle. We are off to spend Bank Holiday Monday with my WTM real life friend and her family. :)

 

 

Amazon shows a surprising number of books with Viridian in the title.  I'm intrigued by the description for My Viridian Rose by Andre LaBouyer.

 

"The book is unique in that it has some very side-splitting, funny scenes, along with some very sad moments as well. It is packed with adventure, yet reeks of playful romance."

 

'Reeks of playful romance.'  Doesn't that sound (cough, cough) enticing?

 

Regards,

Kareni

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This week I read Dimanche, a collection of short stories by Irene Nemirovsky.  I enjoyed her writing style and the point of view of the French just before WWII was interesting.  It was kind of sad, knowing what happened to her and knowing what was going to happen to the world, while at the same time reading the stories of these people living right on the brink of all of it.  I'd like to read one of her full length novels soon, my library doesn't have the greatest selection, but it does have a few of her's.

 

I loved Suite Française!  Adding Dimanche to my list...

We are off to spend Bank Holiday Monday with my WTM real life friend and her family. :)

 

 

Have a lovely time with your WTM real life friend! 

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"The Beekeeper's Apprentice " the first Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes book by Laurie R. King. It was enjoyable. For those of you looking for books for "young" teens the first of this series meets my criteria. Not as fun as Flavia imo. Looking forward to seeing what dd thinks of it.

 

I loved those books!  Maybe I should go check a few out.  Hmmm.

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Hello

 

I'm feeling a bit shy, but after spending far too long thinking '52 books in 52 weeks? I could never do that!' I've decided to take the plunge and not worry if I don't manage it. It is the taking part, right?

 

I have a couple of books on the go at the moment:

 

SWB's The History of the Medieval World (I was aiming to read 3 chapters a week for this school year as we will be studying the MA, but maybe I will up the pace on it a bit...)

50 People Every Christian Should Know, Warren W. Wiersbe (reading 1 or 2 chapters each Sunday)

The Elephant in the Classroom: Helping Children Learn and Love Maths, Jo Boaler

 

So, nothing very exciting or new, but all from my very teetering TBR pile. I'm going to be doing the 'Dusty' challenge, but I refuse to not buy more books!

 

Emma

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Hello

 

I'm feeling a bit shy, but after spending far too long thinking '52 books in 52 weeks? I could never do that!' I've decided to take the plunge and not worry if I don't manage it. It is the taking part, right?

 

:seeya: , Emma. Glad to see you jumping in here!

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Hello

 

I'm feeling a bit shy, but after spending far too long thinking '52 books in 52 weeks? I could never do that!' I've decided to take the plunge and not worry if I don't manage it. It is the taking part, right?

 

Emma

 

Hi Emma,  So happy you decided to join in.

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We are off to spend Bank Holiday Monday with my WTM real life friend and her family. :)

 

Ohhh, have fun!

 

NO!!  As soon as I finish something, I come running here to report it!  Wait til Sunday?? Bah!   :rofl:  ;)  :D

 

 

I am guessing that most of us have started / will soon start the new school year, so in honor of that you might want to check out this new Flavorwire list of The 50 Greatest Campus Novels Ever Written.  I have read several from the list and added about ten more titles to my TBR pile.

 

Still immersed in Night Film.  Thriller / mystery folks (Jenn!), you are gonna want to get a Hold on this one.  It is all sorts of creepy.

 

:laugh:  (about your posting immediately)!

 

Wow, on the 50 Greatest Campus Novels Ever Written, I've read only two (The Secret History; The Rule of Four). Some of the titles I at least recognize. Probably top on my list to read (based on some friend raves on Goodreads) is Stoner. I did much better (numbers-wise) matching up to the list The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013.

 

I definitely plan to read Night Film... (maybe only during the daytime)? :lol:

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Loved reading through the posts, and have added quite a few books to my TBR list.  Thanks everyone!

 

I'm still working on Voyager and The Scottish Prisoner.  I've made good headway, and may finish at least one, if not both, this week.

 

Paisley Hedgehog, do you think Night Film would make a good October read?

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Hello

 

I'm feeling a bit shy, but after spending far too long thinking '52 books in 52 weeks? I could never do that!' I've decided to take the plunge and not worry if I don't manage it. It is the taking part, right?

 

Emma

Welcome Emma! Don't worry about number of books, just jump in and keep telling us what you're reading. The taking part is fun with this great group of women. :)

 

Off topic: I noticed the part in your signature in red about never getting around to using Drawing with Children. We never got around to it either. :D I even bought Drawing with Older Children and Adults several years later but didn't get around to that one either. My ds has always enjoyed drawing though, so now he does the high school level of Artistic Pursuits for fine arts credit.

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Wow, on the 50 Greatest Campus Novels Ever Written, I've read only two - Some of the titles I at least recognize. Probably top on my list to read (based on some friend raves on Goodreads) is Stoner. I did much better (numbers-wise) matching up to the list The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013.

That's two more than I've read, though several have been on my TBR list for a while. I too did better on the other list. Strangely enough, I read more of the "Also Recommended" than the books on the list - 13 Also vs. 5 on the actual list (and that's not counting the children's books). It seems I've read books by many of the authors too, just not the specific books listed. Many of my TBR books are listed there too.

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Ah, thank you for the welcome everyone. I'm feeling a bit fragile at the moment, mentally, physically, emotionally, so your kind words have really encouraged me. And I have had a lovely relaxing afternoon reading about Rome and Persia battling things out! 

 

Emma

 

:grouphug: 

 

(and :laugh:  about battle reading being relaxing!)

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