Robin M Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Shukriyya: What happened with Ahab's Wife??? I think you'll like MZB Forest House much better than The Steerswoman. I started to read it and kind of reminded me of Mists of Avalon cross over with Sanderson's Wheel of time series. I read a few chapters of Steerwoman, then quit because I didn't like her writing. Much prefer to read MZB and have The Forest House in my stacks. Maybe it will be my F book for A to Z by title. Cascadia: Welcome and look forward to hearing more from you. I've read the Spirited Child book which was excellent. Go back to it time and again for a refresher. Jenn: No, don't seem to have any issues with accessing from ipad, phone or pc. Maybe she needs to check her browser? Or ignore tap talk which is a pain. Just enter again when it tries to say use tap talk and it will go past that screen. At least it did for me. Shawne--- Hugs and will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I finished Lyrical Ballads by Coleridge and Wordsworth. Lyrical Ballads may be the only book in literary history for which the Preface is arguably more famous and influential than the rest of the book. My professor assigned the Preface and made reading the poems optional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverFirefly Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 My intention to read fewer books at a time is rapidly falling by the wayside. I started Wuthering Heights for our author of the month and I'm hoping to have time for Sense and Sensibility as well. Both are rereads but it's been so long that I hardly remember them. I'm still waiting for interlibrary loan copies of 1Q84 and The Strange Library, both of which I'm hoping to read a little belatedly. Currently reading: Little Bee by Chris Cleave (audiobook) The Defiant Child by Douglas Riley The Return of the Indian by Lynne Reid Banks (read aloud) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki Russian Fairy Tales by Gillian Avery (read aloud) Songs of Childhood by Walter de la Mare (read aloud) Bible In One Year Last week I finished: 12. The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow (audiobook) **** 11. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (read aloud) *** 10. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl ***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I finished Awol on the Appalachian Trail, by David Miller. It was enjoyable. It balanced between what's it feels like to hike that much and what the trail is like. I plan on reading Bill Bryson's (??) A Walk in the Woods after my dh finishes Awol. I have it from Kindle lending library, so I can only do one at a time. I also read The Lowland. Excellent book. I know next to nothing about the recent history of India (or even the ancient history) so it was a fasinating read. I liked how she fanned out from a single person (I know it was about the brothers, but really it was about the one) the the effect his decisions/life had on everyone else. I felt like she gave flesh to PTSD. You could see the long term affects on everyone, how much it shaped their lives. I'm waiting on Neil Gaiman's latest, so I can't decide what to read while I wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Shukriyya: What happened with Ahab's Wife??? I think you'll like MZB Forest House much better than The Steerswoman. I started to read it and kind of reminded me of Mists of Avalon cross over with Sanderson's Wheel of time series. I read a few chapters of Steerwoman, then quit because I didn't like her writing. Much prefer to read MZB and have The Forest House in my stacks. Maybe it will be my F book for A to Z by title. I guess I forgot to mention it this week but last week I mentioned that I'd likely be buying 'Ahab's Wife' in kindle form because it'll be coming due soon and I think her writing is gorgeous. The hard copy is just too big to lug around and has gotten left behind all this week on outings because there's no room in the basket for it. It appears I'm in the minority with The Steerswoman. I thought her writing was good and I'm going to embark on book 2 of the series soon. I'm not familiar with the Wheel of Time series but then fantasy is not normally my genre. Maybe that's why Steerswoman appeals to me and not to others for whom fantasy is a preferred genre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I can't read about people hiking the Appalachian Trail without thinking of Gov. Mark Sanford. Did anyone see today's Google Doodle featuring a Langston Hughes poem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I can't read about people hiking the Appalachian Trail without thinking of Gov. Mark Sanford. Did anyone see today's Google Doodle featuring a Langston Hughes poem? I did...."and joy like a pearl attends the needs of all mankind..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I read The Forest House and did not like it as much as Mists. I need to decide on which Austen to read. I think I'll pick up The Professor again. I never finished it. After I finish my current books. Except my A&P text book. I won't be finishing that any time soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Seems my home internet doesn't like the WTM forums this weekend. Works on the 3G network, though. Perhaps it is a sign from the google gods that I need to focus on a single book and finish it! My reading is scattered all over the place. I have about an hour left on each of my 2 audio books, As You Wish and Terry Pratchett's Feet of Clay. I spent an hour at least on you tube yesterday watching interviews and clips about Princess Bride. Have started Scherzo, which Stacia sent me, and Stuff Matters which was a Christmas present. Have yet to finish Silk Road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I don't think I have finished anything this week. I'm still working my way through: Emma by Jane Austen The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan A History of the American People by Paul Johnson Completed: 1. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny - pretty good 2. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler - pretty good 3. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami - weird but good 4. First Grave on the Right - meh (great narrator, lots of potential, but mostly disappointing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 January was an awful reading month for me. Almost everything I tried to read just didn't hold my attention. I'm hoping February will be better. So far, it seems like it will be. I started The Kite Runner and and it grabbed me right away. Now that it's February I'll start the Flufferton month with rereads of both Northanger Abbey and Wuthering Heights. I only read Wuthering Heights once, hated it, and swore I'd never read it again. Now I get to read it as an older adult and find out if I feel the same about it. My library sent me a notice that A Test of Wills was in, so I downloaded it and started reading it. The jury is still out, but so far it's holding my interest. Still working on my long term read of Don Quixote, and still trying to finish Unbroken. I haven't officially given up on Ulysses, but I haven't been reading it, so I suppose I gave it up by default. I was listening to For Whom the Bell Tolls on Audible and was incredibly bored. Are all of Hemingway's characters this flat? Anyway, I put it aside and started listening to Out Stealing Horses. It's different, and more engaging than the Hemingway. From last week - Several of you mentioned that you either started or want to read Half of a Yellow Sun. I really enjoyed that one, and it got me interested in reading more by Adichie. I then read Americanah and liked it even better. I read on a goodreads group that Purple Hibiscus isn't as good and it reads like the first novel it is, so I"m glad I didn't start with that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I spent too much time cleaning and decluttering this past week instead of reading. I only got a few chapters of The Outlaw Demon Wails done as well as enough to keep up with HotMW, my Bible plan, and a bit of Don Quixote. I'd rather be reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Hello Book-a-weekers! I have been lurking around the BAW threads for a little bit, and have decided to jump in and join y'all. I'm hesitant to commit to 52 books in a year because my kids don't give me nearly as much time for reading as I would like, but I'll plug along the best I can. My goal for the year is to read from the books I already have purchased, both physical and electronic. And yes, Howard's End is on the Landing is one of my purchased, yet unread books! Much of my focus right now is Charlotte Mason, and also preparing to start the Chronicles of Narnia with DD later this year. I do own HotMW, so I started reading that last week. I've completed chapters 1 and 2, and plan to read two chapters per week for the next few weeks in order to catch up to the group. DD is doing Ancients this year, so this will be a good chance for me to read ahead for next year. As you can see below, I start too many books at once :) Completed The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (I was pre-reading this for DD, and got sucked in!) The Way Into Narnia, by Peter J. Schakel The Keys to the Chronicles, by Marvin D. Hinten In Progress Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis Towards a Philosophy of Education, by Charlotte Mason Consider This, by Karen Glass For the Children's Sake, by Susan Schaeffer Macauley Tales Before Narnia, by Douglas A. Anderson The Highly Sensitive Person, by Elaine N. Aron The Art of the Commonplace, by Wendell Berry History of the Medieval World, by Susan Wise Bauer The Harvard Classics in a Year: A Liberal Education in 365 Days, by Charles Eliot Starting Soon My Flufferton February choice will probably be Northhanger Abbey, but I may revisit Villette, Agnes Grey, or Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Another Narnia-related book Since you are reading so many Narnia related books I though I would cautiously recommend The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller. It is quite critical about the books and C. S. Lewis but I did think she had some interesting points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I'll be reading Euphoria by Lily King this week. I added my 52 books pinboard to my sig for anyone wanting to see my complete list. I can't get good reads to add one of my books to the challenge. :confused1: Ooooh! I like the Pinterest idea. I will have to look into doing that as well. Thanks for the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I'll be reading Euphoria by Lily King this week. I added my 52 books pinboard to my sig for anyone wanting to see my complete list. I can't get good reads to add one of my books to the challenge. :confused1: Have you added the date you finished it? It will only show up in the challenge if you have a date in 2015 attached to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Has anyone reported the fact that we can't multiquote? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Has anyone reported the fact that we can't multiquote? Multiple times. It appears that the forum gremlins are winning. Of course, you can try the multi-tab, multiple paste method--which is what I am doing now. Seems my home internet doesn't like the WTM forums this weekend. Works on the 3G network, though. Perhaps it is a sign from the google gods that I need to focus on a single book and finish it! My reading is scattered all over the place. I have about an hour left on each of my 2 audio books, As You Wish and Terry Pratchett's Feet of Clay. I spent an hour at least on you tube yesterday watching interviews and clips about Princess Bride. Have started Scherzo, which Stacia sent me, and Stuff Matters which was a Christmas present. Have yet to finish Silk Road! Glad to see you are back, Jenn. How frustrating! Robin had a suggestion upthread in case you missed it. I also read The Lowland. Excellent book. I know next to nothing about the recent history of India (or even the ancient history) so it was a fasinating read. I liked how she fanned out from a single person (I know it was about the brothers, but really it was about the one) the the effect his decisions/life had on everyone else. I felt like she gave flesh to PTSD. You could see the long term affects on everyone, how much it shaped their lives. On my list. Thanks! I can't read about people hiking the Appalachian Trail without thinking of Gov. Mark Sanford. Did anyone see today's Google Doodle featuring a Langston Hughes poem? My husband and son did a piece of the AT during the year of Sanford's shenanigans. We still laugh uproariously at the AT as code. And for those that missed it: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Robin M: with Sanderson's Wheel of time series. The Wheel of Time is not Sanderson's series. It's Robert Jordan's. Sanderson only co-wrote the last three books ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Good morning! This weekend I read "The Fine Art of Pretending" by Rachel Harris... cute YA novel. I am still working on the Peter Enns book but haven't picked it up in several days. On my plate for this month... going to re-read a Sarah Addison Allen title or two and then read her new one, "First Frost." And as for Flufferton... serious confession coming up... I've *never* read a Jane Austen book. :leaving: So I plan to rectify that this month. I have several titles sitting on my bookshelves, so just need to decide where to start!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeFlowers Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I haven't had a chance to read everyone's posts yet but here is my current update: Books read so far this year: Prophesy by S.J. Parris Hard-Boiled Wonderland & the End of the World by Haruki Murakami All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Aeschylus, The Oresteia Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson (1/31/15) – A thorough history of Egypt from Menes to Cleopatra. At times a little dry but you get a good sense of what Ancient Egypt was really like. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2/1/15)- This book just didn’t do anything for me. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that interesting for me. At least it was a quick read. Currently Reading The Woman Who Would Be King- Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney- Started yesterday and have only read one chapter. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton – Started yesterday with the intention of only reading for half an hour before bed. I ended up staying up a little late because I couldn’t put it down. I think I am giving up on the A-Z challenge and just reading what I really want to read. I have also learned that two books at a time is my max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 My official quote of the day, from What is Good Taste? by Edmund Burke (in Harvard Classics in a Year): "I am convinced that the method of teaching which approaches most nearly to the method of investigation is incomparably the best; since, not content with serving up a few barren and lifeless truths, it leads to the stock on which they grow; it tends to set the reader himself in the track of invention" :001_wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openhearted Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I've *never* read a Jane Austen book. :leaving: So I plan to rectify that this month. I have several titles sitting on my bookshelves, so just need to decide where to start!! I confess as well.:) I have started Pride and Prejudice, but I am only a few pages in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 A couple of interesting columns from Jo Walton ~ (Read the comments, too, for additional titles.) Eight Books From the Last Decade that Made Me Excited About SF Eight Books From the Last Decade that Made Me Excited About Fantasy Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Last night I read Jayne Ann Krentz's newest book which I enjoyed. Trust No One "It’s no coincidence when Grace Elland finds a vodka bottle next to the lifeless body of her boss, motivational speaker Sprague Witherspoon. The bottle is a terrifying—and deliberate—reminder of the horrors of her past. Grace retreats to her hometown to regroup and tries to put everything she’s learned about positive thinking into practice—a process that is seriously challenged on the world’s worst blind date. Awkward doesn’t begin to describe her evening with venture-capitalist Julius Arkwright. She has nothing in common with a man who lives to make money, but the intense former Marine does have some skills that Grace can use—and he’s the perfect man to help her when it becomes clear she is being stalked. As Witherspoon’s financial empire continues to crumble around them, taking a deadly toll, Julius will help Grace step into her past to uncover a devious plan to destroy not only Grace, but everyone around her…'" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I finished my Jeeves book. Ah. Lovely. I'm pretty sure if I was given a time machine I would travel back in time being a crazy fan girl to long dead authors. (PG Wodehouse ... I'm looking at you when I say this!) I think I am the first to post the completion of a Flufferton Abbey book, although it was Victorian and not by Austen or a Bronte. The Bridegroom Wore Plaidhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13515289-the-bridegroom-wore-plaidwas simply a fun romp around a Scottish estate where everyone falls in love with the "wrong" person. Nothing complicated but with adult scenes. Not fabulous but I definitely plan to read more by the author because it was a very good fluff read. Adding to my list. I read Refining Felicity a couple of months ago. Very light and fluffy. A bit silly and the series on a whole is repetitive but I read and enjoyed them all. Perfect light reading.Amy, you definately want to put this on kindle for emergencies!Thanks, Kareni! And this! DH was talking about a trip to England next year and doing the countryside. He said, "We really gotta get out and visit your friend over there." He was talking about you. :laugh: Seems my home internet doesn't like the WTM forums this weekend. Works on the 3G network, though. Perhaps it is a sign from the google gods that I need to focus on a single book and finish it! My reading is scattered all over the place.I have about an hour left on each of my 2 audio books, As You Wish and Terry Pratchett's Feet of Clay. I spent an hour at least on you tube yesterday watching interviews and clips about Princess Bride. How frustrating! I hope that get fixed soon. We're all super excited because a local movie theater is showing Princess Bride on Thursday. We even got a babysitter for DS so we can all go together. It'll be the first movie I've seen at a theater since I went to see the re-release of Ghostbusters. My library sent me a notice that A Test of Wills was in, so I downloaded it and started reading it. The jury is still out, but so far it's holding my interest. I'll be eagerly awaiting your review. So far the reviews on here have been mixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Reading Jayne Ann Krentz's book last night had me reflecting on the fact that she is an author whose books I've been reading a long time. She is one of three authors whose books I started reading in the late seventies: Ann Maxwell -- who also writes as Elizabeth Lowell and, along with her husband, as A. E. Maxwell and early eighties: Nora Roberts -- who also writes as J. D. Robb Jayne Ann Krentz -- who also writes as Amanda Quick, Amanda Glass, Jayne Castle, Stephanie James, and more. These three authors are still writing. Anyone else been reading these author(s) or different authors for a long time? Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guilfordlake Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Reading Jayne Ann Krentz's book last night had me reflecting on the fact that she is an author whose books I've been reading a long time. She is one of three authors whose books I started reading in the late seventies: Ann Maxwell -- who also writes as Elizabeth Lowell and, along with her husband, as A. E. Maxwell and early eighties: Nora Roberts -- who also writes as J. D. Robb Jayne Ann Krentz -- who also writes as Amanda Quick, Amanda Glass, Jayne Castle, Stephanie James, and more. These three authors are still writing. Anyone else been reading these author(s) or different authors for a long time? Regards, Kareni I started reading Nora Roberts in the mid-90s but haven't read anything from her for quite awhile. Sue Grafton is probably my longest running author. I started reading her books in the mid-80s. I can remember buying her first book like it was yesterday. I was in middle school and my parents and I were on our way to NY from VA and we always stopped at this independent bookstore in Harrisburg, right off I81. I'm almost positive Grafton's books were the first "grownup" books my parents bought me. :) Good memories! I almost forgot about Mary Higgins Clark. I started reading her books in the early 90s. Loves Music, Loves to Dance was the first one I read. I haven't read any of her books in years, either. Going to the library site now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Reading Jayne Ann Krentz's book last night had me reflecting on the fact that she is an author whose books I've been reading a long time. She is one of three authors whose books I started reading in the late seventies: Ann Maxwell -- who also writes as Elizabeth Lowell and, along with her husband, as A. E. Maxwell and early eighties: Nora Roberts -- who also writes as J. D. Robb Jayne Ann Krentz -- who also writes as Amanda Quick, Amanda Glass, Jayne Castle, Stephanie James, and more. These three authors are still writing. Anyone else been reading these author(s) or different authors for a long time? Regards, Kareni I suspect that you won't be surprised to hear that I have been reading those authors for the same amount of time! Pretty much any author that started out writing series romances I probably read from day one. So Janet Evanovich, BJ Daniels, and others have been out there for a while. I loved Stephanie James and Jayne Castle. I remember how shocked I was to learn they were the same person! Carole Mortimer now seems to write historicals..... Do you remember Charlotte Lamb and Penny Jordan? Favorites....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 *whispers* I started first grade in 1988 *sneaks off* Apart from children's books the authors that have been with me the longest are Anne McCaffrey and David Eddings, both who have passed away fairly recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Teacher Zee: Apart from children's books the authors that have been with me the longest are Anne McCaffrey and David Eddings, both who have passed away fairly recently. I had no idea that David Eddings had passed away! He was one of my all time favorite authors. I have been reading him since 1990. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Sue Grafton is probably my longest running author. I started reading her books in the mid-80s. I can remember buying her first book like it was yesterday. I was in middle school and my parents and I were on our way to NY from VA and we always stopped at this independent bookstore in Harrisburg, right off I81. I'm almost positive Grafton's books were the first "grownup" books my parents bought me. :) Good memories! And I remember buying Grafton's first two while in graduate school! Good memories, indeed! I suspect that you won't be surprised to hear that I have been reading those authors for the same amount of time! ... Do you remember Charlotte Lamb and Penny Jordan? Favorites....... I do indeed remember them both and Anne Mather and .... It's fun to hear of people encountering Mary Stewart and Georgette Heyer for the first time on this thread. I was also reading them in the seventies. *whispers* I started first grade in 1988 *sneaks off* Ahh, a veritable babe in arms! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Teacher Zee: Apart from children's books the authors that have been with me the longest are Anne McCaffrey and David Eddings, both who have passed away fairly recently. I had no idea that David Eddings had passed away! He was one of my all time favorite authors. I have been reading him since 1990. In 2009 apparently, I thought it was more recent than that but no... My cousin credits my brother and David Eddings with turning her middle son into a reader. My brother introduced the boy to Eddings and now he is as a voracious reader as the rest of the family (not being a reader isn't really an option in my family...my grandmother could read two or three books a day once she retired) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Runningmom: I added my 52 books pinboard to my sig for anyone wanting to see my complete list. I love pinterest. So many ideas. I also have a board for books. Link is in my signature. Following your book board now. Angel: Robin M: with Sanderson's Wheel of time series. The Wheel of Time is not Sanderson's series. It's Robert Jordan's. Sanderson only co-wrote the last three books ;) :blush: Whoops! I knew that, really I did. Kareni: A couple of interesting columns from Jo Walton ~ (Read the comments, too, for additional titles.) Eight Books From the Last Decade that Made Me Excited About SF Eight Books From the Last Decade that Made Me Excited About Fantasy I loved Spin. It was unique and fascinating and gave lots of food for thought. Have Anthem in my TBR pile. Thanks for the links. Will be checking out the other books. Reading Jayne Ann Krentz's book last night had me reflecting on the fact that she is an author whose books I've been reading a long time. She is one of three authors whose books I started reading in the late seventies: Ann Maxwell -- who also writes as Elizabeth Lowell and, along with her husband, as A. E. Maxwell and early eighties: Nora Roberts -- who also writes as J. D. Robb Jayne Ann Krentz -- who also writes as Amanda Quick, Amanda Glass, Jayne Castle, Stephanie James, and more. These three authors are still writing. Anyone else been reading these author(s) or different authors for a long time? Me! Me! Me! Love all three. I've also been reading Linda Howard, Mercedes Lackey and Charles De Lint since the 80's. While at B&N yesterday picked up Brennan's Natural History of Dragons, Dean Koontz Saint Odd and Keri Arthur's Generation 18 as well as Tin House Magazine's Winter Reading edition of essays and poetry. James found some wwII books written for teens so he's happy since I took his last book away because it was way over his head and overwhelming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I had a couple of pockets of downtime this afternoon in between the busyness, so I was able to start The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. I'm enjoying it so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascadia Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Thank you all for being so welcoming! :grouphug: , Shawne. Yesterday I read the free Kindle book, The Relict's Mate, that Kareni linked yesterday. I wanted something light to read whilst watching the 'Hawks snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and waiting for my DH to get home from picking my MIL up at the airport and driving her back to her house. I generally don't seek out romances, but occasionally a paranormal one will sound intriguing and I have liked the Terry Spears wolf series, so I thought that I would give it a go. I ended up being disturbed by the romance of a contemporary adult male with an underage girl. I think that it wouldn't bother me as much if I were reading historical fiction from a culture where that was acceptable, but I didn't care for it in this context. I did find the Aboriginal focus to be a nice change from the US/European-based romances. TeacherZee: Thanks for recommending The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia. It looks like it would be a good balance to the other books that I am/will be reading. I was looking at Austen/Bronte audiobooks last night and discovered that the BBC did a dramatization of Mansfield Park. The cast includes both David Tennant AND Benedict Cumberbatch! My previous dislike of MP may be overcome by this discovery. :drool5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckster Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I loved Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. I have always wanted to hike at least part of the AT. On my bucket list! finished this year: You're Already Amazing Trusting God Death Comes for the Archbishop The Hope Chest (by Rebekah Wilson) Treasure in the Hills The Quilting Bible Complete Guide to Quilting Genesis in Space and Time A World Without Cancer Confessions of an Organized Homemaker Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness What's Best Next The Granny Square Book Kids Knitting Homespun Bride Make Over: Revitalizing the Many Roles You Fill Seven-Minute Marriage Solution Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion Pollyanna currently reading: The History of the Medieval World How to be a High School Superstar East of Eden Wuthering Heights Jane Eyre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 This week I'm finishing The Halfling's Gem. I'm also starting Fountainhead. I finished The Kings and Queens of Roam and really have nothing to say about it. It was meh. It was an audiobook and the problem may have in part been the reader, but it's hard to say. I think if it had been a print book, I would have put it down. So for this year I've read: The Kings & Queens of Roam Streams of Silver Son Messenger The Familiars The Crystal Shard Songmaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 ... I've also been reading Linda Howard, Mercedes Lackey and Charles De Lint since the 80's. Oh, I'd forgotten about Linda Howard. I have her Mackenzie's Mountain on my shelf as well as Now You See Her which has a paranormal element; I enjoy her current books, too. Julie Garwood is another author who has been writing a long time though I like her recent books more than her earlier ones. Yesterday I read the free Kindle book, The Relict's Mate, that Kareni linked yesterday. .... I ended up being disturbed by the romance of a contemporary adult male with an underage girl. I think that it wouldn't bother me as much if I were reading historical fiction from a culture where that was acceptable, but I didn't care for it in this context. I did find the Aboriginal focus to be a nice change from the US/European-based romances. I've yet to read it, but that age difference did give me pause. The Aboriginal focus certainly sounds intriguing though. Thanks for the feedback, Cascadia, and welcome. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I read The Gold Coast 10 -12 years ago and didn't like it. But I think Gold Coast might be one of the books that require some life experience perhaps?. I picked up The Gate House (the sequel to The Gold Coast) for $1 at the library book store a couple weeks ago so I've been planning to give The Gold Coast another try, see if I like it better now that I'm a little older and wiser :) Yesterday's mention of Nelson DeMille has sent me off on a very unexpected rabbit trail. I thought I had my books all planned for the next couple of weeks. I have spent my day reading The Gold Coast. I remember very little of the people part of the story but seem to be remembering the descriptions of the locations. I plan to read the sequel as soon as I am done. I also finished Artistic License by Elle Pierson which Kareni read a couple of weeks ago. It was a good romance with a slightly different twist, the hero was not handsome at all except in the eyes of the heroine. it was nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Just finished Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls by Leonard Sax. I got the suggestion from somebody here - thank you! It was a good read. Mostly preaching to the choir, although I found the chapter on girl's spirituality challenging. I also felt sad that I can't provide my girls with the amazing community of women that he describes - I don't have that for myself! But it did motivate me to want to try and cultivate it more than I do, for their sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 OT.... Just saw a small beauty of a film that I think might appeal to some of my BaW friends. (Pam, I'm looking at you, for one....) Quiet. Bittersweet. Touching. Plus, the camera views & the blocking of the scenes are lovely. Still Life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaughingCat Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Mostly fell back into my normal habit of read/skim bits and pieces of non-fiction this week. None worth naming sad to say. Finished: The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde Reading: Three Men in a Boat (still! can't remember the last time I was so leisurely with a book and kept reading it) A Mind for Numbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Rose, I read "Boys Adrift" (also by Sax) a couple years back. It had a lot of thought provoking topics, although I can't recall the details now. I might have to dig that one back out soon! Ugh, DS is ill with a stomach virus and I may have a touch of it myself. Not exactly conducive to making headway on my reading OR on my house projects. I blame DH... he brought it home and was sick last week. :LOL: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SophiaH Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Just settled the kids into bed and sat down with a glass of wine and decided to check in on you lovely ladies. I'm trying to keep up with the thread throughout the week, but I don't often find enough time to reply, so by the time I get a chance to type I've forgotten all the remarks I had wanted to make. I finished After the Quake by Murakami today. I think the stories got better as the book went on. I preferred the last one most of all because it was the first one in which I felt that Murakami gave something of himself away in the writing of it. I need to be able to connect with either the author or a character in a story to feel satisfied (?) in reading it. I could not connect with either in any of the other stories, but in "Honey Pie" there was a sense of an emotional connection to the author's life-yearnings via the main character. Overall, the book was fine. I don't know that I would pick up another Murakami, though. I picked up The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen at the library that was mentioned by Stacia. I think that will be the one I start tonight...that or Patriot Games. My daughter wants to participate and I've been forgetting to put her book list on here. I'll have to get it from her tomorrow, but I know this week she read the first Lord of the Rings (her first time!), The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle, Homefront by Doris Gwaltney, and she is re-reading her favorite series by Wayne Thomas Batson...The Berinfell Prophecy trilogy, maybe? So far for me: 1. The Giver 2. The 39 Steps 3. Everywhere Present 4. The 9th Judgment 5. After the Quake - Murakami Currently reading: Ongoing: HotMW Thirty Steps to Heaven: The Ladder of Divine Ascent for all Walks of Life (leading an Orthodox College Group) The Gospel of John by Farley -and- Introducing the Orthodox Church (these two dd and I are reading together for school) The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater Starting soon: Patriot Games The Revisionists The Bat - Jo Nesbo The 10th Women's Murder Club book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I am in a complete reading slump. Cannot settle on a single thing though I've got plenty of options. Plus my new-to-me book, The Eros of Everyday Life, arrived today. It cost me .99 cents plus...$3.99 shipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Hello all. I know I've been away from the boards for a couple of weeks but I think of you guys often. My family could really use some prayers this week - particularly my husband's job situation. Thank you. Hope to be back on board soon. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Stacia, do these two books cover different enough ground that it's worth reading both? I do like his writing style, and I'm also interested in his books about Native Americans. Have you read either of those? Yes, from what I've read of Mongol Queens so far, his Genghis Khan book is different enough to make it worth reading separately. (And, so far, I'll say that I enjoyed the Genghis Khan book more.) I haven't read any of his other books, but I would like to. He has a nice writing style for non-fiction, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Just finished Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls by Leonard Sax. I got the suggestion from somebody here - thank you! It was a good read. Mostly preaching to the choir, although I found the chapter on girl's spirituality challenging. I also felt sad that I can't provide my girls with the amazing community of women that he describes - I don't have that for myself! But it did motivate me to want to try and cultivate it more than I do, for their sake. I have that book. It's one of the dusties on my list for this year. Good to hear it's worth reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeFlowers Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 So I finished The Miniaturist last night. I did not read any reviews only the inside flap info from Amazon: There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . . On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways . . . Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall? Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition I have to say that the book was not what I expected based on this blurb. Some of the book caught me off gaurd but I enjoyed that fact that it did. Things never turned out the way I thought they would. The characters were interesting and ended up wishing I knew more about some of them. I didn't want the book to end when and where it did. So, I guess I would say I liked it. :thumbup: PSA: There are some controverislal and upsetting topics in the book. I am being vague because they are an important part of the storyline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Hello all. I know I've been away from the boards for a couple of weeks but I think of you guys often. My family could really use some prayers this week - particularly my husband's job situation. Thank you. Hope to be back on board soon. Hugs and good thoughts. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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