March 2009 Book Challenge - Page 6

[kofduke]

Feed, Anderson

In this chilling novel, Anderson (Burger Wuss; Thirsty) imagines a society dominated by the feed a next-generation Internet/television hybrid that is directly hardwired into the brain.

I found this hard to get into because of the futuristic "language" -- a new product is, "meg brag." I found it distracting. However, I think the underlying message of the book is so valuable, and the narrator is both believable and flawed within his setting.


#1 Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, #2 Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, #3 Autobiography of God, #4 The Ghost Orchid, #5 The Poe Shadow, #6 Knit One Kill Two, #7 Citizen Girl, #8 The Fourth Bear, #9 The Third Secret, #10 Change of Heart, #11 Guardian Angels, #12 The Gore, #13 The Undomestic Goddess, #14 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil T. Frankweiler, #15 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, #16 Blood Memory, #17 A Thousand Splendid Suns, #18 Then we Came to the End, #19 - Feed

[Bufomander]

So I'm on page 66 of Ursula, Under and I really want to read it cause Cathe recommended it. But I'm not finding myself particularly drawn in at this point, and as we get ready to leave for Indiana on the train this evening, I *am* finding myself increasingly picky about what books I'm taking with me.... Hmmm...

[PassionateWriter]

(i think this is no. 11..i have to go back and see).

just finished Gregor the Overlander...i wanted to read something else by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games). This is a series published by scholastic..i wanted to see how her writing prior to Hunger Games compared, and also see if this would be appropriate for my 10 year old.

It was of course a quick read and an interesting plot. Collins admits this book was the equivalent of what would happen if Alice fell down an air vent in a New York City apartment building instead of down a rabbit hole? Its about an 11 year old boy, who is having to take care of his 2 year old sister during the summer while his other sister gets to go to summer camp. His father had disappeared 2 years earlier and left the family in a fairly desperate situation. When Boots (the 2 yo) falls down the air vent, Gregor goes after her. The maturity of the 11 year old is a bit unrealistic (it would be more believable to me if he were 15 or 16...but who knows ...this 11 yo has had to grow up a lot in the last 2 years since his father's disappearance, so maybe not implausible as i might think). The Underland is a very dangerous place, with giant rats, cockroaches, bats and all sorts of other things....Gregor finds that he is the center of a great prophecy of the Underland...and thus begins his journey (which includes finding his father).

Originally Posted by imbarefoot

Dealing With Disappointment by Elizabeth Crary- 5/5 stars, hands down my favorite parenting book that I've read to-date. Easy to apply to your life, and it's effective. I've never had such good results with a parenting "strategy" with my spirited 3yo, as I did with this one.

what did you like about it? is it a Gentle Discipline book? just wondering b/c i kind of collect good parenting books.

Originally Posted by friendtoall

I fell in love with audio books right away. When I only had access to books on CD, I would put them on the computer and then onto my MP3 player. PM me if you would like to see my Goodreads account - I have a separate file for all the audio books I've listened to in the past year a half or so, maybe there will be something in there you like and can get.

ill pm you now. thanks!

and actually, i carpooled with a friend down to Boston yesterday and was kind of bummed that i wouldnt be able to listen to my audio book (thought it would be kind of rude! lol!)....so i guess im becoming addicted! lol!

its kind of a strange situation for me. i have an ipod but our library's audio books wont work on a mac (my computer) or an ipod..so DP has to burn them to CD for me. i am on a "no new book purchase" mission so i have to either find my books at the library, or via paperbackswap right now..ill check out the CD portion of paperbackswap later tonight though. i have another box of books i found in teh garage to add there anyway. i dont think you can ever have too many books, but i do think we are capping our storage space for books..and we have basement shelves dedicated to books; plus bookshelves upstairs. I feel kind of bad when i tell ppl we arent buying new books right now (they look at me like im crazy)...but honestly...the kids have probably over a 1000 books and i cant even think of how many we have...we have some serioius issues with books! lol!

[Keeta]

18. Graceling - Kristin Cashore

Loved it! This book has been reviewed here many times, so I will just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm a tiny bit bummed that the next one she's publishing is a prequel and that the one after that will follow Bitterblue, because I rilly rilly rilly loved Katsa and Po and want MORE! Maybe down the line, someday...


And on a different subject entirely - do you guys count novellas? For example, I checked out an anthology of stories, but I'm only interested in one of the four (it's part of a larger series). I've read some of the other authors in it, and I'm not really looking to read them again. So, the story was 100 pages, but only 1/4 of a book...does it count? What do you think?



1. One Foot In the Grave - Jeaniene Frost 2. Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead 3. Parenting a Free Child: An Unschooling Life - Rue Kream 4. Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires, Book 5) - Rachel Caine 5. Sunshine - Robin McKinley 6. Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) - Jim Butcher 7. Magic to the Bone - Devon Monk 8. Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs 9. Impossible - Nancy Werlin 10. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone - Stephanie Kuehnert 11. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand - Carrie Vaughn 12. At Grave's End (Night Huntress, Book 3) - Jeaniene Frost 13. Beguilement (The Sharing Knife, Volume One) - Lois McMaster Bujold 14. Legacy (The Sharing Knife, Volume Two) - Lois McMaster Bujold 15. Passage (The Sharing Knife, Volume Three) - Lois McMaster Bujold 16. White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, Book 7) - Kim Harrison 17. The Official Ubuntu Book, 3rd Ed - Benjamin Mako Hill, et al 18. Graceling - Kristin Cashore

[Jenifer76]

The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber

The memoir tells the tale of Abu-Jaber's childhood growing up in Jordanian and American household and her father's love affair with food and his former country. I loved this book! Abu-Jaber's descriptions of the food had me hungry throughout the whole book. In fact, I am making one of the recipes tonight.

[cathe]

Originally Posted by Bufomander

So I'm on page 66 of Ursula, Under and I really want to read it cause Cathe recommended it. But I'm not finding myself particularly drawn in at this point, and as we get ready to leave for Indiana on the train this evening, I *am* finding myself increasingly picky about what books I'm taking with me.... Hmmm...

I recommended it? Hm . . . can't even remember what book that is now.

[kaliki_kila]

25. Saturday by Ian McEwan

This book follows a neurosurgeon during one Saturday, a day that he expects to be relaxing - he plans to play a game of squash and cook a fish stew for his daughter. Instead, he wakes up to witness a shocking scene outside his window and the day takes an even more dramatic turn later. Ian McEwan still manages to make the writing beautiful and insightful and I paused and read several passages over and over because of this. But the story is gripping. I stayed up late last night reading this one because the last part had my heart racing and I totally didn't expect that from Ian McEwan.

[Jenifer76]

I read Ursula, Under. Its defintely a slow moving book but I still felt it was worth it in the end. I think I was particulary drawn because its about Michigan and that's where I live.

[katmann]

Originally Posted by kaliki_kila

25. Saturday by Ian McEwan

This book follows a neurosurgeon during one Saturday, a day that he expects to be relaxing - he plans to play a game of squash and cook a fish stew for his daughter. Instead, he wakes up to witness a shocking scene outside his window and the day takes an even more dramatic turn later. Ian McEwan still manages to make the writing beautiful and insightful and I paused and read several passages over and over because of this. But the story is gripping. I stayed up late last night reading this one because the last part had my heart racing and I totally didn't expect that from Ian McEwan.

This is my favorite book by McEwan. I was really disappointed by Amsterdam, and only sort of liked Atonement. Saturday had my heart racing as well at the end. Plus the part where he makes the seafood stew is really rich.

[kaliki_kila]

Originally Posted by katmann

This is my favorite book by McEwan. I was really disappointed by Amsterdam, and only sort of liked Atonement. Saturday had my heart racing as well at the end. Plus the part where he makes the seafood stew is really rich.

Me too! This is my favorite one so far. I have only read On Chesil Beach and The Child in Time so far because I just discovered Ian McEwan last year. But I think he is one of my favorite authors and I really like his style... he's very insightful.

[Jenifer76]

Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Becky is back and up to her usual tricks. She and Luke return from their 10-month honeymoon where Becky (of course) spent too much money on souvenirs and had them secretly shipped home. Upon returning, she discovers she has a half-sister that she never knew existed. Becky dreams of a blissful sister relationship - but is shocked to learn Jess hates shopping. In fact, the two have nothing in common. In usual Becky form, she makes a disaster of the situation but manages to fix it all in the end. Perfect light reading -- even if you spend a good deal want to knock Becky upside her head.

[kangamitroo]

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli, where were you when i was 12?

here is from the inside flap:
"What is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe?
Jerry Spinelli knows."

apparently Jerry Spinelli remembers every moment of existential crisis that 12-15 year olds experience. he is just :. the only problem with his books is they have to end.

[imbarefoot]

Originally Posted by PassionateWriter

(i think this is no. 11..i have to go back and see).

just finished Gregor the Overlander...i wanted to read something else by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games). This is a series published by scholastic..i wanted to see how her writing prior to Hunger Games compared, and also see if this would be appropriate for my 10 year old.

It was of course a quick read and an interesting plot. Collins admits this book was the equivalent of what would happen if Alice fell down an air vent in a New York City apartment building instead of down a rabbit hole? Its about an 11 year old boy, who is having to take care of his 2 year old sister during the summer while his other sister gets to go to summer camp. His father had disappeared 2 years earlier and left the family in a fairly desperate situation. When Boots (the 2 yo) falls down the air vent, Gregor goes after her. The maturity of the 11 year old is a bit unrealistic (it would be more believable to me if he were 15 or 16...but who knows ...this 11 yo has had to grow up a lot in the last 2 years since his father's disappearance, so maybe not implausible as i might think). The Underland is a very dangerous place, with giant rats, cockroaches, bats and all sorts of other things....Gregor finds that he is the center of a great prophecy of the Underland...and thus begins his journey (which includes finding his father).



what did you like about it? is it a Gentle Discipline book? just wondering b/c i kind of collect good parenting books.



ill pm you now. thanks!

and actually, i carpooled with a friend down to Boston yesterday and was kind of bummed that i wouldnt be able to listen to my audio book (thought it would be kind of rude! lol!)....so i guess im becoming addicted! lol!

its kind of a strange situation for me. i have an ipod but our library's audio books wont work on a mac (my computer) or an ipod..so DP has to burn them to CD for me. i am on a "no new book purchase" mission so i have to either find my books at the library, or via paperbackswap right now..ill check out the CD portion of paperbackswap later tonight though. i have another box of books i found in teh garage to add there anyway. i dont think you can ever have too many books, but i do think we are capping our storage space for books..and we have basement shelves dedicated to books; plus bookshelves upstairs. I feel kind of bad when i tell ppl we arent buying new books right now (they look at me like im crazy)...but honestly...the kids have probably over a 1000 books and i cant even think of how many we have...we have some serioius issues with books! lol!

DWD is just great! Yes it's a GD book. It's all about neutralizing a situation before it becomes a blow up/tantrum/meltdown and gives you tools to self soothe if you find yourself in one of those situations. It works so well and it's easy to apply. Some of the parenting books have all these steps and I get way too confused and frazzled.

[cathe]

Originally Posted by kaliki_kila

25. Saturday by Ian McEwan

This book follows a neurosurgeon during one Saturday, a day that he expects to be relaxing - he plans to play a game of squash and cook a fish stew for his daughter. Instead, he wakes up to witness a shocking scene outside his window and the day takes an even more dramatic turn later. Ian McEwan still manages to make the writing beautiful and insightful and I paused and read several passages over and over because of this. But the story is gripping. I stayed up late last night reading this one because the last part had my heart racing and I totally didn't expect that from Ian McEwan.

Hm . . . I don't think I read that one though I've read some of his others. I'll have to go request it.

[mammastar2]

Originally Posted by kaliki_kila

25. Saturday by Ian McEwan

This book follows a neurosurgeon during one Saturday, a day that he expects to be relaxing - he plans to play a game of squash and cook a fish stew for his daughter. Instead, he wakes up to witness a shocking scene outside his window and the day takes an even more dramatic turn later. Ian McEwan still manages to make the writing beautiful and insightful and I paused and read several passages over and over because of this. But the story is gripping. I stayed up late last night reading this one because the last part had my heart racing and I totally didn't expect that from Ian McEwan.

I read Saturday and enjoyed it - it's the only one of his I've read so far.

I did find him sometimes laughably over-descriptive, and it took me a bit to get into it, but I'd like to read some more of his and see what I think...

[PassionateWriter]

Just listened to David Sedaris...Live at Carnegie Hall. Listening to him is actually so much more fun than reading.


1. Club Dead, Charlaine Harris. #3 of the Southern Vampire Series.
2. Dead to the World #4 of the Southern Vampire Series.
3. Dead as a Doornail, book #5 of teh Southern Vampire Series.
4. Holidays on Ice, David Sedaris.
5. Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins.
6. Life as We Knew It
7. Definitely Dead #6 of the Southern Vampire Series.
8. A Thousand Splendid Sunsets
9. All Together Dead #7 of the Southern Vampire Series
10.Graceling'
11. David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall.

[cathe]

Kiss My Tiara by Susan Jane Gilman

I loved this nonfiction book about how to become a smartmouth goddess. Funny with some good advice -- maybe geared more for single women but lots of all women as well.

[kaliki_kila]

26. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

From the cover: "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Endlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

Props to the author for coming up with enough corny jokes and cute puzzles to fill every page. Many parts were LOL funny and the dialogue is a hoot. Some of the details about the Whisperer, Mindsweeping, etc were a bit tedious (probably because everything was spelled out so simply and still didn't make much sense). I think this would be perfect for the 8 or 9-yo crowd, but I wll be reading the sequel with no shame.

[Jenifer76]

Fault Lines by Nancy Huston

A very bizarre tale of four generations of a family told in reverse from 2004 to 1944. Most disturbing to me was that the young children all have a preoccupation with violence and sexuality that seems far beyond their years. While the ending does tie some loose ends together, I felt like it left just as many unanswered.

[cathe]

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

Another YA novel by Anderson for me --- I'm doing a paper on her for my adolscent lit class.

This one was not quite as dark as Speak and Twisted -- which was actually a nice break. After a teacher steals the prom money, a girl, even though she thinks the prom is stupid, helps to save the dance. It's a good funny, sweet book.