October 2009 Book Challenge - Page 7

[Bufomander]

Originally Posted by NewCrunchyDaddy

I liked it (and DS loved it) but it is only good completely independent of and distinct from the book.

funny -- when I posted about it (the movie of Coraline) I thought to myself, "NCD is going to have something to say about this". I think it was partially because we had a disc of Battlestar Galactica also out of the library and so I was evaluating it via the fact that my time could've been spent watching that -- if that makes any sense...

Originally Posted by cathe

Guess what? I got a job as a school librarian at a local elementary school. I start next week!

Giant congratulations, Cathe!!!

[cathe]

PW picks the top books of 2009. This is an excerpt from their weekly e-newsletter:

"The top picks of the year; which include both fiction and nonfiction titles, are: The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon); Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine); Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau); Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf); A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random); In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton); Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon); Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday); Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press); and Stitches by David Small (Norton).

The complete list of the 100 adult best books of the year, broken down by major categories, as well as 30 best children’s books of 2009, will appear in the November 2 issue of PW."

I haven't heard of any of those . . . here's a link to the reviews if you're interested:

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Originally Posted by cathe

PW picks the top books of 2009. This is an excerpt from their weekly e-newsletter:

"The top picks of the year; which include both fiction and nonfiction titles, are: The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon); Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine); Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau); Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf); A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random); In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton); Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon); Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday); Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press); and Stitches by David Small (Norton).

The complete list of the 100 adult best books of the year, broken down by major categories, as well as 30 best children’s books of 2009, will appear in the November 2 issue of PW."

I haven't heard of any of those . . . here's a link to the reviews if you're interested:

Lost City of Z is incredible. I listened to the audiobook back in June. My review is HERE. The rest are new to me, though I think I saw Matthew B. Crawford and Shop Class as Soulcraft interviewed on either The Daily Show or The Colbert Report ... the book title is ringing a dim bell.

[fremontmama]

Originally Posted by cathe

Guess what? I got a job as a school librarian at a local elementary school. I start next week!

Super big congrats! That does seem like a really cool job. Dh wants to be a librarian

Originally Posted by cathe

PW picks the top books of 2009. This is an excerpt from their weekly e-newsletter:

"The top picks of the year; which include both fiction and nonfiction titles, are: The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon); Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine); Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau); Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf); A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random); In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton); Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon); Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday); Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press); and Stitches by David Small (Norton).

The complete list of the 100 adult best books of the year, broken down by major categories, as well as 30 best children’s books of 2009, will appear in the November 2 issue of PW."

I haven't heard of any of those . . . here's a link to the reviews if you're interested:

Oh fun! Shop Class as Soulcraft sounds interesting. I was just reading about that book somewhere. Mark Morford's weekly column maybe?

[kbond]

As usual, people are posting really intriguing books, and I don't have any time at all to read! 21 credits this term might just kill me yet. On the other hand, I'll be DONE once I finish.

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Originally Posted by kbond

As usual, people are posting really intriguing books, and I don't have any time at all to read! 21 credits this term might just kill me yet. On the other hand, I'll be DONE once I finish.

Well, don't feel too bad. My reading has come at the cost of my schooling. Teaching Freshman Composition, and taking a Pedagogy Class and a Lit Crit class has me so burned out that often I have to throw it all out when I get home and pick up something I can just enjoy and don't have to think about. But that means that I am behind in my grading papers, and haven't read the articles and essays for my classes. So, at least you're keeping focus.

[Bufomander]

Originally Posted by cathe

PW picks the top books of 2009. This is an excerpt from their weekly e-newsletter:

"The top picks of the year; which include both fiction and nonfiction titles, are: The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon); Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine); Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau); Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf); A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random); In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton); Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon); Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday); Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press); and Stitches by David Small (Norton).

The complete list of the 100 adult best books of the year, broken down by major categories, as well as 30 best children’s books of 2009, will appear in the November 2 issue of PW."

I haven't heard of any of those . . . here's a link to the reviews if you're interested:

I just read Await Your Reply recently -- Guess it's my #112 -- It was interesting, one of those "completely unrelated people's lives eventually intersect by the end" kind of books. wasn't rave-worthy to me, but I could see how it would be for some.

[friendtoall]

Originally Posted by cathe

PW picks the top books of 2009. This is an excerpt from their weekly e-newsletter:

"The top picks of the year; which include both fiction and nonfiction titles, are: The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon); Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine); Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau); Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf); A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random); In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton); Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon); Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday); Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press); and Stitches by David Small (Norton).

The complete list of the 100 adult best books of the year, broken down by major categories, as well as 30 best children’s books of 2009, will appear in the November 2 issue of PW."

I haven't heard of any of those . . . here's a link to the reviews if you're interested:

"The Age of Wonder" is on my rather extensive to-read list. If I didn't get the referral here, I wonder where I heard of it? And I heard an interview with Matthew Crawford on CBC or PBS (can't remember where I was living at the time) and the book sounded very interesting, but I figured it was another preaching-to-the-choir type of book.

[Bufomander]

#113 Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
a re-read -- still very good. retelling of a Grimm's fairy tale. almost 400 pages long.

[kbond]

Originally Posted by NewCrunchyDaddy

Well, don't feel too bad. My reading has come at the cost of my schooling. Teaching Freshman Composition, and taking a Pedagogy Class and a Lit Crit class has me so burned out that often I have to throw it all out when I get home and pick up something I can just enjoy and don't have to think about. But that means that I am behind in my grading papers, and haven't read the articles and essays for my classes. So, at least you're keeping focus.

I suppose that's one way to think of it. God, I don't miss grading papers. More power to you for doing it.

[fremontmama]

#Kristin Lavransdatter The Bridal Wreath by Sigrid Undset

I found this a little slow to start, but probably that was just my getting used to the early 20th century writing style, and maybe the translation? Anyway, by the time I got to the end, I found myself surprised at how juicy the story had become! I'm not running out to read the other ones quite yet, but when I do get the chance to read them, I know it will be fun.

It's the story of a young woman in Sweden set in 1300's or so, about her growing up and her romance with a young man that her parents do not approve of.

oh, shoot, i forgot about that smilie again. i'll leave it b/c it cracks me up

[Bufomander]

#114 The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
#115 The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer

These are the first two in the Enola Holmes series for kids, about Sherlock Holmes (fictional sister) I think they are fun. Not quite ready to read them to 5 yo DD, but they are fun.

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

November's Thread is ready and rarin' to go HERE

[mammastar2]

#63 - Remaking Queen Victoria (edited collection)

Don't have it in front of me to remind me who the editors were. This is a heavily academic collection of essentially cultural history essays centered around Queen Victoria. I haven't read anything sort of post-moderny/academicy in years. It's nice to know I can still do it, and was fun to do it at leisure, but man, communicating clearly and interestingly is not exactly a priority in academia! There was certainly stuff I found interesting to think about, and new to know, but you do have to wade through a lot...

[raksmama]

I'll add these books:

#4 Bitten by Kelly Armstrong. Although she is a good writer, I would not recommend it unless you like Horror. Too much fighting for me.

#5 Stephanie Plum One for the Money by Janet Evanovitch.
What a pleasant surprise. I loved it and I did not think I would.

#1. Jack of Kinrowan by Charles De Lint, http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/d/charles-de-lint/ http://www.sfsite.com/lists/cdl.htm
I really LOVE his style. Jack of Kinrowan has two novels Jacky the Giant Killer and Drink Down the Moon. http://www.sfsite.com/10b/jack67.htm

#2. Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho. He is usually one of my favourite writers but I don’t like this one as much as the Alchemist or Veronica Decides to Die. I can't tell if it is just because ever since I got into Urban Fantasy this the summer regular fiction just seems dull.

# 3. Moonheart by Charles De Lint
http://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/...art-desc01.htm
Kind of a cross between Tolkien,Carlos Castaneda,and X-files with a nice romance in it as well. Really Really Good!