February 2010 Book Challenege - Page 3

[BookGoddess]

#6 Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind
A quick lighthearted read similar to Jan Karon's Mitford series also set in the South except without the religious overtones, and more humor. Miss Julia is a widow. She reminds me of Jessica Tandy's character in Driving Miss Daisy. She's all prim, proper, by the book type of older woman raised in an era when women behaved a certain way. Upon the death of her well to do domineering husband, she discovers her dead husband had been fooling around on her and fathered a boy who is now in grade school. A series of serious and hilarious escapades later we reach a very touching conclusion.
I liked the story. It's not some great work that will be analyzed by English Lit majors in college, but it is entertaining and worth reading. This is the first book in a series of Miss Julia stories.

Originally Posted by Bufomander

Cool, I put Roma on hold. and I put Time of My Life on hold even though I can't remember if I read it already or not. : I even went to Amazon to see if I'd rated it, and I haven't.... But it seems awfully familiar.... But I love stuff like that -- the what if kinds of things--so I'll check it out and see. :

Great! I'd love to hear your thoughts about those two books.

[kangamitroo]

The Heart of Islam by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. this is a re-read. it is a scholarly yet accessible book. it was so good the first time, i knew a second read would help me to assimilate the ideas. if you want a deeper understanding of Muslim values, or to see connections to the other Abrahamic faiths, i recommend this.

[Bufomander]

#34 Stitches by David Small
A graphic memoir -- from Amazon

Amazon Best of the Month, September 2009: Reading Stitches may feel unexpectedly familiar. Not in the details of its story--which is David Small's harrowing account of growing up under the watchless eyes of parents who gave him cancer (his radiologist father subjected him to unscrupulous x-rays for minor ailments) and let it develop untreated for years--but in delicate glimpses of the author's child's-eye view, sketched most often with no words at all. Early memories (and difficult ones, too) often seem less like words than pictures we play back to ourselves. That is what's recognizable and, somehow, ultimately delightful in the midst of this deeply sad story: it reminds us of our memories, not just what they are, but what they look like. In every drawing, David Small shows us moments both real and imagined—some that are guileless and funny and wonderfully sweet, many others that are dark and fearful—that unveil a very talented artist, stitches and all.

Good stuff.

#35 The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson
by the author of Bridge to Terabithia. short juvenile lit about an Albanian family living in Kosovo who eventually come to the U.S. as refugees.

Originally Posted by cathe

Well, when you read the one about the guy wanting to write a bestseller, we'll find out for sure because I really loved that one.

It's on my shelf! DH read it first and found it quite funny. I'm looking forward to reading it.

[cathe]

This Book is Overdue by Marilyn Johnson

I have to say I was disappointed in this book, though I had such high hopes for it. I didn't even wait for the library to get it in, I ordered it so I could get it right away. Unfortunately, I have to say this book did not measure up to my expectations. I loved what it was trying to do . . . show how important and relevant librarians have been and continue to be, but I found this book kind of . . . boring. It was mostly anecdotes of the author's experiences while researching this book. While some were interesting and I did learn some interesting things about librarians, I wanted more of a point and a focus to this book . . . not just a librarian rave but more about the importance of libraries in general--with points I could use in my letter writing campaigns to politicians and school boards on why libraries need to be funded and staffed adequately. So, while I'm glad someone had the idea to create a book like this, I just wish it would have been stronger.

[raksmama]

Blood Bound and Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/patricia-briggs/
Very good if you are into werewolves,vampires and fae! Lately
I've really been into this type of literature and I felt I needed a balance, so I also read:
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/y/...of-hadrian.htm
about the Roman emperor Hadrian. Very interesting but not a light read

[cathe]

Light a Single Candle by Beverly Butler

This was one of my favorite books when I was young I was reminded of it because my 5th grade dd was talking about a story she read in class about a blind girl and she had all these questions about blindness and seeing eye dogs, etc.. In this book, a 14 year old girl goes blind. She wants to attend regular high school and gets a seeing eye dog. My daughter read it and I reread it.

[TEAK's Mom]

Originally Posted by cathe

Light a Single Candle by Beverly Butler

This was one of my favorite books when I was young I was reminded of it because my 5th grade dd was talking about a story she read in class about a blind girl and she had all these questions about blindness and seeing eye dogs, etc.. In this book, a 14 year old girl goes blind. She wants to attend regular high school and gets a seeing eye dog. My daughter read it and I reread it.

OMG! I remember that book!

[cathe]

Do you? It took me a while to track it down. I didn't remember the title but I finally found it at this one small branch library.

[mammastar2]

Originally Posted by cathe

Light a Single Candle by Beverly Butler

This was one of my favorite books when I was young I was reminded of it because my 5th grade dd was talking about a story she read in class about a blind girl and she had all these questions about blindness and seeing eye dogs, etc.. In this book, a 14 year old girl goes blind. She wants to attend regular high school and gets a seeing eye dog. My daughter read it and I reread it.

Oh my, I remember that one too! I re-read it several times as a kid.

#13 - Under Orders by Dick Francis

Ah, always a good comfort read. I was sad to learn just after I finished this one that Dick Francis just died. His books were formulaic but always satisfying!

[TEAK's Mom]

Originally Posted by cathe

Do you? It took me a while to track it down. I didn't remember the title but I finally found it at this one small branch library.

My dd1 just pointed out that we have a vintage copy on her shelf. I didn't realize that it had survived so many moves. Time for tea and nostalgia.

[konamama]

5. The Last Aloha by Gaellen Quinn
a good easy read – about the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, historical fiction

[Bufomander]

#36 How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely
Fun stuff. I enjoyed all the thinly veiled references to various best-selling authors and genres. It made me wonder about authors' various motivations to write.

#37 There's No Place Like Here by Cecilia Ahern
This reminded me of ... that book we read a bit ago about the girl who is dead and is in a place where all the lost things go.... Main character is obsessed with lost things and becomes a missing persons investigator. What happens when she herself goes missing?

[Jenifer76]

"Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

A little long-winded at 600 pages, Garcia and Stohl look to capitalize on the current YA supernatural trend. Fortunately there are no vampires (okay, there is one blood sucking incubus but he is minor). Overall, I think they did a good job of presenting an interesting plot that moves fairly smoothly to the end. Based on the ending, I will assume a second book is in the works.

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by cathe

Light a Single Candle by Beverly Butler

This was one of my favorite books when I was young I was reminded of it because my 5th grade dd was talking about a story she read in class about a blind girl and she had all these questions about blindness and seeing eye dogs, etc.. In this book, a 14 year old girl goes blind. She wants to attend regular high school and gets a seeing eye dog. My daughter read it and I reread it.

i was thinking about this book when dd and i were reading the little house series. when Mary goes blind, my dd was quite upset. i remembered reading this novel, loving it....yet being afraid it could happen to me.

[Bufomander]

Originally Posted by Jenifer76

"Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl




A little long-winded at 600 pages, Garcia and Stohl look to capitalize on the current YA supernatural trend. Fortunately there are no vampires (okay, there is one blood sucking incubus but he is minor). Overall, I think they did a good job of presenting an interesting plot that moves fairly smoothly to the end. Based on the ending, I will assume a second book is in the works.

I had this one on hold at the library because it was on my Amazon recs but after reading your thoughts, decided to take it off -- too many good books out there. I'll probably check not interested on Amazon.

[cathe]

Originally Posted by kangamitroo

ii remembered reading this novel, loving it....yet being afraid it could happen to me.

me too.

[cathe]

Mrs. Kaputnik's Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium by Rona Arato

I got an advance copy of this from Library Thing to review. Unfortunately, I found it kind of slow. Ten-year-old Shoshi and her younger brother Moshe, along with their mother, leave their small village in Russia to find their father who left the family 5 years earlier to make his fortune in New York City. To complicate matters further, they have a baby dragon who causes his share of trouble but ends up saving the day.

I enjoyed the historical part of the book -- the travel Europe to New York, Ellis Island, and all the Jewish culture references . . . but I am having trouble figuring out who the audience would be for this book. The historical aspects, the subplots, and all the characters the reader needs to keep track of seem geared for older elementary age children, but the dragon and his antics seemed aimed for the early chapter book crowd. I'm not sure this book would be compelling for kids. While there were parts I liked, there were a lot of slow parts as well. I'm going to pass this on to my daughters and get their opinion.

[Jenifer76]

Originally Posted by Bufomander

I had this one on hold at the library because it was on my Amazon recs but after reading your thoughts, decided to take it off -- too many good books out there. I'll probably check not interested on Amazon.

Oh oh but what if I am totally off base? Anyone else read it and have thoughts? I hate for you not to read it if you would love it.

[cathe]

I read it and liked it . . . wouldn't rave but enjoyed it.

[Bufomander]

#38 The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill
The most recent (I think) of the Simon Serrailler (who knows how to pronounce that last name?) mysteries. I like them and feel like the author is good at giving you some hints as to the resolution while still doing a thing or two that is completely surprising. Set in England, current day.

#39 Notes from the Dog by Gary Paulsen
An excellent YA book (that could probably have been classed as j.lit) short. gardening, dogs, 14yo boys, summer, breast cancer, friendships.

Originally Posted by Jenifer76

Oh oh but what if I am totally off base? Anyone else read it and have thoughts? I hate for you not to read it if you would love it.

Originally Posted by cathe

I read it and liked it . . . wouldn't rave but enjoyed it.

Hmmm... I guess the only reason I really had it on hold was that it was on my Amazon recs. I haven't been totally lovin' on the genre... And it's Lent, so no putting more books on hold for me. So I'm happy to eliminate a few from the running.