Book Challenge - Page 2

[owensmom]

I"ve heard that Salt book is good...

I just finished Breeder - a collective of stories by the mama's at HipMama. It was really good, and lots of short reads. It was interesting to hear the stories of hippy drop out 19 year old mamas and how much they love their babies. Even though I feel "open minded", I know I am probably not as much as I could be... their stories were a good lesson.

[ja mama]

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[Joi]

I LOVED Breeder I got copies for quite a few of my friends and they love it too.


I just finished rereading Geek Love by Katherine Dunn and am now onto Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk.

[LunaMom]

Cool idea!

I have a friend who actually keeps a binder and makes an entry every time she finishes a book. She's a little OCD, though!!!

I just finished a great book called Funny In Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. She was born in Iran and came to America at age seven. It is a memoir, but it is mostly lighthearted and quite funny, especially the stuff she writes about her parents.

I also read a book called The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty, which is a coming-of-age story told in the fist person by the daughter of a young, unmarried mother. It was really wonderful.

[toepea]

I just finished 'Far Afield', by Susuanna Kaysen.

It's about a grad student (anthropology) who goes to the Faroe Islands to do some fieldwork. Life on the Island is backwards compared to Boston and there are some interesting culutural observations.

I finished it cuz I wanted to know what happened, but it wasn't a must read.

[Arduinna]

An Embarrassment of Mangos, a book about a Tonronto couple that rents out their home and sails to the carribean for 2 years. Great story especially because they both were doing it for the first time.

I'm currently reading Julian by Gore Vidal, tells the story of the Roman Emperor Julian who tried to bring back Roman Paganism.

do cookbooks count ?

[yoga]

If cookbooks count, I'm well past 100 already.

I would like to join in this. I usually read a couple of books (or more) per week. But, I'm mostly joining this to hear the recommendations. Lately, I've been in a rut when it comes to picking books for myself (except cookbooks) and I like hearing what others have enjoyed or found thought-provoking so I can read it, too.

I have been thinking of reading Lolita since that Book Quiz.

[Arduinna]

maybe we should start a seperate thread for cookbooks

[Mere]

Ack! Do you guys realize what this thread is doing to my book list??? Every time I check it, I add a few more books...it's already 2 pages long (that is, 2 pages of books that I want to read but haven't yet!)

No really, it's great , but does anyone else get overwhelmed at the sheer number of exciting books there are out there to read relative to the amount of time you actually have to read them???

[sohj]

Ummm...: ...I'm about to crown my reputation as a wet blanket....but I was thinking that as great as it is to get recommendations and all ... uh ... this seems a little acquisitive rather than inquisitive . A bit too much about reading lots and lots of books rather than delving in deep and getting a lot out of a book or several books you really enjoy and that strike a chord in you and your life.

So, I'm going to mention some books that I read for the first time long ago and now keep them in my bedroom bookshelf to be able to pick them up and open them at random and read bits again and again.

Ursula Le Guinn's The Compass Rose. A book of short stories. Mostly SF (Speculative Fiction). Not sure if it is still in print, but I sure hope so. One of the stories is about a time when marriage is illegal and a couple reunites after a "reeducation" of the man in prison.

Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. About the power of the state over one's mental state. And about PAYING ATTENTION. Being Here Now. How all our actions should be performed with attention and love and only by giving them full attention do they become "prayers". Well, maybe that is the wrong word. I meant prayer like the word "daven".

The Trickster of Liberty by Gerald Vizenor. Anishnaabe irony in a family story. He is, unfortunately, a professor at Berkeley, so I can't go to his lectures. ( http://people.mnhs.org/authors/biog_...rsonID=Vize363 ) I have wanted to meet him for years....but worry I might not like him as much as I like his books. (I worry about this with everyone whose works I admire...sometimes it is better to admire and keep a distance.)

Dorothy Sayers's Gaudy Night. A mystery, but mostly a study of human nature and, actually, the philosophical conflict that can exist between the "domestic goddess" and the woman with a profession/calling.

[yoga]

Personally, I'd be reading a lot of books, anyway. Unfortunately, I usually don't have anyone to discuss them with.

I'll add The Farmer and the Obstetrician by Michel Odent to this list as a book that just must be read, especially by mothers. I found it very well-written, though not as shocking as some may find it. (I guess MDC has kept me very informed these past couple of years...I don't freak easily ) It's about industrialized farming and childbirth, the perils, and some ideas to rectify what we've harmed. Other things, too, but those are the things that stand out in my mind.

[newmainer]

This is great... I am always looking for good books to read (though I have to admit that being on these boards has eaten up quite a bit of my reading time. ) Currently I'm reading:

Kids: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Raise Children, by Meredith Small This picks up where her book, Our Babies, Ourselves left off, which is a similar thread, but is about pregnancy and taking care of infants in various cultures. So fascinating and was just another reason why I decided to take care of my daughter the way I do.

Four Corners: One Woman's Solo Journey Into the heart of Papua New Guinea, Kira Salak This is an amazing story. It was given to me for Christmas, and at first I was like, oh great, another "lets conquer the bush" story by a middle class white explorer. But Kira's story is a bit more complicated than that, and i have to admire her sheer bravity and guts, having done some international travel myself. Plus, it is a great glimpse into a fascinating part of the world.

Keep 'em coming...
Oh, and I would love to hear about the books that have really struck a chord with people in the past too...

[LunaMom]

Newmainer, I'm going to the library right now to look for that new meredith Small book! I loved Our Babies, Ourselves.

I'm looking for Wild Swans, too.

[MamaBug]

Originally posted by Mere
Ack! Do you guys realize what this thread is doing to my book list??? Every time I check it, I add a few more books...it's already 2 pages long (that is, 2 pages of books that I want to read but haven't yet!)

No really, it's great , but does anyone else get overwhelmed at the sheer number of exciting books there are out there to read relative to the amount of time you actually have to read them???

:LOL Yes I get feeling that way too. I have an ongoing list on my computer of all the books that I want to read. It grows much faster then I can actually read.

I also keep an online list of the books I have read to look back on.

I too want to read Wild Swans!!!


This is one of my recent reads!
Motherhood and Hollywood: How to Get a Job Like Mine
by Patricia Heaton

This comfortable recounting by the Emmy-winning Everybody Loves Raymond co-star sustains a nice mix of wisecracks and sincerity that's sure to appeal to viewers of the television show and underappreciated moms. In tidily constructed chapters, divided into sections representing the three cities she's lived in, Heaton recounts her happy childhood in Cleveland, her adventures in New York and her attempts to sustain an average life with four children and a husband in Los Angeles. Particularly authentic are her takes on motherhood: "[A]s much as we'd like to believe otherwise, we're all going to be forgotten somewhere down the line. We'll certainly be forgotten by the world, and eventually by our own families. I mean, who can name their great-great-great grandmother?" The occasional lists, such as her "I Confess Top 20" ("#12: I add MSG to everything"; "#16: I throw away my kids' art projects almost immediately"), are amusing. Heaton's discussion of more weighty subjects, such as religion she tells of her move from Roman Catholicism to tacitly more socially acceptable Presbyterianism is predictable. Heaton has penned a worthy book, and her playful and positive attitude shine through. Agent, Mort Janklow.


I liked it, it was a bit disjointed but not a bad read. Very funny in some spots, but I wonder if she is going to piss off some of her costars. Also I liked her much more before I read this book, while I thought some of it was funny I didn't care for how she talked about her kids at times

[MamaBug]

Does anyone read Young Adult Fiction? I have started to read more and more of it. It is well written, informative sometimes and usually for me a quick read. When I only have time for a short book I dig in to a YA work. Just curious if anyone would be interested in that sort of thing as well!

[Indigo73]

Oh yes, I love Young Adult Fiction and Children's Fiction. I include Garth Nix, Jane Yolen and Eoin Colfer amongst my faves.

My dh just picked up a pile of the Lemony Snicket Unfortunate Events books for me. They are fun quick reads.

[yoga]

I really wanted to read those Unfortunate Events books, but the grammar and punctuation are so awful, I had to put the one I was reading down.

[CaliMommie]

As far as young adult literature I recently read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and the sequel The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. They were very good; I especially liked the first one. Not "deep", but entertaining.

AmiBeth

[MamaBug]

Originally posted by CaliMommie
As far as young adult literature I recently read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and the sequel The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. They were very good; I especially liked the first one. Not "deep", but entertaining.

AmiBeth

I recently read those myself. I LOVED them.

I also read a series by English author Jaqueline Wilson and they were quick fun reads. I love anything set in England.


I also want to read those Lemony Snicket Unfortunate Events books, again on my list!

Also the Dear America books are quick and informative. I have learned/relearned things about history that I had forgotten!

[~ATenthMuse~]

I want to join! I'm reading Eggshell Days right now and will post a synopsis later. Also, I put a hold on Wild Swans and I'm waiting for An Embarrassment of Mangoes as well.